2019 Moulin-à-Vent Les Rouchaux

This year I began the husband and wife tasting (or rather husband, wife and son tasting) with Louis Boillot’s range of 2019s that span both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. (Boillot is married to Ghislaine Barthod and their son Clément also works at the domaines)

“We had a small harvest in Les Pruliers because of some frost and we lost 20% of the crop,” Louis Boillot explained. “We started the harvest on 9 September in Volnay and finished on 18 September. I decided to reduce the new oak across the range from around 25% to 10-15% in order to express the fruit. I find that the 2019s absorbed the new oak more than other vintages, similar to the 2016s. Everything is de-stemmed. The wines will be bottled in March or April next year.”

I probably err towards Boillot’s Côte de Nuits over Côte de Beaune thanks to an excellent showing of his Gevreys, such as the Les Cherbaudes and Les Champonnets, not to mention a lip-smackingly delicious Côte de Nuits-Villages. These wines often receive less attention than those of Ghislaine-Barthod whose enviable cluster of Chambolle Premier Crus tends to put it ahead of Boillot’s. But these are certainly worth seeking out as they are well crafted Pinot Noirs and indeed Gamays. I have included a quintet from Beaujolais that Louis Boillot makes in Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie that come recommended.