Bouchard Père & Fils: a journey through Beaune masterclass

From Jeroboam. Bouchard purchased the site in 1791 and now hold 3.92ha. Fred Weber describes the vineyard as the 'fillet mignon' within Beaune-Grèves. Not surprisingly given the age/bottle size, primary characters are very dominant but there is clearly massive potential here. As the wine breathes, lovely aromas of raspberry/blackberry and violets evolve. Rich, ripe, pure dark fruit on the palate, subtle oak, mouthfilling and concentrated, with silky tannin and vibrant acidity providing the structure for long-term ageing. A great vintage and a great Beaune Premier Cru.

Bouchard started acquiring land in Teurons in 1791, completing the process in 1869. Not the heaviest or showiest of the wines tasted, this is precise and restrained. Still needs a little longer to reach its peak. Oak a little more evident. Attractive wild strawberry and blackberry fruit. Plenty of concentration with a freshness and vibrancy. A very fine example of the merits of 2005.

2.32ha at the northern end of the appellation. Plenty of sweet, ripe fruit on the nose with some development evident. Plenty of firm tannins combining beautifully with redcurrant fruit and a leafy, cool character on the palate. Bright acidity and good concentration. Plush, luxurious palate. A very classy 2005 just entering its peak drinking window. No hurry to drink this.

2005 was the first year in Bouchard's new winery with no whole-cluster, longer extraction and more new oak used. Although showing the expected extra maturity, this still has some of the 2005 vintage's reticence and restraint. Attractive, enveloping, strawberry conserve character on the nose with leafy notes. Still youthful on the palate, tannin evident, lacking a little plushness but undeniably a wine which balances force and finesse and has a long future ahead.

Bouchard has owned vines here since 1791 and, today, owns 2.32ha. The vineyard is located at the northern extremities of the Beaune appellation, with yellow/grey marls on a steeper slope. Subtle, precise and restrained, there is lovely purity on the nose and palate. Red cherry, blueberry and wild blackberry fruits noted by Fred Weber. Tannins are evident but there is lots of finesse here allied to concentration and vibrant acidity. A very classy Beaune Premier Cru.

Les Teurons is situated closer to the town of Beaune with Bouchard holding 2.41ha on a steep slope with thin soil over limestone bedrock. Early-ripening. Floral with notes of peony and rose allied with spice hints. Elegant, tight and restrained on the palate. Weber advises keeping for five years before approaching.

Deep limestone/clay soil with 4.36ha owned by Bouchard, half of which faces south, half facing north. 2018 was a different vintage to 2019 with a very wet winter followed by a hot summer, leading to rapid growth and the need for strict green harvesting. Gentle punching-down to extract slowly and gently. Darker hue in the glass, ripe fruit evident on both the nose and palate. Soft, easy, generous in texture with very fine tannins and lower acidity than with the 2019.

Clos du Roi is situated below Les Marconnets with Bouchard owning 0.83ha. The rich clay and white limestone soils are just a thin layer over the bedrock and this is an early-ripening site. 12-14 months in oak with 30-40% new. More earthy, leafy notes on the nose. Powerful black fruit character on the palate with firmer tannin structure. Long and persistent on the finish, slightly drying in character.

A monopole of Bouchard, the earliest trace of Clos de la Mousse dates back to 1220. Bouchard now own 3.36ha of this very well-exposed site on deep limestone/clay soil. This retains moisture with Clos de la Mousse being a late-ripening Premier Cru. Richer, deeper, darker hue of black fruit in the glass. More conserve than fresh fruit in character. In 2016 80% of the crop was lost to frost. Vibrant and sappy on the palate with firm tannins. 10% whole bunch used to emphasise freshness.

The 2009 currently shows a similar nose to the 2018 with a leafy rustic character, combined with more development in colour (brick red notes) while still retaining plenty of depth and concentration on the palate. Soft, easy and generous in the mouth, less evident acidity, just lacking a bit of length on the finish. Pleasing and enjoyable but at its peak now.

This shows an ample quantity of ripe, plummy fruit, with a texture that is rich and soft. Doubtless a crowd pleaser, but lacking a bit of depth for Premier Cru. Bouchard blends this wine from just over 26ha of vines in Beaune Premier Cru. The lieux-dits include Aigrots, Bas des Teurons, Bressandes, Cent Vignes, Clos du Roi and many others. The wines are fermented on native yeasts, with approximately 30% inclusion of whole clusters.

From magnum. Concentrated palate with a lot of development evident with a garnet hue in the glass, spice notes and tertiary characters. Generous, ripe, sweet fruit on the palate. Tannin are quite firm. Plenty of stuffing here with a smoky character on the nose. Just lacks some generosity on the finish and, perhaps, is already past its peak.

Appealing, open palate with some dried plum fruit character allied with red cherry notes. Soft and easy yet the palate is a little dry and lacks some concentration. A wine reflecting many of the characters of the 2009 vintage, with soft acidity, lacks some mid-palate concentration and finishes with a rather coarse texture. At best now.