Bouchard Père & Fils: a journey through Beaune masterclass

When thinking about the most famous vineyards within the Côte d’Ôr, it is all too easy to only consider famed plots such as Montrachet, Musigny and Richebourg.

A similar thought process regarding producers is likely to yield names such as Roulot, Ramonet, Rousseau, Lafon, Leflaive, Coche-Dury, Romanée-Conti (together with many others). Yet this tasting served as a timely reminder that there remain many other great (but less-fashionable) vineyards in the Côte d’Ôr, together with very important producers such as Bouchard Père & Fils, Bichot and Chanson.

This tasting was billed as ‘A journey through Beaune masterclass’ and was led by winemaker Frédéric Weber and Cyrille Harmel, export director for Maison & Domaines Henriot.

The aim was to promote the premier cru vineyards which surround Beaune – climats which are often (wrongly) overlooked in the context of the Côte d’Ôr but offer discerning Burgundy enthusiasts exciting terroir-driven wines at much better values than many of the more renowned names.

Scroll down for Andy Howard MW’s tasting notes and scores for 16 Bouchard Père & Fils wines

Bouchard, which has been owned by the Henriot family from Champagne since 1995, dates back to 1731, with the creation of the business by Michel Bouchard and his son, Joseph.

Originally operating as a négociant, Bouchard started acquiring vineyards in 1775 with the purchase of Volnay Les Caillerets. This process has continued for over two centuries with the addition of plots such as Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus in 1791, and Clos de la Mousse in 1826.

Bouchard now owns more than 130ha across the Côte d’Ôr, ranging from Marsannay-La-Côte in the north to Maranges in the south, with additional outposts in the Chalonnaise and Mâconnais.

Bouchard owns 74ha of premier cru vineyards in the Côte d’Ôr, 11% of the Montrachet vineyard, and is the largest owner within Chevalier-Montrachet and Meursault.

Frédéric Weber, who is originally from Alsace before moving to study and work in Dijon and Champagne, has been a winemaker at Bouchard since 2002, becoming cellar master in 2013.

Weber noted that the Beaune appellation totals 400ha of vineyards with a high proportion being premier cru. Bouchard owns over 50ha within Beaune, including two monopoles.

Weber stated that Beaune offers a microcosm of the Côte d’Ôr, with a similar patchwork of individual terroir and complexity as the wider area.

As well as village level white and red Beaune, Bouchard own vineyards in Premier Cru Les Marconnets, Les Teurons, Beaune du Château (an exclusive wine for Bouchard in both white and red), Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus, Clos de la Mousse (the latter a monopole), and Clos Saint-Landry (a monopole white).

The tasting was split into six flights, with the objective of demonstrating the differences between the sites, together with older wines from the same appellations.

Fully organic by 2026

Weber emphasised the relentless focus now employed on terroir and vineyard expression with all of the more recent wines demonstrating additional purity and elegance. He anticipates that the estate will be completely organic in 2026. Bouchard Père & Fils may not have had a stellar reputation several decades ago but, based on the quality on show, that is a view which seems out of date.

Beaune du Château has been exclusive to Bouchard since 1907, with the red representing a blend of 17 different premier cru plots, with the white version comprising four parcels – Aigrots; Tuvilains; Sizies and Sur le Grèves. Both wines tasted were from the ‘solar’ 2019 vintage, which emphasised bright, ripe fruit characters together with sappy acidity and delicate, restrained oak. Weber likened 2019 to 1949. The rustic, chunky tannins which seemed to dominate many Beaune Premier Cru in previous decades are certainly not apparent here – these will be delicious, age-worthy wines.

Weber then showed 2018s from Premier Cru Les Avaux; Clos du Roi; Les Marconnets and Les Teurons before repeating with wines from 2005 and 2009 (2005 was the first year vinified in Bouchard’s new winery).

The Bouchard Monopoles

The Monopole of Clos de la Mousse took 40 years to acquire, and is one of the ‘jewels’ in the Bouchard crown. The oldest trace of Clos de la Mousse dates back to 1220 and now amounts to a total of 3.36ha, sited on limestone/clay soil. Both wines – 2016 and 2009 – were surprisingly approachable and seemed at their best now.

Bouchard’s other monopole is the white Clos Saint-Landry, of which the 2018 and 2014 were presented. Given the differences between these two vintages, it was no surprise that 2014 showed beautifully, with all the crisp, vibrant and precise qualities expected from a top-drawer white Burgundy in this great vintage.

Finally, the tasting concluded with Beaune-Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus with 2019 (from Jeroboam) and 1999 (magnum). The latter was perhaps more a wine to taste for academic interest but the 2019 is a fantastic advert for the vintage, this famous site, and all the excellent work being put in by Weber and the Bouchard team.

Andy Howard MW’s Bouchard Père & Fils tasting notes and scores

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