Bouchard Pere et Fils 2009, Part I: The Negociant and the Domaine Whites
If you’re a fan of Burgundy, you’re in luck with the 2009 vintage. It’s fresh, lively, fruit-forward, and immediately accessible while avoiding the pitfalls of over-ripeness (well, at least, in the hands of the traditionalists). That makes for early drinkability for the lighter styles yet maintains the weight and richness and longevity expected of the Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines.
All of this was readily evident in a recent tasting of the release of the 2009 Bouchard Pere et Fils portfolio. Bouchard P&F is an excellent harbinger for the vintage with the combination of their impressive collection of domaine vineyards scattered throughout the Cote d’Or and their consistent approach to balance and restraint.
What was immediately apparent in the tasting was the quality and affability---not necessarily something one expects in such young Burgundies---throughout the range. Also immediately apparent was the clear distinction of the style, quality and expression of terroir the wines showed.
The non-domaine wines---Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny and Pommard Premier Cru---were excellent, with the Pommard being particularly beguiling at this point, full fleshed, rounded and succulent, a Rubenesque charmer; the Gevrey showing some power and tannic structure; and the Chambolle pretty and perfumey, but with some clenched-fist power in that pretty velvet glove.
The Domaine Whites
Meursault Les Clous
Although situated in a swath of vineyards with village appellations, the location of Les Clous (a dialect name similar to ‘les clos’, an enclosure) is in calcareous marly soils similar to Corton-Charlemagne, although the altitude is different, of course. The propitious location makes this a village wine with Premier Cru styling. The nose is appealing with white flowers and apple-citrus fruits, followed by a silky-fat texture of sweet fruit with thankfully restrained oak, then showing some minerals in the finish. It’s more subtle than it first appears, and with some age would develop quite nicely, although it’s perfectly drinkable now.
Meursault Genevrières Premier Cru
There’s more heft here than in the Les Clous. And, curiously, there’s more oak showing, although the claimed maturation indicates no more than 15% new oak. With the fleshy fruit there’s more vanilla, but there is a more prominent minerality as well.
Beaune Clos Saint-Landry Blanc, Premier Cru
This is an enticing wine, instantly beguiling and full of surprises, from a small vineyard that has an interesting history. But first the wine: a charming nose of fresh white flowers, apple, pear and citrus fruits makes an immediate impression, followed by a perfect balance of fruit, subtle oak, minerality, brisk acidity, and unexpected chewy ginger spice. It is fresh, lively and engaging, and firmly in the lip-smacking range, yet shows all promise of developing into a full, rich, smooth stunner when mature. This is an extraordinarily impressive wine!
Now the history: Bouchard has owned this 1.98 hectare vineyard as a monopole since 1791, acquiring it from the abbey of Maizières. The Cluniac monks who created the vineyard planted it in Chardonnay, and so it remains today. On a map the vineyard is recognized immediately, for it is a tiny plot in the middle of a huge arcing swathe of Pinot Noir vineyards in the Beaune appellation. (Beaune AOC is primarily Pinot Noir, with only 10% of its production white wine.) So here, surrounded by Pinot Noir, are some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in Burgundy, with hundreds of years of heritage intact.
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Ah, the power and substance of the Grand Cru. There is an immediate heightening of intensity with this wine, a coiled spring waiting to be released. The French would likely call it nervositè, and they would be right. The requisite components are there---the bright fruit, the acidity, the relatively moderate oak---but this wine is no longer merely about fruit: it is much more about the vibrant and compacted intensity, density without weight, delicacy with precise force. There is a transparency, a clarity that reveals all the elements of the wine: the lemon and lime zest; intense, intense grapefruit; milder Meyer Lemon; pucker-tart green apple; crushed rocks; unyielding minerality; and the taut, fine-tuned vibrancy of tingling acidity at the finish.
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
The profound intensity of Grand Cru is here as well---but here it is focused on entirely different elements. The Corton-Charlemagne has an essential earthiness which betokens its dense limestone soil, but the riper, more fruit-forward vintage has given it riper stone fruit and exotic tropical notes. The typical hard shell of Corton in its youth has been supplanted with a softer, smoother feel in this vintage; it is much more accessible at this early stage than would normally be the case. Easily the most tropical---as in guava and mango---of the recent Corton vintages I’ve had; it is unusual, and interesting, and suggest an interesting cycle of maturation.
Next: Part II, Bouchard Pere et Fils 2009 Domaine Reds
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