Product information

Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils Monthelie 1er ‘Les Duresses’ 2019

Pinot Noir from Monthelie, Côte du Beaune, Burgundy, France

$107

$103ea in any 3+
$99ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork

Description

A much earthier and more sauvage-suffused nose speaks of poached plum, dark raspberry and a hint of forest floor. There is both excellent energy and details to the nicely mineral-driven medium weight flavors that conclude in a grippy but not tough finish that offers fine depth and persistence. Les Duresses almost never drinks especially well young and I don’t see this one doing that either so be prepared to give it at least 5 to 6 years first.

Allen Meadows, Burghound 89-92 Points

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Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Bouchard Père et Fils

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Renowned and respected as one of the finest producers in Burgundy, Bouchard Père et Fils has truly become an institution, known for the exceptional quality of their wines and the diversity of its many vineyards.

Founded in 1731,  Bouchard Père et Fils has built up an estate of 130ha and, collectively, is the largest owner of Grand Crus (12ha) and Premier Crus (74ha) across the Côte d’Or Bouchard Père et Fils represents almost one hundred ‘climats’ or uniquely diverse vineyards, including prestigious monopoles such as ‘Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus’ and ‘Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte’.

In 1820 Bernard Bouchard purchased the Château de Beaune, a former royal fortress built in the 15th century by King Louis XI. Four of the five original towers of the fortress, as well as parts of the ramparts, still stand today, and have featured on the list of historic monuments since 1937.

The cellars run deep underground beneath the property providing ideal natural storage conditions for Bouchard Père & Fils’ fine wines. Up to 10 metres deep, the wines develop and age undisturbed. These include a unique collection of over 2,000 bottles from the 19thcentury. A priceless historical legacy with, as its icon, the oldest wine – a Meursault Charmes 1846 which still retains its luster.

Over time, by acquiring various terroirs with great care and patience, Bouchard Père & Fils has built up the biggest domaine in the Côte d’Or. Today the estate boasts 130 hectares of vines, of which 12 are classed Grand Cru and 74 classed as Premier Cru.

 

In the Vineyard

The Bouchard estate over 48 km from north to south with a mosaic of 450 different vineyards. The different vineyard parcels receive special care and attention all year round, with each site managed using sustainable viticulture in order to bring out the authenticity and full potential in the wines. To ensure the highest quality, the grapes are harvested by hand, placed in small crates, and then carefully selected on sorting tables.

In the Winery

Located 5 metres below ground level, the vinification vat room fruit and must to be transferred naturally by gravity into the estates 138 maceration tanks or presses. Over 100 different wines are vinified here. They are then matured in oak in a cellar with a 4,000 barrel capacity.

This maturation period allows the purity of the aromas and flavour profile of each terroir to fully express themselves. Dug 10 metres below ground, with no covering other than the earth itself, the barrel cellar provides ideal, natural conditions of ventilation and humidity for the wines to complete their long maturation process.

The 2019 Vintage at Bouchard Père et Fils

Winemaker Frédéric Weber is always a wealth of detail regarding the intricacies of the growing season and regarding the 2019 vintage, he explained that “the winter was relatively mild but very dry, which is in stark contrast with the double of normal rainfall that fell in the winter of 2018. Budbreak was relatively early, indeed it was along the same time frames as 2009 and 2011. Thus there was frost risk in early April as occurred in 2016, but the air was less humid and ultimately, our vines did not suffer much damage though this isn’t to say that some communes were not damaged; for example, Chassagne was very hard hit. A cool May slowed the pace of vegetative development, but it was enough to cause a poor flowering as it resulted in a notably high incidence of shot berries. It was already clear at that early juncture that yields for chardonnay were going to be weak. The cool temperatures also triggered an attack of oidium, and it was necessary to react quickly. June though turned hot and dry and this pattern would continue for most of July and August. This resulted in a lot of blocage [hydric stress], particularly for young vines or those in especially poor soil. We chose to begin picking on the 11th of September with the pinot. This is of course unusual, but we simply felt that the chardonnay was not as ripe as it needed to be. As it turned out, we finished the Côte de Beaune on the 20th of September and the Côte de Nuits on the 26th. Sugars were also high and potential alcohols came in between 13.5 and 14.5% for the reds and 14 to 14.5% for the whites. The heat had concentrated the berries and given them very thick skins so we did a very soft vinification to avoid over extraction as this would have been very easy to do. Another interesting aspect of the fruit is that in many cases the seeds were completely brown, and I have never seen that before. The fruit was exceptionally clean, and the stems were ripe, so we used between 25 and 50% whole clusters for many wines though not all. Acidities were reasonably good as the post-malo pHs ranged from 3.6 to 3.7 for the reds and 3.2 to 3.3 for the whites. In terms of style, I would compare the whites to a blend of the 2015 and 2017 vintages and the reds to the 1949s. Between the two Côtes, I would give a slight edge to the Côte de Nuits though I quite like our Côte de Beaune wines as well.” As the ratings and commentaries confirm, I was seriously impressed with a number of the Bouchard 2019s. And while I would generally agree with Weber’s observation of preferring the Côte de Nuits wines over those of the Côte de Beaune, there are some excellent wines from the latter, and in particular from Volnay and Beaune.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

Bouchard’s Frédéric Weber has once again excelled himself in 2019, producing a superb range of wines in both colors. Given the year’s low yields, he regrets performing a green harvest in Pommard Les Rugiens—”oops,” as he put it—but beyond that he and his team appear to have made no mistakes. Picking between September 11 and 30, with all the Chardonnay brought in within four or five days to avoid over-ripeness, Weber feels the Côte de Nuits was advantaged by late rainfall that made for wines that are a touch more “classic” in profile. Alcohol levels are above average, though not excessively so, and pHs are lower than in 2018, thanks to high levels of tartaric acids in the tiny, shot berries that distinguished the vintage. Weber’s favored analogy is between the charm of the 2017 vintage and the substance and maturity of 2015—an analysis with which I wholeheartedly concur, as do many other producers along the Côte. This is another terrific vintage chez Bouchard, and as I wrote last year, that’s great news, as everyone wins when Burgundy’s standard-bearer négociant houses flourish.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Where in the World is Bouchard Père et Fils

Bouchard Père et Fils Domaine is located in the village Beaune, while the winemaking take place at the St Vincent winery in Savigny-lès-Beaune. In the course of the estates long history, it has built a vast portfolio of vineyards and sites. They work with a raft of prestigious appellations: Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Beaune Grèves Vignes de l’Enfant Jésus, Bonnes-Mares, Meursault Perrières… names that resonate with history, inspiring respect and encouraging the pursuit of excellence, with 4 monopolies and exclusivities among them.

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89-92 Points

A much earthier and more sauvage-suffused nose speaks of poached plum, dark raspberry and a hint of forest floor. There is both excellent energy and details to the nicely mineral-driven medium weight flavors that conclude in a grippy but not tough finish that offers fine depth and persistence. Les Duresses almost never drinks especially well young and I don't see this one doing that either so be prepared to give it at least 5 to 6 years first.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Bouchard Père et Fils, Rue du Château, Beaune, France

Monthelie
Côte du Beaune
Burgundy
France