Domaine Louis Boillot Bougogne 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

As purity, expression and transparency increasingly dominate the discourse in Burgundy, the prices for wines from icons like Mugnier, Roumier and Rousseau have skyrocketed.
But for every Mugnier or Rousseau, there are a handful of domaines who make wines of profound expression, but whose prices remain attractive. At the top of our list of such producers is Louis Boillot.

Louis Boillot’s emerging position in the Burgundy firmament is not accidental. Despite having only launched his domaine in 2002, he came armed with some of the oldest and best situated vineyards in Burgundy—thanks to four generations of Boillots having acquired prime sites in Volnay and Gevrey Chambertin.

About Domaine Louis Boillot

Louis Boillot in concert with his wife Ghislaine Barthod and their son Clément Boillot-Barthod manages a fabulous array of old-vine vineyards and turn out some of the most beautiful red Burgundy along the Cote d’Or.

Louis Boillot recently acquired 4 hectares in Moulin-a-Vent; wines that are absolutely delicious and worth your consideration, they are very Burgundian Cru Beaujolais’.

Spit Bucket have mapped out the Boillot domains

In the Vineyard

In the years since his move to Chambolle, there has been a wildly impressive advance in the stature of Boillot’s wines. It has been a change marked not by flash or dazzle, but by an inexorable march towards increasingly refined and transparent wines.

Today, as in the past, at the heart of his style is a profound respect for the terroir of his old vines. In Gevrey-Chambertin for example, his villages vines average over 50 years old, as do the vines for his premier cru-quality Evocelles. His Champonnet proves this little-seen site ranks among Gevery’s best premier crus. And the Cherbaudes, from 90+ year old vines, is frequently of grand cru quality.

He makes a profound Nuit-St. Georges 1er cru Pruliers, also from 90+ year old vines. And, in Chambolle-Musigny, Louis and Ghislaine purchased and divided a significant part of Beaux Bruns.

Louis’ Côte de Beaune vineyards are equally imposing, with 55+ year old vines in the villages Volnay Grands Poisots. Also in Volnay, there are three premier crus: the supple Les Angles, the intense old-vine Brouillards and the esteemed Caillerets. Just down the road, there are two great Pommard premier crus: a robust Fremiers and monumental Croix Noires.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine the wines of so many great Burgundy terroirs slumbering in the same cellar. Between Louis and Ghislaine, there are 26 different cuvées, of which 17 are premier cru. Louis and Ghislaine’s son Clément stands to inherit both domaines one day, creating a single estate of dizzying stature.

The vineyard management has been combined, with Louis responsible for not only his own vines, but those of Ghislaine as well.

It’s no wonder Ghislaine lets Louis take care of her vines. He’s a master with more than 30 years of experience—employing the minimum of interventions, and meticulously pruning for balanced yields. His winemaking is equally timeless, featuring extended, gentle extractions and a limited use of new barrels.

In the Winery

Louis’ domaine has quietly become one of the most admired small estates in the Côte d’Or. The turning point came in the mid-2000s, when he and his partner—the supremely talented Ghislaine Barthod—built a cave together in Chambolle-Musigny.

This brought two of Burgundy’s most gifted winemakers together—working and tasting side by side—with the alchemy you’d expect.

The 2017 Vintage at Domain Louis Boillot

Louis Boillot’s views about the 2017 vintage are consistent with those of his wife Ghislaine Barthod (see herein). Boillot added that “we had a relatively easy growing season and with good volumes, which was a relief after getting largely killed in 2016. The Côte de Beaune was riper earlier than my vineyards in the Côte de Nuits and thus I started on the 28th of August for two days, then went to Beaujolais and then finally started on the 2nd of September in the north. The fruit was pretty much spotless and I realized between 45 and 50 hl/ha for the villages wines and 38 to 45 for the 1ers. I thought the wines were a bit skinny right after we finished the vinifications but they have really fleshed out during the élevage and one would never guess that the yields were as generous as they were. This is partially because they have good tannin support but also because they are so well-balanced that there is no hole on the mid-palate. Speaking of the tannins, they’re really quite fine yet they’re also dense so the wines should be accessible young but they should have no trouble rewarding mid-term cellaring. I like them quite a bit as they’re easy to enjoy yet quite serious.”

Allen Meadows, Burghound

Where in the World is Domaine Louis Boillot?

Domaine Louis Boillot shares a winery in Chambolle-Musigny with his wife Ghislain Barthod. He has plantings through out Chambolle, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Volnay, and Pommard. Together with son Clément they acquired 4 Ha of Moulin-a-Vent in Beaujolais.

This cuvée derives from vines in the communes of Brochon and Gevrey-Chambertin.