The requests come with regularity- but so often it is very difficult to answer the pleas for a really first rate burgundy at $100ish or less. Well, I have got one for you. A truly great wine, and- unusually for a Volnay- one that is showing a lot of itself at present and worth enjoying a time or two in the near future before it shuts down for 10-15 years (if it shuts down.)
2019 Bouchard Père et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Ancienne Cuvée Carnot
bright cherry color with a light rim- appropriate for a young Volnay, inviting spicy nose at opening, raspberries, polished minerals, cloves, on the palate punchy and joyous almost like a 2006 but more carefree, ripe impact and yet sleek, berries, nutmeg, cloves, smooth mineral edges, great length with an intense fragrance, floral notes, over the course of an hour a spicy cherry note develops, and then a hint of plum, 12 hours later- a grand bouquet that entices from a couple of feet away, spice, raspberries and plums, on the palate glorious with deep and punchy ripe fruit layered with waves of mineral notes, the nutmeg note now more prominent on the grand array of spices, cloves and stones on the great and dark depth of the palate, a hint of strawberry, all leading into a wonderfully long but also quite firm finish with a persistent fragrance of violets, for any Volnay this is an incredibly generous showing in youth- one is tempted to think this is all there is, but the stern nature of the finish tells the tale that more is to come, as with their 2017 Chambertin Clos de Beze this is a truly world class Burgundy from Bouchard.
** (***) , 2029++ I will be curious to see if this shuts down- but either way I think a decade is merited to allow further development
Can you cite a burgundy that didn’t shut down. I couldn’t come up with any that didn’t go through some sort of toddler to teenage mute/disjointed period. Plenty of vintages/wines come to mind as having an extended early period of accessibility. That period eventually ends, in my experience.
It sounds like this one wasn’t as woody as it has been in past vintages. Has elevage changed chez Bouchard or is this just a vintage foible in your view?
I paid €55 plus import, so well under $100. It did exist in the US as well as good levels, though probaby not anymore. I think the wine is excellent and the reds have been steadily improving at Bouchard, despite many disparaging comments on the Corton on another thread.
I agree that Bouchard is doing well. It’s just hard to accept current pricing. Not that Bouchard is any kind of outlier in seeing prices go up. I just miss the good old days when I could open a lower tier 1er and not have to create plans for it.
Thanks Tom. I also found the 2020 for $10 cheaper. 2020 is supposedly supposed to be a bit fresher in general as a vintage, but seems like a tossup between the two vintages for this wine. 2019 is my wedding year, so that’s a plus.
It is rare in my experience, but it happens. Several 1997s were like that- notably Dujac Clos de la Roche and Roumier Musigny. I think the 2015 Rousseau Clos de la Roche may end up the same, despite my initial predictions.
To answer the other questions more generally- I do not think Bouchard has ever made bad wines, but they could be a little lackluster. I gave up on them entirely in the late 90s after trying a very dull La Romanee. At their best, they were pleasant negociant wines- like Potel or Girardin- but never really moved me.
Fast forward to the last Acker Christmas party before COVID, and someone at my table opened a 2014 Bouchard Montrachet. I was blown away. It was amazing. And after that I started tasting a lot more Bouchard again. While I think the wines have improved across the board, as with other negociants there are certain ones that really stand out. Notably the regular Chevalier, Montrachet, Clos de Beze and this Volnay.
I specifically recommend the 2019 Volnay because I think it is a true wow wine. It is not just good- but really terrific stuff.
Tom, have you had many other 2019s? Just trying to get a sense of whether your positive impression may be more related to vintage or this particular wine in this vintage.
A handful- mostly whites, and mostly quick samples at events, so I do not have a lot of formal TNs.
Definitely a very sexy vintage, but even so I really took to this wine. It is not the biggest or “best” in any sense- but it is just really wonderful. It is something I can imagine enjoying multiple times over its life.
