Bouchard Pere et Fils

The 2013 Le Montrachet Grand Cru has a very reserved bouquet, a light marine influence coming through with aeration of shucked oyster shells and a smidgen of orange rind. The palate is fresh and crisp, compact, more austere than the two Chevaliers at the moment, with very laconic, tight-lipped finish compared to others that I have tasted. Let’s see...this is giving away zilch at the moment! 
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014

At this early stage the oak is more evident than for the straight Chevalier-Montrachet, perhaps hiding the fruit a touch on the nose. However, in the mouth the fruit shows incredible weight and energy, with opulent peaches and nectarines, all in a coating of expensive wood. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 grapes were picked between 30th September and 11th October. The white skins were fragile so pressing was very gentle, the reds more robust and capable of a good proportion of whole bunch fermentation. Most wines are now in tank with bottling a little earlier than usual. An exceptional range of reds in particular from Bouchard this year.

Excellent, clear and bright, there is very little nose at this early stage but sublime fruit on the palate, with a mineral core and exceptional persistence. It offers intensity rather than weight, with maybe a little pear and white peach fruit leading to a fabulous finish. Grand vin.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

In response to the very small concentrated berries which characterise the fruit in 2012, Philippe Prost, head winemaker, has opted for more whole bunch fermentation this year, up to 25% per cuvée. The wines are exceptionally intense, so a little leavening by the inclusion of some stems makes sense. The white wines are bursting with energy, clearly amongst the successes of the vintage.

This La Cabotte is the very special sub-section of Chevalier, continuing the rows of Bouchards Le Montrachet. It is fairly restrained compared to the regular Chevalier, but with unbelievable intensity on the palate and a line of steel that runs through the middle. The fruit flavours are yet to emerge in detail but it is precise and chiselled, yet in glorious volume.

We preferred this to Bouchard’s Caillerets this year. It has a lovely vivid red-purple colour, and a very stylish nose with charm almost akin to Les Amoureuses. Fresh and energetic, there is a great sense of precision on the palate. Drink 2015-2020.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director

Philippe Prost, long-time winemaker at Bouchard Père & Fils, is less flamboyant than his veteran opposite number at Jadot, but he still has firm opinions and he knows the detail of all his vineyard sites inside out. He clearly prefers his 2010 whites to the previous vintage, though we rather liked those too, while the fresh finish of the vintage has brought his excellent 2010 reds to life.

A hugely dense black-purple colour, this has an amazing weight of flavour, black fruit, unctuous and opulent, just enough acidity and completely ripe tannins. Impeccable concentration, this is a great wine this year.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 grapes were picked between 30th September and 11th October. The white skins were fragile so pressing was very gentle, the reds more robust and capable of a good proportion of whole bunch fermentation. Most wines are now in tank with bottling a little earlier than usual. An exceptional range of reds in particular from Bouchard this year.

This Meursault Perrires from Bouchard is tightly wound at first but grows into an ample finish, working in complete harmony with several layers of flavour building. It has a beautiful fleshy texture but with a mineral streak through the middle.

Bouchard owns an enviable 30 percent of Chevalier- Montrachet. There are four distinct terraces and Bouchard has vines on all four, which they harvest and age separately. La Cabotte is a further separate enclave which sits just above Le Montrachet and could, arguably, have been classified as such. At this level, adjectives are blunt instruments; this is an extraordinarily vivid, animated expression of a remarkable terroir, all the elements in harness. Reduced volumes this year, of course. Drink 2027-2040.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Bouchard Père & Fils can trace its origins back to 1731 though it is no longer family- owned. In 1995 Champagne entrepreneur, Joseph Henriot, acquired the company. The wines are made by technical director Frédéric Weber in succession to Philippe Prost. An impressive gravity-flow winery on the Route de Savigny, the Cuverie St Vincent, was completed in 2005, enabling them to process all their wines with optimum efficiency. Bouchard’s total holdings comprise 130 hectares, including 12 hectares of Grand Cru and 74 hectares of Premier Cru, which makes them the largest vineyard owners in the Côte d’Or. Philippe Prost had an individual take on the vintage. His view is that the high levels of rainfall at the start of the year (themselves contributory to the frost damage) saturated the soil to such a degree that high levels of minerals were unlocked and subsequently taken up by the vines. It is useful to get the view of a producer who covers the whole region. He also observed that there were much smaller berries in the Côte de Beaune than the Côte de Nuits and that, on the whole, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were picked at almost the same time. He also offered a thought on bâtonnage: Bouchard prefers to roll their barrels to move the lees, and not to open the bung and stir. This preserves the CO2 in the wine which means less SO2 is necessary.

It takes time to dig out all the flavours in this exceptional wine. It is a blockbuster, with notes of gingerbread and orange blossom adding an exotic quality to the dense mass of classical fruit. Extraordinarily intense, this will be terrific if you can wait a few years; be patient and you will be rewarded.

Bouchard’s parcel is in Le Corton, at 280 metres’ altitude and facing east. The fruit here ripens slowly, giving an energetic and complex expression. It is delicate but concentrated, with complex flavours of crushed red berries and Asian spices, and chalky tannins that roll over the tongue. Drink 2024-2028.

Frédéric Weber explained that the dry conditions in the summer left some parcels suffering from hydric stress, which necessitated a change to the usual picking order. As a result, harvest began on 4th September in the Côte de Beaune for reds, with whites following from 8th and then the Côte de Nuits reds from 12th, finishing with Clos de Bèze on 20th. The season was otherwise very straightforward and Frédéric feels the vintage has given whites with good balance and surprising power, and reds which are rounded with delicate aromas and flavours.