2022 Bourgogne Blanc, Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot
Critics reviews
The Bourgogne Blanc comes from La Bergerie in Puligny (two thirds) the rest from Lombois below Volnay. A light but pure white fruit. Nicely balanced all across the palate with a fresh acidity to finish, and good length. Very attractive with just the right oaking.
Drink 2025 - 2027
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (December 2023)
About this WINE
Jean Marc Boillot
Jean-Marc Boillot is a grandson of Etienne Sauzet, and was previously winemaker for Olivier Leflaive. With that mixture of winemaking pedigree and experience it comes as no surprise that Jean-Marc Boillot makes sensational wines. He is one of those rare commodities in Burgundy, a winemaker who produces both red and white wines of the highest quality. Now assisted by daughter Lydie and son Benjamin, Jean-Marc Boillot set up his own domaine in 1985. He started with some rented vines in Pommard, adding Volnay and Pommard from his grandfather’s side in 1988 and the whites, a one-third share of Domaine Etienne Sauzet, from his grandmother in 1991. Including generic burgundy, the domaine now exploits 11 hectares, five red and six white, with the same volume again in négociant cuvées of white wines, especially from the Côte Chalonnaise.
Jean-Marc Boillot now has 10.5 hectares of vines in the Côte de Beaune which include vineyards previously owned by Domaine Sauzet in Puligny. He is a stocky, fit, energetic man who does not waste time with words, instead allowing his wines to speak for themselves.His reds are rich, rounded and exhibit great purity of fruit, his white wines are characterised by their huge concentration, class and wonderful expression of their terroir.
All the whites, except the grand cru, are vinified in the same way: whole-bunch pressed, settled for 24 hours then straight to barrel with 25 to 30 per cent new wood, lees-stirring once a week and bottling before the next harvest. They are pure, fresh, attractive wines. The reds are entirely destalked, given a cool soak before the fermentation begins after which a mix of punching down and pumping over is used according to the vintage and vineyard. Thirteen months barrel ageing, with 50 per cent new barrels, is followed by a further six months maturation in tank before bottling. The reds show a bright combination between fruit and barrel, good for medium-term ageing.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director and author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy comprehensive handbook.
Bourgogne Blanc
Bourgogne Blanc is the appellation used to refer to generic white wines from Burgundy, a wide term which allows 384 separate villages to produce a white wine with the label ‘Bourgogne.’ As a result of this variety, Bourgogne Blanc is very hard to characterise with a single notable style, however the wines are usually dominated by the presence of Chardonnay, which is just about the only common factor between them. That being said, Chardonnay itself varies based on the environmental factors, so every bottle of Bourgogne Blanc will vary in some way from the next! Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also permitted for use in Bourgogne Blanc under the regulations of the appellation.
As Bourgogne Blanc is very much an entry-level white wine for most regions in Burgundy, prices are usually very reasonable, and due to the terroir and climate of Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc wines tend to have a strong acidity to them, combined with a vibrant and often fruity palate when compared with other whites from the New World, say, allowing fantastic matchmaking with many different kinds of food.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
Two-thirds of the fruit for this wine is from vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, with additions from Volnay and now some Hautes Côtes de Beaune from Longbois. This is very correct and with a clear bite of Puligny minerality. This is always a very good benchmark at this level.
Drink 2024 - 2029
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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