2006 Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils

by Mike Supple

Yesterday we had the chance to meet with Luc Bouchard and taste through his 2006 reds and whites. The wines will be listed below in the order that he had us taste them. Note that the reds are first. Why? This is very common in France, as their whites are often made to showcase bold acidity, and they have a great way of reinvigorating the palate after bogging it down with tannic young reds.

When asked about the vintage, Luc was hesitant to make a comparison to other recent vintages, but after some thought decided that 2006 was in many ways somewhat of a cross between the fruit of 2001 and the balance of 2000.

As a whole, I found the reds to be very impressively delicate and expressive. Rather a contrast to the other wines I spoke about in the previous blog entry. While those were bolder, more powerful, and somewhat more typically "masculine", the Bouchard wines displayed very impressive elegance and style. Most of this is likely to do with the fact that Bouchard's vineyards are largely in the Cote de Beaune, and as one travels south in Burgundy the Pinots tend to become lighter and more perfumed.

And now for the wines (a reminder that these wines are very young and mostly showing their primary fruit aromas and flavors; these notes are just preliminary impressions):

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Aloxe-Corton
Light to medium clear ruby in the core with a pink rim. Sweet strawberry aromas with a toch of cranberry, a hint of tar and some dark earthy notes. Acidic red fruits on the front palate. Light-to-medium bodied. Cranberry and strawberry with some earthy and slate. Medium tannins. Very fresh and bright.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Monthelie “Les Duresses” 1er Cru
Ruby with violet hints in the core, surrounded by a light pink rim. Floral notes of violets over darker blackberry and raspberry aromas with a touch of wet earth. Good acid in the mouth with strawberry and raspberry. Well balanced fruit, acid and soft ripe tannins. There is a touch of jasmine on the lingering finish.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune “Clos de la Mousse” 1er Cru
Light ruby and purple in the glass with a very pale pink rim. Hints of caramel waft over light bacon and earth, with darker blackberry fruit underneath. Sweet on the front of the palate, with fresh dark herbs following. Fairly fierce in tannin and acid with a bold mineral quality to it.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Volnay Caillerets “Ancienne Cuvee Carnot” 1er Cru
Pale ruby and purple with a bright pink rim. Very floral aromas over wet blue slate, blackberry and a touch of dark chocolate. Fresh, vibrant strawberry on the front of the palate with a very bold mineral streak. Medium bodied with nice firm tannins.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pommard 1er Cru
Very light ruby in the glass with a pink rim. Ripe raspberry aromas are joined by a touch of clay, gaminess, and wild green herbs. Good entry in the mouth; sweet on the front palate and building in strength in the middle. Lingering finish of strawberry and blackberry.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Le Corton Grand Cru
Ruby core with a lighter rim (with almost a hint of garnet color to it). Dark aromas with rich fruit, earth and slate, under an uplifted violet scent. Well balanced in the mouth. Ripe and full with dark blackberry fruits and a nice tannic grip. Very long finish that turns lithe and floral.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Vosne-Romanee
Darker, vibrant ruby core with a pink rim. Violet and slate aromas over black cherry, dark cool earth and a touch of citrus. Lush entry on the palate with nice red fruits. Gets a little bitter and hollow on the mid-palate, leading to a sour cherry finish.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Cailles” 1er Cru
Nice dark ruby in the glass, but a little less intense than the Vosne Romanee. Sweet herbed blackberry aromas surrounded by caramel notes. Lush and sweet entry onto the palate. Spicy herbs up front and some nice floral notes. Ripe blackberry and raspberry fruits. Very nice balance of acid and tannins. Medium bodied with a long finish. This is destined to be a very good wine.

2006 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus 1er Cru
Vibrant ruby core surrounded by a thin pink rim. Concentrated and full aromas. Bright, dark fruits with big slate undertones. Very dark in the mouth. Impressively full, rich and powerful for this vintage. Very young with medium+ body and tannins. Sweet fruits and bold minerality. This wine is hinting at greatness.

2006 Burgundy Barrel Sample Tasting

by Mike Supple

The following wines were presented by Frederick Wildman & Sons, LTD. Representatives (i.e. the wine maker and/or owner) of each Domaine poured the wines and answered our questions. Overall this was a fantastic showing of the 2006 vintage in Burgundy. While the weather was somewhat challenging (including a hail storm that destroyed much of the crop in the Grand Cru vineyard Chambertin), Burgundy was built on cool-climate vintages, and 2006 is turning out to be a very classic vintage. For more information on how various winemakers feel the weather affected their 2006 wines, view my previous posts: Louis Carillon, Jean-Marc Boillot, Etienne-Sauzet, Thierry & Pascale Matrot / Mongeard-Mugneret, Bernard Morey, Vincent Girardin / Dauvissat, Louis Michel, Laurent Tribut, Thibault Liger-Belair / Bruno Clair, Henri Gouges / Ponsot and Arnoux.

**These wines are all very young and many still in barrel. This means that the majority of the aromas and flavors are primary young fruits, and we only get an impression on what the future holds for any of these wines.**

Domaine Christian Moreau Pere & Fils

2006 Chablis
Very pale lemon-green in the glass. Light flint aromas backed by lemon and honeydew. Flint again on the palate with bigger green pear flavors and a touch of lemon. Hint of green asparagus on the finish. 87-88pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillon"
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Interesting floral aromas of iris and jasmine over flinty lemon. Chalky on the palate with sweet lmeon and light slate. Fairly bold acid throughout the palate, and a touch of honey on the finish. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Vaudesir"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Pear and honey aromas with a touch of white truffle. Very structured minerality in the mouth; bold acidity. Light toast and citrus zest with a touch of honeydew. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur"
Pale lemon-yellow from the core out to the rim. Toasty ripe lemons and pears on the nose with a nice mineral streak. Sweet fruit entry on the palate. Fleshy ripe fruit, yet big enough acid to keep the fruit delicate and restrained. Honey and yellow pear linger on the finish. 90-93pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Blanchot"
[This vineyard is named "Blanchot" due to the high limestone content in the soil.]
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Very floral in the nose with a bold steely minerality, candied lemons and yellow apple. Very strong minerality in the mouth with flavors that match the aromas and add a little more pear. Medium length finish. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos"
Pale lemon-green with a clear rim. Pear and white fig aromas. Huge minerality in the mouth. Very flinty and steely from front to back. Medium acid. Big fig flavors with a touch of citrus. Very young. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis Grand Cru "Clos des Hospices"
Pale lemon-yellow with a clear rim. Sweet Meyer lemon and light honeydew aromas over a rigid line of minerality. Toasted lemons on the front of the palate are followed by a rush of big flint. Very nice balance of acidity and fruit. Good length on the finish with a lingering note of honey. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple

Olivier Leflaive

2006 Chablis "Les Deux Rives"
A nice simple AC Chablis with good acid and moderate citrus fruit notes. 86-87pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chablis 1er Cru "Cote de Lechet"
Toasty with ripe melon and lemon cream Medium acid and good length in the finish. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Bourgogne Blanc "Les Setilles"
Flint and pear aromas. Good acid in the mouth. A little overripe fruit, but good minerality. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Meursault
Very toasty aromas. Light white jasmine florals followed by flint and sweet citrus. Rich and toasty in the mouth with great acid. Melon and lemon flavors, slate, and a smoky finish. 90-92pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes"
Similar to the AC Meursault aromas, adding a touch of sulfur and ripe pear. Softer in the mouth with medium acidity. Lemon zest and a smoky finish. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Abbaye de Morgeot"
Light lemon aromas with toast, yellow pear and a hint of smoke. Sweet citrus on the front of the palate with a good amount of flinty minerality underlying the whole palate. A little hollow on the mid-palate. 89-91pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Champ Gain"
Very light aromas. Floral notes, minearls and a light candied lemon. Very nice mouthfeel. Rich lemon and green apple. Laser-like acidity and a strong streak of minerals. Long finish with honeyed citrus. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Very flinty aromas with green pear and blue slate. Great acid on the front of the palate. Big Meyer lemon flavors with lime, vanilla and slate. The acid is a little high making it a touch austere on the finish. This wine needs a few years. 90-92pts. -Mike Supple

Domaine Armand Rousseau

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin
Pale ruby core with purple tints, and a lighter pink rim. Raspberry aromas with a touch of earth, oak and violets. Good acid on the palate. Fresh strawverry and raspberry fruits. Medium (-) body. Fairly soft, medium tannins. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Light ruby and violet core with a violet rim. Aromas of cinnamon, raspberry, light cedar, black truffle and a touch of earth. Somewhat light bodied on the palate. Ripe fruit, good earth and truffle notes up front. Medium acid and tannins. Caramel and black fruits on the finish. Medium (+) length. 91-93pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Chambertin Grand Cru
Medium ruby/violet core with a pink/violet rim. Very perfumed aromas. Candied violets and oak. The fruit is somewhat subdued and first, but raspberry and blueberry come out as the wine opens. Closed, tight and young on the palate. Medium body with impressively ripe and approachable tannins. Caramel and toast with a hint of herbal notes on the lingering red fruit and vanilla toast finish. 92-94pts. -Mike Supple

Domaine Jacques Prieur
(Due to hail damage, Prieur did NOT produce a Grand Cru Chambertin in 2006. All of the remaining fruit was declassified and used in a 1er Cru Gevrey-Chambertin.)

2006 Meursault "Clos de Mazeray" Monopole
Very pale yellow core with a clear rim. Lemon aromas backed by cream, toast, vanilla and fresh oak. Pear flavors on the front of the palate. Medium (+) acid. Nice toast, citrus, and a hint of cream on the finish. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Beaune 1er Cru "Champ Pimonts"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Buttery coconut aromas, butterscotch and ripe yellow apple. Very ripe flavors. Great body and balance. Toast, butter, lemon and apples. Great balanced acid and a long finish. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes"
Pale lemon-yellow core with a clear rim. Toasty butter aromas, lemon, butterscotch and green pear. Oak up front on the palate is a bit intense. Smooth lemon zest on the mid-palate, and fairly high acid on the finish. Good components, but a little disjointed. 88-90pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Volnay 1er Cru "Santenots"
Light ruby core with a pink rim. Brown sugar, cherry and a touch of herbal aromas. Light body; muted flavors. Some dark fruit and earth. 87-89pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Beaune 1er Cru "Champ Pimonts"
Medium ruby core with a pink rim. Light chalk aromas over Bing cherry and straw. Fairly light and lifted aromas. Cinnamon on the palate with wet earth and slate. Very closed and little fruit showing. Rather high tannins and a bitter finish. 85-87pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Corton-Bressandes
Medium ruby color all the way out to the rim. Sweet caramel, raspberry and orange zest are accented by a touch of sweet herbs and cedar. Sweet and delicate on the palate. A lot of tannin, but impressively round and ripe. Long, spicy dark fruit finish. 90-93pts. -Mike Supple

2006 Clos de Vougeot
Medium ruby/purple core with a pink/purple rim. Blueberry, crushed violets, flint and black cherry aromas. Flint and slate dominate the palate. The fruits are somewhat muted and closed right now, but it is balanced very well. This wine needs some years in the bottle. 91-94pts. -Mike Supple