Tasting Report: 2018 Burgundy from Bouchard Pere & Fils and William Fevre
Last year’s look at the upcoming Burgundy release revealed some amazing wines hitting the market, and the 2018 vintage again appears to be solid — though perhaps not quite the delight of ’17. Recently we visited with Bouchard Pere & Fils and William Fevre — the jewels of the Henriot Burgundy empire — to taste their upcoming releases. Most are in bottle now, but a handful were tasted from barrel samples. Also in the mix this year: A number of moderately aged, older Bouchard Pere vintages that are still available for purchase.
Thoughts on all wines tasted follow.
Bouchard Pere & Fils reds
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Santenay – Fruity and approachable, lots of spice, rich berry notes. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune – Earthier, less clearly balanced; notes of anise, some sweetness. B
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pommard – Fresh strawberry notes, candied violets; sweet on the back end. B+
2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges – Quite tart; earthy edge; licorice kick with lots of acid. B+
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges – Tart, big cherry notes; some acidity. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chambolle-Musigny – Surprising complexity; approachable; slightly doughy. B+
2012 Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin – Densely earthy; licorice notes. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin – Fruit heavy, with ample acid; licorice on the finish. A bit unbalanced. B
2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Vosne Romanee – Restrained, dialed back; notes of graphite and earth. B+
2011 Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers Premier Cru – Layers of earth here; refreshing finish with a silky mix of berries. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres Premier Cru – Expressive depth, violets and spice in lovely balance. A
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pommard Premier Cru – More spice, pepper note; brown butter; florals on the finish. Barrel sample. A-
2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos de la Mousse Premier Cru – Lighter in style but still heavy with fruit; quite youthful. B+
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos de la Mousse Premier Cru – Lighter body, a green note; slightly unripe. B
2013 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus Premier Cru – Bold berry notes, heavy with fruit; chocolate on the back. B+
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus Premier Cru – Chewy, some nougat, mild fruit; restrained. Barrel sample. B+
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Volnay Les Caillerets Premier Cru – Beautiful balance of earth, spice, and fruit. Dense raspberry finish. A
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Le Corton Grand Cru – A jaw-dropper; elegant with blackberry, licorice, and mint. Floral finish. Exquisite. A+
2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles Premier Cru – Fun herbal note here; fresh fruit, lots of cherries. A
2015 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles Premier Cru – Very ripe, fruit laden; somewhat simpler than 2014. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles Premier Cru – Similar to standard Nuits, with licorice notes and some vanilla folded in. Barrel sample. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru – Powerful nose, huge with fruit both red and black. Anise, vanilla, chocolate. Barrel sample. A
2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Le Corton Grand Cru – Lots of earth, with restrained fruit. Hint of pepper and violets. Complex. A
Bouchard Pere & Fils whites
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Les Clous – Slight tropical note; brioche and melon. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Puligny-Montrachet – Big brioche, doughy; intense lemon gives it tons of life. A
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet – Thin and a bit green, quite metallic. B-
2011 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos Saint-Landry Premier Cru Monopole – Tropical, with notes of lemon, dough and custard. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos Saint-Landry Premier Cru Monopole – Fresh melon, toasty with buttery notes. A-
2011 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Genevrieres Premier Cru – Creamier, oaky vanilla note; more New World in style. B+
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Genevrieres Premier Cru – Dense yet pretty, florals, lemon peel, quince. A-
2013 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru – Moderated oak, vanilla; creamy with a lemon kick. A-
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru – Tons of florals, butter and spice; lengthy finish. A
2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru – Boldly peachy, apricots, spice, and some saline; powerfully fruity and lush; edge of vanilla. A
William Fevre whites
2018 William Fevre Chablis – Simple, mild, gentle apple and lemon. B
2018 William Fevre Chablis Fourchaume Premier Cru – Chewy with some nuttiness; buttery on the palate. B+
2018 William Fevre Chablis Montmains Premier Cru – Soft vanilla, big brioche note. B+
2018 William Fevre Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru – Bright and acidic; some tropical notes; bright and shiny. A
2018 William Fevre Chablis Montee de Tonnerre Premier Cru – Big acidity; melon notes; some white pepper. A-
2018 William Fevre Chablis Vaulorent Premier Cru – Great balance, brown butter, coconut notes. A-
2018 William Fevre Chablis Bougros Grand Cru – Huge saline, nougat, edge of coconut; citrus finish. A-
2018 William Fevre Chablis Bougros “Cote Bouguerots” Grand Cru – Saline, melon, heavy vanilla; toasty finish. A-
2018 William Fevre Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru – Lively green apple, banana, and coconut here; an otherwise gentle finish sees some barnyard notes. A+
2018 William Fevre Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru – Briskly tropical, a rush of fruit; lengthy with acidity and intensity. A
