One of the Most Perfect Village Volnays I've Ever Had
- Incredible Fruit But Balanced and Wonderfully Complex
Plus the 1er Cru "Champans"
- A Legendary Nose, Epic Levels of Fruit Stunningly Complex
- The 2014 Got 92 from Burghound and this is a Lot Better
- Top Class Burgundy
New Winemaker - There Is the Stuff of Greatness Here
As you all know, I love traditionally made Burgundy and I've always loved the wines of Pascal Bouley. Many of you bought the wines last year (the high Burghound scores didn't hurt) and you will be enjoying them soon. I was interested to hear that winemaking duties
had fully passed to Pierrick Bouley, the son of Pascal. One never knows what will happen when a winemaker changes. Honestly, after tasting the wines, I am delighted and incredibly excited. Pierrick just killed it in his breakout vintage. I thought that every one of the wines retained the character, balance and terroir specificity of his father's versions but was just a bit better. A bit brighter. A bit more delineated. A bit more luscious. Like when you get a new eyeglass prescription and the world is just a little bit more clear and beautiful. And this is Pierrick's first vintage and, as you can tell from his picture, he's very young and will only get better. I'm going to see what he does with the 2016s before making any pronouncements, but there is the stuff of greatness in these wines. They are that good.
I tasted with Pierrick Bouley last week and they absolutely destroyed it in 2015. Easily the best wines I have ever tasted at the estate. It was not even close. Better than the terrific 12s and 14s. The extra warmth and ripeness easily offset the typical youthful austerity that these wines have and young Pierrick Bouley made just ridiculous wines.
Today I am proud to offer two of my favorites. First up is the 2015 Pascal Bouley Volnay for $32.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. I love so many things about this wine. This is one of the most perfect Village Volnays I've ever had. This is what I call a "stand on the table" wine. This means if you stand on a table and the glass is below you, the aromas go all the way up to your nose they are that potent. First thing that strikes you is how aromatic this wine is. Soars out of the glass. You won't believe it. It's very earthy and very mineral with stunning licorice and dark cherry fruit. It soars and changes and slips and slides. Very nuanced and oh so Volnay. The Cote de Beaune's answer to Chambolle. That is the prologue but the story begins and ends on the palate. What a palate. The fruit is damn near ridiculous for a $33 bottle of Volnay. Epically concentrated and with "Man on a Wire" like balance. The fruit explodes on your palate like a thermonuclear fruit bomb but is awash in layers of minerals and earth. The complexity and depth show this is from a great vintage as it is uncommon. The complexity already is striking. The freshness and the purity are something to behold. To have all that fruit and it be so fresh is what it is all about. Long finish and the fruit has that delicious Burgundian sweetness that we Burgundy lovers swoon over. This is Volnay after all and what would a Volnay be without elegance? For me, though what stands out in this wine is how complex it is.
I adore Volnay in warmer vintages and I adore when the Cote de Beaune excels which it did in 2015. It is also a crazy value when you consider that the village Volnays from giant negociants run in the mid $40s. In 4-6 years this will be at peak drinking but what I think is important here is that these are mostly (with a few exceptions) Pascal Bouley wines that you can start on as soon as they arrive due to the ridiculous levels of fruit. A special wine. Tell me again why Burgundy has to be expensive?
Up next I've got a superstar of a premier Cru from Pierrick Bouley. The 2015 Pascal Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Champans" for $44.99 a bottle on a 4-pack is a legend in the making. One of the top sites in Volnay and easily one the 3-4 best wines in the Pascal Bouley collection of 2015. Burghound gave the 2014 92 points but this wine is on whole other level. If I had to predict this gets 93-95 barrel score based on past tasting history and reviewing his history with Bouley. This wine is ridiculous. Buy cases. This is top class Burgundy. The nose is legendary. It's got what I call the wafting gout de terroir that can only mean the wine comes from here. The nose is nuanced, elegant, mineral and has epic levels of gorgeous fruit. Dark cherries. Deep spice. Each of these is present and potent but also appears aromatically layered. It's just amazing. I hate that word but when at a loss to describe something so beautiful, amazing works. It's one of most special noses I smelled on the 2015s. The palate is just classic Champans. Champans in normal vintages brings the fruit. Really brings the fruit. In 2015, it brings all the fruit. And more. It is dark and very very dense. Incredibly complex, with grandiose depth and richness and a sense of harmony very few wines achieve. The fruit has that Burgundian sweetness and is offset by wonderful vivid and pure earth and mineral. The wine is spectacular and if you love great Burgundy, or just great wine, don't let this pass you buy. It is a very very special wine. And the price is really almost embarrassing given that Volnay premier cru negociant wines are in the $90s in 2014 (these are much, much, much, much better).
A Note on 2015 Red Burgundies
Many of you have heard about the 2015 Red Burgundies being a delicious vintage and it is indeed. But it is also a vintage unlike 2010 or 2012 where it was across the board great. I feel after tasting at a number of different estates I have a firm grasp of what did well and what did not. It was a warm sunny vintage and certain producers soared over others when it came to quality. Some vineyards that have perfect exposition and produced wines that were a bit hot. That's why I come and taste. You can't buy Burgundy blind in a vintage like 2015. In 2015, the producers that I feel excelled were mostly in the Cote de Beaune and have great vineyards but also some of the smaller vineyards that have the right exposure really really did well.every wine they make in 2015. The levels of fruit backed up by the stoney earthy terroir flavors and vibe is an accomplishment. The balance of these wines is extraordinary. And the fruit. The fruit is so epic and so delicious I could not believe it. The collection is profound and one of the best collections I've ever tasted in Burgundy. What makes them even more special is that they retain the classic old school style that this estate is known for. These are Pierrick's greatest accomplishment. He was like a proud father tasting us through each barrel sample. The kid has come into his own and is taking this estate into a new direction. His parents must be very proud. Last year the wines got very good Burghound scores and I know his Cote de Beaune issue is coming out soon. I will include the 2014 scores and based on past vintages predict how he will score them as this is an estate that is right up Allen's alley.
2015 Pascal Bouley Volnay - $34.99 ($131.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)
2015 Pascal Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Champans" - $47.99
($179.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)
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