As we all know, Burgundy is getting more expensive with each passing year. The US wine elites love it. The French love it and the Chinese are starting to get in the game. The trend is not our friend. So when I get a chance to sell the best premier cru from Volnay for under $50, along with another premier cru for under $43, I am all over it. Pierrick Bouley just killed it in 2015 which is 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.
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.
Today's wine is is the 2015 Reyane & Pascal Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chenes" and it can be had for $49.99 a 3-pack which is obviously the lowest price in the country for Clos des Chenes from any producer (I love direct from the winery pricing). It's actually not even close. I am so lucky to be able to sell this wine for $50 a bottle as this is about as good a $50 bottle of wine as one will get. In 15+ years this will be $225 quality. Easy. Clos des Chenes takes its time. This wine is something special and if there is one vintage of Pascal Bouley Clos des Chenes that could drink well young it is this one. I wanted to drink my whole barrel sample half bottle. I almost did! So floral and stoney right off the bat. I find Clos des Chenes to be one of the most stoney wines aromatically and this is gloriously stoney. Very mineral nose; layered and very intense. Lavender and lilacs are the florals and there is a deep cherry core but that will take age to unwind. Young Clos des Chenes is a tough wine to gauge aromatically which is interesting as when it is aged it is one of the most aromatic of the top 1er Crus. Now the palate is just bonkers. You get your money's worth and more. Intense is the first word that comes to mind. Juicy, cerebral, sweet, layered and so intense. Ridiculously complex. This is an experience. Tannins are super intense but backed up by huge fruit. Huge fruit. But for all this the wine is epically balanced, fresh and is really finesse driven. The precision is ridiculous. Stains your mouth and goes on and on and on. Allen Meadows also tasted it and he gave it a 90-92, but I'll admit I'm higher on it than him. Below is his review.
"An elegant, fresh and almost airy nose consists of various dark berry scents that include black cherry and raspberry with pretty floral top notes. There is once again fine volume and good precision to the tautly muscular and mineral-inflected flavors that deliver sneaky good length on the robust and ever-so-slightly rustic finale that is, while firm, actually a bit less structured than is typical for this wine." BH 90-92
This wine will last for 40 years. When Clos de Chenes averages $200 a bottle in 10-20 years, you can laugh at your friends while you drink this. Mature Clos de Chenes is a blow people away kind of wine. It's the kind of wine you drink a bottle of per year for 20 years.
I just had a brilliant bottle of the 2014 and the 2015 is much better, but I do think it will drink earlier than the 2014 or 2012 because of all the puppy fat.
Next up is a wine I've never offered before because of a combo of the vineyards being ravaged by hail and it being sold out instantly. But this year I got an allocation and the sun shined on the 2015 Volnay 1er Cru "Robardelle" for as little as $42.99 a bottle. This also got a 90-92 from Burghound but I was even more enthusiastic. This year Robardelle slayed me. And it will drink well young in my opinion. It's south of Clos du Chenes and Caillrets and sits right below Chevret. Ronceret and Champans lie to the east. So it's surrounded by greatness. Meursault is to the west. This is the first 1er Cru Pierrick showed me at the tasting which tells you and me that it can and should be drunk young. Nose is all minerals, stones and dark flowers. Then my note says OMG such sweet fruit and intensity. Super intense. Wow the fruit here is like a microcosm of what makes 15 great. Very very juicy and so complex. Terrific purity. Super Stoney finish with unreal freshness and finesse. An absolutely brilliant 15 and bottle of Volnay. Another steal. Ridiculous wine. Below is the BH review.
"A slightly riper yet still reasonably fresh nose combines notes of cassis, black raspberry and lovely spice elements. There is both good vibrancy and an attractive velvety texture to the lightly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that are refined, indeed even lacy but this doesn't lack for punch on the firm, serious and well-balanced finale." 90-92 BH
Pascal Bouley is my kind of producer. No fancy website. No fancy labels. No fancy marketing. Pascal, and now Pierrick, just work the vines every day, all day to make the best wines that they can, year in and year out. And it shows. I really love their wines and want my customers to drink them, and they are and the word is spreading. Just another unfamous Fass Selections producer making incredible terroir-driven balanced wines. Volnay lovers are already deciding how many cases they want at this price. For everyone else, this is Volnay royalty and a once in a lifetime chance to try these both at an affordable price. These are Limited and will be allocated.
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.
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