- $74.99 Compare other 2017 Clos de Chenes at $78-$280
- Super Complex and Super Floral
- Lavender and Lilacs, Deep Cherry Core
- Terrific Stoniness on the Nose
- Palate Just Had a Wall of Flavor
- Incredibly Pure and Deep
- Enormous, So Deep with Layers of Fruit Soaked in Minerals
- Stunningly Delicious Now But Will Be Monumental in 10 Years
2017 Pierrick Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Champans"
- Compare Other 2017 Champans at $90-$135
- Nose: Legendary and Classic Champans
- Classic Champans: Burgundy via the Lens of Lipstick Intensity
- Nose: Nuanced, Elegant, Mineral, Epic Levels of Gorgeous Fruit
- Big Framboise and Cassis and Huge Cherry
- Earthy and Mineral
- Floral as it Aerates: Hint of Roses
- One of Most Special Noses I Smelled on the 2017s
- Palate: Just Classic Champans
- Incredibly Complex, Grandiose Depth and Richness
- Burgundian Sweetness, Offset by Wonderful Vivid Earth and Mineral
"Pierrick is clearly fashioning elegant Volnays in a similar style to Michel Lafarge of Jean-Pierre Charlot at Domaine Joseph Voillot, the highlight for me being his Clos des Chênes (although I was only able to taste four of his 2016s). I will make a visit next time I am in the village to taste the full range." Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
My Little Guerilla War Against Rising Prices
We all know that prices for elite producers in Burgundy are stratospheric. Especially if the wines are made from to vineyards. Volnay used to be an affordable luxury. Now, we are seeing top bottlings in the $280 range.
This is where my model really works the best for my customers. Even with the tariffs, I can offer wines in the $75 range that would now cost $130 or $150.
My customers are saving $55-$75 a bottle on elite level wines.
Pierrick is now Among the Elite Producers in Volnay
Since the 2016 vintage when Pierrick 100% took over from his parents and changed the labels to 100% "Pierrick Bouley" for export these wines have experienced the leap as I so called it. When I had Florent Garaudet he took the leap in 2014. Hervé Murat in 2011. Laurent Boussey in 2016 or 2017. The leap is when a young winemaker goes from making very good wine to making elite wine and you don't know where the ceiling is. Pierrick Bouley has made that leap in 2016.
The wines under Pierrick's direction are much better.
- they have a darker fruit profile,
- less sulfur,
- more freshness,
- incredible purity and
- vivid flavor detail, along with
- finer, more suave and refined tannins.
These wines have an early accessibility which is a huge change from his parents' style which was decidedly old school and the wines all need decades to come around. I've had many of Pierrick's 16s since they have arrived and they are super delicious young but still have that famous Bouley structure that ensures a long life. These are elite wines and are BOTH less then the least expensive expensive examples out there of today's two vaunted 1er Crus (see below).
The 2017 Vintage
2017 is a Vintage that is perfectly suited to Pierrick's increasingly elegant, structured and precise style. It's like a 16/14 blend but more accessible young but still will age effortlessly to the end of their respective drinking windows. They are full of expressive "gout de terroir" and unreal pure, sappy red and black fruits along with insane freshness and succulence. They will age gloriously and long. Pierrick has added some new slices of great terroir to the stable as well since last year and also his prices are inching up, which I've been saying for years now they will. Especially since they have now been compared to the wines of Michel Lafarge by Neal Martin of the Wine Advocate.
The Wines
Up first is the 2017 Pierrick Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chenes" for $74.99 a bottle on a
The nose is super complex and super floral. Really layered. Just so much nuance and different types of flowers and the classic stoniness of great Clos des Chenes. The nose starts to emanate intense deep mineral. Lavender and lilacs are the florals and there is a deep cherry core but that will take an age to unwind. I find Clos des Chenes to be one of the most stoney wines aromatically and this is gloriously stoney.
The palate just had a wall of flavor. It assaults you. It's incredibly pure and deep and very young. There is a massive core here that will need years to come around. It's enormous and so deep with layers of fruit soaked in minerals. Finished with formidable tannins, very stoney, very mineral and very sweet. Clos des Chenes is one of the few wines I taste out of barrel here where I'm like "man this is young." Obviously all the wines are young but the Clos des Chenes puts your palate in a nice grip. But with the new found accessibility in these wines the tannins melt and the wine could be drunk young. This is a great great Clos des Chenes and something to throw deep in the cellar and forget about for 10 years.
Up next I've got a superstar of a premier Cru from Pierrick Bouley. The 2017 Pierrick Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Champans" for $74.99 a bottle on a 3-pack is a legend in the making. (Compare Other Champans in 2017 at $90-$135) . One of the top sites in Volnay. 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. That Champans lipstick aroma in that the nose has the same style of an intense lipstick smell but fully is Burgundy via the lens of a lipstick intensity.
The nose is nuanced, elegant, mineral and has epic levels of gorgeous fruit. Big framboise and cassis and huge cherry. Amazing amazing nose. Dark cherries. Deep spice. Earthy. Mineral with loads of limestone. Hint of roses. Floral component comes through more as wine aerates. Also a savory, feral, meaty element. This nose has it all and constantly changes. 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 2017s.
The palate is just classic Champans. Champans in normal vintages brings the fruit. Really brings the classic crunchy and deep Champans fruit. In 2017, 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 fruit is also super intense my god it is so intense. Ripe and tannic with the most beautiful and melty tannins one can imagine. He has upped his tannin game big time. Long, complex, refined and graceful finish.
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 2016/2017 (these are much, much, much, much better). Burghound gave this 91 points but this wine is on whole other level and way higher than that score. I find BH consistently underrates Bouley.
"Once again a shy, indeed almost inexpressive, nose requires extensive swirling to liberate the layered aromas of red currant, cherry and spiced tea. The beautifully textured and vibrant medium weight flavors possess both good focus and solid minerality that continues onto the markedly firm but not really austere finish where the only nit is a whisper of warmth. This should age well and be approachable after 5ish years." 91 Points Burghound
2017 Pierrick Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chenes" - $76.99 ($224.97 3-pack) (*Included Tariff $8.90)
2017 Pierrick Bouley Volnay 1er Cru "Champans" - $76.99 ($224.97 3-pack) (*Included Tariff $9.04)
No comments:
Post a Comment