- The 2015 and 2016s Were Stunning
- They Lacked that Last Extra Bit of Elegance/Finesse
- 2017/2018 Has It
- Crazy Low Prices for the Quality - Direct from the Winery
These Wines Will Get Expensive Just Like All the Other Burgundies I First Sold for Nothing
- (Galeyrand, Garaduet, Chavy-Chouet, Thomas Bouley, Duroche, etc.)
- I Told Everyone They Would Get Expensive
- They Are Now ALL Expensive
- Boussey is Next
2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Caillerets"
- A Grand Cru Experience At a Quarter of the Price ($67.99!)
- From one of the "A" Vineyards in Meursault
- Achingly Beautiful Nose: Pulverized Rock Smoke, A Hint of Grilled Nuts
- Boussey's Oldest Vines and Rarest 1er Cru in Meursault
- Palate: Grand Cru Structure and Depth
- Explosive Concentration but So Balanced
- So Nutty It's ALlmost Spicy
- Terrific Finesse and Texture
- Will Age Gloriously
2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault "Vieilles Vignes"
- Best Young Village Meursault from Boussey I Have Ever Tasted
- Affordable Enough to Drink Every Day But A Terrific Burgundy
- Nose: More Mineral and Very Floral with Lovely Hint of Spice
- Palate: "I Can't Believe How Concentrated It Is" Levels of Concentration Allied With Top Finesse and Purity
- Ridiculous Finish Pumps out Minerals and Mega Chardonnay Sap
Boom!
I was so excited to taste Laurent Boussey's 2018 whites. He was so close to elite status in 2016 and the 2017s were great. But one swallow does not a summer make. I wanted to confirm that 2017 was not just a one time elite thing. And when I tasted the 2018s, at the first sip, I clenched my fist and silently shouted "Boom!"
After tasting the staggering set of Laurent Boussey's 2018 white wines I can firmly say we have a superstar on our hands (a more detailed vintage note is at the bottom). Boussey's 18s in particular are just profound and so deep. I was blown away and I think these are among the best white Burgs in the book. They are preposterous values at these prices and should cost $100+. The prices are just silly for the depth, power, clarity and structure oft hese wines.
The Wines
I will start with his top wine every year, the epic Meursault 1er Cru "Caillerets." This is one of The 2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Caillerets" can be had for $67.99 a bottle on a 3-pack. Now that I have had 5 vintages of this wine I can say without a doubt it is one of the best value high end Burgs I sell. This wine is giving you a Grand Cru experience at a quarter of the price and it from one of the "A" vineyards in Meursault. Through 3 tiers this is $100-$125 easy. Likely more. It's a top class wine that screams elegance, finesse, length and grace. There is a hint of 2018 textural opulence but it is overall scary elegant and so so deep and that is the trademark here.
The nose is super intense. Very mineral with the remaining last hints of wood that were completely integrated when I tasted this. Cotton candy, rocks, rocks and more rocks with fresh greens, a hint of butter, but really confectionery and just outrageous once it gets going. Liquid rocks. Pulverized rock smoke. A hint of grilled nuts. Smells like it has so much material. Hint. It does. Just an achingly beautiful nose. A why we drink Burgundy type of nose. An essence of Meursault. With air even more stunning minerality. A mineral stank. Huge florals as well. Iodine. Green apple. Ripe pear. Elite aromas. Ethereal.
The palate is awesome. Grand Cru structure and depth with amazing texture and density. So elegant and fine. Super complex. It's so intense yet so graceful and man that finesse. Terrific nuttiness on the palate. It's why the 1er Crus costs more than the village wines. The finesse is like spider silk. As is the texture. This has become one of my favorite high end Burgs we sell. This is a one sip and you knows it's awesome wine. One sniff even. Long, long long and like a squeegee on your palate and it just floats, squeezes and sits there. Palate is so, so elegant. Achingly elegant. Amazing minerals. So, so complex. Dense, sappy and structured. Rich and ripe but so elegant. It's young. Super young. Needs 3-4 years but wow is this dense. Wow is this structured. Wow is this long. As it opens there is a profound textural element that develops on the finish.
Long and explosive finish that pushes to every extreme of your palate and gains in length and volume as it aerates. Laurent tends to make structured wines as well and this is no exception as this will last and last. This is a 20 year wine yet... the oak is perfectly integrated and you can drink it today. Les Caillerets, as many of you know is a tiny 1er Cru, that's why Laurent only makes 300 bottles or so. The other more famous person who makes wine from this vineyard is Jean-Francois Coche of Coche-Dury.
Up next I've got the Fass Selections sweet spot Burgundy price point wine. I love selling village wines like Chassagne, Meursault and Puligny for around $50 a bottle. These are great villages that make exceptional wines and through my buying direct I get to offer these awesome wines for $50 or under. Those things converge again today with the 2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault Vieilles Vignes for $49.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. First thing in my notes is that I say it tastes like a '14. I don't know how Laurent gets the freshness he does but he is a master of this. This is a stunning wine Just a gorgeous nose of classic Meursault aromas but more on the candied rocks and mineral side with less butter and nuts. I love this style of Meursault. What a nose. Meursault symphony. Amazingly deep minerality. So much limestone. Lime blossom. Butter, toasted apples, iodine, floral, wet earth, super complex and inviting aromas. Reeks of terroir.
Palate is ripe and rich but incredibly elegant and wow this has superb finesse and freshness. Lovely almost weightless mouthfeel. Elegant to the max. Easily 1er Cru quality. Long and persistent finish. Nice sap and grip on the finish. Awesome lingering minerality. Beautiful. Love the marriage of opulence and cut. Superb. This is opening up so well. Wow. The freshness on the palate is just amazing and there is such impressive purity. Terrific finesse and elegance as that seems to be his style with the whites along with a serious structure that portends a nice 10-15 year future ahead of it. Again, perfectly integrated oak. Ridiculous finish pumps out minerals and leaves your mouth wanting more. No rush at all on this but hard to resist. These wines have all the energy and minerality one expects out of great white Burgundy.
2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault 1er Cru "Caillerets" - $69.99
($203.97 3-pack) (*Including Tariff of $8.13)
2018 Laurent Boussey Meursault Vieilles Vignes - $51.99
($199.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $5.58)
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