Bouchard Père & Fils is one of the great names of Beaune, and this is its village-level premier cru: Chardonnay from the slopes just behind the town, bottled under the Beaune du Château label. The 2019 vintage gave Burgundy a warm, dry summer and a clean, generous crop.
- Chardonnay, the only white grape of Burgundy.
- Beaune Premier Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy.
- 2019, a ripe and generous Burgundy vintage.
- Fermented and aged in oak, a share of it new.
- 13% abv, dry, high acidity, medium body.
How it is made
White Beaune is a small thing next to the famous reds of the same town. The Chardonnay is pressed slowly and fermented in barrel, then aged on its fine lees in oak, some of it new, which is where the brioche and the hazelnut come from. It stays in cask long enough to round off the edges without burying the fruit.
How it tastes
White flowers and green apple first, then lemon zest and a flinty, struck-match edge that reads as the Côte de Beaune. The mid-palate is rich and slightly honeyed, with candied citrus and a whisper of gingerbread, and the acidity keeps it taut rather than soft. Hazelnut and a light toasted note run through the finish.
Where it comes from
Beaune sits in the Côte de Beaune, the southern half of the Burgundy escarpment, where the limestone and clay soils suit Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir. Premier Cru vineyards here are classified by site, and the whites are a fraction of the production, which is why they are less known than the reds from the same hills.
Good to know
Burgundy classifies vineyards, not estates. A Premier Cru on the label means the fruit came from one of Beaune's designated higher sites, and the rules of the appellation set the boundaries. Bouchard Père & Fils has held vineyards in the Côte de Beaune since the 1700s, and its cellars under the old château walls of Beaune are among the oldest in the region.
