Bouchard Père & Fils : Meursault 1er cru "Les Bouchères" Domaine 2020

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for the Meursault 1er Cru "Les Bouchères" 2020 from Bouchard Père & Fils

Tasting

Color

With its bright pale gold hue, this wine shows wonderful clarity.

Nose

The bouquet reveals a fine aromatic complexity, with notes of citrus zest and white flowers. Aromas of fresh bread and mandarin mingle with hints of hazelnut and pear, alongside delicate floral touches and peach.

Palate

A silky attack introduces a medium-bodied to full-bodied structure, revealing a fine balance between richness and freshness. The minerality expresses itself elegantly, supported by lively acidity. White fruits and citrus notes carry through to a persistent, complex finish marked by a subtle saline edge.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Meursault 1er Cru is an ideal match for fish in creamy sauces, refined poultry dishes, or foie gras. It also pairs beautifully with roasted langoustines with pears and artichokes, seared scallops, or fresh soft cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

The Meursault 1er Cru "Les Bouchères" 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 11 and 14°C. This wine offers cellaring potential through around 2030.

An Elegant, Mineral Meursault Premier Cru by Bouchard Père & Fils

The Estate

Founded in 1731 by Michel Bouchard, a cloth merchant with a passion for the wines of Burgundy, Bouchard Père & Fils is one of the region’s oldest and most prestigious houses. With 98.7 hectares spread across 111 plots and 77 different climats, the estate holds the largest portfolio of classified vineyards in the Côte d'Or, including 12 hectares of Grand Cru and 74 hectares of Premier Cru. Acquired in 2022 by Artémis Domaines, the estate is now headed by Emmanuel Dumont and Mickaël Baroin. Full organic certification will be obtained in 2025.

The Vineyard

The climat Les Bouchères is one of the smallest Premier Cru appellations in Meursault, classified as a “Tête de Cuvée” as early as 1855. Bouchard Père & Fils cultivates 38 ares of vines planted in the 1990s. The terroir is characterized by a south-east exposure and clay-limestone soils that are particularly stony and shallow, where the bedrock frequently outcrops. This parcel benefits from a pronounced slope that promotes excellent natural drainage. The geological composition, rich in limestone and marl, is similar to that of the neighboring climats Genevrières and Gouttes d'Or, giving the wine its fine mineral expression.

The Vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy stands out for exceptional weather conditions. After a mild winter with no significant frost, the sunny, dry spring triggered early budbreak, nearly three weeks ahead of schedule. The particularly hot, dry summer, marked by a significant water deficit, subjected the vines to progressively increasing water stress. Despite these demanding conditions, cool nighttime temperatures during harvest helped preserve the grapes’ freshness. Picking began on August 19, with rigorous selection to eliminate dehydrated berries. White wines benefited from reasonable yields and excellent quality.

Winemaking and Aging

The Meursault 1er Cru "Les Bouchères" 2020 is harvested by hand in small 13-kilogram crates, allowing for meticulous grape sorting. Pressing is carried out after crushing, as whole clusters, in two successive phases. Following a light settling, fermentation takes place in French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. Aging lasts twelve months in barrels, with only 10 to 15% new oak, thus preserving the expression of the terroir. An additional six-month maturation in stainless-steel tanks precedes bottling. The wine is neither fined nor filtered.

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay.