The Wine Advocate | RP 88
Published: Jan 14, 2021

The 2019 Beaune 1er Cru du Château Blanc offers up aromas of pear, white flowers and peaches, framed by a deft touch of oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and enveloping, it's lively and textural, with good underlying acidity. This is a charming, expressive introduction to the vintage, appellation and maison.

Bouchard's Frédéric Weber has once again excelled himself in 2019, producing a superb range of wines in both colors. Given the year's low yields, he regrets performing a green harvest in Pommard Les Rugiens—"oops," as he put it—but beyond that he and his team appear to have made no mistakes. Picking between September 11 and 30, with all the Chardonnay brought in within four or five days to avoid over-ripeness, Weber feels the Côte de Nuits was advantaged by late rainfall that made for wines that are a touch more "classic" in profile. Alcohol levels are above average, though not excessively so, and pHs are lower than in 2018, thanks to high levels of tartaric acids in the tiny, shot berries that distinguished the vintage. Weber's favored analogy is between the charm of the 2017 vintage and the substance and maturity of 2015—an analysis with which I wholeheartedly concur, as do many other producers along the Côte. This is another terrific vintage chez Bouchard, and as I wrote last year, that's great news, as everyone wins when Burgundy's standard-bearer négociant houses flourish. Drink Date: 2021-2035

Winemaker

Vineyard Description: Among the Beaune Premier Cru wines, whites constitute a precious exception and only represent 8% of production. They come from a chalky soil, favourable to Chardonnay, which confers on them great elegance, subtly enveloped. This bottle is from a blend of different parcels classed as Premier Cru and giving lovely balance.

Grape variety: Chardonnay
Exposition: East 
Soil of the appellation: Limestone, clay and marls with varying proportions according to each parcel 
Total surface of the appellation in production: 30 hectares 
Tasting note: Pale gold/ gold colour with green shades. The nose is made of white flesh fruit, candied citrus aromas with a hint of brioche and ginger bread. The mouth associates richness, subtle oak, taste of dried fruit. Pleasantly rich wine. 
Food/wine pairing: Fine cooked meats, meat pies, warm pate, snails. 
Serving temperature: Between 12C to 14C 
Ageing potential: 5 years and more 
Harvest: manual, in small cases of 13 kg. Careful manual sorting of each grape. 
Vinification: The pressing takes place in two phases: evacuation of the first juice, then pressing in two-hourly cycles. 
Maturing: 12 to 14 months in French oak, with up to 15% new oak. 
Ageing: The cellars of the Bastions of the ancient Chateau de Beaune o'er natural ambient conditions that are perfectly adapted to ageing the Premiers Crus.