Bouchard Père et Fils
(An Online Virtual Visit)
by
Kathy and Terry Sullivan
Images provided by
Bouchard Père et Fils unless otherwise noted.
This article about Bouchard Père & Fils is based on an online interview, online data and photos supplied by the winery. The winery graciously sent two samples of wine. The article was written during the time of the worldwide 2020-2021 pandemic. Amelie Darrieux-Sable, Director of Marketing for Maisons & Domaines Henriot, responded to our questions and supplied the photos.
Summary: Bouchard Père & Fils lays claim to being one of the oldest wine merchants in Burgundy. For centuries Bouchard Père & Fils has focused on obtaining renowned parcels of land. In 1995 Bouchard Père & Fils joined the Henriot Family portfolio and continues to acquire more vineyards.
History
Since the 1700s the winery has had significant events occur many which included obtaining important vineyards. Amelie commented about the many important events including the founding of Bouchard Père & Fils by Michel Bouchard who was a cloth merchant in the French Alps. He decided to change from the cloth trade to the wine trade with Joseph, his son. At the time the new business included buying and reselling barrels of wine.
Michel’s son, Joseph began buying the first vineyard parcels in 1775 beginning with Climats “Les Caillerets”, “Taille Pieds”, and “Chanlains.” After the French Revolution, the winery continued to purchase more parcels.
Amelie wrote that in 1820, “The Bouchard family purchases the iconic Château de Beaune, the historic fortress at the heart of Beaune dating from the 15th century, and converts it into a cellar for aging wines.”
In 1828, the company split into two separate wineries, Bouchard Père & Fils and Bouchard Ainé & Fils.
Ten years later, in 1838, Bouchard Père & Fils acquired “vineyards in Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet, including the exclusive property Le Chevalier Montrachet La Cabotte, the most prestigious plot of the appellation, expanding Bouchard Père & Fils’ Grand Cru holdings.” In 2013, we visited Burgundy and saw the renowned Montrachet vineyards. We clearly remember our guide emphasizing respect for the vineyards, we were not to step too close to the vineyards.
In 1995 the Henriot family acquired Bouchard Père & Fils.
Vineyards
Bouchard Père & Fils has 130 hectares (321 acres) with two-thirds located in areas designated Premiers and Grands Crus. This includes 450 parcels. The only grape varieties growing the these vineyards are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
It is important to recognize that Bouchard Père et Fils respects the terroir of the vineyards. Amelie wrote: “Bouchard Père & Fils’ approach to winemaking respects the unique specificities of each terroir. Vineyard work is year-round and requires endurance, courage, common sense, and extensive practical and technical knowledge.”
Bouchard Père & Fils has 40 workers who tend the vineyards. Each vineyard has 3.25 hectares (8 acres) to care for. It is remarkable that each year the employees have the same parcels to care for. This means that they become experts for growing the best grapes in their particular terroir.
Amelie wrote about the importance of the terroir. “The terroir is what determines the profile of the wines. Very complex and fragmented in Burgundy – which explains the many sub-appellations that are used. The ‘Climats de Bourgogne” are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage since 2015 and the Bouchard Père & Fils collection was chosen as one of the constituent attributes of the listed heritage.”
At harvest time the grapes are harvested by hand, transported in small crates and then sorted on a sorting table.
Winery
Today all of the Bouchard Père & Fils are produced at St. Vincent winery in Savigny-lès-Beaune. The head winemaker is Frédéric Weber (pictured left) who joined Bouchard Père Fils in 2002 and became Cellar Master in 2013. Frédéric enjoys the challenges that every vintage presents. Amelie wrote, “He was passionate about chemistry and born into a family with winemaking roots in Alsace. Weber realized his passion for agronomy and oenology after completing an internship in Champagne. He holds an engineering degree as well as a Master’s Degree in Agronomic Engineering and Oenology from Institute Jules Guyot in Dijon.”
Wines
We received two samples of wines from Bouchard Père & Fils. The 2017 Meursault Appellation Village (pictured right by Wine Trail Traveler) was made with 100% Chardonnay harvested from a vineyard originally planted in 1098. Grapes were manually harvested and sorted prior to pressing in two phases: first run and two-hour cycles. The wine spent several months in French oak and a few months in stainless steel vats. Aging took place in the cellars of the Bastions of Château de Beaune. The wine had a dark yellow color with a gold hue. The 13.5% alcohol wine had an intense aroma, even prior to pouring into a glass. Fruit, flowers and oak were on the aroma. Apple and pear were forthcoming on the taste, while oak and flowers played in the background. The wine had a medium/full body and was a bit lively on the mouthfeel. The long finish had fruit yielding to oaky and floral notes. Pair this wine with poultry.
Our second wine (pictured left by Wine Trail Traveler) was a Beaune du Château Premier Cru. Bouchard Père & Fils has been crafting this cuvée since 1907. Grapes were hand harvested from 17 Beaune Premier Cru vineyards. At the winery, the grapes were hand sorted and fermented in small vats. Gentle pressing was used to mix the cap with the juice. The wine aged for 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels. The 2017 Beaune du Château Premier Cru had a translucent ruby color with a red hue. Red berry fruits were on the aroma. The taste was reminiscent of red raspberries and chocolate covered cherries. The mouthfeel was velvety. The wine had a medium/full body and mild, silky tannins. The finish was fruity with an oaky background. There was a long aftertaste. The wine would pair well with poultry and dishes that had a white sauce.
Food Pairings
Bouchard Père & Fils suggests food pairings for their wines including: Oeufs en meurte, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, gougere (cheese puff), and Crottin de Chavignol (goat cheese).
The Future
Bouchard Père & Fils vineyards will receive organic certification by 2024. The winery currently has a 20 year plan to renew the vineyards.
Wine Tourism
Wine enthusiasts can secure visits to the Daily visit at la Cave du Château. The Daily tasting visit is limited to 12 visitors and includes 6 wines two from Appellations village, two appellations Premier Cru and two appellations Grand Cru. Bookings can be made online.
According to Amelie, the winery is currently coping with the pandemic by facilitating Instagram virtual tastings.
Bouchard Père & Fils
15 Rue du Château
21200 Beaune, France
For more information
Article written March 2021.
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