I served Bouvier's white burgundy
recently at a
tasting and it
was a stand-out!
And, what about the 2006 vintage? I loved the
2006s immediately when I tasted them in
Burgundy.
February 2008's Decanter Magazine on
the 2006 whites:
"The 2006 vintage marks a return to more
classic white Burgundy. It is enormously
pleasing and has good terroir
definition...Not only is it very good
quality, it has a distinctly different
profile from 2005. It is stylish and fresh
with ripe and lucid fruit which allows the
terroir to shine."
And from Wine Spectator and Robert
Parker:
"... clearly an outstanding
vintage for the region's white wines. I give
the 2006 white Burgundy vintage a preliminary
rating of 90-93 on Wine
Spectator's 100 point
scale. The best whites are full of ripe
fruit, with freshness, structure and plenty
of mineral character. They have the flesh
that makes them immediately appealing."
-Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
Robert Parker agrees and rates the 2006
vintage a 90!
It's hard not to get very excited about this
wine. It brings beautiful flavors and is the
equivalent of most of its fancier southern
neighbors like Meursault, Chassagne
Montrachet, and Puligny Montrachet at a much
more modest price.
Bernard Bouvier is a little whirling
phenomenon. When I offered Bernard Bouvier's
red Marsannay, it made tracks like a Ferrari
down the autoroute. I ended up with barely
enough to whet my own whistle. Of course, such
success is not surprising considering La
Revue du Vin de France called Bernard
Bouvier
"one of the most talented winemakers of his
generation."
The French white Burgundies are hands-down
the finest expression of Chardonnay. They
slide down so easily leaving wonderful little
reminders of their greatness along the way:
the subtlety, the length, the melon and
agrumes flavors. They are peerless, I do
believe.
La Revue du Vin de France (the best
French
wine journal) is wowed by Bouvier's efforts:
"beautiful wines, prettily spiced with suave
tannins and good material and lovely long
finishes."
You probably know by now that I'm always on
the lookout for the great, little wines from
independent winemakers who believe first in
quality. Finding these wines is a particular
challenge in Burgundy.
This white Marsannay Le Clos is a monopole
(that means the entire vineyard is owned by
one proprietor). It's 100% Chardonnay.
Bernard uses 30% new oak. He has a sensitive
hand when it comes to his oak and it is
fabulously integrated with the fruit. Le
Clos
has amazing acidity, which is so important for
a white - too little and the wine is as flat
as yesterday's ginger ale. And, there is
honey in the finish. It's a beauty.
Bernard delivers the full Burgundy expression
with reasonable prices. Try this Marsannay.
It will open up a whole new part of Burgundy
for you. Cynthia Hurley
