Bouchard Père & Fils - Beaune du Château 1er Cru blanc Domaine 2022

From Cazetiers to Bouzeron, this major Beaune wine merchant founded in 1731 owns more than 142 plots spanning 130 hectares of vineyards, including 73 hectares of Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. This first-rate viticultural heritage enables Frédéric Weber, a talented winemaker who previously managed Château de Poncié, to produce approximately 600,000 bottles out of the total three million produced here each year; the majority of production comes from purchased grapes for the great reds and from carefully selected musts for the whites, other than those from the estate. Impressive success with both whites and reds in recent vintages.

The 2022 Château Blanc Beaune, with its golden color, surprises right from the first sip with aromas of lemon zest and grapefruit; as it opens up, warmer notes of apricot and quince develop, accompanied by subtle smoky hints. The texture is rich yet always lively. The grapes come from 10 hectares of vineyards spread across five lieux-dits: Aigrots, Tuvilains, Les Teurons, Sur Les Grèves, and Les Sizies; they are pressed as whole clusters and barely settled before being placed in barrels to ferment on native yeasts. The harvest began on August 29 to preserve the freshness of this white wine. 2027–2055

Ripe lemon fruit with a lovely chalky note. Rich and creamy on the palate, following the Fèvre Chablis. Plenty of fruit, medium-length finish. 2025–2029

A truly impressive white Beaune 1er Cru with expressive and precise aromas of stone fruit, lemon zest, and fresh almond, along with a hint of leafy freshness. The generous body is paired with very lively acidity. The finish is long, silky, and delicately chalky. The subtle oak is never too forward, even at this very early stage. This cuvée comes from 10 hectares spread across 5 different 1er Cru sites.