Jean-Marc
Bouley’s Bouley’s domaine, which has been in his family for three
generations, now consists of 12 hectares in Volnay, Pommard and Beaune.
The winery is located underneath his house on a steep, narrow street in
the village of Volnay. The house was originally built by a retired
railroad engineer, and the cellars resemble train tunnels.
Jean-Marc
took over the domaine in 1985 and significantly expanded the holdings,
buying choice parcels in Volnay and Pommard. He immediately attained
international acclaim for his exciting, dramatic Pinot Noirs. Today, he
makes wines from 11 different appellations. Bouley aims for maximum
extraction of color, flavor and aromas to yield wines that are lushly
fruity, yet balanced and complex
The
2002 vintage marks a turning point at Domaine Jean Marc Bouley. A
number of positive, long-planned developments happily coincided with a
superb vintage. His son Thomas joined Jean-Marc and shared in the
vineyard and winemaking tasks. Thomas brings a new vision of quality,
influenced in some part by his experiences in California and New
Zealand. Together, the Bouleys continue the essential work in the
vineyards to enhance the quality and maturity of the grapes. Bouley’s
soils are healthier than ever, as they have now not been treated with
chemical products for over 7 years. Pruning methods and training of the
vines have been adapted to reduce yields to 6-8 bunches per vine, each
well placed so as to enhance exposure to sun and ventilation. Bouley
aims to have his vines produce less fruit naturally. To achieve this,
he has eliminated fertilization, encourages grass between the rows,
plows regularly, and trims the upward push of the vines (rognage) very
late in the season, thereby diminishing the amount of resources
available in the plants for the production of grapes. The result is
riper and naturally healthier fruit come harvest time.
Turning
indoors, beginning with the 2002 vintage Bouley pere et fils now work
in their newly-renovated and expanded cellar (a few rows of the Clos de
la Cave were sacrificed to make room for the expansion.) Improved
working conditions and humidity control made for more vivid, pure
wines. Finally, Bouley increased the number of new oak casks to 30-70%,
depending on the wine.
The
results are truly brilliant, marking a new level of excellence chez
Bouley. Jean-Marc’s goal, when he began with 2 hectares in 1974, has
now been attained: to bring his estate to the level of the very best in
Volnay and Pommard. What better testimony could one ask for than the
six, 90+ reviews awarded to Bouley’s 2002s by Wine Spectator.
Bouley’s
unique Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune Rouge comes from a south-facing
vineyard located at the top of the commune of Volnay, at an altitude of
300 meters. Bouley harvests late and makes the wine in the same manner
as his other reds. This is a wine of intense, bright and succulent
Pinot Noir character and exceptional complexity. It represents fine
value.
Bouley’s
only white wine, the Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Chardonnay comes
from a south-facing vineyard located at the top of the commune of
Volnay, at 300-meter altitude. Bouley harvests late, usually in early
October, to ensure the ripest, most concentrated fruit. Fermentation
takes place in stainless steel tanks without chaptalisation (thanks to
the naturally high sugar levels) and the wine is aged for 9 months in
oak casks, of which 25% are new. The result is a Burgundian Chardonnay
with exceptional character and complexity. Its bouquet jumps out of the
glass and the bright, crisp fruit flavors of green apple- honeydew
melon on the palate are concentrated and lively. This wine represents
exceptional value and pairs well with seafood, lighter pastas and
grilled chicken.
Bouley’s Beaune 1er Cru les Reversees
come from a vineyard next to Les Teurons, in the heart of the band of
Beaune Premiere Crus. It is a generously juicy and grapey wine, with
plum and red currant flavors. Bouley’s Beaune is an excellent
introduction to his style. Only 300 cases are produced.
The Volnay AOC
comes from a 3.5 hectare parcel. It is a mixture of fruit from old
vines and a new section planted by Bouley 15 years ago. Clive Coates
characterized this wine as “quite pretty...a stylish example, very
Volnay” which roughly means: a fragrant, broad textured, fruity wine
with scents and flavors of violets and plums. It is enjoyable now and
will develop further with 2-3 years of bottle age.
The
Clos de la Cave vineyard is just behind Bouley’s home. The vines are
over 35 years old, and the wine offers ripe, succulent dark cherry
fruit. This is a fine example of Bouley’s style, bringing out the
elegance of Volnay’s immensely enjoyable fruit.
The Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes
is one of Bouley’s masterpieces. He produces a mere 200 cases from
35-year-old vines. 50% new oak was used in 1993, and the wine is the
epitome of great Volnay. It is very full, opulent, extremely ripe with
cherry and dark chocolate flavors, and a long-lasting finish. It
requires at least 3 years of cellaring.
The Pommard AOC
comes from several well-placed parcels. It is a rich, spicy, medium
bodied wine that has tones of strawberry, chocolate and terroir. It can
be enjoyed now with charcuterie, lamb, and cheeses. It can develop well
in bottle for several years and represents fine value.
Bouley’s Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers
comes from a parcel with old vines on deep clay-limestone soil. The
grapes here are small and very concentrated (called millerandage in
French). These factors give this wine its amazing level of lush fruit
and a backbone of ripe tannins. It is usually the most sumptuous of
Bouley’s Pommards.
The Pommard Les Rugiens
comes from two parcels, one with 60-year-old vines, the other with
20-year-old vines. The parcels are located in the upper part of the
Rugiens vineyard on a thin soil over volcanic rock. Bouley’s Rugiens is
his most structured Pommard, with complex wild strawberry, black-cherry
and spice flavors. It merits 3-5 years of bottle aged for its
components to mature into perfect balance.
