Jean-Marc 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 5 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 regularly green harvests and acquired new sorting equipment for the ‘02 harvest and beyond.

Turning indoors, Bouley pere et fils made their 2002s 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. The bouquet of jumps out 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 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.