2007 Volnay Caillerets Ancienne Cuvee Carnot
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Tasting notes
Bouchard’s 2007 Volnay Caillerets Ancien Cuvee Carnot smells almost savagely pungent and smoky, suggesting black tea, herbal concentrates, dark berries and bitter chocolate, all of which persist on a firm palate further accented with cherry pit bitterness and notes of game, and underlain by chalk. There is a certain austerity as well as audacity and brightness about this wine that are welcoming in the context of the vintage. I suspect this will be worth following for 7-10 years. Director-winemaker Philippe Prost made no attempt to minimize the challenges of 2008 and was careful to distinguish between its wind-borne concentration and genuinely ideal phenolic maturity (approached more nearly this year in white than red). He opined that the wide window afforded for relaxed picking despite the late calendar date was critical, since the levels of ripeness were so disparate from one site to another. That said, he showed me an outstanding collection of Pinots. Ironically, as he pointed out, ripeness was also disparate in one of the two earliest vintages on record, 2007, yet picking – while fitful – was anything but relaxed due to the pressure of rot. And here, too, Bouchard scored excellent successes. By means of, where necessary, “swapping lees” between barrels to inoculate stubborn lots, Prost says he was able to get all of his 2008s through malo-lactic conversion in timely fashion, which he considers especially important with Pinot. Bottling of the 2008 reds – with a few exceptions mentioned in my notes and due to have been bottled in April – took place in December and January, the same schedule adopted for their 2007s. I did not have an opportunity to taste nearly all of Bouchard’s vast collection from either vintage, and have in the text of my notes indicated a few from among their 2008s that I take to represent significant omissions. (I have not noted “Domaine” to distinguish those wines that are part of the Bouchard, except in cases where there is another otherwise eponymous wine.) Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Lovely aromatic fresh fruit. Perfumed and with a touch of sweet oak spice. Dark and more brooding on the palate, tannins are dry and there’s only just enough fruit weight to carry them. But there’s still a juicy streak through the middle. (JH)
Somewhat curiously, this possesses at once the most elegant, the ripest yet also the coolest nose among these three examples from Volnay with its lightly spiced black fruit and rose petal and violet nose that merges seamlessly with the rich, full, serious, firm yet utterly refined and intensely mineral suffused flavors that are focused, linear and hugely long. This is a striking wine and as good as the Taillepieds and Clos des Chênes are, this has another dimension of overall depth. Built to age and it will absolutely require it. Drink 2019+
(tasted from cuve Good medium red. Lovely lift and purity to the aromas of cassis, bitter chocolate and violet. Supple, sweet and delicious, with a juicy ripeness to the sappy dark chocolate and mineral flavors. Very nicely integrated acidity gives this a weightless feeling. Finishes with sweet tannins and very good mineral lift. A classic Volnay in the making.
About the producer
Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy’s oldest and most established wine producers. Founded in 1731 by Michel Bouchard, it is the largest vineyard owner in the Côte d’Or with 130 hectares of vines.