2012 Le Montrachet
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2012 Montrachet Grand Cru has an introverted, stony bouquet that unlike the Chevalier Cabotte demands some coaxing from the glass. There are subtle notes of pear drop and apricot blossom that surface with time. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry with touches of blackberry leaf. This is very focused and long in the mouth, although perhaps I prefer the La Cabotte this year. Drink 2016-2030+ Although I tasted the wines of this Burgundy grand maison in London, I spent a morning with winemaker Philippe Prost to go through at least part of their large portfolio to get an insight into Bouchard Pere & Fils. Ever since Michel Bouchard established the house in 1731, it has been a permanent fixture in Burgundy, surviving seizure by the State after the Revolution, phylloxera, two World Wars and periods when the world simply was uninterested in Burgundy. Today they own 130 hectares of vines, more than any Bordeaux chateau, including 12 grand crus and 74 premier crus. Importer: Henriot Inc. and John E. Fells in the UK.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Buttery, transparent fruit that has brilliant citrus, peach and green citrus aroma. It’s excellent stuff from the ultimate Chardonnay co-ordinates – an easy choice when money isn’t a consideration. (RH)
Bright, pale yellow. Brooding aromas of apple, cinnamon and white flowers. Fat, broad and sweet; rich in dry extract but very young and unevolved today. The back end displays enticing saline minerality but also a distinctly phenolic, even tannic impression. No shortage of acidity here.
This is almost as elegant and refined aromatically as the La Cabotte with even more complexity to the gorgeous and highly nuanced nose of dried flowers, spice elements and a broad range of both white and yellow orchard fruit scents. There is superb volume and richness to the big-bodied and very serious flavors that are overtly muscular and also blessed with an abundance of dry extract that, in the same fashion as the Corton-Charlemagne, imparts a borderline chewy quality to the faultlessly balanced finish. What I find interesting about this wine is that it is at once openly decadent and opulent yet it remains beautifully refined. Whatever the magic, the key point is that this is most impressive. Tasted: Jun 15, 2014. Drink: 2022+
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.