2011 Bouchard Père & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Chambertin Clos de Bèze 2011 from Bouchard seems more introspective on the nose: cranberry, wild strawberry, a hint of tomato vine and woodland aromas. It takes some coaxing from the glass, eventually offering hints of Seville orange. The palate is full-bodied and dense. There is a lot of fruit intensity here with bold tannins and good depth, but unlike the Clos-de-Bèze from Rousseau it does not own the same level of precision and comes across a little aggressive by comparison. Still, time mellows us all.
Critic scores
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Bright medium red. Slightly reduced aromas of raspberry, smoked meat and dried flowers. Tougher and more reserved today than the Bonnes-Mares but shows an exhilarating light touch to its youthfully medicinal flavors of strawberry, raspberry, crushed stone, peony, rose petal and spices. Finishes dry and classic, with firm tannins and terrific rising length. Delivers more urgent fruits and minerals than the Bonnes-Mares but this beauty really calls for seven or eight years of cellaring.
(50% vendange entier; two-thirds new oak): Bright, dark red. Captivating nose combines raspberry, red licorice, iron, dried rose, mocha and minerals. all lifted by a high-pitched floral quality. Wonderfully juicy, intense and delineated, showing great energy but also considerable medicinal reserve. Silky and utterly weightless wine with great delicacy and outstanding balance. The rising, highly perfumed, extremely long aftertaste is like a wake-up call for the taste buds. The tannins here are remarkably suave.
This is also moderately toasty though it's not enough to hide the hallmark spiciness of a classic Clos de Bèze along with ripe black pinot fruit, stone and game nuances. There is excellent richness and impressive volume to the extract-rich mid-palate that imparts a seductive mouth feel to the medium-weight flavors. The aspect that is really remarkable here though is just the sheer depth, which when coupled with the superb length make for one exciting wine. Note carefully though that this will also need extended cellaring. Tasted: Apr 15, 2013. Drink: 2028+
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.