2013 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Bechalin

Derived from a 73-acre, southwesterly exposed site that's one of Bouchard's highest-altitude parcels, the 2013 Blanc de Noirs Côte de Béchalin wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of citrus oil, mandarin, beeswax, white flowers, apricot and apple. Medium to full-bodied, racy and concentrated, it's vinous and tightly wound, with a bright spine and a long, chalky and aromatic finish. The 2013 is finer-boned and more incisive than its more muscular 2012 counterpart, and it displays some exotic aromatic top notes that reflect the late growing season. Bouchard recalls that he began picking on September 26, 2013, and finished in October, just before the rain set in.