Bouchard Père & Fils : Volnay 1er cru "Clos des Chênes" Domaine 2019

Tasting notes and advice for the Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chênes" Domaine 2019 from Bouchard Père & Fils

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a deep garnet hue with purple highlights, reflecting the vintage’s concentration.

Nose

The bouquet opens with a direct, elegant floral expression, dominated by notes of peonies, violets and rose petals. These delicate aromas intertwine with hints of stewed plum, woodland fruits and wild berries. With aeration, spicy nuances of white pepper and cinnamon emerge, accompanied by subtle mineral touches reminiscent of stone and forest floor, with a hint of cocoa.

Palate

The attack is smooth and enveloping, unfolding a medium-to-full body that fills the palate with elegance. The structure reveals fine minerality paired with muscular power, supported by refined, silky tannins. The mid-palate develops remarkable complexity, with flavors of wild strawberry, cherry and raspberry, lifted by notes of licorice, mocha and forest earth. The finish stands out for its exceptional length and mineral precision, leaving a saline impression characteristic of limestone terroir, extended by lingering floral and fruity echoes.

Food and wine pairings

This Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chênes" Domaine 2019 pairs beautifully with roasted poultry and feathered game such as duck, quail or pigeon. It also matches superbly with fine red meats such as aged beef tenderloin or herb-crusted lamb chops. Mushroom-based dishes, notably a porcini or morel risotto, create harmonious pairings. For cheeses, opt for aged soft cheeses such as Époisses, or aged cow’s-milk cheeses such as Comté.

Serving and cellaring

The Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chênes" Domaine 2019 is best served at a temperature between 15 and 17°C. One hour of decanting will allow the wine to breathe and fully reveal its aromatic complexity. This wine has exceptional aging potential and can be cellared until at least 2045, with an optimal drinking window beginning around 2031.

A Volnay Premier Cru marked by power and floral elegance

The estate

Founded in 1731 in Beaune by the cloth merchant Michel Bouchard, Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy’s oldest houses. The wine estate was established in 1775 with the acquisition of its first vines in Volnay Premier Cru Les Caillerets. Owned by Artémis Domaines (the Pinault family) since 2022, the estate is led by Jean-Marc Pistre, with Frédéric Weber as Technical Director. The estate spans around 98.7 hectares across 77 climats of the Côte de Beaune, 75% of which are classified as Grands and Premiers Crus. Certified organic in 2025, the estate begins its biodynamic conversion in 2026.

The vineyard

The Clos des Chênes parcel from which this wine comes covers 0.80 hectares in the lower part of the climat, in the commune of Volnay. The vineyard benefits from a southeast-facing exposure conducive to optimal ripening. The soils are made up of red clays in this lower section, bringing depth and concentration to the wine, resting on a limestone subsoil characteristic of the appellation. This geological composition gives the wines their typical elegance and remarkable aging potential. The altitude and exposure of this parcel make it possible to achieve ideal phenolic ripeness while preserving the freshness and complexity expected of a Volnay Premier Cru.

The vintage

The 2019 vintage ranks among the three hottest years ever recorded in Bourgogne since the 1970s. The growing season was marked by several successive heatwaves that significantly influenced vineyard conditions. Despite this exceptional heat, the vintage stands out for its variable temperature distribution. These conditions resulted in reduced yields across the region. The combination of heat and low yields produced concentrated, deeply colored grapes with excellent phenolic ripeness, particularly well suited to Premier Cru and Grand Cru expressions requiring maximum concentration and complexity.

Winemaking and aging

The Volnay 1er Cru "Clos des Chênes" Domaine 2019 grapes were harvested by hand in ventilated crates, at the same time as higher-altitude parcels such as Taillepieds. After careful sorting, the grapes underwent a cold soak at around 12°C for several days, extracting color and aromas while limiting excessive tannin extraction. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled open vats, with traditional punch-downs and pump-overs. Total maceration lasted twelve to twenty days depending on taste evolution. Aging lasted fourteen to eighteen months in French oak barrels, with 25 to 40% new oak, the remainder in barrels used for one or more wines. Manual rackings were carried out during aging to refine the wine’s structure.

Grape variety

100% pinot noir.