Bouchard Père & Fils : Beaune 1er cru "Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jésus" Domaine 2020

A lush, velvety red, with toasty oak and smoky black cherry and black currant fruit flavors holding court. While the structure is covered in flesh for now, this remains fresh and long as it picks up spice and vegetal elements on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2043. 125 cases imported.

Bouchard has nearly four hectares of this, perhaps the greatest site in the Beaune appellation. On a modest slope with east-southeast exposure in the heart of the terroir, this produced a sophisticated, elegant wine in 2020, fermenting to barely 13.5% alcohol with a pH between 3.5–3.6. The fruit is supremely luxurious and lush, yet underscored by plenty of nuance—spice, smoke, earth, and leather. The texture is dense and powerful yet superbly elegant—a triumph.

Still pretty closed, this is a concentrated and seriously structured wine for a Beaune 1er Cru, which has clearly been built for the long-term. However, it’s the pronounced, stony minerality that makes this exciting. Bold and still quite tight finish. From a 3.92-hectare plot in one of Beaune's top sites. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.

BP&F own this 3.9-ha plot out of a total of 30 ha, mid-slope. Sandy, well-drained soil. Earlier-maturing than Clos de la Mousse, the second climat to be picked. Weber separates young vines (destemmed) and old vines (50% whole bunch) and vinifies them separately. 20–25% new oak. Pale crimson with a pale rim. Grainy texture and some real depth and energy. It caresses the palate with life but is a bit sweet… Fruit flavours veer towards blackcurrant, which is unusual for a red burgundy. Not my favourite in this collection. Just a bit too sweet. (JR)

The 2020 Beaune Les Grèves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus 1er Cru has a perfumed nose, quite floral with a mixture of red and black fruit and a touch of wilted violet. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a keen line of acidity. It's slightly granular in texture as it opens in the glass. Sea salt and hints of peppercorns are developing. It has a moderate length with just a little dryness. Fine, and it improves in the glass. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

Blue-black color, astonishingly velvety texture, great length, a masterful whole with no youthful roughness despite the power of the body and the structure on the palate.

This wine is beautifully lush and laced with decadent perfume of violet, peony and layered with perfectly ripe red cherries. The palate is restrained, but shows dark fruit, black pepper and clove. The balance of fruit concentration, acidity and long finish is impressive.