2012 Beaune du Chateau 1er Cru Rouge

The 2012 Beaune du Chateau 1er Cru Rouge, which was taken from the final blend in stainless steel vat and sees 22% new oak, has a ripe bouquet with raspberry and redcurrant notes. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. It is a little austere at first, but seems to “relax” in the glass and turn in an agreeable structured finish with a gentle grip. This is the kind of Pinot Noir that will be enhanced at the dinner table. 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.

Lovely bright, ripe citrus fruit. Deep and rich and gently creamy. Tight and coiled on the finish. (JH)

(18% new oak; there are almost 100,000 bottles of this wine): Good deep red. Aromas of black cherry, licorice, menthol and clove. A bit medicinal on the palate but with good intensity to the flavors of black fruits, licorice, spices and stony minerality. Finishes with a hint of bitter chocolate and good nerve. The crop level here was a healthy 39 hectoliters per hectare, according to Prost, but just half as much in 2013.