2022 Bouchard Pere & Fils - Meursault (750ml)

Michel Bouchard founded the house in Beaune in 1731, and since 1775 the family has steadily assembled a Côte d'Or estate that now spans some 130 hectares, twelve of them grand cru. Since 1995 the firm has belonged to the Henriot family, who modernized the winemaking with a new gravity-fed cuverie at Savigny-lès-Beaune in 2005, while the wines still age in cellars beneath the historic Château de Beaune.

This village Meursault is drawn from Bouchard's holdings across the appellation, which covers about 280 hectares in total, with the house farming roughly six hectares on east and southwest-facing slopes. The Chardonnay is hand-harvested and vinified in the traditional Burgundian manner, fermented and aged in oak barrels for around a year, giving the wine enough structure to carry its fruit without heaviness.

The 2022 has an intense bouquet of pear, orange zest, and grapefruit, with a fine touch of vanilla from its time in oak. It is juicy and refined on the palate, with fresh acidity balancing the ripe fruit and a clean, elegant finish. This is a wine of real craftsmanship, drinking beautifully on its own or as an easy introduction to the appellation.