2003 Domaine Bouchard, Volnay-Caillerets Premier Cru, Ancienne Cuvee Carnot, Red Burgundy, France.
This is a wine that proves terroir and certain vineyards are special and can make great wine no matter what mother nature throws at them, in 2003 a heat wave lingered in Europe killing hundreds of people and it was common thought that most wines would be overripe and short lived, that surprisingly is not the case with this beautiful Volnay-Caillerets from Bouchard. I was hugely skeptical about this bottle and almost passed over it when a friend brought it to dinner, I’m very glad curiosity kicked in and we popped the cork, it was very rich, full and decedent, but not sweet or pruned at all, in fact I’ve tasted 1990 and 2005 vintage Burgundies that were much riper and sugary, so bravo Bouchard and kudos to Caillerets, a vineyard that deserves much respect! The nose is fruity, grapey and has nice floral notes along with a fair amount of spice, bramble and mineral tones and on the palate it is fresher than you’d imagine with black cherries, juicy plum and vine picked summer raspberry with subtle blueberry compote, sweet tea, briar and cedar. There is not as much earth and acidity on display, but it still feels balanced and poised with ultra velvet tannins and a lingering finish of rosewater, strawberry tart and a mix of anise, cinnamon and vanilla. Decanted and enjoyed over a few hours there was no fade off or porty effects, in fact the last glass showed as well as the first and it took on a slighter firmer stance, it was great with food and over all impressive, especially for a vintage that is not regular by any means, it should last another 3 to 5 years easy, maybe not a classic in style, but still a joy!
($50-75 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
