2020 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Rouge, Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley

Following Thomas Bouley’s arrival to work with his father Jean-Marc, this Domaine has taken its place alongside Volnay’s top estates. Thomas has fine-tuned the winemaking with rare intelligence and skill. The estate has several parcels of old vines and some superbly-placed First Growths. Here we find carefully judged extractions, intelligent inclusion of whole cluster bunches, and judicious, minimal use of new oak barrels. Allowing the wines to pass a second winter in barrel, prior to their bottling, contributes considerably to their complexities and harmony. Thomas tells us. “2004 was the last year we did a green harvest here. We have a naturally low crop (for example, 27 hl/ha across the Domaine in 2019) because we prune pretty short, we keep old vines, and we trim high and late, to favour small bunches. For me, the second winter in barrel is magical, it helps the wines to be finer and fresher.”