2005 Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune Les Teurons 1er Cru

Likely to have been aged 12–14 months in 30–40% new oak (though I am always a bit sceptical about the Bouchard stats as exactly the same information is given for so many wines), even for new vintages. Mid cherry with brick rim. Smells more sweetly mature than the other 2005s but is just as structured as the others. Firm, dry, still needs time to fully open. More austere than the Marconnets but with such tannic finesse. (JH)

The Bouchard 2005 Beaune Teurons offers aromas and sweet-tart flavors of rhubarb and cherry, mingled with brown spices, toasted nuts, and what I take to be site-typical smokiness. With invigorating bright fruit, pungent spice and smokiness and lots of sap and grip, this acquits itself well now and should reward at least 6-8 years of cellaring. Managing director Stephane Follin and cellar master Philippe Prost preside over a remarkable new, gravity-fed winemaking facility capable of handling the fruits of Bouchard’s 130 hectares of vines – Burgundy’s largest estate (with 84 hectares in premier and grand crus alone) – not to mention the enormous range of wine from purchased fruit or wines. Fully 40% of the reds are vinified in open-top fermenters with manual punch-downs (the balance in a battery of roto-fermentors) and the system of traffic control alone that must be in place during crush is hard to imagine. The underground acreage devoted to barriques similarly defies imagination – until one sees it. Prost was very cautious with pigeage this year, but incorporated a significant percentage of whole clusters with stems in many of his better lots. A reputation for improved quality is being built here to which the results of 2005 will certainly contribute. I suspect that a number of the wines I tasted had not recovered from their recent bottling, hence the number of “+?”s one sees displayed following my scores. (Wines from the Domaine are designated D on the list above.) Also recommended: 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres D ($30.00; 86), 2005 Monthelie Les Duresses D ($35.00; 84), 2005 Monthelie Clos des Champs Fulliot D ($35.00; 85), 2005 Beaune 1er Cru “Beaune du Chateau” D ($45.00; 86+?), 2005 Beaune Marconnets ($35.00; 86+?), 2005 Volnay Taillepieds D ($55.00; 85+?), 2005 Pommard 1er Cru ($45.00; 84+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($55.00; 85), 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin ($35.00; 86), 2005 Vosne-Romanee ($35.00; 85), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Porrets St.-Georges ($55.00; 86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes ($55.00; 86+?). Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY

Good ruby-red. Dark cherry, plum liqueur, meat, leather and spices on the nose. Round, lush and rather full in the mouth (this is 14% alcohol), with a soft, very ripe plum flavor and very sweet tannins. This persistent wine is also likely to give early pleasure but has the stuffing to age.