2007 Grèves Vigne Enfant Jésus

Burley tobacco, beef bouillon, smoky, Lapsang-like black tea, and sweetly ripe red fruits scent the Bouchard 2007 Beaune Greves L’Enfant Jesus. Alkaline, medicinal-herbal, and gamey notes all emerge on airing, and join the aforementioned elements on a palate of polished texture and sappy, bittersweet concentration. This clings for formidable intensity and persistence, and I would plan to follow it for at least the better part of a decade. Director-winemaker Philippe Prost made no attempt to minimize the challenges of 2008 and was careful to distinguish between its wind-borne concentration and genuinely ideal phenolic maturity (approached more nearly this year in white than red). He opined that the wide window afforded for relaxed picking despite the late calendar date was critical, since the levels of ripeness were so disparate from one site to another. That said, he showed me an outstanding collection of Pinots. Ironically, as he pointed out, ripeness was also disparate in one of the two earliest vintages on record, 2007, yet picking – while fitful – was anything but relaxed due to the pressure of rot. And here, too, Bouchard scored excellent successes. By means of, where necessary, “swapping lees” between barrels to inoculate stubborn lots, Prost says he was able to get all of his 2008s through malo-lactic conversion in timely fashion, which he considers especially important with Pinot. Bottling of the 2008 reds – with a few exceptions mentioned in my notes and due to have been bottled in April – took place in December and January, the same schedule adopted for their 2007s. I did not have an opportunity to taste nearly all of Bouchard’s vast collection from either vintage, and have in the text of my notes indicated a few from among their 2008s that I take to represent significant omissions. (I have not noted “Domaine” to distinguish those wines that are part of the Bouchard, except in cases where there is another otherwise eponymous wine.) Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

Medium red with a pale rim. Captivating nose combines strawberry, cherry, dried flowers, minerals, smoke and underbrush. A step up in intensity and life over the Beaune du Ch a teau, but still a very smooth and pliant style in the nature of the vintage. Offers a good combination of stuffing and energy and finishes broad and sweet, with fine tannins and lingering spiciness.

Very sweet fruit with a note of toffee. Expressive already. Remarkably soft and gentle on the palate with melted but present tannins. Scented from start to long, sublte finish. (JH)