Burgundy is sometimes a ‘game of inches’ as in a short distance one way or the other can determine a lot about quality, and price. As the demarcation of vineyards or appellations go, you have to draw a line somewhere. We’ve had good success finding little wines from top producers where the grapes are sourced in very close proximity to where the elite bottlings come from, but the prices are substantially less because the wine doesn’t carry the name of the top site.
Domaine Philippe Bouzereau et Fils has been one of the places where we have consistently found a very classy Bourgogne that is sourced from a plot ‘just over the line’ from their flagship Chateau Clos de Citeaux in the heart of Meursault. The Bouzereau family has been in Meursault since the 18th Century and this particular domaine was established in the 1960s by Philippe Bouzereau (senior). Philippe Bouzereau (Junior) took over in 2006 and runs this 18 hectares of vines on ‘lutte raisonee’ (meaning only intervening in the vineyard when absolutely necessary).
Like many of the ‘next gen’ vignerons, he is judicious with the use of oak and is all about letting the vineyard shine through. While it sounds a little trite, the term mini-Meursault is quite applicable here. The texture of the wine is consistent with the broader, more open profile of the 2018 white Burgundies in general, but there is sufficient acidity to keep everything bright. The flavors run from white peach to apple fruit-wise with classic flecks of grilled nuts and spice that is the signature of Meursault. A delicious choice for current Chardonnay applications, the Philippe Bouzereau Bourgogne Chardonnay 2018 is well priced ($24.98) given the pedigree it shows in the glass.