BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR 2016

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2022 2023

Varietal

100% Pinot Noir.

Tasting notes

Visual: Crimson ruby red color.

Nose: Fine and subtle, with nice aromas of small red and black fruits.

Palate: The mouth is supple, round, with soft tannins and a nice freshness.

Food and wine pairing

Enjoy it with a fine plate of charcuterie, pâté en croûte, Italian-style pasta, coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, beef with carrots or camembert.

Serving suggestions

Ideally served at 18°C/64°F.

Ageing potential

This wine can be appreciated from now or can be kept in the cellar for the next two years.

Origins

The Bourgogne rouge appellation covers around 2,000 hectares spread over the entire Burgundy wine-growing region, covering 384 communes. From the Chablis and Auxerrois regions in the north to the Mâconnais region in the south, via the Côte d'Or and Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy wines come from a wide variety of terroirs.

For our red Burgundy, the Pinot Noir grapes come mainly from selected vineyards in the south of Burgundy, in the Côte Chalonnaise and Côte de Beaune and, to a lesser extent, in the Côte de Nuits.

It is at this stage, during the selection of terroirs and partner winemakers, that our winemaker plays a very important role, to enable the Pinot Noir to express itself perfectly while respecting the know-how and tradition of quality, elegance and prestige of the House.

Vinification and maturing

Vinification in thermoregulated tanks, 20 days of fermentation. Punching twice a day during 10 days. The free run and the pressed juices are blended together.

Vintage : 2016

Our dearest Burgundy region could be the embodiment of that famous motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur...because for several years now it’s been suffering the whims of the weather and has always been capable of producing great wines out of it. Once again, the vintage 2016 will be a tangible proof!

Everything started from a very mild winter...maybe too mild to be honest. Actually, we should have been more wary of that sign for it was the warmest winter the region was going through since 1900. Sometimes the gap in the temperatures compared to the seasonal norms exceeded a 100%. In addition, the rain fell in excess particularly in Côte d’Or and as a consequence the lack of sun was really important.

Winter really came 3 months late, in March, but didn’t settle as the bursting of the first buds appeared at the beginning of April. So, as spring really settled, it also brought its share of climatic disasters: first, it was a hail storm that hit the South of the Mâconnais region; then, the most tragic freezing night in April, 26^th stroke almost all the region from the Grand Auxerrois to Côte Chalonnaise; and finally, 2 more hail storms on the 13^th and 27^th May lashed over Chablis, leaving the region with almost no hope of harvest.

This year, until summer, we went through very difficult times and had to hope for the vines to find the strength to grow again. Somehow our wish was granted, and the vegetative cycle started again, with great gaps from one plot to another. Due to all the climatic events, the flowering came late (mid-June) but didn’t last long thanks to hot temperatures.

From the month of July, the extremes reversed: the temperatures as well as the amount of sunshine exceeded the seasonal norms. Fortunately for the grape, it lasted until the end of October, allowing for a good maturity.

Harvest began on September, 20^th and spread over a month thanks to the great weather conditions, leaving us the opportunity to harvest each plot at its best.

Finally, the grapes we harvested were of great quality and although the plots hit by hail or frost gave almost nothing, the other had good yields.

During the vinifications, the vintage quickly revealed its high quality. We are expecting the wines to be well-balanced, with a good structure and a lot of freshness as well as finesse.