Domaine Jean-Baptiste Boudier En Primeur 2022

Introduction HISTORY, THE ESTATE AND WINEMAKING THE WINES TO ORDER

INTRODUCTION

This exciting domaine shows that genuine greatness can be achieved in humble terroirs when ambition is combined with compassionate intelligence, hard work and perseverance.

Domaine Jean-Baptiste Boudier is a relatively young name in Pernand-Vergelesses, simply because Jean-Baptiste’s inaugural solo vintage was 2015. He took over the family domaine completely by 2017.

He is a talented winemaker, crafting wines from 6.5h ha of vines around the hill of Corton. His holdings are in the communes of Aloxe Corton, Pernand Vergelesses and Savigny lès Beaune. The range covers village and 1er cru quality levels. And two grands crus are topping the collection: a Corton Les Renardes and a Corton Charlemagne "Le Corton". Respect of the vineyards and precise winemaking summarise the style of Jean-Baptiste.

Thibaut Mathieu
Managing Director Asia, January 2024

Wines

History, the estate and winemaking

After the 2014 vintage, Jean-Baptiste and his dad decided it was time he enjoyed some independence. The next harvest was to be his first solo year. For his first vintage, 2015, Jean Baptiste bottled part of the harvest under his own name and sold the remainder to negociants to generate some cashflow. With the first success and some money in the bank, he took the opportunity to add new plots to the family holdings and increase the size of the estate from 3 ha to 6.5 ha.

His latest additions are 2 prized plots around the hill of Corton: 86 ares of (0.86 ha) Savigny Les Beaune Les Peuillets; a dry and sandy soil, producing engaging wines. And he has also recovered 50 ares (0.5 ha) of precious Corton Les Renardes. The range includes wines from the Côte de Beaune, near Pernand-Vergelesses.

The cellar, in the upper part of Pernand, very near Domaine Bonneau du Martray, is humble yet efficient. Every square meter is maximised and underneath, carved into the rock, there is a cellar with perfect natural humidity and low temperature to age the wines.

Vinification is simple, in concrete and stainless steel tanks. The white wines are pressed directly, whilst the reds are mostly fully destemmed. Jean Baptiste added some whole bunches in the ripe vintages of 2019 and 2020, but this remains the exception. Indigenous yeast transforms the must into wine. The extraction is gentle, infusion-like in fact. Only a little SO2 is added. The wines are aged in old oak barrels and bottled after a very light filtration (if needed). Jean-Baptiste practises minimal intervention in the cellar. Good wines are made in the vineyard, with lutte raisonnée (sustainable farming) setting the rules.

The Wine

PERNAND-VERGELESSES BLANC

This vineyard is planted on a white calcareous marl rich in limestone which brings freshness to the wine. It is aromatic with notes of ripe orchard fruits and hint of white flowers. White peach, apricot and sweet citrus dominate the elegant palate. The texture adds to the sapidity of this chardonnay. A good wine to have in the cellar.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5-18
Recommended drinking from 2024-2028

£425/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

ALOXE-CORTON BLANC LES COMBES

The vines are planted in the northern part of this elongated climat under the Le Charlemagne and Les Chaumes grand cru plots. It is an early ripening sight. Similar to the fruits from Sous Frétilles, the harvest is always ripe but show more herbal characters. The little valley between Pernand & Aloxe acts as a protector against harsh weather condition. There is stone wall which warm the soil and help with maturity. It is a dry and powerful wine with wide shoulders. The domaine does a red Aloxe Corton from the same plot that is very good.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2024-2029

£655/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

PERNAND-VERGELESSES 1ER CRU SOUS FRÉTILLE BLANC

This climat is relatively young; it gained its 1er Cru status in 1999-2000. It is exposed south and enjoy few extra hours of sun. It is behind the hill of Corton, benefitting of its shadow in the hot summer afternoons, while looking at the Corton Charlemagne vineyard. The harvest is always ripe. The palate is well structured showing aromas of peach, white flowers and a touch of toasted bread. Its volume reminds me of vinous champagne but with additional tension. It is rather serious.

Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2024-2030

£345/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE "LE CORTON" GRAND CRU

This is majestic and generous. This climat, facing south, borders the wood of Corton at the top of the hill. It can produce both Corton red Grand Cru and Corton-Charlemagne white Grand Cru. The elegant note of oak underlines the racy palate of white fruits and flowers. It is complex and structured with an intensity that reveals rapidly its pedigree. A Grand Cru wine in all its components. This will benefit of some ageing.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5
Recommended drinking from 2026-2038

£1,450/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE

It used to be called Ez Connardises but Jean-Baptiste is blending several plots and can’t use the lieu-dit name anymore. 100% whole bunch fermented, this is a complex & structured wine, with aromas of red fruits and citrus. There is a good tension in the mid palate. This a well-made and already opened wine.

Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2025-2030

£370/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

ALOXE-CORTON LES COMBES

It is the palest of the red wines of Jean-Baptiste yet it is far from being a light wine; the beauty of the Pinot Noir grape. The vineyard is 80-year-old and facing south south-west. It is an elongated climat that starts under the Grand Cru plot Le Charlemagne, on the eastern side of the hill. It then continues south, bordering the Grand Cru plots of Corton Les Chaumes, Corton La Vigne au Saint and Corton les Combes. On its other side, it has the 1er Crus Les Guérets and Petits Vercots. Yet Les Combes is only a lieu-dit. Jean-Baptiste says it is in a good location on a quality soil of fine clay. It yields an elegant wine showing red and black fruits aromas, a slight smokiness and lots of sapidity. The palate is fresh, lively with a touch of pepper in the end. A wine well born!

Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2025-2033

£475/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE 1ER CRU LES PEUILLETS

This climat is in the south of the appellation, bordering Beaune and its Clos du Roy lieu-dit. The limestone soil has a higher content of sand, which warm up rapidly. The wine is ripe, engaging and silky. The palate is dominated by ripe black fruits aromas, citrus and a touch of ripe stone fruit. Jean-Baptiste uses a small portion of whole bunch.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5-18
Recommended drinking from 2025-2030

£460/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

PERNAND-VERGELESSES ROUGE 1ER CRU LES FICHOTS

The Les Fichots is a cool terroir with its clay and limestone content. It faces the hill of Corton to the east and sits in its shadow. Berries need more time to ripen and in return the wine shows great complexity and finesse. The palate is dominated by red fruit aromas, a nice minerality and a touch of smokiness. With some aeration, it reveals some racy herbal notes and sweet spice. The finish is long. It is a very good wine.

Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2025–2030

£460/CASE OF 12 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

CORTON LES RENARDES GRAND CRU

This plot is above the climat les Bressandes, and under the climat Le Corton, on the village of Aloxe Corton side of the hill. It is exposed east, on steep terrain. The vines are planted on a shallow soil that yields subtle wines but suffers in tough years, being so exposed to the elements. In 2021, the domaine lost all the fruit on this plot. In 2022, the wine is great, balance and elegant. It has aromas of stone fruit, red berries and hint of red flowers. The palate is ripe and juicy while keeping its finesse. Corton Grand Cru are such fine wines, this is another good example of this fact.

Corney & Barrow Score 18-18.5
Recommended drinking from 2026-2038

£755/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK

TO ORDER

HONG KONG

+852 3694 3333 [email protected]

DOMAINE JEAN-BAPTISTE BOUDIER EN PRIMEUR 2022