2020 Bouchard Aine et Fils Clos du Roi Beaune Premier Cru 750 ml

Since the 1700s, the historic Bouchard winery has been assembling one of the greatest collections of properties in Burgundy. Today, it encompasses dozens of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards—and in 2020, they made a stunner off the Clos du Roi Premier Cru.

This is quintessential red Burgundy. Enchanting and elegant, the ruby-red wine is led by aromas of wild blackberries accented by roses, vanilla, clove, and Earl Grey tea. The palate shows a rich fruit core with spice and layers of energetic acidity with a long-lasting finish—a gorgeous bottle for the short term or for the cellar. 

Winemaker Vincent Bottreau oversees the historic Bouchard winery, whose name is synonymous with sky-high quality in Burgundy. This 2020 comes solely from the Clos du Roi vineyard, a 13-acre Premier Cru site located at the northern end of Beaune. Situated on well-draining rocky slopes, the vineyard is noted for its perfectly ripe, full-bodied wines built on smooth tannins. Its name refers to the time when King Louis XI annexed the site and declared it his property back in 1477. The word “Clos” refers to the stone wall that surrounded the plot, vestiges of which are still there today.

This wine was fermented in open wooden vats, spending three weeks on the skins for maximum extraction of color and flavor. The use of vats also leads to better oak integration in the wine, which matured in French oak barrels, 30% of them new, for 16 months. The result is an iconic producer’s overdelivering bottle, which will provide tons of pleasure right up until the end of the decade.