Julien Bouchard Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018

Grand Cru Burgundy is exceptionally rare (making up approximately 1% of the region’s total production) and notoriously expensive. This fine example comes from Charmes-Chambertin, one of the most famous vineyards of all, and was crafted by the team behind “one of the region’s most dynamic, quality-focused” producers (according to Decanter). It’s a medium-bodied Pinot Noir whose powerful and complex red fruit character melds seamlessly with notes of subtle oak, turned earth and spice tones.

A Real Gem: A village in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits area, Gevrey-Chambertin produces some of the most remarkable and sought-after red wines in the world. It’s also home to nine esteemed Grand Cru sites, including the iconic Charmes-Chambertin, where the fruit for this wine was grown.

Thanks to Charmes-Chambertin’s seat on the lowest slopes of the Grand Cru band, where soils are mixed, topography is uneven and sun exposure is fleeting, it tends to produce fresher, more vibrant wines that are more immediately compelling than those of its fellow Grand Cru areas. However, many would still age terrifically.

That is especially true of wines from the 2018 vintage, a warm year where the best wines showcase “soaring aromas and red-fruited, poetic allure, [with] sufficiently balanced fruit, freshness and structure to age and evolve,” writes Wine Enthusiast. Case in point, this sublime Pinot Noir, which is elegant and energetic with little more than a swirl or two in the glass and will continue to develop with careful cellaring over the next decade.

A dark shade of cherry red, the wine wafts quiet yet intense aromas of raspberry and red currant underscored by violets, wet earth and wood spice. Fruit flavors come to the fore on the palate, which reveals focused, concentrated layers of cherries and red berries across a long finish.

A Dream Partnership: In Burgundy, the house of Albert Bichot is legendary, having owned land there since the 14th century and produced wine since the early 1800s. Today, it remains a family-run company that owns its own vineyards. However, Bichot is also a négociant-éleveur, which means it can supplement its own fruit with purchased grapes, freshly crushed juice or unfinished wine from a network of small growers. The approach allows access to an enviable collection of vineyards and has enabled them to produce premium wines without premium price tags.

For 50 years, Julien Bouchard dedicated himself to a similar mission, and dedicated some of the finest wines in Burgundy. In 1955, without anyone to leave his winery and vineyards to, he selected the team at Albert Bichot to become stewards of his life’s work and continue his legacy. Today, we are happy to bring the Bouchard range to the U.S.

Fair warning: This has an extremely high sellout risk. We were allocated just 36 cases. First come, first served.