A New Era for the Bouvier Family
by Tom Wolf
A New Era for the Bouvier Family
by Tom Wolf
There’s something so rare and refreshing when a Burgundy family, once divided into multiple domaines, reunites after many years. After a few decades of pursuing their own projects, brothers Régis and Bernard Bouvier recently merged their vineyards under the domaine named for their father, René, following Régis’s retirement. The family’s winegrowing history in the Côtes de Nuits goes back over a century to 1910 and, now consolidated under Bernard’s leadership, their holdings are more impressive than ever.
Start with the domaine’s two Marsannays from the Clos du Roy vineyard. Celebrated since the 13th century and long worthy of its imminent premier cru status, Clos du Roy—“the King’s Enclosure”—yields classy Chardonnay with a mouthwatering mix of citrus, orchard fruit, and minerality and stately, old-vine Pinot Noir evoking black cherries, spice, and black tea. Let this young, tightly wound rouge breathe a little while you finish preparing a bœuf bourguignon or other winter stew—it will be worth the patience.
Between Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin, meanwhile, lies Fixin, a small appellation that’s home to such promising lieux-dits as Les Crais de Chêne. Here, 55-year-old vines deliver a dense, stony, and saline expression of Pinot Noir, perfect alongside a seared ribeye or duck breast. Bouvier’s Fixin was the first cuvée I tasted when I started working at Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and its elegance remains memorable several years later.
Then there’s the pinnacle of the range below. Hailing from just above the renowned grand cru Clos de Tart, Bouvier’s Morey-Saint-Denis “En la Rue de Vergy” is simultaneously complex, deep, and so approachable. Both lush and lively, teeming with cherries, brambly fruit, blood orange, and spice, this is a dreamy Pinot to pour today—or in ten years—alongside a wild mushroom tart or your favorite risotto.
If you haven’t yet experienced Bouvier’s Côtes de Nuits, or tasted the newly arrived 2022s, this is the perfect opportunity to (re)acquaint yourself with the family’s impressive range of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Wines In The Collection
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir aromas and flavors, and a deeply fruited and solid core.
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
Solid yet affordable cru burgundy with the structure, concentration, and complexity similar to Gevrey-Chambertin’s wine, as well as the bright fruit and accessibility of its other neighbor, Marsannay.
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
The fruit quality is dark and earthbound, like eating blackberries in the shade.
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
I find the Clos du Roy blanc to be quite versatile at my house in Meursault, especially with fowl, pork, and veal.
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
The wine is firmly structured and robust, with dark, plump fruit that tastes fresh and utterly drinkable.
France | Burgundy
Classic Burgundian Pinot Noir aromas and flavors, and a deeply fruited and solid core.
France | Burgundy
Solid yet affordable cru burgundy with the structure, concentration, and complexity similar to Gevrey-Chambertin’s wine, as well as the bright fruit and accessibility of its other neighbor, Marsannay.
France | Burgundy
The fruit quality is dark and earthbound, like eating blackberries in the shade.
France | Burgundy
I find the Clos du Roy blanc to be quite versatile at my house in Meursault, especially with fowl, pork, and veal.
France | Burgundy
The wine is firmly structured and robust, with dark, plump fruit that tastes fresh and utterly drinkable.
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