Game and musk vie with red berries, plum, and gingerbread in the nose of Bouchard’s 2007 Volnay Clos des Chenes, which like its counterpart from the Caillerets displays an unusual energy and brightness for its vintage, and its persistently sappy fruit, invigorating spice, and vaguely animal aura will all serve for at least 6-8 further years of fascination. Director-winemaker Philippe Prost made no attempt to minimize the challenges of 2008 and was careful to distinguish between its wind-borne concentration and genuinely ideal phenolic maturity (approached more nearly this year in white than red). He opined that the wide window afforded for relaxed picking despite the late calendar date was critical, since the levels of ripeness were so disparate from one site to another. That said, he showed me an outstanding collection of Pinots. Ironically, as he pointed out, ripeness was also disparate in one of the two earliest vintages on record, 2007, yet picking – while fitful – was anything but relaxed due to the pressure of rot. And here, too, Bouchard scored excellent successes. By means of, where necessary, “swapping lees” between barrels to inoculate stubborn lots, Prost says he was able to get all of his 2008s through malo-lactic conversion in timely fashion, which he considers especially important with Pinot. Bottling of the 2008 reds – with a few exceptions mentioned in my notes and due to have been bottled in April – took place in December and January, the same schedule adopted for their 2007s. I did not have an opportunity to taste nearly all of Bouchard’s vast collection from either vintage, and have in the text of my notes indicated a few from among their 2008s that I take to represent significant omissions. (I have not noted “Domaine” to distinguish those wines that are part of the Bouchard, except in cases where there is another otherwise eponymous wine.) Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

From Bouchard’s own vineyards, this is a fine example of what is among the most renowned of Volnay’s vineyards. It has much of the generosity of Volnay along with a solid core of structure, bringing plum skins, dry tannins and red berry fruits. Calls for medium-term aging as befits a lighter vintage. ——R.V.(7/1/2010)—— 93