“One of Burgundy’s biggest names in wine.” – Wine Spectator

Let’s shake things up on an otherwise low-key Thursday morning, eh? As Agent Noir says, big Bargaindy score today, Les Opératives!

Sweet summery long weekend coming up, before you get into party mode, hear this out. All year, we scout bargains from Burgundy, but they are truly few and far between. Especially with pedigree and from top-notch producers, each day they get harder to come by.

Normally $60+ upon release, this in the mid-$30s qualifies for a drop all you’re doing approach.

Bouchard Aîné et Fils (aka the “other” Bouchard besides Père et Fils) is quite under the radar, unlike the more famous relative, now owned by François Pinault’s Artémis empire, and a much smaller player that has been sneaking up in quality both in their vineyard holdings and in winemaking excellence.

Per Burgundy Report “The roots of this firm, like today’s Bouchard Père et Fils, are with Michel Bouchard whose cloth merchant business came to Burgundy in 1731. His son Joseph was the one that really expanded the business into wine as the export market for wine grew. Joseph was responsible for the business from 1750; cloth and wine businesses became separated only in 1760. In 1828, Théodore-Joseph Bouchard started his own wine brokerage, and with this act, Maison Bouchard Aîné et Fils - Aîné means ‘eldest’ (son) - came into life. In 1993 Bouchard Aîné were bought by Jean-Claude Boisset.”

Yep, THAT Boisset family, Jean-Claude is JCB’s dad. Aîné it cool that you can expect the very same famous signature QPR from their wines grown and made on both sides of the Atlantic?! Bring it on.

The other compelling component of this gem in hiding is hailing from Savigny-lès-Beaune, neighboring Corton but with no Grand Crus unlike that illustrious neighbor, yet with astoundingly similar terroir. This wine is extra rare, with only 1 out of 10 Savigny-lès-Beaune being white, making this “baby Corton Charlie” a true unicorn! 🦄

Another fascinating factoid about these rare whites from Savigny-lès-Beaune is the prevalence of Pinot Blanc growing amongst the Chardonnay here, and this brilliant 2020 represents it well, with about half the blend coming from it. Pinot Blanc is a point genetic mutation of Pinot Noir whereby a vine bears all red fruit except for one cane, mutating to just white fruit. Geeks, rejoice.

A recent New York Times article adds “The soaring demand and high regard for Burgundy around the world means that little of the Côte d’Or, the region’s heart, has been left unturned. But if an off-the-beaten-trail source for relative bargains still exists, it would be this well-known but little-understood village. The wines of Savigny-lès-Beaune have never been better than they are today. Yet their reputation, as rustic relatives of the great names of the Côte d’Or, persists in the face of captivating evidence to the contrary.”

All that pizzazz for a mere $36?! Case me up for the summer stash of whites to pop without guilt.

Barrel Assessment – VertdeVin “The nose is fruity, elegant, gourmet, racy and reveals some spiciness and a fine richness. There are notes of quince, kumquat and, to a lesser extent, apricot, combined with delicate touches of dried zest, fine hints of mandarin flowers and discreet hints of beeswax and spices. The palate is fruity and offers freshness, minerality, good definition, a certain juiciness and an acidic backbone. On the palate this wine has juicy/pulpy lemon and slightly fresh, sour white peach with hints of lychee, fine rose, racy minerality, a hint of almost tangerine and discreet hints of sweet spice, salinity (in the background) and gunflint. Good length.”