Another Great Burgundy Day!

Don’t forget (and regret) to check the Store out for other cherries and rarities…

Albert Einstein once said “if you are out to describe truth, leave elegance to the tailor.” Elegance indeed, tailored by a true Burgundian mastermind – Jean-Marc Boillot!

The truth too is delivering Boillot (pronounced boo-wa-yo) quality in the $20s! There normally is no such thing. Unless you get a killer Wine Spies exclusive deal lined up direct from the importer, by taking all that remains from the tail-end of a phenomenal vintage to help make room for the next shipment rolling in. And guess who wins? YOU!

The Boillots are a legendary clan in Burgundy with a heavy focus on white wines. As with everything Burgundian, it’s a somewhat complicated story…

There once was a Domaine Boillot where brothers Jean-Marc and Henri Boillot ended up not getting along well (heard this Burgundian story before?) until they went their own ways in 1984. By then Jean-Marc had vinified more than a dozen vintages for the family, and he moved on to Domaine Olivier Leflaive to continue his career, while he also started his own with purchased fruit. Soon grandpa Boillot was so impressed by what Jean-Marc was doing that he gave away half the family’s holdings to him.

Anyhow, this wine. Another reason why it’s so affordable is the fact that it’s from the Mâconnais, where great value is the name of the game, especially when vinified like a great Côte de Beaune, in the Côte de Beaune, and by the right masterful hands.

A brilliant gold color glimmers with luminescence. Pear and citrus fruits waft from the glass with toasted nuts and subtle spices on the nose. Ample, full, and incisive, the mouthfeel comes forth with a generous texture, framed by juicy acidity. There is a Meursault-esque allure on the long finish, with a wow factor around minerals and hazelnuts. This must be one of the finest examples of the appellation ever! Enjoy it with rich seafood, pork, or chicken, in a cream sauce, or with mushrooms.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate wrote of “a terrific set of releases from Jean-Marc Boillot, who has captured all the charm and succulence of the 2017 vintage in wines that will offer a broad window of drinkability. Of particular note are Boillot’s forays into the Mâconnais, an appellation whose grapes he vinifies as he does his more celebrated appellations from the Côte de Beaune. The result is wines of uncommon class and elegance that offer superb value. The 2017 Mâcon-Villages is a terrific success, bursting with aromas of buttered orchard fruit, fresh peaches and honeycomb. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a generous core of fruit, succulent acids and a nicely delineated finish. Given its modest price point, this is the value wine of Boillot’s portfolio, and it would make a terrific house wine or by-the-glass pour.”

Burghound added “Jean-Marc Boillot, who is the brother of Henri Boillot and the brother-in-law of Gérard Boudot of Domaine Etienne Sauzet, is the long-time owner and winemaker of his own eponymous Domaine. Pretty and attractively fresh aromas speak of melon, passion fruit, petrol and soft white flower nuances. There is actually pretty good mid-palate density along with a succulent texture to the fleshy flavors where the balance is maintained by citrus-tinged acidity… worthy of choosing for an all-around ‘drink me now’ house white.”

Wine Spectator similarly reported of “a juicy white, offering apple, lemon and spice flavors, with vibrant acidity keeping this focused and mouthwatering” while Jeb Dunnuck echoed *“a clean, nicely balanced white that has classic notes of honeyed stone fruit, white flowers, and ripe apples. It’s medium-bodied and a rock-solid effort to drink over the coming 2-4 years.”

Trust us, you’re not gonna come across a better white Burg these days, especially when it’s gone.