A historic Beaune white from the only Premier Cru entirely planted to Chardonnay since the 13th century. From a 1.98-hectare parcel of yellow marl and limestone, this 2022 shows remarkable depth and finesse. Aromas of apricot, pear, hazelnut, and white flowers lead to a rich yet finely balanced palate with subtle minerality and freshness. A polished and expressive wine that reflects Bouchard’s precise viticulture and gentle oak maturation.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 95
Published: Jun 20, 2024

What a fantastic nose of apricot, Amalfi lemon and fresh pineapple! Rich and mouth-filling, but also gentle and subtle, this is a great white Beaune! Deep and velvety on the medium- to full-bodied palate, which is so polished and even. So delicious already, but there’s good aging potential, too. From a 1.88 hectare parcel with yellow marl soil that was the first place in Beaune that white wine production was recorded in the 13th century. Drink or hold.

Decanter | D 94
Published: May 30, 2023

The wine from Bouchard's Clos Saint-Landry monopole near the southern edge of the Beaune appellation is sometimes slow to open, but in 2022, there is an alluringly forward aromas of pear and hazelnut with accents of white flowers and salty minerals. The texture is broad and rich, with balanced acidity and good length. The nearly two hectares of vines have been planted to Chardonnay since time immemorial; the result is among the classic wines of the house and richly merits a bit of time in bottle before opening.

The Wine Advocate | RP 89-91
Published: Jan 18, 2024

The 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Clos Saint-Landry Blanc is charming and expressive, bursting with aromas of pear, sweet orchard fruit, white flowers, apricot and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, it's textural but vibrant, concluding with a delicately saline finish.

The 2022 vintage is another tour de force for Bouchard, as the accompanying tasting notes reflect. Technical director Frédéric Weber reported little in the way of hydric stress, with rapid ripening at the end of the season that saw some parcels accumulate 1.5% potential alcohol in as little as three days. Fortunately, the team hadn't performed any deleafing and were able to apply protective kaolin clay as sunblock for the leaves and fruit to ride out the heat wave. Harvest began on August 26, with anything picked after 11 a.m. left overnight in a cold room for processing the following day, and the harvesters stopping work at 2 p.m.

As I've written before, viticulture chez Bouchard is among the best of the big houses (I drive past their Beaune vineyards several hundred times every year). Organic conversion is underway, and canopies are now hedged to 1.30 meters, around 30 centimeters higher than the classic low rognage that still predominates along the Côte—forward-thinking innovations that will no doubt find imitators in short order among other big players. Vinifications in red increasingly incorporate whole bunches, and whites are barreled down before the end of alcoholic fermentation, with foudres now employed for the second winter of élevage for some cuvées.

Bouchard-pereetfils.com

It is on the site of this remarkable vineyard that we find the oldest traces of the Chardonnay variety in Beaune. Quite a rarity in this Pinot Noir territory. Before it was given the appellation of Clos Saint-Landry, this vineyard appeared under the name of Tielandry, meaning the estate of a certain Landry. It then became the property of the abbey of Maizieres before the purchase by Antoine Philibert Joseph Bouchard in 1791. Since then, Bouchard Pere & Fils has preciously kept the monopoly of this white Premier Cru of 1.98 hectares.

TASTING NOTE: Suave aromas of fruit and flowers harmoniously blended with just the right touch of oak. This is a rich wine with expressive aromas and extraordinary smoothness. Good ageing potential.
FOOD/WINE PAIRING: Fish and poultry with fairly spicy sauces.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: Between 12C to 14C 
AGEING POTENTIAL: 5 to 7 years and more
HARVEST: manual, in small cases of 13 kg. Careful manual sorting of each grape. 
VINIFICATION: The pressing takes place in two phases: evacuation of the first juice, then pressing in two-hourly cycles.
MATURING: 9 to 10 months in French oak, with up to 15% new oak, depending on the vintage, and for 3 to 4 months in stainless steel vats.
AGEING: The cellars of the Bastions of the ancient Chateau de Beaune offer natural ambient conditions that are perfectly adapted to ageing the Premiers Crus.

GRAPE VARIETY: Chardonnay
EXPOSITION: Southeast
SOIL OF THE APPELATION: Limestone and clay with marls
TOTAL SURFACE OF THE APPELATION IN PRODUCTION:1.98 hectares
DOMAIN SURFACE IN PRODUCTION: 1.98 hectares