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Bright, expressive, and full of personality, the 2008 “L’Enfant Jesus” shines with vibrant red berries, citrus zest, and a complex, savory depth. Notes of tobacco, spice, and mineral add dimension to its lively structure, while ultra-fine tannins and a silky texture provide balance. Elegant yet concentrated, this vintage captures the freshness and finesse of the year, offering great ageing potential and immediate charm for Burgundy lovers.

The Wine Advocate | RP 93
Published: Jun 29, 2010

A cool, almost perpetually breezy site in a vintage of cool, wind-driven concentration, results in a buoyant, refreshing, penetrating personality. Bouchard’s flagship 2008 Beaune Greves L’Enfant Jesus displays the aromatic complexity of a tobacconist’s along with a wide assortment of mouthwateringly ripe red berries and bittersweet hints of citrus oil. Sappy and bright yet richly-textured, and palate-staining in its persistent intensity of tobacco and red fruit, citrus oils, soy, and mineral salts, this superbly conveys the vibrancy of which 2008 is so notably capable, while displaying a plush sense of substantiality and ultra-fine tannins that are less common this year. I would plan to follow it for 15 or more years. Prost reports that the selection was especially rigorous this year, with most of the domaine’s Greves fruit being declassified into the Beaune du Chateau cuvee. Bouchard always presents this wine dead last in any line-up, regardless of the grand crus that might immediately precede it. While I usually list wines in the print edition of a report in the order in which they are served, I move the baby Jesus back to join its fellow Beaunes. That said, in this vintage, Bouchard’s point in serving it last is well-taken!

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.)

Wine Spectator | WS 90
Published: Sep 30, 2010

A meaty, generous red, displaying cherry, licorice and iron flavors. There are dense tannins for support, and this follows through with a mineral aftertaste. Best from 2012 through 2020. 320 cases imported.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 17.5
Published: Jan 13, 2010
Drink: 2013-2020 

Delicate and fragrant with a light touch of oak spice. Already so silky and elegant. Really long.

Bouchard-pereetfils.com

The name 'Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus' refers to an old story. It is said that Marguerite du Saint Sacrement, the founding carmelite of the 'Domestiques de la famille du Saint Enfant Jesus' predicted the birth of the king of France, Louis XIV, although her mother, Anne of Austria was sterile. On the birth of the future 'Roi Soleil', this exceptional vineyard which belonged to the Carmelites, took on the name 'Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus'. In 1791, when all national property was sold, Bouchard Pere & Fils put in a bid for the vineyard, situated in the heart of the 32 hectares of the Beaune Greves appellation, of which it still has the monopoly today.

T A S T I N G
TASTING NOTE: Superb fruit and spice aromas with an oaky note on the nose. Intense, full and yet delicate on the palate, the wine has a charming velvetiness. Very good ageing potential.
FOOD/WINE PAIRING: Game birds, fattened chicken in cream sauce, Burgundian cheeses.
SERVING TEMPERATURE: Between 17C to 18C
AGEING POTENTIAL: 7 to 10 years and more

K N O W - H O W
HARVEST: manual, in small cases of 13 kg. Careful manual sorting of each grape.
VINIFICATION: Following total or partial destemming on the vintage, fermentation in small containers, gentle pressing ensure optimal vinification. Depending on the profile of the vintage, vatting lasts 15 to 20 days.
MATURING: 12 to 14 months in French oak, with 30 to 50% new oak.
AGEING: The cellars of the Bastions of the ancient Ch?teau de Beaune offer natural ambient conditions that are perfectly adapted to ageing the Premiers Crus.

V I N E Y A R D
GRAPE VARIETY: Pinot Noir
EXPOSITION: East-Southeast
SOIL OF THE APPELLATION: Limestone and clay, sandy and gravelly
DOMAIN SURFACE IN PRODUCTION: 3.92 hectares