Bouchard Pere & Fils Les Cailles Premier Cru Burgundy France, 2011, 750

Bouchard Pere & Fils Les Cailles Premier Cru Burgundy France, 2011, 750

93 BH

"Very strong wood influence presently dominates the menthol, spice and dark berry fruit liqueur suffused nose. There is outstanding volume and excellent concentration to the rich, round and utterly delicious flavors that possess fine phenolic maturity to the fine but firm tannins that impart a dusty character to the wonderfully long finish where the wood reappears. This is carrying a lot of oak and it's presently enough to be frankly annoying but my score offers the benefit of the doubt that it will integrate in time as the underlying material appears to be more than sufficient. Note that this will also require extended cellaring to arrive at its peak."

91 Tanzer

"(Tasted from barrel; 45% new oak; 50% vendange entier): Bright, deep red with ruby highlights. Aromas of blackberry, cassis leaf, pepper and earth. Supple and open-knit, combining a cool medicinal quality with lovely subtle sweetness of primary dark berries. Complicating notes of pepper and dark chocolate on the suavely tannic, long finish." 

We just popped the cork on this sample of library-release 1er Cru NSG Les Cailles and it is in a GLORIOUS drinking window. ...One of our favorite releases from Bouchard each year, the pebble-strewn climat of Les Cailles sits in the zone of Nuits-Saint-Georges considered most worthy of Grand Cru status (there are no classified Grand Crus in NSG). Les Cailles' position on the hill is perfectly situated for receipt of first morning sunlight and you therefore end up with an unmistakable core of sweet black fruit on the palate when tasting wines from this site, regardless of age and the texture is pure silk.