From: Beaune, Côte d’Or, Burgundy, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste and Critical Acclaim: Bouchard's charming 2019 Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons is a supple, red-fruited, spice-layered beauty in an extremely friendly drinking window now (September 2024) with aging potential for the future. This should be served at cellar temperature to show at its best. When opened in this manner, you’ll experience generous yet elegant red fruits in abundance, with mandarin zest and baking spice notes drizzled in between. - E. Lyman, Champion Wine Cellars, September 2024.
“Red fruit aromas with an oaky note on the nose. Soft and generous on the palate, in a lovely harmonious marriage. Good aging potential.” —winemaker
“As we always say, Bouchard is an excellent source for Burgundy, and we have another fantastic deal from this old Domaine. It has been many years since we have offered the Beaune Teurons from Bouchard, but we were able to get excellent pricing on some ex- cellar bottles today. This vineyard is located close to the town of Beaune between Les Gravins and Clos de La Mousse. It is typically a very elegant wine that balances the riper fruit flavors and terroir influence. This is a very old site for Bouchard, and their two hectares were purchased in 1971 fully completing planting in 1869. Generous but with excellent energy, 2019 is a fantastic example of this wine and one that can be approached now but has plenty of structure to spend years in the cellar. This is a great buy for premier cru red Burgundy this vintage and, as William Kelley notes below, one of the unsung heroes of the Bourchard lineup. Low pricing today this is a no-brainer!” — Envoyer Fine Wines
“Mingling aromas of sweet berries and cassis with hints of peonies, raw cocoa and loamy soil, it's medium-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with bright acids and a nicely defined finish. This is another of the portfolio's sleepers.” —William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 91-93 points (January 2021)
“This too is quite ripe (though not roasted) with its nose of plum, cassis and a similar note of mocha. Once again there is a lovely sense of verve to the sappy and rich medium- bodied flavors that possess a slightly finer texture while delivering excellent length on the balanced and somewhat firmer finale. Lovely. *Outstanding*” —Allen Meadows, Burghound, 90-93 points (April 2021)
“From the upper part, the first Beaune to be picked. Fairly deep purple. Deep dark plums on the nose, almost black fruit. Sweet black cherry fruit across the palate, very attractive, and finishes in fine balanced style.” —Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 90-92 points (October 2020)
Pairing: Ok. While this wine is friendly and open, we recommend serving it with the classics. Simple dishes featuring high-quality produce will highlight all the layers in this Teurons 1er Cru. Poulet roti (French rotisserie chicken) with gravy made from its drippings and served with sauteed mushrooms, roasted scallions, and fresh baguette would be *chef’s kiss* glorious. Duck confit? Absolutely. In fact, we recommend going to Cafe Campagne for the Poulet Roti and trying Melissa Clark’s Easy Duck Confit below. Or, if you’re like me, go there for both. Other pairs that complement well include light game, grilled meats, and grilled or roasted Portobello-based dishes.
Easy Duck Confit
By Melissa Clark
About. Founded in 1731, Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy’s oldest wine merchants and one of the largest landowners in the Côte d’Or. Over the centuries, the Bouchard Père et Fils has been devoted to attaining highly renowned parcels to produce exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their wines benefit from optimal aging conditions in the underground cellars of the Château de Beaune, the former 15th century royal fortress that the Domaine has occupied since 1820. Bouchard’s commitment to uncompromising quality standards and long-term grower partnerships allows them to produce wines of outstanding consistency and the truest expression of each terroir.
Bouchard Père et Fils joined the Henriot family portfolio in 1995. Great care and patience went into the domaine’s acquisition of various terroirs over time, and today the estate boasts 130 hectares of vines—12 of which are located in Grand Crus, and 74 of which are located in Premier Crus. Bouchard Père & Fils obtained the highest level of sustainable agricultural certification (HVE3) in 2015, being the first in the Côte d'Or to do so.
Bouchard Père & Fils is an example of unique Burgundy heritage, offering great diversity and range of prestigious appellations: Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Beaune Grèves Vignes de l’Enfant Jésus, Bonnes-Mares, Meursault Perrières… names that resonate with history, inspiring respect and encouraging the pursuit of excellence. These remarkable parcels are meticulously tended by their teams who are responsible for the maintenance of the estate’s vines.
Situated near the town of Beaune, between “Les Grèves” and the “Clos de la Mousse,” “Les Teurons” is a vineyard famous for its class and harmony. Its situation, on a hillock, would explain its name, which means “the mount” in Celtic. Bouchard Père et Fils acquired its first parcel here in 1791, and by 1869 they farmed a surface area of 2.41 hectares. Soils here are predominantly limestone with some clay, and the vines face east/southeast. The Pinot Noir for this cuvée was hand-harvested and sorted in small, 13 kg containers. The wine matured for 12 to 14 months in 30-40% new French oak.
