Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Cote de Val Vilaine Blanc de Noirs 2019

Two bottles available

“Cédric Bouchard’s NV Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine (2019) is beautiful, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, green apple, clear honey, fresh bread, almond paste, white flowers and mirabelle plum. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, it’s satiny and textural, with an enveloping core of fruit, superb concentration and incisive acids. Chiseled and penetrating, it concludes with a long, saline finish. If the 2018 was immediate and demonstrative, this has structure to burn with age, charming though it is out of the gates, and I’m inclined to nominate it Bouchard’s finest Val Vilaine to date. Drink: 2021-2042. 94+ points

Readers seeking an extensive account of his origins and approach should consult my profile of Bouchard, published in Issue 244 End of August 2019 of The Wine Advocate. My visit to the domaine this spring was the occasion to hear an exciting piece of news: after an exchange of vines, Bouchard is increasing his holdings in lieu-dit Le Creux d’Enfer, and he intends to produce a white wine from this parcel along with the tiny bottling of rosé. I can only imagine that the results will be spectacular. Beyond this exciting development, not much is new. As I’ve written before, since they’re produced from low yields and physiologically mature grapes, and disgorged without dosage, Bouchard’s Champagnes evolve just like still wines, without picking up much of the toasty, empyreumatic nuances derived from Maillard-like reactions and the acid-catalyzed degradation of unfermented sugars that defines the aromatic profile of many Champagnes. This has led some commentators to contend that Bouchard’s wines simply don’t evolve very much, but in my experience, they do, taking on additional weight and texture and accumulating sapid nuance. Some tasting notes on older wines will be coming out soon, but in the meantime, this report covers Bouchard’s new releases.”

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (09/21)