(Please read my overview of the 2018 vintage in Burgundy here.)
Pierrick Bouley said the harvested the Champans on 26 August and the Clos des Chênes the following day, but really began the harvest on 30 August. Overall yield for the estate was 42 hl/ha — reasonable for the vintage and less than the estate harvested in 2017.
All grapes were destemmed. Vatting lasted 18-25 days. Malo-lactic fermentations were rapid, with some even before the alcoholic fermentations had finished (I detected no problems with brett or volatile acidity, which can sometimes occur in such circimstances). Vinification was without SO2 until racking, which took place in September 2019.
Another excellent vintage from this Volnay estate that still remains a bit under the radar.
We start with the whites, which have no new oak on them:
2018 Saint-Romain
This wine is pure, ripe, and clear with minerality, medium weight, and good freshness. It is another example of the surprising whites of the vintage, especially from colder sites. (89-91)
2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cr Abbaye de Morgeot
This wine is more discreet in the nose than the Saint-Romain. In the mouth, it is rounder and chewier with minerality and more weight. (89-91)
Passing to the reds:
2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Red fruits with an almost crystalline aspect, medium weight, elegant, and above all, charming. From the Long Bois climat, below the Volnay village vineyards but above the route nationale. (87-89)
2018 Monthélie Aux Fourneraux
Dark fruits, finesse, medium-weight body. More structure and tannin here than for the Bourgogne. Overall, elegant and smooth. 12.5º alcohol. (88-90)
2018 Volnay
This wine is the assemblage of all of Bouley’s village Volnay parcels. This wine shows dark fruits, a smooth texture, elegance, minerality, and purity. (89-92)
2018 Aloxe-Corton
The Aloxe has dark fruits, smokiness, and elegance, but being Aloxe, it shows more weight than the previous wines. (89-92)
2018 Pommard
The village Pommard shows red fruits with a touch of earth in the nose. The mouth displays Pommard smokiness, roundness, silkiness, dark fruits, and fine tannins for Pommard. (89-91)
2018 Beaune 1er Cru Le Clos du Bas des Teurons
The nose shows cherry blossoms. The mouth is light, pure, and features powdered red fruits. The wine is lighter and more elegant than I would have expected and shows plenty of finesse. (91-93)
2018 Monthélie 1er Cru Les Clous
The nose is floral. The mouth is medium-weight with more tannins here than in the preceding wines — not a shock as this vineyard is near the Clos des Chênes in Volnay. (90-92)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Robardelle
The Robardelle shows cherry blossom aromas. The mouth features red cherries and dark fruits; it is light and pure, and very Volnay for its finesse. Old vines here. (91-93)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Ronceret
Bouley’s Ronceret is a bit leafy in the nose. The mouth is denser than the Roberdelle with chewiness, dark fruits and notable tannins, although there is still finesse. This would appear to need more cellaring than the Robardelle. (90-93)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Les Grands Champs
This is a Bouley monopole as it is the only portion of Grands Champs classified as premier cru. The nose was closed when I tasted this wine. But the mouth showed dark fruits, finesse, spiciness, freshness, and length. (91-93)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots
This wine shows finesse, especially for Santenots. It features dark fruits, freshness, and a touch of pleasing bitterness at the back fo the mouth. (91-94)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Champans
The nose shows red cherries. The mouth has dark fruits, Champans fleshiness and sensuality, the finesse one often finds in the vintage, good length, a silky texture, and a touch of spice. Very nicely done. From vines that are about 35 years-old. (91-94)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
As usual, the Clos des Chênes shows as the top wine. The nose is stony. The mouth has stony dark fruits — one can taste the limestone, and the tannins of Clos des Chênes are here, but also finesse. Also from vines that are about 35 years-old. (92-94)