Winemaker Notes
The word "bouchot" in old Burgundian dialect means "bush" or "small wooded area.” At the time, how wooded the area was characterized the area. Meursault 1er Cru Boucheres is in one of the most barren areas of Meursault. There is so little top soil and so rocky that only a few bushes grow there, hence its name. Genot-Boulanger's 0.61 plot of Chardonnay was planted in the 1990s and is located south-west of the village. The terroir is characterized by its steep slope and shallow calcareous soils where the bedrock is practically near the surface.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Wonderful. The Bouchères from Génot-Boulanger is a wine of marvellous complexity, with aromas of ripe apple and pear and hints of lemon peel, hawthorn flower, and spice. Although Guillaume Lavollée says that Bouchères can, 'fall into opulence,' that is not the case here, at least in a negative way, since the wine has a clean line and impressive freshness that carry it to an exceptional finish. Undeniably attractive now, it will be even better five years after bottling and will continue to improve for 20.
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Jasper Morris
Mid lemon yellow. A soft floral nose, though recently sulphured, which starts to take over the nose. Finely balanced fruit across the palate with good acidity, though again the sulphuring has slightly disturbed the equilibrium. Nonetheless there is a fine quality to the fruit which returns at the finish. Discreet yet fine. Barrel Sample: 91-94
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Vinous
The 2023 Meursault Les Bouchères 1er Cru is expressive and focused on the nose, with well-defined hints of yellow fruit, Seville orange marmalade and vanilla swirling in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with lemon curd, white pepper and Clementine notes. It's one of the spicier whites from Genot-Boulanger, with a sustained peppery finish. Very fine.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known to offer a magical balance of smoothness and freshness, Meursault's quality is hard to rival. The village lies in the middle of Côte de Beaune, just south of Volnay. Meursault is said to mean “mouse’s jump” because in the past the plots producing Pinot Noir and those producing Chardonnay were no more than a mouse’s jump from one another. Today the village is almost exclusively Chardonnay. A tiny bit of Pinot Noir is produced here with the best coming from Les Santenots on its northern side near Volnay.
While there are no Grands Crus, Meursault’s numerous acclaimed Premiers Crus can compete with any other top-notch white Burgundy. Some to know are Les Perrières, Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Le Poruzot, Les Bouchères and Les Gouttes d’Or.
Meursault produces outstanding village level wines as well. In general great Premiers Crus and even village level Meursault (Chardonnay) have enticing aromas of lime peel, tropical fruit, crushed rocks, spice and hazelnut. On the palate there is a wonderful balance of brightness and a seductive length with flavors of white peach, pineapple and citrus.