2018 Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Cote de Nuits

Founded in 1731 in Beaune, Bouchard Pere & Fils stands among Burgundy's oldest and most prestigious houses — a producer whose nearly three centuries of continuity are matched only by the quality of its vineyard holdings. The estate owns over 130 hectares across the region, including 12 hectares of Grand Cru and 74 hectares of Premier Cru, and has held a monopoly on the legendary Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus vineyard since 1791. That kind of staying power doesn't happen by accident.

Gevrey-Chambertin is the northern anchor of the Cote de Nuits — the village behind Chambertin and Clos de Beze, and the source of some of Burgundy's deepest, most structured Pinot Noir. For its village Gevrey, Bouchard works more than 10 hectares under contract and runs the harvest itself, then racks, assembles and bottles the wine right in Gevrey.

The 2018 vintage was unanimously greeted with satisfaction across Burgundy. A wet winter set the vines up for a hot, dry summer, and Bouchard began picking reds on August 30 with fruit in perfect health. With structure already built into the grapes, the team used cool macerations and gentle extraction, and Bouchard bought far less outside fruit than usual because it rejected so many samples. Technical director Frederic Weber compared the vintage to 2009.

In the glass it shows red and dark cherry, wild strawberry and a touch of earth and spice. The palate is fresh and wide with real tension, and Bill Nanson of Burgundy Report singled it out from barrel for its mouth-watering intensity. Classic Gevrey structure from a house that's been perfecting its craft since before the American Revolution — drinking well now and built to hold.