2017 Domaine Jean-Marc / Thomas Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes #167272611
Reviews 93 points Wine Advocate "...delivers a lovely bouquet of sweet red berries, orange rind, rose hips and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and mineral, it's concentrated and beautifully structurally refined, its sappy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins. (WK)" 90-92 points Vinous "It has a clean and precise bouquet, quite tight at the moment with touches of chalk filtered through the red fruit. The palate is crisp and taut with fine tannin, impressive mineralite. (NM)"
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About Domaine Jean-Marc / Thomas Bouley
Over the years, Bouley has gained an intimate understanding of his nine-hectare estate. He is keenly aware of the quirks of each vine, soil composition, and the microclimate across his 29 individual plots. This intricate knowledge helps him adhere to a minimal intervention approach, fostering the vines' natural vigor without using fertilizers, systemic treatments, or green harvesting. The result is a myriad of smaller bunches with an optimal skin-to-juice ratio that boosts the flavor profile of his wines.
The domaine, with roots dating back to 1527, holds some of Volnay and Pommard's finest vineyards, such as Clos des Chênes, Caillerets, Carelles, Fremiers, and Rugiens. The vineyard management practices are organic in essence, with the introduction of biodynamic viticulture methods.
Thomas follows a meticulous vinification process. Grapes are mostly de-stemmed and fermented using indigenous yeasts in open vats following a brief cold maceration. The élevage period spans two winters (18-20 months) in 30-50% new oak, ensuring minimal intervention by abstaining from fining or filtration.
This careful winemaking process enables Bouley to bring out wines that accurately reflect the characteristics of the vineyards spread across varying altitudes. These wines range from the Bourgogne rouge from the plains to the premier crus, up to the Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at higher altitudes.
Bouley's wines stand out for their expressiveness, purity, and vitality, a testament to his precise, labor-intensive viticulture and sensitive winemaking techniques. His top wines, Volnay Les Caillerets and Pommard Les Rugiens, are especially noteworthy, demonstrating the brilliance that can be achieved from Volnay's terroir under skilled stewardship.
Despite the challenges presented by the weather in recent years, Domaine Jean-Marc/Thomas Bouley has proved its resilience and maintained high-quality yields. Now, with the vines achieving equilibrium under his guidance, Thomas Bouley embodies quiet confidence and a mastery over his craft, further solidifying the domaine's position in Burgundy's top echelons.