Jean-Marc & Thomas Bouley Pommard Les Rugiens Hauts 1er Cru (2020)

Zusätzliche Information

Vinee Beschreibung und Bewertung

98/100 PP

'Readers will know that I tend to prefer Bouley's Fremiers to his Rugiens, but in this vintage, it appears to be the brilliant 2020 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens Hauts that's the king of the cellar. Unwinding in the glass with scents of blueberries and raspberries mingled with exotic spices, rose petals, bergamot and smoked tea, it's full-bodied, satiny and seamless, with a deep, layered core, racy acids and a pure, seamless profile. This magical bottle recalls the depth and concentration without weight of the great Côte de Beaune reds of the inter- and post-War era, and it will be worth every effort to track down and cellar. Readers will note that its label now makes clear its origins in the upper part of Les Rugiens, where the soils are whiter and shallower than the rich red clays that characterize the lower, and historically more prestigious part, of this climat; and that always seems to translate to a more weightless, ethereal profile than the stereotype of muscularity and power associated with this cru might lead one to suggest.'

Bottled after two years' élevage, Bouley's 2020s are some of the best wines he has produced to date, rivaling his 2019s and 2015s to rank as the highpoint, though surely not the ultimate zenith, of his already remarkable career. In Issue 256 End of August 2021 of The Wine Advocate, I devoted an article to this meticulous, perfectionist vigneron; so for more details on his methods and approach, I direct readers there (https://www.robertparker.com/articles/tPD7awaYz44xQDNrY).

Why is 2020 such a success? Firstly, Bouley's agronomy clearly paid off, delivering fully mature fruit without any hint of over-ripeness. Secondly, among the ensemble of details that together make a great wine, an important factor is cooperage; and here, Bouley has made progress, finding a tonnelier capable of making barrels exactly adapted to his requirements. Thirdly, his policy of longer élevage, for all his appellations, was especially well adapted to the 2020 vintage, civilizing wines that, if bottled early, might have remained brutishly primary, but which, after the better part of 24 months' maturity, are suave, elegant and unfailingly precise.'
(William Kelley, robertparker.com)