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The Jean-Marc Bouley estate is certainly one of the most interesting wineries on the Côte de Beaune. For a long time, it belonged to the respected but not yet truly celebrated wineries in Volnay. Jean-Marc Bouley had brought it to a good standing, but in a certain way remained there until his son Thomas joined in 2002. He had studied in Beaune and then spent time in New Zealand and Oregon before returning home and quickly taking over the management. The real breakthrough came with the 2010 vintage, which was celebrated by all critics.
Thomas Bouley’s Working Methods
Shortly after joining the winery, Thomas made fundamental changes, particularly in the vineyard, which contribute to the finesse of his wines today. This includes the conversion to organic vineyard practices, which, whilst not officially certified, is documented with a seal and certificate of honour.
In 2005, Thomas converted the vines to the lower-yielding Cordon de Royat. His parcels stand out immediately because the canopy is much higher than in the neighbouring parcels. The shoots are normally not pruned but are rolled into the wire frame. You find loose, well-aerated soils and also loose-berried bunches. So it is hardly surprising when Thomas quotes Henri Jayer: „There is no secret to wine. The most important point is the work in the vineyard. Then you will find the quality of the vintage.“
He ploughs the rows repeatedly until véraison sets in, the colouring of the grapes, and he applies manual pruning, shoot thinning and canopy management so that six to eight bunches with balanced distribution remain on the vine. Pruning is carried out according to the lunar calendar. Harvesting is of course done manually. Subsequently, the grapes are sorted once more in the winery on a vibrating table and on a conveyor belt. Depending on the vineyard site, he uses around 50% whole bunches.
After spontaneous fermentation, the wines continue to ferment for between two and three weeks. All wines from village level upwards age for two winters before bottling. The village wines receive between 20 and 30% new oak and the 1er Cru 50% new oak. Bottling is done with minimal sulphur, and no fining or filtration is carried out.
„There is no secret to wine. The most important point is the work in the vineyard. Then you will find the quality of the vintage.“
— Henri Jayer
The Year’s Course in 2019
In Burgundy, many winemakers speak of the magic of years ending in 9. This time is no exception. For Thomas Bouley, „2019 was a unique and highly contrasting year. The harvest ran smoothly, so the final result more than satisfied the experts. The weather was hot and dry, but the wines display a freshness that will delight Burgundy lovers. Accompanied by a drinking flow that will seduce. The only drawback is that the yield fell below average.“ The winter was mild, so the vegetation cycle began quite early. The mild temperatures in March, 1.1 °C above average for the entire region compared to the normal value, enabled good development of the vines.
The most advanced parcels reached the mid-bud stage in the first days of April. But then frost struck again. Particularly the frosts on the morning of 5 April caused damage. Temperatures remained low, and between 12 and 15 April, frosts occurred once more, though with considerably less damage. The actual vegetation cycle only resumed from mid-April onwards, and it became very hot as early as the beginning of June, followed by strong gusts and a cooling that again caused damage in the middle of flowering.
In July, the heat returned (2.2 °C above average). Most vines remained in excellent health until harvest, and some rainfall in August supplied the thirsty vines. However, as this rainfall varied greatly by region, some parcels suffered from water shortage.
By the end of August and beginning of September, the majority of the grapes had developed excellently, and notably the acidity levels were higher than in 2018. For the red wines, fermentation then proceeded smoothly, albeit at very different rates depending on the parcel.
The Wines of Thomas Bouley
The estate, founded in 1919 by François Bouley, encompasses 8.80 hectares across 29 parcels. There is one parcel in Meursault with Aligoté and Chardonnay, the rest located in Volnay, Pommard and Beaune with Pinot Noir. The 2019 Aligoté is as fresh as it is silky white wine that offers plenty of drinkability whilst also displaying elegance and a wonderful bouquet. For the asking price, it is an absolute bargain.
The same can be said of the 2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or, which is a pure varietal Volnay and already whets the appetite for the higher-tier Volnays, as it already speaks so genuinely to the terroir whilst remaining pleasantly uncomplicated in the manner of a village wine and remaining open.
«His goal is to create fruit, finesse and roundness.»
The 2018 and 2019 Volnays combine in a wonderful way the typicity of the vintage with Thomas Bouley’s signature. And that can only be described as exceptionally refined. His goal is to create fruit, finesse and roundness, so that the wines can be enjoyed both young and laid down. And you can taste that throughout the entire portfolio.
Thomas Bouley’s ambition is to create wines with emotion, and I find that he succeeds brilliantly. The pairing of Volnay Vieilles Vignes and Volnay Clos de la Cave is a good example of this.
Both wines already show considerable complexity and finesse pointing towards Premier Cru level, but the VVV still represents something of a cross-section of the village, whilst the Clos depicts a much more specific terroir. Whilst the Premier Cru Carelle sous la Chapelle already brings considerable finesse to the palate and demonstrates Thomas‘ feel for proper tannin management – the tannin structure of his wines is truly exceptionally fine – the Premier Cru Clos des Chênes makes unmistakably clear what potential lies within a Volnay Premier Cru.
Although the Premier Cru Les Fremiers is currently the only Pommard shown in the portfolio, it is nonetheless another highlight. William Kelley captures it perfectly for the Wine Advocate in his article on a 10-year vertical of this vineyard site: „Les Fremiers is certainly not the most famous climat of Pommard. But the location of Bouley’s parcel is nonetheless extraordinary.“
Through his intensive work, Bouley has created a wine here that, whilst firm in its structure, acts with the elegance of an experienced dancer. He achieves the symbiosis of the earthiness and groundedness typical of Pommard and a luminous brightness.
«Les Fremiers is certainly not the most famous climat of Pommard. But the location of Bouley’s parcel is nonetheless extraordinary.»
— William Kelley
There is no doubt that Thomas Bouley’s wines today rank among the finest in Volnay. Moreover, he is currently producing perhaps the most balanced and pure-toned wines of the entire appellation. The fact that the 2019s already appear so open and inviting should not obscure the fact that they possess potential for decades to come.
Text and wine expertise: Christoph Raffelt
