Bouchard Père & Fils : Beaune 1er cru "du Château" Domaine 2022

Tasting and Pairing Notes for the Beaune 1er Cru "du Château" 2022 by Bouchard Père & Fils

Tasting

Color

The wine shows a deep, intensely colored robe, somewhere between dark ruby and garnet, brightened by youthful purple highlights.

Nose

The nose opens on ripe black fruit, blackberry and plum in particular, layered with hints of red berries such as raspberry and red currant. Notes of undergrowth, damp earth, smoke and spice follow, along with floral touches of peony and violet, and a light suggestion of chocolate and fig.

Palate

The palate is medium to full-bodied, with a supple texture and a pure, direct expression of fruit. The tannins are dense yet refined, framed by fresh acidity that keeps the wine lively. The finish brings back the spicy, smoky notes alongside berries, flowers and a touch of chocolate or licorice, for a long and satisfying close.

Food and wine pairings

This Beaune 1er Cru red pairs naturally with roasted poultry such as chicken or capon, as well as duck, whether roasted or prepared as confit. It also suits veal and pork, grilled or roasted and served with light mushroom sauces, and can accompany tender beef cuts dressed simply. Game birds like partridge, quail or guinea fowl make a classic match, as do mushroom-based dishes, root vegetable gratins, and lentil or bean preparations. Among cheeses, soft, washed-rind styles such as Époisses or Langres are particularly well suited.

Serving and cellaring

The Beaune 1er Cru "du Château" 2022 is best served at around 16–17°C, with a short decanting of 30 minutes to an hour recommended to open up its aromatics. It can be enjoyed now, and may also be cellared through about 2029, allowing its tannins to soften further and secondary notes to develop.

Other characteristics

The wine shows a moderate alcohol level of around 13%, reflecting a ripe but balanced fruit profile without excess.

A Beaune Premier Cru red from Bouchard Père & Fils, built on a mosaic of village terroirs

The Estate

Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy's most prominent names, combining the role of historic négociant house with that of a true vineyard-owning estate. While the trading house traces its commercial beginnings to 1731, its viticultural estate was founded in 1775, when the Bouchard family began acquiring vineyard parcels around Beaune, Volnay and Pommard. Based in Beaune, the estate today holds roughly 130 hectares across Burgundy, including premier and grand cru terroirs. Since 2022, it has belonged to Artémis Domaines, the Pinault family's holding group, with Frédéric Engerer serving as director general.

The Vineyard

This cuvée draws on several premier cru parcels surrounding Beaune, planted on east to southeast-facing slopes at elevations between roughly 230 and 280 meters, with gradients of 5 to 15%. The soils combine marl with stony limestone, offering good drainage and moderate water retention. Farming on these Beaune plots already follows agroecological principles, ahead of the estate's organic certification applied from the 2025 vintage onward.

Winemaking and aging

The Beaune 1er Cru "du Château" 2022 is produced from grapes harvested by hand in small 13-kilogram crates and sorted meticulously berry by berry. Each parcel is vinified separately in small vessels, with destemming adjusted according to the character of the vintage; for 2022, roughly one third of the grapes were vinified as whole clusters, adding floral and spicy dimensions. Maceration lasts between 12 and 16 days, with gentle extraction and moderate pressing. The wine is then aged for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, with 25 to 35% new wood, before the different parcel lots are blended and the wine continues its rest in the historic cellars of the Château de Beaune.

Grape Varieties

100% pinot noir.