Domaine Bouard-Bonnefoy - Chassagne-Montrachet '1er Cru Morgeot Les Petit Clos' 2023

Domaine Bouard-Bonnefoy sets the standard for naturally made, profoundly flavorful white Burgundy. Consider the family’s hand-cranked wooden press, the mini-family cellar and the bottling “line,” where each bottle is corked and labeled by hand—when someone says they are searching for an authentic wine far removed from today’s hyper-technology and trends, they’re looking for Bouard-Bonnefoy wines.

This winemaking family represents a Burgundy we thought long gone, but really the Bouard-Bonnefoy clan embodies the sort of artisanal spirit to which we’ve always been drawn in our three decades of visiting the Côte d’Or.

What Chassagne’s many beautiful vineyards offer, the Bouard-Bonnefoys capture faithfully—these are wines that astound with their pure aromas, their deep flavors and their ability to seduce from the very first sip.

Nothing rattles winemaker Fabrice Bouard, who in his 40s is already on his second career—his first being a bodyguard for French dignitaries. His wife, Carine Bonnefoy, represents the fourth generation of a Chassagne winemaking family. Their estate has always been small, a labor of love with wines mostly sold to locals and friends. In 2006, Fabrice and Carine took over the family production, with Carine’s father (well-known in the village for being one of the more diligent grape growers around) assisting in the fields.

‘Petits Clos’ is a small, walled plot within the larger ‘Morgeot’ vineyard, and one of its finer terroirs. An unusual vein of blue clay here gives fruit from 60-year-old Chardonnay vines a plush, savory texture. The signature of ‘Morgeot’—as much of the vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir in addition to Chardonnay—is a hint of red berries in aroma and flavor.

Facing southeast, the lieu-dit ‘Les Petit Clos’ sits within the larger ‘Morgeot’ vineyard, higher up on the slope, between 720 and 780 feet in altitude. Soils are rich in white clay and limestone. Age of Vines.: 60+ years. Fermented on indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. Aged for one year in barrel, with 20% new oak.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of wildflowers, crushed stones, fresh pears, yellow plums. Tangy, refined, layered; flavors of yellow fruits, lightly spiced.

Producer: Domaine Bouard-Bonnefoy

Country: France 

Region: Burgundy 

Varietal: Chardonnay

Appellation: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml