The first thought that went through my head upon tasting Ballot Millot’s 2015 “Bouchères” is that I hope I get a chance to enjoy a bottle with my daughter someday. It’s going to be a while (she’s three), but there’s no doubt in my mind that this wine will dazzle when the time comes. That’s the power of perfect white Burgundy—it makes you daydream about the future. The other thing I can’t help thinking about when a Meursault like this comes along is: How can this village still not have any Grand Crus? “Les Bouchères,” which isn’t even as widely known as some of its Premier Cru neighbors, would certainly be worth considering for “elevation.” For Charles Ballot of Ballot-Millot, it regularly delivers the most opulent wine of the five Premier Cru Meursaults he produces.
While sites such as “Perrières” and “Charmes” may be better known, Bouchères is the source of some of the most prestigious and sought-after Meursaults of them all, including Comtes Lafon’s rendering (~$300) and the vaunted Domaine Roulot’s bottling from their monopole vineyard-within-a-vineyard, “Clos des Bouchères” (~$400+). What we have in Ballot-Millot’s Bouchères is a rising-star vigneron, one blessed with one of the most impressive collections of vineyards in Meursault, and a blockbuster vintage in ’15. The stars have aligned here, so take up to six bottles today and run—those of you who know and appreciate Meursault know that a wine of this pedigree usually costs at least twice as much.
Charles Ballot is the 17th (!) generation to care for his family’s domaine and has striven to raise the bar and leave his mark ever since his first vintage in 2001. The family has been aggregating vineyards in Meursault since the 17th century, and today Charles is responsible for 10 hectares total, including five Premier Crus: “Perrières,” “Charmes,” “Genevrières,” “Poruzots,” and “Bouchères”—star of today’s story. He’s drastically reduced yields, purchased a triage table, and updated the winery facilities, but the heart of what Charles is doing remains untouched: allow for the natural expression of these grapes.
His wines are described as being of the “Roulot school,” meaning that they are made in a tenser, more “reductive” (oxygen-deprived) style in comparison to the creamier, toastier style that characterized Meursault a generation ago. That being said, the Meursault Bouchères is the richest of his five Premier Cru wines and delivers concentration, minerality, and acidity in perfect, breathtaking relief. The microclimate here is ever-so-slightly warmer, better sheltered from the wind than the other holdings thanks to walls and trees. While this warmth is an advantage during ripening, it also means the vines are more exposed to disease, and Charles spends extra time caring for the Bouchères vines, resulting in a slightly warmer and riper wine. This is the first parcel to be harvested every year, along with the Ballot Millot holdings in Volnay.
It should be no surprise that harvest is entirely manual, and fermentations are carried out by the wild, ambient yeasts that have populated the Ballot Millot cellars long before Charles was even a glimmer in his father’s eye. Everything in the cellar is done to encourage the utmost finesse and careful delineation. In 2015, Bouchères was aged for twelve full months in barrels, of which only 20% were new. Charles is careful to choose barrels of the tightest possible grain, with very light toasts. In even the best years, only four barrels of the Meursault Bouchères are produced. The wine is then racked to tank for a final six months of refinement, as is becoming standard procedure for more and more of the top domaines in the Côte d’Or. Every step in Charles’ process sends the Ballot Millot star rising. Looking beyond Meursault’s “Big Three” (Coche-Dury, Roulot, Comtes Lafon), this is a name white Burgundy lovers need to commit to memory—this is the future!
The 2015 Meursault Bouchères is first and foremost lush, rich, and wildly alive. This really epitomizes my favorite style of white Burgundy (like it’s an easy thing to choose). The natural expression of the grape takes dominance over any winemaking and Meursault’s magic is revealed in all its glory—round, detailed, and wonderfully tense. My bottle needed a full hour in decanter before revealing its luxurious top-notes of peach, toasted hazelnuts, jasmine, and honey. The palate is charming, not overworked or weighty any way, but elegant, supple, and fresh. It smells like quince paste smeared on lightly toasted brioche, and a Meyer lemon sliced on cold marble. It’s hard not to get poetic about a wine this lovely, particularly when you consider this is just the beginning of its life. There’s no doubt that Charles has further extended the aging potential of the Ballot Millot wines, through simple and calculated improvements. What will this 2015 taste like in 10, 15, 20, years? That’s what white Burgundy of this stature demands—vision, patience, foresight. It’s an experience I’m already looking forward to as I sit here at my kitchen table, swirling this liquid gold and daydreaming about the future.