DOMAINE RENÉ BOUVIER

Bernard Bouvier has 17 hectares under vine in and around Gevrey, Fixin and Marsannay – where he is president of the local syndicate. He has now moved to, and recently extended, state-of-the-art cellars just north of Gevrey and the quality of his wines is now absolute top division.

Vines average 50 years old. Yields are extremely low and the domaine is run on organic principles. Everything is hand picked and Bernard is increasingly employing a higher percentage of whole bunches. Fermentation of the reds involves a long, cold maceration and a gentle extraction – what Bernard calls an infusion.

About one third new barrels are used. They are bottled without fining or filtration and are fine, pure, concentrated and subtle.

Marsannay Blanc “Le Clos” Monopole, a 3 hectare plot of east-facing 40 year old vines, in the south of the appellation, by the Chateau, on light marne-limestone soils, Vinified in 600 litre demi-muids for 12 months, then 6 months in stainless steel. Fixin “Crais de Chêne” a 1.7 hectare plot of 55 year old vines, planted on the alluvial cone between Fixin and Couchey. Fine, limestone rockfall, mixed with clay, results in a far more elegant Fixin than the 80% of the village planted on heavier clay soils. Gevrey-Chambertin “La Justice”, 3 plots, totalling 2 hectares of 50 year old vines on small stones washed down from the Combe de Lavaux. Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Jeunes Rois”, 1 hectare, on a steep slope in Brochon. Thin clay topsoil of sandy marl, then a compact Comblanchien limestone base. 45-50 year old vines.

renebouvier.com/