Bouchard Père et Fils was founded in 1731 in the village of Volnay in picturesque Burgundy, France, by cloth merchant Michel Bouchard and his son, Joseph. In 1820, Bernard Bouchard bought the historic fortress, Chateau de Beaune, located in the heart of Beaune, and the domaine was relocated there.
Bouchard is now a major producer of fine red and white Burgundy wine with holdings in some of the most important vineyards in the region. They own 130 hectares of vineyards and also act as a negociant, buying grapes from several reputable growers with whom they have had long-term contracts.
The Historic Chateau de Beaune
Chateau de Beaune was built as a fortress in the 15th century when French King Louis XI decided to take Burgundy by force. In 1478, French troops managed to overtake the town of Beaune and the fortress was erected as a monument to dominate the town and to keep an eye on the townspeople. The structure wasn’t complete until 1494, under the reign of Louis XII, and boasts 5 towers and 7 metre thick stone walls.
The constant temperatures and damp atmosphere of the Chateau’s dark underground passageways, which now house a portion of Bouchard’s cellars, are perfect conditions for aging fine wines.
The Expansion of The Domaine
The first vineyards were purchased by Bouchard in 1775 and included such prime sites as Les Caillerets, Les Chanlins, and Les Taillepieds. The domaine entered a period of great expansion in 1789 when the clergy’s assets, including hundreds of hectares of vineyards which were confiscated during the French Revolution, were sold off at the sale of National Assets. Bouchard seized this opportunity to expand the domaine’s holdings and acquired many parcels of prime vineyard space over the next few years.
In the 19th century, the domaine continued to expand and purchased parcels of the important grand crus vineyards of Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet. Bouchard became the largest land-owner of the latter with just over 2.5 hectares.
Beaune Premier Cru Clos de la Mousse became a monopoly of Bouchard in 1872, meaning that Bouchard became owner of the entire vineyard. In 1889, the domaine acquired the entirety of the famous grand cru Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus.
Expansion slowed down a bit in the 20th century, but Bouchard did purchase 7 hectares in the important Le Corton grand cru, including a portion for the production of white Corton-Charlemagne. Purchases of other parcels in appellations such as Meursault, Chambolle-Musigny, and Gevrey-Chambertin continued, and in 1972, they acquired a parcel in the grand cru vineyard Le Chambertin.
Today, Bouchard Père et Fils owns 130 hectares of vineyard, 12 hectares of which are classified as Grand Cru, adding Bonnes Mares, Echezeaux, and Clos Vougeot to the collection, and 74 hectares as Premier Cru. Approximately one third of the wines they produce come from their own vineyards, the rest is made from grapes purchased from other growers.
A New Era
A devastating wine tampering scandal caused the company to suffer financial difficulties in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, and in 1995, the Bouchard family, after 9 generations at the helm, sold the domaine to the famous Champagne family, the Henriots. Maison Henriot was established in 1808 and grew to be a very important Champagne house becoming the favourite of the royal courts of the Dutch, then of Austria and Hungary. Today, Maison Henriot remains one of the last independent and family-owned houses in Champagne.
Since Henriot took control of Bouchard Père et Fils, major investment has poured into the vineyards and wine production areas. Now, lower yields are demanded in the vineyards,and, since 2005, a new state-of-the-art, gravity fed winery, Saint-Vincent, has been in use. The wide range of wines made today are known to be of high quality and consistently very good.
The Wines of Bouchard
Bouchard Père et Fils makes a wide range of wines at a range of prices. There are wines at prices suitable for those on a tight budget and wines for those wine lovers who have a little extra money to spend and don't mind splurging on a nice bottle of wine. All prices listed are approximate Ontario prices and are subject to change.
Budget-Friendly Wines: In addition to producing pricier wines from the famous Grand and Premier Cru vineyards listed above, Bouchard also makes Regional level wines that are much more wallet-friendly. For under $20 a bottle in Ontario, look for Bouchard's Macon 'Gamay' Rouge ($14), Beaujolais-Villages ($13), Bourgogne 'La Vignee' Pinot Noir ($18), and the white Macon Lugny Saint Pierre ($15). All are very tasty and great value wines.
Premium-Priced Wines: For a little more money, Bouchard makes some excellent Village level and Premier Cru wines. Look for the Village level wines labelled as Pommard ($47), Nuits-St-Georges ($46), Vosne-Romanee ($59), and the white Meursault ($47). Some Premier Crus to watch for are Beaune du Chateau 1er Cru ($34), and Beaune 1er Cru Saint-Landry ($53), a white wine.
Ultra-Premium Wines: Wines made from grapes grown in Grands Crus vineyards always carry a hefty price tag and these are no exception, but you can't go wrong with Bouchard Grands Crus, which are consistently well-made wines. Again, there are a number to choose from including Le Corton ($102), Chambertin ($244), Clos Vougeot ($169), Montrachet ($525), and Corton-Charlemagne ($149).
Bouchard produces many other wines as well. The LCBO carries several Bouchard Père et Fils labels (not to be confused with similarly named producer Bouchard Ainé et Fils). Many Bouchard Père et Fils wines can also be purchased in Ontario on consignment from Woodman Wines and Spirits.
Sarah Goddard - I love wine. I love reading about it, talking about it, writing about it, and of course, I love drinking it. I am a certified sommelier ...
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