Bouchard Père & Fils 'Domaines de Château de Beaune' – Beaune 1er cru 'Clos de la Mousse' 1976

Bouchard Père & Fils 'Domaines de Château de Beaune' – Beaune 1er Cru 'Clos de la Mousse' 1976

1. Introduction

The Beaune 1er Cru ‘Clos de la Mousse’ 1976 from Bouchard Père & Fils is a mature red wine from Burgundy, belonging to the Beaune Premier Cru appellation. Made from the Pinot Noir grape variety , this wine is one of the rare and highly sought-after treasures from the house of Bouchard, one of Burgundy’s oldest wine-growing estates.

Founded in 1731 by Michel Bouchard,the company looks back on a history spanning almost 300 years. In 1820, Bernard Bouchard acquired the Château de Beaune, thereby firmly anchoring the domaine in the town’s history. The name ‘Domaines de Château de Beaune’ refers to this historical connection.

2. The vineyard: Clos de la Mousse

The Clos de la Mousse is a monopole vineyard – the entire vineyard is exclusively owned by Bouchard Père & Fils. The history of this vineyard stretches far back:

• In 1220, the Clos de la Mousse was handed over by Canon Edme de Saudon to the chapter of Notre-Dame de Beaune.

• During the French Revolution, the vineyard was broken up.

• It was gradually reacquired by the Bouchard family; the vineyard has been wholly owned by the housesince 1872.

The vineyard is characterisedby clay-rich soils approximately two metres deep, overlying active limestone bedrock. The soils are very shallow, which contributes to the concentration and elegance of the wines.

3. The 1976 vintage

The 1976 vintage saw a very hot and dry summer in Burgundy . The excessive heat led to an imbalance in many wines, with overripe fruit and a lack of freshness. The Côte de Beaune fared better overall than other parts of Burgundy.

Despite the criticism of the vintage ,1976 is generally describedas a good vintage for Burgundy, particularly for high-quality Pinot Noir red wines. The early ripening of the grapes produced a fascinating sweetness from the extracts.

4. Tasting notes

The community tasting notes on CellarTracker paint a predominantly positive picture of the wine, with ratings of up to 94 points:

Appearance

The wine appears remarkably youthful with only slight bricking – a sign of excellent ageing.

Nose

The nose reveals complex aromas:

• forest floor and moss

• Soy sauce and hoisin sauce

• Beef stock (or ‘Oxo beef bouillon’)

• Light, tart red cherries

• Red blossoms and earth

Palate

On the palate, the wine impresses with:

• Outstanding acidity, which lends it freshness

• Tart cherry fruit

• Low, earthy tannins that still offer a touch of grip

• Aromas of cherry, soy, earth, moss and beef stock

Finish

The finish is describedas slightly short (‘clipped just a touch short’ / ‘medium’) – this is the only minor criticism.

Overall impression

Despite the challenges of the 1976 vintage, the wine is characterisedas “stunning” and “still lively”. However, another taster notes that the wine’s maturity lends it a certain simplicity and that it offers less complexity than better vintages.

5. Auction results and prices

The wine’s rarity is reflected in the auction results:

The average price range for a 0.75-litre bottle is approximately $643 (excluding tax), with magnum bottles and well-preserved vintages commanding significantly higher prices.

6. Conclusion

The Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune 1er Cru ‘Clos de la Mousse’ 1976 is a fascinating, mature Burgundy from a challenging yet characterful vintage. The monopole vineyard, with a history stretching back over 800 years, the excellent ageing of many bottles and the complex bouquet make it a rarity for lovers of old Burgundies.

Despite the heat-related challenges of the 1976 vintage, this wine impresses with its preserved freshness, multi-layered tertiary aromas and youthful character – a testament to the quality of the work carried out by Bouchard Père & Fils and the favourable conditions of the Clos de la Mousse terroir.