Bouchard L'Enfant Jesus 18 750ml

One of Burgundy's most storied vineyards, with a name from a prophecy: the Carmelites of Beaune who once tended this plot foretold the miraculous birth of Louis XIV, and the wine's silkiness inspired the immortal line that it "slips down the throat like the baby Jesus in velvet trousers." Bouchard Père & Fils has held the 3.9-hectare Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus as an exclusive monopole since 1791 — the gravelly, sun-blessed heart of the great Beaune-Grèves Premier Cru. The 2018, hand-picked into small crates and raised with 20% whole bunches and a fifth new oak, is deep and velvet-muscled: dark cherry, mulberry, and blueberry wrapped in warm spice, baking chocolate, and floral lift over ripe, granular tannins. Bouchard's cellar master compared it analytically to the legendary 1947 — and with 94 points from both Suckling and Vinous, it's built to reward another decade or two. Roast duck, lamb, or a very good occasion.

Wine Details:

Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

ABV: Approx. 13.5% — confirm from label

Region: Beaune-Grèves Premier Cru "Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus" (monopole), Burgundy, France

Farming / Practices: Estate monopole since 1791 on gravelly-sandy limestone soils; hand-harvested in small crates, 20% whole-cluster, aged in French oak (~20% new)

Producer: Bouchard Père & Fils, Beaune; founded 1731

Bottle Size: 750ml