Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir

8.8

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is youthful with notes of ripe and tart red and black fruits: mixed brambles, herbs, some black pepper, some red flowers, earth, warm spices. Definitely signs of new French oak. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose where the fruit came across a touch riper. The finish is medium+. The alcohol is medium+.

Initial conclusions: this could be Syrah, a Grenache-based blend, a blend of Bordeaux varieties, Tempranillo or Zinfandel from the United States, France, or Spain. I didn’t get any pyrazines so I eliminated Bordeaux varieties. The oak treatment lead me away from Tempranillo and Spain although there are certainly some producers making modern wines that could look and taste like this. So I vacillated between Syrah and Zinfandel and while the staining was pretty significant, it wasn’t as purple as I would have wanted. And then considering the profile of the fruit, I had to go Zinfandel from the New World from a more restrained vintage and a producer that blends a little Petite Sirah for color. Final conclusion: Zinfandel, from the United States, from California, Sonoma County, 2023. Wooooooooow! What in the world is happening at Lucien Boillot where they feel it’s necessary to extract to this level?! Did they consult with the Wagner family? lol. Nobody in our Tasting Group called Pinot Noir though we had a couple call Gamay. Even knowing what it is, I’m asking myself how I could get to Pinot Noir and I guess this is a learning experience. Isn’t blind tasting always? This needs a lot of time in the cellar. Better after 2030.

Apr 29th, 2025