2017 Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Bourgogne Rouge 750 ml

Listed alongside Premiers Crus and Burgundy from prestigious villages, a bottle labeled “Bourgogne Rouge” might be easy to miss. But poured alongside those Pinot Noirs, Domaine Lucien Boillot’s 2017 Bourgogne Rouge is impossible to ignore. 

We’ve been angling to offer Boillot’s exquisite red Burgundies for years, and we couldn’t dream of a better introduction than this gorgeous bottle, from a vintage that Vinous calls a “modern classic.” Crafted by one of Burgundy’s most talented winemakers from tiny parcels in the renowned villages of Gevrey-Chambertin and Volnay, the very first sip will clue you in to why we couldn’t wait.

This Pinot hails from some of the world’s most sacred soil, and while its world-class pedigree doesn’t show on the label, it can’t be denied once the bottle is open. Pouring a beautiful, pale shade of ruby, it’s fragrant with wild strawberries, red cherries, violets, forest floor, anise, and a hint of cedar. The palate shows Gevrey-Chambertin’s firm structure married with the weightlessness of Volnay, while beautifully concentrated flavors of red and black fruits mingle with earth and wild herb notes, leading to a harmonious finish built on silken tannins. 

Normally for this kind of Pinot class and quality, you’ll be searching for a Premier Cru label—or paying $80 and up for a village Volnay or Gevrey-Chambertin. Today, Boillot’s Bourgogne delivers the best of Burgundy’s top appellations for half that. 

The Bourgogne label gives winemakers nearly 140 miles of flexibility: They can use grapes from Chablis in the north to the bottom of Beaujolais, and many domaines take full advantage. Not Pierre Boillot. He shuns that vast swath of land, choosing to craft his Bourgogne Rouge from two family plots (barely two acres) in the renowned villages of Gevrey-Chambertin and Volnay. The importer won’t divulge exactly which vineyards, but it’s worth noting that half of the Boillot holdings in those villages are classified as Premier Cru. 

The Boillot family have been vignerons for seven generations now, but the domaine’s history really begins with Pierre’s father Lucien, who settled in the heart of Gevrey-Chambertin in 1950. He immediately started acquiring vines, and founded his own label in 1978. As Pierre has taken full control, he has distinguished himself as one of the most astute winemakers in the Côte d’Or. 

Pierre is a spectacular talent who leans heavily on tradition: He farms the Boillot plots under the strenuous lutte raisonnée protocol, and gears his winemaking work toward terroir transparency—a bit of a no brainer, considering the family’s flawless positioning in Gevrey and Volnay, not to mention Puligny and Pommard. 

There is no better introduction to Domaine Boillot’s exquisite quality than this bottle. After years of effort, we finally have an allocation—but it’s a tiny one. We can’t wait for you to try it.