With a greater sense of structure than possessed by most other Bouchard Beaune crus of its vintage, their 2008 Beaune Marconnets is nonetheless very fine-grained. Ripe purple plum tinged with fresh ginger and chalk; a Latakia tobacco-like smokiness; and an intensely bright finish to which the sense of chewing fruit skins lends invigoration all make for a vibrant performance that should be replicable from the bottle for a decade or more. Director-winemaker Philippe Prost made no attempt to minimize the challenges of 2008 and was careful to distinguish between its wind-borne concentration and genuinely ideal phenolic maturity (approached more nearly this year in white than red). He opined that the wide window afforded for relaxed picking despite the late calendar date was critical, since the levels of ripeness were so disparate from one site to another. That said, he showed me an outstanding collection of Pinots. Ironically, as he pointed out, ripeness was also disparate in one of the two earliest vintages on record, 2007, yet picking – while fitful – was anything but relaxed due to the pressure of rot. And here, too, Bouchard scored excellent successes. By means of, where necessary, “swapping lees” between barrels to inoculate stubborn lots, Prost says he was able to get all of his 2008s through malo-lactic conversion in timely fashion, which he considers especially important with Pinot. Bottling of the 2008 reds – with a few exceptions mentioned in my notes and due to have been bottled in April – took place in December and January, the same schedule adopted for their 2007s. I did not have an opportunity to taste nearly all of Bouchard’s vast collection from either vintage, and have in the text of my notes indicated a few from among their 2008s that I take to represent significant omissions. (I have not noted “Domaine” to distinguish those wines that are part of the Bouchard, except in cases where there is another otherwise eponymous wine.)Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

A wine that reflects the relative lightness of the reds in this vintage. It has a layer of tannins, but they don’t suggest aging; they are more a base for the attractive raspberry and red plum flavor, freshened by the acidity. ——R.V.(7/1/2010)—— 88

Firm and tense, this is a wine on the high wire. The tannins are stretched with acidity, the berry fruits and red cherry flavors vividly standing out against this structure. The aftertaste is fine, poised, mineral. This is developing into an important wine.——R.V.(12/31/2008)—— 92

This is a big wine, powered by dusty, ripe tannins, and dense black fruit flavors. The power doesn’t take away from the wine’s freshness and its rich perfumes. Imported by Clicquot Inc.——R.V.(9/1/2005)—— 91

I loved the medium-bodied, black cherry-scented 2002 Beaune Marconnets (domaine). It offers an intense, supple flavor profile crammed with copious quantities of candied black fruits. Lush, deep, and sweet, this medium-bodied beauty also reveals a long, fruit-filled finish. Drink it over the next 7 years. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 888-7575