International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines

Daniel Bouland

Stunning 2022 Beaujolais: “Gorgeous wines.” [Jasper Morris]
Daniel Bouland
Jasper Morris’s quote—nabbed from his Instagram—neatly sums up Daniel Bouland’s 2022 release. Even Bouland himself struggled to find fault in his wines from what is an outstanding vintage for Beaujolais. “I’m not complaining,” he told us—a phrase you will not often hear from this notoriously self-critical grower. The main takeaway from the year is how fresh and racy the wines are, considering the vintage could be summarised as hot and dry. Unlike 2020, when the lack of water resulted in thick skins, little juice and deep, structured wines, 2022 was completely different. Although an August harvest once again, alcohol levels are lower than in 2020, and the fruit is more vibrant and balanced. The only clue to the nature of the year is how irresistible the wines already are.

Bouland is renowned for producing superbly balanced wines even in these warmer years. 2017, 2018 and 2020 are splendid examples of this phenomenon. During our last visit, we found out one of his secrets. He has dug a little crater around the base of each trunk, making his vineyards look like Beaujolais’ answer to Lanzarote or Santorini! The idea is to capture as much water as possible before it rolls off Morgon’s free-draining granite. Bouland is a fastidious, even obsessive, farmer who spends most of his time in the vines; even so, this level of commitment is next level.

Please note that three wines are only available in magnum this year. That should hardly be a problem given how pure, affordable and damn delicious the wines are. More than ever, the pricing sticks out a mile when you consider the quality (and potential longevity, if that is your thing). Pound for pound, these are arguably the best-value fine French reds we offer. But they are much more than that. Beaujolais lovers—purists or otherwise—are advised to fill their boots.

The Wines

Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022
 Sold Out
$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022

Perched between Morgon and Fleurie at around 400 metres above sea level, the vineyards of Chiroubles are the highest in Beaujolais. The vines sit on the upper slopes and in general, produce a Beaujolais that can be, to quote Gerald Asher, all “…lacy texture and sleek charm.” Bouland’s Chiroubles has a bit more stuffing than that. It comes from a 0.65-hectare parcel of 35- to 45-year-old vines on the steep, ridged incline of Chatenay, which has the typical granite and sandstone soils of the Cru. Protected by a nearby forest, it’s a warm, north-facing site.

“Raspberry perfume, cherry blossom and orange peel. It has tension in the perfume, high notes, tart fruit, blueberry pie and a hint of cinnamon. The savoury element comes in the form of blood, iodine, seaweed, salty vibration with a healthy amount of gritty, sandy tannins. A bit warm but still a lovely drop.”
93 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
“This cuvée is made in stainless steel. A gorgeous pure fresh purple colour. Peonies and roses, terrific. Super silky yet not too obviously succulent. Elegant, this first wine demonstrates a very stylish approach. Not claiming anything more than it should but doing it really well.”
90 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022
 Sold Out
$61.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added

Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022 (1500ml)

Perched between Morgon and Fleurie at around 400 metres above sea level, the vineyards of Chiroubles are the highest in Beaujolais. The vines sit on the upper slopes and in general, produce a Beaujolais that can be, to quote Gerald Asher, all “…lacy texture and sleek charm.” Bouland’s Chiroubles has a bit more stuffing than that. It comes from a 0.65-hectare parcel of 35- to 45-year-old vines on the steep, ridged incline of Chatenay, which has the typical granite and sandstone soils of the Cru. Protected by a nearby forest, it’s a warm, north-facing site.

Domaine Daniel Bouland Chiroubles Chatenay 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie 2022
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$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie 2022

Named after Daniel Bouland’s daughter, Cuvée Mélanie is drawn from a small, steep, half-hectare plot on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. The 70-year-old vines are rooted on the area’s famous terres bleu (blue-tinted volcanic soils) within the lieu-dit of Tête Noire vines, directly above Château Thivin. It’s this volcanic blue schist that lends the wines of this Cru their unique mineral profile. Bouland’s 0.8-hectare parcel is planted at 12,000 vines per hectare. As with all Bouland’s cuvées, this is a wine born from low yields and natural, whole-bunch fermentation.

“Short, straight to the point note on this simply delicious wine. This is beauty and the beast. Violet, ozone, blood, fresh fig, blue-skinned fruit. Tense palate, dark volcanic rock texture and a steely, almost oyster shell aftertaste. Grace and power.”
94 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
“The lieu dit in Côte de Brouilly is actually called Brouilly so Daniel Bouland prefers the name Cuvée Mélanie to avoid confusion. The vines are south facing on blue volcanic soil above Château Thivin. Made in stainless steel. A similar fine purple, with a much deeper bouquet as it should have, while retaining elegance. Just a little more muscle behind, flows wonderfully and retains a crystalline crunch. Between fruit and flowers, a little more the former, a pure and sensual raspberry. Blue volcanic, lots of little stones.”
91 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie 2022
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$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette 2022
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$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette 2022

This wine is the first of three cuvées that focus on Corcelette’s sandy, granitic soils. This soil generates wines of great perfume and finer, rounder tannins than those of Morgon’s more schist-influenced terroirs. Bouland separates his so-called ‘younger’ vines in this area (60 years on average, so hardly young!) from his very oldest bush vines, which are bottled under the Vieilles Vignes label.

Like all Bouland’s wines, this was whole bunch fermented with indigenous yeasts, with the must foot trodden at the end to elongate the fermentation. This is a superb start to what are eight stunning Morgons from 2021. Of the octet, this is the prettiest and, in some ways, the most accessible to drink. Where the old vine cuvées below are raised in wooden foudre, this bottling is vinified in concrete tank.  

From vines around the family house, north facing, on sand. Aged in foudre. Not quite as even a purple colour, perhaps a little lighter, but the nose grows. Plenty of density here, much more in the darker fruit of Morgon, but still with some roses at the back. A crunchy quality to the finish, as well.”
90 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette 2022
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$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022
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$61.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022

The lieu-dit Les Délys is part of the Corcelette climat located downslope from Bellevue and right behind Bouland’s residence and winery. Délys is Bouland’s back garden if you like. Again, Bouland splits his vines into two cuvées: an old vine cuvée raised in foudre and this younger-vine version raised in concrete. The vines were planted in 1978 and 1980 in the deep granitic sand typical of Les Délys, which brings roundness and Burgundian-like texture to the wines. It’s another super refined and comprehensively delicious Morgon, redolent of succulent wild berry and nettle spice, topped off by a vibrant, racy close with just a hint of tannin.

“Ripe fruit all the way through, it’s pretty plummy, whiffs of freshly baked cherry pie, the palate is quite broad and giving a generic red wine kind of vibe. It’s still quite delicious in this form just cushy and baked a bit and lacking the mineral tension of its cousin cuvees.”
92 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
“From close to the winery, on sand. Two cuvees made according to the age of vines. These are from 1978 and 1985-6-7. A fine lively crimson to ruby. The nose is not especially forthcoming while the palate delivers the elegance which has struck me from the start of this tasting session, along with the inherent meatiness of Morgon. A slightly drier finish but enough fresh red fruit to keep on going.”
91 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022
 Sold Out
$61.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022 (1500ml)
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added

Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022 (1500ml)

The lieu-dit Les Délys is part of the Corcelette climat located downslope from Bellevue and right behind Bouland’s residence and winery. Délys is Bouland’s back garden if you like. Again, Bouland splits his vines into two cuvées: an old vine cuvée raised in foudre and this younger-vine version raised in concrete. The vines were planted in 1978 and 1980 in the deep granitic sand typical of Les Délys, which brings roundness and Burgundian-like texture to the wines. It’s another super refined and comprehensively delicious Morgon, redolent of succulent wild berry and nettle spice, topped off by a vibrant, racy close with just a hint of tannin.

“From close to the winery, on sand. Two cuvees made according to the age of vines. These are from 1978 and 1985-6-7. A fine lively crimson to ruby. The nose is not especially forthcoming while the palate delivers the elegance which has struck me from the start of this tasting session, along with the inherent meatiness of Morgon. A slightly drier finish but enough fresh red fruit to keep on going.”
91 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022 (1500ml)
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Délys 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Cailloux 2022 (1500ml)
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$126.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Cailloux 2022 (1500ml)

Most of Daniel Bouland’s old bush vines are rooted within the Morgon climat of Corcelette, in the hilly Haut-Morgon to the northwest of the appellation. Within this area, there are several lieux-dits that Bouland now bottles separately, and Bellevue is one of these. It’s a southeast-facing, particularly stony site (cailloux means rocks), with plenty of schist running through the granitic, sandy base soil (much like in the Côte du Py). The plethora of rock on the surface traps and radiates warmth and, as a result, this is Bouland’s earliest-ripening site. The vines were planted in 1951 and 1987. This is made the same way as the Bellevue Sable wine (below)—natural, whole-bunch ferment, concrete tank élevage and no fining—though the vines are on different rootstocks (420A rootstock in this case, specifically designed for terroirs that are very stony and have no topsoil). Also, the vines are a touch older than in the Sable cuvee.

“Also aged in a concrete tank of 65 hl. This is on 420A rootstock, which avoids the hydric stress which was a bit present in the Sable version. Deeper purple and a more sensual nose, a greater depth of fruit. Much more opulent, sound, bright with good depth and a fine aftertaste with violets, dancing ripe cherries, just a few tannins behind. Something strong, sensual and satisfying.”
91 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Cailloux 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Sable 2022 (1500ml)
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$126.00
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Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Sable 2022 (1500ml)

As already mentioned, Bouland’s Bellevue soils are split into two cuvées—one for the sand (Sable) and one for the stones (Cailloux). These two parcels are only separated by a small track, yet, as Bouland points out, “the soil is completely different”. Terroir. Not only does the weathered sandy granite differ from the Cailloux parcel, but the slope is steeper, and the 40-50 years old vines are on a specific low-yielding rootstock called Vialla—a stock well adapted to sandy, granitic or deep argilo-siliceous soils. Tasted side-by-side, the Sable cuvée is the more giving of the two wines, with a greater width than the Cailloux bottling alongside juicer tannins. Regardless, the wine retains mouth-watering energy and finishes with superb, pour-me-another-glass intensity.

This bottling is divided from the stony section by a small path, and aged in a concrete tank of 65 hl. An even mid crimson. The bouquet here is a cut above, even something velvety about it which is rare for Morgon. A little bit gravelly on the palate, some blood orange, something a little severe, which gives a drier finish. The rootstock is Viala, which Daniel Bouland thinks explains the backwardness of this wine through hydric stress. It is going to work out just fine, though.”
90 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue Sable 2022 (1500ml)
 Sold Out
$126.00
Added
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Pré Jourdan 2022 (1500ml)
$126.00
Added

Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Pré Jourdan 2022 (1500ml)

This is our second allocation from Bouland’s recently acquired parcel in the lieu-dit called Pré Jourdan, which sits on the Morgon-Fleurie border. Bouland now farms a tiny parcel of 70-year-old vines, just enough to fill a single large cask (a youngish Rousseau foudre in this case). The soils here are predominantly granitic sand—although they run deeper than in Bellevue and Corcelette—providing Bouland with a fleshier and very aromatic Morgon to add to the range. Expect waves of succulent strawberry and cherry-scented fruit carried by a slick of silky fine tannins and a gorgeous and long cherry pie-perfumed finish.

One plot, lower down on the edge of Villié-Morgon, towards Fleurie. A deeper sand than Corcelette. A meaty magenta colour. More weight on the nose, immediately apparent. Maintains the crunch but adds the meat, with a little iron rich. Still quite backward but may not need too long. Foudre from Rousseau, quite young.”
91 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Daniel Bouland Morgon Pré Jourdan 2022 (1500ml)
$126.00
Added

“This estate continues to represent a reference point for the Beaujolais, and everything reviewed here comes warmly recommended.” William Kelley, The Wine Advocate



“Daniel Bouland sits squarely in the upper tier of Beaujolais producers. Bouland has steadily developed a dedicated following that makes his wines difficult to track down. They’re more than worth the effort given their consistent quality, which is about as high as it gets in Beaujolais. Even with increasing demand, the wines still deliver superb value, assuming you can find them. For the money, these are simply some of the greatest values in French wine today.” Josh Reynolds, Vinous

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