Henri Boillot is a 5th generation vigneron whose family has been farming in the Cote d’Or since 1885. In 2005, he bought out his brother and sister and changed the name of the estate from Domaine Jean Boillot to Domaine Henri Boillot to eliminate confusion with his brother’s estate Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot. The domaine has about 14-15 hectares under vine in Cote de Beaune, fairly evenly split between white and red, a majority of the best reds being mostly 1er Crus in Volnay.
Les Caillerets is considered by most to be one of the finest 1er Crus of Volnay. Historically, it was given the highest Tete de Cuvee status by Jules Lavalle in his 1855 Histoire et Statistique et des Grands Vins, and Camille Rodier in his 1920 Le Vin de Bourgogne. More recently, Jasper Morris MW classified it as one of four Exceptional 1er Crus, and Clive Coates MW said it was one of five climats “a head or so above the rest…of course.”
2007 was a complicated vintage. It began with warm temperatures in February and summer-like temps in April. However, this was followed by three months of cool and damp weather, perfect for mildew and rot. The end of August then brought north winds and dry conditions through early September. Vignerons were forced to lower yields to rid rot as well as unripe fruit.
There seems to be an attitude in the United States to “collect” wines from only “the best” vintages. But if you speak with any serious Burgundy collector, they’ll usually mention that the importance of producer and plot comes before vintage. This is why I was excited when we checked in a parcel of Henri Boillot 2007 Volnay Les Caillerets.
Though far from ideal conditions occurred in 2007, Jancis Robinson found that many of “those who had worked hard in the vineyard” bottled reds with “very pretty textures” and “fresh, expressive flavours.” Allen “Burghound” Meadows found Boillot's 2007s in general “extremely impressive and absolutely worth your attention” and Les Caillerets in particular “impressive” including it in his Sweet Spot Outstanding Selection. Stephen Tanzer awarded it 93 points with the following review:
“Ruby-red. Compelling aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate, violet, minerals and game, with a whiff of superripe fruits. Thick, powerful and stuffed with material, but the wine's suavity of texture and underlying minerality keep it from coming off as heavy. A wonderfully dense and suave 2007 with outstanding intensity and length.”
My wife and I enjoyed a bottle this past weekend with some Saute de Boeuf a la Bourguignonne, and I can easily see us pairing it with roasts and gamier fowl this winter. But this wine is so yummy it can be enjoyed for its own merits, now or for at least another five years to come. I advise you to reach out to your sales broker before our rare stash disappears.