Bouchard Père & Fils’ Beaune Premier Cru “Les Avaux” 2017 is an estate Pinot Noir from one of Beaune’s longstanding reference houses (founded 1731). The Les Avaux climat sits on a steep clay-limestone slope above Beaune, and Bouchard is reported to own roughly a third of the vineyard, giving this bottling a clear single-site identity. Fruit is hand-harvested into small crates and typically vinified with partial or full destemming depending on the year, followed by a 15–20 day vatting. The wine is aged about 12–14 months in French oak, with roughly 30–40% new barrels. Alcohol is 13.5%.

Critical reception is strong for the vintage. Wine & Spirits awards an excellent 91 points, calling it “a delicate 2017” that’s “bright and spicy,” with “pretty strawberry and notes of rhubarb” over tannins that bring “smoke and dark cocoa elements.” The magazine notes a “cool, earthen bitterness that almost feels old-fashioned,” and observes that oak is a noticeable part of the profile—“showing more of an oak influence than the fruit can fully command”—but ultimately concludes “it’s lovely to drink now and will only improve with a year or two of cellar time.”

Wine Spectator scores it 90 points, describing a “firm and elegant” red that is “smoky” and shows “fading cherry, strawberry, mint, earth and spice flavors.” Bruce Sanderson finds it “approachable now,” with the finish leaning toward “light tannins,” and sets a wide drinking window: “Drink now through 2032.” Wine Spectator also reports “250 cases imported,” underlining its limited availability in the U.S.

Overall, the 2017 Les Avaux reads as a classic, restrained Beaune Premier Cru: aromatic red fruit, earthy detail, and a measured structure shaped by a confident hand with oak and élevage, best enjoyed now with the option to hold.