Bouchard Père et Fils’ Monthélie 1er Cru Les Duresses (Domaine) 2019 is a Pinot Noir from the Côte de Beaune, sourced from the Les Duresses premier cru climat in Monthélie. The domaine holds 1.72 hectares here, on mixed limestone, clay, marly and gravelly soils. Grapes are harvested by hand and manually sorted, then the wine is matured for 12 to 14 months in French oak, with 35% new oak. Alcohol is listed at 13.5%.

In the glass, the wine shows the lifted, floral side of the appellation along with darker, more savory notes. William Kelley of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gives an excellent review at 92 points (noting it as “(90–92 points)”), writing that it “opens in the glass with scents of peonies, wild berries, dark chocolate and coniferous forest floor.” He describes a wine that is “medium-bodied, lively and concentrated,” and also “deep and velvety, with lively acids and an unusually suave, elegant texture for young Monthélie.” Kelley adds important context about the site, calling it “a late-ripening site,” and says “its racier profile distinguishes it from the more gourmand Monthélie Champs Fulliot,” positioning this bottling as fresher and more linear than some neighboring premier crus.

Wine Spectator rates the wine 90 points and frames it in a brighter, spice-driven register: “a light-bodied, spicy red,” with “black cherry, violet, black pepper and baking spices.” The magazine finds it “balanced and lingers, with abundant ripe fruit,” and recommends drinking it “now through 2027.” Wine Spectator also reports limited availability, noting that “30 cases [were] imported.”

Taken together, the reviews point to a refined, aromatic Monthélie with clear fruit, floral lift, and a firm line of acidity, shaped by measured new oak and a site known for later ripening.