Jean Francois Bouthenet

About Jean Francois Bouthenet

Jean-François Bouthenet is a Burgundy producer represented in this selection by a red Santenay Premier Cru, Vieilles Vignes Santenay 1er Cru ‘Clos Rousseau’. The estate belongs to the Burgundy tradition in which the identity of a particular climat is central. In a region built around place of origin, the appellation, vineyard site and vintage generally matter more than a single, uniform house style.

Santenay lies at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, immediately below Chassagne-Montrachet and close to Maranges. Its climate is predominantly continental: spring frost, summer heat and rain at harvest can all have a marked influence on a vintage. Many slopes combine limestone-rich clay and marl, a setting capable of giving Pinot Noir both freshness and structure.

Clos Rousseau is among Santenay’s classified Premier Cru climats. A wine from this site can generally be expected to show a more serious and layered expression than a broadly labelled Santenay, although the producer and the vintage remain decisive. Vieilles Vignes means “old vines”; it is not a legally defined vine-age category, but usually indicates parcels whose older vines give lower yields and more concentrated fruit.

Pinot Noir is Burgundy’s red grape and is the focus here. In youth, red cherry, raspberry, plum, violet and earthy notes may appear; bottle age often brings woodland, dried-herb and savoury nuances. This is a wine for finely textured food rather than heavily spiced dishes. The limited range recorded here chiefly highlights Jean-François Bouthenet’s connection with Santenay and the Clos Rousseau site.

• Santenay is at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune.
• Clos Rousseau is a Santenay Premier Cru climat.
• The recorded cuvée is labelled Vieilles Vignes.
• Pinot Noir is the red-wine grape.
• Vieilles Vignes has no legally fixed minimum vine age.