2022 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere | "impressive set of 2022s"

“This is an impressive set of 2022s from Henri Boillot. I tasted all the 2022s from tank prior to bottling”
- Neal Martin

Neal Martin from Vinous has given his preliminary verdict on the 2022 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere Premier Cru, and he is thrilled. The world is also increasingly demanding white wine, and when it comes to white wine, Burgundy dominates. Add to this the fact that you have the opportunity to add significant quantities to your portfolio - at the best price in the world right now.

Henri Boillot | Family Domain in the Prestigious Côte de Beaune

Henri Boillot was founded in 1889, and since then it has been in the hands of the family generation after generation. Throughout its lifetime, the house has been recognised for its high quality and consistent production of some of Côte de Beaune's finest white wines.

Henri Boillot owns and manages vineyards in some of the most prestigious areas of Burgundy, including Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Volnay. Henri can take credit for kick-starting the production of the family's wines, and later his son Jean was able to expand the domain. In 1975, another Henri Boillot was able to take over the domain from his father Jean, after he, with inherited wine refinement over the years, had climbed up step by step and ended up as the main person responsible for the domain's continued success.

Henri Boillot built a winery in Meursault in 2000 and just ten years later they expanded the cellars and bought vines in Puligny-Montrachet. Henri Boillot owns and cultivates vineyards in some of the most prestigious areas of the Côte de Beaune, including Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne. These areas have different soil conditions and microclimates that influence the flavour profile and character of the Chardonnay grapes.

Traditional vinification methods are used with great care and attention to detail. The grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted before pressing. And while it may seem like a slow process, the manual methods do not deviate from the focus on quality over quantity that has become dogma in Burgundy.

Quality-Consistent White Flagship Wine

Domaine Henri Boillot's Clos de la Mouchere is the house's flagship wine, which comes from the 4-hectare monopole vineyard. The 2022 vintage is the latest release from the house and it has only yet been rated by Vinous. A preliminary score of 93-95 points. But the assessment of the quality of the 2022 vintage is overwhelmingly positive. And considering Vinous' score, it also suggests that the 2022 Henri Boillot's Clos de la Mouchere follows the quality of the vintage.

The lowest score a Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere has ever received from Vinous is 91 points, while the highest is 95 points. In this perspective, the 2022 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere is well positioned in the range and could potentially end up at the very top.

Burghound and Wine Advocate have yet to pass judgement. But across the last 10 vintages, Burghound has given Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere an average of 94.1 points, while the figure for Wine Advocate is 93.3 points.

With Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere, you get consistently high quality, which the overview below also illustrates. Just be aware that only Burghound has assigned scores to 2020 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere, which is why the AVG score on this one stands out.

 

Quality Limits Yield

If Boillot utilises the maximum permitted yield, they are allowed to produce 34,000 bottles per vintage. However, in the 2020 vintage, which according to Boillot themselves was a vintage with a normal yield, Boillot produced 40 hectolitres per hectare from Clos de la Mouchere, which corresponds to a total production of 21,000 bottles.

Keeping yields lower than the maximum allowed is in line with the focus on quality over quantity, which is why an annual yield for Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchere is closer to the 21,000 for the 2020 vintage.

Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere | Historically Strong Performance

According to Liv-ex, the last 10 vintages* of Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere that have been on the market for five years have returned an average of 99% in five years.

While we do not yet know where the 2022 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere will end up in terms of valuation (although Vinous has given a valid prediction), it makes sense to look at the performance of the vintages that currently match the 2022 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere on average.

Since January 2022, the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere (all scoring 94 AVG points) have been under the management of RareWine Invest. And since then, these have risen an average of 17% per year.

Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere has thus performed across vintages. Both at RareWine Invest and according to Liv-ex.

Add to this that the cheapest price for 2022 Henri Boillots Clos de la Mouchere on wine-searcher.com right now is €170**. Your price is €155**.

*Vintage 2008-2017

** ex. duty, VAT and tax. In full boxes and perfect condition.

Limited Supply and Increasing Demand for White Burgundy

When it comes to white wine, it is very hard to ignore Burgundy, which produces some of the world's finest white wines. The supply of white Burgundy is just not great, and the 2021 vintage in particular is characterised by extremely minimal yields. So low that supply cannot keep up with demand, and consumers are looking for white burgundy elsewhere. Now the 2022 vintage is available and will try to satisfy the thirst of a white wine craving world.

And the demand for white wine is growing in recent years.

According to the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), the growing demand for white wine and rosé means that they now account for more than half of global wine consumption. It also states that white wine consumption has been growing at a rapid pace since 2010.

"Over the past decades, the world wine sector has seen an overall positive trend of production and consumption of white and rosé wines, while red wines have decreased. This structural shift can be mainly attributed to overall changes in consumer preferences," continues the OIV.

It may therefore prove advantageous to be positioned towards white Burgundy.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

The 2022 vintage is a strong vintage in Burgundy, and the preliminary scores from Vinous indicate that the 2022 Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchere represents exactly that. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for white Burgundy, which is why it may prove advantageous to be exposed here.

Add to this the fact that this is a brand new release and that Vinous estimates the drinking window on the 2022 Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchere to be 2026-2037, and it has a long life ahead of it. Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchere has performed well across vintages, and with this latest release, you get the opportunity to add white Burgundy to your portfolio at a great price.