Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clos de la Mouchere" Monopole

When Henri Boillot formally reconstituted the domaine in 2005 — buying out his siblings and renaming it from Domaine Jean Boillot — the Clos de la Mouchère was the crown he kept: a ~3.92 ha walled monopole sitting entirely within Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières, bordering Clavoillon, on thin limestone soils over marl at 230–280 m elevation with an east-to-southeast aspect. The shallow, calcareous-marly substrate forces vine roots deep and limits yields, concentrating the chalky extract and saline tension that define the site.

Henri's signature rule-break is fermentation and 18-month élevage in 350-litre barrels rather than Burgundy's standard 228-litre pièce — a deliberate reduction in oak-to-wine surface ratio that preserves mineral purity without sacrificing structure. Whole-bunch pressing, indigenous yeasts, and a strict zero-bâtonnage policy keep the wine vertically taut. The 2022 vintage marks a notable departure: oak was raised to 50% new wood — double the ~25% typical of prior vintages — yet the barrels are fully integrated, amplifying texture without obscuring the electric mineral backbone that defines this monopole.

Vines averaging 80 years old and a planting density of 10,000 vines/ha deliver concentration rarely seen at Premier Cru level. The 2022 is powerful yet precise; drink from 2030–2038.