New Name: Domaine (Maxime) Dubuet-Boillot

At l’Elegance de Volnay in June I stumbled across Domaine Dubuet-Boillot, headed by Maxime, a new producer whose first full vintage was 2019 (he started slowly in 2016). At the event, I had the opportunity to taste two wines from Maxime Dubuet-Boillot, and both impressed me quite a bit. They showed good refinement and balanced, correct extraction. They were darker than the wines from Domaine Buffet, perhaps more in line with those of Thomas Bouley.

I was therefore optimistic before my first visit to the estate, and my optimism was reinforced when I learned that some of the wines are made in a semi-carbonic way (long-time readers know that I have a soft spot for this type of wine).

This is when wine becomes interesting, and moves beyond normal tasting notes.

A Boillot estate

The Dubuet-Boillot estate is today in the hands of Maxime, who took over from his maternal grandfather Pierre Boillot in 2016.

Maxime worked for eight years at Henri et Gilles Remoriquet in Nuits-Saint-Georges before taking the opportunity to return to his family’s holding. He then began to vinify at the Dubuet-Boillot estate, which comprises 6.5 hectares in Volnay, with his uncle Philippe Boillot, who had stepped in for Pierre with a view to its eventual transmission. A passionate worker, Maxime started with the Sur Roches terroir in Volnay in order to position this cuvée as the signature of the estate – with great success.

Since 2017, Maxime has sought to offer a wider range of wines with greater clarity among the domaine’s magnificent climats. He strives, brilliantly, to produce precise and harmonious cuvées while respecting the environment and family tradition. Good wines and vibes.

Tasting selections

All the wines here are top quality, and can equal those made by Volnay’s top producers. I like the wines and their style, but time stands still for me, and the big hedonistic praying mat is rolled out, when the two semi-carbonic beauties enter the picture.

Let’s go with some 2021s first.

Bourgogne Carelle 2021 is a regional wine from below the Chateau de Pommard. Not a big terroir wine, it does have lovely depth and intensity. There is good sappiness -sorry for the word, but it says more than vin de soif. This includes 10-15% whole clusters, and I like it!

(Drink from 2023) – Good (87p) – tasted from cask 26/07/2023 –

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Next is Beaune Grand Coeur 2021, a village blend which has open, expressive fruit. Lively and energetic for a Beaune, it shows a floral openness and a pinot droit character. Almost a third of this is 1er-cru fruit; however, it is of course a village. I love the cherry notes.

(Drink from 2023) – Very Good (88-89p) – tasted from cask 26/07/2023 –

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