Paul Bara Bouzy Rouge / 2020 / 375mL

Description:

The Paul Bara Bouzy Rouge 2020 is a still red Pinot Noir from the grand cru village of Bouzy in Champagne, and it sits closer to a cool-climate Burgundy in feel than to anything heavy. Light to medium bodied, dry and savoury, it leads with red fruit and a chalky, almost saline edge rather than ripeness or weight.

Aromas run to raspberry, sour cherry and redcurrant, with dried rose petal, white pepper and a whiff of woodsmoke sitting behind. The palate is fine-boned and transparent, the fruit tart and bright, picking up blood orange and crushed stone as it opens.

Tannins are powdery and low-slung, more a light grip on the finish than a frame, while acidity does the structural work and keeps everything taut. The finish is dry and stony, leaving a savoury red-fruit trace rather than sweetness. Half an hour in the glass, or a light chill, both flatter it.

Serve it just under room temperature with duck breast, roast quail, mushroom risotto, charcuterie or a plate of washed-rind cheese. Bouzy Rouge is one of the few reds that handles smoked salmon and terrine without a fight.

The 375mL format makes this a sensible pick for a table of two, or as a red between courses at a Champagne dinner. Bear in mind a half bottle ages faster than a 750mL, so the Paul Bara Bouzy Rouge 2020 is best enjoyed now and through to around 2029 rather than cellared as long as the full-size version.