Most of Daniel Bouland’s old bush vines are rooted within the Morgon climat of Corcelette, in the hilly Haut-Morgon to the northwest of the appellation. Within this area, there are several lieux-dits that Bouland now bottles separately, and Bellevue is one of these. It’s a southeast-facing, particularly stony site (cailloux means rocks), with plenty of schist running through the granitic, sandy base soil (much like in the Côte du Py). The plethora of rock on the surface traps and radiates warmth and, as a result, this is Bouland’s earliest-ripening site. The vines were planted in 1951 and 1987. This is made the same way as the Bellevue Sable wine (below)—natural, whole-bunch ferment, concrete tank élevage and no fining—though the vines are on different rootstocks (420A rootstock in this case, specifically designed for terroirs that are very stony and have no topsoil). Also, the vines are a touch older than in the Sable.
It opens with a twist of youthful reduction, something Bouland attributes to the thin, rocky soils, but this is nothing that a decant or time in the glass doesn’t take care of. While the wine offers a profile roughly similar to the Sable, there’s an added level of intensity and slightly higher acidity. Bouland himself sees the main difference as the depth of tannin, with the Cailloux’s tannin being slightly bonier and fresher. Either way, both are brilliant wines.