92-94 Point Wines

wines

Laurent Lignier has farmed a quarter-hectare of village Volnay since the 2020 vintage, split evenly between the rocky Ez Blanches at the top of the slope above the Clos des Chênes and Ez Echarts with deeper clay soils below Roncerets. The combination is delightful, with violet-scented blackberry fruit, firm tannic grip and rewarding density. The grapes are partly destemmed and given a cold soak before fermentation with a combination of punching down and pumping over. They will be bottled in the spring without fining or filtration.Decanter | 93 DECThis is also presently quite firmly reduced and unreadable in this condition. The relatively finely textured middleweight flavors also possess a succulent mid-palate that contrasts somewhat with the moderately austere and lingering if noticeably warm finish that isn’t subtle.Burghound | 87-90 BH

Black cherry and dark currant fruit is lightly mulled in feel, while sweet tobacco, chestnut leaf and singed alder notes wrap around it. The earth-tinged finish shows focus and poise. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSJuicy red, blue, and black fruits, sappy herbs, violets, and chocolate notes all emerge from the 2022 Château De Pez, a ripe, full-bodied, opulent Pez that has a balanced, layered style that’s already hard to resist. I love how this has come together since En Primeur, and this is well worth a case purchase. It’s going to deliver the goods any time over the coming two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLively, fresh and open with lots of clear and clean red berry fruit and salty, stone-edged tannins. Sleek and svelte, nice energy and focus; not plush or overtly powerful. Has definitely lost its en primeur heft and become slightly lighter and more appealing, with energy and vibrancy, yet you still know it has muscles and will age well.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSerious depth and complexity on the nose, showing a refreshing touch of spearmint to the pure blue fruit, cassis and minerals plus a hint of incense and graphite. Powerful but polished and taut in tannins with a linear set of fruit on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Structured, fine-boned and well-dissolved with a fresh, lengthy finish. 38% cabernet sauvignon, 59% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Great for aging. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSPolished and charming, the 2022 de Pez bursts with aromas of blackberries, vanilla pod and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety palate that’s integrated and expressive. This will offer a broad drinking window. As readers may remember, this estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and director Nicolas Glumineau and his team have been working to bring more precision and purity to the wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2022 de Pez, a blend of 59% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notions of baked black plums, blueberry preserves, and fruitcake jump from the glass, followed by hints of Chinese five spice and potpourri. The full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit preserves layers, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and lifted. It will be aged for 18 months in 50% new oak. pH 3.8.The Wine Independent | 91-93+ TWI

This also displays moderate wood influence on the ripe layered and pure nose that displays good layering and ample Chablis typicity. There is impressive mid-palate density to the opulent and lavishly rich medium-bodied flavors that possess a borderline lush, even creamy, mouthfeel, all wrapped in a citrusy and sneaky long finish. This unusually powerful effort should also be capable of mid-term development yet drink well after only 5 or so years.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Ax - B comes from the non-Première Cru classified part of Aux Bouthières and pressed at very low pressure, and aged for 15 months in used barrel. This is initially very understated, demands more coaxing from the glass than the Vieilles Vignes. But with time, it offers more mineralité and terroir expression, fine delineation with subtle struck flinty aromas manifesting with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a taut line of acidity, certainly spicier and more peppery than the Vieilles Vignes with a soft landing on the finish. Great complexity here as I found in barrel last year - recommended.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2022 Pinot Noir Sisters Vineyard is lifted and refined, with a dusty bouquet of dried black cherries and flowery underbrush lifted by hints of mentholated herbs. It’s more energetic within, silky-smooth yet spry, with bright wild berry fruits and a cascade of rosy inner florals that swirl throughout. Saline mineral tones emerge toward the close as the 2022 finishes with a youthful tension, leaving edgy tannins and notes of spiced blood orange that punctuate the experience quite nicely.Vinous Media | 94 VMUsually a delicate expression for Eyrie, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sisters Vineyard is over the top out of the gate. The palest red ruby shade, its perfume is floral and highly expressive, with notes of fresh flowers, wild strawberries, Herbes de Provence, and stony earth. It has dark mineral notes on the palate, with real intensity, refreshing, mouthwatering mineral persistence, and a long finish. It seems like it’s going to be a cuddly wine, but it’s savory and structured on the palate. Drink 2025-2037.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSmoky gunflint, fresh mint and pine tar aromatics come from the Sisters, a vineyard planted in 1989 that now serves as an experimental nursery for Jason Lett and Eyrie Vineyards. It is the lowest elevation of the Eyrie estate sites. The palate gives gobs of earthen mineral tones, turned soils, and hints of pencil lead. A richness of pomegranate molasses, smoky clove and tea tree oil savouriness round out this wonderfully textured and structured Pinot Noir.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSisters is four acres of Pommard and Wadenswill clones planted in the Dundee Hills in the late 1980s. It leads with aromas of loamy soil, meadow flowers and dark, brambly berries. The flavors are a mix of boysenberries and black tea, with wee bits of coriander, sage and crushed brick dust. I’d love to try this with a pork belly banh mi.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEMatured in used oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sisters has a pale garnet color and scents of dried cherries, shiitake mushrooms, underbrush and spice. The medium-bodied palate is delicately styled with earth-laced flavors and soft, silky tannins. It’s enlivened by bright acidity and has a long finish. It seems to be closing down since I tasted it last year, and it will benefit from several years in the cellar. 507 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPLovely nose with some forest berries, red currants, crushed stone and potpourri. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Velvety, poised and delicious, with a succulent, vibrant finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

From 60-year-old southeast-facing vines, with 10% of the blend matured in new oak. This shows Mont de Milieu at its best. Floral notes combine with good ripeness of stone fruit on the palate, freshened up by lovely acidity. Plenty of mineral notes add extra complexity to the whole. A fine premier cru which has power but in a refined, elegant package.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECAs is often the case with Mont de Milieu, there is a trace of exoticism suffusing the white and yellow fruit aromas along with classic Chablis elements of oyster shell, iodine and algae, all of which is trimmed in noticeable though still reasonably subtle wood influence. There is excellent size, weight, density and power to the succulent but muscular larger-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract while delivering excellent length on the overtly stony finish. This bone-dry and highly recommended effort is also going to require patience.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2022 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru sees ten months on the fine less. It has a keen, fresh, marine-influenced bouquet with dewy green apples and kiwi fruit. Fine delineation. The palate is fresh and vibrant, the acidity well judged with just a slight creaminess creeping in toward the finish. I’d afford this 12 months in bottle; it should evolve into a fine Mont de Milieu. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis. (Drink between 2025 - 2036)Vinous Media | 92 VM15% is vinified in new wood, then matured as the other 1ers crus. A little more yellow in the colour, and a slight touch of coconut on the nose. The wood can be detected on the palate too but it will certainly integrate. There is a fine full bodied classical Chablis lurking behind. A notably long succulent finish, then some classical minerality. Certainly, a fine acid balance. They make sure to pick here very early thus avoiding the over exotic character seen in some cellars. The 2022 is set to be a great success. Drink from 2028-2038. Tasted Jun 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

The 2022 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a lovely bouquet with pretty green apples, sea spray and light limestone/petrichor scents—quite nuanced, but it keeps you coming back. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and saline, gaining depth toward the finish with hints of hazelnut and grilled walnut. A residual spiciness is just what’s needed. This is an involving Les Preuses that you want to get to know better. Excellent. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 94+ VMHere too moderate wood sets off equally cool and pure aromas that are mainly composed of essence of white orchard fruit, quinine, spice and a plethora of citrus elements. On the palate of the medium weight plus flavors there is also a noticeable restraint, even coolness, to the refined, balanced, wonderfully long and Zen-like finish. This is lovely and while the impeccable balance should permit it to be enjoyed young, it should also enable this beauty to reward a decade, or even long, of keeping.Burghound | 92-95 BHA clear bright pale yellow. The bouquet is not yet showing. This is sturdy stuff on the palate, not the warm woolly overcoat that Preuses can sometimes be, though it extends further on the palate. A little warmth but not out of balance in a grand cru. Persistent. I don’t think this has yet found its personality. Drink from 2029-2038. Tasted Jun 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM

Crafted by an estate with a history dating back to 1859, this creamy, intense Chardonnay is barrel-fermented and aged on fine lees for eight months. It has rich aromas of vanilla and citrus pastry on the nose and palate, with pronounced ripeness and lovely freshness. Honeydew melon, peach, and more vanilla cake linger on.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

Sleek yet luxurious, this impressive white offers rich Asian pear, nectarine and lemon zest flavors that gather richness and flesh on the long finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,034 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA core of lemon driven intensity the Résonance Willamette Valley bottlings are nearly as impressive as the single vineyard designates. This wine is a combination of the estate vineyards and some of the Willamette Valley’s top sites. Aromas of sweet Meyer lemon blossom, fragrant gardenias, and smoky grilled lemon peel. The palate showcases a real vibrance of fruit, early season stone fruits, lemon curd and bright mineral elements. Crisp acidity yet richly balanced.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECA structured, golden apple-scented wine with hints of toasted almonds, light toast and subtle caramel. Well-balanced, rounded and composed. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, which contains fruit from vineyards across the appellation, including Koosah, Découverte and Witness Tree, is tense and shimmery. It’s scented of yellow apples, lemon peel, bread dough, cashews and beeswax. The light-bodied palate balances concentrated, nutty fruit with vibrant acidity, and it has a long, silky finish. Around 2,000 cases were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley impresses with its fruit-forward yet beautifully balanced personality, blending yellow apples with chamomile, ginger and hints of white smoke. This is soothingly round with a balance of saline minerals and ripe pears, all guided by brisk acidity. It finishes with admirable length and gentle tension, leaving minty herbal tones to linger on.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe 2022 “Willamette Valley” bottling of chardonnay from Résonance Vineyards is made from a combination of estate grown fruit and some purchased grapes. The wine comes in at 13.5 percent octane in this lovely vintage and delivers a bright and refined aromatic constellation of pear, apple, a touch of fresh nutmeg, lovely soil tones, almond, white lilies and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, ripe and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil undertow, zesty acids and a long, broad-shouldered and nicely balanced finish. This is already quite tasty, but more complexity will emerge if it is given at least a year or two in the cellar to further blossom. Good juice. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 91 JGA grilled pineapple aroma is this Chardonnay’s lip-smacking “hello.” Other aromas include a bit of saline and pine needles. The wine’s bright acidity helps create a crisp mouthfeel as well as livening up flavors of nectarines and toasted filberts. Try this wine with creamy Tuscan chicken pasta dish.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Smoky black cherries, savory herbs, crushed stone, and graphite nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Fombrauge, a wonderfully textured, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has ripe, integrated tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSoft herbal and menthol accents on the nose join ripe bramble berries and touches of cedar spice. Juicy and fleshy, this has a nice overall expression combining strength and heft with focus and push. Lovely bitter orange, cocoa and coffee touches join the fruit with fine tannins giving a touch of bite to the palate. Feels finessed and well worked.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECAromas of white pepper, iron, fresh blackberries and currants. Juicy and firm, with a medium to full body and firm, dusty tannins that tightened at the end. Very good length. Drink from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA juicy blend of Merlot (along with a good proportion of Cabernet Franc), the wine is rich and structured. Juicy black fruits will develop well, as the wood aging adds a fine polish. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe blend in 2022 is 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc, the focus clearly on the Cabernet which only accounts for 9% of the vineyard. A dark, smoky and toasted nose, laden with vanilla pod, toasted cranberry, rose-petal tobacco and dark chocolate, very typical of the style for Fombrauge. This is followed by a svelte, dark and polished palate, with a rich core of peppery tannins, leading into a finish framed by the structure. This is old-school Magrez in terms of colour, flavour and extract, but it has a fresher, more vivacious, more peppery edge than it used to. Nicely done. It needs cellar time of course. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2022 Fombrauge has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and floral scents. Very aromatic anis and orange pith touches develop in the glass with time. The palate is well balanced with grippy tannins, yet there is satisfying freshness and salinity. The finish is nicely detailed and persistent. Afford this Saint-Émilion a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMA polished, direct style, with a mix of blackberry and cherry compote notes leading the way, along with light red licorice, sweet toast and black tea hints. A subtle tug of earth keeps this just honest enough on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 26,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Fombrauge displays a deep and complex yet oaky bouquet with aromas of cassis, spices, graphite and fresh tobacco. Firm and dense, concentrated and fleshy, the palate is medium to full-bodied, chunky and heavily extracted. This demonstrative, modern-styled wine is a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

The 2022 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from the southerly exposed lieu-dit of Les Chaumes and matured in used barrels (just one and a half, to be exact.) This has real presence on the nose: plenty of light honey scents, yellow plum, dried white flowers, and chamomile aromas. The palate is very well-balanced, with Satsuma and lime on the entry. It is not the most complex Corton-Charlemagne, but there is engaging balance and real depth, growing almost playful towards the finish with candied orange peel lingering in the mouth. Give this two or three years in bottleVinous Media | 92-94 VMHere too moderate wood influence is present on the ripe aromas of petrol, citrus rind and soil tones. The wood is also evident on the palate of the larger-bodied and more concentrated flavors that exhibit solid power on the lightly mineral-driven, balanced and lingering finish. This isn’t exactly rustic though it’s not refined either and has the stuffing to repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 91 BH

25% whole bunch vinification. Still in barrel. A rich saturated purple. The fruit swarms across the palate, yet with a fine sense of balance. Fine grained tannins, not too wild a style of Bonnes Mares, and indeed the holding is on the white soil which explains the elegance. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VMHere the grudging nose is even spicier with a slightly more deeply pitched array of plum liqueur, dark currant and floral suggestions that are trimmed in hints of menthol. There is a bit more volume and mid-palate density, if less obvious minerality, to the medium weight plus flavors that are at once punchy and overtly powerful, all wrapped in a clearly built to age finale. This is excellent but patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 92-94 BHAromas of sweet red cherries, figs, rose petals and spices introduce the 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine that’s one of the riper, more muscular wines in the range, exhibiting just a touch of sur maturité.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

The 2022 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with notes of red berries and cherries mingled with incense, rose petals, spices and peonies. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it’s seep and multidimensional, with a concentrated core of fruit and a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VM25% whole bunch vinification. More of a pinky purple. Still in barrel, so the bouquet reflects this. There is a fine and concentrated mineral thread through the middle of this wine and significant class to the fruit. Does it have the silky sensual quality of the very finest? Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMLike the Clos de Vougeot, this too is quite firmly reduced and revealing nothing aromatically. More interesting are the beautifully textured and tension-filled bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit fine length on the dusty and balanced finale. This would benefit from having better depth but the potential to develop it appears to present.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The delicate nose of floral honey and acacia blossoms leads you into this elegant Meursault Charmes. Very focused and vibrant on the medium- to full-bodied palate, the fine tannins keeping this straight. If the firm finish was a bit more elegant, this would certainly rate higher. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSMore subtle oak influence can be found on the cool, airy and exceptionally pretty aromas of citrus, white flower and Granny Smith apple. Once again there is a beguiling texture to the impressively rich and mineral driven medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate on the youthfully austere, firm and beautifully persistent finale. While this could reasonably be approached after only three to four years, it has an excellent track record for aging and is a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 92 BHNotes of freshly sliced citrus and mineral reduction combine with those of white flower and discreet spice nuances that are trimmed in discreet oak. There is a restrained energy to the caressing, intense and lilting middle weight flavors that possess good richness but also a lovely sense of refinement on the bitter lemon-infused finale. This is certainly pretty but it will need a few years of cellaring to better develop the overall depth.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMMid lemon yellow. This is rather more open on the nose, with an easy white fruit, no great detail as yet but showing more on the palate. Quite intense apples with some ripe citrus rind alongside, medium plus bodied, fair length. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JM

A powerful and ripe Meursault with plenty of Mirabelle plums filling out the generous medium- to full-bodied palate. Attractive interplay of creaminess, fine tannins and freshness. Matured in small oak barrels, of which one third were new. Very limited production. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2022 Meursault Santenots 1er Cru has a complex nose: yellow fruit, spice box, touches of fennel and crushed stone, all coming through with aeration. The palate is very well-balanced with good weight - a lovely creamy texture whilst retaining tension. More open than other cuvées and persistent in the mouth, this is a well-crafted and delicious Meursault.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAll from Les Santenots Blanc. A lime and lemon colour, some charm to the nose along with the energy. Rather a pretty expression of fruit, then a little more flesh behind, well integrated with the oak. A supple rounded Meursault with still a sense of refinement. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThere is enough wood present to merit pointing out surrounding the ripe aromas of primarily pear compote and citrus confit. The sleek, intense and solidly voluminous flavors possess an interesting hint of sweetness on the lingering finish that could use a bit better depth. With that said, this is sufficiently tightly wound to repay 6 to as much as 10 years of cellaring which should prove beneficial.Burghound | 90 BH

Bottled in late July. Pale lemon colour. A pure and fresh bouquet, mostly white fruit. Particularly stony this year behind a raft of white apple fruit, plenty of energy, starting to soften at the back. Middleweight plus, quite attractive. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

TOP VALUE Jessiaume is using the 2ha of domaine vines it recently recovered from a sharecropping contract to produce this lovely wine with aromatic raspberry fruit and a floral edge. Supple and approachable, with a pleasant sweetness to the fruit, structure and freshness. A noticeable step up from the other village-level bottlings. Organic.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThis red Santenay has a crisp acidity, but there’s excellent concentration and finely nuanced red-fruit aromas that easily balance this. Cool and elegant on the medium-bodied palate, where the fine-grained tannins, fruit and freshness neatly interlock. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2022 Santenay La Cassière has a pleasant bouquet with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit and some judicious and prudent use of new oak (20%). The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, more harmonious, and unlike the Vieilles Vignes, the finish has more substance. Drink over 4-6 years.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMFrom a plot below La Maladière, recovered by the domaine in 2021. An attractive lighter purple colour. This is an elegant style of Santenay. Quite nuanced, pleasing light red fruits, enough acidity and good length. Very far from rustic! Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 87-90 JM

A lovely, rich and supple Bourgogne Blanc, with aromas of ripe apple, nectarine and white blossoms. The texture is silky and delicate, yet there is impressive extract that will make for perfect drinking over the next several years. The grapes come from 5ha spread over eight parcels. Paul Delorme was delighted with the results, particularly the moderate alcohol and crisp acidity. A marvellous introduction to the domaine.Decanter Magazine | 93 DEC

The 2022 village Chambolle from Hudelot-Noëllat is delicious with its deep colour and prominent black plum and cassis fruit aromas touched with lavender. The texture has rewarding freshness and a subtle but sustaining tannic grip that draws it to a lingering finish. The wine is made from the domaine’s 0.85 hectares of village-level vines scattered throughout the village; it is approachable enough to drink early but is also ideally suited to mid-term ageing.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECLovely glowing purple, this is very sensual with an immediate red fruit charm. Very pretty yet with a fresh intensity, redcurrant and raspberry, above all a sense of purity and energy. This will make a beautiful Chambolle. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMOffering up aromas of sweet raspberries, rose petals, mint and licorice, the 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Village is medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a pure core of fruit, lively acids and melting tannins. It will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPAn ultra-fresh, airy and decidedly cool nose reflects both red and dark cherry, floral and discreet spice wisps. The succulent but nicely punchy middleweight flavors exude a bracing minerality on the dusty, youthfully austere, precise and well-balanced finale. Lovely.Burghound | 89-91 BHThe 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Village offers crisp red fruit on the nose that will open up once racked in December. The medium-bodied palate offers sapid red fruit, crisp acidity, and good backbone with an uncomplicated piquant finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

The village-level Vosne from Hudelot-Noëllat is perhaps more attractive than ever, with a forward, prominent blackberry aroma and notes of violets, ginger, and earth. The wine has a silky texture and great finesse on the palate, along with an immensely appealing sweet character to the fruit. The grapes come from Basses Maizières, not far from his Suchots. The grapes are fermented as approximately 20% whole clusters, and after a gentle extraction, the wine is ageing in cask (one-quarter new).Decanter Magazine | 94 DECA bright ruby purple. Like the Chambolle the bouquet is all about a primary energy. The Vosne is if anything a tad more precise. Also shows the oak a little more and an extra tannin. Backward, needs more elevage, but very promising. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMThe 2022 Vosne-Romanée Village is deeper-pitched than its Chambolle counterpart, evoking dark berries, plums and cherries complemented by subtle hints of mint and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it’s fleshy and enveloping, with refined tannins and a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPThis is also wonderfully fresh though with more deeply pitched and spicier aromas. There is even better mid-palate density to the delicious, vibrant and velvet-textured flavors that display focused power on the compact, serious and impressively long finale. This is a very good Vosne villages that is worth considering.Burghound | 89-92 BH

The Beaux Monts from Hudelot-Noëllat is another level of richness and depth in 2022, with a pronounced mulberry and fig fruit aroma touched with earth, smoke and spice. The wine is dense and tannic, impressively muscular for this appellation. One can only imagine the secret is the old vines and judicious punching down; Van Canneyt farms 0.3 hectares at the top of the slope; otherwise, it is a cool terroir. The grapes were partially destemmed and firmly punched down before ageing in cask (25% new).Decanter Magazine | 95 DECRuby purple in colour, with an intensity on the nose well ahead of its predecessors. The Beaumonts goes into the mouth discreetly, then blossoms, offering summer pudding fruits with vivacious acidity, an excellent balance here. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMAromas of plums, red berries, orange zest, exotic spices and potpourri preface the 2022 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine with a concentrated core of fruit that’s framed by sweet, powdery tannins. It’s pure and complete.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2022 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru has red and black fruit, plus a touch of shucked oyster shell and Japanese nori. Impressive delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a pretty and relatively delicate Les Beaumonts. It is sapid and quite linear, maybe needing a little more grip on the finish. Give it 3-4 years once in bottle. Again, I think this will gain weight during its élevage.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA more deeply pitched and spicier, if perhaps slightly less elegant, nose is comprised by notes of exotic tea, sandalwood and an interesting hint of star anise. Here too the medium-bodied flavors possess a really lovely and sophisticated texture yet no lack of power on the intensely mineral-driven, dusty and youthfully austere finale. Excellent quality in an equally age-worthy package.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Fresh bright purple. What a radiant nose, all the heady joy of Vosne, such stylish bright ripe cherry fruit with some mixed red berries behind. Seamless texture and very long. Sheer class. Tasted Dec 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMContaining 20% whole bunches, the 2022 Vosne-Romanée Village has a tightly wound and "correct" bouquet. It lets the Morey-Saint-Denis Village take the limelight at the moment, red and black fruit combined, a little more sous-bois than expected. The palate is medium-bodied with a core of lively, peppery red berry fruit, blood orange and a pinch of white pepper on the finish. A step up from the 2021, this will give a decade’s drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMAn overtly spicy nose is comprised by darker fruit that includes plum and black cherry along with violet and sandalwood hints. There is a really lovely texture to the caressing but punchy middleweight flavors that deliver equally good length on the youthfully austere and even more refined finale. This too is exceptionally good for its level.Burghound | 89-92 BH

A total of one hectare is planted in Fournaux. The vines from the top of the slope in stony soils are blended with those from the deeper clay at the base. All the grapes are fermented as whole clusters and are ageing in mainly used casks to create this wine with a bright mulberry and pomegranate fruit aroma underpinned by saline minerality and a hint of savoury game. The texture is firm with grippy tannins and good length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fournaux 1er Cru is more closed on the nose compared to the Grands Liards, yet it is still well-defined with black plum and bilberry fruit, intermingling with sous-bois and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It’s an elegant Savigny, not powerful, but armed with reassuring persistence on the white pepper-tinged finish. Lovely.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMAn even fresh purple. At first there is not much nose but a little fresh raspberry fruit begins to emerge. The Fournaux 2022 delivers a rounded raspberry and strawberry fruit across the palate with sterner tannins at the finish, and still a good acid balance. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMMore somber, even brooding, aromas of various dark berries, warm earth and a touch of the sauvage enjoy a floral top note. There is notably better punch, though not better density, to the powerful and serious medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate with firm tannins on the built-to-age finale.Burghound | 89-91 BH

This opulent style starts out supple before chalky tannins take hold of its cherry, blackberry, earth and mineral flavors. Muscular, solid and dry, this lingers, offering a fruit- and oak spice–filled finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 411 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis had just been bottled shortly before my visit and, unsurprisingly, was displaying some reduction. More interesting are the rich, caressing and delicious medium-bodied flavors that are noticeably finer while exhibiting excellent power, focus, balance and length on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. This is textbook Bressandes.Burghound | 93 BH

Welcome to this smoky and flint Chablis masterpiece that’s only just beginning to reveal it’s enormous depths. Stunning balance and purity on the full-bodied but extraordinarily fresh palate. Great drive at the compact and very clean finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSLike the Dame Nature Chablis, there is a touch of phenolic character lurking in the background of the aromas that blend white orchard, mineral reduction, shrimp shell with an interesting hint of something akin to a bitter almond nuance. There is again excellent mid-palate density to the very rich, even opulent, larger-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract on the firm, compact and built-to-age finale. At least some patience strongly advised as this is a relatively structured wine in the context of the 2022 vintage.Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru spent 14 months in oak and stainless steel vat. It has a clean and precise bouquet with lime, orange pith and light stony aromas, perhaps missing a touch of flair yet it is clearly well defined and gains intensity with time. The palate is well balanced with an ever so slightly honeyed entry. Quite fierce, lightly spiced with hints of vanilla and almond, the only real shortcoming is that it seems to fade prematurely on the finishVinous Media | 90 VM