92-94 Point Wines

wines

The 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru is another precise, steely classic Chablis from Benoît Droin. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, showing good concentration and wonderful cohesion and salinity toward the finish. I cannot wait to taste the final version.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMUnwinding in the glass with aromas of green apple, white flowers, mint and bee pollen, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a textural attack and a long, saline finish. From a site characterized by white marls, it has performed well in this sunny vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPPale light colour with a juicy fruit nose, a wealth of joyous white fruit, very lightly peachy, not reductive this year. Benoît thinks will tighten up and refine its toastier character Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMn initial touch of reduction slowly gives way to very pretty and quite cool aromas timidly offer up notes of lemon-lime, white-fleshed fruit, sea breeze and a touch of algae character. There is good vibrancy and detail to the delicious and appealingly textured flavors that possess fine depth on the balanced finish that exhibits a touch of wood as it sits on the palate.Burghound | 91 BH

A succulent, open-knit white marked by an alluring mix of peach fruit and stony mineral flavors, with yellow plum and citrus notes adding depth as this lingers on the finish. A fresh and focused, sunny version. Drink now through 2028. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is brilliant, mingling aromas of crisp green apple and lemon oil with notions of oyster shell, freshly baked bread, white flowers and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, it’s racy and tensile, with tangy acids and a long, searingly mineral finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPure, poised and dry with delightful nuance. This is a classic Séchet with a superb aftertaste, so much fruit to cover the dry bones typical of this vineyard – and indeed implied by its name. The 2020 is immaculately balanced pure and subtly nuanced. It may easily close down for a few years after bottling, so do not be afraid to keep it back. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: June 2022.Jasper Morris | 94 JMThe 2020 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru is very pure on the nose, though not quite as mineral-driven as the 2019, that I tasted last year (also from barrel). But the aromatics are very elegant. Ditto the palate, which delivers fine acidity, impressive concentration, white peach and dried mango flavors and plenty of spice toward the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe 2020 Chablis “Séchet” from Vincent Dauvissat is very refined this year, showing the classical proportions of the vintage to very fine effect. It delivers an aromatic constellation of green apple, lemon, a beautiful base of chalky soil and oyster shell, spring flowers and a lovely topnote of beeswax. Pure, full and racy on the palate, the Séchet shows off exemplary depth at the core, excellent focus and cut and an impeccably balanced, but still quite closed personality on the long finish. This is going to be an outstanding bottle, but it will demand just a bit of patience to allow it to properly blossom. (Drink between 2026 - 2060)John Gilman | 93 JGMore elegant and airier aromas include those of citrus blossom, algae, iodine and a touch of green apple. The detailed and very intense medium-bodied flavors flash both good minerality and salinity on the balanced bitter lemon-inflected finale. This promising if decidedly firm effort is firm enough to reward up to a decade of cellaring.Burghound | 92 BH

As is almost invariably the case, Dauvissat’s 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons is sensual and perfumed, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange oil, peach, jasmine and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it’s vibrant and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru is more floral on the nose compared to the preceding Les Séchets. White flowers, dandelion and touches of orange zest develop in the glass, precise and finessed. The palate is structured with good grip and a slightly waxy texture, building beautifully toward a very persistent finish. Give this 2–3 years in bottle (at least).Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Chablis “Vaillons”- Domaine Vincent Dauvissat) The 2020 Vaillons from Monsieur Dauvissat is just as beautifully structured out of the blocks as the Séchet, sharing that same classical sense of balance and reserve, so it too will deserve just a few years of hibernation in the cellar before starting to drink with generosity. But, the potential here is enormous, as the wine offers up a fine bouquet of apple, pear, chalky minerality, white lilies, citrus peel and just a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, precise and full, with a rock solid core, beautiful acidity and mineral drive, impeccable balance and a long, focused and nascently complex finish. (Drink between 2026-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2020 Chablis “les Séchets” from Domaine Piuze is a superb wine in the making. The bouquet is pure, focused and detailed, offering up scents of tart orange, lemon, pear, chalky minerality, citrus peel, vanillin oak and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with great cut and grip, impressive focus and a long, racy and complex finish up impressive structural integrity. A beautiful wine in the making. (Drink between 2026 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is a beauty, bursting with aromas of Meyer lemon, white flowers, crisp green apple, pastry cream and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with racy acids and chalky grip, it’s a long and penetrating wine that’s quintessentially Chablisien in profile.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2020 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet, quite focused but a little tighter than the Les Roncières at the moment. The palate is vibrant on the entry thanks to a citric bead of acidity. Linear and quite strict for the vintage, this is perhaps one of Piuze’s most classically styled Chablis in 2020, and it should age well.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMOpen in feel, yet there’s an inner tension that emerges as this builds to a long, mouthwatering finish. Balanced and lengthy, featuring prevalent apple, lemon, herb and stone flavors. Drink now through 2026. 110 cases made, 34 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRipe aromas display the hallmark ripe citrus confit notes of a fine Séchets along with notes of oyster shell, spice and cool white-fleshed fruit. The rich and relatively full-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate density before terminating in a dry and exceptionally lemony finish that is presently tart and tightly wound. While I would expect that the intense citrus character would progressively diminish, it’s unlikely to be for everyone young.Burghound | 89-91 BH

An elegant, pure and beautifully layered nose is comprised by notes of white orchard fruit, ocean breeze, quinine and a whiff of the exotic. There is really lovely intensity to the caressing but well-detailed middle weight flavors that conclude in a refreshing and inviting finish that evidences plenty of salinity. Beauroy is rarely this good so color me impressed.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy is a charming, pretty wine, bursting with aromas of sweet white flowers, honeycomb, oyster shells and crisp stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, ample and precise, with a satiny attack and a saline finish, it’s a particular success this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s quite a bit of spice here although the palate is restrained and with good concentration. Less showy, a wine built for the long haul, this is classy and will age very well. From three parcels in Beauroy. No battonage, 25-30% in wood and 16-17 months maturation.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2020 Beauroy from Domaine Fèvre is a fine bottle in the making. This is a warmer microclimate and Didier noted that they picked this very early, “to keep the freshness in the wine.” The team has succeeded nicely in this, as the wine jumps from the glass in a lovely blend of lemon, pear, chalky soil tones, white flowers and a touch of upper register paraffin. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and nicely balanced, with a good core, lovely transparency and grip and a long, zesty and complex finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 92 JGPale lime colour. Some spice on the nose, just kept the tension going on the palate, an easy access Chablis 1er cru, well made, but as always I think you get more by trading up.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

Ex Laleure Piot. Pale lemon and lime. This is very different from the Pierre Meurgey label Corton-Charlemagne, though the plots are next door and picked on the same day. This version is much less exotic in aromatics, much more chiselled, and is actually very fine with youthful mineral bitters. Long salient steely finish. A Corton-Charlemagne success this year, with the wood perfectly integrated. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA dense and lively white, evoking lemon and apple core flavors wrapped in toasty oak. Smooth, picking up generous baking spices as this winds down on the long citrus- and oak spice-inflected aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2035. 104 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDomaine Clos de la Chapelle’s Corton-Charlemagne has become one of my favorites on the hill of Corton. The 2020 vintage here is exceptional, offering up a deep and youthful nose of apple, pear, raw almond, a hint of crème patissière, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with a superb core, great mineral drive and cut, lovely acids and a long, focused and perfectly balanced finish. This comes in listed at 13.5 percent octane and is a fairly ripe example of this bottling, in the style of the vintage, but with impeccable typicité and potential for long-term cellaring. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2022 - 2055)John Gilman | 94+ JGA subtle but not invisible application of wood surrounds the aromas of just sliced green apple, mineral reduction and a similar array of citrus elements. There is first-rate intensity to the broad-shouldered and powerful flavors that deliver excellent length on the stony, clean and very dry but not especially austere finale. Like the Sous Frétille, this could use better depth but in this case, more will also certainly develop in time.Burghound | 93 BH

This focused and pure wine opens with aromas of fresh and ripe Fuji apples, yellow flowers and distinct chalky notes. The palate is bright with vibrant acidity layered by roasted lemons and cream. Well balanced and intriguing, it’s a wine to drink now through 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is a delicious, full-bodied chardonnay with hazelnut cream, praline, apple pie, fresh mangoes and salted caramel on the nose. Lemons and gun flint too. Full of energy. Tangy acidity. Exciting. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSShowing nice body and fruit weight, the Cordero San Giorgio 2020 Oltrepò Pavese Chardonnay Rivone opens to generous peach, orchard fruit and sweet pear. The wine’s aromas are soft and nicely layered with some nuttiness and spice. The wine’s natural acidity would match a classic chicken roast.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Even if already sold out, I also tasted the white 2020 Cullerot because it’s probably their finest vintage for this wine. The nose is very expressive, with notes of flowers, talcum powder, fennel and aniseed, pollen and herbs, with a soft texture combining volume with freshness in a year when the grapes ripened properly. It’s been settled by some time in bottle and feels very harmonious and ready. It has 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.23 (the white does not go through malolactic) and feels very balanced, tasty and supple. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP(Cullerot Blanco- Celler del Roure) Celler del Roure is blessed with ancient cellars carved into the bedrock below the winery, where past generations fermented and aged the wines in amphorae dug into the stone. They were not used for several decades, but recently the winery decided it would be interesting to see how these amphora wines would taste and started to produce a lineup of bottlings made from these ancient vessels. The Cullerot Blanco bottling is composed of a blend that includes Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo and Malvasia, among other varieties co-planted in the vineyards. The wine starts out fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then is transferred to the amphorae embedded in the rock for six months of aging. The 2020 Cullerot comes in at thirteen percent alcohol and offers up a complex nose of tart orange, breadfruit, lemongrass, lovely soil tones, citrus peel and a touch of honeysuckle in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nicely ripe and complex, with a fine core, excellent soil signature, zesty acids and a long, complex and very well balanced finish. This is most impressive! (Drink between 2022 - 2028)John Gilman | 92 JG

The 2020 Meursault Clos des Corvées de Citeau, the monopole of the Domaine, has a very well-defined, you might say Roulot-like bouquet, with yellow plum, quince and light orange pith scents, an underlying stony scent becoming more accentuated with time. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh with a slightly waxy-textured finish, a little more extract here. Excellent.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2020 Meursault Les Narvaux has a perfumed, floral bouquet with touches of white flowers infusing the citrus peel and orange pith aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a slightly waxier texture than Chavy-Chouet’s other cuvées, with fine persistence on the finish. Very good length here.Vinous Media | 92 VMHere too there is a hint of mineral reduction to the equally cool and airy aromas of green apple, citrus peel and crushed anise. Once again, the medium-bodied flavors possess a highly attractive texture and solid power if not quite the same refinement on the bone-dry and youthfully austere finale. This too is a very good villages and worth a look.Burghound | 90 BH

Moderate reduction again pushes the underlying fruit to the background though there is outstanding freshness and verve on the palate of the medium-bodied flavors that retain lovely delineation on the moderately dry, youthfully austere and complex finale. Very solid quality here.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2020 Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru is aged 75% in stainless steel and 25% in oak for nine months, followed by five months all in stainless steel. It has a relatively light bouquet, quite airy in style, gaining intensity with aeration, touches of white peach, smoke and granite. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, citrus fruit, orange rind and a touch of stem ginger towards the finish that fans out nicely. This meliorates with aeration and is worth decanting if you decide to crack open a bottle in its youth. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMA deftly balanced white highlighted by apple, yellow plum, floral and stone aromas and flavors. Offers a rich and supple texture, making this almost seamless from start to the finish, where a stony element emerges. Drink now through 2028. 304 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSModerate wood surrounds the overtly floral-suffused nose of softly exotic white peach, sea breeze and pretty spice whiffs. The succulent, round and plump flavors exude a refreshing salinity on the very dry and sneaky long finish. Like several wines in the range, this needs to develop more depth, but the underlying material appears to be present for that to occur.Burghound | 92 BHale to mid lemon yellow. Bouquet hidden at first, stones and light white fruit, more body behind, a little bit of oak. The oyster shells appear further back on the palate, elegance without heat.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru delivers the intensity one seeks in this cru, offering scent of chalk dust, lemon thyme and light loamy aromas. It builds nicely in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a fine thread of acidity, compact on the entry yet it fans out nicely whilst retaining admirable tension from start to finish. I would have just liked a little more residual spiciness, but this will do nicely. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMA mellow white, with a light touch of vanilla and clove accenting peach, apple tart and honey flavors. Well-delineated and balanced, with honey, spice and mineral accents on the finish. Best from 2024 through 2030. 131 cases made, 70 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDiscreet though certainly perceptible wood sets off the ripe aromas of citrus confit, spring flowers, iodine and shellfish. The mouthfeel of the medium weight plus flavors is nothing short of gorgeous as it’s at once caressing but punchy on the sappy and strikingly long finish. This too would benefit from having better depth, but the density of material is such that more will almost certainly develop if allowed a few years first.Burghound | 93 BH

A beautiful chardonnay with cooked apple, dried mango and mineral character with a pumice undertone. It’s full-bodied with solid tension and a curated finish. Extremely polished and focused. Tensioned. No malo. Made from organic grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe aromas are restrained but compelling, influenced perhaps by the herb gardens that grow alongside the vineyard. There is chamomile and verbena together with just a hint of the apricot and mango of ripe California Chardonnay. The palate is equally restrained, refreshingly steely, with a sinewy backbone of acidity supporting ripe yellow tree fruit. Malolactic fermentation was blocked but a plushness exists to the texture from battonage and there is a definite sensation of spongy compression on the mid palate, generous and delicious. The finish is pure-fruited and long. This is a lovely, refreshing wine to drink right now, light on its feet but sinewy as a dancer.Decanter | 94 DECFresh and expressive, featuring Honeycrisp apple, yuzu and lemon blossom flavors that show hints of marzipan and nutmeg, this white offers wonderful restraint and focus. The long, juicy finish reveals a hint of fresh-grated ginger. Drink now through 2030. 1,609 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2020 Chardonnay Carbone is terrific. Coming from older vines (planted in 1988), it has a pretty, perfumed nose of lemon curd, ripe melon, and white flowers, as well as a subtle tropical edge. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, with a solid spine of acidity and a great finish. It shines for its purity and elegance while still bringing good depth of fruit and concentration.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2020 Chardonnay Carbone is sourced from old vines in the Berry Lane vineyard in Coombsville, right next to the Carbone winery. The blocked malo style yields a Chardonnay built on brightness and energy, with lovely citrus, floral and savory accents. This is such a gorgeous wine.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2020 Dão Branco from Lúcia Ferreira is crafted from a cépages of twenty-five percent Encruzado, thirty-two percent Malvasia Fina, nineteen percent Bicoal and fourteen percent Gouveio. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The 2020 version is drinking beautifully today, delivering a refined bouquet of white peach, fresh lime, a touch of casaba melon, white soil tones, gentle floral tones and a hint of beeswax in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil undertow and grip and a long, well balanced and very classy finish. This is an excellent wine that still has years and years of life ahead of it. (Drink between 2023 - 2040)John Gilman | 92 JG

Readers may not know it, but this team makes some incredible whites. The 2020 Virginie De Valandraud Blanc has a beautiful perfume of bright citrus, lemon pith, and chalky minerality as well as a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet still racy and vibrant style on the palate. It’s gorgeous today, but this will evolve gracefully for 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDTypical Sauvignon Blanc nose of herbs, peas, apple and stalky elderflower with some white chocolate. Bright, textured and clear, a lovely clean sensation, I like the creamy yet piercing lemon and lime. Thrilling with clarity and elements of chalky, lemon, salty lime, nectarine and bitter orange peel. In a quiet phase but plenty of appeal.Decanter | 93 DECThis has aromas of almonds, thyme, clove, lemons and green apples. Crushed stones, too. Creamy, medium-bodied and textured, with a nutty thread throughout. Excellent weight and intensity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2020 Virginie de Valandraud Blanc is a very pretty and expressive dry white. Hints of passionfruit, tangerine oil, mint and pineapple all grace this airy, weightless white.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2020 Virginie de Valandraud Blanc leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of green guava, passion fruit and ripe pears, plus hints of coriander seed, lemongrass and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate has impressive purity and intensity, delivering a racy backbone to offset the tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and lively.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPCrackles nicely from the start, with oyster shell, lemon peel and gooseberry notes. Shows lots of mouthwatering zip through the finish, which brings you back for another sip. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2024. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Here’s a very typical Meursault that combines the generosity and textural complexity we expect from this appellation, with liveliness that makes it very satisfying. Good concentration. A ton of flinty character at the substantial finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSLuscious and well-delineated, too, this white offers lemon oil, sliced apple and clove flavors, with an underlying mineral element. Long and will benefit from an additional year in bottle. Best from 2023 through 2029. 2,500 cases made, 750 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSmoky reduction dominates the underlying fruit today. By contrast, there is good freshness and verve to the notably rich, round and rather plump medium-bodied flavors that display reasonably good length if only average depth on the bitter lemon-inflected and youthfully austere finale.Burghound | 89-91 BHThe 2020 Meursault 1er Cru Château de Blagny offers up aromas of crisp Anjou pear, white flowers, green apple and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, round and rich, it’s a gourmand, textural white from this higher-altitude site.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2020 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard is bright and wonderfully saline, with plenty of mineral and savory accents. Citrus peel, mint, white pepper, chalk and dried flowers open nicely with a bit of time. There’s terrific energy and plenty of cut. Most of this fruit is sourced from the own-rooted vines first planted in 1971.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2020 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard is terrific and shockingly good given the quantities produced. Burgundian-like aromas of stone fruits, chalky minerality, honeyed flowers, and brioche all define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, with a supple, rounded texture, integrated acidity, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDDried lime peel, seared lemon pith, white flower and a hint of grass show on the nose of this bottling. There’s an earthy, crushed rock element to the palate, where dried apple and herb flavors also arise. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Very complex nose of fresh hazelnut, candied citrus, flint and sage, plus a delicate touch of vanilla. Stunning concentration and mid-palate textural complexity for this appellation. Super-mineral and candied-lemon flavors cascade through the very long, crystalline finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2020 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc Elévation 382 Montagne is another fine-boned but intensely flavored wine from Champy. Revealing aromas of pear, crisp green apple, freshly baked bread, lemon zest and hazelnuts, it’s medium-bodied, racy and incisive, with a fleshy core of fruit and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2020 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc "Montage 382" (previously Elevation 382), matured in 20% new oak with some bâtonnage, is lively on the nose, just a scintilla of menthol here, nicely defined, quite complex compared to its peers. The palate is fresh and vibrant, a fine bead of acidity (pH 3.15) swatting away its core of richness so that it feels powerful, yet effortless and tensile. Superb.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2020 Pinot Gris Occam’s Razor is a one-of-a-kind, skin-contact Pinot Gris wine that is showing nutty and earthy tones alongside ripe pear and marzipan notes on the palate. The texture from the extended bâtonnage really impresses. This is a layered and delicious wine that overdelivers for the price.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru has a very focused, mineral-driven bouquet with touches of yellow plum, pressed flowers, lemon verbena and a hint of patisserie. The palate is well balanced, lively and full of energy, the 25% new oak neatly integrated. A lovely zestiness comes through on the finish. This is very promising.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2020 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, one barrel that is an exchange with another producer, had not been racked unlike the other cuvées. It is fragrant on the nose with citrus lemon, lime flower and a touch of wet limestone. The palate is vibrant on the entry with a judicious touch of sour lemon combining nicely with the subtle white peach and ginger elements, the finish quite spicy and persistent. Afford this 4-5 years in bottle before broaching.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

The 2020 Grüner Veltliner is more savory than sweet with crushed rocks, musky pears, apricots and hints of flint. This is round and soothing, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness and vivid ripe orchard fruits balanced by saline-mineral tones. The 2020 tapers off long and staining, yet also lightly-structured, leaving hints of candied lime. There’s great potential here.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2020 Sylvaner is wickedly fresh and floral with crushed stone, yellow flowers and pretty young peach forming its bouquet. It’s silky upon entry, yet quickly builds in salty, savory tension with a rich mix of green apple and nectarine. There’s so much complexity and depth here, yet it’s still youthfully inward, finishing long and lightly-structured. The 2020 Sylvaner has energy to burn.Vinous Media | 92 VM