Burgundy Crus

wines

This cuvée, sourced from a 0.75ha parcel of 46-year-old vines completed its malolactic fermentation late, so was a little more backward than the other releases when I tasted it. It may need more time in barrel and bottle, but this is a superb expression of the premier cru, located at the fresher, more scented end of the spectrum. It has fruit intensity from the small berries (millerands) and a chiselled finish.Decanter | 96 DECNoble imperial purple. There is a such a wealth of vibrant heady fruit, which defies simple categorisation, so much more than just dark cherry, too concentrated for floral descriptors though some peony notes are lurking. There is an explosion of fruit at the back of the palate, a little more red than black, an excellent fresh acidity, a very complete wine with as much concentration as one could hope for in 2017. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMCathiard’s emblematic cuvée, the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts is also a great success, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, licorice, spices, dark berries, grilled game and an elegant framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a broad-shouldered chassis of velvety structuring tannin, considerable concentration and a long, expansive finish. Due to a late malolactic, this was one of the more primary wines in the cellar, but its immense potential is impossible to miss.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru is matured in 62% new oak and underwent a slightly later malolactic fermentation than the other cuvées. It has a very pure, detailed bouquet of precise blackberry, briar and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, displaying more grip and backbone than the Les Suchots, and the bold finish perhaps offering less charm. It will certainly require several years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM Firm reduction renders this impossible to fairly assess today. Otherwise there is more size, weight and muscle to the big-bodied and more evidently mineral-driven flavors that are almost painfully intense, all wrapped in a gorgeously long finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. However, it is pointless to buy this without the express intention to cellar it as it is very structured.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The average age of the Seysses’ 1.95ha holdings in the Clos de la Roche are slightly older than those of neighbouring Clos St-Denis. Using fruit from five main parcels, it’s a very complete, self-confident wine with good density and concentration, sappy, spicy undertones, fine-grained fruit and tannins, and a very long, tapering finish. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035.Decanter | 97 DEC(Clos de la Roche- Domaine Dujac) I love the 2017 vintage for red Burgundy and Domaine Dujac’s Clos de la Roche has to be one of the finest wines of the vintage. The bouquet is still youthful and quite red fruity this year, but already shows lovely complexity in its blend of cherries, blood orange, beetroot, raw cocoa, a gorgeous base of soil tones, pigeon and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and very svelte in profile, with a sappy core of fruit, great balance and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, soil-driven and dazzling finish. This is going to be a stunning wine once it is fully ready to drink! (Drink between 2032-2080)John Gilman | 96 JGDujac’s 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is more reserved that the Clos Saint-Denis, unwinding in the glass with scents of red berries, plums, orange rind, cinnamon, peonies and sweet soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, serious and layered, with muscular structure, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. While this remains a comparatively accessible, finesse-driven Clos de la Roche, at least a decade’s patience will be required to see this begin to realize its potential.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru shows some charry oak barrel on the nose, just a slight hickory scent that feels out of place. It becomes smokier with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of stem addition that dominates the terroir expression and fruit at the moment. Well-defined and well-crafted, and it may ultimately turn into a brilliant Clos de la Roche, but that depends on how those stems are assimilated. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Red) This is also markedly floral in character with additional breadth from the impressively pure combination of red cherry, currant, leather and a whiff of the sauvage along with a touch of oak. The beautifully energetic and detailed flavors are much finer than usual thanks mostly to the ultra-fine grain of the tannins supporting the austere, serious and compact finish. This is a Dujac CdlR of refinement rather than one of imposing size, indeed it’s almost a bit light, but even so, it is clearly constructed for the medium to longer. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 92 BH

For the third vintage in a row, this 0.32ha plot, ranging in age between 60 and 80 years, has produced the best wine at the domaine. It’s a stunning grand cru that was deceptively easy to taste from barrel. Elegant, refined and sensuous, it’s a soprano of a wine with beautifully pitched chalky precision, a hint of earth and subtle wild strawberry fruit. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru has a showstopping, persistent bouquet of intense blackberry, sous-bois and crushed stone. The supremely well-balanced palate offers filigreed tannin, wonderful mineralité and an otherworldly-long finish. One of the most elegant Richebourgs that I have tasted. Best Richebourg in show this year? Quite possibly. Six barrels produced.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg Grand Cru Red) The elegant, airy and beautifully perfumed nose offers up notes of sandalwood, anise, clove, herbal tea and plenty of floral influences. There is excellent delineation and minerality to the solidly concentrated, indeed even muscular, large-scaled flavors that culminate in an incredibly long if very, very backward, austere and compact finale. This Zen-like effort is going to require an extended snooze in a cool cellar and as such, it’s a wine to buy and forget that you own it for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 95 BHThe king of the cellar is the 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru, a decidedly promising wine that wafts from the glass with notes of rose petal, dark wild berries, smoke, Asian spices, espresso roast, licorice and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, its satiny structuring tannins cloaked in succulent, fleshy fruit, its finish long and vibrant. The Richebourg stands apart for its amplitude and completeness this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP

I can’t remember a more appealing sample of the Aux Thorey premier cru at this young stage from Sébastien Cathiard. Made with grapes from a 0.43ha parcel planted in 1953, it has a wonderful combination of sweetness, acidity, structure, and plush black cherry and orange zest flavours.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 1er Cru is consistent with my previous notes. Raspberry and black cherries, less cassis than noted out of barrel and more Pinoté than expected. The palate is well-balanced with fine-grain tannins. It’s quite Vosne-like thanks to its florality, with a subtle oyster shell-tinged finish. It still requires a couple of years in bottle, but it’s getting there.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey offers up a lovely bouquet of cassis, blackberries, warm spices, licorice and peony. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with superb concentration and an earthier, chewier profile than the Murgers this year—despite the finesse of its tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPA still youthfully fresh, pure, cool and restrained nose offers an appealingly spicy array of red currant, cherry and soft earth nuances. The mouthfeel of the energetic medium weight flavors is wonderfully refined while possessing fine complexity on the balanced, lingering and still slightly austere finale. Lovely stuff fashioned in an understated style that is still clearly on the way up though another 5 to 7 years should see it at its full maturity. I would note that this isn’t so backward that it couldn’t be enjoyed now if you don’t feel like waiting!Burghound | 91 BHFullish purple with a lighter rim. Some density of red fruit, not quite so intense, certainly ripe, a slight tarriness from the wood, perhaps because of a late malolactic fermentation. It does give grip to the finish though. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 90-94 JM

The 2018 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is even darker than the Bonnes-Mares. It has a spectacular bouquet of intense black fruit, blueberries and shucked oyster shells, the mineralité heightened over the Bonnes-Mares and lending a great deal of precision. The palate is medium-bodied with blueberry, boysenberry and black currant fruit, extraordinary tension, razor-sharp acidity and a dash of white pepper on the crystalline finish. One of the finest Musignys I have tasted from barrel at de Vogüé.Vinous Media | 97-99 VM(Domaine Comte de Vogüé Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) A ripe and super-fresh nose offers up notes of black raspberry, plum liqueur, Asian-style tea and a whiff of incense. The racy, intense and mineral-driven big-bodied flavors retain outstanding delineation as well as an abundance of palate soaking dry extract before delivering stunningly good length where an interesting hint of citrus character in the form of mandarin orange appears. This incredibly powerful effort is both classy and highly complex and like the Bonnes Mares, is a wine that will live for decades. With that said, it’s not so backward and compact to preclude it being approachable after only 10 to 12 years. A knockout by any standard. (Drink starting 2043)Burghound | 97 BHAll the vines that are used to produce this extensive cuvée of Musigny are over 25 years’ old, so it always has good concentration. But in 2018, it’s an especially big, dense, powerful wine with masses of inky colour, assertive one-third new oak, plenty of plush bramble and black cherry fruit, undertones of sweet spices and liquorice and a chalky flourish. Needs time. Drinking Window 2026 - 2033.Decanter | 95 DEC(Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”- Domaine de Comte de Georges de Vogüé) The 2018 Musigny Vieilles Vignes was also in fine form at the time of my visit, as the racking for this cuvée was just starting and there were plenty of untouched casks to choose from for sampling. The wine is very deep and still very primary on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a sappy blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, dark chocolate, gamebird, woodsmoke, soil and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off excellent mid-palate depth of sappy fruit, with good mineral drive, ripe, seamless and buried tannins, fine focus and grip and a long, focused and classy finish. All this needs is time in the cellar! (Drink between 2038-2085).John Gilman | 95 JG

The most Vosne-Romanée-like of the Nuits-St-Georges Premiers Crus according to Etienne Grivot, with a character that he identifies as ’a little wild’, Aux Boudots often produces on my favourite wines at the domaine. It’s plush, smooth and glossy all right, with a sheen of aromatic 30% new wood, fine tannins and some underlying bounce and vitality.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECA well of black currant and blueberry mark this sappy, yet beefy red. It’s a tannic Titanic, with a dense, compact finish that echoes the dark fruit, spice and iron notes. The aftertaste is saturated with fruit. Impressive, yet will require time to resolve the tannins. Best from 2025 through 2047. 53 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSHalf the vines were ripped out 5 years ago and will come back into play in 2020 maybe. Bouncing concentrated dark red fruit, not too exuberant on the palate though, an excellent fine-grained tannic structure behind, and exceptional length. This has been picked at optimum ripeness. Tasted Nov 2019.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru comes from the old part of the vineyard, half of which was replanted in spring 2017 (these young vines may reenter this cru next year, or more likely the Bourgogne Rouge until they reach maturity). The crisp, fresh, well-defined bouquet is probably the best among Grivot’s Nuits Saint-Georges this year, reflecting the pedigree of this vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive mineralité and tension, quite "strict" in style but boasting so much coiled-up energy on the finish that you could easily drink it now. This is a superb offering that should age with grace and style over many years.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThis too is quite firmly reduced to the point that it’s unreadable today. Otherwise the less concentrated but finer middle weight flavors exude evident minerality on the tautly muscular bitter cherry-inflected finish that is a bit leaner and less complex. The younger vines are in evidence though to be fair, and clear, this is still a very pretty effort.Burghound | 89-92 BH

Sensual’ is the word Véronique Drouhin uses to describe this remarkable wine and there is certainly something fleshy, enticing and engaging about this polished, refined Grand Cru bottling. Made with 40% whole bunches and 30% new wood, it’s bright, perfumed and very silky with lacy tannins and no sign of the heat of the vintage. Decadent stuff. Drinking Window 2026 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2018 Musigny Grand Cru is slightly lighter than the Bonnes-Mares tasted alongside and has a more detailed, precise bouquet of intense blackberry, mulberry, sous-bois and light charcoal aromas that gain power with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, very sensual and seductive. The polished and lightly spiced finish is pure class. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM(Maison Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru Red) A highly restrained nose requires plenty of swirling to coax the super-floral and spicy aromas to reveal nuances of plum liqueur, red cherry and sandalwood. The marvelously refined middle weight flavors possess a beguiling satin-like texture yet there is no lack of punch on the wonderfully long, complex and well-balanced finish. Like the Amoureuses, this stunningly classy effort is a knockout that should also age effortlessly over the long-term. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 94-96 BH

(Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru Red) An expressive nose is comprised by notes of freshly sliced plum, red cherry, soy, hoisin and discreet hints of sandalwood. There is excellent power and intensity to the focused and beautifully textured, indeed even silky, medium weight flavors that deliver outstanding depth and persistence on the impeccably well-balanced and youthfully austere finish. This wonderfully refined effort is at once classy yet impressively punchy and is a wine that should also age effortlessly. A ripe yet still classically styled RSV. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 96 BHThe 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cassis, exotic spices, dark chocolate and rose petals, framed by a deft application of new oak. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, it’s deep and concentrated, with lively acids, broad structural shoulders and a long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, matured in around 50% new oak, has an enthralling, pure black cherry, cassis, crushed violet and blood orange bouquet that soars from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins. Opulent and showy; hints of licorice and mint suffuse the intense finish. It closes up a little toward the finish, but this is a magnificent Romanée-Saint-Vivant that should age over the next 30–40 years.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThis 0.48ha parcel planted in 1920 is one of the jewels of the estate and is located between Liger-Belair and Jean Mongeard. In 2019, these vines have delivered fruit of superb intensity, with marvellous, fresh blackberry fruit, hints of violets and a savoury edge. On the palate there is impressive density, concentration and a straight line of tannic structure that leads it to a lingering finish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2049.Decanter | 95 DEC

A lovely, accessible wine with bright cherry and blackberry fruit, scented with spice and smoke. The texture is voluptuously rich, almost decadent, and lingers enticingly on the finish. From the oldest vines in Trapet’s 0.6ha parcel of Chapelle-Chambertin, planted in 1945. Jean-Louis notes that the vines ripen early because of the thin soils here.Drinking Window 2026 - 2060Decanter | 96 DECJean-Louis Trapet’s 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin is one of the great wines of the vintage, coming in at 13.5 percent octane and offering classic aromatic and flavor profiles, superb depth, impeccable balance and lovely structure for long term aging. The utterly refined bouquet hops from the glass in a mix of cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, a gorgeous base of soil, pigeon, mustard seed, a touch of sweet stem tones and a suave foundation of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and structured, with a great core of fruit, superb transparency and grip, firm, ripe tannins and a long, complex and very classy finish. This is a proper example of Chapelle and will need plenty of bottle age to start to drink with generosity, but it is one of the stars of 2019. (Drink between 2035-2100)John Gilman | 95 JGNotes of rose petals, orange rind, cassis, rich soil tones and raw cocoa preface Trapet’s 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, elegantly sumptuous and enveloping wine that’s deep and complete, with lively acids, velvety tannins and a long, saline finish. As I’ve observed before, this derives exclusively from holdings located in lieu-dit En la Chapelle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2019 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, which includes 100% whole bunch, has a complex bouquet of black fruit, espresso and crushed stone aromas, displaying very good intensity. The focused palate is medium-bodied with very good structure and fine grip. At the moment, the whole bunch influences this Grand Cru, which is slightly bitter on the finish and leaves a strong saline aftertaste. I would like to see just a tad more elegance, à la Domaine Dugat, as it matures.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThe whole cluster vinification is discernible on the ripe and elegant aromas of herbal tea, plum liqueur, violet and a pretty range of spice and soft wood elements. The mouthfeel of the medium weight plus flavors is also quite suave and seductive but with more volume and a bit more density as well before tightening up on the lingering if slightly warm finish. This is firm but not especially austere and a wine that should age gracefully while being accessible after only a few years. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 92 BH

The cooler terroir has produced an exotic wine with ripe black fruit, a floral note, and a savoury, salty hint of earth. The texture is silky and the tannins are firm. There is enough substance here to age for decades. The Trapet family has owned this parcel of Latricières since 1904 when it purchased 1.5ha from the Savot family. Jean-Louis now works 74 acres, as do his cousins Nicolas and David Rossignol. Drinking Window 2026 - 2060.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, which contains around 60% whole bunch, has a well-defined bouquet of ebullient dark berry fruit laced with light woodland and earthy scents. So much vigor and coiled-up energy! The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful balance, supple tannins, perfectly judged acidity and a crescendo of flavors toward the splendid, mineral-driven finish. The cooler microclimate really benefited this cuvée in 2019, and it is one of the Trapet’s finest contributions to the vintage.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is the finest rendition of this cuvée I’ve ever tasted from Trapet. Unfurling in the glass with an incipiently complex bouquet that mingles dark berry fruit with nuances of coniferous forest floor, peonies, bergamot and exotic spices, it’s full-bodied, layered and velvety, with terrific depth and concentration, framed by powdery tannins and animated by a lively spine of acidity that carries through the mouthwateringly mineral finish. I wrote that Trapet’s 2018 Latricières was worth a special effort to seek out—I’m happy to have some in my cellar—and that applies a fortiori to this brilliant 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(Latricières-Chambertin- Domaine Trapet Père et Fils) The 2019 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Trapet is a stunning young wine in the making, with a purity and freshness of fruit that are really quite rare in this warm vintage. The bouquet is deep and complex, wafting from the glass in a refined mix of sweet dark berries, black cherries, coffee bean, grilled meats, a beautifully complex base of dark minerality, just a touch of spice from whole clusters, mustard seed, black tea, woodsmoke and cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, young and full, with impeccable focus and balance, a lovely core of fruit, ripe, buried tannins and a very long, complex and utterly superb finish. This wine will have a very velvety texture when it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2035-2100)John Gilman | 95 JGAn interesting nose combines notes of coffee grounds and herbal tea with those of cool red currant, raspberry, spice and suggestions of the sauvage. There is fine volume to the earth and mineral-infused middle weight flavors that flash almost painful intensity on the youthfully austere, linear, focused chiseled finish that also exhibits a touch of warmth. This is a classic Latricières that needs to add depth but appears to have the stuffing to do so in time. Lovely. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 92 BH

Aromas of aniseed and lemon rind with dried apple and pear follow through to a full body. Yet, it’s tight and layered with a compact palate and plenty of fruit. Needs time to open. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThis is not the legendary Côte de Bouguerots bottling, but the regular Bougros – which still stood out alongside its peers. The fruit shows grand cru weight and the sunshine quality of the vintage, juicy but well balanced, while the crystalline purity of the finish sets this wine apart.Jasper Morris | 94 JMAromas of crisp green orchard fruit, clear honey, peach, mint and buttery pastry introduce the 2019 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, a full-bodied, ample and enveloping wine that’s one of the more textural, dramatic wines in the range. Unusually deep and concentrated, its immediate, charming profile belies considerable aging potential this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPVibrant, this white combines green apple and citrus flavors with an iodide element. This is lean and intense, with a lingering citrus and mineral aftertaste. Drink now through 2027. 70 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA ripe and beautifully layered nose consists of notes of green fruit, citrus, iodine and mineral reduction. The powerful, rich and voluminous big-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate density that coats the palate with sap before concluding in an austere, long and vaguely rustic finale. This is an imposing Bougros that should age effortlessly over the next decade plus.Burghound | 92-94 BH

For the first time, Maxime Chuerlin decided to use stems in his crown jewel, the 2019 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, settling on 25% whole bunch for this year. This was an astute decision, because it lends freshness and more complexity to the bouquet of blackberry, undergrowth, tobacco and crushed limestone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, hints of peppermint behind the black fruit and touches of white pepper and sage toward a finish that fans out wonderfully. A slam-dunk for Maxime Churlin. Five barrels produced, matured entirely in new oak.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Georges Noëllat Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) In contrast to the expressiveness of the Echézeaux, this is aromatically more restrained and somber and only grudgingly reveals its more floral-suffused aromas of various dark berries, spice and lavender and violet scents. The sleek and impressively intense bigger-bodied flavors are also not especially dense with very good detail, all wrapped in a dusty, somewhat angular and short finish. Note that my score assumes that this become much more harmonious with a few years in bottle as the underlying material appears to be quite good. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 91-93 BH

At Boillot they normally make a single, 350-litre barrel of Montrachet, lightly crushing the fruit before pressing in a basket press. The results in 2019 were absolutely beautiful. Ripe pear and fresh flowers dominate the initial attack. On the palate there is a lovely intensity and richness, with a dense, creamy, buttery texture and huge reserves of substance that will keep this wine ageing for years to come. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 97 DECInterestingly, here the nose resembles a grand cru Chablis with its oyster shell, iodine, quinine, lemon-lime and bee’s wax-scented nose. There is outstanding volume and concentration to the overtly powerful and muscular flavors that are supported by a citrus-tinged and markedly firm acid spine that also shapes the cuts-like-a-knife finale. As the length of my initial projected drinking window suggests, it would be pointless to open this beauty before it has at least a decade of aging as it should easily repay two of them. In sum, this is quite simply stunningly good. (Drink starting 2039)Burghound | 97 BHNotes of orange oil, pear, peach, yellow apples, fresh bread and nutmeg introduce Boillot’s 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru, a full-bodied, satiny and concentrated wine that’s textural and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, lively acids and a long, expansive finish. More tightly wound than the demonstrative 2018, his is a superb effort that will reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère was showing superbly, unfurling in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, orange blossom, dried white flowers, toasted nuts and iodine. Medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s concentrated and textural, with tangy acids, chalky extract and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe Clos de la Mouchère is a domaine monopole of nearly 4ha. The vines date to before the Second World War and have not been replanted since. It is located midslope and consistently provides a lovely wine of exquisite balance and elegance. Here the accent is on ripe apple, spice and buttery aromas. The texture is broad and rich, but superbly elegant and well balanced. The finesse of the results in such a warm year are reassuring. Drinking Window 2022 - 2034.Decanter | 95 DECIn contrast to the nose of the Pucelles, here it’s elegant, pure and airy with its layered aromas of essence of apple, pear and acacia blossom. There is excellent volume and mid-palate density to the mouth coating and caressing middle weight flavors that culminate in a lemony finish that is hugely long if perhaps not quite as crisp. This too is very stylish and a wine that should age gracefully for years. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 95 BHThe 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchère 1er Cru sports just a slight reduction on the nose, but it still manages to convey energy and mineralité. Maybe it just lacks a bit of personality? The palate is well balanced with good grip and substance. A little spicier than other Puligny 2019s, there is a touch of white pepper and bitter orange peel that lends tension and complexity on the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

(Mazy-Chambertin- Domaine Joseph Roty) The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin is utterly brilliant. The bouquet is pure, precise and beautifully sappy in personality, soaring from the glass in a mix of black cherries, cassis, smoked meats, very complex, dark soil tones, woodsmoke, those savory elements particular to Mazy’s terroir, coffee bean and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with a beautiful core of fruit, stunning mineral drive, ripe, buried tannins and a very, very long, complex and seamless finish. A great, great wine in the making. (Drink between 2035-2120)John Gilman | 98 JGThe 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of wild berries, plums, rose petals, loamy soil, black truffles and smoked meats. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s a fleshy, textural wine with terrific concentration, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It’s one of the high points of the range.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru has an almost confit-like bouquet, wild strawberry intermingling with crème de cassis and incense, plus just a touch of melted tar. The fresh palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Quite oaky on the finish (100% new); this will require several years to assimilate.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM(Domaine Joseph Roty Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) Discreet though not imperceptible wood sets off the very spicy and smoky liqueur-like aromas of mostly dark berries that are liberally laced with notes of the sauvage and warm earth. The caressing but imposingly powerful big-bodied flavors brim with both minerality and sappy dry extract that buffers the super-saline finish that goes on and on and where the wood telegraphed by the nose gradually reemerges. This is a robust, even slightly rustic, Mazy that should comfortably reward 15+ years of cellaring. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 93 BH

Leflaive owns four contiguous parcels in the center of BBM that total 1.15 hectares, nearly half of the appellation. The vines lie just down the slope from one of their four Bâtard parcels. In 2019, Leflaive began their harvest on September 11th. The Bienvenues has retained a rewarding freshness, with a forward fruit that has both tropical and citrus elements and plenty of floral notes. The texture is lively but supple; there is plenty of fresh acidity that brings a pleasant energy to the wine. This should age for decades to come. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECUnwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, pear, hazelnuts and dried white flowers, framed by a deft touch of youthful reduction, the 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, its concentrated core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky extract. Like the Pucelles, this is precise and fine boned, but it’s also more muscular and intense.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is cut from a similar cloth to the Les Pucelles on the nose: reserved, mineral-driven with hints of orange blossom emerging with time, later more Granny Smith apples. The palate is strict and precise, demonstrating impressive weight, especially towards the back end. Maybe not quite as complex as the best of Leflaive’s Premier Cru, though it is extremely pesistent with a long ginger-tinged aftertaste. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 94 VMThis lemon- and apple-flavored white is underlined by an oyster shell, iodine element. Complex and balanced, offering baking spice accents and a fine lingering finish of lemon and minerality on an open-knit frame. Best from 2024Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru White) Here the equally beautiful nose is quite similar to that of the Pucelles save for being much more restrained. Cool, pure and almost painfully intense flavors possess the same sleek, sophisticated and graceful texture as well as even better persistence on the youthfully austere, compact and wonderfully complex finale. This is a stunner of a Bienvenues. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 94-96 BH

Bottling in summer 2021, the 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plums mingled with hints of licorice, cinnamon, red fruit compote and orange rind. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s muscular and textural, with broad shoulders and a deep, layered core of fruit. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this is the most powerful wine in the range, and it will require the most patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPPonsot is the largest landowner here, with old vines whose average age is 65 years. Everything at Ponsot is calculated for maximum purity of expression: the fruit is completely destemmed, extraction is gentle and no new casks are used in the maturation. The results in 2019 are absolutely marvellous, with lush dark plum and cassis fruit, alongside savoury, earthy accents. The texture is silky, dense and long. A monumental wine. Drinking Window 2029 - 2049.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) A cool, pure and highly complex nose combines aromas of essence of plum liqueur, black cherry, violet, earth and plenty of spice components. The sense of refinement continues on the sleek, succulent and almost lacy mineral-driven and wonderfully textured medium weight flavors that deliver superb persistence on the exceptionally firm, beautifully balanced and youthfully austere finale. It’s not all the time that Clos de la Roche is described as a wine of class, but in 2019, this wine has that highly desirable attribute. In a word, terrific. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 96 BH

A relatively young estate, Lavantureux is definitely a domaine to watch. Arnaud and David are now running things, with a recent 0.95ha acquisition in Vau de Vey. Farmed by hand, this is a delightful Premier Cru which emphasises the character of this steep, stony climat. Lovely density on the palate with an intriguing lime character, balanced by mineral, flinty notes and a touch of creamy oak adding more complexity. Subtle and nuanced. Drinking Window 2022 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of honeysuckle, lemon grass and citrus follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a fresh, bright finish. Lots of lemon rind at the end. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey is a fine success, offering up aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, nutmeg and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chiseled, with fine depth at the core and a saline finish, this is certainly oak-inflected in style but integrates that patina more completely than the Vauprin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru has a lovely, pure, well-defined bouquet of mineral-tinged citrus fruit, dewy meadow and light flinty scents. The palate is taut and fresh with orange peel and a touch of yellow plum on the entry. There are hints of tropical fruit, but they are discreet, and the wine maintains wonderful focus on the finish. Delicious!Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more powerful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, ripe citrus fruit, peach, buttery pastry and baking spices. Full-bodied, satiny and multidimensional, it’s a broad, muscular wine with racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more backward on the nose compared to the Bienvenue at the moment despite rigorous coaxing. The palate has impressive weight and density, perhaps less finesse than the more approachable Bienvenue at the moment but with more aging potential. It feels long on the saline finish, but it’s surly at this early stage.Vinous Media | 96 VMMid lemon yellow. The bouquet also takes time to emerge, then shows a little more power than the Bienvenues. The oak is a fraction more present but still superbly integrated. The taffeta texture could not possibly have more tensile strength, with an exemplary purity of fruit. To have so much power (not in an alcoholic sense) and yet so much grape. Little light fresh apple notes to finish. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMA sleek, lemon-infused version, with a linear profile and racy structure delineating the lemon, peach, green apple, mineral and spice flavors. Remains lean and steely, with a long, spicy finish. Best from 2026 through 2037. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice - if you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95-97 BH

Fèvre’s largest grand cru, with 4ha located higher up in Les Clos, meaning this is cooler climate and with much more chalk than Kimmeridgian. 50% of the vines were planted by William Fèvre’s father in the 1940s. Perfect balance between precision, concentration, acidity and ripe fruits, with oak that’s not at all apparent. A fresh, glorious wine.Decanter | 97 DECChoosing a favorite among the last three grand crus in the Domaine Fèvre lineup is simply impossible in 2020. The les Clos is yet another stunning young wine, offering up a refined and complex bouquet of pear, tart orange, fresh lime, flinty, chalky minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and a nice touch of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and seamlessly balanced, with a beautiful harness of acidity, a great core of fruit and a very long, very minerally and oh, so complex young finish. A great wine by any measure! (Drink between 2032 - 2080)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is another brilliant effort from Fèvre’s immensely able winemaker, Didier Seguier, and his team. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, fresh bread, oyster shell, orange zest and crisp orchard fruit, it’s full-bodied, satiny and muscular, with a concentrated, tensile profile and a long, intensely saline finish. It’s the broadest and most powerful wine in the range, while remaining quintessentially Chablisien.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA cool, restrained and airy nose grudgingly divulges its combination of lemon rind, green apple, quinine and acacia blossom scents that are also trimmed in discreet wood. There is again excellent volume and concentration to the powerful and muscular flavors that also coat the palate with dry extract on the impressively complex and hugely long finish. This is classic Les Clos in that it manages to be at once big and overtly powerful while remaining refined and classy. This is, in a word, stunning.Burghound | 96 BHThis lemon- and green apple–infused white stays lean, racy and long, combining power and intensity. On the austere side today, with a mineral underpinning and chalky finish. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2020 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 10 parcels scattered mainly over the top of the hill. It has a well-defined, crisp and (for the vintage) quite austere nose due to the location higher up the slope. The fresh palate is nicely detailed with lime and lemon thyme and good salinity. Quite strict on the mineral-driven finish. Good potential, but it will need time.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

(Chablis “les Preuses”- Domaine William Fèvre) The 2020 les Preuses from Domaine Fèvre was one of the finest white wines I tasted from the entire vintage during my trip in November and December. The perfect ripeness of the vintage, coupled to such great acidity are the hallmarks of the best wines of 2020 and these attributes are on full display in this stunning young wine. The nose soars from the glass in a mineral bath of les Preuses Kimmeridgian limestone terroir, carrying notes of apple, pear, fresh lime, straw, oyster shell, white flowers and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is pure, precise, snappy and very, very complex, with great depth at the core, stunning mineral definition, laser-like focus and stunning length and grip on the simply beautiful young finish. All this great wine needs is time in the cellar to blossom. (Drink between 2031 - 2080)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses is, if anything, even more electric than the formidable Valmur, wafting from the glass with notions of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, oyster jus and wet stones. Full-bodied, satiny and chiseled, it’s racy and intense, with a bright spine of acidity and a long, intensely saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPFrom 1.5ha on soils that are high in clay content above Bougros, together with 1ha just above Bouguerots. Distinct precision here, not a blockbuster but intense and focused. Lovely crystalline fruit and will age beautifully.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of quinine, essence of wet stone and seashore add breadth to the nose of pear, apple and anise. Once again there is fine density and intensity to the mouthcoating medium-weight flavors that flash outstanding length on the bracingly saline-suffused finale. This has already developed very good depth and more will almost surely follow. This is potentially outstanding.Burghound | 95 BHThe 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru comes from 2.5 hectares of vines in two locations, one east-facing and one southwest-facing. It has quite a deep, intense nose featuring lemon zest, crushed stone, linden and touches of citrus peel. The cohesive palate is smooth and harmonious with fine salinity, if maybe not quite building on its initial promise, as the finish pulls up just a little short compared to the Bougros. Still, this should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

With 3.65ha spread over eight plots, Fèvre is the largest owner in Vaulorent. Didier Seguier says marl soil gives the density, while Kimmeridgian supplies the minerality. Great complexity on both the nose and palate, this has the richness and structure of the grand cru. Absolutely no need to rush drinking this. Stunning.Decanter | 96 DECOne of the finest wines in the portfolio this year is the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, a taut, youthfully reserved bottling of immense promise. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus zest, beeswax, crisp white peach, white flowers, freshly baked bread and oyster shell, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, with terrific tensioning intensity in a tightly wound format. It’s warmly recommended, though patience will be required.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP(Chablis “Vaulorent”- Domaine William Fèvre) I am always impressed that Didier Séguier chooses to only bottle the finest parcels of old vines in Vaulorent under that label, with the remainder of the domaine’s holdings being bottled under a Fourchaume label. But, when one tastes this hard on the heels of the very fine Fourchaume domaine wine, one can see that these old vines are a step up in quality. The bouquet of the 2020 Vaulorent jumps from the glass in a stunning blend of pear, apple, tart orange, lemon zesty, a kaleidoscopic base of limestone minerality, a touch of anise and a floral topnote redolent of white lilies. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a rock solid core of fruit, superb mineral drive and cut, snappy acids and great balance on the long and zesty finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2027 - 2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe restrained and layered nose makes clear that this could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its aromas of algae, iodine, oyster shell and spiced pear. The texture of the medium-weight flavors is also sleek and intense with slightly better density if a bit less refinement to the youthfully austere bitter lemon-suffused finish. Lovely and while qualitatively equal to the MdT, it offers a markedly different expression.Burghound | 93 BH

An exquisite wine, the nose is almost delicate, with ripe apple and floral notes, and the texture of the wine is astonishingly crisp and fine. There is nothing heavy here and the finish lingers seductively. Rich, typical Bâtard, but with uncommon elegance. Picked on the 24th of August, and the early picking date worked well here. The grapes were lightly crushed and then fermented in cask (40% new).Decanter | 96 DECAn overtly floral-suffused nose speaks of white orchard fruit, star anise, citrus confit and a subtle exotic tea nuance. The sleek and borderline painfully intense big-bodied flavors possess excellent mid-palate concentration before terminating in a very compact, tightly wound and hugely long finale. This is very backward and almost raw in how primary it is and as such, it would be largely pointless to open a bottle before at least 5 years of age. This beauty possess first-rate potential provided you have the patience.Burghound | 95 BHPale lemon and lime. The bouquet shows all the majesty of this vineyard without the over-ripeness which I have found in some past vintages. 29 hl/ha. Superb intensity with a measured ripeness of fruit from these 48 year old vines, which are ploughed by a horse named Croesus. Stretches out beautifully at the back, with some peachier notes at the finish. Really very persistent indeed. Excellent. Tasted Nov 2021.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JM