Burgundy Wines

wines

Raveneau mature all its Petit Chablis in 400 and 500-hectolitre barrels. Plenty of interest here, with density of ripe stone fruit and very linear acidity. Undoubtedly a very high class Petit Chablis which focuses on precision and elegance.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2022 Petit Chablis has a pretty bouquet with lime and light Golden Delicious scents. The palate is well balanced with a citric entry, modest weight, a little chalky in texture towards the finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

This great Bonnes Mares starts cool and restrained, but expands rapidly as it moves over the palate, with delicate, spicy almond and cream character. Mouth-filling and generous yet subtle and light-footed, this is at the upper limit of medium-bodied. Then a huge wave of salty minerality comes through at the finish to give the wine a whole extra dimension and making this an almost overwhelming expression of beauty. Drinkable now.James Suckling | 98 JSIn bottle. Made as three cuvees, then assembled. A rich mid purple with a deliciously heady bouquet, the sumptuous side of dark raspberry, perfumed yet precise, purple fruit with some redder layers beneath, a little white pepper spice, multiple layers of fruit, very engaging with just a very slight youthful bitterness. Irreproachable. Drink from 2032-2045. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 97 JMAnother cuvée that was also in bottle when I visited, the 2022 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with exotic notes and sweet forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it’s concentrated and textural, with nicely integrated tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, rose-inflected finish. Its more sensual style is a welcome evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAn even spicier and more floral-suffused nose is comprised mostly by blue pinot fruit and discreet earth wisps. The succulent, refined and vibrant medium-bodied flavors aren’t especially concentrated though they do possess impressive power on the beautifully long and equally well-balanced finale. This is a wine that is certainly built to repay extended keeping but it’s not so compact that it couldn’t be reasonably approached after only 7-ish years.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru had been bottled in October 2023, just before my visit at the Domaine. It has a compact nose: mainly black cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, well-defined if maybe missing the amplitude of other Bonnes-Mares that I have tasted. The medium-bodied palate has a slightly creamy-textured opening, sweet blackberry and raspberry and touches of dark chocolate and mocha. There’s fine depth on the finish with light grip. Some wood tannins mark the finish and slightly occlude the fruit expression here.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A great Burgundian legend is back in very top form. Enveloping nose of red fruit, red roses and wildflowers. Anything but dramatic, this stuns you with its incredible finesse and extraordinary textural complexity. On the upper edge of medium-bodied, also thanks to the fabulously fine tannins that interlock perfectly with the intense minerality to drive the super-long finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThis is aromatically quite similar to the 1er except that it is notably more restrained and requires considerable swirling to coax the nose to reveal its nuances. On the palate though there is noticeably more size, weight and mid-palate density thanks to the abundant sap that imparts a highly seductive mouthfeel while also buffering the firmer, though just as fine, tannic structure shaping the hugely long, youthfully austere and decidedly powerful finish that is akin to rolling tiny rocks around the mouth. This is also positively brilliant with the development potential to match.Burghound | 96 BHAs mentioned in the introduction, there are seven separate parcellaire cuvées of Musigny which will be blended. We tried four of them, representing different sectors. Les Petits Musigny (north): An even purple, succulent red fruit. Fresh raspberry and strawberry, touch of liquorice, very even, fair acidity, soft tannins. Les 13 ouvrees: Stonier than north Musigny. A touch darker in colour and definitely a richer bouquet, more headily floral. More clearly the weight of Musigny, but also shows as quite a bit riper. Grand Musigny Haut: A glowing mid purple. A lovely tensile strength, not so evidently ripe, but correctly so, red to dark red in fruit. Good acidity, and fairly complete. Grand Musigny Bas: Glowing purple perhaps fractionally deeper than the upper part. The nose is less extrovert but clearly has superb class and a poised density. The sense of completeness of GM Haut but noticeably more intense through the mid palate. The fruit is a fraction riper, perfectly so, with a few suggestions of dark raspberry in the fruit. Very persistent indeed and a freshness to the finish, enough to make a major wine. I don’t feel it correct to award five stars until I have seen the full blended wine, preferably in bottle, but I certainly don’t rule that out. Drink from 2035-2050. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-100 JMThe 2022 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is very attractive, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, blood orange, rose petals and vine smoke. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and fleshy, with a deep and seamless core of fruit that conceals powdery structuring tannins, concluding with a broad, perfumed finish. If this fulfills all its promise in bottle, it may make my score look conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Very cool and and focused, this mouthwatering Saint Romain has an extreme chalky minerality. Only medium-bodied, but really concentrated. Super-fresh and focused finish with so much fresh herb complexity (think sage and thyme). Very long and polished finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2022 Saint-Romain Sous Le Velle is comparatively more backward on the nose, a little chalky in style with light Golden Delicious and orange pith scents. There is fine delineation with neatly integrated oak. The palate is well-balanced, with a tang of orange zest on the entry. This has a silver beard of acidity, lending real tension and matching the impressive depth towards the vibrant finish. Sous Le Velle is often one of the go-to vineyards in Saint-Romain, and this proves exactly why.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPalish lemon and lime. A fine and classy bouquet, floral but still with the racy freshness of St-Romain. Fresh apples on the palate, with an intensity that will demand a little bottle age. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

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

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 Rully from Maison Joseph Drouhin is a really fine bottle in the making, as Rully inherent, “wet stone” minerality plays off beautifully against the ripe and pure fruit of the vintage. The bouquet is bright and complex, hopping from the glass in a mix of apple, pear, orange peel, stony minerality, dried flowers and a gentle touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, vibrant and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent soil inflection and grip, a fine spine of acidity, lovely balance and a long, focused and very classy finish. This is first rate Rully! (Drink between 2024 - 2035)John Gilman | 91 JGThis white offers grip in the form of light tannins that leave a chalky sensation, while white peach, apple, lemon and oak spice flavors ride the vivid structure to the long conclusion. Drink now through 2028. 400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

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

The 2022 Meursault Village, a blend of Jobard’s lieux-dits, which has been the case for three vintages now, has a classic nose of orchard fruit, walnut and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is very well-balanced with a lime and citrus peel opening, crisp acidity and a little fatness towards the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMMid lemon and lime. The bouquet is not overtly weighty. The hillside vineyards and those below complement each other. There is certainly excellent energy beneath here, a fine thread to freshen the weight of white orchard fruit. Impeccable village Meursault. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMA very Meursault nose of white fleshed fruit, acacia blossom, hazelnut and a whiff of citrus character introduces rich and seductively textured medium weight flavors that flash a lovely minerality that adds a sense of lift to the bitter lemon-tined finale. This is also an excellent villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-92 BH

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

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

The wonderful Corton-Charlemagne from Rapet offers pronounced apricot and quince fruit with a lemon-peel edge. The texture is rich and dense, yet balanced by a surprisingly crisp acidity for the vintage. The grapes from En Charlemagne, Chaumes et La Voierosse and Les Combes were picked on 11 September, right before the rain, and pressed as whole clusters before fermentation, mostly in 250-litre casks with a bit of foudre and one amphora. Ideally, I would age this at least 10 years and enjoy it over the next 40.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECRapet’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of peach and pear, mingled with white flowers, wet stones, crushed mint and hazelnut. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s deep and concentrated, with racy acids and a seamless, complete profile. This vintage marks a step up in texture and mid-palate volume for Rapet, and it is well worth seeking out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes mainly from the lieu-dit of En Charlemagne and was matured in one-third new oak plus amphora and foudre. What a lovely bouquet! Delineated and fresh with hints of oyster shell and crushed stone, this exudes class. The palate is well balanced with fine weight, a keen line of acidity, hints of apricot and hazelnut and a poised but sustained finish. Bon vin!Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2023 Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine Rapet Père et Fils is a beautiful young wine. It shows off superb depth and nascent complexity on the nose, soaring from the glass in a mix of pear, passion fruit, a gorgeous mosaic of limestone minerality, almond, white lilies, honeysuckle and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a great foundation of Corton-Charlemagne minerality, bright acids, great focus and grip and a complex, impeccably balanced and very long finish. This is still a very young wine and I would try to not touch a bottle until it has had at least five or six years’ worth of cellaring. It should prove to be very long-lived. (Drink between 2030 - 2065)John Gilman | 95 JGThere are various ages of vine in the Rapet holding, with plantings in 1945 and 1950 plus 1980s and a 2018 plot. Mostly made in 350-litre barrels, plus one 12hl foudre, an egg, and a terracotta amphora. Lemon and lime, with some classic Charlemagne style fruit on the nose, a delicious lemon touch. The stones infuse the finish which is very persistent. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThis is very firmly reduced and while the reduction does not extend to the palate, it’s clear that the nose will need extended aeration. Much more interesting are the sappy, powerful and muscular flavors that also display evidence minerality on the long, compact and balanced finale. This is one of those wines that’s difficult to rate because while the reduction may dissipate with time, that is a supposition, not a guarantee.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2023 version of the Corton Blanc from Domaine Pavelot is simply outstanding. The beautiful and slightly exotic bouquet delivers a beautiful mosaic of apple, pear, passion fruit, crème pâtissière, fresh almond, a complex base of chalky soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, vibrant and complex, with a great core and mineral undertow, a fine girdle of acidity, impeccable balance and a long, precise and vibrant finish. Utterly superb. (Drink between 2029 - 2050)John Gilman | 95 JGLes Chaumes. Mid lemon yellow. Here the oak is more evident, there are one and a half barrels of one year old wood. Plump behind. The oak will take a little digesting but the fruit will clearly be equal to it and the acidity is just right. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMA deft application of wood sets off ripe and fresh aromas of pear and apple compote, lemon confit, petrol and crushed fennel. There is fine volume to the dense, powerful and muscular big-bodied flavors that terminate in a youthfully austere, rustic and borderline tannic finale. This powerful effort could use better depth so at least a few years of keeping are recommended.Burghound | 91 BH

This is a blend of Le Charlemagne, and Hautes Mourottes, which from 2024 Pierre-François will make separately, calling the former Charlemagne and the latter Corton-Charlemagne. In 2023 there are eight barrels worth, made in two new barrels, two older barrels and a concrete egg. These have been racked to tank since just after the harvest. Pale in colour, stony with a little toast also. Crisp white orchard fruit with a little flesh behind, and good tension. Nicely balanced at 13.5% alcohol. Drink from 2029-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JM

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village presents a pretty nose with a mixture of blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. Well defined with nicely integrated oak, it conveys a sense of transparency. Fine tannins frame the palate, offering raspberry and strawberry fruit with a dash of spice on the finish, which is more structured than I expected. Delightful.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village offers up aromas of cherries, raspberries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural palate. Lively and mouthwatering, it’s an especially charming, giving vintage of the Dugat village bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA slightly riper nose freely offers up its array of plum, dark currant and more prominent earth influence. There is more size and weight, if not necessary better density, to the sappy, dusty and complex finale that is noticeably firmer. This is a lovely Gevrey villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BH

Aromas of cherries, raspberries, smoke and spices introduce the 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, a medium to full-bodied, pure and layered wine with a fleshy core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, mineral finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru has an elegant bouquet that gains intensity in the glass: black cherry, raspberry and light floral scents of peony and rose petal, all finely delineated. The palate is very silky on the entry with good grip, a little sweeter than the previous vintage, with touches of cassis infusing the red fruit. This builds nicely in the mouth through a slightly confit-like finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMA subtle but not invisible application of wood frames the more elegant and slightly cooler nose of newly turned earth, essence of red berries and crushed anise character. The palate feel of the medium weight flavors is also supple but punchy with excellent delineation on the impressively long, youthfully austere and well-balanced finale. This too is worth a look.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie shows a patina of new oak on the nose (30%), though it combines with the lifted raspberry and blueberry fruit. It is showier than the Village Cru. The palate is medium-bodied and harmonious with good weight. There are fine "shoulders" here with a similarly peppery finish to the Village, but this will need a couple of years in bottle to assimilate the wood.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, vine smoke and spices. Medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, it’s lively and concentrated, with a more muscular, structured profile than the blended Gevrey bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPFirm reduction presently renders the nose impossible to read. More interesting are the supple but punchy medium-bodied flavors that possess good detail and slightly better mid-palate density while delivering solid power on the rustic, serious and firmer finale. This is very Gevrey in character and at least some patience would be a good idea and overall, this too is a very good villages.Burghound | 89-91 BH

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Village has a fresh bouquet that I much prefer to the 2022, livelier and fresher. The palate is well-balanced with a sapid entry, a little mint-fresh with a playful, citrus finish.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMA fresh lighter crimson colour. Quite an elegant pinot, not at all the rustic style of Chassagne. Juicy strawberry and raspberry on the palate, medium weight, good length with adequate acidity. A cheerful Chassagne to drink in the medium term. 5 new barrels out of 17. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 88-90 JM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean 1er Cru shows less reduction than other cuvées. This has a beautiful bouquet with white peach, citrus lemon and crushed stone, a little Puligny in style. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, tensile and mineral driven. A hint of popcorn appears on the saline finish. The 2023 is very promising.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA clear pale colour and the least showing on the nose of the 1ers crus. Leaner on the palate, then a little waft of oak at the back which integrates well with the fruit even so. Precision at the back, just less easily definable character than most of the other wines. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 91 JMModerate reduction is enough to overshadow the fruit today so if by chance you’re going to try a bottle young, be sure to give this some air. On the palate the barely middle weight flavors are not nearly as concentrated and while they do possess good energy and an attractive texture as well as a bone-dry, balanced and youthfully austere finish, the overall impression is a wine that is less complete. Granted, while this perfectly nice effort may well add weight with a few years in bottle, I very much doubt it will catch either the Chenevottes or Clos de la Truffière.Burghound | 90 BH

An opulent, almost voluptuous wine with ripe apple, exotic passion fruit aromas, and just an edge of reduction. The texture is creamy and dense, and the finish is impressively long. The domaine has nearly a half-hectare here in deep clay soils at the base of the premier cru band. There have been problems with the 161-49 rootstock, but the affected vines have been replaced using massal selection since they didn’t want to replant the whole plot; given these results, one can see why.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECMid lemon yellow, a discreet bouquet with a little white fruit and perhaps less gunflint than Maltroie. More apple coming out. This is lovely on the palate, some riper flavours coming out behind, with a little fresh apricot, softer and easy going as the clay kicks in. Lovely early. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 92 JMA slightly fresher and more expressive nose presents its array of cool pear, apple, citrus and a broader range of floral elements. The slightly more concentrated middle weight flavors possess a lovely texture while terminating in a clean, bright, notably dry and solidly persistent finale. I like the balance and this is compact enough to warrant at least a few years of keeping and it should repay up to a decade of it.Burghound | 91 BHThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champ Gains 1er Cru was significantly reduced when I tasted it early from barrel. The palate was more expressive, with fine weight and density, perhaps without the same amplitude as the Chenevottes, though there is plenty of extract on the finish.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

With the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Hommage à Louis, the Droins have regained the right to designate Les Clos on the label from the INAO, but they’re also continuing with the Hommage à Louis moniker. Whatever its name, the wine is lovely, opening in the glass with notes of green apple, peach and lemon mingled with iodine and toasted nuts, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that’s deep, dense and muscular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has the best bouquet amongst the Grand Crus from Droin. Very vibrant and intense, with crushed limestone and flint. The palate is well balanced with melon, grapefruit, orange rind and quince on the entry, building nicely towards a slightly oily-textured finish. I can see this aging well in bottle - more complexity on the finish compared to say, the Valmur or Grenouilles.Vinous Media | 94 VMI believe that the authorities have now confirmed that all of Benoît Droin’s plots are properly within the boundaries of Les Clos, though Benoît will continue to use the Hommage epithet alongside the vineyard name. the 2023 Hommage à Louis has a clear and classic nose after the pale lemon colour. Brilliant balanced juice, the Clos transcends the vintage. All white fruit of course but some crunch to the white apple fruit. Juicy and generous but still with a fine firm classic core. Fabulous finish. Drink from 2028-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMSmoke and light wood nuances set off cool floral and spicy aromas of freshly grated citrus, white peach, honeysuckle and tidal pool wisps. There is again fine intensity to the dense and stony broad-shouldered flavors that flash fine length on the ever-so-mildly warm finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. This refreshing effort is so rich that it should drink reasonably well young but the better choice would be to allow it to age for at least a few years as it could also use more overall depth.Burghound | 93 BH

Aromas of honeyed orchard fruits, peach and butter pastry introduce the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles, a full-bodied, layered and unctuous wine that’s generous and enveloping. As usual, it’s one of the more gourmand, textural wines in the range.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPOvertly spicy, fresh and elegant white flower and citrus-infused aromas display good Chablis typicity. The textured and extremely rich large-scaled flavors are plush, even lush, with an abundance of sappy dry extract that stains the palate on the powerful and firm if mildly warm finale that also could use better depth. The Droin Grenouilles always ages well and the 2023 version should be no exception.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2023 Chablis Grenouilles Grand Cru has a backward nose, stoic and saying very little at the moment. Touches of powdered chalk and granite. The palate has more going on–very good body, again, slightly honeyed in texture, and gentle grip. It just misses a bit of bite on the finish, but there is impressive purity. Give it two or three years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMVinified with 50% wood which marries with the spicy qualities of Grenouille. White clay gives the muscle, along with the age of the vines which were mostly planted in 1947. There are sweeter notes to the fruit, slightly reminiscent of Roussanne. The rich white fruit avoids the tropical and there is a commendably long finish. Never a shellfish wine, Grenouille can be enjoyed with seafood in a creamy sauce or indeed meat dishes. Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JM