Burgundy Wines

wines

High-toned, perfumed pomegranate and cranberry fruit with an edge of peony and ginger spice. The texture is silkier than this producer’s Baudes, but it does not have the same depth. The tannins are very fine and Laurent Lignier feels that he will bottle this before spring 2025 to avoid issues with volatility tied to the lower pH this year – he has been buying the fruit for this since 2010 and has noted this tendency in the past.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECMade from purchased grapes, a contract since 2010. Paler colour, raspberry and strawberry, lots of energy, then fractionally earthy in texture but not in taste. Otherwise, the attractive fruit continues on through. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMOnce again there is enough wood to merit pointing out framing the pretty and airy essence of spicy red berry scents. The beautifully textured and very supple medium weight flavors flash a subtle bead of minerality on the dusty, balanced and sneaky long finish. This does need better depth so plan on holding it for at least a few years first.Burghound | 90-91 BH

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées comes from vines planted by Laurent Lignier’s grandfather just after the war. Dark berry fruit mixes with iris flower and rooibos on the nose. It is well defined yet understated. The palate is medium-bodied with cranberry and raspberry notes. Touches of rose water come through with time, with fine concentration toward the finish. It’s not quite up there with the 2022 but it comes close.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Opens with just a bit of reduction, but this will disappear at bottling. The aromas are compellingly attractive, with ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit and a slightly floral edge. The texture has density, grip and a marvellously lingering finish. The grapes are from a half-hectare on a gentle slope exposed to the south. This should mature fairly quickly but is also suited to mid-term ageing.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Monthélie Sous la Velle 1er Cru comes from a 0.35-hectare parcel. It has an airy bouquet with dark berry fruit mixed with mandarin and light sous-bois scents. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and much more structure than the Village Cru, with a bright and sorbet-fresh finish. This is recommended.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Premier cru La Riotte has delivered a wine with ripe, lush aromas of sweet mulberry fruit aromas with a hint of earth and spice. The texture is rich yet still structured, and the density pull the wine through to a pleasantly lingering finish. Laurent explains that the parcel is just below the Clos Saint-Denis, in the stony, sandy soils of the dejection cone from the combe, which helps the grapes ripen well but does not bring a lot of limestone.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis La Riotte 1er Cru has a clean, precise bouquet with perfumed redcurrant and raspberry fruit tones. As usual, it’s one of the most open aromatics from Lignier, brimming with joie-de-vivre. This is more floral compared to the Les Chaffots. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, pleasant salinity and what you might call a transparent finish that lingers in the mouth.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe elegant, airy and very pretty nose features the softly spicy and earthy essence of red pinot fruit. The refined and vibrant flavors are not particularly dense but they are lilting and seductive while displaying a subtle bead of minerality on the lightly austere, balanced and firm finale. Lovely and understated in style.Burghound | 91-93 BHMid crimson with some crushed strawberry on the nose. Some crunchiness at the back, this is agreeable but less energetic than some, not quite kicking on. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JM

Lignier’s premier cru Chaffots was a spectacular success in 2023, with bright forward pomegranate and wild strawberry fruit and hints of violets, liquorice, and flinty minerals. The texture is lively and fresh, with plenty of tannin but no lack of depth. The 0.45 hectares of vines were planted in 1968 in the thin soils above grand cru Clos Saint-Denis, with a prominent influence from the cool winds of the combe.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECBright purple. The nose is subtle and supple, with less immediate sweet fruit than Sorbè, a little more depth than Riotte. The class of the wine shows in the fruit on the palate, a darker red berry, with a seamless long finish, covering the tannins. Precision. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Chaffots 1er Cru comes from limestone soils, which translate onto the nose. It’s quite strict and linear, with touches of black cherry and sea spray scents. The palate is medium-bodied, with a pastille-like purity on the entry. It is very supple in the mouth, but it just needs a little more grip on the finish. Otherwise, this is a refined Morey-Saint-Denis from one of its best Premier Crus.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA more reserved and more deeply pitched nose is comprised more from the darker side of the fruit spectrum with more floral and earth nuances as well. Once again there is only average density to the fresh, punchy and solidly powerful flavors that are at once succulent yet with a youthfully austere finish that exhibits outstanding length. Like the Baudes, this virtually always ages well and it is one to look for.Burghound | 91-94 BH

This delicious wine is perennially among the most concentrated and nuanced in Lignier’s cellar—just don’t refer to it as ‘the blended premier cru’. He is at pains to point out that the rows start out in Faconnières and end up in Cheneverey, but that it is one single parcel. The wine boasts aromas of ripe plums with notes of violets, pepper, and a hint of dark chocolate. The texture is dense and rich but without any heaviness. The grapes are from 0.66 hectares of vines. The oldest were planted in 1936, and the youngest in 1962.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru comes from the usual three lieux-dits. It has an intense bouquet with cool but focused blackberry, briar and light flinty scents. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced, with finely sculpted tannins and seductive creaminess to the texture in the finish. Frequently one of Laurent Lignier’s finest cuvées, this is just wonderful.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMMostly Faconnières. Rich dark crimson with the most fruit to date, fully ripe. The palate offers a balanced headiness, with a fruit dark enough to include some plums. This is the more hedonistic of the two but I think my preference comes down narrowly on the more cerebral Chaffots. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMA restrained but beautifully layered nose grudgingly offers up its aromas of black cherry, crushed anise and newly turned earth. There is slightly better density to the overtly powerful and more obviously mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a firm, serious and compact finale. This too virtually always ages well and the 2023 version should be no exception.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Lignier’s new cuvée in Morey is the premier cru Les Sorbès. The wine boasts a ripe blackberry fruit with an almost gamey savoury note and hints of mineral and spice. Although the flavour is substantial, the texture is pleasantly ethereal, almost like a wine from Chambolle. This is the first vintage of this wine; Lignier sourced enough fruit for four barrels from the site located down the slope below the Clos de Tart and the village.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECSlightly fuller crimson colour with a floral nose, a touch of peony. All destemmed as it is the first year of this contract. More sweet cherry fruity intensity on the palate, a little gentian at the finish, an interesting, complex wine. The fruit has more sucrosity than some. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMHere too there is a hint of herbal tea on the softly wooded nose of earthy red currant aromas. The seductive, round and utterly delicious middle weight flavors are shaped by relatively fine-grained tannins on the youthfully austere and lingering finale where the only reproach is a touch of warmth. This is a wine of finesse but with sufficient stuffing to repay up to a decade of aging.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Sorbés comes from a purchase of fruit that represents four barrels this year. This has a vibrant floral bouquet with lovely delineation and lift, as rose petal and bergamot infuse the raspberry fruit. The palate is well balanced with supple tannins and a caressing finish, a little fleshy and perhaps Chambolle-like. This will drink well in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Top notes of lanolin and vanilla are backed by honeysuckle, peach and lemon tart flavors in this youthful white. With air, this gains freshness and elegance, leaving a salty, mineral element to mingle with the oak spice on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2038. 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThere is a lovely, opulent balance between the richness of this wine and the elegance of its acid structure. The initial attack is redolent of grapefruit and quince with hints of hawthorn flowers and chalk. The texture is tightly wound and powerful, yet the wine is silky and very fine, even at this stage. The grapes are from the heart of the Vaillon lieu-dit and were planted in 1933 by Fabien Moreau’s grandfather Guy. One third was fermented in cask, two-thirds in tank; aged for a total of 18 months before bottling.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2023 Chablis Vaillon 1er Cru Cuvée Guy Moreau, which comes from 90-year-old vines, did not finish its fermentation until the following June. It is a little broader on the nose compared to the regular cuvée and this displays a touch more depth. The palate is well balanced and fresh with a bead of acidity and hints of toffee apple and white peach toward the finish. This is very fine.Vinous Media | 91 VMHere too a whiff of the exotic can be found on the slightly riper and lightly oaky aromas of pear, apple and citrus confit plus just enough Chablis typicity to be interesting. As is usually the case, the old vines are in evidence on the middle weight plus flavors thanks to the abundance of sappy dry extract that coats the palate on the seductively textured finish. This does however need better depth so at least some patience is recommended.Burghound | 91 BHLively lemon and lime. The oak ageing means that the bouquet is more hidden in youth. There is a suggestion of greater depth of fruit, along with a little biscuity touch. Some decent acidity, but soft white fruit and flesh dominates the palate. Fair length, not so much tension. Hovering on 13% alcohol. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 90 JM

Broad and densely textured, with flavors of peach and apple, but mostly vanilla and lanolin from the oak. This is less expressive and focused than its peers yet shows staying power, echoing the oak spice on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2037. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSPale in colour with a green tint. The Vaillons has kept its fresh kimmeridgian nose, though the palate is softer and fleshier, in white fruit, than a Chablis of the past. A little lick of iodine on the stones to finish. This wine has retained some tension, without recourse to acidification, because the malolactic was partially blocked. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JMThe 2023 Chablis Vaillon 1er Cru, which did not complete malolactic fermentation to retain acidity, has a vivacious, flinty nose that leaps from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a steely opening. Seductive lemon thyme and orange pith notes come through on the mid-palate, with a dab of ginger that enlivens the finish. The 2023 is very fine.Vinous Media | 90 VMVague whiffs of the exotic and a phenolic hint lurk in the background of the aromas of pear, citrus rind and discreet spice nuances. There is both more volume and refinement to the nicely concentrated medium-bodied flavors that possess better depth on the equally lightly austere finish that offers a bit more persistence.Burghound | 90 BH

Abundant aromas of sliced cooked apples and crushed stones. Full-bodied palate with earth, cooked-apple and spice flavors. The tannin texture makes it quite muscular for a white. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2023 Marquis de Laguiche Morgeot is even a hair better than the Meursault “Perrières” this year chez Drouhin! The marvelously precise and complex bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex blend of apple, pear, lemon blossoms, crème pâtissière, chalky soil tones, fresh almond and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and really has a great girdle of acidity this year, with a beautiful core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and grip, great focus and balance and a very long, vibrant and lifted finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2025-2055)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche is excellent, offering up aromas of pear, orange oil, buttered toasted, fresh mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s fresh and racy, with good energy for a cuvée that can sometimes be very rich, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-94 RPGlowing pale primrose. This has an immediate presence from the first sniff. Very pure white fruit but with a sense of strictness too. Fully ripe at the back of the palate yet still entirely harnessed. Ripe lemons and limes with some orchard fruit at the base. Long and extremely classy. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMModerate wood surrounds the aromas of poached pear, rosemary oil and more discreet floral elements. There is fine density and evident power to the succulent and sappy larger-bodied flavors that are supported by a firm acid spine on the sneaky long and well-balanced finale. This is also very good with equally good development potential.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The Fèvre bottling of premier cru Beauroy is teeming with wonderful aromas of lime peel and green apple, touched with a bit of smoky reduction and a lovely salty edge on the finish. The texture is lively and fresh, but there is also density here. The grapes come from three parcels located in part of the Beauroy climat called Troésmes. There are two parcels of old vines (up to 50 years of age) and one of young vines. The grapes are fermented and aged partly in tank and partly in cask (40–50%).Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThis sunny white is broad and fleshy, evoking peach, yellow plum, orange peel and neroli aromas and flavors. An undercurrent of lively acidity and mineral keeps this defined and propels the long aftertaste. Drink now through 2033. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA step up in tension, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy, sourced from a high-maturity site planted with 60-year-old vines, delivers notes of white flowers, pear, peach and honeysuckle. Medium- to full-bodied, ample and textural, the palate is lively and charming. A notably sunny terroir, Beauroy—like Vaillons and Vaudésir—is harvested on the early side to preserve balance and freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2023 Chablis “Beauroy” from Domaine Fèvre is a very pretty example of the vintage. The wine’s nose is complex and nicely succulent in personality, offering up notes of pear, tart orange, wet stone minerality, lime peel and a topnote of fruit blossoms. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, zesty and nicely reserved in profile today, with a good core of the vintage’s beautiful fruit, good acids and grip and a long, soil-driven and beautifully balanced finish. This will be one of the earlier-drinking premier crus in the stables this year and will make an excellent addition to a well-stocked wine list. (Drink between 2026-2050)John Gilman | 91+ JGBlended yesterday with its lees, so troubled. Will stay on lees through to the spring, but the upheaval dumbs down the nose and fattens the palate, so it is hard to taste with exactitude today. Even so, the central core is in place with attractive flavours to finish, and enough acidity. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMThe 2023 Chablis Beauroy 1er Cru had just been pumped so it was extremely cloudy in the glass as they keep the lees. The bouquet is well defined with light marine/oyster shell scents. The palate is balanced with pleasing fatness on the entry, not a steely or austere Beauroy. A sunny Chablis that has a "smile" on the finish.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMA slightly riper yet still attractively fresh nose combines notes of white peach and passion fruit with those of iodine and shellfish. There is a lovely texture to the rich and sappy medium-bodied flavors that also conclude in a lingering if mildly warm finale. Once again, this should drink well after only a few years of keeping.Burghound | 88-90 BH

Sourced from a north-facing site beneath forest cover with clay-rich soils, a parcel selection in Vaillons, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys is among the most quintessentially Chablisien wines in the portfolio and is harvested around a week later than the fruit that enters the Vaillons bottling. It offers aromas of oyster juice, white flowers, lemon oil and Granny Smith apple, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, incisive and pure palate that is elegant yet racy and fresh, concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPI love Domaine Fèvre’s Les Lys bottling, year in and year out, and the 2023 is another absolutely superb premier cru in the making. The exposition of this vineyard is plain north, which may account why it acquits itself so well so often in this age of global warming. The 2023 Les Lys is a beautiful wine on both the nose and palate, offering up a complex blend of lime, pear, stony minerality, a touch of anise, dried flowers and an exotic touch of mossiness in the upper register that recall a bit the Abtsberg vineyard from Maximin Grünhaus. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, precise and complex, with a great core of pure fruit, a lovely girdle of acidity, fine minerality and a long, vibrant and impeccably balanced finish. (Drink between 2029-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2023 Chablis Les Lys 1er Cru comes from a single hectare of vines. Lime, red apple and touches of orange pith and peach skin develop in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a taut line of acidity, silky smooth, very composed with a lot of finesse on the finish. This is one of the domaine’s hidden gems and should not be under-estimated.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis ripe white’s peach, apricot and melon flavors are accented by earth, citrus peel and vanilla notes. Airy in texture and mouthwatering on the finish. Drink now through 2033. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis is also quite fresh though a bit cooler with its array of pretty floral, citrus confit, iodine and oyster shell nuances. There is unusually good richness and volume for Les Lys to the sappy and succulent flavors that terminate in a sappy, powerful and lightly bitter lemon-inflected finale. Good if not special quality here.Burghound | 90 BHClear pale lemon yellow. The nose is taking coaxing but has the precision. Very good tension, still with delicacy despite the concentration, nothing dilute here, good tension with a little bitterness at the back. Very promising. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JM

In the hands of Fèvre winemaker Didier Séguier, premier cru Montmains has a certain initial reserve. But with time, the green apple and gooseberry notes, touched with acacia blossoms and spice, open up on the palate. The texture is lively and fresh, yet there is substance here as well. The grapes are assembled from 10 parcels throughout Montmains, including some in Forêts and Butteaux. Séguier explains that Butteaux is deep in the valley and further from the Serein so it ripens later. The grapes are fermented in tank and older casks for 40–50% of the harvest.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECDelicate aromas of white blossom, brioche, freshly-cut golden apple and dried grass draw in the nose with feathery opulence. The palate is rich with citrusy acidity that plays second fiddle to fall-ripened orchard fruit that washes across wet stone on the finish. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThere’s a sleek feel to this white despite its rich texture, revealing lemon, apple and flint flavors, plus a hint of honey. Harmonious and enticing, this ends with citrus and stone elements. Shows fine expression and length. Drink now through 2032. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Montmains from Didier Séguier is a beautifully classic example in this vintage. The wine’s aromatic constellation is complex and refined, delivering a mix of green apple, lemon, wet stone minerality, a touch of menthol, dried flowers and a topnote of lime peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and precise, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent backend mineral drive, fine balance and a long, zesty and complex finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2027-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGSourced from a large 3.8-hectare south- and southeast-facing site, where individual parcels are harvested and vinified separately, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains reveals aromas of Granny Smith apple, jasmine, pear and oyster shell. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is taut and racy, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPAssembled earlier today, so cloudy and this procedure also masks the nose. Classic Montmains behind, with the usual reductive grip, yet also some elegance, very persistent. The lees were first class, says Didier Seguier and this certainly has the makings of a first class Montmains. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMAn exuberantly fresh nose speaks of mineral reduction, prominent floral, oyster shell and essence of pear scents. There is again solid volume and richness to the seductively textured middle weight flavors that possess just a bit more finishing verve as well as more evident minerality. Here too there is a touch of warmth but it’s not really enough to materially impair the overall sense of balance.Burghound | 88-91 BH

Crushed stone and green apple mingle on the nose that rests against a wall of baby’s breath and muddled white blossom. The steely palate accentuates purity of fruit while elevating freshness on the finish that is lifted by a nervy layer of acidity. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2023 Chablis “Vaillons” from Domaine William Fèvre is another absolutely classic expression of this fine premier cru vineyard. The bouquet is bright and complex, wafting from the glass in a lovely mix of lemon, pink grapefruit, anise, citrus peel, chalky minerality, white flowers and a gentle topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and focused, with a great core of fruit, lovely bounce and grip, seamless balance and a long, mineral-driven and complex finish. First class Vaillons! (Drink between 2028-2055)John Gilman | 93 JGSourced from a sunny, precocious site that is typically among the first to be harvested, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons delivers aromas of beeswax, orange oil, pear and honeysuckle. Full-bodied, enveloping and charming, it is underpinned by ripe yet vibrant acidity and concludes with a saline finish, reflecting the personality of the warm vintage. The wine is derived from 3.5 hectares, the majority of which lies within Vaillons proper.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPLinear in profile, yet with a fleshy texture enveloping flavors of lemon cake, yellow plum and apple. There’s an underlying flintiness that, coupled with the acidity, brings clarity to the citrus-tinged aftertaste. Excellent length. Drink now through 2033. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has much more composure than the Montmains, more harmonious and poised. Light sea spray scents mixed with Crustacea come through with aeration. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation, quite linear and malic with a concentrated finish. I prefer this to the Montmains this year.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMAn exuberantly fresh nose features notes of essence of apple, sea breeze, pink grapefruit and oyster shell. The delicious, fleshy and solidly concentrated medium weight flavors deliver good if not truly special length on the lightly stony, balanced and bitter lemon-inflected finale. This is sufficiently rich to allow for early accessibility but it also has the stuffing to repay 6 to 10 years of cellaring.Burghound | 89-91 BHMid lemon yellow. A little headier in bouquet than the Montmains, balanced by a reductive note. Richer than usual for Vaillons but still with some balance. A little youthful bitterness. Not quite in place today. Drink from 2026-2033. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

Complex aromas of sliced apples and dried flowers, as well as lemon grass. Some honeysuckle and white peaches, too. Full-bodied and dense, with lively acidity that adds energy. Spicy and tangy. Dense and structured, yet weightless in so many ways. Give it time to come together. Best after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSAn exuberantly floral-suffused nose speaks mostly of pear, lychee, citrus confit and an admirably subtle application of oak. The rich and generous yet solidly punchy and beautifully refined middle weight flavors tighten up noticeably on the firm, youthfully austere and impeccably well-balanced finale. This does need better depth but that should simply be a matter of exercising some patience.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet “Boudriotte” from Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is not quite as buttoned up behind its structure as the lovely la Grande Montagne, but it too is going to need a couple of years in the cellar before drinking in earnest. The wine offers up a lovely bouquet of apple, lime, wet stone minerality, a touch of almond, vanillin oak and a Ramonet-like hint of peppermint in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep. full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, lovely acids and grip and a long, well balanced and zesty finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2029-2060)John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru comes from lower down the slope. It has a taut and fresh bouquet—a little austere at first—but gradually reveals its energy. The palate is well balanced with a brisk, edgy opening and citrus-fresh orange zest notes toward the penetrating finish. This has great potential. I can imagine it marrying perfectly with fruits de mer.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis is also quite firmly reduced though here too there is both good freshness and vibrancy to the slightly bigger-bodied and more powerful, if less mineral-driven, flavors that also offer acceptable depth and persistence though here, the finish isn’t as awkward. Again, I attribute the slight lack of harmony to the very recent bottling.Burghound | 91 BH

I drink Chassagne “Caillerets” so seldom these days, but there was a time when I was a wine merchant that I probably drank wines from this beautiful premier cru more often than any other in the Côte de Beaune. So, I am always delighted to taste a great example, as is the 2023 from the Fontaine family. The wine is young and still a touch reductive on the nose, but with swirling reveals a beautiful bouquet of lime, pear, apple, a gorgeously complex base of chalky minerality, a hint of fresh almond, spring flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and mineral-driven, with a great core of fruit, superb girdle of acidity, laser-like focus and a very long, complex and racy finish. This wine has perfect balance. (Drink between 2030-2070)John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has a very harmonious bouquet, fine mineralité and terroir expression and touches of oyster shell infusing the citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced with a rounded texture. There’s a fine silver bead of acidity here, a little richer in style, fanning out marvelously on the finish. This is excellent.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMSmoky and vaguely exotic aromas include those of white peach, passion fruit, citrus confit and a hint of wet stone. There is evident minerality to the delicious middle weight flavors that possess a lovely texture before delivering excellent length on the balanced finale that, once again, could use better depth. One to consider. (Drink starting 2030)Burghound | 92 BH

Forward aromas of lemon peel, green apple and pear are accented with flint, chalk and spice notes. The texture is lively and taut, and the tension draws the wine to a dynamic finish. The grapes are from a 0.33ha plot on the right bank, very near the grands crus in thin, stony soils over a compact layer of Kimmeridgian – classic Chablis. Benoît Droin says of this wine, ’it’s not to drink, it’s to wait 15 years’, but wine lovers will be forgiven for jumping the gun.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent offers up aromas of white peach, flowers and oyster shells, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered palate that’s suave and ethereal, with racy acids and a saline finish. This is especially good in 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPThe 2023 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a vibrant, minerally bouquet with a sea spray/oyster shell scent that becomes more intense with aeration. Very precise. The palate is smooth on the entry, very detailed with a fine bead of acidity, subtle praline and chai notes towards the elegant and seductive finish. Not long term perhaps, but beautifully crafted.Vinous Media | 93 VMAs with the Montmains, a discreet application of wood sets off ripe orchard fruit, especially pear, suffused with oyster shell, lemon zest and cool floral wisps. There is fine density to the intense and succulent medium weight flavors that deliver very good persistence on the citrusy, balanced and sappy finale. As it often is chez Droin, this is really quite stylish if perhaps slightly more forward than it usually is. Either way, it is lovely.Burghound | 92 BHBenoît uses 30% barrel vinification here with younger wood given the intrinsic power of Vaulorent. Lots of stones show in the nose. After this austere start there is a wealth of richer white fruit, infused with minerals, leading to a generous finish without any tropical notes. This should develop into a classic. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JM

The Vaulorent from Fèvre is more mineral than its Montée de Tonnerre, if a bit less lush, with aromas of lime peel, mirabelle plum, and passion fruit. The texture is chiselled and concentrated, with layers of tightly wound extract and a dense, chalky finish. The grapes are from 3.6ha in Vaulorent, which is part of Fourchaume but located on the side of the grands crus. Winemaker Didier Séguier chooses his favourite blocks for this bottling and crafts a ’classic’ Fourchaume from the rest. Fermentation is done in older casks for 40-50% of the grapes. (Drink between 2030-2060)Decanter Magazine | 95 DECSourced from the upper part of the climat and planted with 40- to 60-year-old vines, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent wafts from the glass with a deep bouquet of lemon oil, white flowers, orange peel, peach, pear and a delicate reductive signature. Medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and layered, it is framed by ample, chalky structuring extract and racy acidity, concluding with a persistent, saline finish. This is a terrific performer once again.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPA bit more vertical than the more complete, rounder Fauchaume. This shows a touch of smoky, flinty stones with slightly crisper acidity. Lots of brightness with a saline, pithy finish. It challenges you a bit more with slightly more austerity perhaps. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2023 Chablis “Vaulorent” from Domaine William Fèvre is outstanding. The wine’s bouquet is bright and complex, hopping from the glass in a mix of lime, pear, green apple, chalky minerality, a touch of anise and a lovely floral topnote redolent of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and shows off superb depth of fruit at the core, with great mineral drive and cut, snappy acids and outstanding length and grip on the complex and racy finish. A classic in the making! (Drink between 2030-2060)John Gilman | 94+ JGDistinctive, this white is downright spicy, featuring flavors of peppery greens, lemon, lime zest and mineral, plus a hint of white pepper. Well-defined and balanced, with a long, stony finish. Best from 2026 through 2038. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGreen apple, bosc pear and white peach skin aromas merge in the glass accentuated by hints of dried herbs and bread dough. The palate elevates fresh orchard fruit, toasted lemon peel and crushed wet stone. Pair with grilled-cheese toast and lentil soup.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WERipe, fresh and pretty aromas are comprised by notes of the essence of white fleshed fruit, especially peach and pear, along with hints of acacia, mineral reduction and algae. There is a bit more volume to the highly seductive and caressing medium-bodied flavors that retain good underlying tension that also suffuses the balanced, youthfully austere and slightly firmer finish. Worth considering.Burghound | 92 BHPale but glowing, a note of citron confit, an additional depth compared to the Fourchaume. More flesh but perfectly proportioned, fine and elegant, and very long indeed. This should be first class. Flavours will absolutely not go away! As much yellow as white but balanced. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMThe 2023 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet–oyster shells and a touch of petrichor, quite intense. The palate is well balanced with a pleasant "bite" on the entry. A twist of sour lemon imparts tension and gets the saliva flowering. Fine weight on the finish, this should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

More yellow in the colour, a waxy flesh, slight evolution in the sample, I cannot quite see the stones up front. They do appear on the palate and the wine extends very well through to a flinty finish, with some saline notes right at the back. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret 1er Cru has a strict, almost sullen nose that demands coaxing from the glass, with hints of chamomile interlacing the orchard fruit, though I seek just a little more mineralité. The palate is well balanced with tropical notes of passionfruit and guava on the entry. Smooth in texture with countervailing acidity, the 2023 finishes open and easy-drinking. Drink just a year after bottling and enjoy this in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

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 Maltroie red has a deep ruby colour and an admirable concentration of red and black fruit with hints of earth, smoke and violets. The texture is silky, but there is also depth and enough structure to draw this out to a lingering finish. The grapes are from 0.44ha of the Clos de la Maltroie, not to be confused with Clos du Château de la Maltroye.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos de la Maltroie 1er Cru is clean and precise on the nose, with touches of lemon rind and crushed stone. The palate is taut and fresh, with plenty of lime and citrus fruit and more stony notes developing on the finish. The 2023 is a level up from 2022.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMA more floral-suffused nose offers up vaguely exotic aromas of white peach, lychee and passion fruit along with just sliced citrus hints. I very much like the sense of underlying tension and caressing mouthfeel the barely middle weight flavors display before culminating in a balanced, long and agreeably dry finale. This too could use better depth but the development potential seems clear.Burghound | 90 BHNot much deeper in colour than the village wine but with significantly more fruit weight, still strawberry up front underpinned by a little raspberry, and here also the evidence of some new wood. One new barrel out of four. Drink from 2028-2032. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JM

A beautifully layered nose subtly blends notes of poached pear, just sliced apple, spice and a touch of citrus confit. There is an equally beautiful texture to the seductive and caressing medium weight flavors that possess sneaky good length on the balanced finale. This is lovely and while it’s not particularly intense, it remains refreshing and inviting as well as a wine that could be enjoyed on the younger side if desired.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Chenevottes 1er Cru has a lovely bouquet with citrus peel and light floral scents. It’s a little more reductive than other cuvées, but that’s no bad thing. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, building nicely in the mouth with just a hint of peach skin on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPale lemon and lime. There is a touch of citrus with the minor reduction. Firm at the finish which is no bad thing as there is a considerable volume of white orchard fruit which needs to be kept in place. Easy of access once again. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

This exquisite wine enchants with a complex nose of lime peel, gooseberry and pear with hints of smoky reduction and a salty mineral edge. The wine is dense and compact, and its weight is perfectly balanced by racy acidity. The grapes are from 1.76ha in the blue clay soils of the Côte de Bréchain. They are crushed and fermented in tank and cask (25%). In the view of Benoît Droin, this is a ’super premier cru’ – grand cru-adjacent, like Chambolle Amoureuses and Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECAromas of citrus blossom, orange oil, white flowers, iodine and honey introduce the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered wine that’s rich and dense. It’s a strong effort with good cellaring potential.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2023 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a more austere bouquet of light fumé notes mixed with petrichor–a more uncompromising aromatics than the Vaulorent, one for hardcore Chablis-lovers. The palate is taut and fresh, displaying good body and density. Very pure with a strict and persistent finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis too possesses just enough wood to merit pointing out on the smoky nose of white flowers, wet stone and soft quinine whiffs. The elegant, intense and focused medium-bodied flavors exude evident minerality on the unusually powerful, balanced and precise finale. This is also lovely though with the proviso that it definitely needs to develop better overall depth.Burghound | 91 BHPale in colour, quite strict on the nose. This is so much less exotic than the Mont de Milieu but it has a generous flesh through the middle, more white peach than yellow, but all very well harnessed. Crunchy finish. 30% was made in barrel. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM