Burgundy Wines

wines

(Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay "Champans" 1er Cru Red) Remarkably this has changed relatively little since my initial in-bottle review amost 10 years ago as the ripe raspberry liqueur-like nose evidences hints of spice, violets, earth and underbrush. The vibrant, pure, round and naturally sweet medium-bodied flavors possess excellent intensity on the precise, powerful and mineral-driven finish. There is a beautiful tension to this wine and while there is a serious tannic backbone, this seems supple on the mid-palate because the structure is so well-buffered. This is still very much on the way up and should easily see its 50th birthday (and many more) in superb condition. As such I would strongly advise letting this beauty continue to slumber. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 94 BHOne of the three batches that will be blended to make up d ‘Angerville’s 2005 Volnay Champans was still in malo, so I base my assessment on the other two. Scented with cherry and cassis, flowers and fungus, smoke and chalk dust, this displays richness and depth, fine tannins and emerging silkiness, and a youthfully firm but long finish loaded with savory subtleties. Just give it 6-8 years before revisiting. (The outstanding d’Angerville 2004s were also very late to finish malo, and the Champans is especially memorable for its vivid sauteed champignons, alluring ginger spice, marrowy richness, and flattering mouth feel, indeed comparable in quality though lacking the developmental potential of this 2005. As a striking example of mercantile bipolar disorder, I purchased this outstanding 2004 for $49.99 from a merchant whose price on the 2005 thus represented a 350% premium!)Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPGood full red. Reticent nose suggests cherry, licorice, flowers and truffle. Displays the copious sweetness of the vintage but with terrific focus and underlying spine. A stony, minerally pinot with real delicacy and cut. The long, noble finish offers a lovely combination of silk and stone and enticing lingering perfume. An archetypical Volnay that combines structure and charm: I wouldn’t be surprised if this merited an even higher score eight or ten years from now.Vinous Media | 93 VMRigid now, with cherry, mineral and smoke notes backed by burly tannins. Yet, it’s elegant in stature, concentrated and built for the long haul. Closed up already, but be patient. Best from 2014 through 2028. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Marquis d’Angerville Volnay “Champans”) By all indications, this will be a great vintage for the Champans chez d’Angerville. This can often be one of the more recalcitrant young wines in the cellar, but it is showing remarkable refinement out of the blocks. The bouquet offers up notes of cherries, red berries, coffee, lovely minerality and a touch of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and intensely flavored, with again simply striking purity, excellent focus and balance, and a long, moderately tannic and tangy finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2012-2035)John Gilman | 92-93 JG

The 2009 Volnay En Caillerets bursts from the glass with a huge, explosive bouquet. Blackberries, blueberries, hard candy and spices are just a few of the notes that emerge from this layered, intense Burgundy. There is plenty of inner tension here, in fact the Caillerets appears to be holding back a lot of its potential. It is a dazzling wine though, and one built for the long haul. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2049.Robert Parker | 94 RP(Domaine Pousse d’Or Volnay "En Caillerets" 1er 1er Cru Red) A discreet touch of wood frames notably elegant aromas of plum, violets and stone where the latter element also suffuses the rich, fleshy and delicious middle weight flavors that possess an abundance of dry extract that buffers the moderately firm tannins on the impressively persistent finish. This should be lovely in time. (Drink starting 2017)Burghound | 92 BH(Domaine de la Pousse D’Or Volnay en Caillerets) Bright fresh ruby. Aromas of cassis, mint and game, along with a liqueur-like note of black cherry. Sweet and concentrated, round and full. Wonderfully ripe without being roasted, with an element of sweetness giving this wine considerable early appeal. Substantial sweet tannins are buried under the wine’s fruit today on the long finish.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2010 Grands Epenots is a great wine in the making. Today, the wine is properly shut down, but reluctantly offers up a potentially stunning nose of red and black cherries, a marvelously complex base of soil, herb tones, incipient gamebird, coriander and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with great purity and focus, ripe, beautifully-integrated tannins and outstanding length and grip on the intensely flavored and tangy finish. A great and potentially timeless classic. (Drink between 2025 - 2100)John Gilman | 95+ JGA fresh, pure and very cool nose offers up aromas of a variety of red berries, earth and a hint of the sauvage that is also reflected by the delicious, intense and broad-shouldered flavors. There is excellent volume but also plenty of underlying tension that imparts a real sense of verve to the long, balanced and highly complex finish. Despite the admirable size and weight this is a bit more refined than usual thanks to the relatively fine-grained tannins. Lovely stuff and well worth considering.Burghound | 93 BH

There are floral and smoked tea nuances present that add breadth to the beautifully complex earth, wet stone and pure red pinot fruit scents. There is superb intensity and strikingly good detail to the almost pungent mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors that brim with structure-buffering dry extract, all wrapped in a hugely long and impeccably well-balanced finish. This is a classic Rugiens that combines overt power with refinement. In sum, this is seriously impressive.Burghound | 95 BH

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d’Or is an elegant, precise wine that was less advanced in its élevage than the Meursault lieux-dits that proceeded it. Offering up aromas of apple, pear, white flowers and pastry cream, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and delicately textural, with good concentration and reserved depth at the core that suggests more is to come. I look forward to revisiting it from bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (91-93)+ RPThe 2017 Meursault Goutte d’Or 1er Cru possesses a sunny bouquet of tropical scents of pineapple, honey and peach, perhaps just missing the delineation of its peers. The palate is well balanced and slightly honeyed in texture (possibly with a touch of botrytis?). Very harmonious, with lovely white peach and Nashi pear notes toward the Puligny-like finish. A very classy Meursault that should age well in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A rich style, this white features lemon, peach and spice flavors, all backed by bright acidity. Balanced, leaving a chalky, even tannic impression on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2029. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSIf you like bold dry whites, then try this. Quite a tannic white Burgundy, but with richness that has a very positive impact on the wine. Plenty of citrus, plus some hazelnut and chalky character. Some real drive at the finish that promises a long life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSIt’s always interesting to compare and contrast Albert Bichot’s Clos des Mouches white with the one from Joseph Drouhin, as this comes from a slightly higher parcel on the slope. The oak is a little more clamorous here and needs more time to integrate, but this is tauter and crunchier with a little less in terms of mid-palate weight. Drinking Window 2020 - 2024.Decanter | 92 DEC(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose offers up notes of pearl, apple and citrus where the latter can also be found on the round, delicious and once again generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors that deliver perfectly good if not truly distinguished depth though I do like the length. Note that my rating once again offers the benefit of the doubt that more complexity will develop if this is allowed a few years of cellar time. (Drink starting 2022)Burghound | 90 BH

A seductive white that draws you in with heady aromas of stone, butter, hazelnut and lemon. The intensity continues on the palate, where the mineral element and vivid acidity elevate the white peach, apple and baking spice notes. The texture borders on creamy, but maintains a mineral edge and cascades on the long aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2030. 5 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe best of Pierre-Yves Colin Morey’s Meursaults comes from the lower part of Perrières, very close to the limit with Puligny-Montrachet. The humidity in the soil was a boon in 2017, helping the vineyard to produce a premier cru that’s racy, refined and very pure, with laser-like focus and intensity and a kiss of oak. (Drink between 2022-2030)Decanter | 95 DEC(Colin’s vines are located just across the road from his Charmes and a bit closer to the village of Meursault): Bright, pale yellow-green. Wonderfully delicate aromas of underripe pineapple, white peach, flowers, spices and crushed rock. Denser than Colin’s other Meursault premier crus but its uncanny thickness is fully buffered by dusty, palate-staining minerality. This very pure wine shows the penetrating energy of a tungsten filament. Consistent from start to endless finish. There’s still an impression of sweetness here as the wine has two grams per liter of residual sugar, but Colin suspects that one of his three 350-liter barrels has not yet completely finished its sugar fermentation.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMAs is usually the case chez Colin, this is the most elegant wine among these 1ers with its cool, pure and airy nose of lemon peel, mineral reduction, apple, pear and soft floral nuances. There is very good concentration to the seductively textured but precise medium-bodied flavors that flash plenty of minerality on the saline and strikingly persistent finish. Note well however that this chiseled effort is very firm and is a wine that is going to require extended patience. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières is strongly marked by its terroir, offering up a crisp bouquet of lemon oil, tart green apple, crushed chalk, iodine and subtle spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, taut and tensile with tangy acids and a pronouncedly chalky, mineral quality.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP

Among the most iconic Ramonet vineyards, this site on the slopes above Les Fairendes still has some of the vines planted by Pierre in the thirties. This old-vine fruit delivers a wine of impressive concentration. There is still a floral elegance typical of Ramonet, but there are also hints of ripe pear and white nectarine on the nose. The texture is firmly wound but not acerbic, the tension balanced by the ripe heft and extract of 2018. The superb balance carries this to a very satisfying finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Ruchottes" 1er Cru White) Smoky and nicely fresh aromas speak mainly of petrol, citrus blossom, spice and a discreet hint of wood influence. There is fine energy to the fluid, round and delicious middle weight flavors that possess average density but excellent punch and power before terminating in a markedly bitter lemon rind and noticeably warm finale. This is very 2018 in style as one can "feel" the sunshine and a wine that is going to need at least some bottle age to better harmonize as it seems somewhat awkward at present. With that said, the track record of this wine is so good that I wouldn't care to bet against it rounding into form with a few years of keeping. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 93 BH

The Boudriotte blanc is produced from the climat Les Fairendes, located reasonably high on the slope, reaching almost to Les Ruchottes. This superb terroir for white wine has provided in 2018 a result that seamlessly melds citrus, mineral, and ripe apple aromas and balances them with surprisingly fresh acidity, a lovely depth of flavour on the palate, and impressive weight and length. Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte is showing beautifully, unfurling in the glass with notes of toasted bread, pear, waxy citrus rind, smoke and popcorn. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and elegantly fleshy, it's seamless and elegant, with fine depth at the core and a long, delicately nutty finish. Already approachable, this will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA mild touch of reduction is sufficiently subtle to permit the notes of white flowers, citrus rind and discreet wood to be discerned. There is an attractive sense of underlying tension to the delicious medium weight flavors that possess focused power and good delineation on the lingering finish that flirts with rusticity. This well-made effort needs to develop more depth but it appears to have the requisite density to do so. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 91 BHA grassy, herbal note makes this white distinctive, adding to the lemon and apple fruit. It finds more focus in the end, leaving a butterscotch- and pastry-tinged finish. Drink now through 2024. 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2018 Santenay 1er Cru Le Beaurepaire Rouge has also turned out beautifully, mingling aromas of ripe cherries, cocoa nib, sweet soil tones and spices in a complex bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sensuous, its ample core of fruit is underpinned by lively acids and melting tannins. This is one of the most texturally refined wines in the range this year, but for all the early accessibility that conveys, it will age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPAttractive spice, florals and a white-pepper and chalky edge to the nose. Elegant, svelte and gently peppery palate with smooth, fine-grained tannins. Drink over the next five years.James Suckling | 91 JS

Aromas of cherries, cinnamon, dark chocolate and rich soil tones introduce the 2018 Santenay 1er Cru Le Passetemps, a medium to full-bodied wine that’s velvety and enveloping, with a layered core of ripe but succulent fruit, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. Might this be the best Passetemps that Vincent has produced from this high-density 2004 planting? I’m certainly inclined to think so.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jean has also turned out well, unfurling with aromas of pear, orange oil, white flowers and fresh pastry. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely defined, its fleshy core of fruit balanced by juicy acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPWhiffs of smoky reduction overshadow the underlying fruit that wisps of citrus do escape the fun so I would suggest a quick aeration if you’re going to try a bottle young. The mouthfeel of the middle weight flavors is slightly finer with good punch that carries over to the clean and dry finish. This could use a bit more depth, but more should develop if held for a few years first.Burghound | 90 BH

The Clos des Mouches made by Joseph Drouhin may be more famous, but Bichot’s parcel of 0.7ha, situated in the highest part of the Premier Cru, is pretty impressive in its own right. Bright, focused and chiselled, it’s the sort of white that wouldn’t look out of place in Puligny-Montrachet, combining citrus, wet stone and aniseed flavours.Drinking Window 2021 - 2028Decanter | 94 DECA creamy-textured white with sliced apples, pears, cream and some lemon and lime rind. Hints of morning yogurt and smoke. Medium-bodied, ready and delicious. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSCream and roasted hazelnut notes create an inviting, rounded nose on this wine. The palate has that same hazelnut richness and creamy flow, buttressed by freshness that recalls lemon and yellow pear. A lovely balance and a juicy, fresh finish do justice to the warm 2018 vintage. Drink by 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose combines notes of various white-fleshed fruit with those of lemon grass and spice wisps. The sleek, delicious and equally seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess very good depth and sneaky length. This balanced effort should drink well young as well as with a few years of bottle aging. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 91 BHMarked by vivid acidity, this white evokes lemon, apple, vanilla and clove notes. A tad disjointed, this could use a year to integrate, or decant now. Shows echoes of oak spice on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2029. 480 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières derives from a parcel at the southern end of this large climat, which was planted in the early 1950s and where missing vines have never been replaced. Delivering aromas of sweet red berries, orange rind, rose petals and spices, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and perfumed, with lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru was bottled in October 2020. Wild strawberry and raspberry feature on the nose, interwoven with iris and potpourri scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little more substance and concentration than the 2020, and fine grip and tension on the finish. This should give several years’ drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2019 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru was bottled in June and July ‘21. Very perfumed and floral scents on the nose, dark cherries, bergamot, damp earth and touches of clove, later hints of violet and blood orange (traits that I observed out of barrel). This is nicely detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a classy espresso-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. (Drink between 2025-2050)Vinous Media | 95 VMZanetti divides the Clos des Epéneaux in four sections, which are all fermented and matured separately and then assembled. The assemblage of the three is the most compelling, with a mix of violet notes and expressive cherry fruit aromas on the attack, plus mineral, spice and saline notes that develop with time. There is plenty of body, but little of the tannic, slightly rustic character for which Pommard can be known. Drinking Window 2024 - 2034.Decanter | 94 DECA very ripe nose is comprised by notes of both red and dark currant along with a background hint of a kind of reduction that the Burgundians refer to as bourgeon de cassis. There is fine freshness and verve to the moderately dense, powerful, and muscular larger-scaled flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract before concluding in a dusty, austere, and firm finale. This is also relatively supple and opulent that will need to develop depth over the course of its aging curve. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 92 BH

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon has turned out very nicely, mingling aromas of pear and citrus oil with hints of wheat toast, fresh bread and hazelnuts in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with terrific cut and a long, saline finish, it's taut and incisive, showing promise for the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru White) The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has an austere nose that demands coaxing from the glass; struck flint and sea spray scents, cool, calm and collected. The palate is taut on the entry, then fans out with glee, notes of dessicated orange peel, white peach and tangerine, a lovely bitterness that counterbalances the concentration on the finish. Exccellent. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 93 VM(Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet "Clavoillon" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral suffused nose displays notes of pear compote, citrus confit and subtle spice wisps. There is excellent vibrancy to the attractively textured medium weight flavors that also exude a refreshing salinity on the citrusy, dry and notably more complex finish that is perceptibly firmer. This should age well. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 91-94 BH

An interesting nose of decidedly ripe citrus tart, poached pear and discreet spice nuances. There is again fine volume to the nicely detailed medium-bodied flavors that possesses good underlying tension, all wrapped in a lingering and lemony finish that isn’t quite as complex.Burghound | 90 BH

Silky and beautifully balanced, displaying violet, raspberry, cherry and vanilla flavors. Though plush, this red is also lively and on the elegant side. Firms up on the fruit- and spice-infused aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2035. 390 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSWhispers of char and smoked nut accent this rich black-cherry and plum flavored sip. Matured 12 months in barrel prior to bottling, it’s etched by subtle veins of sweet spice and and vanilla. This plush, softly tannic expression of Beaune is ready now but will likely drink well through at least 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The complex nose of candied citrus, flint, hazelnut and toasty oak leads you into this impressively rich and concentrated dry white for Pernand-Vergelesses. Very focused, super-elegant finish that has so much life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSAn open-textured white, with apple, almond and baking spice flavors. Leans to the oxidative side, but there’s ample acidity and this actually picks up energy on the finish, turning more minerally and focused. Decant. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA touch of new wood influence is present on the fresh mix of white and yellow peach, citrus confit and anise hints. The round, rich and enveloping flavors also possess an attractive texture as well as better depth and persistence on the clean and dry finale.Burghound | 91 BH

This creamy version is laced with peach, lemon cake and sweet spice aromas and flavors, with a floral accent adding lift. Balanced and long. Drink now through 2025. 320 cases made, 106 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA softly toasty mix of white and yellow peach, acacia and spice also displays plenty of phenolic character. The slightly finer medium weight flavors possess really lovely vibrancy and an appealing mid-palate texture that contrast with the powerful, serious and robust finale that offers impressive depth and persistence. This won’t win any awards for refinement, but it is impressive all the same.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2019 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru comes from vines on the upper slopes of the vineyard and cropped at 25hl/ha instead of the 40hl/ha the Meursault Village enjoyed. The nose features clear honey, clementine and light saffron aromas. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy, marmalade-tinged entry, good weight and a harmonious finish that just needs a little more complexity given the vineyard. Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

A holding of 0.53ha planted in 1955, vinified and aged with one third new wood. Pale primrose with quite a stylish bouquet, more fruit than floral, definitely encouraging a second sniff. There is an attractive lime blossom note, without the higher alcohol feel of the vintage (though still around 13.8%), sitting back with quality reserve. Long and quite impressive. Tasted: February 2021.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Green apple and Mirabelle flavors are cutting and pure on the palate of this richly textured, supple wine. While plush in body and undeniably ripe, it has an edge of lemony acidity alongside streaks of crystalline minerality. Voluptuous yet freshly composed, it’s delightful young but should fare well through 2030. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPhilippe Colin farms a parcel of mostly 50-year-old vines within Les Chaumées, in the northwest corner of Chassagne, bordering St-Aubin. Given that it is near the top of the hill, where the soils are shallow without much clay, the site produced an impressively cool and expansive 2019, a wine with a long horizon line of flavor touching on sea salt, lime and stone. That stony, flinty character keeps the structure tight, set for long aging.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SOnce again there is a petrol note to the more floral and less citrus-infused nose. There is excellent richness to the sappy medium weight flavors that possess just a bit more overall depth and persistence on the balanced finale.Burghound | 90-92 BHButterscotch and citronella aromas and flavors mark this smooth white that’s toasty too, with vivid acidity keeping this focused and driving the long finish. Drink now through 2025. 900 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Pale yellow. Rather a backward nose, this appears low key after the oaky sumptuous character of Perrières, but it is a brilliant wine, all about the white fruit, ripe enough to include white peach flesh, but beautifully managed and with exceptional persistence. Almost saline in its minerality at the finish.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JMA ripe yet equally cool, pure and airy nose is comprised by hints of white peach, apricot, lavender and a hint of hazelnut. There is excellent intensity to the stony and attractively textured and beautifully delineated flavors that terminate in a bone-dry and youthfully austere finish that is quite tightly wound.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a fragrant, chalk dust scented bouquet that opens nicely with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a lightly spiced opening, touches of orange rind and marmalade lending a welcome tanginess. It might not be a long-term Chassagne, though it is thoroughly enjoyable. 14.10% alcohol.Vinous Media | 90 VM