Chardonnay Wines

wines

The 2019 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has an attractive nose, more extrovert than others from this climat, displaying scents of yellow plum, pressed white flower, crushed rock and subtle Granny Smith apple. The palate is clean and fresh, a dab of bitter lemon on the entry combining neatly with the silver bead of acidity. Quite tensile toward the finish, which lingers in the mouth. This may warrant a higher score with bottle age. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2018 Chablis Côte de Jouan 1er Cru has a gorgeous bouquet of lemon curd, orange pith and honeysuckle scents that seem to grab the olfactory senses. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and crisp, leading to a complex finish of sour lemon, kumquat and saline notes that linger on the aftertaste. Superb.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Patrick’s 2020 Butteaux is utterly classic in personality and superb in potential quality. The nose jumps from the glass in a refined blend of apple, pear, a complex base of chalky soil tones, paraffin, fruit blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and shows of gorgeous fruit at the core, with excellent soil undertow, bright, zesty acids, fine focus and grip and a long, perfectly balanced and complex finish. Great juice. 2025-2060.John Gilman, A View from the Cellar | 94 JGThe 2020 Chablis Les Butteaux 1er Cru had received a bit of SO2 a couple of days before my visit. For that reason, it is a little muted on the nose, opening gradually to reveal yellow flower scents. The well-balanced palate offers grapefruit and melon notes, a fine bead of acidity and good weight on the finish. It does need to cohere in the glass, but this has good potential.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Butteaux" 1er Cru White) A very Chablis-like nose features notes of mineral reduction, pear, apple, shellfish and a plethora of citrus elements. The succulent and round yet decidedly powerful medium-bodied flavors exhibit borderline painful intensity before culminating in a very dry, firm and austere finale. Patience strongly suggested. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 90-92 BHDelivers peach, apple and citrus flavors tinged by mineral and the slightest hint of vanilla. Balanced, remaining long and present on the pastry-inflected finish. Drink now through 2026. 392 cases made, 127 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 91 WS

One of the highlights of the range is the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, a medium to full-bodied, taut and concentrated wine evocative of pear, citrus oil, smoke, oyster shell and freshly baked bread. Chiseled and incisive, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP(Chablis “Vaulorent”- Domaine Patrick Piuze) The 2020 Vaulorent from Patrick Piuze is outstanding. The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, wafting from the glass in a suave mix of apple, pear, chalky minerality, a touch of raw almond, white lilies, beeswax and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and nicely reserved in personality, with a full-bodied format, a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and a long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This wine has beautiful grip and purity and all it needs is some time in the cellar to properly blossom. (Drink between 2028-2070)John Gilman | 94 JG(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Vaulorent" 1er Cru White) An expressive nose combines aromas of white flowers, anise, tea, oyster shell and whiffs of ocean breeze. There is better volume if not quite the same degree of refinement on the punchy, saline and sneaky long finale. This firm effort is lovely with a Zen-like sense of poise. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2020 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru was showing a bit of reduction on the nose when I tasted it directly from barrel. Moving straight on to the palate, there is crisp citrus fruit, lemon curd, touches of frangipane and plenty of spice toward the back end. A tang of stem ginger lingers on the aftertaste. This is a fine Vaulorent but it will need time in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThis supple white is highlighted by apple, melon and green plum flavors, with accents of mineral and vanilla adding detail. Balanced and crisp, finishing on the bracing side. Drink now through 2026. 248 cases made, 73 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This silky, vibrant white is all about texture and harmony, showcasing peach, melon, apple and lemon fruit underscored by a subtle minerality. Seamless from start to finish, ending in a long, citrusy and stony aftertaste. Drink now through 2028. 120 cases made, 48 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFrom a parcel that seems to do especially well in warm vintages, perhaps because the vines are planted east to west, so its grapes are never exposed to direct sunlight, Piuze’s 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Les Roncières wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, freshly baked bread, white currants, beeswax and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy, with bright acids and a charming core of fruit, it concludes with a long, mineral finish. Drink Date2025 - 2045 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2020 Chablis Les Roncières 1er Cru, taken directly from barrel, demonstrates impressive complexity on the nose, which features lemon curd, hazelnut and crushed stone aromas. The harmonious palate is well balanced with fine acidity, poise, and tension toward the saline finish. This is very promising.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Chablis “Les Roncières”- Domaine Patrick Piuze) The 2020 les Roncières chez Piuze is another outstanding premier cru in the making. The wine delivers a fine aromatic combination of lemon, apple, limestone soil tones, spring flowers, paraffin and a touch of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with fine purity of fruit at the core, lovely soil definition and grip, bright, bouncy acids and lovely focus on the long, well-balanced and complex finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2025-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JG(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Roncières" 1er Cru White) Here the nose is again firmly reduced though there is both good freshness and verve to the medium weight flavors that also flash good minerality on the clean, dry and compact finish that will likely need at least a few years to fully unwind and 5 to 8 years to realize its full potential. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 89-91 BH

This 0.23-hectare parcel at the base of the rock of Solutré enjoys a full south exposition and chalky clay soils. The grapes, grown with biodynamic methods, are lightly crushed and fermented in cask (15% new) before aging 18 months in total. The result has delightful aromas of green apple and chamomile, yet there is a gentle touch of honey as well. The wine is superbly balanced, crisp and clean, with appreciable richness but no heaviness. The lingering finish and substance of the wine hint it will improve for decades in the bottle. Drinking Window 2023 - 2033.Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine Leflaive Pouilly-Fuissé "En Vigneraie" Villages White) Ripe and very fresh aromas are comprised by notes of poached pear, green apple, citrus rind and a hint of mineral reduction. There is fine richness and solid concentration to the middle weight flavors that possess a caressing mouthfeel and exhibit fine length on the clean, dry and balanced finale. This could use better depth, but more should develop if this is allowed a few years first. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 90-93 BH

A well-layered nose blends notes of citrus, mineral reduction, Granny Smith apples and a touch of wood toast. There is both excellent minerality and punch to the moderately concentrated flavors that possess slightly better ripeness on the clean, dry and persistent finale. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 92 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

Notes of peonies, rose petals, raspberries, orange oil and spices introduce the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Boudriotte, a medium to full-bodied, pretty and perfumed wine that’s seamless and elegant, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. It’s well worth seeking out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPOpulent, this red features cherry, blackberry, spices and a flash of iron, with plush texture and solid structure. Revealing excellent balance, this fades gracefully with the fruit, mineral and spice notes. Drink now through 2032.Wine Spectator | 92 WSPungent aromas of matchstick, petrol and a phenolic hint precede rich, robust and concentrated medium-bodied flavors that flash evident power on the mildly warm and slightly rustic finale. This is solidly constituted and should repay mid-term cellaring out to about 10 years.Burghound | 91 BH

Elegantly complex and vibrant, with floral apple, lemon verbena and spice flavors that build toward a steely finish. Drink now through 2023. 424 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2019 Chardonnay “Hyland Vineyard” bottling from Résonance Wines is a lovely wine. It comes in at 13.5 percent octane and seems to show that a bit of the malolactic fermentation was blocked, as it has that lovely essence of pear aromatic note that one finds in many of Louis Jadot’s white Burgundies as well. The nose jumps from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, a touch of pastry cream, raw almond, a touch of vanillin oak and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a good core and soil signature, zesty acids and a long, nicely balanced and stylish finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2021-2030)John Gilman | 90 JG

This is produced from a 0.32ha parcel that lies right on the border between Puligny and Chassagne. The wine also seems to be a balance between the two, with a bit of the power and depth of the Chassagne side, opposite some of the silky finesse and elegance of Puligny. Fermented and aged in 50% new wood, this is a wine that has a seamless integration of citrus and orchard fruit, floral notes, and a richer, creamy, buttery side that will age spectacularly well over time. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DEC

The 2019 is a fabulous wine, with ripe apple fruit showing a citrusy edge to it, balanced acidity and impressive length on the palate. Roulot now farms 5ha of vines in this appellation, located between the village and the Route Nationale, spread over eight parcels. The fruit is lightly crushed and fermented in cask (mostly used) before ageing for one year. (Drink between 2021-2029)Decanter | 92 DEC

Bright and expressive, this white sports apple, lemon, spring meadow and gravel dust flavors. The vibrant structure holds court on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

(Domaine Leflaive Meursault-Blagny "Sous le Dos d’Âne" 1er Cru White) A cool, pure and airy nose is comprised by notes of apple, citrus and white peach. There is once again fine punch and delineation to the middle weight flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the linear, youthfully austere and bone-dry finale. This is going to need at least a few years of patience to further flesh out the finish as it’s quite compact at present. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Ane is also a touch reductive out of the gates, unwinding to reveal aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, hazelnuts, dried white flowers and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with lively acids and a long, saline finish, it’s a seamless, elegant wine from a parcel located just above Pierre Morey’s Meursault Perrières.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Meursault Sous le Dos l’Ane 1er Cru has a very Puligny-like bouquet, well defined, quite poised with traces of yellow plum and apricot, very pretty. The palate is quite edgy on the opening. There is a small reduction at play here, but fine weight and concentration with a tensile, stem ginger-tinged finish that is very satisfying. Maybe not long-term, but utterly delicious. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 92 VM

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

Features a beautiful fragrance of lemon, lanolin, vanilla and toasty oak, with an underlying minerally vein. This is lively and changes across the palate, building to a precise, minerally finish. Shows terrific complexity and clarity. Best from 2022 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOnly just beginning to open up, this is a very sophisticated white Burgundy with great elegance and a sleeker body than many wines of this category. Excellent concentration, married to a cool and fresh personality, the intense mineral character driving the very long and pure finish. From vineyards under conversion to organic cultivation. Better from 2021.James Suckling | 94-95 JSSold under the generic Champy brand but from a domaine-owned parcel of 0.5ha on the Pernand-Vergelesses side of the appellation, This is a wine that’s all about freshness and precision rather than power, showing chalky crunch and bite, alluring jasmine aromas, a leesy texture and subtle wood, 25% new.Decanter | 94 DECHere too there is a moderate dollop of wood framing the cool green apple, citrus rind, mineral reduction and lychee nut scents. There is good punch to the tautly muscular if not especially dense middle weight flavors that exude evident minerality on the firm, clean and dry finale. Like several of the wines in the range, this needs to develop more depth but given the underlying structure, this has the legs in which to do so. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 92 BH

Notes of crisp green orchard fruit, oatmeal, clear honey, white flowers and mint introduce the 2019 Viré-Clessé Quintaine, a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that’s deep and sapid, framed by lively acids and chalky structuring dry extract. If the 2018 is open and demonstrative, the 2019 is built to age and will really reward some patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

The 2019 Chardonnay Quink Vineyard is another fabulous wine from Trail Marker. Mount Eden Clone Chardonnay in this Santa Cruz Mountains site yields a wine that is rich, creamy and vibrant. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, mint, chamomile and light tropical inflections all build in the glass. Low yields and small berries amplify both fruit richness and salinity.Antonio Galloni | 92-94 AG

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

Muscular and powerful, the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes wafts from the glass with notes of pear, orange oil, peach, nutmeg and spices. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, it’s a rich, broad-shouldered Ruchottes that’s quite demonstrative out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

This is a generous, layered white with lots of cooked apples and hints of coconut and vanilla. Full body. Phenolic tension, too. Lots of white pepper and saltiness underneath. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS