Chardonnay Wines

wines

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

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 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

Mid lemon, a slightly subdued nose, competent if slightly lacking personality, middle weight and I like the quite generous finish. White fruit, good acid balance and relatively persistent. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

Purchased grapes, picked on 28th August. Mid lemon yellow, clearly a riper bouquet, slightly pungent even, the reduction showing less strongly gunflint, a bit more vegetal maybe. Good flesh on the bones, and I like the way this follows through. Some pears. Not really in place but I suspect may have greater potential than today’s showing. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 90 JM

The 2020 Meursault Blagny 1er Cru has a lively Alpine-fresh bouquet with lemon verbena, fern and touches of yellow plum. Very vivacious and nicely delineated. The palate is well-defined with good weight, not complex perhaps, though there is satisfying density towards the finish with veins of shaved almonds and stem ginger, the latter lingering on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The domaine purchased 0.19ha in 2011 without knowing the vine age, though probably around 40 years old. Paler colour and quite light on the nose, lightly biscuity, then the palate delivers a greater weight of white fruit with a little cream. One third new wood, only a little warmth at the back. Tasted: February 2021.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

From vines purchased in 2011, towards the Truffière side of the vineyard. Pale lemon and lime. The bouquet is quite discreet though with some finesse. The oak shows much less here, and the fruit builds quite attractively towards the back of the palate. Some fresh but ripe citrus notes nicely integrated. Persistent. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JM

The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne exhibits aromas of pear, peach, fresh mint, toasted nuts and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and charming, with an open, giving profile and a bright, saline finish, it has turned out nicely.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPOnce again there is a smoky component to the pretty and cool aromas of ripe citrus confit, essence of pear and plenty of floral wisps. There is slightly better concentration to the palate coating middle weight flavors that exude more evident minerality on the youthfully austere, focused and nicely lingering finale. This too should amply repay mid-term keeping yet be reasonably approachable after only 2 to 3 years.Burghound | 91 BH

Aromas of stone fruits, citrus zest, toasted nuts and smoke introduce the 2020 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and lively wine that’s bright and mineral, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPA background hint of smoke is present on the cool and fresh citrus-suffused aromas of mostly apple and pear that exhibit a floral top note. The moderately voluminous medium-bodied flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel while exuding a subtle bead of minerality on the dry, lemony and sneaky long finale. This too could easily be enjoyed after only 2 to 3 years of bottle aging.Burghound | 90 BH

Notes of green apple, citrus confit and a hint of resin lead to rich, delicious and generously proportioned flavors that are shaped by lemon-tinged acidity on the lingering and saliva-inducing if slightly warm finale.Burghound | 90-92 BH

(Chablis Montmains 1er Cru, Domaine William Fèvre, White) From all three sections of the vineyard as usual. Racy lemon colour. Pure crystalline nose, very little reduction, very classical left bank Chablis, very intense but neither heavy nor exotic. The kimmeridgian is speaking underneath a graceful layer of flesh. Fruit and stones both keep coming back at the finish.Jasper Morris | 92-95A wine from a selection of sites over 3.9ha in Butteaux, Forêts and Montmains. Butteaux is very cold and mineral, while Forêts is elegant and floral. Great precision and focus here, allied with crystalline citrus fruits on the palate. Shows density, but is also very fresh, with lovely mineral characters on the finish. A highly successful Montmains.Decanter | 93 DECHere too the nose is elegant, pure and layered but with more floral and spice nuances adding breadth to the cooler and more restrained aromas. There is both excellent intensity and density to the mineral-driven flavors that terminate in a bone-dry, sneaky long and balanced finale. This too is really very good.Burghound | 91-93 BHConsisting of roughly equal parts Montmains, Butteaux and Forêts (the three sous-climats of Montmains), the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains offers up aromas of crisp green apple, white flowers, bee pollen and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it’s taut and precise, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP(Chablis “Montmains”- Domaine William Fèvre) The 2020 Montmains here is also lovely, with perhaps just a bit more definition and complexity than in the Beauroy. The nose is pure and bright, offering up scents of apple, tart orange, wet stone minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and a nice shading of oyster shell. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy in personality, with fine focus and grip, a lovely core and a long, minerally and beautifully balanced finish. A lovely example. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 92+ JGThe 2020 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru comes from 3.8 hectares of vines over 12 parcels and offers pressed white flower scents and a touch of crushed rock. The well-defined palate features red apple mixed with subtle spicy notes that dovetail into a generous, leesy finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Moderate reduction again pushes the underlying fruit to the background though there is outstanding freshness and verve on the palate of the medium-bodied flavors that retain lovely delineation on the moderately dry, youthfully austere and complex finale. Very solid quality here.Burghound | 91-93 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

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

The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru has an expressive bouquet with green apple, wet limestone and light kiwi fruit scents. This is nicely focused and has more energy than the Pucelles. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite poised and harmonious towards the finish that needs more mineralité. Maybe I was seeking a little more verve and tension.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champgains wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, orange oil, confit lemon and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, layered and open-knit, it’s a fleshy, charming wine that’s giving but lively.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPMore complex aromas consist of rosemary oil, pretty pear essence and whiffs of citrus confit. The utterly delicious and caressing medium-bodied flavors are rich to the point of opulence while coating the palate on the focused and lingering finale. This is very good and particularly so considering the young vines.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champgains unwinds in the glass with notes of pear, toasted nuts, honeycomb and light reduction, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that’s attractively textural and enveloping.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPModerate reduction once again masks everything but citrus hints. On the palate there is excellent richness and concentration to the very generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors that are at once succulent but punchy, all wrapped in a lingering, dry and balanced finale. This could also use better depth but more should reasonable develop if given a chance. I would also note that this is already sufficiently pliant that it could be approached after only 3 to 4 years if desired.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers is pure and precise, revealing aromas of pear, crisp green apple, mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with racy acids and a saline finish, it will age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA hint of reduction shaves the high notes from the otherwise pretty citrus, pear and soft floral scents. There is less volume but notably better refinement to the delicious, vibrant and well-detailed flavors that possess a suave mouthfeel while delivering fine length on the clean, bright and balanced finale that isn’t quite as complex, at least not yet.Burghound | 91 BH

Once again there is a coolness to the pure and pretty aromas of various white orchard fruit, floral and subtle lemon zest wisps. There is excellent density to the rich and powerful medium weight plus flavors that conclude in a bone-dry, youthfully austere and impressively long finish. Like several wines in the range, this will need to develop better depth to merit my rating but that should reasonably occur in time.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot reveals aromas of pear, white flowers, freshly baked bread and beeswax, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and fleshy palate that’s vibrant and layered. This year, it includes Les Fairendes, which is sometimes bottled separately.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru has a very focused, mineral-driven bouquet with touches of yellow plum, pressed flowers, lemon verbena and a hint of patisserie. The palate is well balanced, lively and full of energy, the 25% new oak neatly integrated. A lovely zestiness comes through on the finish. This is very promising.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

A beautifully layered nose freely reveals its aromas of wet stone, apple, pear and full-on floral scents. There is even better mid-palate density to the seductively textured medium weight flavors that possess more evident minerality on the bone-dry and distinctly linear finale that is shaped by overtly citrus-tinged acidity. This will need a few years to develop better depth.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe Sauzet team run the vineyards then purchase the grapes. Pretty and lively colour with a fine floral bouquet, a touch of spring flowers. Punchy in a good way, lemon and lime flavours but with adequate ripeness, leaves an attractive tingle on the tongue and medium plus length. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMThe 2021 Clos de la Garenne from Domaine Sauzet is excellent. The wine offers up a very stylish aromatic constellation of pink grapefruit, lemon, limestone minerality, citrus blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and vibrant, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, a fine girdle of acidity and a long, properly reserved finish. This is going to be an excellent bottle, but it will need a bit of bottle age before it starts to blossom. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 92 JGThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru is quite backward on the nose, mineral-driven, slightly flinty in style. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, perhaps just a bit too much lime on the finish compared to other cuvées? Yet it should drink well for 10-12 years.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

More lemon than lime in the colour. Not much bouquet at first sniff. On the palate, this opens out further, a lovely sense of harmony, just ripe fruit, with a good point of mineral acidity, and a persistent aftertaste. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts is lovely, bursting with aromas of pear, green apple, confit citrus, freshly baked bread and toasted nuts. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and racy, with an envelopingly textural attack that segues into a pure, mineral palate, it’s seamless and harmonious.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru has a delightful bouquet with green apple, nectarine, and subtle wet pavement scents, quite generous in style with a hint of praline. The palate is taut and fresh, with very fine tension. It is one of the most citric cuvées from Sauzet with a flinty, slightly reductive finish, suggesting it will require a couple of years in a bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

A surprising degree of green to the colour. A light but fine bouquet, all quite discreet, then rather more fruit intensity on the palate, quite linear but not without a little flesh on the bones. Apples washed with lime. Fine and elegant finish. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMAromas of pear, green apple, mint and nutmeg introduce Sauzet’s 2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne, a medium to full-bodied, satiny wine with good depth at the core and an attractively mordant finish. It’s a cuvée produced with purchased grapes from a parcel farmed and harvested by the Sauzet team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru has distant scents of sea spray and estuarine notes on the nose, neatly combined with the green apples. The palate is well-balanced, with the 15% new oak judiciously used to lend a little more creaminess in texture towards the lightly spiced finish. It just needs more nerve and mineralité overall.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Truffières 1er Cru has a precise, slightly flinty bouquet that exudes typicité. Hints of oyster shell emerge with time in the glass. The palate is (again) precise with a killer line of acidity, very fresh and linear. One of Sauzet’s most elegant Puligny wines, this vintage with a persistent saline aftertaste. Superb.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMPure lemon yellow. The bouquet is delicious, softly ripe fruit, no citrus here. This is rather special as well, but not quite as nuanced as the Sauzet Champ Canet and with a little more yellow fruit. There is plenty of weight here, even a touch of bacon fat, perhaps not quite the length of my very favourites. Slightly more massive in style. Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Truffière reveals notes of yellow orchard fruit, nutmeg, orange zest, honeycomb and iodine, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless palate that’s layered and saline. This parcel tends to suffer in warm, dry vintages to such an extent that Riffault intends to increase the height of his trellising here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-92 RP