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This has real al dente fruit character on the palate with lemon rind and blackcurrants with blueberries. Lead pencil and stone, too. Full-bodied with chewy and juicy tannins that are primary and growing quickly on the palate as you taste it. Reminds me of the 1978, but brighter and more precise. 51.7% cabernet sauvignon, 43.2% merlot and 5.1% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is matured in 70% new oak. It has a very refined bouquet with mineral-driven dark berry fruit, hints of Earl Grey and freshly-rolled tobacco, focused with exquisite delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that still provide the backbone to what is the most elegant La Missions that I have tasted at this stage. It is harmonious and silky toward its extremely persistent finish. At the moment, it has got its nose just in front of its First Growth sibling...at least at the moment. For sure, it’s going to be one of the standouts of the 2022 vintage.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMGorgeous intensity on the nose, really fragrant and perfumed, richly scented with black fruits and bramble berries. Round, full, persistent and thrilling on the palate, a perfect balance between rich, concentrated and intense fruit and lively acidity. There is density and crispness while remaining quite pure and focussed, no overt over ripeness or heaviness. Precise and elegant, juicy and alive. This has supreme charm. 4pH.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot, and 5.1% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.2% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles out of the glass with gregarious notes of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and blueberry compote, followed by hints of sandalwood, violets, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is charged with energetic black fruits, featuring impressive tension and firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and opulent. Typically the more flamboyant sibling to Haut-Brion, it will be hard to keep your paws off this even after only 5-6 years in bottle.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIWhile I don’t see the 2022 Château La Mission Haut-Brion matching the legendary wines from this address at this early stage, it’s nevertheless a gorgeous wine in the making. Based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, it has a pure, elegant, lengthy style as well as classic cassis and darker cherry fruits, some smoky, tobacco, scorched earth nuances, medium to full body, perfectly ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its tannins, and it’s a forward, seamless, balanced beauty that will shine with just short-term cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDA rich and muscular wine that reflects the warmth of the vintage, the 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion reveals aromas of dark berries, cherries and crème de cassis mingled with licorice, spices, incense and spring flowers. Full-bodied, broad and concentrated, it’s surprisingly lively despite an elevated pH of 4.0, exhibiting a seamless, broad-shouldered profile with an ample core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannin. It’s a blend of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot and 5.1% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

A classical Lafite that reminds me of something like the 1986, with its blackcurrant and tobacco character with cedar and hazelnut, but it’s so today with its purity and precision. It’s really about being Lafite here. Terroir gives great elegance with strength.James Suckling | 99-100 JSA wonderful example of restraint and delicacy in a year where it was easy to overdo. Sharp and straight, you feel the acidity as soon as this enters the mouth, alive, pulsing, bright and shining. Aromatically so expressive after a few minutes. Delicate almost, such a fine tapestry of tannins, present and at the fore but like taffeta or finely woven silk. It has power but you don’t feel it, not instantly anyway, the focus is on the beautiful texture with edges of cool red and blue fruits, flint, graphite, liquorice and tobacco nuances with high acidity that all help build a layered and well constructed mid palate. The structure then focuses and narrows to a mineral, fresh finish. Has bite and succulence, gently muscular with tons of vibrancy. This is definitely one of the less showy wines that really grows on you. A delicious, defined, poised, refined and finessed Lafite. Calm, collected and incredibly charming already. Earliest harvest in over a century, 31 August to 24 September. 17.5% press wine. 3.8pH. 64IPT. 41% grand vin production.Decanter | 98 DECComposed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is almost impenetrable to start, needing a lot of shaking to wake up delicate scents of crushed red and black currants, raspberry leaves, warm plums, and boysenberries, followed by hints of crushed rocks, damp earth, lilacs, and Jasmine tea, with just a hint of orange peel. The palate is classic great Lafite, featuring incredibly tightly knit layers of black fruits, minerals, and floral notes bound with a rock-solid structure of exquisitely fine, very firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. This is an intellectual triumph, but don’t think about touching it for 10-15 years. pH 3.85.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIThe 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. It’s a richer, more opulent wine compared to the more classic 2020 (although the pH is higher in the 2020) and has a deep, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as classic Lafite aromatics of spicy red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and tobacco. Deep, rich, and concentrated, it nevertheless stays pure and flawlessly balanced, with ample, ripe tannins and a great finish. It’s going to have some up-front appeal by Lafite standards but should still require a decade of bottle age. Director Eric Koher compares this to the 2005, but this modern-day clone of the 1959 is one of the most powerful, concentrated Lafites I’ve tasted.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMA blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, sweet soils tones, cigar box and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, it’s the most tensile of the first growths this year, with a layered, concentrated but youthfully introverted mid-palate, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It checks in at a rather high pH of 3.85, which belies its incisive profile, from a harvest that extended from August 31 to September 24.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP

One of the more muscular, concentrated 2022s in my tastings, the 2022 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum hue to go with serious aromatics of ripe red and black cherries, smoked tobacco, new leather, truffle, and an incredible sense of crushed stone-like minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and massively concentrated on the palate, this intense, flawlessly balanced, voluptuous 2022 has a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and fabulous length on the finish. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this close down with 3-4 years of bottle age only to re-emerge after a decade. Based on 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc raised in 40% new oak, this modern-day legend has a terrific pH of 3.48 and an alcohol of 14.8%.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with profound notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and dark chocolate, leading to hints of garrigue, tilled soil, and tar. The full-bodied palate is laden with expressive black fruit layers, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy.The Wine Palate | 98 TWPViolet-edged cherries, blackcurrants and liquorice on the nose, smells lovely. Clean and clear, such a graceful and elegant texture to this wine - smooth but full of energy. Tannins have a lingering salty grip, an iron and liquorice tang that adds a saline aspect to otherwise cool and fresh blue fruit. Still quite tense and compact, this is muscular but funnelled with such precision to the overall expression. Nothing feels overdone. Well worked with enough acidity to counter the dark fruit and savoury bitter chocolate and espresso aspects delivering a characterful, charming and classically styled wine.Decanter | 97 DECThis is marked by the chalky tannins, which are very cohesive and caressing. The ripe and dry year gave a more savory character to the wine, with notes of mussel shells, fine spices and dried orange peel coloring the fruit. Medium to full body with a compressed mouthfeel from the vibrant, powdery tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe blend is 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage here was 70% new oak, in 225- and 500-litre barrels, as well as 10% resting in foudre s. A dark, dense, coherent and savoury character to the black fruit on the nose, with a lovely sense of dark purity, with dried black cherry, currant and damson, framed by a powdered limestone detailing. The palate is elegantly composed, very stylish, coherent, with fine layers of desiccated black berry fruits, saline and savoury, and laced with touches of tobacco, toast and leather. A very impressive composition here, so very complete yet dark and focused, with a peppery drive underneath the fruit, smoky and laced with liquorice and sandy minerals in the finish. This is a seriously good St Emilion, savoury with structure, coherence, drive and plenty of promise;in short, a superb Larcis Ducasse, brilliantly individual while hanging on to its Côte de Pavie roots, and one of the best I can recall tasting from this property. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIBrambled and well concentrated fruit on the nose and opening beats, still with enough air in between to allow freshness to surface. Excellent quality, this has charm and lift, and plenty of interest. Such a good estate, great consistency. 65% new oak for ageing. Clay-limestone soils.Jane Anson | 96 JALess super-ripe than was sometimes the case in the past, the 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a completely seductive bouquet of cassis, mulberries, licorice, pencil lead and menthol, combining beautiful spices and dark berries. Medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it’s seamless and concentrated with a multidimensional core of fruit, velvety tannins, a vibrant mid-palate and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2022 Larcis Ducasse has a lovely bouquet, with ebullient red berry fruit laced with crushed stone. Very well integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a fine bead of acidity, bright and vivacious with a mineral-driven finish. It will require time, but it will be worth the wait. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is the finest wine bottled to date at this estate under Patrice Pichet’s ownership and Guillaume Pouthier’s direction. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of violet, iris, dark wild berries, pencil lead and mulberries, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated with a deep core of fruit beautifully framed by velvety, precise tannins, segueing into a long, saline and perfumed finish. Suave and harmonious, it was crafted with 70% whole bunches and matured in 70% new oak. This unconventional blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot represents a turning point for the estate, cementing its rapid ascendancy in the Bordeaux firmament.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPDeep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises, and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly across the palate. Vibrant red fruits - strawberry, cherry, raspberry - sit atop a mineral backbone of salty, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension. Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine, and vibrant, with no trace of heat - just balance and finesse. Juicy, lively, and utterly compelling. A true expression of place and a sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented. Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats and 10% amphora. 3.55pH. 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot.Decanter Magazine | 100 DECThe purity and focus here is impressive with blackcurrants, crushed stones and floral undertones. The whole-bunch character comes through clearly with rose-stem and floral aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, this is always so delicious but has lots of integrated, open-grained tannins. 70% whole-cluster fermentation. 40% cabernet franc, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 26% merlot. Idiosyncratic. So attractive now but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2022 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot that saw plenty of stems in the ferments and 20 months in 80% new barrels. Its deeper ruby/purple hue is followed by a sumptuous nose of red, blue, and black fruits, as well as leafy herbs, darker chocolate, crushed stone, and almost bloody, iron-like nuances. I love its overall balance on the palate, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and a great finish. It shows the class of this great terroir and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and still be drinking well in 30-40 years. You’d be hard-pressed to describe this as Bordeaux in a blind tasting today, yet I have no doubt it will develop more and more classic Graves character over the coming decade. It’s a sensational, singular wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 26% Merlot, 90% aging in oak (70% new barriques, 20% 18hl casks) and 10% in amphoras. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops out of the glass with lifted notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and lavender, leading to cerebral wafts of cast-iron pan, dark chocolate, and dusty soil with a hint of licorice. The red and black berry flavors do pirouettes on the medium-bodied palate, featuring incredibly fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension that gives a shimmer to the very long mineral-laced finish. As usual, the alcohol is 13.5% (the stem inclusion absorbs some of the alcohol during fermentation) and the pH is 3.64. This is a vibrant, showy, immediately impactful wine that flies in the face of traditional Bordeaux, carrying it off with bags of grace and style. A slight carbonic character from the whole bunch juxtaposed by a rock-solid structure thanks to the ripe stem tannins creates a unique signature. I personally love it, but if you’re a Bordeaux purest, this might not be your cup of tea.The Wine Independent | 97-99 TWIThe 2022 Les Carmes Haut-Brion contains the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) in recent years, with 40% Cabernet Franc and 26% Merlot. It aged for two years in 80% new barrels, 10% foudres and 10% sandstone amphora. This is the first year with 100% infusion during vinification. It includes 70% whole cluster. This is very complex on the nose, as it showed in barrel, displaying blackberry mixed with wild hedgerow, pencil box and hints of cracked black pepper in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with quite elegant tannins, although the IPT is 95. Extremely well balanced, it is quite saline in the mouth with white pepper developing with aeration. The 2022 is very persistent on the finish. This is an intellectual Les Carmes Haut-Brion that will drink young, but there is clearly the substance to mature over many years. 13.2% alcohol.Vinous Media | 96 VM

This almost perfectly interweaves vanilla oak with a wide spectrum of citrus and stone fruit aromas in a way that’s totally compelling, and this is most striking on the front palate. Then comes a golden richness on the very concentrated mid-palate, followed by a huge wave of chalky minerality. Incredibly long, focused aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JS

Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that’s still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDOne of my favourite 2022s, technically very brilliant but it’s the texture that wows, generous, fruity, sleek, supple, it gives stone and graphite touches putting the terroir in the glass and overall this just screams elegance and finesse and above all drinkability! Smooth and shiny, silky, sleek, delicious from the first sip. Mouthwatering acidity combined with tannins that have the perfect balance of flinty grip, fleshy fruit and cool minerality. Certainly not shouting, they haven’t pushed too far at all, more restrained and refined while still delivering a gorgeous mouthful of wine. Classy and refreshing. Concentrated but clean, pure and vibrant. Wonderful, magical - giving the concentration of the hot vintage which is want you want, but this is moreish and so succulent. One you’ll want to finish the glass and then have more immediately. 16.4% press - 4% above normal, usually at 12-13%. 49% grand vin. 3.89pH. 76 IPT. Aged 100% in new barrels. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECThe Mouton-specific creme de cassis is all there. Al dente, too. The grapes must have been picked at near perfection. Depth and complexity. Black berries, earth, violets and other flowers. Full-bodied yet very hemmed-in with tight tannins, which are precise and polished. You can taste the grape skins and dust of the soil. The length is rather endless. 92% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 Mouton Rothschild, 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, is aging in 100% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is incredibly closed to start off, needing a lot of shaking to wake up subtle notes of blackcurrant jelly, ripe blackberries, and fresh mulberries, leading to hints of espresso, crushed rocks, iris bulb, and star anise. Compared with the nose, the mouth wows with explosive, intense flavors of cassis, black cherries, and licorice that fill the palate, framed by very firm, beautifully ripe tannins and a lively backbone, finishing very long with mineral and floral sparks. It is amazing how classical this Mouton this is, considering the extreme vintage. A legend in the making. pH 3.89, TPI 76.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIA brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate’s production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-99 RPThe 2022 Mouton Rothschild was picked 1 to 26 September with one of the highest Cabernet Sauvignon contents in years, matured in 100% new oak as usual. Very deep, almost opaque in color. It is stubborn on the nose, at first, backward, then opens after 10 minutes with black plum, cassis and violet aromas. It is more voluptuous than the 2022 Lafite-Rothschild which is what you expect. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy and quite strict tannins (the IPT is 76), that frame layers of black fruit laced with tobacco and graphite. Powerful, almost burly, it is perhaps how the 1986 tasted in its youth. A Mouton-Rothschild determined to make a statement and it certainly does that. Feels a bit like tasting Thor’s hammer at the moment, but it will just require considerable cellaring. 14.05% alcohol.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

So much class in the nose with a sophisticated kaleidoscope of dark fruit such as blackcurrants, and spices such as salt and pepper, as well as cloves and nutmeg. Full-bodied. Compacted and dense yet weightless. It opens beautifully. The tannins go on and on with wonderful presence. Salty undertones.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2022 Château Palmer is utterly brilliant, so much so that I questioned in my notes if this would challenge the 2018. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, from tiny yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare, its mammoth-sized personality offers layers of blue and black fruits, notes of melted chocolate, crushed stone, and spring flowers, building, velvety tannins, and a great, great finish. While many estates commented that they extracted less in the vintage, Palmer went in a different direction and extracted more during the vinifications to provide a solid backbone to match the concentration and power of the vintage. It appears to have worked brilliantly, and hats off to Thomas Duroux for having the confidence to go his own path. He has produced a truly Grand Vin in 2022. The alcohol here is a normal 14.4%, and the pH is a healthy 3.79.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDSharp, energetic, racy and electric. The power and concentration is evident in the dark, rich, concentrated fruit with tannins that grip and take hold with a crushed stone texture, liquorice, graphite, tobacco and cool mint spice. The expression is exceptionally delineated with focus and push from start to finish. Quite bold and charged, but I love the succulence, the perfumed fruit, chalky sensation and overall sense of confidence. In high definition in terms of sharpness and tang to the fruit. A big wine but delivered with poise. 3.79pH. 13% press wine. Harvest took one month from 7 September to 5 October. 70% grand vin, 30% Alter Ego.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 Palmer was cropped at just 22hL/ha due to the berries being 25-30% smaller than usual. It bursts forth on the nose with precocious black cherries, blueberry, violet and touches of marmalade and tobacco in the background. Complex and expressive. The palate is structured, with the tannic backbone, that winemaker Thomas Duroux talked about, lending this Palmer a sense of verticality. Hints of black pepper emerge with time, multi-layered, a powerful Margaux and yet the IPT is actually lower than elsewhere (76). Quite linear on the tobacco-infused finish, which is just quintessential Palmer. Do reserve a bin in your cellar for this and let it gather dust for at least a decade. 14.4% alcohol.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMComposed of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Palmer is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of shaking and swirling to lure out a soft-spoken perfume of roses, lavender, star anise, and cloves, leading to a profound core of Morello cherries, fresh, juicy blackberries, and blackcurrant cordial. The full-bodied palate is stacked with layer upon layer of black, blue, and red fruits, supported by a skyscraper structure of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb tension, finishing with epic length and depth. This is a monumental achievement. pH 3.79.The Wine Independent | 96-98+ TWIAs is the case at neighbor Château Margaux, the 2022 Palmer is one of the most powerful wines this estate has ever produced. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, it offers up aromas of blackberries, burning embers, violets, iris and sweet soil tones, followed by a full-bodied, broad and expansive palate, its velvety attack segueing into a rich and layered core. Supple, seamless and concentrated, it checks in at 14.4% alcohol and a rather high pH of 3.79.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP

Offering up aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruit, white flowers and buttery pastry, Piuze’s 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros is medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a bright spine of acidity and a mouthwateringly saline finish. It’s an especially strong performance for this site this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

You could easily mistake the 2022 Pavillon Rouge De Margaux for the Grand Vin here, and truth be told, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this actually evolve better than some of the Grand Vins from just over 10-15 years ago. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot (the second wine got all the Petit Verdot in 2022), it offers a deep, medium to full-bodied, seamless profile as well as solid framboise, darker raspberry, currants, sandalwood, and spice aromatics, silky tannins, and outstanding length. The purity and precision paired with this level of texture and richness far exceeds the vast majority of second wines out there.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDBeautiful vivid colour, bright and intense. Dark chocolate, cherries and subtle perfume on the nose. Bright and lively thought also lean and straight on the palate. A generous weight and intense grip to the tannins. It’s on the tense side, focussed with extreme precision to the fruit profile with racy acidity unpinning the tannins which are at the fore. Feels refined and elegant, more serious than some other second wines in its construction but is classy, juicy, sculpted and softly plush. The fruit has bite and tang, with liquorice and graphite edges and spiced accents giving angles but all enjoyable and really building to the whole. Great freshness and length. 7% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.61pH. 84 IPT - highest IPT, highest before was 2018 which was 82. 15% press wine. 31% production.Decanter | 94 DECRich and dense with lots of fruit and juiciness. Redcurrants, black berries, strawberries and orange peel on the nose. Full and layered with fine, velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Big presence.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs quite a lot of swirling to bring out notes of blackcurrant pastilles, Morello cherries, and preserved plums, followed by hints of dusty soil, cumin seed, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers commendable grace and backbone, with firm grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing with a fragrant lift. pH 3.65, TPI 85, alcohol 14.8% - but you don’t feel it.The Wine Independent | 93-95+ TWIThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is deep and perfumed, wafting from the glass with notions of cherries, raspberry preserve, lilac, violets and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated palate that’s deep, rich and vibrant, with a tannic grain that resembles the grand vin this year. It represents just under a third of the estate’s production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2022 Pavillon Rouge is a rich, sumptuous wine. A burst of red/purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender and blood orange makes a strong opening, followed by unexpectedly bright, saline notes that bring it all together on the mid-palate and finish. The Pavillon Rouge is an eye-opening wine that embodies the style of the year so eloquently. I especially admire the vibrancy here. The purity of the flavors and quality of the tannins really elevate the 2022.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it’s full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot’s vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPA supremely excellent Troplong in 2022 that has the hallmarks of a concentrated vintage but delivered with ultimate poise and precision. A joy to taste and once again one of my favourites. Sharp, sleek, sour, bright and cool - I love the instant freshness and drinkability of this, tannins are fresh and detailed with both a plush and cool texture underpinned by layers of flavour with depth and concentration. Clearly muscular but pixelated - it’s not tense, lean or austere but generous, charming and playful. Supple and succulent, still with ripe strawberry, cherry and raspberry fruit, a mix of bright red and black berries with wet stone, liquorice, dark chocolate and graphite giving the terroir. Silky, balanced acidity and overall so well controlled and presented. 3.5pH. Ageing 50% new oak, reduced by 5% plus 21% in 20hl foudre, 24% one wine barrels. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECClearly the finest wine to date under the new team and direction here, the 2022 Château Troplong Mondot reveals a vivid purple hue as well as sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and graphite, with a beautiful underpinning of chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. The purity, precision, and just sheer class are something to behold.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDVery attractive aromas of plums and chocolate with hints of raspberry bush and hazelnut. So fresh and even savory with medium to full body. Such a wide tannin structure building up on the palate. Shows depth and length with lots of minerality. Floral. Beautiful already. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe 2022 Troplong-Mondot was picked from 29 August when it was 31° Celsius, which according to estate director Aymeric de Gironde, felt cool compared to the rest of summer. The alcohol is 14.9% with the pH of 3.48. It sees no SO2 until it is transferred into barrel. The nose is very attractive and certainly very expressive of its limestone terroir: blackberry, briary, crushed iris petal and light marine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, quite chalky in texture, that acidic spine governing its overall mouthfeel. Sapid on the finish, this Troplong Mondot builds in the mouth and coats it on the finish. De Gironde and I discussed my previous scores. I always said that he would get better and better during his tenure and this is clearly the case in 2022, the best Troplong Mondot...so far.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Troplong Mondot needs a swirl or two to awaken scents of blueberry compote, juicy blackberries, and Morello cherries, giving way to fragrant wafts of raspberry leaves, wilted roses, Ceylon tea, crushed rocks, and cedar, plus a hint of licorice. The concentrated, big, voluptuous, full-bodied palate is bursting with bright, shiny black and red berry layers, supported by super-plush tannins and fantastic tension, finishing with epic length and loads of mineral sparks. pH 3.48.The Wine Independent | 96-98+ TWI

Floral and tensioned with precision that gives it incredible brightness. It’s dreamy and energetic with purity and serenity. Full-bodied yet structured and polished. Dynamic young wine. Merlot and cabernet franc blend.James Suckling | 99-100 JSA monumental wine from the Moueix stable this year giving remarkable power and intensity, and a certain headiness that only Pomerol can do, but with a stylish presentation that offers grip and bite. Bold and intense, plush in terms of texture, but the tannins have spiced edges which gives the definition and edges, making this quite a serious and also sharp and thrilling wine. The power is there no doubt, as well as excitement and tension. Compact though, not so linear, it’s more coiled and all at the fore but still focussed, detailed and well defined. It’s a baby, but an enormous one, this will need time to really expand but this has stunning potential. 7.2ha, gravel on clay. Harvest 1-19 September.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 Trotanoy was picked 1-19 September. Clean and precise on the nose, yet obdurate (no surprise) and demanding that you will have to wait at least a decade. This is a Trotanoy that has resolved to keep everything up its sleeve aromatically. The palate is more compelling with its cathedral-like structure, judicious sprinkling of black pepper and its uncompromising grippy yet detailed finish. Immense…in a good way.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMSmoked earth, leather, graphite, and tobacco, as well as a massive amount of ripe red and black fruits, emerge from the 2022 Château Trotanoy, a rich, structured, powerful Pomerol with a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s one of the few Pomerols that has the capacity to match what they achieved in 2018 and 2020.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2022 Trotanoy offers up rich aromas of blackberries, cherries, licorice and sweet spices, followed by a full-bodied, rich and tannic palate that’s broad shouldered, powerful and concentrated. As ever, this is the most muscular, structured, robust wine in the Mouiex portfolio, a shorter than usual maceration notwithstanding, and it will require patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-95 RP

The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of tremendous sophistication and polish. I expected to see a more opulent VCC, but the 2022 is surprisingly delicate and nuanced. The blend is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, which means all the Cabernets at the château were used in Grand Vin. Perhaps that explains the wine’s construction, favoring length, persistence and aromatics more than size. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice and licorice hints linger on the super-expressive finish. There’s really not much more to say except that the 2022 is magical. “Real heat started in June," explained Alexandre Thienpont. “We had 15mm of rain over two days in mid-August that really helped. Even so, yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, so lower than 2020. Berries weighed less athan a gram and juice yields were low.”Vinous Media | 98-100 VMOne of the wines of the vintage, without a doubt, the 2022 Vieux Château Certan comes from healthy yields of 38 hectoliters per hectare and is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Jaw-droppingly good in every sense, its deep purple hue is followed by a massive array of black cherries, violets, red plums, chocolate, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied Pomerol with a voluptuously layered mouthfeel, perfect tannins, and a great, great finish. I never find Vieux Château Certan to have the overt power and structure of Petrus, or the feminine elegance of Conseillante, but it’s unrivaled in its texture, seamlessness, and purity. If this doesn’t put a smile on your face, I don’t know what will. And I’ll be a buyer.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDGreat expressiveness on the nose; perfumed blackcurrants, black cherries, strawberries, notes of dark chocolate, graphite and liquorice - smells serious. Supple and taught on the palate but with a really juicy core that gives life and energy. Tannins are excellent, giving weight and texture - a combination of chewy and fleshy but with a crushed stone and spiced edge. Lively, bright, intense, concentrated and suave. It’s rich, broad, muscular, complex and nuanced but at the same time stylish with lots of life, balance and freshness. This leaves the most gorgeous lingering expression and a sense that it’s going to be both extremely accessible in its youth and have great ageing potential. 3.78pH. A yield of 35hl/ha.Decanter | 98 DECThe freshness and dynamic sense to the wine is so surprising. Minerally and salty. It’s full yet racy. Black ink and oyster shell. Excellent length. 25% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon and the rest, merlot.James Suckling | 98-99 JSA blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with a yield of 35 hl/ha, the 2022 Vieux Chateau Certan is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries, and juicy black plums rocket out of the glass, followed by suggestions of star anise, lilacs, rose oil, and truffles with a waft of fertile loam. The full-bodied palate slowly grows in the mouth with layers of emerging mineral, floral, and exotic spice nuances intertwined with concentrated black fruits, supported by super-plush tannins and perfectly knit freshness, culminating in a very long-lasting firework display of floral and spice notes. pH 3.78.The Wine Independent | 98-100 TWIA blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (very similar to the 2019), the 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a magical wine of exemplary harmony and balance. Offering up complex aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of exotic spices, licorice, iris, violets and loamy soil, it’s full-bodied, supple and seamless, its sweet structuring tannins entirely concealed by a multidimensional core of pure, vibrant fruit. This sensual, perfumed Pomerol is likely to rank alongside the 2019 and 2016 in the pantheon of recent Vieux Château Certan vintages.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPA beautifully dense wine blending Merlot and 23% of both Cabernets, with black spice and cedar aromas. There is a straight line of acidity and tight spice followed by pure black-currant flavors. Drink from 2028. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2023 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a backward nose despite aeration, but it’s still nicely defined. Dark berry fruit and a touch of white pepper dominate, with hints of blue fruit emerging later. The medium-bodied palate features slightly chalky tannins and is more saline than the Chapelle-Chambertin. There is impressive precision and tension here, plus plenty of backbone on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe 2023 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru is a beauty, bursting with notes of plums, red berries, orange zest and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it’s suave and sensual, with polished tannins and a vibrant core of fruit, concluding with a perfumed finish. As usual, it’s the most ethereal, elegant wine in the Dugat cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPFirm reduction overshadows the underlying fruit today. More interesting are the elegant and beautifully refined, if decidedly punchy, flavors that exude evident minerality on the sleek, precise, moderately austere and impressively long and powerful finish. This is gorgeous and quite classy. If you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 93-96 BH

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

Deep ruby color. Here too moderate wood is present on the very ripe liqueur-like aromas of black cherry, cassis and warm earth. The succulent and rich though not especially dense medium-bodied flavors do possess a lovely texture that also contrasts somewhat with the youthfully austere and mildly raspy if long finale.Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2023 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from purchased fruit. It has a well-knit, focused bouquet with redcurrant and wild strawberry scents. This has fine delineation with a sense of energy. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant, with supple tannins, although it doesn’t have the complexity of the Mazoyères on the finish.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2023 Clos-de-la-Roche Grand Cru has a perfumed bouquet that’s quite floral with incense and bergamot tea scents and fruit that blossoms, but only after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, tea leaf and bay leaf with a gradual crescendo toward its intense, mineral-driven finish. This is superb.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMDelicious. The classic Clos de la Roche from Domaine Hubert Lignier is impressive, deeply-coloured wine, with a pronounced aroma of black cherries, peony, and spice. The old vines provide small bunches even in 2023, giving a concentration on the palate that impresses in this sunny year. Two-thirds of the grapes were planted by Laurent’s father in 1964-1965; the balance (in Fremières) by his grandfather in 1955. One-third of the harvest was fermented as whole clusters, and the wine is ageing now in cask (one-third new).Decanter Magazine | 95 DECTwo thirds comes from Les Monts Luisants, and one third from Les Fremières. A deep crimson/purple. The wonderful bouquet has all the charm in the world plus complexity. Here the richness of the fruit suits the grand cru structure of this wine. Dark berry fruit that flows cross the palate and covers the well-balanced tannins. The 2023 Clos de la Roche has plenty of energy as well as fluidity. Drink from 2033-2042. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMSubtle though still easily perceptible wood influence can be found on the spicy black currant, violet and softly gamy nose. The seductive and caressing but punchy and powerful larger-bodied flavors also conclude in a youthfully austere, serious and compact finale that displays first-rate persistence. The Lignier Clos de la Roche is almost always excellent if given sufficient time in bottle and the 2023 version should honor that tradition as well.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The sumptuous old-vine Hommage MCMLV Clos de la Roche from Domaine Hubert Lignier offers profuse aromas of ripe mulberry and redcurrants accented with a floral note, oak spice and a bright mineral element. The texture is firm and very tannic, but the extract, acidity and fruit are all balanced; this wine seems set to age for decades. The grapes are from 0.27ha planted in the lieu-dit Monts Luisants by Laurent Lignier’s grandparents in 1955, hence the label MCMLV. There are only two barrels from this plot, but it is well worth seeking out.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECThe 2023 Clos-de-la-Roche Cuvée MCMLV Grand Cru has more mineral drive on the nose. It has ethereal transparency, intensity and hints of wilted rose petals emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, satin-like texture and gentle but insistent grip. Very long yet tender, this is a magnificent wine in the making.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThis cuvée is taken from a few rows in Les Monts Luisants, a 1955 plantation made by Laurent’s grandfather with massal selection, delivering lots of millerand grapes. More purple than crimson, rather headier, yet all in reds fruit without the darker notes. A youthful energy, with a little more structure as well. The two wines are clearly very different. A lightly menthol touch to finish. Drink from 2033-2045. Tasted Dec 2024.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JMIn contrast to the nose of the regular cuvée, here it’s firmly reduced. On the palate though, there is plenty of underlying tension and freshness on the equally scaled flavors that are exceptionally rich, even plush and velvety, while delivering even better depth and persistence on the noticeably firmer finale. This should also age out successfully and is a wine that’s going to need a minimum of at least a decade of patience.Burghound | 93-95 BH

Mid lemon yellow. Grilled almonds Marjolaine suggests, and I agree. Once more the flesh and the oak on the nose are apparent. All the requisite weight and white fruit, silky length, a little salinity, understated but very long indeed. Rather hidden at the moment. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMThe 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, from vines planted in 1996, had quite a bit of that matchstick reduction on the nose when I tasted it from barrel, but you can discern the concentration here. The palate is well balanced with a slightly honeyed opening. Acidity counters its richness as hints of ginger and white pepper emerge toward the finish. Powerful compared to its peers, this Grand Cru will require two or three years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Delicate and floral in the glass, the 2023 Rosé Château de Selle Cru Classé wafts up with a captivating blend of freshly sliced nectarines, minty herbs, peach sorbet and wet stone. This is seamlessly silky and serene, focused on purity, with ripe orchard fruits and candied lime motivated by a core of tantalizing acidity. It’s potent and long, with a spicy flourish of ginger and citrus while leaving a sweet herbal tinge that lingers on and on. The 2023 Château de Selle is simply stunning. - Eric GuidoVinous Media | 93 VMBright and vivid nose with strawberries, dried raspberries, cherry blossoms and a light, spicy undertone. Medium-bodied, round-textured and lengthy with lots of energy and a crisp, mineral backbone. Round and textural finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe nose of this wine is high intensity, with candied peach bursting out of the glass. The palate is in perfect balance, tart flavors of apple and grapefruit play off of the bitter grapefruit leading into the superlong finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDense and complex, this ultra-pale version starts off a bit closed before opening up to reveal apple blossom, crunchy nectarine and pear flavors cut with notes of crushed flint, while a thread of salty, smoky dried green herbs cruises through. Creamy and refined, this is drinkable and delicious. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2023 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a wonderful mineral-driven yet understated bouquet unfolding in the glass with subtle oyster shell/crustacean scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with a keen thread of acidity that slices through the more malic fruit profile. Very harmonious with a judicious dab of spice on the finish, this is a marvelous follow-up to the 2022.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMPale with a green tint. Not so much nose on display yet. Then the volume of pure white fruit with some grapefruit bitters towards the back. Biding its time before displaying its wares. Tightly knit, good tension, this may take quite a while to unwind. Drink from 2030-2036. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMElegant, pure and beautifully layered aromas of honeysuckle, acacia, carnation, white peach and a whiff of citrus confit precede caressing, rich and relatively seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length on the balanced and more complex finale. Like the Combettes, this is really quite classy and stylish.Burghound | 92-94 BH

The 2023 Montrachet Grand Cru showed a little more cloudiness in the glass due to the lees (of course, they will disappear once racked). Perhaps the nose is a little primal as a result—it’s not as complete as the Bâtard or the Bienvenues. The palate is more indicative of where this Monty will be heading. It has intense, immense weight with an almost pixelated mineral-driven finish. This is going to be a great Montrachet, but it might take longer to reveal its true identity. Only six barrels were produced this year.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMSix barrels. This was slow to ferment and is still not clear after racking. A huge volume of pure white fruit with a slightly honeyed not as well, and a limestone backbone that drives the second half of the wine. Opulent in one sense yet managed, while the length and concentration of the finish is fully Montrachet worthy. Come back in many years. Lime as well as limestone, lingering in the mouth. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMEnough wood to remark upon surrounds the cool and airy white orchard fruit aromas that are liberally laced with spice, zest and floral nuances. The sleek, intense and impressively scaled flavors brim with sappy dry extract that seems to have no effect on the precision of the wonderfully long, bone-dry, superbly long and well-balanced finale that is also supported by citrus-tinged acidity. This is not a massive Montrachet but it’s beautifully proportioned and a wine that should more than repay extended keeping. Moreover, it’s the class of the cellar in 2023.Burghound | 93-96 BH

The 2023 Clos des Chevaliers from Domaine Chartron was one of the most brilliant wines I tasted during my entire nearly three weeks in the cellars here in Burgundy. The wine is utterly brilliant on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a pure, beautifully complex and elegant blend of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a complex foundation of limestone minerality, lemon blossoms, a refined framing of vanillin oak and a topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and seamlessly balanced, with a great spine of acidity, a gorgeous core of fruit, great mineral drive and cut and a very, very long, vibrant finish. Pure magic. (Drink between 2030 - 2075)John Gilman | 98 JGThe delicious Clos du Chevalier is the top wine in the Chartron cellar, boasting intense aromas of lemon peel, mandarin and passionfruit, with nuances of acacia flower and a pronounced saline minerality. The texture is lively and vibrant but rich as well, with a superb balance between the extract and the racy acidity. The clos, a former monopole of the Chartron family, is above the Montrachet from Marquis de Laguiche; although they sold 0.16ha to Lalou Bize-Leroy for its Domaine d’Auvenay, Chartron still owns a half-hectare of Chevalier here. Cellar this for at least a decade before opening.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru is Charton’s best Grand Cru this year. Intense and flattering citrus fruit notes commingle with crushed stone and light undergrowth scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is fresh, vibrant, beautifully balanced and very harmonious with a long and tender finish. Cohesive and multi-layered, très bon vin!Vinous Media | 95-97 VMAn attractive pale colour with a lime streak. Pure and stylish on the nose, with the white limestone feel of classic Chevalier. The bouquet will express itself more later on, I suspect. On the palate, the terroir also reverberates, with a very fine-boned acidity alongside the nuanced white fruit and flowers, with just a little well-judged oak bringing up the rear. A high-class finish. Very distinguished. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA markedly more floral-suffused nose speaks of distinctly cool white orchard fruit aromas, mineral reduction, Asian-style tea and a lovely range of spice nuances. The gorgeously textured and notably denser medium weight plus flavors exude a prominent stoniness on the sappy bitter citrus-tined finale that goes on and on. Like the Clos du Cailleret, the mouthfeel is like sucking on a small pebble and overall, this superb Chevalier should amply reward extended cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Fantastic depth and length to this wine, showing aromas and flavors of sliced apples, stone, flint,matchstick and white pepper. It’s full-bodied and reserved, with very fine layers of bright fruit and minerals. Tight, structured and compact with a long finish. Already impressive, but best after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSOpulent, creamy and expansive, this white fills the mouth, offering peach, apple, quinine and salty mineral flavors embraced by vanilla and toasty oak notes. There’s a tactile sensation, and this still lacks integration, yet all of the components are there, along with power and length. Best from 2027 through 2042. 3,800 cases made, 1,400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSLatour’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru wafts from the glass with notes of pear, mandarin oil and peach mingled with notes of struck match and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it’s rich and textural, with a sweet, layered core of fruit and an expansive finish. Now bottled under Diam, it should age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPCool, pretty and attractively layered aromas include those of Granny Smith apple, spice, wet stone and a plentitude of citrus elements. There is both more volume and richness to the bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit good power on the balanced, sappy and moderately firm finale. This also could use better depth but that should develop in time.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a delectable nose not dissimilar to the Criots this year, beautifully defined with hints of oyster shell surfacing with time, quite Zen-like but paradoxically conveying real presence. The palate is very well balanced with wonderful poise. Impressive depth and concentration considering the growing season with a sprightly finish that fans out in a cool, calm and collected fashion. This is an excellent Bâtard-Montrachet that has its nose in front of the Criots.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

The 2024 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a delightful bouquet with crushed stone infusing the bright citrus fruit, tightly coiled but opening with time in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite saline in the mouth with oyster shell on the weighty finish. There is real weight and presence here. No wonder it has the highest sugar level among all the Domaine’s cuvées - the power is palpable in this Criots.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM