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An extremely subtle application of wood can be found on the cool if decidedly reluctant nose of spiced green apple, beeswax and citrus zest aromas. The palate impression of the medium weight plus flavors is quite interesting in that there is excellent concentration and power yet they are not massively scaled while maintaining impeccable balance on the palate etching and stunningly long finish, indeed I could still taste this 3 hours later. This is one extremely classy Montrachet and one of the jewels of the 2021 vintage.Burghound | 97 BHBeeswax and lime blossom, especially the latter, which Guillaume finds typical of Montrachet. The Montrachet shows both class and intensity over and above the Bâtard as indeed should be the case. Brilliantly racy despite the intensity. This year there is one 228 litre barrel instead of the usual 350, and made up in zebra fashion, half new wood with alternate dowels. Drink from 2030-2040.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThere’s only one 228-liter barrel of the 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru, so Boillot asked his favored cooper to assemble a special barrel, with alternating new and used staves. Delivering aromas of pear, honeycomb, freshly baked bread, spices and toasted nuts, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit and a long, nutmeg-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru is incredibly airy and nuanced. Candied lemon peel, mint, tangerine oil and white flowers show effortless grace. This is an especially restrained, super-elegant Montrachet that shows Puligny’s finesse. The 2021 is absolutely exquisite. I doubt I will ever taste it again, though. Bright saline notes punctuate the super-expressive finish. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 93-95 VM

The 2021 Clos des Chevaliers from Jean-Michel Chartron is a breathtakingly beautiful young wine. It delivers a refined aromatic constellation of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a very complex base of limestone minerality, fruit blossoms, vanillin oak and a beautiful topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of fruit, stunning mineral undertow, a superb spine of acidity and laser-like focus on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. (Drink between 2029 - 2070)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru, which includes one new barrel out of the four (instead of the usual dozen), has a vivid bouquet with yellow fruit, nectarine, crushed limestone and subtle fumé aromas. The palate is well balanced with vibrant acidity, taut and fresh with notes of tangerine, citrus fruit and a pinch of spice. Linear in style, this lingers nicely, though it just needs a bit more nervosité on the finish. Still, this is very promising.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA deft though perceptible dollop of wood sets off the ultra-floral-scented nose of mineral reduction, petrol and a plenitude of spice wisps. The large-scaled flavors are borderline painfully intense while displaying an almost pungent minerality on the chiseled, youthfully austere and strikingly long finale. This is potentially brilliant.Burghound | 93-96 BH4 barrels from 0.55ha is not a huge yield! Fine clean glowing pale yellow. The bouquet is promising too and shows the upper hillside authority of Chevalier. The nervous tension is very well incorporated into the weight of classy fruit, with a fine long and distinguished finish. A beautifully nuanced 2021. Excellent finish. Drink from 2028-2036.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JM

The 2021 Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine Jean Chartron is another outstanding wine in the making. The complex nose wafts from the glass in a mix of apple, pear, a fine base of chalky soil tones, a touch of almond, spring flowers crème pâtissière and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and nascently complex, with a fine core of fruit, excellent focus and balance, bouncy acids and a long, balanced and soil-driven finish. This not showing quite the same mineral dimension as the top two Puligny premier crus right now, but it may well catch up in this regard with some extended bottle age. Fine juice. (Drink between 2027 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThis delicious wine presents aromas of citrus peel and hawthorn flowers coloured with a chalky, saline mineral edge and notes of cream, butter, and spice. This year the wine is made exclusively from a domaine-owned parcel in Pernand from the lieu-dit En Charlemagne that was planted in 1961 and picked on 25 September just before the rain. It produced a single barrel, which is ageing in a two-year-old cask from the cooper Chassin.Decanter | 93 DECOnce again there is an attractive coolness to the essence of green apple, spice and mineral reduction scents. There is superb delineation to the bigger-bodied and more powerful flavors that are at once muscular yet refined, all wrapped in a moderately austere finale where a touch of wood slowly emerges. This tightly wound and very promising effort should age like a classic Corton-Charlemagne.Burghound | 92-94 BHOne barrel, an exchange. Paler colour and correctly chiselled. Very tight and with excellent concentration. The length is good too. Just a baby, but with promise. Stony lemons to finish. Drink from 2026-2031.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, reduced to one and a half barrels due to the absence of any exchange, sports quite a bit of reduction on the nose that makes it difficult to read at present. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, quite taut and maybe just missing a little tension on the finish. Fine, though Chartron has made better in the past.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Weighty, profound and rich, this is a stunning Les Clos which has an extra level of depth and richness that would please many a Côte-d’Or fan. White flowers on the nose, spice and stone fruit on the palate with 40% oak and a lingering, freshening mineral undertow. A grand cru with gravitas that will drink for 15-20 years. Droin has 1.4ha with vine age averaging 40 years. Its plots are located in various sectors of the cru with some lower down in the western sector, and part on the blue clay soils on the mid-slope.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a clean and precise bouquet, flint and chalk filtering through the citrus fruit, gaining intensity as it opens in the glass, though I feel the Grenouilles has more sophistication. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, very harmonious, nicely poised with a dab of stem ginger and white pepper towards the finish that is resolutely classic in style. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLike the Grenouilles, there is enough wood to merit mentioning but not enough to overshadow the cool, airy and very fresh aromas of oyster shell, white flower and ocean breeze. The succulent yet powerful and delineated flavors brim with both minerality and dry extract, all wrapped in a driving bitter lemon-inflected and youthfully austere finale. This is a lovely combination of power and refinement that should amply repay a decade plus of cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Droin’s Vaudésir comes from just over 1ha with vines planted on both north- and south-facing slopes. A little subdued on the nose and palate, this is a subtle grand cru with plenty of definition, and will blossom with two to three years additional bottle age. No oak.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2021 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a taut and fresh bouquet, wonderful mineralité with a hint of smoke and flint coming through. The palate is well balanced with a saline note, fine depth, lemon and a little more lime. Builds nicely in the mouth, a lovely Vaudésir.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMHere too moderate wood sets off the overtly spicy and ripe aromas of white and yellow peach, iodine and hints of seashore. The sleek, delicious and intense flavors are just a bit more refined, indeed they are almost delicate, while still delivering excellent length on the citrus-tinged finish where a bit of wood slowly emerges.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild is every bit as exceptional as it was from barrel. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is dark, racy and full of Lafite sensuality, all kicked up by the natural intensity of the year. Dark red/purplish fruit, mint, lavender and rose petal are all on display. It’s not a showy wine, and it will need quite a bit of time to fully reveal its charms.Vinous Media | 97 VMI loved this wine during en primeur and I love it still, hovering over giving it 98 points. It’s round and lively but also full and complete, not plush or opulent but supple with intensity and a really enjoyable, juicy acidity and chalky, mineral grip to the tannins. It’s not trying too hard yet still displays power: such concentration and balance. The 96% Cabernet works so well and gives Lafite a star performer this year. This is one you’re still going to want to crack open and finish, in 10, 20 or 30 years.Decanter | 97 DECPolished and refined with a firm, fine and linear tannin structure. Harmonious. Perfumed violets, roses and subtle licorice. All in balance here, with precise layers of black fruit, minerals and pencil lead. Rather seamless. Firm, yet fine and sleek to the end. Very classy. Fine-velvet texture. 96% cabernet sauvignon, 3% merlot and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThis is essentially Cabernet Sauvignon, giving beautiful black currant notes that come through in succulent juiciness and a serious core of tannins that are giving the wine a solid backbone. This will push the wine’s maturity well into the long-term.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETo my palate, the 2021 Lafite Rothschild has emerged as the finest of the Pauillac first growths this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark minty berries mingled with notions of iris, licorice and cigar box, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into an elegantly dense and structured mid-palate that’s nicely framed by sweet but abundant tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPI loved the Grand Vin 2021 Château Lafite-Rothschild, and if anyone is going to excel in a cooler, elegant vintage like 2021, it will be Château Lafite. Based on 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, is has a brilliant perfume of pure crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, gravelly earth, and sandalwood, which will turn toward more classic Lafite cedar pencil with age. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has supple, elegant, yet substantial tannins, great balance, and a beautiful finish. Like most wines from this estate, it has a classy, regal, incredibly impressive style.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDThe 2021 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 96% CS, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose notions of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and black raspberries, followed by hints of cedar, graphite, cloves, and cast-iron pan with a waft of roses. Light to medium-bodied, the palate delivers intensely perfumed black fruits with a floral and herbal undercurrent textured by firm, finely grained tannins, and featuring well-integrated acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. This should be one of the most long-lived wines of the vintage, with cellaring potential of 40+ years. Yields came in at 33 hl/ha and the wine has a pH of 3.9.The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI

The Menetou-Salon from Kevin and Karine Lauverjat is a fine bottle that really shows the bright, cooler vintage characteristics of 2021. The bouquet offers up a complex blend of limepeel, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, a lovely base of flinty minerality and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied, complex and nicely grassy in personality, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, a good spine of acidity and impressive length and grip on the well-balanced finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2030)John Gilman | 91 JG

This is displaying aromas of anise, dried lemons, white grapefruit, gun flint and even smoked meat, with dried mangoes and some green tea, too. Sophisticated rather than generous, with tight and firm layers. Full body. Mineral and tight finish.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is one of the more powerful wines in the range, mingling aromas of sweet orchard fruit and confit citrus with hints of toasted nuts, white flowers and new oak. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it’s rich and expansive, but it also maintains good tension.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

A dark nose, serious and a bit closed, though there is such complexity on the palate. You get the tannic feel in the mouth straight away, mouthfilling, ample, generous and chewy - these tannins have weight and density but are lifted by the bright, high-definition cherry, strawberry and raspberry acidity underneath keeping things vibrant and fresh with a sour cherry and stoney minerality on the finish. Exceptional balance and sculpting, this has energy but also poise. Sophisticated glamour in full force, svelte and suave - this is a wine that aims to please. Definitely one of the most thrilling and captivating wines of the vintage! 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 36% grand vin.Decanter | 97 DECA Margaux with beautiful depth and grace and wonderfully well-placed, refined tannins, showing presence and a soft texture. They caress your palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and extremely long. Seamless. 87% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe wine has richness but its main attraction is the balance between acidity and the light touch that gives the wine great freshness. The touch of Cabernet Franc in the blend brings its own perfumed structure. This is a wine that, of course, will age but that will also give pleasure relatively quickly. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2021 Château Margaux is creamy and supple, a classy Margaux with the volume turned down just a bit. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal infuse the 2021 with layers of succulent depth. This is a quiet wine, but one that possesses notable richness for the year. Time in the glass brings out the aromatics, but this remains very much built on its fruit.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It’s a classic that will richly reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPI think the wine of the vintage is the 2021 Château Margaux, which comes from a miniscule selection of just 36% of the total production. The final blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all of which is resting in 100% new French oak. Reminding me slightly of a riper 1996, it has incredible purity in its ripe cassis and blueberry fruits as well as notes of liquid violets, spicy oak, graphite, and hints of sandalwood. As seamless as they come, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and with ample Château Margaux purity and finesse, this brilliant juice is as good as it gets in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed and broody to start, with notions of tar, licorice, fertile loam, and truffles leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries, plus a touch of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with a firm, fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness to support the tightly knit black and red berry flavors, finishing with loads of energy and shimmer. The first wine represents 36% of the crop this year and it came in with a phenolic index (IPT) of 75.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

The 2021 Mouton Rothschild is gorgeous, just as it was en primeur. A wine of stature and vertical build, the 2021 is wonderfully poised from the outset. Beams of tannin add to an impression of explosive lift. Touches of mocha, spice, new leather, cedar and blood orange begin to emerge with a bit of time in the glass. The Grand Vin is pretty imposing at this stage. I would not be in a rush.Vinous Media | 96 VMConcentrated and characterful, layered and super-finely presented. Round and full, juicy and textured, more powdery than tense and grippy with almost blackcurrant skin texture, while juicy red and black cherry juice goes through the centre, added to by dried mint, wet stones, clove and liquorice. Serious, with power but poise, all the elements on show – perhaps not quite settled, but individually showing the complexity of this great wine in the making.Decanter | 96 DECA firm and compact Mouton with a powerful tannin frame for the vintage, yet it remains fine and precise as it opens to a velvety texture. Black fruit with tar, pencil lead and tobacco. Driven and firm. A little angular and tight at the moment. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 1% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 96-97 JSBig, rich and sumptuously smoky, this has density and power. Its blackberry tones are structured, with a core of tannins. This very fine wine has all the classic attributes of a Mouton, just slightly lighter.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Mouton Rothschild has a deep garnet-purple color. It is very closed to start, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of ripe black plums, blackcurrant pastilles, licorice, and cedar chest, followed by hints of dark chocolate and iron ore, with a fragrant touch of violets. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit, with great tension and ripe, fine-grained tannins framing the electrically charged black fruit and mineral flavors, finishing long and perfumed. It tingles on the palate!The Wine Independent | 96+ TWIAs to the Grand Vin 2021 Château Mouton Rothschild, this beauty is in the running for one of the wines of the vintage, and it brings more depth, richness, and texture than just about anything else in the Médoc. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in new barrels, it sports a dense purple/plum hue as well as powerful aromatics of spicy black fruits, leafy tobacco, graphite, and freshly sharpened pencils. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a building, layered mouthfeel and impressive concentration and intensity in its aromas and flavors, velvety tannins, and gorgeous finish. You’d be hard pressed to know this came from a challenging vintage. It’s going to take at least 5-7 years to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window and will evolve gracefully over the following 20-25 years. Bravo. For tech geeks out there, this hit 13.1% alcohol, has an IPT of 59, and a pH of 3.73.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2021 Mouton Rothschild unwinds in the glass with rich aromas of dark berries and minty cassis mingled with espresso roast, dark chocolate, smoked meats and toasty new oak. It has taken on weight with élevage in barrel, exhibiting a full-bodied, rich and layered palate that’s impressively muscular and multidimensional, with a deep core of fruit and plenty of sweet, powdery structuring tannin, concluding with a long, discreetly carnal finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru, 80% aged in oak, has a delightful bouquet with orchard fruit, lemon verbena and orange pith scents that burst from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite precise with a welcome touch of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on edge. Not a long-term Bougros perhaps, but finely crafted. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is really open with bright and flamboyant aromas of cassis and cherries. Blueberries. Some peaches as well. I don’t remember a young Ausone like that. Full-bodied with flamboyant fruit and energy. Very fine tannins. They are there but you don’t feel them. Supple but very fruity. And intensely fruity at the end.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe Ausone 2022 is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, with a yield of 38 hl/ha. The Merlot was harvested between 5th and 7th September and the Cabernet Franc between 21st and 27th September. It has a pH of 3.57, a TPI of 66, and it is opaque purple in color. The wine is completely closed on the first smell, requiring a lot of swirling to begin to release fragrant notes of dried roses, licorice, cast-iron pan, and cumin seed, giving way to a core of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and redcurrant preserves. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, featuring very fine-grained, very firm tannins and breathtaking tension to frame the tightly wound red and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length and mind-blowing complexity. Holding its cards close to its chest, it’s a hard wine to read at first glance, yet there’s a lot of nuanced sub-text bound within the rock-solid structure. I see this slowly unfolding over many years to become a wine for the ages.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWIThe Grand Vin from this hallowed terroir is an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was fermented in wooden vats and will spend 20 months in new barrels. Its saturated purple hue is followed by an up-front, sexy, full-bodied Ausone offering a wealth of fruit as well as notes of black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, scorched earth, and an incredible sense of spring flowers. Concentrated and incredibly pure, with silky tannins on the palate, it has the texture and fruit to almost shine even now but should still evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDQuite intense nose, strongly perfumed and scented with purple flowers and a mix of red and black fruit. Fragrant with chocolate, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, crushed stones and liquorice. Aromatically very inviting. Plush and sapid, tannins are ripe but the acidity gives it real tension so you get some intensity of texture and sharpness of fruit on the palate making it a bit serious and tense right now though with lovely detail and lots of precision in terms of tannins and fruit. Mouthwatering acidity is at the fore, really giving some zing and electricity to this while the crushed stones, liquorice and clove spice give the accents around the edges. Clear strength and concentration, such power underneath - you do feel the heat from the alcohol (15.4%!) but the acidity and soft mineral elements help keep the balance and frame though it’s not as demonstrably mineral as some years. Acidity does settle and this expands slowly - keeping the linearity and sense of focus but also giving hints to its power and ageability. Sculpted and well delivered, characterful and confident with long ageing potential. Long finish with graphite, pencil lead and toasted spices on the finish. 3.57pH 85% grand vin, 20,000 bottles. Harvest 5 and 9 September for Merlot, 21 and 27 September for Cabernet Franc. A yield of 38hl/ha. Potential upscore in bottle.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2022 Ausone was picked from 5 to 30 September and matured for 20 months in French oak. These aromatics take a little time to open in the glass. Once they do, they are precise with wilted iris flowers infusing the black fruit and background pencil box and incense hints. The palate is medium-bodied with silver bead acidity threaded through the blackberry and bilberry fruit. Fresh and focused, this Ausone possesses a structured finish with a pinch of black pepper on the finish. Elegant in style, this Ausone almost creeps up in you and seduces, intellectual and persistent in the mouth. Upon departing, I couldn’t help wondering if I had witnessed this Saint-Émilion demonstrates its full potential, hence the plus sign against my score. 14.4% alcohol.Vinous Media | 95-97+ VMA blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Ausone unwinds in the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries and cherries complemented by hints of crushed mint and spices, framed by a lavish patina of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and rather muscular, it’s deep and concentrated, its vibrant core of fruit framed by a serious chassis of rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. Given its imposing levels of structuring extract, it will require patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot is a total stunner. What a wine! The 2022 was magnificent en primeur, and it is all that from bottle. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, new leather and cedar meld into a core of pliant red-toned fruit. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine’s precision and finesse. I have never tasted a Beau-Séjour Bécot like this.Vinous Media | 100 VMTasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is flat-out sensational, as well as the finest wine I’ve tasted from this château. Powerful aromatics of red, blue, and black fruits as well as crushed stone and violets define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, incredibly concentrated, has integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins. Based on 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this heavenly Saint-Emilion will benefit from just 3-5 years of bottle age and have 30 years or more of overall longevity. Back up the truck.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of sweet wild berries mingled with rose petals, orange zest, violets, gentian and espresso roast, it’s full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of cool, layered fruit, beautifully vibrant flavors and polished structuring tannins, concluding with a saline finish. As I wrote when I tasted it from barrel, this is a Saint-Émilion of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis is very fresh, expressive and focused, with violet, iris and rosehip notes darting to the fore, while flavors of sleek raspberry and red currant preserves race along behind. Almost flattering, but there’s a subtle chalky tension piercing the finish, which sails through. A dreamy wine. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2040. 6,250 cases made, 1,600 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSFloral notes on the nose. Tangy and sharp, lively and bright straight away, sweet and sour, so energetic and lively with a mineral grip from the fine, firm, grippy tannins. Lovely precision and almost delicate presentation of fruit. You really feel the mineral, salty, tangy aspect of the fruit, nothing feels overworked, all in balance, really quite thrilling and electric. Great purity and focus. Scintillating yet still with a lovely volume and roundness accented by tobacco, clove, liquorice and cinnamon touches. Really well worked and fresh - this feels very modern with such control to the fruit, tannins, acidity giving overall depth and complexity. Elegant but confident, taking the best density from clay density and freshness from limestone. A very singular charm with this wine. 3.55pH. 10% press wine.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Beau-Sejour Becot has more Cabernet Franc than any previous vintage. The pH is 3.55 pH and it has a deep purple-black color. Notions of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and warm plums jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of cedar chest, Sichuan pepper, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of juicy black fruit flavors, with bright acidity and ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and earthy.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

From an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, the 2022 Canon is a magical wine that will be worth every effort to track down. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums and cherries mingled with hints of bay leaf, spices and violets, it’s full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with huge levels of concentration, vibrant acids and beautifully refined tannins. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this pure, perfumed and ineffably complete Canon is built for the ages, even if its structural polish is such that it will be approachable at a surprisingly early age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99-100 RPA superb Canon in 2022. Supple, shiny, oh so charming, gorgeously sleek and well textured like pure silk but with density to the tannins that grips and coats the mouth, plus you know there’s such power and concentration underneath in the waves of liquorice, stones, blackcurrant fruit. Extremely polished and charming. Vibrant, energetic, tense, and straight. It’s not plush, more direct, but this wine thrills. Seamless and effortless, bright and energetic but with such a calm control and confidence. A stunning wine more for what it doesn’t say than what it does in 2022. A yield of 45hl/ha. pH 3.5. 18 months ageing with 50% new oak. Harvest 30 August - 22 September.Decanter | 98 DECEndless on the palate with plenty of umami character. So Canon in its nature with plenty of fruit and fine tannins, yet almost weightless. The structure is all there. Electric. Long, long, long. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSTasted on three separate occasions (and I thought it had the potential to be a perfect wine on one of those), the 2022 Château Canon is an incredible wine in the making, and it might be the finest in the series starting in 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc harvested between August 30 and September 22, it comes from yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare and hit 14.5% alcohol. The élevage will run 16-18 months in just 30% new French oak. As classy as they come, it has a beautiful perfume of red and blue fruits as well as notes of white flowers, truffly earth, woodsmoke, and forest floor. With incredible density, a multi-layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and integrated acidity, this incredible Canon will evolve for 30-40 years. I finished my rough note on this with "Pure class."Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99+ JDThe 2022 Canon is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc with a yield of 45 hl/ha, planned to be aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it requires a lot of patient swirling to release scents of fresh blackberries, raspberry preserves, and Morello cherries, giving way to emerging scents of rose oil, cumin seed, crushed rocks, and underbrush, plus a fragrant waft of candied violets. The medium to full-bodied palate is lively and tightly wound with firm, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. pH 3.50.The Wine Independent | 97-99+ TWIThe 2022 Canon is elegant and sensual, with virtually no sensation of tannin. A wine with no beginning and end, Canon is totally seamless. All the Canon signatures are there, but woven together in an effortless, gracious expression of this site. It’s the sort of wine that is about subtlety and nuance more than power. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice caress the palate, but ultimately, Canon is above all else a wine of exquisite detail. Haute couture. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 96-99 VM

Extremely perfumed with sweet tobacco and blackcurrants as well as cedar and dark chocolate. Aromatic. Medium-bodied with an intense center palate of blackcurrant, orange peel and peaches. Nervy. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96-97 JSPlums, blackcurrants, dark chocolate and perfumed aromas on the nose. Smooth and bright, silky, sharp, intense but so likeable, a shot of high acidity really sets the tone, this is zinging with energy, bite and power. It’s a look at me wine with a strawberry and red cherry sweetness as well as herbal savouriness that hits the mid palate creating a mouthwatering juiciness and sense of structure. The power comes in after a few minutes, alongside minerality and wet stone touches to the fine but present tannins. Streamlined, focussed and confident. Cleverly constructed with lots to like, will age well and has lovely Pauillac touches. 64IPT. 3.75pH. Harvest 31 August to 24 September. 16% press. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend.Decanter | 94 DECThe second wine of Lafite checks in as 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. This smoking good second wine has more than a little Lafite character and offers ample red and black fruits, notes of tobacco, graphite, and leafy herbs, medium to full-bodied richness, silky, polished tannins, and a great finish. As with the Grand Vin, it’s concentrated, powerful, and flawlessly balanced.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDThe 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a real showstopper. I don’t remember tasting a Carruades quite like the 2022, a wine that combines the richness of the year with tons of supporting structure. Super-ripe red-fleshed fruit, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and rose petal all race across the palate, supported by bright citrus-driven acids that keep the flavors vibrant. I can’t wait to see how this turns out.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAromas of sweet cherries and berries mingled with hints of cedar box, loamy soil, warm spices, violets and orange zest introduce the 2022 Carruades de Lafite, a medium to full-bodied, bright and velvety blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.Robert Parker Wine Adocate | 91-93 RPThe 2022 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a swirl or two to reveal evocative notes of blackcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of iris bulb, tilled soil, and crushed cloves. The medium-bodied palate is typically elegant, minerally, and refreshing, with firm, fine-grained tannins to provide support, and a long, lifted finish.The Wine Independent | 91-93 TWI

The 2002 Clos de Vougeot le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru, which comes from vines born in 1904, is endowed with darker fruit than the Grands-Echézeaux. Well-defined, maybe a little opulent in style, yet still controlled. The palate is well-endowed with dark berry fruit, more black than red, pain d’épice and white pepper. There’s plenty of substance and grip towards the finish. But it is always elegant and deserves 10-12 years in bottle. Excellent.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe vines were planted in 1904. A richer deeper ruby purple. A flamboyant pure fruit on the nose, sort of unexpected for Clos Vougeot. Excellent tension on the palate, all the structure that a Clos Vougeot needs but nothing in excess. Seamless, sensual, yet with all the strictness it should have. Very fine. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JMThis is also quite spicy and even more aromatically restrained with its fresh nose of earthy red pinot fruit. The denser and even more powerful larger-bodied flavors deliver excellent length on the impressively long and very much built-to-age if decidedly austere finale that flirts with rusticity. This is a classic CV and one that should age accordingly.Burghound | 92-95 BH

A lovely mid purple. Very perfumed and with density, I suspect with detail to follow as well. Succulent, and with amazing depth plus magical length. One or two darker fruit notes, stopping short of chocolate. But this is a profound and sensual Echezeaux from a domaine noted for its lighter style. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMThe 2022 Echézeaux Les Loachausses Grand Cru (not the easiest lieu-dit to pronounce but is actually a monopole of the Gros family) is the most taciturn on the nose amongst Anne Gros’ cuvées. There is a touch of crushed stone that develops in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of sucrosity on the entry. It has fine depth and is quite linear, and maybe it needs to muster a little more complexity and terroir expression on the finish. I’m sure it will.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMModerate wood influence can be found on the exuberantly spicy and smoky nose of mostly dark currant and violet scents. There is good energy to the delicious if not especially dense middleweight flavors that conclude in a firm finale that exudes focused power as well as a touch of warmth.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2022 Richebourg Grand Cru is intense on the nose: mainly black fruit with a pronounced marine/oyster shell influence. It gains complexity and nuance on the glass. The palate is well-balanced, and the 40-50% new oak neatly enmeshed (higher than previous vintages). It has a fine bead of acidity with a dense and convincing finish, suggesting this will mature gracefully over the next 30-40 years. Almost crystalline - a great Richebourg from Anne and Julie Gros.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThis is a thrilling wine, deceptively light in colour but aromatically powerful, with a concentrated pomegranate and black cherry fruit character and an extraordinary sense of density, substance, and length on the palate. The grapes come from the Gros family holdings in Les Vérroilles; the youngest vines are 50 years old; the balance is 75. They are destemmed and gently fermented before ageing in cask (30% new). This wine is a model of both finesse and power. Ideally, wine lovers will wait a decade from the vintage to sample its beauties; this wine will live a half-century.Decanter | 96 DECA brilliant purple, with a fascinating touch of spice to add to the depth of dark yet royal fruit. Just keeps getting more profound on the nose. Incredibly intense through the middle, excellent mineral acidity behind, and a length well above the others. Thank you for this perfection. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-99 JMHere too there is a plethora of spice elements present on the slightly more elegant nose of violet, lavender, exotic tea, and red and dark currant scents. The impressively scaled flavors are not nearly as dense as those of the CV but they’re notably finer and more mineral-inflected as well, all wrapped in a balanced and hugely long finale. This is certainly classier than the CV but good as it is, it’s not necessarily qualitatively better.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The magnificent, carousel-like sweep of the hill of Corton – almost 100 m top to bottom, and revelling in every exposition save north – means that exact location on the hill is critical for quality. The white wines of Corton-Charlemagne come overwhelmingly from south-west- and west-facing vineyards, coolly exposed, so often these are among the least articulate of all Burgundy’s great white Grands Crus in their youth. Not, though, in the case of this wine from the generous 2022 vintage. It’s promisingly pale, but already compelling on the nose, with subtle oak, wild hawthorne blossom and refined grape and cool citrus. It has all the controlled breadth you’d expect on the palate with more white blossom and subtle, vinous, breath-freshening fruits. The finish is long and lingering, mingling ripe, fruit-bonded acidity with a quiet pulse of ripeness. It will, of course, be better after a decade in a cool cellar, but there’s nothing to stop you enjoying the wine soon, either. Alcohol 13.0%. (DWWA 2024). - Decanter | 97 DECFour plots all in Pernand. Pale in colour with ripe apple notes. The bouquet suggests a leaner style of wine than the palate delivers, which may be a question of being just after bottling. There is some complexity on the palate, a little lime, a phenolic touch. I don’t notice the 40% new wood, so there is clearly good fruit concentration.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

The 2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet with yellow plum, wet stone, hints of baked bread and pressed white flowers. Very good intensity. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, very good salinity and tension with superb precision towards the finish. This Les Clos doesn’t want the Valmur to get all the acclaim.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMModerate wood is present on the overtly floral-suffused nose of mostly white fleshed fruit, especially pear and apple, along with notes of citrus confit, acacia and oyster shell whiffs. There is excellent richness and concentration to the markedly powerful larger-scaled flavors that coat the palate on the overtly stony, dry and compact finale. At least moderate patience will be required as this is pretty tightly wound.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Grandfather Fernand Coffinet, who planted the almond tree on the edge of this plot, died at the start of the year, so this wine is something of a homage to him. Clear bright pale colour. The nose shows the muscle in a harmonious way. Almost lean at the front then with a growing flesh behind. Huge potential here, less charming than Dent de Chien but a fabulous finish as well, stretching out even further than does the Dent de Chien. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JM

Matured in a mix of 500-liter oak and 228-liter steel barrels, the 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is deep and layered, exhibiting aromas of pear, white flowers, blanched almonds and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with attractive purity of fruit and bright balancing acids, it underlines this estate’s continued progress.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Attractive sunny, warm notes on the nose, with a touch of white peach. Much more acidity and flintiness evident. A very high-quality Chablis which will benefit from several years ageing. Raveneau has two plots for its AP Chablis, one in a valley by Montmains, the other opposite Forêts; 1.1ha in total.Decanter | 93 DECNotes of lemon oil, lime zest, white flowers and freshly baked bread introduce the 2022 Chablis Village, a medium to full-bodied, bright and ample wine that remains pure and racy in this warm vintage, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker wine Advocate | 90 RPThe 2022 Chablis-Villages is a step up from the Petit Chablis as you would expect with hints of yellow fruit, Vervane and light apple strudel scents. Lovely delineation. The palate is taut and crisp with fine tension, lightly spiced with a brisk, saline finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a lovely Chablis Village that will age over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90 VMHere there is slightly better Chablis typicity to the ripe, fresh and ever-so-vaguely exotic aromas of white peach, mandarin orange, citrus confit and quinine. The succulent and generous yet decidedly punchy medium-bodied flavors conclude in a crisp, refreshing, very dry and highly refreshing finish that offers notably better depth and persistence. This is an excellent Chablis villages.Burghound | 90 BHMore lime than lemon in colour, really quite backward, lime opal fruits, much more Chablis than indicative of a hot and dry summer. Racy, stylish, full-bodied, some impressive weight here without removing typicity, length and future charm, but will take some time to develop. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted May 2023.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM