Cote de Beaune Wines

wines

A rich and generous Meursault with plenty of ripe-apricot and melon character, which is very neatly underlined by the vanilla oak. Full body with quite some creaminess, then comes the long finish with excellent mineral freshness. Everything fits extremely neatly! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSOffering up notes of pear, white flowers, toasted almonds and beeswax, Bouchard’s 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières is medium to full-bodied, satiny and chiseled, with a more tightly wound, introverted profile than the Charmes that preceded it. Built to age, this is a serious Genevrières that I look forward to tasting from bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPA blend of two parcels, the 2019 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru was the first to be picked by Bouchard in this appellation. The well-defined bouquet features touches of lemon thyme, walnut and smoke. The palate is balanced with fine acidity, fresh and focused. The pretty, apricot-tinged finish fans out wonderfully and leaves residues of grilled almond and sesame on the aftertaste. Excellent. Vinous Media | 92-94 VMTwo plots in the upper part, picked separately. Pale yellow. The bouquet is very striking with its verbena and juniper nose, plenty of energy here. Big shoulders, some warmth, but it holds it in, with excellent length. Ripe pear notes on the palate. This will all come together.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMModerately firm reduction overshadows the underlying fruit at present. Otherwise there is very good volume to the nicely concentrated and more finely textured middle weight flavors that brim with minerality on the youthfully austere and lemon zest-inflected finale that isn’t quite as structured.Burghound | 91-93 BHFrom two domaine-owned parcels totaling 2.65ha, one near the bottom, one near the top. The grapes are gently pressed, settled and fermented in cask (15% new). The result has a high-toned citrusy fruit, with a pleasantly floral edge to it. On the palate, there is weight and breadth, but no heaviness. Really quite lovely.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2019 Meursault Genevrières 1er Cru has a very expressive bouquet of grilled almond and walnut aromas that burst forth from the glass. The palate is vibrant on the entry, offering orange zest and apricot; yellow plum and light ginger notes surface with time. I like the finish, which brims over with tension and feels long and tender. Superb. Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAn impressive Meursault with ripe-orange and pear aromas, plus a hint of exotic-fruit character. Generous and concentrated with animating acidity that keeps this light on its feet. Bold finish with a ton of minerality that makes a serious statement. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSot domaine, now racked to tank. Attractive classic Genevrières nose with its little herbal touches. Not too powerful, the fruit builds very well to the back of the palate, ripe yellow fruit, but distinguished and fresh enough at the finish. Very persistent.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMAromas of pear, orange oil, baking spices and nutmeg introduce Drouhin’s 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières, a medium to full-bodied, bright and lively wine with promising depth and energy. Still a little introverted when I visited, this hadn’t yet been bottled.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThis is also aromatically cool and pure with its array of naturally exotic acacia blossom, lavender, white orchard fruit and jasmine tea nuances. The texture of the sleek and vibrant mineral-driven flavors is also sophisticated and refined though the finish is not quite as persistent as that of the Pucelles. Even so, this also offers fine development potential. A Genevrières of finesse and delicacy.Burghound | 92 BH

I’m inclined to nominate the 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes as Leflaive’s finest premier cru this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, citrus oil, fresh peach, toasted nuts and smoke, it’s full-bodied, rich and satiny, with an immensely concentrated and incisive profile. Taut and chiseled despite its mid-palate plenitude, it’s built to cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is a step up in terms of mineralité and terroir expression from the preceeding Folatières. There is more precision, greater expression of place. The palate sports a very small reduction on the entry, then it segues into a very concentrated mid-palate that seems to fill the mouth. Great depth and spiciness towards the finish, this is an outstanding Combettes from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 96 VMModerate reduction is sufficient to mask the underlying fruit today. More interesting are the wonderfully fine and delicate yet punchy flavors that possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel before culminating in a sappy saline and strikingly persistent finish. I very much like the balance and this beauty may well prove to be a great Combettes in time.Burghound | 93-95 BHThis white offers lemon cake, lime blossom and citronella flavors allied to a lean frame, giving it intensity. Starts out velvety, but it remains precise and mouthwatering on the long citrusy, minerally aftertaste. Fine symmetry overall. Best from 2023 through 2029. 58 cases made, 11 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis wine split the room, most rating it very high though I joined the minority in worrying about the balance between seemingly high alcohol and high acidity. But we may be wrong because this wine did show grand cru weight. I have stuck with the score and tasting note which I originally made, however. Mid primrose in colour, with a beefy, high alcohol bouquet than also contains a wealth of fruit. Super powerful, high acidity, a little bit too much going on? Not sure about the balance here. The wine will find favour with those comfortable with higher alcohol levels, though how well the rather powerful acidity balances that is uncertain. Slightly overtoasted wood. Feels like grand cru weight. DIAM D closure. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted: May 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

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

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

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

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

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

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

The primacy of the citrus and green apple fruit is dramatic, but there is depth and nuance here as well, not to mention fresh acidity and enough extract to make the finish linger enticingly on the palate. Boillot’s Clos de la Mouchère is a monopole of nearly 4ha in the lieu-dit Les Perrières. The vines are more than 80 years of age, and each section is vinified and matured separately in cask (70% new). This wine has surprising volume, concentration and length – assuredly close to grand cru in quality. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DEC

The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères has a delightful, clean and precise bouquet with vibrant citrus fruit, mirabelle and a touch of juniper. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, orange zest and apricot, poised and focused towads the finish that lingers in the mouth. Fine tension here. Excellent. Vinous Media | 91 VMPale lime and lemon, this starts quietly (cold sample) but does not take long to build, floral, cow parsley and elderflower, racy and lacy, chiselled, showing the class of what is surely the finest village vineyard in Puligny. Tasted: 10/1/2021.Jasper Morris | 91 JMNotably more elegant aromas feature notes of exceptionally pretty white orchard fruit, citrus blossom and carnation along with a hint of just sliced fennel. The beautifully textured middle weight flavors possess much better density on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. This could use better depth, but more will almost certainly develop with a few years of keeping.Burghound | 90 BH

Bordering on viscous, this white is embedded with peach, crème brûlée, clove and oyster shell flavors. Molten and well-balanced, this builds nicely to the lingering conclusion, with toast and baking spice flavors extending on the aftertaste. Drink now through 2030. 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A rich and powerful Chassagne-Montrachet with some pineapple character, due to the very ripe vintage, next to the citrus that we expect. Built on quite an imposing scale, but with lovely lemon-zest freshness and fine tannins that support the flamboyant body. Long, quite stony finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe last vintage of this wine chez Jadot as the vineyard has been sold. Medium yellow in colour. There is a little less overt power and perhaps a touch more terroir in this wine. Then the full weight kicks in, nicely married with its wood, and a sense of managed opulence behind infiltrated by good acidity.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe swan song for this cuvée is the 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle (Duc de Magenta), a muscular, concentrated wine that exhibits aromas of orange oil, peach, buttery pastry and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and textural, with a fleshy core of ripe fruit and bright balancing acids, it offers a classic expression of Morgeot in all its exuberance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle 1er Cru has a taut, fresh, vibrant bouquet with yellow flowers intermixed with light citrus scents, gravel and jasmine. The palate is smooth and harmonious, tangerine and nectarine on the entry, moderate weight with a slightly pithy finish. I am intrigued to see how this will develop. Closure: DiamVinous Media | 91-93 VMA slightly more elegant if otherwise similar nose introduces succulent, round and highly seductive flavors that are blessed with an abundance of dry extract that imparts a sappy texture to the powerful, long and less citrusy finale. This is worth checking out.Burghound | 91-93 BHA juicy white introduced by aromas of resin and toasty oak. Offers peach, apple and citrus flavors that hold court, while a mineral accent lurks beneath the surface. Features fine balance and length. Drink now through 2028. 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe grapes are lightly crushed and fermented in cask (one-quarter new), to give this wine with aromas of ripe apricots and quince. The texture is broad and rich, with a density that probably needs a bit of age. At present is seems luxurious, but a bit heavy. The Clos de la Chapelle (Morgeot) is a monopole of the Duc de Magenta that Jadot has traditionally rented. It is just downslope from lieu-dit Morgeot, and is planted to both Pinot and Chardonnay (this section of 1.79ha is planted to the latter).Decanter | 92 DEC

A blend from Le Charlemagne and Mourottes, picked and pressed together. There is a lovely pale green thread running through the lemon colour. The nose is agreeably chiselled, with a real wealth of fruit backed by the stony minerals. It is showing a bit of oak at the moment. Pierre-François is hoping in future to be able to age this for longer. A very good example.Jasper Morris | 95 JM

Ex Laleure Piot. Pale lemon and lime. This is very different from the Pierre Meurgey label Corton-Charlemagne, though the plots are next door and picked on the same day. This version is much less exotic in aromatics, much more chiselled, and is actually very fine with youthful mineral bitters. Long salient steely finish. A Corton-Charlemagne success this year, with the wood perfectly integrated. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA dense and lively white, evoking lemon and apple core flavors wrapped in toasty oak. Smooth, picking up generous baking spices as this winds down on the long citrus- and oak spice-inflected aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2035. 104 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDomaine Clos de la Chapelle’s Corton-Charlemagne has become one of my favorites on the hill of Corton. The 2020 vintage here is exceptional, offering up a deep and youthful nose of apple, pear, raw almond, a hint of crème patissière, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, apple blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with a superb core, great mineral drive and cut, lovely acids and a long, focused and perfectly balanced finish. This comes in listed at 13.5 percent octane and is a fairly ripe example of this bottling, in the style of the vintage, but with impeccable typicité and potential for long-term cellaring. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2022 - 2055)John Gilman | 94+ JGA subtle but not invisible application of wood surrounds the aromas of just sliced green apple, mineral reduction and a similar array of citrus elements. There is first-rate intensity to the broad-shouldered and powerful flavors that deliver excellent length on the stony, clean and very dry but not especially austere finale. Like the Sous Frétille, this could use better depth but in this case, more will also certainly develop in time.Burghound | 93 BH

Fine pale lemon and lime. What a beautifully gracious nose, this is sheer class. All in white fruit with an engaging ripeness, more detail than Combettes, perhaps more weight than Folatières. Quite muscular for Pucelles. An explosion of fruit on the palate, almost too much to take in but there is nothing vulgar here, just the quintessence of Pucelles. Very long indeed, this is really just a babe in arms. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-97 JMProminent notes of honeysuckle, Granny Smith apples, spice and a plenitude of spice elements are similarly wonderfully fresh and bright. The rich, delicious and succulent medium-bodied flavors also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel along with ample punch on the finely detailed, focused and hugely long finish. This too is a wine of class and grace that should age effortlessly over the next 12 to 15 years. A stunner of a Pucelles.Burghound | 93-96 BHA smooth white, bordering on creamy but with bright acidity, featuring lemon cake, apple tart, mineral, vanilla and clove flavors. Features a fillip of bitterness, like grapefruit peel, on the spicy finish. Youthful and exuberant. Best from 2025 through 2032. 985 cases made, 197 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, peach and green apple mingled with white flowers, freshly baked bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered, charming mid-palate and a precise finish, it’s a charming, seamless wine in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru conveys the imprimatur of the growing season more than Leflaive’s other cuvées, the ripest and perhaps more exotic with candied orange peel, quince and light peppermint scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, ripe and quite bold in style, though it clams up towards its slightly reductive finish. Give this four to five years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93 VM

With forward aromas of ripe apple, acacia flowers and spice, this delicate, elegant wine exhibits admirable balance and finesse. Yet, there is enough substance and structure to draw it out to a lingering finish, although the texture is creamy rather than crisp. Heitz has nearly a half-hectare in La Barre, in stony soils over a slab of pure limestone just up the slope from Antoine Jobard. A very accomplished village-level Meursault.Decanter | 93 DECA hint of smoke character lurks in the background of the aromas of freshly sliced apple, hazelnut, acacia blossom and a touch of spiced pear. The succulent and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess fine richness as well as mid-palate density while exhibiting very fine depth and persistence for a villages-level wine. Worth checking out.Burghound | 90 BH

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

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

The 2020 Meursault Les Tillets has a light white flower and linen scented nose, quite Zen-like at first but gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and vibrant with a touch of spice on the finish. Very fine, though maybe it just needs a little more mineralité.Vinous Media | 90 VMA cool, pure and restrained nose reflects airy and elegant notes of acacia, green apple, anise and a whiff of citrus rind. There is a beguiling sense of underlying tension to the detailed and mineral-inflected flavors that culminate in an attractively dry, clean and lingering finale. This is fine Meursault villages with the innate finesse of Tillets on display.Burghound | 90 BH

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