Cote de Beaune Wines

wines

Firm reduction and a whiff of oak dominate the nose at present. Much more interesting are the beautifully textured, racy and detailed medium weight flavors that also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the bitter zest-inflected finish that goes on and on. This is terrific and easily delivers grand cru quality.Burghound | 94-96 BHMid lemon colour. As always, the bouquet rises above the others. I feel the need to keep on sniffing this! Brings a smile to the face. The 2021 Domaine Leflaive Pucelles offers such a complex mix of fruits, fresh apricot along with a mix of quality citrus, good density but above all a stylishness that expresses itself in a hugely long finish. Perfect balance with a lifted fresh elegance at the finish. This may yet earn a fifth star later in life. Drink from 2027-2035.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru has a crisp, petrichor and green apple-scented bouquet, tight at first but opening up nicely with aeration. The palate is fresh and crisp with a subtle reduction at play, fine depth, lightly spiced with stem ginger and a dab of lemongrass towards the finish. This should drink nicely over the next decade.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

An elegant, pure and more floral nose offers up its combination of green apple, prominent citrus and crushed fennel nuances. There is borderline painful intensity to the appealingly textured medium weight flavors that exude a subtle minerality, chiseled, balanced and long finish that is quite dry but not really austere. This is an excellent Puligny villages that is also worth strong consideration.Burghound | 90-93 BHA pale colour with a slight green tint. The nose is more complex than the Bourgogne without suggesting much greater power. Here it is the elegance which counts, fresh white fruit with fines herbes. More lemon than lime in its citrus notes. Medium plus length. Drink from 2025-2028. Jasper Morris | 90-92 JM

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru has a delightful, precise bouquet with yellow flowers and light limestone scents, with a touch of blackberry leaf off-stage. The palate is well balanced with candied orange peel on the entry and moderate depth, just missing a little detail and terroir expression on the finish though.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

The 2021 Meursault Les Vireuils Dessous has quite a strict nose at the moment. The 20% new oak well is integrated (Chassin cooperage), opening with bruised apple and Williams pear notes. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, slightly resinous in texture and Chassagne-like finish. Saline and more-ish.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2021 Meursault Le Limozin, matured in a prudent 20% new oak, has a wonderful and expressive nose with just a soupçon of reduction (Parigot was prudent with the SO2 addition). The palate has exquisite balance, beautifully integrated oak, grilled walnut and litchi, superb salinity towards the extended finish - the wine of the vintage from this address.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

15 hl/ha despite the best efforts of a wine turbine and bonfire which I saw in action at 4.30a.m. on a cold snowy morning. Pale colour, backward nose, white flowers perhaps. This has a fine balanced fruit, actually sweeter and riper, then oakier behind, with an attractive mineral thread. Needs a little freshening, which will happen before bottling Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMA more restrained nose grudgingly reflects its aromas of strong petrol and mineral reduction with background hints of citrus zest and oak. There is fine mid-palate density to the tautly muscular broad-shouldered flavors that also exude evident minerality on the tightly coiled, lingering and balanced finale. This could use better depth so like the En Caradeux, at least a few years of keeping should prove beneficial.Burghound | 92 BH

A beautifully layered nose offers up its combination of white orchard, fruit, resin, petrol and ripe citrus. There is impressive concentration to the caressing and generously proportioned but powerful medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract on the balanced finale. This could use better depth, but more should develop if it’s given a few years of keeping.Burghound | 92 BHale colour, white fruit, with a certain intensity, and there is a little crystalline note behind, a good framework to work from and I like the way this finishes. It began anonymously and ends with personality. Drink from 2025-2029.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JM

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes has a pretty nose with Golden Delicious and light honeysuckle scents. The palate is quite weighty in the mouth, a pleasing rondeur, peach and dried apricot notes towards the finish. Not long term, but this is quite delicious, more-ish Chassagne.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Village has a taut and strict nose, well defined, green apple mixed with subtle petrichor/wet pavement scents. The palate is well balanced with lemon zest, lime and a dab of ginger, gently building towards a nicely composed and delineated finish. This should give 8-10 years’ drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMMonsieur Riffault’s 2021 Puligny AC is outstanding and was clearly one of the best villages level wines I tasted on this trip. The bouquet is flat out beautiful, jumping from the glass in a mix of lemon, white peach, a gorgeous base of chalky minerality, vanillin oak and a floral topnote redolent of apple blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and nicely concentrated at the core, with a supreme sense of elegance, lovely transparency and grip, zesty acids and a long, focused and seamlessly balanced finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2025 - 2045)John Gilman | 91+ JGNoticeably more of a primrose yellow colour at this stage (long before cleaning up). A bit more lees in the sample. Concentrated, backward, really a lot more wine here than the Chassagne, a full fruit with some yellow notes, ripe but balanced, and avoids the sweet and sour which afflicted so many 2016s. Fair density, medium length, a sound and solid 2021 Puligny. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JMA subtle but perceptible dollop of oak frames fresh and bright aromas of citrus, acacia and Granny Smith apples. The racy and moderately concentrated medium-bodied flavors possess both excellent precision and a really lovely texture, all wrapped in a markedly dry but not really austere finale that flashes excellent length. This is a very fine Puligny villages and worth checking out plus it should age gracefully.Burghound | 90 BH

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

The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has a clean, precise bouquet with apple blossom, white peach, crushed stone and wet pavement scents, beautifully proportioned and focused. The palate is well balanced, certainly one of the more powerful Premier Crus with outstanding length on the finish thanks to its spicy, stem ginger touch. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMFirm reduction completely overshadows the fruit. Otherwise, there is excellent volume to the seductively textured medium weight flavors that exude plenty of minerality that adds lift to the succulent, balanced and gorgeously persistent bitter lemon-tinged finish that goes on and on. This isn’t quite as concentrated as the Folatières but it’s finer and stunningly long. This may not be the best Sauzet Combettes ever but in time, it should be in the conversation, it’s that good.Burghound | 93-95 BHHappily, there is much more 2021 Combettes chez Sauzet than the En Richard, and the wine is every bit as beautiful. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a crystal clear blend of fresh lemon, apple, lime, a complex base of minerality, white flowers, citrus zest, vanillin oak and a lovely topnote of candied lemon. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, deep and pure, with great mineral undertow, snappy acids and laser-like focus on the long, complex and electric finish. Stunning juice. (Drink between 2027 - 2060)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes is another one of the high points chez Sauzet this year, offering up aromas of confit citrus, beeswax, crisp stone fruit, white flowers and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it’s taut and structured, with good depth at the core and chalky dry extract.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe Sauzet team run the vineyards then purchase the grapes. Pretty and lively colour with a fine floral bouquet, a touch of spring flowers. Punchy in a good way, lemon and lime flavours but with adequate ripeness, leaves an attractive tingle on the tongue and medium plus length. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JM

There is just a single 350-liter barrel of the 2021 Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières En la Richards 1er Cru this year. Striking petrichor scents on the nose, this has a stately personality, beautifully focused. The palate is very well balanced with a silver bead of acidity, just the right amount of bitterness with quite a penetrating finish. Will need careful partnering but its oyster shell tinged finish suggests it will go perfectly with fruits de mers.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAn elegant, pure and cool nose of white flower, mineral reduction and citrus is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. There is a lovely stoniness adding lift to the concentrated middleweight flavors that possess a racy, saline and well-balanced finish. This is also very pretty and most impressive and the only potential nit is that it needs to add depth, though that should occur as the Sauzet Folatières has an excellent track record. Burghound | 92-94 BHThere is virtually no En Richard this year, as the total production after the frost damage was a scant three hundred and fifty liters! That will be less than five hundred bottles. The wine itself is superb, delivering a complex nose of lemon, apple, fresh pineapple, chalky minerality, white lilies, orange zest and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and shows off beautiful mid-palate depth, with fine mineral drive and grip, impeccable balance and a long, complex and classy finish. A beautiful wine in painfully tiny quantities. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 94 JGA gorgeous clear pale yellow. The bouquet has class and tension as well. A little youthful bitterness, this is a structured Puligny with backbone and medium plus length. Not quite the charm of Champ Canet but very good nonetheless. Energy at the finish. Just a single cask of 350 litres made. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMAromas of orange oil, freshly baked bread, nutmeg and white flowers introduce the 2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières En la Richarde, a medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny wine with lively acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet les Referts 1er Cru has a very classy nose with vivid Granny Smith apple, crushed limestone and lemon scents that convey joie-de-vivre. The palate is very well balanced with wonderful tension, impressive weight, just a touch of orange rind and lime towards the finish with fine persistence on the aftertaste. Superb.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMProminent lemon-lime aromas are complemented by notes of mineral reduction, acacia blossom and discreet spice nuances. The sleek and almost painfully intense middleweight flavors also conclude in a strongly citrus-inflected and bone-dry finish. This youthfully austere effort is packed with development potential though it is also exceptionally compact so patience will absolutely be necessary. In a word, excellent.Burghound | 92-94 BHA later site and less snow so there was slightly less frost damage. A glowing fresh primrose colour. The nose shows a good weight of fruit without much detail. Despite the flesh there is a chiselled white fruit character, concentrated fresh apples, with a good balance of acidity and fine length. Good length. Drink from 2026-2031. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts unwinds in the glass with aromas of pastry cream, white flowers, crisp stone fruits and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, it’s penetrating and precise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

Firm reduction renders the nose unreadable at present. More interesting are the intense and beautifully textured medium weight flavors that also brim with minerality and ample amount of dry extract that buffers the firm acid spine supporting the unusually powerful, serious, compact and stunningly long finish. This is also like rolling small rocks around the mouth and is a wine that should amply repay a decade or more of keeping.Burghound | 91-94 BH The blended premier cru bottling of Terroir de Blagny is really good in 2021, but this is a structured wine that will need time in the cellar to unfurl. The bouquet is deep and youthful, offering up scents of tart orange, fresh pineapple, chalky soil elements, vanillin oak and a striking topnote of lemon blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and racy, with a superb core of fruit, impressive cut and grip, fine focus and a long, nascently complex and well balanced finish. (Drink between 2026 - 2055)John Gilman | 93 JGThere was just enough wine to fill one 350 litre and one 228 litre barrel, even with the three vineyards of Truffière, Hameau de Blagny and Champ Gain blended together. A vibrant fresh primrose colour, with plenty of energy to the nose as well. Fresh plums with citrus notes, a good density of fruit, some length behind. Still shows the hillside character. Savoury notes at the finish. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Terroir de Blagny 1er Cru is a blend of Hameau de Blagny, Champs Gain and Truffières that together amounted to 600 liters. It has an attractive nose of apple blossom, dewy meadow, wet limestone and citrus peel that unfolds in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with quite a sharp, citric entry. Vibrant and lively, though maybe not as complex as some of Sauzet’s best cuvées this year. But what else can you do with such miniscule volumes?Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

This is also aromatically cool and decidedly restrained with its array of green apple, mineral reduction, citrus zest and a vaguely Chablis-like hint of oyster shell and iodine. The beautifully textured broad-shouldered flavors flash both focused power and an abundance of minerality on the tension-filled, bone-dry and balanced finale. This is also a strikingly pretty wine that is very much built to reward extended keeping.Burghound | 95 BHIn 2021 the Boillot Corton-Charlemagne is all from Aloxe and not the three communes. Mid lemon yellow. The nose has some style, flesh and floral and potentially stony. More wood is showing at the back but there is so much wine still to come out. Lemon juice intensity at the back. Very long again Drink from 2027-2035.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMTaut and structured, the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru delivers aromas of citrus zest, freshly baked bread and white flowers, followed by a full-bodied, satiny palate that’s chalky and incisive, concluding with a penetrating finish. This cuvée is acquired in grapes and pressed by Boillot.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is another stellar white from Boillot. All citrus, white pepper and crushed rocks, the Charlemagne sizzles with energy. There’s terrific focus here and plenty of cut too. This vibrant, airy Charlemagne hits all the right notes. It is a fine effort in this challenging vintage. To deal with the tiny volume in 2021, Guillaume Boillot had a 228-liter barrel made with 50% new oak staves and 50% staves from a once-used barrel. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 92-94 VM

Boillot waited until 29 September to pick the 2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère, producing a mere 18 barrels. Unfurling in the glass with notes of pear, white flowers, hazelnuts, spices and beeswax, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a chiseled, concentrated profile and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-94 RPCool, airy and very pretty aromas of the essence of pear, exotic tea, spice and acacia blossom are trimmed in an admirably discreet touch of oak. Much like the Pucelles, the texture of the slightly bigger and more mineral-driven flavors is wonderfully refined and even more powerful on the explosively long, graceful and bone-dry finale. This is also highly recommended.Burghound | 94 BHGuillaume has pulled out the youngest vines, for rootstock reasons. Most of the old vines fortunately are on 3309C. But badly frosted, below 10 hl/ha. A little more yellow in the colour, a riper fruit, which then comes back to its roots on the palate. Sappy, Guillaume says, while there is a generosity in the mouth which has completely retained its balance. Very persistent. Drink from 2026-2032.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchère 1er Cru, a Boillot monopole, is bright and nicely focused. This is the parcel that was most affected by frost. Production is 18 barrels as opposed to a more typical 75 or so. There’s good depth and intensity, but also a certain rawness that needs time to soften. This is another wine where acidity is especially prominent. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 90-92 VM