Cote de Beaune Wines

wines

(Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay "Champans" 1er Cru Red) Remarkably this has changed relatively little since my initial in-bottle review amost 10 years ago as the ripe raspberry liqueur-like nose evidences hints of spice, violets, earth and underbrush. The vibrant, pure, round and naturally sweet medium-bodied flavors possess excellent intensity on the precise, powerful and mineral-driven finish. There is a beautiful tension to this wine and while there is a serious tannic backbone, this seems supple on the mid-palate because the structure is so well-buffered. This is still very much on the way up and should easily see its 50th birthday (and many more) in superb condition. As such I would strongly advise letting this beauty continue to slumber. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 94 BHOne of the three batches that will be blended to make up d ‘Angerville’s 2005 Volnay Champans was still in malo, so I base my assessment on the other two. Scented with cherry and cassis, flowers and fungus, smoke and chalk dust, this displays richness and depth, fine tannins and emerging silkiness, and a youthfully firm but long finish loaded with savory subtleties. Just give it 6-8 years before revisiting. (The outstanding d’Angerville 2004s were also very late to finish malo, and the Champans is especially memorable for its vivid sauteed champignons, alluring ginger spice, marrowy richness, and flattering mouth feel, indeed comparable in quality though lacking the developmental potential of this 2005. As a striking example of mercantile bipolar disorder, I purchased this outstanding 2004 for $49.99 from a merchant whose price on the 2005 thus represented a 350% premium!)Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPGood full red. Reticent nose suggests cherry, licorice, flowers and truffle. Displays the copious sweetness of the vintage but with terrific focus and underlying spine. A stony, minerally pinot with real delicacy and cut. The long, noble finish offers a lovely combination of silk and stone and enticing lingering perfume. An archetypical Volnay that combines structure and charm: I wouldn’t be surprised if this merited an even higher score eight or ten years from now.Vinous Media | 93 VMRigid now, with cherry, mineral and smoke notes backed by burly tannins. Yet, it’s elegant in stature, concentrated and built for the long haul. Closed up already, but be patient. Best from 2014 through 2028. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS(Marquis d’Angerville Volnay “Champans”) By all indications, this will be a great vintage for the Champans chez d’Angerville. This can often be one of the more recalcitrant young wines in the cellar, but it is showing remarkable refinement out of the blocks. The bouquet offers up notes of cherries, red berries, coffee, lovely minerality and a touch of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and intensely flavored, with again simply striking purity, excellent focus and balance, and a long, moderately tannic and tangy finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2012-2035)John Gilman | 92-93 JG

A beautiful, pure syrah with dark-cherry and lavender aromas that follow through to a full body with round, polished tannins that are tight and compact. Flavorful and racy finish. Black-licorice and tar flavors. Slightly chewy at the end. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSRich dark fruits, spiced cookie, smoky plums and black cherries define the 2018 Syrah Bramasole. This is cool-toned, pliant and pleasantly sweet, with a fresh display of inner violets, minerals and bright acids that keep the mouth watering. Nuanced tannins and sweet spice linger as this high-energy Cortona Syrah tapers off with blue and purple-toned florals. The 2018 Bramasole is stunning and so easy to like.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2019 Corton Clos des Maréchaudes Grand Cru, a monopole for Bichot, is matured with around 40% new oak. It has a higher-toned bouquet than the Aloxe-Corton Clos des Marechales, delivering scents of kirsch, crushed strawberry and pressed rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and nicely focused, displaying well-integrated oak on the black-pepper-tinged finish. Excellent. Vinous Media | 92-94 VM(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Corton-Clos des Maréchaudes Grand Cru Red) This is compositionally similar to the 1er but notably more restrained. The powerful and muscular bigger-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate density and ample minerality on the more persistent finish. This could use more depth but it’s clear there is a bit more overall potential here compared to the 1er. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 93 BHThis 0.54ha in the grand cru portion of the vineyard has yielded a wine of greater concentration than from the top of the terrace, where there is a bit more clay. There is an appreciable increase in quality - more density, more structure, more length and more depth to the fruit character. Impressive. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2019 Corton Clos-du-Roi Grand Cru offers slightly more red fruit than the other two Cortons from Dubreuil-Fontaine, and smells spicier, with touches of cumin and clove. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins. This has the finest balance and the most elegance of the three Cortons tasted, demonstrating more terroir expression toward the finish, and a prudent sprinkling of white pepper on the aftertaste. Glorious.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM(Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Clos du Roi Grand Cru Red) Exceptionally ripe aromas include those of prune, cassis, warm earth and roasted fruit that seem a bit flat. There is much better freshness and verve on the palate of the mineral-suffused medium weight flavors that are relatively refined thanks to the fine-grained tannins shaping the firm, youthfully austere and beautifully long finish. The nose does not appeal to me though the palate impression is attractive, and the key question is how this will evolve and that is hard to predict. My rating offers the benefit of the doubt that the nose will eventually freshen. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 91 BH

Mingling aromas of sweet berry fruit and plums with hints of raw cocoa, warm spices and orange rind, the 2019 Corton Grèves Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot) is medium to full-bodied, rich and chalky, with fine concentration and a youthfully tightly wound profile. This is promising, but it will require a bit of patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(Maison Louis Jadot Corton-Grèves Grand Cru Red) Abundant menthol and wood nuances are present on the ripe aromas of black raspberry and sauvage scents. The dense, plush and less powerful flavors also exude evident minerality on the austere, focused and balanced finish that isn’t quite as complex. Note that this classic Corton is also quite compact and in need of extended cellaring. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2019 Corton-Grèves Grand Cru was showing some reduction on the nose, although there appears to be fine compact red fruit here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, and lightly spiced with white pepper and sage toward the finish, which shows a little more elegance compared to the Clos du Roi this year. Fine.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

For me, this is the most complete of the Cortons from the domaine. The plum and cherry fruit is forward but discreet, with subtle, earthy nuance and well-integrated oak spice. The texture is silky and elegant yet not lacking at all in structure - an outstanding effort. This Corton is produced from 0.64ha in the centre of the slope between DRC and de Montille. Half of the grapes are vinified as whole clusters after a brief maceration and the wine ages 18 months in cask (40% new). Drinking Window: 2025 - 2060Decanter | 97 DEC(Domaine Comte Senard Corton-Clos du Roi Grand Cru Red) Moderate amounts of wood and menthol stop short of fighting with the ripe aromas of poached plum, black cherry liqueur, anise, and Asian-style tea. The velvety, suave and very rich larger-scaled flavors possess excellent punch along with good minerality that seems to build on the impressively long and well-balanced finale. This will need to develop better depth with time in bottle but that should reasonably occur if allowed at least a few years of cellaring. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 92-94 BH

Picked 28th August. Excellent pure purple and fresh pinot on the nose, with a delicious juicy red fruit on the palate, with a beautifully suave finish and just a touch of acidity to complete it. 13.8% but not exaggerated. Good length too.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JMDiscreet but perceptible nuances of wood and menthol are present on the ripe and fresh red and dark raspberry, pepper and newly turned earth. The is fine mid-palate density to the utterly delicious middle weight flavors that possess much better than average depth and persistence for such a young Chassagne red. One to strongly consider as this is very good.Burghound | 90 BH

Moderate wood surrounds the ripe blend of both red and black raspberry, exotic tea and pretty violet scents. The caressing, round and delicious medium weight flavors that possess good but not special density before firming up noticeably on the austere and much more mineral-driven finale.Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes (Domaine Louis Jadot) reveals aromas of rich berries, orange rind, peonies and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, with a lively core of fruit, ripe but firm tannins and a nicely defined finish, it will demand some bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2020 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru comprises of one 456-litre barrel this year. It has a very well-defined bouquet with seamlessly integrated oak and impressive mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine delineation, just a little chewiness on the entry but there is tension interwoven into this Volnay from start to finish, plus great persistency. Superb.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Here too there are ample spice elements adding breadth to the poached plum and black cherry liqueur aromas. The succulent, round and delicious flavors possess good if not truly special mid-palate density before concluding in a moderately austere, balanced and firmly structured finale. Patience advised here too as this powerful effort should age effortlessly.Burghound | 90-92 BHNotes of cherries, sweet berries, raw cocoa and spices preface the 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots (Domaine Louis Jadot), a medium to full-bodied, lively and vibrant wine, built around tangy acids and powdery tannins. As readers may remember, this parcel is situated quite near the route nationale, from the lower part of this large premier cru.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPThe 2020 Volnay Les Santenots 1er Cru has a concentrated nose, one that feels a little "hemmed in", does not quite flow like the other Volnays from Jadot. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite bold and muscular, but missing the elegance that I seek from this vineyard.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM