Cote de Beaune Wines

wines

The 2005 Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or offers scents of plum, black raspberry, Asian spices, soy, noble fungus and wood smoke. In the mouth, it delivers tart (though ripe) black raspberry fruit with black truffle undertones and subtle spice and chalk, while managing to display a flattering creaminess. Fascinating fungal, fruit skin and mineral notes vie for attention in the finish. This strikes an ideal balance between flattering fat and underlying structure. Figure to cellar it for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPGood ruby-red. Superripe but reticent nose hints at blueberry and licorice, accented by orange rind and pepper. There’s a pronounced earthy underbrush component to the black plum fruit. Strong soil tones here. Finishes with serious, building tannins. This one needs patience.Burghound | 91-93 BHGood ruby-red. Superripe but reticent nose hints at blueberry and licorice, accented by orange rind and pepper. There’s a pronounced earthy underbrush component to the black plum fruit. Strong soil tones here. Finishes with serious, building tannins. This one needs patience.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

Black cherry, raspberry and pepper flavors mark this vibrant red, holding back for now, but showing a sense of the depth and saturated fruit. The finish is firm and chalky, but this will open up with air and time. Best from 2019 through 2032. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2013 Volnay 1er Cru Champans has a feisty, much more gourmand bouquet compared to its siblings at this early stage with almost meaty red berry fruit infused with limestone/flinty scents. The palate is very focused with an abiding sense of symmetry, long in the mouth with fine tannins (although not as filigree as the Taillepieds) but with the same silky and harmonious texture toward the long finish. Excellent.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPBright medium red. Alluring superripe aromas of black cherry, mint and bitter chocolate: I would have guessed that this wine was vinified with some whole clusters but in fact it was entirely destemmed. A rather powerful Volnay with a slightly high-toned, almost porty ripeness to its black cherry, dark berry and chocolate flavors, but strong, slightly peppery acidity gives it a penetrating, somewhat disjointed quality in the early going. This deep, chewy Volnay finishes with big, granular tannins and excellent persistence.Vinous Media | 92+ VMReduction. Here there is more size, weight and power to the detailed and more subtly mineral-driven flavors that also possess a lovely texture on the dusty, palate coating and linear finish. This is impressively long and well-balanced though at present not quite as complex.Burghound | 90-93 BH

Healthy dark red. Highly complex but youthfully restrained nose offers scents of black fruits, violet, chocolate, menthol and minerals, along with some faintly liqueur-like high tones. Boasts outstanding density of texture, not to mention great lift and power for this bottling, with almost exotic fruit ripeness leavened by strong acidity. Finishes with spectacular lingering perfume of violet, bitter chocolate, wild herbs and mint. An amazingly strong, bulletproof Volnay for the year--or for any vintage, for that matter.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis red offers well-defined cherry, currant and spice flavors, supported by vibrant acidity. Saturated with pure, ripe cherry fruit midpalate, this firms up, yet remains balanced and mouthwatering on the long finish, showing spice and chalk accents. Best from 2018 through 2030. 95 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2014 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets has a glorious nose that has mustered a little more va-va-voom since I tasted it from barrel last year. It lets rip with Morello cherries, fresh strawberry and a pastille-like purity. It is a very winsome bouquet, well defined and gains intensity on the glass. The palate is more conservative than the aromatics. It is well structured, the tannins slightly chalky in texture, the acidity nicely judged with a gentle grip on the finish. Whilst it does not have the persistence of the best premier crus from d’Angerville, there is an effortless nature to this Volnay.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPGood dark red Very ripe aromas of blackberry liqueur, licorice and molten dark chocolate Plush, ripe and sweet in the mouth, but a bit less refined and primary than the 2015 version, in spite of showing a cool minty nuance Finishes with serious but nicely ripe tanninsVinous Media | 91 VMThis is distinctly more restrained with its layered assortment of plum, dark berries, earth and pretty spice elements. There is a really lovely mouth feel to the beautifully well-delineated middle weight flavors that possess plenty of minerality on the dusty and focused and slightly fleshier finale. Lovely.Burghound | 90-92 BH

The 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets was showing very well from bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of raspberry, cherry, spice and orange rind that offer little hint of the savory complexity to come with bottle age. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, structured around juicy acids and a fine-grained but firm chassis of tannins that asserts itself on the finish. Fremiets sits above the Clos des Angles, and its shallower soils tend to issue in wines with notable crunch and tension.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay "Frémiets" 1er Cru Red) A notably ripe nose stops just short of surmaturité while displaying notes of plum, black cherry, earth and a pretty lashing of spice elements. There is a bit more size, weight and mid-palate stuffing to the velvety and palate soaking flavors that are shaped by a markedly firm tannic spine on the gorgeously persistent finale where the only nit is a barely discernible hint of warmth. Lovely but once again, patience required. (Drink starting 2030).Burghound | 92-94 BHBright ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the perfumed nose. Fine-grained and suave, but with terrific inner-mouth floral lift giving the middle palate a sense of energy. The wine's finishing sweetness is leavened by saline minerality and noteworthy grip. Really spreads out to saturate the mouth; an outstanding example of this premier cru.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLes Fremiets sits above the Clos des Angles, and the soils here are shallower. The resulting fruit tones are higher-pitched, with red plum and raspberry complicated by scents of pipe tobacco and raw cocoa. The tannic structure is more savoury and fine-grained, enrobed in less fat and texture, but with lovely focus and energy. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 91 DEC

This 1.6ha parcel is in the middle of the slope, two metres above the Clos des Angles on poor, stony soils over a limestone base. Crunchy, elegant and refined, it has lovely texture, raspberry sweetness and fine-boned tannins, finishing with a saline, mineral bite.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2017 Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru has an expressive bouquet with veins of blue fruit that strafe the vibrant raspberry and crushed strawberry. Here there is fine mineralité tucked just underneath. The palate is vibrant, almost effervescent on the entry with blood orange infusing the red fruit, great tension and quite pointed tannin, a Fremiet that is bursting with life. Superb.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA slightly more deeply pitched nose displays an evident spiciness to the plum, dark raspberry and violet-scented aromas. The highly energetic and intense medium weight flavors offer even more minerality on the well-detailed flavors that possess more depth and a bit more length as well on the firmer finish. This is very Frémiets in character and a wine that should amply reward extended keeping.Burghound | 91-93 BHThe 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets offers up aromas of plums, cassis, wood smoke, dark chocolate and rich soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, chalk and structured palate that’s firmer and more muscular than the supple, giving Clos des Angles. The soils here are thinner and the wine inherently less gourmand, but it will reward the patient with lovely purity and transparency.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

Aromas of peonies, plums, red berries, potpourri, warm spices and orange rind introduce de Montille’s 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that’s deep and concentrated, with lively acids and supple tannins that assert themselves gently on the finish. As usual, this will require some patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis 1.51ha parcel of Taillepieds is located at the top of the hill in gravelly soils. The grapes were entirely fermented as whole clusters and the result is wonderful. Initially somewhat closed, it opens with time to show lovely plummy fruit, with a hidden reserve of floral and garrigue aromas, plus a marked saline character. The texture at this stage is somewhat severe, with firm, slightly austere tannins, but the density suggests it will open up with time.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2019 Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er Cru has a riper nose than Buffet’s Taillepieds. Fleshy Morello cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, hints of orange peel and background black truffle nuances linger. The palate is medium-bodied, with finely chiseled tannins and a clever reduction at play here that lends edge toward the finish. Exuding good energy and becoming more peppery in the glass, this should age with style once it absorbs its patina of oak. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMA super-floral nose seems to have every floral element in the book including a perfumed hint of gardenia that adds a touch of elegance to the exotically spicy aromas of red and black raspberry. The pure and almost painfully intense flavors are like rolling tiny stones around in the mouth while delivering outstanding depth and persistence on the overtly austere, serious and compact finale that leaves zero doubt that this beauty is built-to-age. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 92-95 BHA light to medium red, attractively perfumed. There is a sterner structure on the palate, with some evidence of whole bunches adding a salinity to the finish. A little liquorice touch as well. This is relatively restrained and I suspect there may yet be more to develop. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted Sep 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

A wine of great finesse, showing bright lemony fruit, with hints of acacia flowers and marzipan on the nose. On the palate, the wine retains admirable acidity and an effortless lightness on the finish. Caillerets is actually an umbrella for grapes from En Caillerets, Combards, Chassagne and Vigne Derrière; Jean-Noël Gagnard is in the first two lieux-dits. Caroline Lestimé remarked that the vines suffered incredibly from the heat in 2020 and ripening was blocked for a time, although she considers this a ’top-level’ premier cru.Decanter | 95 DEC34 hl/ha. Fine pale lemon, with a very distinct Caillerets nose - all the stones you could want - to support the pure white fruit. Impeccable density on the palate, now including some bright yellow plum fruit, racy acidity, layers on layers here, boding well for the future. Perfect balancing acidity, this has the power to age extremely well. Tasted Nov 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA deft application of wood can be found on the vaguely exotic aromas of white peach, lemon-lime and pretty floral whiffs. The sleek, intense and finer, if less concentrated and powerful, middle weight flavors also possess a beautiful texture on the clean, dry and tightly wound finish where a touch of austerity slowly emerges. This impeccably well-balanced effort should also repay a decade of keeping.Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has a lovely bouquet with yellow plum and light Mirabelle scents, the oak here neatly integrated. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, good weight and density, waxy and with touches of lemon curd on the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle 1er Cru, which is half the normal yield, sports a very subtle reduction on the nose, but there is fine delineation and focus here. The palate is well balanced with good weight, lime mixed with tangerine and nectarine, crisp acidity with a lightly spiced finish. There is real nobility evident here.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThis delicious wine puts the emphasis firmly on citrus and mineral on the initial attack, while the texture on the palate opens up to show concentration, breadth, and spice. The grapes come from a 1.16-hectare plot at the northern end of the vineyard that the family has owned since 1917. Portions have been replanted over time, and the oldest vines date to the ‘50s and ‘60s. The fruit is gently pressed, and the must settled overnight before fermentation in cask (25% new) with relatively few lees.Decanter | 93 DEC

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

Cool and airy but ripe aromas are comprised by notes of citrus rind, white flower and plenty of mineral reduction character. There is excellent volume to the mouthcoating and punchy yet refined larger-bodied flavors that possess impressive concentration and power on the clean, dry and well-balanced finish. This is a wine that has excellent development potential yet is not so backward that it couldn’t be enjoyed after only four to five years of keeping. One to consider.Burghound | 93 BHJust bottled. A pretty, light lemon colour. A pleasing fragrance with spring flowers and the lighter side of plum fruit. Generous on the palate with a graphite touch which is probably the oak speaking, a wealth of fruit through the middle and enough flesh to cover the final point of acidity. Fine length as ever.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThe 2022 Meursault Goutte d’Or 1er Cru is airy and delicate in its first impression, but there’s plenty of depth below its lifted, expansive bouquet. Ripe pear, mint, white pepper, baked apple tart and a hint of new oak all grace this wonderfully expressive, nuanced Meursault. Lovely. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 91-93 VM

Here there is just enough reduction to blur the nuances of the floral and citrus confit-scented nose. On the palate though there is excellent freshness and underlying tension to the caressing, round and utterly delicious larger-bodied flavors that display lovely fruit-acid balanced on the citrusy, youthfully austere and lingering finale. It’s not often that I describe any Morgeot as ’stylish’ but this lovely effort qualifies.Burghound | 92 BH

Bottled yesterday. Pale colour, elegant and stylish, then keeps going, this isa Folatières of elegance more than weight, with a classy and nuanced white fruit. Allow for this to develop more body as it grows up in bottle. Drink from 2028-2037. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThere is a vague whiff of the exotic present on the elegant nose that offers up essence of pear, passion fruit and discreet floral wisps. The middleweight flavors are finer though not as concentrated while displaying very good length on the, stone and bitter lemon-inflected bone-dry finale.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2022 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Grands Clos has a clean and precise bouquet of Granny Smith and Conference pear, quite Puligny-like in style. The palate is fresh on the entry, with a fine bead of acidity, quince and orange zest in the background and a lifted, very expressive finish that is an absolute delight.Vinous Media | 92 VMMid lemon colour, racy. A little stricter and chunkier than the graciousness of Fairendes, with a lemon infused energy at the back. Much more massive in structure, a real sense of energy throughout, less elegance than Fairendes, more power. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

Aromas of green apple, white flowers, orange oil and buttery pastry preface the 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers, a medium to full-bodied, taut and racy wine with a satiny attack and all this site’s signature energy and cut.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPLight soil which gives high acid wines. Pale lemon colour. A stricter white fruit up at this end of the village, but no less intense. Excellent tension, you can almost taste the mother rock. A clean and crystalline finish. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 93 JMHere the wood treatment is less subtle though by no means invasive on the smoky and floral-suffused aromas of mostly white fleshed fruit and citrus rind. The rich and generously proportioned yet quite punchy middle weight flavors also possess a seductive texture thanks to the sappy dry extract that serves to buffer the moderately firm and bright acidity supporting the solidly lengthy finish. This is not as dense as the Fairendes but it’s finer with fine complexity as well. Worth checking out.Burghound | 92 BH

In Les Combards, the upper slope section of Caillerets. Pale lemon yellow. Quite a strict nose, a little suggestion of sulphur in with the stones. Always likely to be more austere from its location. At this stage at least it is not quite as complete as the very best Caillerets, but lovely wine. The finish is the best, with ripe lemons. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe 2022 Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has another expressive bouquet, with hints of yellow flower combining with citrus peel and lemon verbena. This gains intensity in the glass. The palate is well balanced, with a crisp, orange rind- and tangerine-tinged entry. Perhaps the Morgeot Les Grand Clos conveys more terroir on the finish, but this will still offer eight to ten years’ drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Pale lemon yellow. The bouquet is really quite striking, with a floral top note above a wealth of fruit with perfectly judged ripeness. Plenty of energy on the palate, as seems to be the case widely in 2022, with a little yellow plum fruit and ripe citrus to finish. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru conveys a sense of brightness on the nose: orange blossom, citrus peel and petrichor scents, lively and animated. The balanced palate is slightly waxy in texture with good depth, plenty of substance and a grippy finish. Maybe it doesn’t possess the finesse or nervosité of a cooler vintage, but this is packed with flavor.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMA background suggestion of the exotic is present on the honeyed aromas of white peach, acacia blossom and passion fruit. There is even better volume to the caressing but quite punchy medium weight flavors that also conclude in an agreeably dry but not linear or especially austere finale. It is however quite tightly wound and this will need at least 5-ish years to become more approachable.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers 1er Cru has a bright nose with yellow plum, white peach and light sea spray scents that opens beautifully in the glass. The palate is very well balanced and quite intense with a bit more body than other cuvées. It’s a little honeyed toward the finish but the acidity keeps everything in check. This is a charming Chassagne.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a "buttoned-down" nose that demands coaxing to reveal its yellow fruit, hazelnut and light orange rind scents. The palate is well balanced and opens up wonderfully with aeration, displaying a touch of orange rind, spice and smokiness on the finish. It’s quite mercurial and, to my senses, fascinating.Vinous Media | 92 VM