Cote de Nuits Wines

wines

Here is heaven in glass. The 2002 Grands Echezeaux possesses one of those bouquets that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder whether it is worth ever drinking another Pinot Noir again. Sensational red cherry, wild strawberry and bergamot scents abound with a sense of translucency that could bring a tear to the eye, so have your tissues ready. The palate is tense and shimmers in the glass, the acidity nigh on perfect, the texture satin-like and the finish brimming with energy undimmed by bottle age. There is no greater way to remember the late Philippe Engel. Simply fabulous.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2002 Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru is one of the finest wines that Philippe Engel released towards the end of his life. It has a transcendental bouquet that exudes shimmering red cherries and bergamot, so precise that you have to sit down and get your breath back. The palate is medium-bodied and imbued with balletic precision. As I have remarked before, the acidity is nigh perfect and the silky texture is to die for. Tasting this wine, I am tinged with sadness thinking how many more Engel could have made if it were not for his untimely passing. Tasted at dinner in Tokyo.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe rich vibrant, still almost purple, colour is noticeably deeper than the Echezeaux of the same vintage. The idea of youth continues with a fair whack of new oak showing on the bouquet. Dense and brooding, with considerable unresolved structure, quite high-toned acidity at first. Later on the fruit expands in volume to match and indeed subdue the acidity but the message from this bottle was to hold the wine for several more years before trying again. Tasted: January 2019.Jasper Morris | 95 JMLoads of sweet fruit here and the depth and class of a grand cru. Very stylish oak spice is well-integrated into the berry, mineral and smoke flavors of this concentrated, silky red. The acidity and tannins are harmonious and it finishes with a sandalwood aftertaste. Best from 2007 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 94 WSCool and reserved aromas are composed of spice, a hint of the sauvage, a touch of sandalwood and still largely primary dark currant scents. There is evident power, intensity and mid-palate concentration to the beautifully textured and delineated medium weight plus flavors that terminate in a still relatively tightly wound, firm and mildly austere finish. While it would no longer be a vinous crime to crack a bottle of this now, I would continue to advise holding the ’02 GE for another 4 to 6 years and it may need up to another decade before this reaches its ultimate apogee. Be that as it may, this is a really lovely effort of obvious class and grace.Burghound | 94 BH

A beautiful mix of red and black pinot fruit aromas nuanced by hints of smoke, earth and underbrush merges into textured and layered medium full flavors that possess plenty of underlying material and a punchy, strikingly long finish. This is quite backward at the moment and like the Colombière is closing up fast so again, plenty of air is advised. In sum, this is highly recommended as it’s of reference standard quality.Burghound | 93 BHGood deep red. Ripe, complex, slightly reduced aromas of plum, currant, cherry and smoke. Silky and vibrant, with lovely lift to the flavors of red fruits and dried rose. Finishes very long and bright, but distinctly firmer than the preceding village wines. This seems to be shutting down in bottle today.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

The 2008 Liger-Belair Reignots is flat out stunning and I am not sure I would not prefer to have the ’08 in my cellar rather than the more flamboyant ’09 (though of course, it would be better to have both)! The bouquet is deep, pure and magically complex, as it offers up scents of black cherries, black raspberries, a touch of bonfire, duck, wonderfully complex soil tones, a bit of citrus zest and a deft framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and elegant, with great bounce and focus, a superb core of fruit, moderate tannins and outstanding length and grip on the dancing finish. This is a great, great premier cru in the making. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 95 JGTasted at the Comte Liger-Belair vertical at the Château de Vosne. The 2008 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots does not quite possess the same delineation and poise on the nose as the 2007, which comes as some surprise. Touches of cooked meat come through and later an attractive sea spray scent. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, savory entry. This is quite animally and gamy, the acidity nicely judged with a little chewiness toward the finish. Give this 2-3 more years in the cellar. Tasted June 2015.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPGood deep red. Black raspberry, licorice, game and a whiff of soil on the very deep nose. Dense and thick--even plump--in the mouth, with superb concentration to the youthful flavors of dark berries and black cherry. Already remarkably round, savory and lush. Perhaps most impressive today on the very long, suavely tannic finish, which boasts terrific echoing lift and mineral precision. From a crop level of just 24 hectoliters per hectare, according to Louis-Michel Liger-BelairVinous Media | 93+ VMThe most elegant and coolest of these Vosne 1ers with a plum, violet, rose petal and anise suffused nose that gracefully introduces the detailed, intense and highly refined middle weight flavors brimming with an almost pungent minerality before culminating in a seductively mouth coating and strikingly long finish. Reference standard Reignots.Burghound | 93 BH

The 2009 Echezeaux comes across as rich, powerful and totally seductive. It shows considerable richness and depth in a more immediate style than the 2010. The aromatics and nuance of the 2010 are missing, but in exchange readers will find a deep, fleshy wine that will deliver considerable pleasure with minimum cellaring. I especially like the intensity of the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2034.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2009 Echézeaux comes across as rich, powerful and totally seductive. It shows considerable richness and depth in a more immediate style than the 2010. The aromatics and nuance of the 2010 are missing, but in exchange readers will find a deep, fleshy wine that will deliver considerable pleasure with minimum cellaring. I especially like the intensity of the finish.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2009 Mugneret Echézeaux is one of the riper wines in the cellar this year, but it does not lose any of its purity or fidelity to its underlying soil as a result. Rather, the wine takes on a very Henri Jayer-like flamboyant aspect to it that is a bit out of character for this bottling in most vintages, but is really very attractive and quite a classic interpretation of 2009. The bouquet soars from the glass in a stunning and sappy mélange of red and black cherries, woodsmoke, gamebirds, cocoa, complex soil tones, fresh herbs and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with superb purity, ripe tannins and stunning length and grip on the beautiful finish. Stylistically, this is worlds away from the very pure and transparent 2008 Echézeaux chez Mugneret, but qualitatively it is every bit as fine. (Drink between 2018 - 2060)John Gilman | 95 JGA blend of both wood and natural spice adds breadth and interest to the notably ripe red raspberry and black cherry suffused nose that also displays a delicate floral note that is picked up by the supple but detailed medium weight plus flavors. There is unusually good energy here, particular for the vintage, and this culminates in a driving and impressively long finish that exhibits a velvety and seductive mouth feel. Overall, this is a suave and quite powerful effort that delivers outstanding quality.Burghound | 94 BH

(bottled in April of 2012): Good bright medium red. Discreet, very pure aromas and flavors of raspberry, smoke, mocha, violet and minerals. Rich, dense and mouthfilling but without any impression of weightiness. Most impressive today on the building, extremely long finish, which shows an intense spiciness, noble tannins and zesty finishing notes of tart red berries and menthol. Very classy wine and one of my favorite premier crus of the vintage.Vinous Media | 95 VMA charming, velvety red, boasting black cherry, raspberry, licorice, smoke and sweet spice flavors. Reveals intensity and richness, with a fresh finish. Lingering oak spice notes grace the aftertaste. Best from 2016 through 2035. 35 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis is also very cool yet among the ripest wines in the range with its nose of cassis, red currant and black cherry liqueur accompanied by plenty of mineral nuances. The very rich and quite round medium-bodied flavors possess fine mid-palate volume as well as a satiny textured, all wrapped in a wonderfully long and superbly refined finish. This is also a wine of finesse yet there is no lack of focus or punch. This is terrific.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques is a big wine bursting with dark red fruit, smoke, licorice and menthol. Layers of fruit continue to flesh out in the glass as the wine finds its focus. The Lavaux St. Jacques was aged in 100% new oak, but there is more than enough fruit to support the cooperage. The fruit seems to blossom in every direction on the large, expansive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2032.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe Mortet Lavaux Sty. Jacques is also excellent in 2010, jumping from the glass in a classy aromatic blend of dark berries, black cherries, espresso, dark soil tones, grilled meat, woodsmoke and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and nicely structured, with a fine core of fruit, lovely soil signature, and very good length and grip on the ripely tannic and tangy finish. This sample of the Lavaux seems to have devoured its new wood with greater alacrity than the Champeaux. Good juice. (Drink between 2020 - 2050)John Gilman | 91+ JG

Menthol and soft wood nuances frame the restrained but spicy aromas of black fruit and high-toned floral scents. There is good richness to the relatively full-bodied generous flavors that possess a silky texture, all wrapped in a lightly structured and impressively persistent finish. There is a bit of wood on the finish that offers only moderate complexity at present though my score assumes that more will develop over the next 3 to 5 years. As was the case when I originally reviewed this ultra-elegant effort, there is noticeable gas on the finish so if you’re going to try a bottle young I would advise decanting it first.Burghound | 92 BHSuchots can also often be quite black fruity in personality, but this is not the case with the 2011 Hudelot version, which offers up a fine bouquet of cherries, blood orange, Vosne spice, fresh herb tones, fine soil nuances and a bit of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off lovely mid-palate depth, with ripe tannins, bright acids and excellent grip and focus on the long and dancing finish. A very elegant and intensely flavored Suchots. (Drink between 2021 - 2050)John Gilman | 92+ JG(picked at 13.1% potential alcohol): Medium red with an amber edge. Highly aromatic nose combines strawberry, musky brown spices, dried flowers and cinnamon. Juicy and penetrating in the mouth, with a bit of unabsorbed CO2 accentuating the tartness of the cranberry, pomegranate and soil flavors. Very savory wine, with enough stuffing and flavor intensity to maintain its balance. Finishes with firm tannins and very good tangy length.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This beautiful Amoureuses still has a fresh lightish purple. The aromatics stand up very well to the accompanying black truffle and mushroom risotto. Indeed, the wine was so open for business that it was tempting to gulp it down. No pyrazines on show, instead the essence of grace with a significantly sensual feel. Even from this relatively ascetic producer. Tasted: January 2019.Jasper Morris | 95 JMDespite the 2011 Amoureuses chez Mugnier being ready for a racking and just a touch reduced, it is pretty easy to see that this will be a marvelous wine. Underneath the dollop of reduction is a beautiful blend of red and black cherries, blood orange, beautiful minerality, woodsmoke and gamebirds. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish, pure and very soil-driven, with superb intensity of flavor, a sappy core, tangy acids and excellent focus and grip on the very long, suavely-tannic and stunning finish. An utterly classic bottle of Amoureuses in the making. (Drink between 2020 - 2050)John Gilman | 93-94 JGTasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. After a misfiring bottle in Holland, it is pleasing to find what I feel is a more representative example. Here, the Chambolle-Musigny les Amoureuses ‘11 has a precise and delineated bouquet with touches of seaweed infusing the red and black fruit. It is more reserved than other Amoureuses but no less compelling. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, outstanding tension and a very focused, mineral-laden finish that is quite conservative and almost austere. But still, it should repay 3-4 years in bottle and then continue to deliver long after.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2011 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru has a finely tuned, quite detailed bouquet with rose petals and violets infusing the blueberry and crushed strawberry aromas. It has the charm and sensuality one seeks from this auspicious vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, fine grain tannin. This feels sleek and sensual in the mouth, although it does not possess the depth and structure of a top-drawer example from this propitious vineyard. Drinking beautifully now, I would consume this within the next decade. Tasted at Flint Wines Burgundy 2011 tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMA curious and highly atypical nose displays somewhat dull and listless plum, spice and floral aromas. By contrast there is a better sense of energy and strikingly good detail to the penetratingly mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that display an incredibly refined and ultra-pure mouth feel on the deeply complex and persistent finish. This is a bit of a head scratcher as it was notably better from cask. In any event my score offers the benefit of the doubt that it will harmonize in time but suffice it to say that it did not show very well on the day of my visit.Burghound | 91 BH

A heady, exotic Burgundy, the 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is remarkably vivid for such a big wine, with freakish levels of concentration that are beautifully balanced by insistent veins of underlying minerality. Layers of pure Pinot fruit build through the mid-palate and finish as this voluptuous, racy wine shows off its fabulous pedigree. It simpy doesn't get too much better than this.Vinous Media | 97 VM(Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos St. Jacques”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2012 Clos St. Jacques chez Rousseau is another simply brilliant wine, and I was starting to get a bit worried, as I was already beginning to run out of numbers and I still had the Clos de Bèze and Chambertin to go! In any case, the 2012 Clos St. Jacques is a stellar example of the vintage, wafting from the glass in a stunning and very flamboyant nose of red plums, red and black cherries, cocoa, hints of the grilled meats to come, a brilliantly complex base of soil tones, exotic spices and vanillin oak. I think this wine was raised in sixty percent new wood this year, but the depth of fruit has positively eaten up the impression of new oak, and if you told me it was raised in twenty percent new oak, I would think that it was probably just about right! On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and stunningly suave on the attack, with a great core of sappy fruit, a very refined sense of soil, fine-grained tannins, outstanding focus and grip and a very, very long, unrepentantly elegant and velvety finish. The synthesis here of soil and gloriously sappy fruit is remarkable. (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 96 JG(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos St. Jacques" 1er Cru Red) There is a deft touch of wood to the reluctant but ultra-elegant essence of red pinot fruit, floral elements and wet stone scents. This is splendidly well-detailed with a terrific sense of underlying tension adding energy to the medium weight flavors that brim with a fine minerality before culminating in a balanced and stunningly long finish. This ageworthy effort is the most refined wine among these four 2012s and dances across the palate. In a word, dazzling. (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 95 BHTasted blind at the annual 'Burgfest' tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques from Armand Rousseau has the most sensual nose of the quintet, perhaps the ripest with maraschino cherries, fresh strawberry and fruits pastilles. This is certainly the most generous nose. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin, more modern in style but very pure and harmonious. The oak is a little more pronounced on the finish but that will be subsumed in time, and then it will be a Clos Saint Jacques that you'll wish you could drink every day.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses from Christophe Roumier was showing just a touch of TCA on the nose. Yet the quality of this Amoureuses was not obscured, particularly on the beautifully structured palate that feels so long and tender. Damn those corks that try to ruin what is a fantastic wine clearly visible underneath.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPBright dark red. Pungent, high-pitched aromas and flavors of crushed raspberry, blood orange, white pepper and smoky minerals; this one has those ineffable high notes only a dog can hear. At once dense and bracing, showing razor-sharp definition and outstanding savory sappiness. This wonderfully taut, fine-grained Amoureueses finishes with almost painful rising length and chewy, utterly palate-staining intensity. Should be a cellar classic.Vinous Media | 96 VMAn exuberantly spicy nose combines both red and black pinot liqueur-like fruit, sandalwood, anise, violets and plum scents. There is a beguiling sense of freshness and energy to the very firmly mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors that exhibit terrific delineation and outstanding depth on the strikingly long finish. This is the picture of refinement from tip to toe and should also age impressively well. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 96 BHThere are only four barrels this year of this magical elixir, so starting pleading with your Roumier merchant right now! The brilliant, pure and sappy nose delivers an exhilarating blend of black cherries, damsons, cocoa, gamebirds, kaleidoscopic soil tones, violets, a hint of nutskin and just a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very, very deep and transparent, with a sappy core, supreme elegance, fine-grained tannins and brilliant length and grip on the laser-like finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2025 - 2065)John Gilman | 96+ JGA dense version, marked by black cherry, earth and mint flavors. This features a nice beam of acidity and a tensile frame, ending with a stony accent. Shows a fine sense of place. Racy, firm and long, this gets better with air. Best from 2018 through 2032. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Good bright, deep red. Complex, subtle aromas of raspberry, redcurrant and graphite minerality, plus some sexy oak tones. Ripe and silky, even plump for the year, but classically dry and light on its feet. Saturates the mouth and cheeks without leaving any impression of heaviness. At this point in my tasting, Marie-Christine Mugneret noted that these 2013s had been uncorked the previous evening. They are showing spectacularly now and I suspect they benefited dramatically from aeration. Finishes with very suave, even tannins and a suggestion of minty lift. Very classy juice.Vinous Media | 94 VMAn exuberantly spicy nose exhibits notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and essence of black cherry scents as well as enough wood to notice. Here too there is a distinctly sleek mouth feel to the suave and very seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess impressive power in the context of the appellation and simply knock-out depth and length. This impeccably well-balanced effort is a notably more robust and concentrated vintage of this wine than usual that should age well for a long time to come.Burghound | 94 BHThe Mugnerets usually get six to seven casks of Echézeaux in a normal vintage, but in 2013, the old vines in their holding in the climat of Rouge de Bas were really badly affected by the poor flowering in this year and there are only four casks of this lovely wine as a result- the same as in 2012. It is too bad that there is not more quantity, as the quality here is exceptional, with the wine soaring from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, cassis, gamebirds, violets, a gloriously complex base of soil, dark chocolate and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and supremely elegant in personality, with great mid-palate depth, impeccable balance, ripe tannins and outstanding transparency on the very long, tangy and perfectly focused finish. A beautiful wine in the making. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2013 Echézeaux Grand Cru, which comes from two parcels in the lieux-dits “Les Rouges du Bas” (70-year-old vines on métayage from Fabrice Vigot) and “Quartiers du Nuits” (on métayage with Pascal Mugneret) has a seductive bouquet in the same vein as the Nuits Chaignots with very pure dark cherries, bergamot and mineral scents. The palate is rounded in the mouth with very good weight. It does not quite have the delineation or complexity of the 2012 at the moment, but there is a lovely caressing finish. This will be giving pleasure earlier than the other crus, but it should still age well.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

This is at once more elegant and spicier as well with its pretty combination of red currant, cherry, lavender and sandalwood hints. There is a sleek and lacy mouth feel to the refined middle weight flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality on the balanced, delicious and persistent finale. This is very Chambolle in style.Burghound | 88-92 BH

Here the equally brooding nose is slightly more elegant with its cool and restrained nose of red currant, cassis, spice and earth scents that are trimmed in just enough wood to notice. Like the Poisets this is notably rich with its relatively large-scaled flavors that also enjoy good density thanks to the abundant dry extract that also coats the palate and pushes the firmer supporting tannins to the background. Lovely.Burghound | 90-92 BH(vinified with 40% whole clusters): Medium red. Fruit-driven aromas of red cherry and strawberry. The silkiest and thickest of these 2014s to this point but with plenty of energy and cut. Boasts a sexy stem component and finishes juicy and persistent, with plenty of ripe tannins. Charles Lachaux told me that he uses the whole-cluster fermentation to soften the structure of this wine and he predicts that it will make a nice drink in five years, earlier than past vintages.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

An intensely spicy and floral red berry and cassis-suffused nose merges seamlessly into impressively rich and full-bodied middle weight flavors that possess just a hint of minerality on the hugely long and palate staining finish. This lightly austere and beautifully well-balanced effort is an obvious wine of class and grace.Burghound | 93 BH(100% vendange entier; 80% new oak; from a healthy crop of 42 hectoliters per hectare):Bright red-ruby. A touch of reduction mostly dissipated to reveal classic Suchots scents of black raspberry, Oriental spices, flowers and fresh herbs, plus an intriguing note of paprika. Wonderfully silky, plush, generous wine with sneaky inner-mouth energy. The wine’s sweet oak component will need a few years to harmonize with its fruits and flowers. Finishes with terrific length and substantial ripe tannins. This should ultimately make a wonderfully complete Burgundy.Vinous Media | 92-95 VM

A restrained, indeed almost mute nose only grudgingly offers up notes of various red berries along with hints of plum, lilac and spice. There is a beguiling mouth feel to the generous yet sleek middle weight flavors that are again shaped by refined tannins before culminating in a youthfully austere finish that is firm, balanced and solidly persistent. This is a first-rate Vosne villages and is also worth considering.Burghound | 90 BHThe 2014 la Colombière had also been racked three weeks before our tasting and this was a bit more reticent in personality after its recent racking. With a little coaxing, the nose eventually offers up quite a complex blend of red plums, raspberries, cocoa, a touch of nuttiness, a good base of soil, duck and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and adolescent, with a good sappy core, fine transparency, ripe, moderate tannins and very good length and grip on the finish. This will be very good. (Drink between 2020 - 2045)John Gilman | 90-91 JGThe 2014 Vosne Romanée les Colombières is blessed with lovely pure fruit on the nose, fuller than some premier crus Vosne-Romanées with impressive fruité. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry, nicely judged acidity and good mineralité. This is a stylish and suave les Colombières with a pleasing saline tang right on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

The 2014 is one of the best young vintage of Feusselottes that I have tasted from the Mugneret sisters. The stunning nose delivers a perfumed constellation of red plums, cherries, roses, gamebird, cocoa powder, a gorgeous base of chalky soil tones and a gentle framing of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with stunning soil signature, suave tannins and great length and grip on the laser-like finish. A beautiful bottle of Chambolle. (Drink between 2024 - 2065)John Gilman | 94 JGGood dark red A bit less pristine and high-pitched on the nose than the Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Chaignots Round and silky on the palate, conveying an utterly seamless texture to the expressive flavors of strawberry, redcurrant and earth This doesn’t quite glisten in the mouth like the Chaignots does today but it’s still a wonderfully sappy, complex wine with slowly building red berry, mineral and earthy perfume A touch of pepper gives lift to the finishVinous Media | 92 VMThe 2014 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselots, which saw 50% new oak, has a crisp, tensile bouquet with more volume that the Nuits Saint Georges Chaignots. There is real transparency here: fabulous definition and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, tensile like the Chaignots but there is a touch of more fruit that seems a little darker and denser. The finish just skips along with joy. This is superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThough there is a touch of wood here as well it is more subtle and easily allows the cool red currant, pomegranate, cherry and softly spice-inflected aromas to be appreciated. There is a notably finer mouth feel to the seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that exhibit fine depth and length if perhaps not quite the same refreshing vibrancy on the dusty finish.Burghound | 91 BH

Bright medium red Compelling perfume of raspberry, flowers, game and leather, still with a touch of reduction Tactile and vibrant in the mouth, with complex flavors of red berries, flowers and flint accented by soil and light veggie nuances Not as thick as the young 2015 but a wonderfully expressive and complete village wine Finishes saline and sweet, with fine-grained tannins and superb length and soil character Frederic Mugnier noted that this wine can be kept for a long time but emphasized that it "doesn’t benefit as much from aging as the crus do"Vinous Media | 91 VM I love Monsieur Mugnier’s Chambolle villages and the 2014 is going to be excellent. The lovely nose wafts from the glass in a refined blend of red and black cherries, a touch of nutskin, lovely minerality, raw cocoa, violets, woodsmoke and just a hint of new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and very transparent, with a lovely core of fruit, moderate tannins and a long, focused and tangy finish. A lovely AC in the making. (Drink between 2021 - 2050)John Gilman | 91 JGThe 2014 Chambolle-Musigny Village has a very pleasant and pure bouquet with strawberry pastilles, touches of chalk and flint, a little pinched at first but soon opening with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy strawberry and tart cherry fruit, a touch of salinity and spice towards the cohesive finish. This is certainly approachable, although I would afford it a couple of years in bottle. Tasted November 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Medium red; not a dark 2014. Pungent, soil-inflected aromas of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, spices, dried rose, resiny minty herbs and minerals, with spice and orange zest topnotes. Wonderfully dense and light on its feet. Utterly fine-grained, suave and delineated grand cru with great inner-mouth perfume and saline minerality to its flavors of raspberry, red cherry, spices, flowers and minerals. Classically dry Echézeaux with great class, energy and finesse, and not particularly backward. Stains the mouth with perfume on the firmly tannic, tactile, rising aftertaste. All in finesse, and hinting at the tart red berries (cranberry and pomegranate) of the year. Delivers the energy of the vintage in spades. This has been a splendid cuvée in recent vintages.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe 2014 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru has a much more complex and nuanced bouquet compared to the 2014 Echézeaux, with lively red berry fruit intermingling with minerals. It gains intensity in the glass while retaining its composure. The palate is grippy on the entry with good density -- a compact but delineated Grands Echézeaux that will require bottle age. It is more masculine than others I have tasted, but it has the body and breeding you look for.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPCopious amounts of wood and menthol push the otherwise spicy and fresh aromas of dark currant, plum and floral scents to the background. There is outstanding volume to the delicious and mouth coating broad-shouldered flavors that possess an abundance of dry extract, all wrapped in an overtly structured and austere finale. Like a number of wines in the range, this too is absolutely going to require at least a decade’s worth of patience.Burghound | 92-94 BH

Sweet, intense cherry nose, with more overt charm and fruitiness than his Gevreys. Concentrated and firm, with good depth of fruit and chocolatey hints. The tannins are robust but not harsh, while the acidity just lacks a little drive. Forceful yet harmonious, with good length.Decanter | 94 DECWhile not invisible, the wood influence is moderate and should integrate with a few years of bottle age as it frames the floral-inflected red currant aromas that display undertones of earth and a slight sauvage character. There is a caressing yet powerful mouthfeel to the naturally sweet, full-bodied and nicely precise flavors that offer excellent intensity on the driving and youthfully austere though slightly warm finish. Patience is definitely recommended.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2015 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru includes 40% whole bunches and 70% new oak. It is more open and expressive than the Mazis-Chambertin from barrel, with carefree red berry fruit, sage, orange rind and almost granitic aromas that are very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine line of acidity, the oak a little prominent in the latter stages, although there is clearly enough fruit to soak that up. Give this 5-7 years in bottle if you can.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP(40% vendange entier; 70% new oak): Dark red with ruby highlights. Brooding, rather medicinal aromas of dark cherry and saline minerality; less floral than the Gevrey samples. Ripe and tactile for young Clos Vougeot but showing more dark chocolate and salty minerality in the early going than primary fruits. Finishes adamantly dry, with big, dusty tannins that will require substantial bottle aging to soften.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Sweet, intense cherry nose, with more overt charm and fruitiness than his Gevreys. Concentrated and firm, with good depth of fruit and chocolatey hints. The tannins are robust but not harsh, while the acidity just lacks a little drive. Forceful yet harmonious, with good length.Decanter | 94 DECWhile not invisible, the wood influence is moderate and should integrate with a few years of bottle age as it frames the floral-inflected red currant aromas that display undertones of earth and a slight sauvage character. There is a caressing yet powerful mouthfeel to the naturally sweet, full-bodied and nicely precise flavors that offer excellent intensity on the driving and youthfully austere though slightly warm finish. Patience is definitely recommended.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2015 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru includes 40% whole bunches and 70% new oak. It is more open and expressive than the Mazis-Chambertin from barrel, with carefree red berry fruit, sage, orange rind and almost granitic aromas that are very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine line of acidity, the oak a little prominent in the latter stages, although there is clearly enough fruit to soak that up. Give this 5-7 years in bottle if you can.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP(40% vendange entier; 70% new oak): Dark red with ruby highlights. Brooding, rather medicinal aromas of dark cherry and saline minerality; less floral than the Gevrey samples. Ripe and tactile for young Clos Vougeot but showing more dark chocolate and salty minerality in the early going than primary fruits. Finishes adamantly dry, with big, dusty tannins that will require substantial bottle aging to soften.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots, matured in two-thirds new oak, has a bewitching bouquet that is very pure and intense, layers of dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit tinged with iodine that seems to blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin and structured, underneath those intense dark berry fruit, a touch of salinity towards the finish that keeps the senses searching and eager for the next sip. Typical of Cathiard’s style of winemaking, this is just a brilliant Les Suchots from one of its finest exponents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(August malo): Full, bright red. Showy aromas of black raspberry, licorice and violet convey excellent cut and mineral lift. Savory, penetrating wine with strong early personality to its deep flavors of black fruits, salty minerality and spices. Has the old-vines density of texture to carry its ripe tannins effortlessly.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMJuicy raspberry nose packed with fruit. Good attack, with vibrant fruit and fine-grained tannins. Taut and concentrated with a piquant complexity and good depth of flavour.Decanter | 92 DECA brilliantly spicy nose is comprised by notes of violet, plum, lavender, soy, Asian-style tea and black cherry. There is more volume and richness if less precision and delineation to the velvety and seductive-textured medium weight plus flavors that coat the palate on the beautifully well-balanced, persistent and equally classy finish that is quite firmly structured. The sheer level of dry extract buffering the ripe and dense tannins is impressive and as such this terrific effort should age effortlessly.Burghound | 92-94 BH

Lying just above Grands-Echézeaux, this was the last of the domaine’s climats to be picked, on the 12th and 14th of September, at a yield of 25.7hl/ha. A flamboyant nose of sumptuous black fruit and a touch of coffee bean leads into a broad palate of great volume and lift, with ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit, firm fleshy tannins, and a fine line of counterbalancing acidity. The oak has been seamlessly suffused. Serious length, with a dry mineral and cola finish. Bottled from 16th to 20th February 2017. 1,147 cases produced. Drinking Window 2020 - 2033.Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) A wonderfully spicy, fresh and equally ripe nose blends together more deeply pitched notes of plum, violet, plum, sandalwood and hoisin wisps. There is impressive richness to the seductively textured yet quite powerful full-bodied flavors that possess excellent density thanks to the abundant dry extract that does a fine job of buffering the firm but not rigid tannins on the mouth coating and strikingly long finish. This is built-to-age and like the Corton, this has made huge quality strides over the past ten vintages. (Drink starting 2030).Burghound | 94 BHDark red with ruby tones; the darkest of these 2015s today. Captivating high-pitched, slightly high-toned scents of raspberry, minerals, spices and violet. Intensely flavored, youthfully tight and gripping, conveying terrific energy and subtle sweetness. The flavors of black plum and berries are darker than those of the Corton. As sharply delineated as this classy Echézeaux is, it also possesses plenty of baby fat. Finishes with substantial fine-grained tannins and outstanding length. A superb vintage for this cuvée.Vinous Media | 94 VMAfter the more restrained Corton, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's 2015 Échézeaux Grand Cru bursts from the glass with a flamboyant bouquet of mulberry, black cherry, wood smoke and a lavish framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated and intense, with a classically firm chassis of tannin and a lovely core of sappy, succulent fruit. This was the last of DRC's vineyards to be harvested, but despite its overtly ripe aromas and flavors, it retains superb acidity and focus and should amply reward cellaring. Cropped at 26 hectoliters per hectare and harvested September 12 and 14.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

This is a large grand cru and quality is not uniform, but the domaine’s 0.8ha parcel is well situated on the mid-slope. The rich, cherry-scented nose is clearly ripe but also ethereal and heady, and there’s a touch of mint to give a cool edge. Firm and concentrated on the palate, this has generous fruit and firm but elegant tannins. There’s a silky texture and an intense, stylish finish with fine acidity. Poised and long.Decanter | 94 DECVery pretty deepish purple, this has precisely the chiselled, racy detailed, lacy aspect which I want in Echezeaux. A wonderful volume of fruit, cashmere texture yet in a soft smooth comforting basket of red fruits, and great length. This is ‘strict in its boots’ says Charles, but I may have missed something in translation there!Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMThe 2017 Echezeaux Grand Cru is also showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with scents of plums, peonies, exotic spices, orange rind and grilled squab. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it’s lively and complete, with fine depth at the core, powdery tannins and a long, rose-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPA still youthfully fresh and very pretty nose reflects an abundance of floral characters along with plenty of spice influence to the dark currant and cool cherry scents. The sleek and tautly muscular medium weight flavors possess very good if not exceptional concentration where the copious sap imparts a beguiling texture on the still firm, balanced and sneaky long finale. At only 7 years of age, and in magnum format, it’s no surprise that this should still be decidedly compact and backward and the ’17 Ech is going to need most of the next decade to arrive at its peak.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2017 Echézeaux Grand Cru comes from a 1.09-hectare parcel in the lieu-dit of Rouge de Bas; this cru includes 100% whole bunches. It has a tightly wound bouquet at first, gradually unfurling to reveal quite intense dark berry fruit laced with tea leaves and bay leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, crisp acidity, quite a masculine style and a stoic, rather aloof finish that might just require more flesh to counter the influence of the whole bunch stems. Let’s see how this matures in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Light in colour, with a certain attractive evolution in the bouquet, very sensual, lifted raspberry and alpine strawberry. This is a Vosne-Romanée which is all about the delicacy, perfumed and succulent up front, lighter behind. Perhaps just a little soft at the finish but with a heavenly fruit quality. Just the style that Charles Lachaux is trying to achieve. Tasted: October 2020.Jasper Morris | 91 JMAromatically the nose possesses a similar fruit profile but it’s notably spicier. There is also a bit more concentration to the medium-bodied flavors that possess a more refined mouthfeel before terminating in a saline and lingering finish. The refinement is mostly due to the dense but fine tannins and this should age well for its level.Burghound | 89-91 BH