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There isn’t much of this grand cru to go around, alas, as the Cathiard parcel is a mere 0.17ha. But what a wine it is: plush yet refined, with scented oak, plenty of depth and spice, subtle reduction and layered bramble and black cherry fruit. Fresh and alluring.Decanter | 96 DECOne of the wines of the vintage, the 2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a stunning bouquet of plums, raspberries, dark chocolate, Asian spice, rose petals and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, enveloping and multidimensional, with stunning concentration and depth at the core, its ample chassis of fine, satiny tannins entirely cloaked in succulent fruit, its finish long and delineated. This is a stunning wine that entirely transcends the limitation of the year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, two new barrels out of three in total, has a very refined, supremely focused bouquet of perfumed scents of black cherries, strawberry pastilles and subtle orange blossom aromas. The medium-bodied palate is extremely precise and detailed, with very fine tannin and transparent mineralité toward the finish (as if you can feel the "bones" of this R.S.V.). Sensual and intellectual to boot.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMTwo new barrels out of three. Rich dense black core with an intense purple rim. The nose suggests a wealth of fruit to come but not ready to deliver yet., The front of the mouth fills up very nicely but the back delivers even more. Proper tension at the finish, this time more black fruit than red. At the moment the wine is more about intensity than elegance but this will certainly follow. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMAn exuberantly fresh if restrained nose offers up a panoply of spice elements to the primarily red berry fruit aromas that display additional breadth with hints of orange pekoe tea, lavender and a whisper of sandalwood. The lacy yet concentrated middle weight flavors possess a highly refined mouthfeel and first-rate complexity on the balanced and wonderfully persistent if youthfully austere finish. Like the Malconsorts, this is gorgeous but it is also very clearly built for long-term cellaring.Burghound | 93-96 BH

This cuvée, sourced from a 0.75ha parcel of 46-year-old vines completed its malolactic fermentation late, so was a little more backward than the other releases when I tasted it. It may need more time in barrel and bottle, but this is a superb expression of the premier cru, located at the fresher, more scented end of the spectrum. It has fruit intensity from the small berries (millerands) and a chiselled finish.Decanter | 96 DECNoble imperial purple. There is a such a wealth of vibrant heady fruit, which defies simple categorisation, so much more than just dark cherry, too concentrated for floral descriptors though some peony notes are lurking. There is an explosion of fruit at the back of the palate, a little more red than black, an excellent fresh acidity, a very complete wine with as much concentration as one could hope for in 2017. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMCathiard’s emblematic cuvée, the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts is also a great success, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, licorice, spices, dark berries, grilled game and an elegant framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a broad-shouldered chassis of velvety structuring tannin, considerable concentration and a long, expansive finish. Due to a late malolactic, this was one of the more primary wines in the cellar, but its immense potential is impossible to miss.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru is matured in 62% new oak and underwent a slightly later malolactic fermentation than the other cuvées. It has a very pure, detailed bouquet of precise blackberry, briar and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, displaying more grip and backbone than the Les Suchots, and the bold finish perhaps offering less charm. It will certainly require several years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM Firm reduction renders this impossible to fairly assess today. Otherwise there is more size, weight and muscle to the big-bodied and more evidently mineral-driven flavors that are almost painfully intense, all wrapped in a gorgeously long finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. However, it is pointless to buy this without the express intention to cellar it as it is very structured.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Showing a deeper colour than the other wines in his cellar, as it always seems to do, this serious, well-structured Nuits from Emmanuel Rouget shows bramble and black cherry fruits, some subtle oak spice, vivacious acidity and good underlying grip.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Village, matured in 30% new oak in order to preserve freshness, according to Rouget, has quite a generous bouquet of blueberry and black cherry fruit, the oak nicely integrated. The palate is bright and fresh with violet-tinged blue fruit, almost Vosne-like in style, leading to a silky-smooth, very classy finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThe 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges Village exhibits aromas of sweet Morello cherries, cassis, violets and rose petals. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and expressive, with a layered core and fine stony tannins, combining richness of structure, with lightness of touch.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPThis is at once more deeply colored and more deeply pitched with its fresh and restrained nose of plum, dark currant, violet and newly turned earth. There is notably better concentration to the muscular and punchy medium-bodied flavors that flash a mild rusticity on the mouth coating though not particularly austere finale. This well-made effort is very Nuits in character and should age well over the mid-term.Burghound | 89-91 BHFrom the northern side of Nuits, in Les Lavières and Argillats. The colour is a rich imperial purple but with a little bit of reduction. More masculine in this vintage, says Emmanuel. Pretty powerful on the nose, but nutty too. Ultra- intense even at the back of the palate, this one has rolled up its sleeves and settled in for a long evening. If you are happy with the power, this could be your wine. Tasted: November 2020.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JM

I can’t remember a more appealing sample of the Aux Thorey premier cru at this young stage from Sébastien Cathiard. Made with grapes from a 0.43ha parcel planted in 1953, it has a wonderful combination of sweetness, acidity, structure, and plush black cherry and orange zest flavours.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 1er Cru is consistent with my previous notes. Raspberry and black cherries, less cassis than noted out of barrel and more Pinoté than expected. The palate is well-balanced with fine-grain tannins. It’s quite Vosne-like thanks to its florality, with a subtle oyster shell-tinged finish. It still requires a couple of years in bottle, but it’s getting there.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey offers up a lovely bouquet of cassis, blackberries, warm spices, licorice and peony. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with superb concentration and an earthier, chewier profile than the Murgers this year—despite the finesse of its tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPA still youthfully fresh, pure, cool and restrained nose offers an appealingly spicy array of red currant, cherry and soft earth nuances. The mouthfeel of the energetic medium weight flavors is wonderfully refined while possessing fine complexity on the balanced, lingering and still slightly austere finale. Lovely stuff fashioned in an understated style that is still clearly on the way up though another 5 to 7 years should see it at its full maturity. I would note that this isn’t so backward that it couldn’t be enjoyed now if you don’t feel like waiting!Burghound | 91 BHFullish purple with a lighter rim. Some density of red fruit, not quite so intense, certainly ripe, a slight tarriness from the wood, perhaps because of a late malolactic fermentation. It does give grip to the finish though. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 90-94 JM

The 2017 Dom Pérignon is just as stunning as it was last year, if not more so. What a wine! Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers and chalk soar out of the glass. The 2017 is like a slightly more refined version of the 2002, another year in which the Chardonnays were quite opulent. In 2017, Chardonnay accounts for 61% of the blend, very high for Dom Pérignon. Over the last year, the 2017 has gained mid-palate creaminess and has just come together beautifully. Sadly, production is tiny, so much so that the 2017 is expected to be in the market for just a few months before the maison transitions to the 2018.Vinous Media | 98 VMDense and layered with dried apples and pears as well as candied lemons, grilled lemons and lemon meringue. It’s full-bodied, rich, tangy and flavorful. March 2026 release. Tiny production. Smallest ever for Dom Pérignon. A blend of 61% chardonnay and 39% pinot noir. Dosage 4.5 g/L. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSOf the two releases—the 2017 and the 2018—the 2017 Dom Pérignon is the deeper and more structurally endowed wine, unfurling from the glass with a complex bouquet of orange peel, dried apricot and burnt buttered toast, mingling with nuances of dried flowers, toasted hazelnut and cacao bean, all strongly singed with the house’s signature smoky reduction. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, with a rich core of fruit. Its darker, open-knit profile is animated by a pillowy mousse, vibrant acidity and attractively bitter, structuring phenolics that assert themselves on a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPA vivid Champagne, offering a finely detailed mousse, with a toasty overtone to the flavors of crushed white raspberry and white cherry fruit, grapefruit pith, toast point and oyster shell, all defined by chiseled, lemony acidity. A fine example from a challenging vintage. Drink now through 2037.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2017 la Dominode is the most structured young Savigny premier cru in the cellars, but its potential is enormous. The youthful nose was still in the process of absorbing its serving of new oak, but will do so seamlessly with a bit more age, and offers up a fine blend of black plums, red and black cherries, pigeon, dark soil tones, raw cocoa, a bit of bonfire, cedar and an exotic topnote of licorice. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely reserved out of the blocks, with an excellent core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and a long, soil-driven and complex finish. This is serious juice. (Drink between 2026-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGHere too a generous dollop of wood frames the very spicy aromas of plum liqueur, dark raspberry and subtle humus and underbrush scents. The sleek and impressively intense medium weight flavors brim with minerality while offering the best complexity and persistence in the range on the balanced, firm and serious finish. This too should amply reward mid to even longer-term cellaring potential.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune La Dominode 1er Cru has another promising bouquet of pure blackberry, bilberry, crushed stone and light loamy scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, offering plenty of crunchy black fruit. Slightly tarry toward the finish but perhaps offers the most persistency amongst Pavelot’s impressive range. Cellar this for three years if you can.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM