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There’s great concentration here, on this powerful wine with very dry structure and dark character. The palate hints of a more perfumed character with fine fruitiness and lingering freshness on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEFine depth of fruit, with suppleness and charm. Drinking Window 2016 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECPlenty of juicy blackcurrant fruit and background oak are present in this plump, medium to full-bodied, ripe, well-made wine. Not nearly as tannic as I feared, this wine shows a forward plumpness, excellent purity, texture and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

Tasted blind at the 2012 Southwold tasting, the 2012 Château Margaux has a taut, linear, pencil lead-infused bouquet with pure blackberry and boysenberry scents, an undercurrent of tobacco that surfaces after five minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, a life-affirming sense of balance with well-integrated new oak towards the finish. I concur with Robert Parker that his has become more structured and masculine in bottle, yet there is pedigree here from start to finish, a sense of effortlessness that is seductive. This is a top-class wine from the late Paul Pontallier and his team. Tasted January 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMBy Margaux standards not a big wine, but beautifully perfumed. Finesse and length on the palate that’s unmatched by any other property in the Médoc in 2012. Making 34% grand vin of a small crop with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the team at Margaux read this vintage right, doing something they can do better than anyone else.Decanter | 96 DECBay leaf and menthol hints lift a core of crushed plum and warm cherry confiture notes while the background fills steadily with black tea, singed alder and iron elements. Turns a little darker on the finish, with a coating of bittersweet cocoa powder and roasted vanilla bean accents, while the minerality stays buried for now. Remarkably dense and packed, yet refined. Needs some time to unwind. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis elegant wine is very much in the classic style of Margaux. Although the wood is still showing, the wine has fresh black currant fruits along with an underlying firm, long-lived tannic structure. The aftertaste with its dryness and acidity confirms that. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWonderful aromas of flowers such as roses, violets, strawberries and a hints of wet earth. Wet stones as well. Full to medium body, very firm tannins and a long, racy finish. Minerals and chalk on the aftertaste. Needs three to five years to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 Château Margaux has a refined bouquet with blackberry, briary, light cedar scents and a touch of leather. Not quite as well-defined as its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though not amazingly complex, and at this level, I would have expected more weight on the finish. This is a fine Château Margaux and yet it deprived the concentration and complexity of a top vintage and is challenged by its peers. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Château Margaux) The 2012 Château Margaux was made up of only thirty-four percent of the crop this year, with fully eighty-seven percent of the blend comprised of cabernet sauvignon, and the balance a mix of ten percent merlot, two percent cabernet franc and one percent petit verdot for good measure. The yields here were thirty-nine hectoliters per hectare and the wine tips the scales at an utterly classic thirteen percent alcohol. So why is this wine so unmoving? Paul Pontallier waxed eloquently for quite some time about how much he likes the 2012 Margaux, but I was left with the impression that this is a wine which is very much crafted in the cellar, rather than born in the vineyards, and I long for something more here these days. The cool and reserved nose offers up scents of mulberry, cassis, tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, lovely gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a suave base of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a polished attack, a fine core and a fair bit of chewy tannin perking up the long and beautifully focused finish. All of the constituent components here tell my brain I should like this wine a lot more than I do, but it just seems to be missing that spark and the whole does not seem greater than the sum of its parts in 2012. This is a very well-made wine that is just a bit overly slick for me. (Drink between 2023-2055).John Gilman | 91+ JG

The second wine of Château Latour, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour is a smoking good, rich, concentrated effort that most likely wins the battle of the second wines in the vintage. Crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, cedar pencil and tobacco notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied 2012 that has rock solid mid-palate depth and a great finish. It doesn’t come cheap but is a beautiful, classic Les Forts de Latour that will drink nicely for another 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA juicy and rich red, offering chocolate and hazelnuts. Plum and berry undertones. Full-bodied with angular tannins that are firm and muscular. Needs a year or two to soften still.James Suckling | 93 JSComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2012 Les Forts de Latour has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of redcurrants, black cherries and kirsch with menthol, cigars and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and vibrant with a lively line and an herbal lift on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThough I tasted the 2012 Les Forts de Latour, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, during en primeur back in 2013, this marks the first commercial release for this vintage. It boasts devilishly attractive pencil lead bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and a light sea spray influence. The palate is clean and fresh with very fine, almost edgy tannins. The precision here is undeniable, a tensile Les Forts de Latour that similar to many 2012s has blossomed during its bottle maturation. There is a mote of signature Pauillac mintiness that pop up towards the persistent finish, completing an assured Les Forts de Latour that might tempt those whose pockets are not deep enough for the co-released 2006 Latour.Vinous Media | 91 VMAdmirably rich for the vintage, with solid plum and black currant paste flavors, allied to a decidedly brisk and racy structure and backed by plum pit, iron and singed alder notes through the finish, giving this a rather linear feel overall. Should age well, and will likely always have more cut than breadth. Best from 2017 through 2025. 11,933 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSuperb colour, cassis fruit and the classic graphite grip of top Pauillacs, fragrance, precision and great class. [NB: Tasted en primeur and originally rated as 17.5 points under the 20-point scale used by Decanter at the time] Drinking Window 2017 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC

What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. Better after 2020 but so wonderful now.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It’s combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down - vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. Tasted April 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NMThe 2012 Mouton Rothschild comes across as quite dark and ripe in this vintage. One of the richest, most powerful 2012s readers will come across, the Mouton boasts striking aromatics and overall density. Mocha, chocolate, graphite, smoke, licorice and dark-fleshed fruits all meld together in the glass. I imagine the 2012 will need a good decade before it starts drinking well. Slightly roasted notes and copious new oak stick out today, but these wines have a way of coming together in bottle. Antonio Galloni | 95 AGWonderful expression of ’patrician’ black fruits, the expected exotic seduction of Mouton, a perfect blend of power and elegance. Drinking Window 2017 - 2035.Decanter | 95 DECThis is starting to mellow already, featuring dark fig and blackberry notes infused liberally with black tea and smoldering tobacco accents. Shows a light loamy echo through the finish, with a flash of menthol. Offers ample flesh throughout, with a slightly grainy edge to the tannins.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Château Mouton-Rothschild) The 2012 Château Mouton-Rothschild is a very good wine, being comprised of fully ninety percent cabernet sauvignon, eight percent merlot and two percent cabernet franc. It was raised in only seventy percent new oak this year- not a concession to the more elegant style of the 2012 vintage, but rather because the new chais includes new large wood fermentation tanks and these were also new oak this year. The wine is complex and classy on the nose, but just a touch overly slick for my pedestrian tastes, as it offers up a blend of cassis, dark berries, coffee bean, a dollop of licorice, dark soil tones and plenty of spicy, smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and pure, with really lovely raw materials very much in evidence. The core is deep, the focus and balance here are very fine indeed and there are plenty of ripe, chewy tannins adding grip and potential longevity on the finish, and yet, for some reason, I am left with the impression that the whole this year is a bit less than the sum of its parts. This is a very well-made wine, but it seems to me to be a bit overly sculpted to ever really reach greatness. I miss the more effortless impression of a wine like the 1985 Mouton- which the 2012 vintage might have been able to reproduce flawlessly! (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 92 JG

The wine of the vintage is the Perrin’s 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, and it will most likely merit a perfect rating in another couple of years. Full-bodied, massive and layered on the palate, with awesome purity and freshness, it delivers incredible aromatics of beef blood, truffle, graphite, iron and black and blue fruits. Given all of the fruit and texture, you almost have to hunt for the structure here, but trust me, it’s there. The tasting at Beaucastel took place a 9 a.m., and even then, this is one wine I found impossible to spit. It’s a tour de force that will have 3-4 decades of life.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe wine of the vintage is the Perrins’ 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, which has a classic, sexy, accessible style yet is also going to age beautifully. Massive amounts of smoked black fruits, ground pepper, iodine, truffle, and bloody meat all emerge from this inky colored behemoth. With full body, building tannins, no hard edges, and a rock star of a finish, it’s primary and youthful, but incredible. Ideally, it would be given another 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for another 3 decades or more. It’s an awesome wine!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDSpice, lift and zest - the hallmarks of the vintage are immediately apparent on the nose. Some woody, roasted spices are starting to take root now, along with damsons, and crushed damson stones. Rounded, rich and plush on the palate, all very well integrated, such delicious, intense juice. The alcohol is high but it gives the wine its foundation this year - a jolly, red-cheeked vintage built around alcohol, but not dominated by it. Delicious now, will be even better later. Drinking Window 2020 - 2036Decanter | 99 DECLots of spices such as cloves and black pepper. Some grilled meat as well. Complex undertones of mushrooms. Full-bodied, complex and refined yet very open now with cherry, sweet and ripe fruit and a balanced finish. Excellent acidity and length. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSDark purple. Powerful aromas of cherry liqueur, licorice pastille and pungent flowers, with exotic Indian spice and mocha overtones. Dense, sweet and broad, offering intense black and blue fruit preserve, violet and spicecake flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. Fine-grained tannins build slowly through the clinging, appealingly sweet finish, which shows outstanding clarity and persistence and lingering florality. One of the standouts of the vintage and surprisingly approachable for this bottling, although drinking it before its tenth birthday would seem like a shame to me.Vinous Media | 96 VMSerious, with dark fig, black currant and blackberry confiture notes forming a large-scale core, while licorice snap, Turkish coffee and pastis details lend an expansive feel. The long, dense finish has a brooding personality now, with a warm cast-iron note echoing. Should be a stunner when it reaches its peak. Best from 2019 through 2032. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

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

The 2012 Richebourg was just a touch reduced at the time of my visit, but underneath is another legend in the making. The bouquet is a blend of cherries, red plums, cocoa, gamebirds, a very minerally signature of soil, woodsmoke, fresh nutmeg and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with stunning depth, fine-grained tannins, superb precision and a very, very long and tangy finish. This is a very elegant and refined vintage of the Hudelot Richebourg and it will be one of the greatest wines ever produced in the long history of this illustrious domaine. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru, which comes from a 0.28-hectare parcel planted in 1950, this year contains 20% whole bunches and the domaine were graced with five barrels. It has a very refined and distinctly aristocratic bouquet adorned with beautifully defined black and red fruits, perhaps leaning towards the former with aeration. Touches of seaweed and tilled earth emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. It does not have the charm of the RSV at the moment, but there is beguiling structure and symmetry with a long mineral laden finish. Superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPBright medium red. Darker and more primary on the nose than the RSV, showing lovely lift to the aromas of dark berries, violet and minerals. Quite tight and high-pitched in the mouth, with strong, ripe acidity accentuating the impression of density. The crop level here was a bit higher than that of the RSV, at 30 hectoliters per hectare, but the wine is still wonderfully sappy, taut and concentrated, not to mention beautifully balanced. Lovely lurking saline minerality here. Lay this one down for a decade.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThere is a whiff of reduction lurking in the background of the otherwise pretty and spicy red and dark berry fruit aromas that include hints of Asian-style tea, cinnamon and sandalwood. The middle weight flavors possess a sleek and nicely intense mouth feel along with good detail on the lightly stony, delicious and sneaky long finale. For my taste, while this solidly powerful effort could certainly be enjoyed now, there remains enough upside development potential to warrant holding it for another 5 to 8 years. Lovely and fashioned in an understated style.Burghound | 94 BH

The 2012 Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is glorious example of both this great terroir and this historic vintage. The very pure and very sappy nose soars from the glass in a mélange of red and black raspberries, cherries, roses, fresh nutmeg, orange zest, Vosne spices, a very, very complex base of soil tones, duck and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with a greater sense of reserve (or is that resolve?) than the Clos Vougeot, very elegant tannins, tangy acids and laser-like focus on the perfectly balanced, elegant and endless finish. Glorious juice! (Drink between 2022 - 2065)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2012 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru comes from 0.48-hectares of vine planted back in 1920 It already boasts a show-stopping mineral-rich bouquet that offers astounding definition and focus. Terroir, terroir and terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with superb definition and so much freshness it does not know what to do with itself. Beautifully focused, refined and feminine, this might be the quintessential R.S.V. of the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPA buoyantly spicy nose displays elegant aromas of red currant, raspberry, sandalwood and soft floral nuances. As is almost always the case chez Hudelot this possesses the most refined mouth feel in the range with ultra-fine grained tannins adding to this impression. Notwithstanding the refinement exhibited by the mid-palate, the strikingly long and well-balanced finish seems to flirt with a touch of rusticity. Whether this quality will persist is hard to say but it would be fair to observe that 2012 isn’t the most refined vintage that I have ever seen for this wine.Burghound | 94 BH(totally destemmed but the stems were then added back for the vinification): Bright medium red. Knockout nose combines strawberry, raspberry, licorice, underbrush, spices and flowers. Plush and sweet but electric in the mouth, conveying terrific concentration to its sappy red fruit and spice flavors. The stems have contributed piquant energy but no herbacity. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and terrific building length. Made from a crop level of about 25 hectoliters per hectare, this wine should blossom beautifully in the cellar.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Musigny Vielles Vignes Grand Cru from de Vogüé has slightly brighter and more vivacious fruit than J-F Mugnier, and in fact, the two wines seem to go in two different trajectories in the glass, this blossoming and the other becoming more occluded. De Vogüé’s Musigny is unashamedly floral in style, very elegant and yet delineated. There is a noticeable estuary scents, mudflats and seaweed, that begin to permeate the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, wonderful acidity and succinctly integrated new oak that is barely tangible. It is intense but elegant, long and tender in the mouth. It is a fabulous Musigny, one of the best that the domaine has produced in recent years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA brooding but gorgeously spicy nose is comprised of liqueur-like dark berry fruit scents that also display plenty of floral influence that includes notes of lavender, violet and, somewhat curiously, honeysuckle. There is outstanding concentration and punch to the seductively textured and marvelously intense big-bodied flavors that are borderline robust as the supporting tannins are dense but refined. I really like the Zen-like sense of harmony to the explosively long and pungent mineral-driven finish that really stains the palate. This is flat out remarkable.Burghound | 97 BHThe 2012 Musigny Vieilles Vignes from the Comte de Vogüé is also a brilliant wine in the making. The deep, pure and nascently complex nose wafts from the glass in a stunning blend of red and black cherries, raspberries, red plums, cocoa, a stunning base of soil tones, hints of the smokiness to come, pungent (morning) violets and a discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and perfectly focused, with a sappy core of fruit, glorious transparency, fine-grained tannins and impeccable balance on the very, very long, pure and perfectly focused finish. A great wine. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 97 JGDeep, bright red. Brilliantly complex, focused nose offers scents of redcurrant, blueberry, crushed stone, spices, red licorice, menthol and botanical herbs. Boasts extraordinary sweetness and depth to its chewy, sappy red and dark fruit flavors. Really bulletproof fruit here! Spreads out on the back half to saturate every square millimeter of the palate, finishing with penetrating berry fruit and salty minerality. Remarkably long and tactile.Vinous Media | 96+ VMFractionally more evolution to the colour compared to their Bonnes Mares. The bouquet is reserved but suggest great depth. There is a sensuality to the nose, and an assured length, but still we are waiting. This will grow from here, and has the weight of sensual fruit that we want, albeit for the moment in abeyance. Tasted Jun 2022.Jasper Morris | 94 JM

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru from Joseph Drouhin was another Clos-de-Bèze (alongside that of Chanson’s) that completely surpassed its showing out of barrel. It has a clean and refined bouquet with cola-tinged red berry fruit (cranberry leaf and raspberry) with touches of rooibos and bergamot emerging just behind. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, impressive depth but with some new oak that clearly needs to be assimilated. Everything is being held back at the moment, but the class and stature here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2012 Clos de Bèze had been bottled at the end of October, but was still showing very well in mid-November, wafting from the glass in a superb aromatic constellation of black cherries, cassis, espresso, black minerality, grilled meats, mustard seed, woodsmoke and a lovely base of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with beautiful transparency, a sappy core of black fruit, fine-grained tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very, very long, poised and nascently complex finish. Given that this was just bottled, I would expect it to place at the upper end of the range when it has fully recovered. Great juice in the making. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 94-95+ JG(bottled at the end of October; includes some purchased grapes; vinified with 10% whole clusters): Bright, full red. Restrained nose hints at red fruits and smoky underbrush. Then sweet, silky and dense on the palate, showing considerable power as well as some spicy high tones. Saline, serious wine with an obvious sweet oak component and very good sneaky length. This wine spent 26 days on its skins. A bit shocked by the recent bottling, so my score should be viewed as provisional.Vinous Media | 92+ VMA spicy, cool and highly restrained nose features notes of various red berries, earth, humus and a hint of the sauvage. There is plenty of minerality that adds lift to the relatively supple middle weight flavors that are shaped by fine-grained tannins, all wrapped in a toasty finish that displays very good but not truly distinguished depth and length. To be sure the 2012 Bèze is a quality effort but it doesn’t seem, at least not at this very early juncture, to have that extra dimension present in say the Griotte or Musigny.Burghound | 92 BH

The 2012 vintage of Clos de la Roche from Domaine Dujac is still a very, very young wine, but it is going to be magnificent in the fullness of time. Today it offers up superb purity and transparency, though still a tad marked by its new oak component in this very early stage. The bouquet is a fine, fine blend of red and black cherries, plums, raw cocoa, a fine base of soil and plenty of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and marvelously soil-driven for such a young wine, with a sappy core of fruit, fine focus and grip and a very long, suavely tannic finish. The balance here is just perfect, and once the new wood is fully integrated into the base of the wine, it will probably close down for an extended period of hibernation. I would not touch it again until it has celebrated its twentieth birthday- not because it is not going to be impressive to drink younger- but there is so much waiting in the wings here that it is crazy not to give this great wine time to develop all aspects of its beauty! Drink between 2032-2075.John Gilman | 96 JGDujac's 2012 Clos de La Roche bristles with palpable energy and intensity. One of the more polished wines in the range, the Clos de la Roche is all about saline-infused energy and brilliance today. I very much like the precision here, but time has shown that the Clos de la Roche only starts to blossom with considerable bottle age. Today, the layers of dimension are present, but also compacted. In a few years, the 2012 will be truly magical.Vinous Media | 96 VMThere is enough reduction to notice though not so much as to completely dominate the floral-suffused nose. This also possesses relatively fine-grained tannins though there is notably more size, weight and power as well as a bit more complexity to the mineral-driven and impeccably well-balanced finish that is both explosive and palate staining. This is most impressive as it manages to deliver stunning intensity and depth of material without any undue heaviness. Note however that this is one very structured wine that will require a lengthy stay in a cool cellar to arrive at its full peak. (Drink starting 2030)Burghound | 95 BHThe 2012 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru had a lot of reduction on the nose, but the palate tannic and masculine, dark and introspective yet well balanced with a crescendo of flavors towards an energetic, spicy finish that leave the tongue tingling after the wine has departed. This looks like being a vin de garde, such is the grip and forcefulness of this wine.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94-96 RP-NM

(this special cuvee is made from the southernmost of Faiveley’s three parcels in Clos de Beze; five barrels, three of them new): Good bright red. Very closed nose hints at rose petal and cinnamon. Wonderfully silky and sweet on the palate, with outstanding definition to the perfumed red raspberry and spice flavors. Finishes with explosive rising length and racy, fine-grained tannins. In its kernel of spice and its superb density and thrust, there’s something Musigny-like about this understated but potentially great wine.Vinous Media | 96+ VMThis is similar to the regular cuvée save for two aspects: this is a bit riper and notably more complex. The large-scaled flavors are also more concentrated with seemingly endless reserves of palate staining dry extract that also buffers the extremely firm tannic spine on the explosively long, balanced and powerful finish. This is stunningly good with massive potential though again, note that plenty of patience will be required.Burghound | 94-96 BH

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

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses from Domaine Robert Groffier was perhaps the biggest, and I should add, pleasant surprise of this marathon tasting. Whereas once I felt the wines could be over-extracted and too alcoholic, here was a wine that exuded elegance, finesse and terroir. It has a well-defined bouquet, raspberry and black berry fruit intermingling with black truffle and sous-bois scents. The palate is very "serious" on the entry, saline on the entry with touches of bitter cherry, brambly black fruit and a little tar. There is certainly very fine structure here and superb balance, although patience will be needed. What a fabulous example of the vintage. Bravo Nicolas Groffier!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(25% whole clusters): Bright medium red. Deep but reticent aromas of wild red berries, red cherry, cocoa powder and mint. Sweet and plush on entry, then savory and perfumed in the middle, with slightly high-toned raspberry and spice flavors lifted by notes of crushed stone, red licorice and flowers. Boasts considerable volume and density but finishes with a firm edge of acidity and a suggestion of peppery tannins. I would not be surprised if this wine evolved relatively quickly.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes shows a much more aromatic, lifted side of Chambolle than the Groseilles, which precedes it in this tasting. Sweet floral notes meld into bright red berries in a classy, understated Chambolle that should drink nicely pretty much right out of the gate. Finely cut, chalky tannins give the wine much of its drive and focus.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThis offers a noticeable step up in aromatic elegance with its ultra-fresh, cool and restrained nose that is comprised of essence of red and blue pinot fruit, spice and stone nuances. There is excellent tension and beautiful delineation to the racy and silky medium-bodied flavors that also exude a fine bead of minerality on the delicious finish that tightens up quickly. This is a really beautiful and harmonious effort, indeed the word Zen comes to mind.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2012 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes comes from vines that border the village, around two-thirds planted in the 1920s, the rest in 1966. It owns one of the most appealing and complex aromatic profiles of the Chambolle premier crus, adorned with ripe blackberry, bilberry and mineral aromas that are vivacious and captivating to the senses. The palate is energetic with a crisp, citric line of acidity and impressive poise on the finish. I just love the vibrancy, the passion already evident in this Chambolle-Musigny.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

The 2012 Côte Rôtie La Mouline reminds me of the 2011 with its upfront, incredibly perfumed nose of spring flowers, cured meats, roasted herbs, olives and sweet cassis fruit. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, mouth-filling and already impossible to resist, it expands on the palate and I guarantee this beauty will put a smile on your face anytime over the coming two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis has a brooding feel, with layers of warm tobacco leaf, roasted alder and juniper, and sweet tapenade leading the way, backed by a dense core of macerated plum, black currant and raspberry fruit. The long, smoldering finish shows terrific latent grip. Best from 2018 through 2030. 415 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSuper peppery, very, very concentrated and immaculately fragrant Côte-Rôtie here. There's plenty of oak in the mix, too. It shows entrancing brown-spice aromas across red plums and darker black fruits. The palate's layered, smooth and supple, pitching concentrated flavors against precise, dense and very powerful tannin. Finishes on a smooth edge as its softens slightly, leaving a trail of spiced-custard and dark-plum flavors. Exceptional wine. Drink 2020-2030.James Suckling | 95 JSLurid ruby. Heady, intensely perfumed aromas of red fruit preserves, incense, smoky minerals and lavender, accompanied by an Asian spice flourish that builds as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with sweet, seamless raspberry liqueur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and given spine by core of juicy acidity. Puts on weight and spreads out slowly on the strikingly long and precise finish, which features resonating mineral and floral notes.Vinous Media | 94 VM

(13% alcohol; 60% new oak): Bright medium red. Very ripe aromas of black raspberry, smoky minerality and dried flowers. Plush, highly concentrated, outsized wine, combining grand cru volume with a surprisingly airy texture. Finishes with wonderfully suave tannins that saturate the entire palate and give shape to the wine’s fruit. Really outstanding soil-driven depth here.Vinous Media | 95 VMGorgeous texture with plush, velvety tannins and focused flavours. A stunning Malconsorts that has vibrant intensity. (Drink between 2019 - 2026)Decanter | 93 DECThis was sufficiently reduced to hide the fruit though not so much that the floral characters could not be perceived. This is a big wine even by the considerable standards of a classic Malconsorts with an overt muscularity to the concentrated yet impressively refined mouth feel to the utterly delicious flavors that are shaped by markedly firm tannins that are so well buffered by the rich dry extract that the wonderfully persistent finish is once again not especially austere. This should be excellent if given at least 7 to 10 years in a cool cellar though note that it should continue to improve for several years after that.Burghound | 92-94 BH

(13.3% alcohol; picked late): Pale straw-yellow. Aromas of clove, iodine and white flowers are lifted by a note of lemon oil. Hugely concentrated, dense and utterly backward; not showing nearly the detail of the Chevalier-Montrachet in the early going but this is sweeter. Montrachet in the outsized Chassagne body-builder style. Really amazingly rich and massively structured for the vintage, but needs to lose some of its baby fat before it can be properly appreciated.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe 2013 Montrachet Grand Cru, which comes from the Chassagne side, possesses a very precise bouquet that seems understated when compared to the more hedonistic Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles. This is much more demure, laid-back...nonchalant even. The palate is very precise - there is real detail here with delicate spicy notes furnishing the back end of this Montrachet that just expands toward the finish. I think this is keeping everything up its sleeve at the moment, but you cannot deny the balance and focus here.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93-95 RP-NM(Maison Louis Jadot Montrachet Grand Cru White) This is restrained to the point of being almost mute and only aggressive swirling coaxes aromas of white flowers, freshly sliced citrus, pear, green apple and discreet spice elements to grudgingly emerge. There is seriously good size, weight and punch to the beautifully detailed and notably mineral-driven big-bodied flavors that, like the Corton-Charlemagne, possess a chiseled and explosively long finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. I very much like the balance and upside development potential here and about the only nit worth mentioning is just a hint of finishing warmth. Still, this should abundantly reward 12 to 15 years of cellaring. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 93-95 BH

The 2013 Charmes-Chambertin from the Drouhin family was one of the few grand crus that I tasted that had already been bottled at the time of my visit in December. This is one of the great, unsung grand crus in the domaine’s portfolio, for though the vines are not owned by the domaine, the family has been buying grapes from this particular vigneron for more than forty years. The 2013 is another outstanding success, offering up a pure and complex nose of cherries, red plums, grilled meats, cocoa, dark soil tones, lovely fresh herb tones and a deft touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, beautifully transparent and tangy, with a lovely core of sappy fruit, great focus and grip and a very long, pure and vibrant finish. Given this was just bottled, it would not surprise me if my score ultimately proves conservative! (Drink between 2023 - 2060)John Gilman | 94+ JGA concentrated, intense red, with cherry, strawberry, iron, tobacco and spice flavors locked up tight within the solid structure. All the components are in the right place, and the finish is long. Just needs time. Best from 2019 through 2032. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Francis Egly has produced another profound Champagne with the 2013 Brut Grand Cru Millésime. If the monumental 2008 stands out for its power, structure and intensity, the 2013 is distinguished by its harmony, finesse and completeness; both vintages are very great wines but thus quite different in style. Wafting from the glass with scents of Anjou pear, crisp yellow apple, freshly baked bread, clear honey, iodine and fresh mint, it’s full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a layered, concentrated and effortlessly balanced core of fruit, uniting precision and sensuality to compelling effect. Girdled by racy acids and animated by a delicate pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. Is this the most elegant wine Egly has produced to date? It’s certainly among the most compelling that this high quality but initially underrated Champagne vintage has delivered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2013 Millésime Grand Cru is flat-out stunning, in fact it’s one of the best vintage Champagnes I have ever tasted. What I admire most about the 2013 is the marriage of power and transparency. Plum, kirsch, ginger, spice and dried flowers all come alive in a striking, vivid Champagne that delivers so much pleasure. It’s a riveting, captivating Champagne from Egly-Ouriet. What a knock-out! Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July, 2022.Antonio Galloni | 98 AG

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 2013 Romanée Saint Vivant Grand Cru has a gorgeous bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, wilted rose petals, a touch of lavender coming through with time. There is real vigor and generosity here. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a firm structure. There is wonderful depth and body that forms the foundation of this wine, coming across a little more masculine than the 2014, exerting a firm grip with a slightly curmudgeonly finish that just needs time to mellow. This is excellent.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2013 Romanée-St.-Vivant from Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat was another late malo finisher and the wine was still on the grumpy side at the time of my visit, with a fairly expressive nose currently coupled to an out of sorts palate impression, but this will clearly be outstanding. The bouquet offers up a fabulous constellation of raspberries, cherries, blood orange, beautiful spice tones, lavender, complex soil nuances, fresh nutmeg and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and quite poised (despite its grumpy nature at the time of my visit), with fine mid-palate depth, nascently complexity, ripe tannins and superb length and grip on the tangy finish. This is going to be very, very special when it reaches its zenith. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 95-97 JGDeep red with ruby highlights. Sexy aromas and flavors of primary dark berries, black raspberry and cocoa powder complicated by spicy oak tones. Thick yet lively on entry; a youthfully imploded but utterly seamless wine with outstanding energy and depth. For all its density, this tactile, saline wine shows a magically light touch. Really builds and lingers on the superb rising finish, which features noble tannins. Still a baby, this grand cru has a great future.Vinous Media | 94+ VMRelative to the expressive example that I originally reviewed, this has begun to shut down and the nose is now brooding and only grudgingly gives up its spiced aromas of plum, dark currant and violets that are trimmed in hints of Asian-style tea and sandalwood. The sleek and ultra-refined mouth feel adds substantially to the sense of elegance though the balance is slightly impaired due to a tangy finish that is mildly lean and drying. This is without question quite classy but it’s not without a nit or two.Burghound | 91 BH

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru was showing some quality new oak on the nose that still needs to be subsumed. It is tightly coiled but it just needs time because there is freshness, definition and beguiling complexity locked in here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well judged acidity and clever use of new oak lending body without compromising terroir expression. The finish feels focused and satisfying and the texture leaves you totally seduced. Class, class, class. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPIt has been six years since I last tasted the 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, when I wrote "Class. Class. Class." I have no need to alter that assessment. With fragrant raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed limestone and flint on the nose, this has a transparency that is a wonder to behold. The palate is beautifully balanced, poised with a fine line of acidity, full of tension with vivid red fruit on the finish that belies the structure underneath. Magnificent. Tasted at a private dinner in Beaune.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2013 Ruchottes-Chambertin from Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg is another great example of the vintage. The bouquet delivers and outstanding aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, cassis, grilled meats, complex soil tones, espresso, woodsmoke, mustard seed and nutty new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave and refined on the palate, with a rock solid core, fine-grained tannins and superb backend energy on the very long and utterly classic finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2075)John Gilman | 95+ JGA markedly ripe nose presents notes of cassis, plum liqueur, earth, spice and a hint of the sauvage. As it virtually always is this is notably bigger, richer and more powerful than the Feusselottes with its sleekly muscular and equally mineral-driven flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration along with impressive depth and length on the youthfully austere finale. This is really lovely juice but note that patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 93 BH

(Domaine Dujac Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) A broad-ranging and distinctly cool nose features aromas of orange pekoe tea, white flowers, pomegranate and plenty of earthiness, all of which is trimmed in discreet but not invisible wood nuances. There is an equally cool and restrained mouth feel to the big-bodied, intense and muscular flavors that possess outstanding mid-palate concentration along with a beautiful sense of vibrancy and harmony to the gorgeously persistent finish. This overtly powerful effort will also need plenty of patience but should absolutely be worth the wait. (Drink starting 2028).Burghound | 95 BH(Bonnes-Mares- Domaine Dujac) The 2013 Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares is excellent, as it offers up a superb bouquet of plums, cherries, gamebirds, a marvelously complex base of soil, woodsmoke, roses, a dollop of fresh thyme and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very transparent in personality, with fine-grained tannins, lovely focus and a very long, poised and youthful finish. Classic Bonnes-Mares in the making. (Drink between 2025-2075).John Gilman | 95 JGDeep red. Pungent cherry, licorice and wild herbs on the nose, lifted by exhilarating treble notes of blood orange and peony. Sharply delineated and tightly wound, dominated by its structure today. A more savory style than either the Clos Saint-Denis or Clos de la Roche, with dark berry, mineral and wild herb flavors carrying impressively on the extremely long, saline aftertaste.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2013 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a beautiful bouquet with superb definition and seamlessly integrated oak, touches of truffle in the background and "mucking around" with the ebullient dark cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins. There is a fine seam of acidity here, the tannins a little rigid at the moment with a linear but with a precise finish. This is a well-crafted Bonnes-Mares fulfilling exactly what a Bonnes-Mares ought to be. Look forward to seeing how it turns out in bottle.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93-95 RP-NM