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Quite possibly the finest white in the appellation, the 2020 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc is all Marsanne from what I would consider the best terroir in the appellation, the south-facing slopes of the Saint Joseph lieu-dit just south of Tournon. White currants, honeyed peach, celery seed, spice, and a wonderful sense of minerality define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, pure, seamless, and just a heavenly white you could easily put in a lineup of Hermitage Blanc. Drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA relatively brisk and fresh style of Les Granits this year, with an upright mineral spine. The acidity is spot-on, giving the wine edge and length. Oak is well-judged and doesn’t occlude the fruit. A little less fat and ripeness than some recent years, but it has a good sense of intensity if not generosity - you really feel the granite in the granular, slightly serrated mouthfeel. A return to a more classic, measured style. (Drink between 2022-2028)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Saint-Joseph Les Granits Blanc is again one of the top white wines from the appellation. Sourced from the lieu-dit Saint-Joseph, it’s barrel fermented and aged, yet the oak is understated. The wine offers up hints of toasted grain, pear, melon and citrus on the nose, then delivers a palate that’s medium to full-bodied, plump and round, balanced, focused and long. Treat it like a baby Hermitage and drink it young, or put it aside for a decade or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is also terrific, with a deep, rich, concentrated style that carries classic Roussanne apple and stone fruits as well as honeyed toast, spice, and subtle floral nuances. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and fabulously well-balanced, it’s going to drink well for 4-5 years, then probably shut down, only to re-emerge in another decade with a more mineral, honeyed, nutty, complex profile.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBarrel-fermented and matured in 50% new oak, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne boasts layered, nuanced aromas of toasted grain, ripe pear and mouthwatering pineapple. Full-bodied and lush, it finishes long, with a silky texture and sexy vanilla overtones. Like the other white wines at this estate, I’ve lengthened the drinking window, as they appear to age so well.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The new releases of the Crus from Domaine de la Pépière fully underscore just how brilliant the finest examples of Muscadet are today. The 2020 vintage of Clisson shows beautiful depth and precision in its aromatic constellation of lemon, breadfruit, orange peel, a complex base of granitic minerality, white flowers and a topnote of lemongrass. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a fine girdle of acidity, superb focus and grip, lovely mineral drive and a very long, seamlessly balanced and youthfully complex finish. At three years of age, the 2020 Clisson is just starting its journey and is clearly at least a decade away from its plateau of peak maturity, but if you are shrewd enough to have more than a few bottles in the cellar, it is hardly a crime to drink one or two in their beautiful youth. (Drink between 2023-2065)John Gilman’s A View From The Cellar | 95 JG

One of the Dauvissat specialities, the La Forest is a triumph in 2021. From seven small parcels, the total site is less than 1ha with average vine age more than 40 years. Intriguing, slightly smoky nose, highly distinctive and different to others in the range. Plenty of power, ripe stone fruit flavours, zesty citrus acidity with a herbaceous edge adding an extra dimension. Definitely of grand cru quality.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest is a young classic, mingling scents of sweet citrus oil and peach with notions of white flowers, struck match, bee pollen and youthful reduction in an incipiently complex bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, it’s concentrated, taut and incisive, with a long, mineral finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThere is a hint of phenolic character on the aromas of crushed leaf, mineral reduction, lemon-lime and seaweed. The denser, succulent and powerful larger-scaled flavors are supported by a firm acid spine on the stony, youthfully austere and bitter citrus rind finale. This is quite dry and I very much like the balance though I would note that at least some patience is strongly suggested as this is quite tightly wound today. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 94 BHI always think of Vincent Dauvissat’s la Forest as his baby les Clos, as with ten years or more of bottle age, the two often resemble each other a bit aromatically and flavor-wise. The 2021 version of la Forest chez Dauvissat is going to be stellar. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex mix of pear, fresh lime, flinty minerality, citrus blossoms, discreet vanillin oak and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full, with a superb core of fruit, excellent complexity and cut, fine focus, bright acids and a long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is superb. (Drink between 2026 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGAlso a fine clear colour, though without a green tint. The Forest 2021 has a solid full fruit on the nose, perhaps less intense at the edges. Very pure white fruit, good acidity, not the volume which the 2022 will have but it is coming out very well even so. Drink from 2026-2033. Tasted: May 2023.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Given all of the fireworks in this tasting from the Montée de Tonnerre upwards, I was wondering if the 2021 les Clos could somehow acquit itself impeccably, given how stunning the lineup had been up until this point. It does not disappoint! The aromatic constellation here is complex and precise, offering up scents of green apple, lime, grapefruit, flinty minerality, citrus peel, dried flowers and gentle smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is beautifully complex, well balanced and poised, with a full-bodied format, great depth at the core, brisk acids and laser-like focus on the long and stunning finish. (Drink between 2028-2065). John Gilman | 96 JGThe 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 4.1 hectares mainly located on the upper sector of the Grand Cru, the vines planted in the postwar period by Maurice Fèvre, the father of William Fèvre. It has a powerful bouquet with hints of white flower permeating the citrus fruit and apple blossom aromas. The palate has wonderful salinity on the entry, a fine bead of acidity, citrus-fresh with clementine, hints of peach and a twist of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on its tippy-toes. Great potential.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

The 2021 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru comes from 2.5-hectares split over two parcels. This has one of my favourite aromatics from Fèvre this year with superb delineation and mineralité. The palate is harmonious and poised, very focused and tensile, plenty of energy with a touch of lime and clementine towards the persistent finish. This is an outstanding Chablis that should age supremely well in bottle.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMOne of the domaine’s standout wines, this immediately strikes you with its precision and clarity. Fevre’s vines are from two different sites, with varying expositions - one lower down and facing south-east, the other high on the plateau. Great elegance with plenty of weight and concentration on the palate, full and fleshy. Grapefruit notes to the fore but plenty of mineral/saline notes on the long, persistent finish. A delicious, aristocratic grand cru. Fevre owns 2.5ha within Les Preuses. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2038Decanter | 95 DEC

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Brocard’s 7 Lieux Grand Cru Preuses is a magnificent wine in the making. Although there is plenty of ripeness on display this regal grand cru is cool, crisp and supremely elegant. An aristocratic feel here, with great focus and lingering minerality to finish. From Domaine Brocard vines, all the components are in place to allow this to develop glacially for 15-20 years.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is curiously just a little innocuous on the nose at the moment. I wonder if this might be going through a dumb phase? The palate is harmonious on the entry with orange peel and light peachy nose, slightly honeyed in texture, and it captures the spiciness that I seek from Les Preuses. Maybe not quite the length that you would obtain from a top vintage, but a finely made Chablis.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis is also quite aromatically elegant with its array of green fruit, cool citrus, wet stone and spice. The medium-weight flavors are at once seductive yet powerful with solid volume while coating the palate on the clean, dry and lingering finish that is borderline simple. This has the stuffing to age and improve up to a decade so more depth should reasonably develop if given a few years.Burghound | 90-92 BH

Droin’s vines have an average age of 50 years with 1.75ha on Kimmeridgian marl with some blue-clay (Marne-bleu). As expected from Montée de Tonnerre, this has more power on the palate but also displays a remarkable balance between weight and elegance - ’complet’ as Benoit Droin says. It would be a shame to drink this before 2-3 years and it will keep a very long time. Finishes with a vibrant hit spicy zesty fruit.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has perhaps the most austere bouquet amongst Droin’s Premier Crus, though it is very defined with subtle struck flint notes coming through. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, superb acidity with real weight and concentration on the finish. Another superb wine from Droin this year.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMModerately generous wood stops short of fighting with the ripe white orchard fruit, wet stone and spice that also display just enough Chablis typicity to be interesting. A highly sophisticated mouthfeel suffuses the solidly dense middleweight flavors where an almost pungent minerality adds a sense of lift to the attractively dry and sneaky long finale. This beauty is a combination of power and refinement that should age effortlessly.Burghound | 91-94 BH

In 2021, the domaine protected this site above all from frost but still lost half their crop, despite being surrounded by the also well-protected vines of Domaine Leflaive. Accessible almost even now, the aromas of green apple and passionfruit, coconut, butter, and baking spice are almost opening even now. There is a lovely freshness and silky texture, yet this is a powerful wine with impressive length and density at the end. This should open in five years and continue to improve for at least twenty-five more.Decanter | 96 DECA gorgeously fresh, airy and cool nose combines notes of green apple, a panoply of white flowers nuances, wet stone and a pretty array of exotic spice elements, especially jasmine. There is a notably more refined mouthfeel to the tautly muscular and overtly mineral-driven medium weight plus flavors that exhibit focused power on the impressively long, balanced, youthfully austere and very classy finale. This is exceptionally stylish and a wine that should easily reward a decade plus of keeping.Burghound | 94 BH

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Weighty, profound and rich, this is a stunning Les Clos which has an extra level of depth and richness that would please many a Côte-d’Or fan. White flowers on the nose, spice and stone fruit on the palate with 40% oak and a lingering, freshening mineral undertow. A grand cru with gravitas that will drink for 15-20 years. Droin has 1.4ha with vine age averaging 40 years. Its plots are located in various sectors of the cru with some lower down in the western sector, and part on the blue clay soils on the mid-slope.Decanter | 96 DECLike the Grenouilles, there is enough wood to merit mentioning but not enough to overshadow the cool, airy and very fresh aromas of oyster shell, white flower and ocean breeze. The succulent yet powerful and delineated flavors brim with both minerality and dry extract, all wrapped in a driving bitter lemon-inflected and youthfully austere finale. This is a lovely combination of power and refinement that should amply repay a decade plus of cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a clean and precise bouquet, flint and chalk filtering through the citrus fruit, gaining intensity as it opens in the glass, though I feel the Grenouilles has more sophistication. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, very harmonious, nicely poised with a dab of stem ginger and white pepper towards the finish that is resolutely classic in style. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Droin owns 0.33ha in the renowned premier cru of Vaulorent. Benoît notes the higher incidence of limestone in the soils, giving more a more aromatic profile, great length and purity. Although the Droin premiers crus are all lovely wines, this is a distinct step up – a premier cru Chablis which would grace any table along with the world’s finest wines. Filigree, precise acidity on the palate – delicate, very refined, yet a wine which will last a very long time.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a more complex bouquet that matches the Mont de Milieu, real mineralité, struck flint scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is very cohesive with lemon and touches of apricot, spicy and very persistent on the finish. This is an excellent Chablis from Droin.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMSmoky white orchard fruit aromas enjoy added breadth in the form of acacia blossom, citrus rind and quinine. The exceptionally rich and solidly voluminous medium-bodied flavors display focused power and a subtle minerality on the clean, dry and more complex finale where a touch of wood appears. I very much like the persistence, and this should amply repay 6 to 10 years of keeping.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2021 Clos des Chevaliers from Jean-Michel Chartron is a breathtakingly beautiful young wine. It delivers a refined aromatic constellation of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a very complex base of limestone minerality, fruit blossoms, vanillin oak and a beautiful topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of fruit, stunning mineral undertow, a superb spine of acidity and laser-like focus on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. (Drink between 2029 - 2070)John Gilman | 97 JG4 barrels from 0.55ha is not a huge yield! Fine clean glowing pale yellow. The bouquet is promising too and shows the upper hillside authority of Chevalier. The nervous tension is very well incorporated into the weight of classy fruit, with a fine long and distinguished finish. A beautifully nuanced 2021. Excellent finish. Drink from 2028-2036.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JMThe 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru, which includes one new barrel out of the four (instead of the usual dozen), has a vivid bouquet with yellow fruit, nectarine, crushed limestone and subtle fumé aromas. The palate is well balanced with vibrant acidity, taut and fresh with notes of tangerine, citrus fruit and a pinch of spice. Linear in style, this lingers nicely, though it just needs a bit more nervosité on the finish. Still, this is very promising.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA deft though perceptible dollop of wood sets off the ultra-floral-scented nose of mineral reduction, petrol and a plenitude of spice wisps. The large-scaled flavors are borderline painfully intense while displaying an almost pungent minerality on the chiseled, youthfully austere and strikingly long finale. This is potentially brilliant.Burghound | 93-96 BH

A markedly more floral-suffused and slightly cooler nose reflects notes of both white and yellow peach, citrus confit and a plenitude of spice elements. Here too the palate impression is seductive thanks to the superb concentration of the powerful and almost painfully intense broad-shouldered flavors that also display superb length on the balanced and equally tightly coiled finish. If you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95 BHThis superb rendition of Bâtard has surprisingly ripe notes of quince and melon de Cavaillon, acacia flower, and spice. The texture is dense and rich but kept lively by the fresh acidity of 2021. The grapes come from three parcels totaling nearly a half hectare. Two are planted with vines more than fifty years of age, and all three are in Chassagne near the border with Puligny. This year Blain stirred the lees (not always done) to give the wine a bit more density and depth.Decanter | 94 DEC

This is also aromatically cool and decidedly restrained with its array of green apple, mineral reduction, citrus zest and a vaguely Chablis-like hint of oyster shell and iodine. The beautifully textured broad-shouldered flavors flash both focused power and an abundance of minerality on the tension-filled, bone-dry and balanced finale. This is also a strikingly pretty wine that is very much built to reward extended keeping.Burghound | 95 BHIn 2021 the Boillot Corton-Charlemagne is all from Aloxe and not the three communes. Mid lemon yellow. The nose has some style, flesh and floral and potentially stony. More wood is showing at the back but there is so much wine still to come out. Lemon juice intensity at the back. Very long again Drink from 2027-2035.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMTaut and structured, the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru delivers aromas of citrus zest, freshly baked bread and white flowers, followed by a full-bodied, satiny palate that’s chalky and incisive, concluding with a penetrating finish. This cuvée is acquired in grapes and pressed by Boillot.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is another stellar white from Boillot. All citrus, white pepper and crushed rocks, the Charlemagne sizzles with energy. There’s terrific focus here and plenty of cut too. This vibrant, airy Charlemagne hits all the right notes. It is a fine effort in this challenging vintage. To deal with the tiny volume in 2021, Guillaume Boillot had a 228-liter barrel made with 50% new oak staves and 50% staves from a once-used barrel. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 92-94 VM

An extremely subtle application of wood can be found on the cool if decidedly reluctant nose of spiced green apple, beeswax and citrus zest aromas. The palate impression of the medium weight plus flavors is quite interesting in that there is excellent concentration and power yet they are not massively scaled while maintaining impeccable balance on the palate etching and stunningly long finish, indeed I could still taste this 3 hours later. This is one extremely classy Montrachet and one of the jewels of the 2021 vintage.Burghound | 97 BHThere’s only one 228-liter barrel of the 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru, so Boillot asked his favored cooper to assemble a special barrel, with alternating new and used staves. Delivering aromas of pear, honeycomb, freshly baked bread, spices and toasted nuts, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit and a long, nutmeg-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru is incredibly airy and nuanced. Candied lemon peel, mint, tangerine oil and white flowers show effortless grace. This is an especially restrained, super-elegant Montrachet that shows Puligny’s finesse. The 2021 is absolutely exquisite. I doubt I will ever taste it again, though. Bright saline notes punctuate the super-expressive finish. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 93-95 VMBeeswax and lime blossom, especially the latter, which Guillaume finds typical of Montrachet. The Montrachet shows both class and intensity over and above the Bâtard as indeed should be the case. Brilliantly racy despite the intensity. This year there is one 228 litre barrel instead of the usual 350, and made up in zebra fashion, half new wood with alternate dowels. Drink from 2030-2040.Jasper Morris | 95 JM

A bigger, richer white, especially in the context of the vintage, the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc offers up a medium to full-bodied, vibrant, concentrated style as well as classic notes of honeyed melon, crushed stone, white flowers, and dried herbs. I love its mid-palate depth, and it has beautifully integrated acidity and outstanding length. It’s another serious, age-worthy white in 2021 that will benefit from short-term bottle age and be long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc marries the natural energy of this cool year with lovely mid-palate creaminess and texture. Understated yet persistent, the 2021 presents a gorgeous display of pear, white flowers and mint, along with a subtle touch of oak that frames the finish. Today, the 2021 is quite a bit less expressive than it was en primeur. It was also bottled in May 2022 (versus May 2023 for the reds) and may be in a closed period, which is not unusual for wines from cold years. We shall see.Vinous Media | 95 VMPeach and waxed-lemon character here. Some fennel and aniseed, too. Very fresh. Medium to full body with a round, creamy palate. A little closed for now at the end. 55.2% semillon and 44.8% sauvignon.James Suckling | 95-96 JSLa Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2021 leaps from the glass with notes of fresh grapefruit, white peaches, and honeysuckle, leading to touches of elderflower and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with vibrant stone fruit and zesty flavors, supported by a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA fresh, incipiently complex bouquet of pear, grapefruit, freshly baked bread and wet stones prefaces the 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy wine with a satiny attack that segues into a taut, structured mid-palate built around chalky dry extract, which lend this a more tightly-knit, mordant profile than the broader, fatter and more enveloping Haut-Brion Blanc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPFloral and green fruit aromas on the nose. Juicy and upfront, lively and fun, this has zing and focus. I love the almost sherbet lemon touch to the initial expression followed by soft green fruit and some softly spiced herbal accents. It’s clear and clean, bright and focussed. Tapers a little towards the finish, just lightening, but lovely and enjoyable - very aerial in style.Decanter | 94 DEC

UNDER THE RADAR A very elegant Bougros which matches the ripeness of this full sun site with great acidity and purity of flavour. There is lots of depth here with some zesty citrus characters and a stony, mineral thread in the background. Cleansing acidity on the finish. A grand cru which definitely shows its class, while managing to be both drinkable now yet have a long future ahead.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2022 Chablis Grenouilles Grand Cru has a more low-key nose than the impressive 2021, well-defined with crushed limestone, Granny Smiths and peach skin aromas. The palate is well-balanced, with a fine bead of acidity counterbalancing the richness. Tensile, quite saline, building gradually towards a very cohesive finish. Refined and sophisticated.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Formerly chief oenologist for Jean-Marc Brocard in Chablis, Clotilde Davenne started her own domaine in 2005. Now with 30ha of estate vines, she makes wines from Chablis, Petit Chablis and other regional Bourgogne appellations. From her home vineyard in Préhy, planted on limestone in the 1970s, this unoaked white spends up to 18 months on fine lees in tank to accentuate the fruit. Andy Howard MW: Appealing, good density, powerful and lingering finish. Great clarity and focus. I would certainly place this as a good AP (or even premier cru) Chablis. Beatrice Bessi: Vibrant nose, layers of orange, grapefruit, basil, lemongrass. Lovely palate, refreshing, with good concentration of fruit. Good complexity. Class. Georgina Crawley: An inviting nose of fresh almond and hazelnut, greengage and fleshy stone fruits. Rounded depth, silky texture, a mineral finish with freshness and salinity.Decanter | 95 DEC

Mid yellow, with a biscuity touch. Seems unsubtle until you get to the palate which is super powerful but also with subtlety. This Monopole vineyard comprises four distinct terroirs though they are always assembled. An electric backbone stops the power overturning the balance. Yellow fruit, and then an extraordinary, indeed grand cru, weight. Incisive white fruit finish. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchère 1er Cru is one of the most shut down of the whites in this vast range. Mineral and savory notes abound, but fruit is decidedly pushed into the background. Citrus confit, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all race across the palate. There’s quite a bit of youthful austerity at this stage, but this should come together in time. A whole range of complex floral and tropical nuances linger. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 93-95 VMGuillaume Boillot continues to work his nearly four hectares of old vines in the Clos de la Mouchère in several parcels; we tasted each section separately. The vines near the wood surrounding Clos de la Garenne have bright citrus notes with hints of flint and mineral. Those near Clavoillon have more of a ripe pear and marzipan aroma; they are less focused but have more density, elegance and depth. The combination makes a superb wine that is one of the delights of Boillot’s cellar.Decanter | 95 DEC

Beautiful mix of richness, grace and drive. As always with Fèvre’s Les Preuses, this is elegant, long-living and fine. Ultra-stylish and very mineral. From two sections of vines. One situated low down on Les Preuses next to Vincent Dauvissat’s plot, on the flatter part facing south, the other on deeper soils, with both adding richness and totalling 2.5ha.Decanter | 96 DECA toasty nose features notes of smoky grilled shellfish, pear and algae. The dense and equally serious larger-scaled flavors don’t have quite the same power yet they are clearly more refined on the markedly bitter citrus zest finish that displays outstanding length. This is exceptionally classy and while it too could use more depth, that is all but assured if given a chance.Burghound | 92-95 BHSuch a fresh lime infused colour. The bouquet shows the soft creamy riches that you can find here in Les Preuses. There is plenty of bulk but the hectare plot which drops down into Vaudésir gives the mineral tension. A little lime and lemon coats the tongue at the finish. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2022 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is not unlike the Valmur on the nose: backward and a little sultry in style, with faint touches of crustacea coming through. The palate is more generous with orchard fruit, hints of apricot and wild peach, and fine acidity. It is very harmonious but without quite the same complexity as the Valmur on the finish. Still, this should give many years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

...The complexity and richness of Special Cuvée is unparalleled among the entry non-vintage blends of every Champagne house, short of ascending to the mesosphere of Krug. Its grand recipe explains why, built on incredible depth of 50%-60% reserves. Triumphant complexity is a given at Bollinger, but it’s the dynamic freshness and vitality that really set it apart as one of the most affordable Champagne benchmarks.Decanter | 96 DECBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDBollinger’s NV Special Cuvée knocks it out of the park. Made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, with 30% of the blend brought up in barrels, it boasts a rich, deep, medium to full-bodied style as well as terrific notes of lemon curd, crème brûlée, caramelized stone fruits, and hints of toasty nuttiness that develop with time in the glass. It’s a big, rich Champagne that stays balanced and pure. Beautiful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRestrained and very pretty aromas include those of yeast, Meyer lemon, petrol and green apple where the latter element is picked up by the utterly delicious, vibrant and detailed flavors that possess fine complexity on the agreeably dry but not austere finish. The supporting mousse is dense but fine and overall, this is a wine that could be enjoyed now or held for up to a decade. Excellent. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 93 BHOne of Bollinger’s great assets is a massive stock of reserve wine, including 600,000 magnums held under cork. Gilles Descôtes tends those reserves, working with the blending team to subsume the variations of the current vintage into Bollinger’s Special Cuvée by using a majority of reserve wines in the blend. The result is a rich and harmonious Champagne with deep reserves of flavor. Its substantial, formal structure feels polished, its flavors balancing the cool earthiness of a limestone cave and the sunnier, bright floral notes of fresh cream. Built for food, whether emphasizing the freshness with lobster bisque, or the depth with beef Wellington and chanterelles.Terlato Wines Int’l., Lake Bluff, ILWine & Spirits | 93 W&S Like its rosé counterpart, the latest release of Bollinger’s NV Brut Special Cuvée is showing especially well, bursting from the glass with aromas of honeyed apples, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry, ripe lemons and fresh walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, with a deep core of beautifully ripe fruit, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it’s a charming, characterful wine that proves that Special Cuvée is firmly back where it belongs.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThere’s a pleasing, snappy quality to the acidity framing this elegant Champagne, enlivening accessible flavors of currant, Marcona almond and orchard blossom, with a minerally touch of saline-laced oyster shell that lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLots of biscuit aromas and a wide spectrum of fresh-citrus, candied-citrus, red-apple and red-berry notes. Mouth-filling creaminess, plus quite an imposing presence and powerful structure for an NV Brut. Long, citrus and chalky finish that’s very clean and properly dry. 60% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay, 10% pinot meunier. Almost 20% barrel fermented and 62% reserve wines. Based on the 2017 vintage and disgorged July 2021. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSFine bubbles combine nicely with the cooked apples, pie crust and lemon rind. Some biscuit, too. Full body. Layered and creamy with a crisp finish. Always delicious. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSDominated, as always, by Pinot Noir and with wood fermentation and aging, this Champagne has a great poise between freshness and richness. It is intense and ripe, with apple and minerality coming together. The bottling is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE (60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier; 8 g/l dosage; L1403801): Pale yellow. Toasty aromas of apple and pear nectar are complemented by hints of toffee, honey and orange zest. Full and expansive on the palate, offering ripe orchard and pit fruit flavors and an undercurrent of smoky minerals and buttered toast. Smooth and gently spicy on the clinging, nicely focusd finish.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG(NV Bollinger “Special Cuvée” Brut NV (Aÿ)) The current release of Bollinger “Special Cuvée” is composed of its customary blend of sixty percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent chardonnay and fifteen percent pinot meunier. It was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter and offers up is classic pinot-shaded bouquet of white peach, apple, bread dough, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a fine core of fruit, a good spine of acidity, elegant mousse and a long, well-balanced and classy finish. This is still a young wine and I would tuck it away in the cellar for at least a few years and let its acids relax a bit and its secondary layers of complexity emerge. (Drink between 2020-2040).John Gilman | 91+ JGNotes of flowery beeswax, white fruit, and quince on the nose. The palate has a flinty austerity with Braeburn, white pepper and subtle spice followed by yeasty richness and brisk finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025.Decanter | 90 DEC

The May 2017 disgorgement of Fallon’s NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Ozanne is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, toasted nuts, candied peel and honeycomb. Full-bodied, vinous and concentrated, it’s layered and textural, with a bright spine of acidity, a pearly enlivening mousse and a long, intensely sapid finish. Its combination of power and tension makes this the finest wine I’ve tasted from Fallon to date. Of course, finding any of the thousand or so bottles released every year is next to impossible, but readers able to track one or two down are in for a treat.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Ozanne is laced with gorgeous scents of pastry, brioche, citrus, white flowers and yellow orchard fruit. Warm, oxidative tones add breadth and volume, but the wine remains weightless, impeccable and pure. The delineated, crystalline finish leaves a lasting impression. This is a super-impressive showing from a producer who appears to have a very bright future. Ozanne is the old, historical name by which Avize was known prior to 796. Disgorged May 25, 2012.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The floral bouquet is very fine and elegant but also quite delicate, suffused with touches of slightly candied citrus, but the telltale autolytic note of hazelnuts is less pronounced than usual. There is, however, some almond nuttiness on the palate, as well as racy rectitude and vivacity that give thrust to a long, surprisingly breezy finish. Will benefit from five to 10 years of cellaring. Disgorged January 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L. Elaborated from 146 wines and 11 different vintages, the oldest of which dates back to 2000. 40% reserve wines. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC