Pinot Noir

wines

This surprisingly expressive wine opens with profuse aromas of violets and blackberry underscored with a firmly saline mineral note. I found the wine very generous; Cyprian Arlaud commented ’I try to make it as a Charmes-Chambertin. The parcel, however, is in Mazoyères, just under the road that separates it from Latricières. Its grippy tannic texture on the finish seems to start as a seductive Charmes but finish more faithful to the somewhat stricter Mazoyères mould.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, one of the last to be picked over three different passes, has a plush and expressive bouquet with dark cherries, raspberry coulis and light violet petal aromas that recede and reveal orange rind and yuzu scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grip on the entry. It’s a solid Charmes-Chambertin that is Mazoyères in style because, well, that’s where it’s from! A serious Charmes-Chambertin that will age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA solid mid purple. Relatively luscious dark red fruit on the nose. The acidity pokes out a little bit at the moment, along with the stonier side of the vineyard, but I think this is more a question of the stage the wine is at. I did not quite get the succulent strawberry overcoat of which Charmes is capable. Perhaps, for once, Cyprien has made more of a Mazoyères than a Charmes? Drink from 2032-2039. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMMortet’s 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is pretty and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of plums, cherries, sweet red berries, petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit and melting tannins, it concludes with a mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPHere the wood treatment is admirably discreet on the nose of cool, pure and restrained aromas that blend notes of wild red and dark cherry with those of spice, earth and a hint of violet. There is a beguiling underlying tension though not quite the same concentration to the elegant middleweight flavors that flash a bit more minerality on the finely detailed and youthfully austere finale. While this could use better depth, I like the balance and this too should age gracefully.Burghound | 92-94 BH

A stunning wine marked by finesse and delicacy. This is ethereal but also deep, with moss and mineral aromas followed by delicate yet naturally racy sweet berries, decadent roses, spices and forest floor. Almost full-bodied for a pinot, but this is much more about texture than anything else. Tense, round and elastic, with a ripe but minerally finish that expands at the end and goes on and on. Real depth in an airy, super-delicate way. 80% whole bunches and 20% new oak barrels. So good to drink now, but this is age-worthy and is likely to morph into something stunning in a decade.James Suckling | 99 JS Though well-marked by new oak for now, this red features ripe cherry, blackberry, violet, sandalwood and mineral aromas and flavors. Silky and elegant, yet there’s underlying intensity and power. Harmonious in its youth, with its full potential and pedigree on display on the long, detailed aftertaste. Best from 2029 through 2050. 422 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThe 2022 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is a blend of 11 different cuvées and includes, for the first time, the plot of "30 Rangs". This vintage includes 80% whole bunches, and like La Richemoine, it is deftly subsumed on the nose, which blossoms with vivacious red berry fruit, forest floor, white truffle, and light autumn leaf scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a svelte Clos des Lambrays with a slightly chalky, mineral-rich finish. Very tender and complex, this is undoubtedly a great wine with a long-term future.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe 2022 Clos des Lambrays contains 80% whole bunches (100% in the very old vines, a lower proportion elsewhere). A fine even deep ruby purple. The bouquet is backward with still a suggested intensity of fruit that can easily cope with the stems. Beautifully suave with an enveloping dark red fruit, a very graceful finish on silky, refined tannins, and we don’t often say silky for Morey St Denis. They are caressing, according to Jacques. The floral touch works throughout, beautifully long and sensual. Drink from 2032. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMProduced from two large parcels of differing vine ages - one that is approximately two-thirds of the blend and is now 50+ years of age and a second, smaller group of vines that are approximately 25+ years of age; made with 80% whole clusters and 80% new wood.Burghound | 93-96 BH

25% whole bunch vinification. Still in barrel. A rich saturated purple. The fruit swarms across the palate, yet with a fine sense of balance. Fine grained tannins, not too wild a style of Bonnes Mares, and indeed the holding is on the white soil which explains the elegance. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VMHere the grudging nose is even spicier with a slightly more deeply pitched array of plum liqueur, dark currant and floral suggestions that are trimmed in hints of menthol. There is a bit more volume and mid-palate density, if less obvious minerality, to the medium weight plus flavors that are at once punchy and overtly powerful, all wrapped in a clearly built to age finale. This is excellent but patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 92-94 BHAromas of sweet red cherries, figs, rose petals and spices introduce the 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine that’s one of the riper, more muscular wines in the range, exhibiting just a touch of sur maturité.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

The 2022 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with notes of red berries and cherries mingled with incense, rose petals, spices and peonies. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it’s seep and multidimensional, with a concentrated core of fruit and a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VM25% whole bunch vinification. More of a pinky purple. Still in barrel, so the bouquet reflects this. There is a fine and concentrated mineral thread through the middle of this wine and significant class to the fruit. Does it have the silky sensual quality of the very finest? Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMLike the Clos de Vougeot, this too is quite firmly reduced and revealing nothing aromatically. More interesting are the beautifully textured and tension-filled bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit fine length on the dusty and balanced finale. This would benefit from having better depth but the potential to develop it appears to present.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2002 Clos de Vougeot le Grand Maupertui Grand Cru, which comes from vines born in 1904, is endowed with darker fruit than the Grands-Echézeaux. Well-defined, maybe a little opulent in style, yet still controlled. The palate is well-endowed with dark berry fruit, more black than red, pain d’épice and white pepper. There’s plenty of substance and grip towards the finish. But it is always elegant and deserves 10-12 years in bottle. Excellent.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThe vines were planted in 1904. A richer deeper ruby purple. A flamboyant pure fruit on the nose, sort of unexpected for Clos Vougeot. Excellent tension on the palate, all the structure that a Clos Vougeot needs but nothing in excess. Seamless, sensual, yet with all the strictness it should have. Very fine. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JMThis is also quite spicy and even more aromatically restrained with its fresh nose of earthy red pinot fruit. The denser and even more powerful larger-bodied flavors deliver excellent length on the impressively long and very much built-to-age if decidedly austere finale that flirts with rusticity. This is a classic CV and one that should age accordingly.Burghound | 92-95 BH

A lovely mid purple. Very perfumed and with density, I suspect with detail to follow as well. Succulent, and with amazing depth plus magical length. One or two darker fruit notes, stopping short of chocolate. But this is a profound and sensual Echezeaux from a domaine noted for its lighter style. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMThe 2022 Echézeaux Les Loachausses Grand Cru (not the easiest lieu-dit to pronounce but is actually a monopole of the Gros family) is the most taciturn on the nose amongst Anne Gros’ cuvées. There is a touch of crushed stone that develops in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of sucrosity on the entry. It has fine depth and is quite linear, and maybe it needs to muster a little more complexity and terroir expression on the finish. I’m sure it will.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMModerate wood influence can be found on the exuberantly spicy and smoky nose of mostly dark currant and violet scents. There is good energy to the delicious if not especially dense middleweight flavors that conclude in a firm finale that exudes focused power as well as a touch of warmth.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2022 Richebourg Grand Cru is intense on the nose: mainly black fruit with a pronounced marine/oyster shell influence. It gains complexity and nuance on the glass. The palate is well-balanced, and the 40-50% new oak neatly enmeshed (higher than previous vintages). It has a fine bead of acidity with a dense and convincing finish, suggesting this will mature gracefully over the next 30-40 years. Almost crystalline - a great Richebourg from Anne and Julie Gros.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThis is a thrilling wine, deceptively light in colour but aromatically powerful, with a concentrated pomegranate and black cherry fruit character and an extraordinary sense of density, substance, and length on the palate. The grapes come from the Gros family holdings in Les Vérroilles; the youngest vines are 50 years old; the balance is 75. They are destemmed and gently fermented before ageing in cask (30% new). This wine is a model of both finesse and power. Ideally, wine lovers will wait a decade from the vintage to sample its beauties; this wine will live a half-century.Decanter | 96 DECA brilliant purple, with a fascinating touch of spice to add to the depth of dark yet royal fruit. Just keeps getting more profound on the nose. Incredibly intense through the middle, excellent mineral acidity behind, and a length well above the others. Thank you for this perfection. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.Jasper Morris | 96-99 JMHere too there is a plethora of spice elements present on the slightly more elegant nose of violet, lavender, exotic tea, and red and dark currant scents. The impressively scaled flavors are not nearly as dense as those of the CV but they’re notably finer and more mineral-inflected as well, all wrapped in a balanced and hugely long finale. This is certainly classier than the CV but good as it is, it’s not necessarily qualitatively better.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru bursts with aromas of sweet berries, cassis, petals, warm spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and gourmand palate with an enveloping core of creamy, succulent fruit that largely conceals its powdery structuring tannins, concluding with a broad saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is aged entirely in new oak. The very delineated bouquet needs a couple of swirls before it releases scents of white-tipped strawberry, raspberry, wet limestone, and hints of pressed flower. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet, slightly candied entry, touches of orange zest and white pepper infusing the vivid red fruit before it fans out gently on the finish. This has a very persistent aftertaste - superb.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA discreet application of wood is present on the ripe yet nicely fresh aromas of a mix of red fruit, warm earth and spice nuances. The round, delicious, caressing and decidedly punch medium weight flavors flash focused power on the youthfully austere and more tension-filled finale. This is really quite lovely and also a wine that should amply repay extended keeping.Burghound | 93-95 BH

This great Bonnes Mares starts cool and restrained, but expands rapidly as it moves over the palate, with delicate, spicy almond and cream character. Mouth-filling and generous yet subtle and light-footed, this is at the upper limit of medium-bodied. Then a huge wave of salty minerality comes through at the finish to give the wine a whole extra dimension and making this an almost overwhelming expression of beauty. Drinkable now.James Suckling | 98 JSIn bottle. Made as three cuvees, then assembled. A rich mid purple with a deliciously heady bouquet, the sumptuous side of dark raspberry, perfumed yet precise, purple fruit with some redder layers beneath, a little white pepper spice, multiple layers of fruit, very engaging with just a very slight youthful bitterness. Irreproachable. Drink from 2032-2045. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 97 JMAnother cuvée that was also in bottle when I visited, the 2022 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with exotic notes and sweet forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it’s concentrated and textural, with nicely integrated tannins, lively acids and a long, saline, rose-inflected finish. Its more sensual style is a welcome evolution.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAn even spicier and more floral-suffused nose is comprised mostly by blue pinot fruit and discreet earth wisps. The succulent, refined and vibrant medium-bodied flavors aren’t especially concentrated though they do possess impressive power on the beautifully long and equally well-balanced finale. This is a wine that is certainly built to repay extended keeping but it’s not so compact that it couldn’t be reasonably approached after only 7-ish years.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru had been bottled in October 2023, just before my visit at the Domaine. It has a compact nose: mainly black cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, well-defined if maybe missing the amplitude of other Bonnes-Mares that I have tasted. The medium-bodied palate has a slightly creamy-textured opening, sweet blackberry and raspberry and touches of dark chocolate and mocha. There’s fine depth on the finish with light grip. Some wood tannins mark the finish and slightly occlude the fruit expression here.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A great Burgundian legend is back in very top form. Enveloping nose of red fruit, red roses and wildflowers. Anything but dramatic, this stuns you with its incredible finesse and extraordinary textural complexity. On the upper edge of medium-bodied, also thanks to the fabulously fine tannins that interlock perfectly with the intense minerality to drive the super-long finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThis is aromatically quite similar to the 1er except that it is notably more restrained and requires considerable swirling to coax the nose to reveal its nuances. On the palate though there is noticeably more size, weight and mid-palate density thanks to the abundant sap that imparts a highly seductive mouthfeel while also buffering the firmer, though just as fine, tannic structure shaping the hugely long, youthfully austere and decidedly powerful finish that is akin to rolling tiny rocks around the mouth. This is also positively brilliant with the development potential to match.Burghound | 96 BHAs mentioned in the introduction, there are seven separate parcellaire cuvées of Musigny which will be blended. We tried four of them, representing different sectors. Les Petits Musigny (north): An even purple, succulent red fruit. Fresh raspberry and strawberry, touch of liquorice, very even, fair acidity, soft tannins. Les 13 ouvrees: Stonier than north Musigny. A touch darker in colour and definitely a richer bouquet, more headily floral. More clearly the weight of Musigny, but also shows as quite a bit riper. Grand Musigny Haut: A glowing mid purple. A lovely tensile strength, not so evidently ripe, but correctly so, red to dark red in fruit. Good acidity, and fairly complete. Grand Musigny Bas: Glowing purple perhaps fractionally deeper than the upper part. The nose is less extrovert but clearly has superb class and a poised density. The sense of completeness of GM Haut but noticeably more intense through the mid palate. The fruit is a fraction riper, perfectly so, with a few suggestions of dark raspberry in the fruit. Very persistent indeed and a freshness to the finish, enough to make a major wine. I don’t feel it correct to award five stars until I have seen the full blended wine, preferably in bottle, but I certainly don’t rule that out. Drink from 2035-2050. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-100 JMThe 2022 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is very attractive, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, blood orange, rose petals and vine smoke. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and fleshy, with a deep and seamless core of fruit that conceals powdery structuring tannins, concluding with a broad, perfumed finish. If this fulfills all its promise in bottle, it may make my score look conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP