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This has been such an exciting addition to the Luciano Sandrone portfolio. The 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a bigger-styled Barolo with dark fruit, ample oak shadings and generous concentration. Overall, it is a wine of considerable fruit weight, and that richness is reflected in the grippy nature of the young tannins and the very plump and primary nature of the fruit. There is a note of dried Mediterranean herb, or something like a dried chili husk. You need time to tame that bossy tannin. Production is limited to 2,500 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a sexy, opulent Barolo. Although the 2018 does not quite have the pedigree of the best years, it comes pretty close. Succulent dark fruit, clove, gravel, mocha and incense are all front and center. This dense yet mid-weight Barolo will drink well with minimal cellaring.Vinous Media | 96 VMA rich style for the vintage, this dense red exhibits cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and wild herb aromas and flavors. Ripe and spicy, with a vibrant structure and a wide swath of tannins on the energetic finish. Still needs time. Best from 2026 through 2043. 208 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSForest floor, new leather, blue flower and exotic brown spice aromas come to the forefront on the deeply-hued 2018 Vite Talin along with whiffs of crushed mint. Full-bodied and firmly structured, the still rather austere palate offers layers of dried cherry, prune, bitter orange, licorice and tobacco before closing on a note recalling almond liqueur. A backbone of tightly knit, fine-grained tannins provides support. Drink 2028–2038. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOGrown on the top of the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, this wine bowls out of the glass with aromas of black cherry, crushed raspberries, black tea and a melange of spices. Driven, polished and well-crafted, the palate is firm yet the generous fruit shines through as savory herbs and compelling hints of earth peek through, giving insight into how the wine will age. Drink now through 2045.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe aromas of dark fruit, mushrooms, tar and and asphalt come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with integrated and polished tannins and a savory and juicy finish. Already open and very drinkable, but it will age nicely. Better from 2026 and onward.James Suckling | 94 JS

Like the Clos de Vougeot, here too there is an initial note of bourgeon de cassis though considerable eventually coaxes the intensely floral-suffused aromas of spicy jasmine tea, orange peel and dark berries to reveal themselves. There is stunningly good power and intensity to the backward broad-shouldered flavors that brim with an abundance of dry extract and an almost pungent minerality on the precise, dusty and gorgeously long finish that is just a bit more structured. This is seriously good juice with the potential to match. (Drink starting 2039)Burghound | 97 BHThe 2019 Richebourg Grand Cru is much more backward on the nose compared to the outgoing Romanée-Saint-Vivant, offering dark berry fruit, cold wet limestone, briar and hints of iris flower, but showing fabulous delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannins framing extraordinary pure black fruit suffused with even more mineralité than the aforementioned RSV. It fans out wonderfully on the finish and asserts its authority over the rest of Hudelot-Noëllat’s portfolio. Brilliant.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe domaine owns 0.28ha of Richebourg in Les Richebourgs, between Grivot and DRC, that were planted in 1950, with this parcel making a magnificent and monumental wine. This 2019 is still a bit closed initially, but opens with some time on the palate to show great depth of fruit, despite a very firm structure and massive extract. Less exotic and forward than the wine made by the proprietors on either side, but equally compelling. Drinking Window 2024 - 2049.Decanter | 95 DEC

(Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru Red) An expressive nose is comprised by notes of freshly sliced plum, red cherry, soy, hoisin and discreet hints of sandalwood. There is excellent power and intensity to the focused and beautifully textured, indeed even silky, medium weight flavors that deliver outstanding depth and persistence on the impeccably well-balanced and youthfully austere finish. This wonderfully refined effort is at once classy yet impressively punchy and is a wine that should also age effortlessly. A ripe yet still classically styled RSV. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 96 BHThe 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cassis, exotic spices, dark chocolate and rose petals, framed by a deft application of new oak. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, it’s deep and concentrated, with lively acids, broad structural shoulders and a long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, matured in around 50% new oak, has an enthralling, pure black cherry, cassis, crushed violet and blood orange bouquet that soars from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins. Opulent and showy; hints of licorice and mint suffuse the intense finish. It closes up a little toward the finish, but this is a magnificent Romanée-Saint-Vivant that should age over the next 30–40 years.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMThis 0.48ha parcel planted in 1920 is one of the jewels of the estate and is located between Liger-Belair and Jean Mongeard. In 2019, these vines have delivered fruit of superb intensity, with marvellous, fresh blackberry fruit, hints of violets and a savoury edge. On the palate there is impressive density, concentration and a straight line of tannic structure that leads it to a lingering finish. Drinking Window 2024 - 2049.Decanter | 95 DEC

Produced from two parcels, one on the heavier red clay soils and another on the chalky white soil at the top of the slope. The blend is a wine of superb elegance and balance, with notes of cassis and spice on the attack. Although the wine is made using only whole clusters, the ripeness of the stems and the care in the winemaking give density, but not at the expense of finesse. Marvellous. Drinking Window 2029 - 2049.Decanter | 97 DECUnwinding in the glass with scents of rose petals, orange rind, sweet soil tones and red fruits, Dujac’s 2019 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is, as usual, one of the most backward and reserved wines in the range. Full-bodied, bright and tightly wound, it’s vibrant and mineral: the only missing ingredient is time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97+ RP(Domaine Dujac Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) A slightly riper nose is still quite fresh with its aromas of poached plum, violet, rose petal and gentle earth wisps. There is excellent verve to the delineated and tautly muscular broad-shouldered flavors that possess an intrinsic sweetness on the wonderfully complex and superbly long finish that is less austere than usual. With that said, I suspect that this may well shut down once it is in bottle. A potentially great BM. (Drink starting 2036)Burghound | 93-96 BHThe 2019 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a more floral bouquet compared to others, violet and iris petal infusing the mixture of red and blue fruit. Well defined and nicely focused, yet maybe just missing the enthralling complexity of the Clos de la Roche. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple and lithe tannins, beautifully judged acidity with an irresistible silky finish that lingers in the mouth. Hopefully that aromatics will evolve just a little more terroir expression and then you will have a seriously fine Bonnes-Mares.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

For the first time, Maxime Chuerlin decided to use stems in his crown jewel, the 2019 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, settling on 25% whole bunch for this year. This was an astute decision, because it lends freshness and more complexity to the bouquet of blackberry, undergrowth, tobacco and crushed limestone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, hints of peppermint behind the black fruit and touches of white pepper and sage toward a finish that fans out wonderfully. A slam-dunk for Maxime Churlin. Five barrels produced, matured entirely in new oak.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Georges Noëllat Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) In contrast to the expressiveness of the Echézeaux, this is aromatically more restrained and somber and only grudgingly reveals its more floral-suffused aromas of various dark berries, spice and lavender and violet scents. The sleek and impressively intense bigger-bodied flavors are also not especially dense with very good detail, all wrapped in a dusty, somewhat angular and short finish. Note that my score assumes that this become much more harmonious with a few years in bottle as the underlying material appears to be quite good. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 91-93 BH

At Boillot they normally make a single, 350-litre barrel of Montrachet, lightly crushing the fruit before pressing in a basket press. The results in 2019 were absolutely beautiful. Ripe pear and fresh flowers dominate the initial attack. On the palate there is a lovely intensity and richness, with a dense, creamy, buttery texture and huge reserves of substance that will keep this wine ageing for years to come. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 97 DECInterestingly, here the nose resembles a grand cru Chablis with its oyster shell, iodine, quinine, lemon-lime and bee’s wax-scented nose. There is outstanding volume and concentration to the overtly powerful and muscular flavors that are supported by a citrus-tinged and markedly firm acid spine that also shapes the cuts-like-a-knife finale. As the length of my initial projected drinking window suggests, it would be pointless to open this beauty before it has at least a decade of aging as it should easily repay two of them. In sum, this is quite simply stunningly good. (Drink starting 2039)Burghound | 97 BHNotes of orange oil, pear, peach, yellow apples, fresh bread and nutmeg introduce Boillot’s 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru, a full-bodied, satiny and concentrated wine that’s textural and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, lively acids and a long, expansive finish. More tightly wound than the demonstrative 2018, his is a superb effort that will reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

(Mazy-Chambertin- Domaine Joseph Roty) The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin is utterly brilliant. The bouquet is pure, precise and beautifully sappy in personality, soaring from the glass in a mix of black cherries, cassis, smoked meats, very complex, dark soil tones, woodsmoke, those savory elements particular to Mazy’s terroir, coffee bean and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with a beautiful core of fruit, stunning mineral drive, ripe, buried tannins and a very, very long, complex and seamless finish. A great, great wine in the making. (Drink between 2035-2120)John Gilman | 98 JGThe 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of wild berries, plums, rose petals, loamy soil, black truffles and smoked meats. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s a fleshy, textural wine with terrific concentration, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It’s one of the high points of the range.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru has an almost confit-like bouquet, wild strawberry intermingling with crème de cassis and incense, plus just a touch of melted tar. The fresh palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Quite oaky on the finish (100% new); this will require several years to assimilate.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM(Domaine Joseph Roty Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) Discreet though not imperceptible wood sets off the very spicy and smoky liqueur-like aromas of mostly dark berries that are liberally laced with notes of the sauvage and warm earth. The caressing but imposingly powerful big-bodied flavors brim with both minerality and sappy dry extract that buffers the super-saline finish that goes on and on and where the wood telegraphed by the nose gradually reemerges. This is a robust, even slightly rustic, Mazy that should comfortably reward 15+ years of cellaring. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 93 BH

Leflaive owns four contiguous parcels in the center of BBM that total 1.15 hectares, nearly half of the appellation. The vines lie just down the slope from one of their four Bâtard parcels. In 2019, Leflaive began their harvest on September 11th. The Bienvenues has retained a rewarding freshness, with a forward fruit that has both tropical and citrus elements and plenty of floral notes. The texture is lively but supple; there is plenty of fresh acidity that brings a pleasant energy to the wine. This should age for decades to come. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECUnwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, pear, hazelnuts and dried white flowers, framed by a deft touch of youthful reduction, the 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, its concentrated core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky extract. Like the Pucelles, this is precise and fine boned, but it’s also more muscular and intense.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is cut from a similar cloth to the Les Pucelles on the nose: reserved, mineral-driven with hints of orange blossom emerging with time, later more Granny Smith apples. The palate is strict and precise, demonstrating impressive weight, especially towards the back end. Maybe not quite as complex as the best of Leflaive’s Premier Cru, though it is extremely pesistent with a long ginger-tinged aftertaste. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 94 VMThis lemon- and apple-flavored white is underlined by an oyster shell, iodine element. Complex and balanced, offering baking spice accents and a fine lingering finish of lemon and minerality on an open-knit frame. Best from 2024Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru White) Here the equally beautiful nose is quite similar to that of the Pucelles save for being much more restrained. Cool, pure and almost painfully intense flavors possess the same sleek, sophisticated and graceful texture as well as even better persistence on the youthfully austere, compact and wonderfully complex finale. This is a stunner of a Bienvenues. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 94-96 BH

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru is more timid on the nose following on from the Les Combettes and this needed more encouragement from the glass. Cold stone, granite and flint aromas are the order of the day, very well defined and precise. The palate is very concentrated with a lot of grip, the volume of this Les Pucelles towards the finish, energetic and very persistent in the mouth. This is another electrifying Puligny ‘19 from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 95+ VMThrilling wine. Leflaive owns three parcels in Les Pucelles at the northern tip of Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet at the center of the vineyard. The mature vines deliver a perfumed, almost exotic fruit character with notes of spice and hazelnut. Still, there is also a bright lemony freshness to the wine and a lovely salty mineral finish that lift it to another plane and will allow it to continue improving for decades. The most compelling of the premiers crus from Leflaive. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 95 DECFiner boned and less concentrated than the extraordinary Combettes, the 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles offers up aromas of peach, orange zest, white flowers, freshly baked bread and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, saline and chiseled, this might just be a little shy after bottling, but on first encounter, it doesn’t dominate Leflaive’s range of premiers crus to the extent that it usually does.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPProminent notes of honeysuckle and passion fruit are laced with a variety of spice and citrus elements. There is good richness and an abundance of dry extract to the strikingly refined flavors that possess a gorgeous mouthfeel while delivering flat out superb length on the balanced finale. This is very classy juice that should basically age for as long as anyone would reasonably like. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 93-96 BH

Holding back initially, this wine simply needs more time in bottle, and I have adjusted the drinking window accordingly. The 2019 Le Pergole Torte is a long-term proposition showing initial stirrings of tart cherry fruit, plum, licorice, tobacco and crushed stone. There is a pretty floral tone of violet or rosemary flower even now. Winemaking takes this special selection of 100% Sangiovese though cement and Allier and Slavonian oak. The balanced acidity stands out nicely. There are 29,000 bottles of the 2019 vintage, and I recommend you put yours in the cellar for five to 10 more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Le Pergole Torte is all class and refinement. At the same time, the 2019 is quite reticent at this stage. In this tasting, the Pergole Torte comes across as more refined and aromatically expressive than the Montevertine, with lovely brightness driving the red berry fruit. Elegant and sophisticated, the 2019 is a wine to treasure for the next several decades. Time in the glass brings out the floral upper register and red Sangiovese fruit of Pergole Torte.Vinous Media | 97 VM

The Pieve Santa Restituta 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille reveals a finely chiseled quality, with direct and lifted fruit, that gives this wine an angular or delineated personality. This impression is reinforced by delicate mineral notes of crushed stone that fold into dark fruit, sweet plum, black cherry and earthy iris root. The wine is elegant, but it also shows lots of umami or textural deliciousness thanks to the natural ripeness and concentration of the fruit. Give this wine more time in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPExtremely perfumed and intense with lilacs, violets, purple fruits and black cherries. Full-bodied and very structured with punchy tannins that give this great length and intensity. This is a great one for the cellar. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille is dark and youthfully inward, forcing the taster to work with its brooding blend of blackberries, sage and crushed stone. This displays textures of pure silk, polished and refined, with a dense textural wave of tart red and black fruits underscored by saline minerals and exotic spice. Orange notes add contrast through the close as this finishes tannic and long, with a pleasantly chewy sensation and angular tannins that pinch the cheeks. The 2019 is a dark stallion of a Brunello, all muscle and meat, that will take many years of cellaring to show its best. That said, it will be worth the wait.Vinous Media | 96 VMBalsamic aromas of camphor mingle with new leather, cedar, blue flower and underbrush on the brooding 2019 Sugarille. Showing more structure than the Rennina but still endowed with the firm’s hallmark of elegance, it delivers ripe black cherry, blood orange licorice and tobacco framed in tightly-woven, close grained tannins that give it a velvety texture. Drink 2039–2044. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOTo complete Angelo Gaja’s comparison with his Langhe wines, he likens Sugarille to Barolo (as opposed to the Rennina, which he equates with Barbaresco). Powerfully constructed, this will appeal to drinkers seeking a vigorous style of Brunello. Sweet oak spice and plum take on earthy forest undertones. It’s ample and expansive in fruit, yet austere and tight in structure: dark cherry and plum hang off steely, vertical grape tannins. Thicker wood tannins build through the core but crisp acidity offsets the dense structure, and medicinal herbs are tucked into its layers. This becomes increasingly firmer as it sits in the glass, and will need a whole lot of time.Decanter | 95 DEC

Bottling in summer 2021, the 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plums mingled with hints of licorice, cinnamon, red fruit compote and orange rind. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s muscular and textural, with broad shoulders and a deep, layered core of fruit. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this is the most powerful wine in the range, and it will require the most patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPPonsot is the largest landowner here, with old vines whose average age is 65 years. Everything at Ponsot is calculated for maximum purity of expression: the fruit is completely destemmed, extraction is gentle and no new casks are used in the maturation. The results in 2019 are absolutely marvellous, with lush dark plum and cassis fruit, alongside savoury, earthy accents. The texture is silky, dense and long. A monumental wine. Drinking Window 2029 - 2049.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) A cool, pure and highly complex nose combines aromas of essence of plum liqueur, black cherry, violet, earth and plenty of spice components. The sense of refinement continues on the sleek, succulent and almost lacy mineral-driven and wonderfully textured medium weight flavors that deliver superb persistence on the exceptionally firm, beautifully balanced and youthfully austere finale. It’s not all the time that Clos de la Roche is described as a wine of class, but in 2019, this wine has that highly desirable attribute. In a word, terrific. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 96 BH

The 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more powerful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, ripe citrus fruit, peach, buttery pastry and baking spices. Full-bodied, satiny and multidimensional, it’s a broad, muscular wine with racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more backward on the nose compared to the Bienvenue at the moment despite rigorous coaxing. The palate has impressive weight and density, perhaps less finesse than the more approachable Bienvenue at the moment but with more aging potential. It feels long on the saline finish, but it’s surly at this early stage.Vinous Media | 96 VMMid lemon yellow. The bouquet also takes time to emerge, then shows a little more power than the Bienvenues. The oak is a fraction more present but still superbly integrated. The taffeta texture could not possibly have more tensile strength, with an exemplary purity of fruit. To have so much power (not in an alcoholic sense) and yet so much grape. Little light fresh apple notes to finish. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMA sleek, lemon-infused version, with a linear profile and racy structure delineating the lemon, peach, green apple, mineral and spice flavors. Remains lean and steely, with a long, spicy finish. Best from 2026 through 2037. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice - if you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95-97 BH

As is often the case when young, this displays prominent mineral reduction scents that add breadth to the wonderfully spicy nose of acacia blossom, carnation, exotic tea and just grated lemon zest. The super-sleek and citrus-tinged big-bodied flavors brim with both minerality and dry extract while delivering stunningly good length on the bone-dry, moderately austere and strikingly long finish. Though not completely impenetrable today, it’s close and this is definitely a ’buy and forget you own it’ for at least 10 years and 12 to 15 would be better. Brilliant.Burghound | 97 BH

An exquisite wine, the nose is almost delicate, with ripe apple and floral notes, and the texture of the wine is astonishingly crisp and fine. There is nothing heavy here and the finish lingers seductively. Rich, typical Bâtard, but with uncommon elegance. Picked on the 24th of August, and the early picking date worked well here. The grapes were lightly crushed and then fermented in cask (40% new).Decanter | 96 DECAn overtly floral-suffused nose speaks of white orchard fruit, star anise, citrus confit and a subtle exotic tea nuance. The sleek and borderline painfully intense big-bodied flavors possess excellent mid-palate concentration before terminating in a very compact, tightly wound and hugely long finale. This is very backward and almost raw in how primary it is and as such, it would be largely pointless to open a bottle before at least 5 years of age. This beauty possess first-rate potential provided you have the patience.Burghound | 95 BHPale lemon and lime. The bouquet shows all the majesty of this vineyard without the over-ripeness which I have found in some past vintages. 29 hl/ha. Superb intensity with a measured ripeness of fruit from these 48 year old vines, which are ploughed by a horse named Croesus. Stretches out beautifully at the back, with some peachier notes at the finish. Really very persistent indeed. Excellent. Tasted Nov 2021.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JM

The 2020 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru is consistent with my previous tasting in January. Exquisite definition on the nose, real mineralité here. The palate is intense and penetrating, touches of orange zest and spice building wonderfully towards the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 97 VM

Pale lemon colour. Very little nose as yet, too early perhaps for a wine of this potential power – which it certainly has on the palate, and very good acidity as well. The immense square of fruit in the mouth doesn’t yet show specific flavours but everything hangs together impressively for what will be an imposing Bâtard. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 97-99 JMIt is classic Bâtard, rich and almost honeyed. The wine avoids heaviness, however, and simply tends toward the richer side of the spectrum. This is made from fruit purchased from the Puligny side, most of it from very old vines. It is done in large, double-sized casks to reduce the influence of the wood.Decanter | 94 DECAromas of buttery orchard fruit, citrus zest and stone fruit mingle with hints of white flowers and freshly baked bread to introduce the 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Maison Louis Jadot), a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s taut and structured, with racy acids and fine depth at the core. This, too, shows plenty of promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPHere too there is a subtle application of wood framing the beautifully layered nose of white peach, carnation, citrus confit and a plethora of spice wisps. There is a bit more size, weight and volume to the solid concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the palate staining, powerful and impressively persistent finish. This is also quite tightly wound and packed with development potential. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has more attack and penetration compared to the Bienvenue, greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is finely balanced with plenty of ripe citrus fruit laced with stem ginger and dried orange rind. Perhaps it just cuts away a little swiftly on the finish, but otherwise this is a decent 2020 white. Closure: DiamVinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2020 Musigny Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with red cherries, blackcurrant, touches of animal fur and black truffle - very complex and intense. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, wonderful depth and cohesion, the acidity perfectly judged. The 30-40% stems here lends a discrete peppery note on the finish to what is one of the best Musigny that I have tasted from Jadot in recent years. Stunning.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMThere are two barrels of the magical 2020 Musigny Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot), a striking wine that soars from the glass with scents of blood orange, rose petals, wild berries, sweet soil tones and musk. Full-bodied, ample and enveloping, it’s vibrant and multidimensional, with a deep, layered core and a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(Maison Louis Jadot Musigny Grand Cru Red) Much like the Amoureuses, the dazzling nose of plum, black raspberry and floral scents is super-spicy with its combination of anise, sandalwood, clove, hoisin and dried orange peel nuances. There is both outstanding volume and even better intensity to the more mineral-driven, concentrated and focused flavors that exude a touch of bitter pit fruit character on the hugely long, balanced and highly complex finale. This is very classy juice that should age gracefully for the better part of two decades. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 93-96 BH

This is distinctly floral, with peach, lime blossom, citronella and mineral aromas and flavors. Sleek and elegant, offering intensity through the lingering aftertaste of lemon and orchard fruits. Shows terrific length and harmony. Best from 2026 through 2036. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA suggestion of the exotic is present on the aromas of citrus confit, white peach, passion fruit and pretty floral nuances. While the larger-scaled flavors possess a bit more size and weight, they’re actually slightly finer, though not denser, than those of the BBM while delivering outstanding length on the bone-dry, youthfully austere and decidedly built-to-age finale that exhibits first-rate length. This is a Ramonet Bâtard of relative finesse though to be sure, it does not lack for punch or potential longevity. I quite like this as it’s stylish and even classy, which isn’t an adjective always applied to Bâtard.Burghound | 96 BH

Perfumed nose, full of pot pourri, scented flowers, dried raspberries and cherries. Really quite evocative, maybe in a vertical you’d pick this out from the nose but it smells wonderful and rich with cool blueberries. Round and charming, this is gorgeously soft, tannins are so inviting, caressing the mouth, not deep at all, this is delicate and primed to float across the tongue, registering the flavours but no heaviness. Almost ethereal in its performance. Really very delicious, full of flavour and character. Gorgeous styling and only got better after half an hour in the glass. Succulent, mineral, graphite, limestone touches on the finish remind you where you are.Decanter | 97 DECFull-bodied, but so elegant and fresh, with a silky, elegant tannin texture. Very deep and expansive. Lots going on already with plenty of perfume. Blueberries, cloves, lavender and some wild-berry notes. Dark cocoa, too. Some espresso character at the end. Wonderful interplay of spices and fruit. Long. It keeps going.James Suckling | 96-97 JSWith 65% Cabernet Franc, this is a structured wine. Fine perfumes show in the sandalwood and toast aromas, and this luscious wine is dense and solid with tannins for aging. It is concentrated, but with elegance and a bold freshness at the end. Drink from 2028. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone has a deep garnet-purple color. It storms out of the glass with an initial burst of juicy black plums, blackberries, and Bing cherries, leading to an undercurrent of fragrant soil, wet slate, lilacs, and tar, with a touch of bay leaves. The light-bodied palate has impressive intensity and tension, featuring a frame of beautifully ripe, rounded tannins to support the tightly stacked black and red berry layers, finishing long and mineral-laced. Around 16,000 bottles were made.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Ausone is a gorgeous wine, but it is also quite reticent and in need of time to come around. The operative word here is balance, as all the elements are so well put together. Soft, gentle contours wrap around a core of succulent red/purplish fruit, blood orange, spice, lavender, rose petal and dried herbs. The 2021 is compelling.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2021 Ausone was the fruit of a challenging growing season, the estate’s second year in organic conversion coinciding with notable diseases pressure, but the resulting blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot (featuring a touch more Cabernet Franc than normal) was one of the most seductive wines of the en primeur campaign, its exotic perfume and crystalline purity evoking the great Ausone vintages of yesteryear and offering an unvarnished representation of this superb limestone terroir. In bottle, the 2021 remains an excellent wine, but at least out of the gates, its élevage (in 90% new oak, predominantly from Demptos and Taransaud, with four rackings) has taken the lead, intermingling aromas of vanilla, spices and toast with discreet notes of minty dark berries, cherries, petals and pencil shavings. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with an ample and enveloping core of fruit that retains its energy and purity but which gives way to a finish marked by somewhat assertive barrel tannins. Given the inherent quality of the wine and the terroir, I’m sure time will be kind to it, but I’m not quite sure it will ever realize the magical potential it showed in April 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe Grand Vin 2021 Château Ausone is Cabernet Franc-dominated, made from 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot that saw the same 20 months in 90% new French oak. It offers classic notes of redcurrants, cassis, iron, spicy wood, and graphite, with hints of tobacco and thyme in the background. Rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and tight on the palate, it has beautiful mid-palate depth, ripe, balanced yet present tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It will need 7-8 years, if not a decade, to hit maturity but is a beautiful, elegant, gorgeous Ausone that will be one of the longest-lived in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD