Red Burgundy Wines

wines

The 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux has gained in depth and dimension with élevage and showed very well from bottle, unfurling in the glass with an expressive, youthfully fruit-driven bouquet of raspberries, cherries, candied peel and rose petals, framed by a subtle touch of new oak. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, with succulent acids and elegant tannins. While this isn’t as rich, muscular or gourmand as the 2018, it’s an immensely seductive wine that will drink well comparatively young—though readers should still plan on exercising at least a decade’s patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPaul Zanetti tends to make two different cuvées from the Clos des Epeneaux, one from younger vines and one from the older, left side of the premier cru, planted between 65 and 98 years ago. The combination in bottle is definitely more than the sum of its parts. This is not a blockbuster vintage for what can be an ageworthy wine, but it’s still appealing in a lighter, more approachable mode, with some tannic grip but lots of perfume, finesse and succulent berry sweetness. Drinking Window 2024 - 2029Decanter | 94 DEC(Domaine Comte Armand/Clos des Epeneaux Pommard "Clos des Epeneaux" 1er Cru Red) There is still just enough wood present to merit mentioning as it frames the herbal tea-inflected blend of both red and dark currant scents that are cut with leather and underbrush nuances. The supple medium-bodied flavors possess reasonable though not distinguished mid-palate concentration before terminating in a lingering if slightly attenuated finish. The supporting tannins are sufficiently firm that this youthfully austere effort will need at least a few more years of keeping first. A Clos des Epeneaux of relative finesse. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 91 BH

The older vines in de Vogüé’s extensive 7.2ha in Musigny date back to 1953 and make a wine that’s considerably weightier than the young-vine cuvée. This is very deep and intense in colour, exhibiting layers of dark bramble and black cherry flavours and a backbone of precise, chalky, mouthwatering acidity. A wine that needs time to digest its 35% new wood. Drinking Window 2026 - 2037Decanter | 96 DECThe 2017 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is complex and well defined on the nose, where touches of iodine and wild heather infuse the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly grainy texture; notes of black truffle and fresh fig complement a fruit profile that welcomes more red fruit toward the finish. Hints of white pepper and sage linger on the aftertaste. This is certainly beginning to close up in bottle, so allow a decade if you can for this Musigny to show what it is capable of.Vinous Media | 95 VMAn openly exotic nose offers glimpses of black cherry liqueur, ginger, Asian-style tea, sandalwood and orange peel. The tighter and much more mineral-driven big-bodied flavors also possess evident muscle on the powerful and dense yet beautifully refined finish that goes on and on. This is also a bit less structured though with that said, this is going to need at least 15 years to reach its apogee. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2017 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is showing very well indeed, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, rose petal, warm spices and orange rind, framed by creamy new wood. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and velvety, with the greatest depth and dimension of any wine in the cellar, displaying excellent energy and completeness, and distinguished above all by striking length on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RP(Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”- Domaine de Comte de Georges de Vogüé) The 2017 Musigny old vine bottling was quite hunkered down after its recent racking, but though it was not as expressive as the Bonnes-Mares on this particular day, it showed good underlying soil signature and seemed to only be in need of more time out from the racking for everything to snap back into proper place. The wine certainly has lovely fruit elements in its mix of sappy black cherries and plums, complex soil tones, woodsmoke, gamebird, violets and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a good sappy core of black fruit, fine-grained tannins and lovely length and grip on the refined and quite soil-driven finish. This wine is not as precise as is customary (and which has to be a reflection of the post-racking period in which I tasted it), but there are really good elements here and if they all fall back into place properly, it will be a lovely wine. (Drink between 2030-2080)John Gilman | 93-95 JG

For the third vintage in a row, this 0.32ha plot, ranging in age between 60 and 80 years, has produced the best wine at the domaine. It's a stunning grand cru that was deceptively easy to taste from barrel. Elegant, refined and sensuous, it's a soprano of a wine with beautifully pitched chalky precision, a hint of earth and subtle wild strawberry fruit. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru has a showstopping, persistent bouquet of intense blackberry, sous-bois and crushed stone. The supremely well-balanced palate offers filigreed tannin, wonderful mineralité and an otherworldly-long finish. One of the most elegant Richebourgs that I have tasted. Best Richebourg in show this year? Quite possibly. Six barrels produced.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg Grand Cru Red) The elegant, airy and beautifully perfumed nose offers up notes of sandalwood, anise, clove, herbal tea and plenty of floral influences. There is excellent delineation and minerality to the solidly concentrated, indeed even muscular, large-scaled flavors that culminate in an incredibly long if very, very backward, austere and compact finale. This Zen-like effort is going to require an extended snooze in a cool cellar and as such, it's a wine to buy and forget that you own it for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2032).Burghound | 95 BHThe king of the cellar is the 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru, a decidedly promising wine that wafts from the glass with notes of rose petal, dark wild berries, smoke, Asian spices, espresso roast, licorice and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, its satiny structuring tannins cloaked in succulent, fleshy fruit, its finish long and vibrant. The Richebourg stands apart for its amplitude and completeness this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-96 RP

The Dujac holdings in this large and heterogeneous Gevrey grand cru are divided between four blocks, totalling 0.75ha and planted in the 1950s and 1970s. This is a very smart expression of the terroir, showing notes of Asian spices, dense, savoury fruit flavours and sappy, fine-boned tannins. The oak integration is quite brilliant here. Drinking Window 2025 - 2032.Decanter | 96 DEC(Charmes-Chambertin- Domaine Dujac) When Jeremy moved from the Echézeaux to the Clos St. Denis in our tasting progression, I asked why the Charmes was going to be served out of its customary place in the rotation. He responded that “I really, really like the Charmes this year and we will see if my faith in the wine has been misplaced.” However, not surprisingly, when we got to the wine, Jeremy’s impressions were vindicated and the wine showed stellar potential- even hard on the heels of the great Clos de la Roche! The bouquet is pure and simply outstanding in 2017, offering up scents of red and black cherries, black plums, a very complex base of soil, gentle meatiness, woodsmoke, raw cocoa and cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and rock solid at the core with sappy fruit, excellent focus and grip, fine-grained tannins and a very long, soil-driven and complex finish. I am not sure I have ever tasted a better young vintage of Charmes-Chambertin from Domaine Dujac. (Drink between 2027-2075).John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is showing brilliantly from bottle, bursting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, cassis, orange rind, spices, black truffle, espresso roast and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and mouthfilling, with a layered and nicely concentrated core, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long and expansive finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP(Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) The sauvage-suffused nose reflects a discreet touch of wood on the cool and pure essence of red berry fruit nose that projects plenty of floral, earth, forest floor and anise elements. The rich and muscular medium weight plus flavors display touches of salinity and youthful austerity on the otherwise sneaky long but compact finish. This isn't elegant or especially dense but it is a relatively dense 2017 and one that should age well. (Drink starting 2029).Burghound | 91 BH

The La Tâche was the palest of all the DRC 2017s, almost to the point of transparency. This is a floral, open knit expression of the monopoly Grand Cru, which is very far from being a blockbuster this year. Scented and appealing, with notes of avatar of roses, fresh leather and peat smoke on the nose, lots of whole bunch spice and structure, racy acidity, a hint of salinity, succulent red berry fruit and remarkable palate length. A layered, understated red. Drinking Window 2029 - 2037.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2017 La Tâche Grand Cru is another of the more expressive wines in the range. It opens with striking mid-palate pliancy and also possesses a level of inner sweetness the other wines don’t have, and yet there is plenty of the tannic clout that defines the Richebourg as well. Time in the glass allows all of those elements to emerge fully, especially the aromatics that are such a La Tâche signature. Creamy, ample and wonderfully expressive, 2017 is superb today. I would cellar the 2017 for at least a few years, even if it is incredibly alluring right now. Harvest took place on September 6 and 7.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Red) Other than perhaps a great Musigny, La Tâche is the most aromatically compelling wine in Burgundy with its perfumed fireworks in a glass with a nose that is ultra-spicy, exuberantly fresh and impressively broad-ranging array of rose petal, exotic and herbal tea, lavender, plum, violet, sandalwood, soy and a whiff of hoisin. There is a beguiling sense of underlying tension to the supple and almost easy-going mid-palate of the deceptively forward medium-bodied flavors that progressively tighten up on the dusty, exceptionally stony and saline if ever-so-mildly warm finish that flashes excellent depth and superb persistence as well as plenty of youthful austerity. This is a La Tâche of contrasts as the mid-palate suggests early accessibility yet the firm core of tannins makes clear that the 2017 LT will require extended keeping if you wish to experience it at its peak. (Drink starting 2037).Burghound | 96 BHWhile the 2017 La Tâche Grand Cru is one of the most approachable recent vintages of this great monopole, it's still really too soon to be opening bottles. However, these things happen, and it's certainly a striking wine, unwinding in the glass with detailed aromas of wild berries, plums, exotic spices, orange, rose petals, peony and coniferous forest floor. Full-bodied, satiny and seamless, its beautifully refined tannins and succulent acids are cloaked in an ample core of fruit. Like many of the best 2017s, its charm is deceptive, as there's a lot waiting in reserve here, and even a few years' patience will bear dividends.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAs usual, La Tâche is altogether bigger, denser and darker in its fruit expression. Black currant, black cherry, licorice, spice and earth notes ply the vibrant profile as this builds to a long finish (96 points, non-blind)Wine Spectator | 96 WS

(Chambertin “Clos de Bèze”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2017 Clos de Bèze from Domaine Rousseau is an equally compelling wine in the making, but it is a bit the inverse right now of the Chambertin, as it is a bit more reserved on its youthful nose, but more open and flamboyant on the palate. The bouquet is very, very pure, precise and promising, offering up scents of red and black raspberries, cherries, raw cocoa, a very complex base of minerality, lovely spice tones and a very well-done framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with superb transparency and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and a very long, very energetic and vibrant finish. The wine is already suave and caressing on the attack, with all of this sappy reserve at the core and yet, it finishes completely defined by its complex minerality. A great wine. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 98 JG(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Red) While the wood treatment is certainly evident it remains reasonably subtle on the overtly cool and restrained nose that is markedly spicy with its broad-ranging combination of exuberantly fresh aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, rose petal, violet, plum and a suggestion of earth. There is excellent power and punch to the large-scaled flavors that are a combination of power and refinement while being blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive quality to the mouthcoating, hugely long and firmly structured and chiseled finish. While the Chambertin appears to have a slight edge at this very early juncture due to having slightly better complexity, it's going to be interesting in 20 to 25 years' time to see which is the better wine! (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 96 BHSumptuously oaked and always poured last in any tasting at Domaine Rousseau, this is riper and plusher than the straight Chambertin bottling, with the power and density to age well, framed by 100% new wood and showing a bloody, ferrous undertone. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2017 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has quite a high-toned bouquet, a touch of boot polish coming through and then receding to reveal very complex floral aromas. The elegant palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, perfect acidity and fine proportion. Maybe it is missing a little weight on the back end, but it is still a refined Clos-de-Bèze that will age with grace. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2017 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru bursts from the glass with extroverted aromas of dark, plummy fruits that mingle with notes of chocolate, licorice, sweet oak spice, grilled meats and espresso. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and ample with broad shoulders, a generous core of fruit and more mid-palate amplitude and tannic bite than the Chambertin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP

The 2018 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is even darker than the Bonnes-Mares. It has a spectacular bouquet of intense black fruit, blueberries and shucked oyster shells, the mineralité heightened over the Bonnes-Mares and lending a great deal of precision. The palate is medium-bodied with blueberry, boysenberry and black currant fruit, extraordinary tension, razor-sharp acidity and a dash of white pepper on the crystalline finish. One of the finest Musignys I have tasted from barrel at de Vogüé.Vinous Media | 97-99 VM(Domaine Comte de Vogüé Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) A ripe and super-fresh nose offers up notes of black raspberry, plum liqueur, Asian-style tea and a whiff of incense. The racy, intense and mineral-driven big-bodied flavors retain outstanding delineation as well as an abundance of palate soaking dry extract before delivering stunningly good length where an interesting hint of citrus character in the form of mandarin orange appears. This incredibly powerful effort is both classy and highly complex and like the Bonnes Mares, is a wine that will live for decades. With that said, it’s not so backward and compact to preclude it being approachable after only 10 to 12 years. A knockout by any standard. (Drink starting 2043)Burghound | 97 BHAll the vines that are used to produce this extensive cuvée of Musigny are over 25 years’ old, so it always has good concentration. But in 2018, it’s an especially big, dense, powerful wine with masses of inky colour, assertive one-third new oak, plenty of plush bramble and black cherry fruit, undertones of sweet spices and liquorice and a chalky flourish. Needs time. Drinking Window 2026 - 2033.Decanter | 95 DEC(Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”- Domaine de Comte de Georges de Vogüé) The 2018 Musigny Vieilles Vignes was also in fine form at the time of my visit, as the racking for this cuvée was just starting and there were plenty of untouched casks to choose from for sampling. The wine is very deep and still very primary on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a sappy blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, dark chocolate, gamebird, woodsmoke, soil and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off excellent mid-palate depth of sappy fruit, with good mineral drive, ripe, seamless and buried tannins, fine focus and grip and a long, focused and classy finish. All this needs is time in the cellar! (Drink between 2038-2085).John Gilman | 95 JG

The 2018 Musigny Grand Cru is matured entirely in new oak. During racking in July, it was decided that one of the two barrels was too toasty, and so the wine was racked into a used Bonnes-Mares barrel. It has a compelling bouquet of intense blackberry, raspberry and floral aromas that seem to explode from the glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine, supple tannins. I adore the symmetry of this Musigny and the panache it exudes toward the very long finish. This is one of the best the domaine has produced. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM(Domaine Drouhin-Laroze Musigny Grand Cru Red) Very generous wood again fights with the spicy and ripe red and dark currant aromas that are cut with pretty floral wisps. There is excellent richness to the punchy and wonderfully textured medium weight flavors that flash good minerality on the somewhat dry and spiky finish that avoids being tough though it would be fair to observe that this is not an elegant version of the appellation. Once again, this is not without interest but the balance isn’t what it could be and whether it will ameliorate in time is an open question but I doubt it. (Drink starting 2035).Burghound | 90-92 BH

Diana Snowden-Seysses describes this as a 'spectacular' Clos de la Roche and no one who's tasted the wine would accuse her of hyperbole. Bolder and more concentrated than Dujac's Clos St Denis, this has impressive weight and fruit concentration, 75% whole bunches and 70% new wood. Plush, sweet and intense with notes of black tea and Asian spices. Drinking Window 2026 - 2038.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is probably now just a step ahead of the Clos Saint-Denis on the nose: stunning violet-infused red fruit with veins of blueberry that unfold exquisitely. The palate is silky smooth in texture, lightly spiced with a cornucopia of mineral-driven red fruit that convey just the right degree of flamboyance. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 97 VMUnfurling in the glass with aromas of sweet berry fruit, dark chocolate, rose petals, orange rind, burning embers and spices, the 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is full-bodied, layered and muscular, with a deep, concentrated and multidimensional core that's framed by rich, powdery tannins and impressively lively acids. This is a dramatic wine that hasn't yet shut down, but I wouldn't plan on opening bottles for at least a dozen years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Red) Discreet but not imperceptible wood and menthol characters set off very ripe liqueur-like aromas of black raspberry, cassis, floral and plenty of sauvage nuances. The sleekly textured and impressively intense large-scaled flavors possess evident power on the dusty, serious and palate coating finish that is definitely quite grippy and a bit coarse, indeed even a bit chewy. I like the overall fruit/tannin/sap balance and while it will take extended bottle age, this borderline massive wine should eventually mature into a magnificent CdlR. (Drink starting 2038).Burghound | 95 BH(Clos de la Roche- Domaine Dujac) The 2018 Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche is another gorgeous example of the vintage. The nose is pure, complex and already beautifully refined, offering up a mix of plums, red and black cherries, a refined base of soil tones, gamebird, cocoa powder, mustard seed and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a sappy core of fruit, great backend mineral drive, suave, seamless, but firm tannins and a very, very long, vibrant and promising finish. A great vintage of this iconic cuvée. (Drink between 2032-2085).John Gilman | 95 JG

Sensual’ is the word Véronique Drouhin uses to describe this remarkable wine and there is certainly something fleshy, enticing and engaging about this polished, refined Grand Cru bottling. Made with 40% whole bunches and 30% new wood, it’s bright, perfumed and very silky with lacy tannins and no sign of the heat of the vintage. Decadent stuff. Drinking Window 2026 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2018 Musigny Grand Cru is slightly lighter than the Bonnes-Mares tasted alongside and has a more detailed, precise bouquet of intense blackberry, mulberry, sous-bois and light charcoal aromas that gain power with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, very sensual and seductive. The polished and lightly spiced finish is pure class. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM(Maison Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru Red) A highly restrained nose requires plenty of swirling to coax the super-floral and spicy aromas to reveal nuances of plum liqueur, red cherry and sandalwood. The marvelously refined middle weight flavors possess a beguiling satin-like texture yet there is no lack of punch on the wonderfully long, complex and well-balanced finish. Like the Amoureuses, this stunningly classy effort is a knockout that should also age effortlessly over the long-term. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 94-96 BH

The 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very elegant bouquet that is more poised and detailed than the Charmes-Chambertin, offering black cherries, raspberry and ground gravelly scents; floral notes emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, gorgeous blueberry and strawberry fruit and a silky-smooth, sensual finish that is utterly refined. Stunning.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cherries, raspberries and rose petals, framed by a deft touch of new oak, and on the palate it’s more reserved than the Charmes at this early stage. Medium to full-bodied, deep and elegantly structural, it’s lively and nicely defined, but it will need a bit more time than the Charmes to come around. As readers will remember, Dugat’s vines in Chapelle-Chambertin are located in lieu-dit Les Gémeaux, a site that tends to produce somewhat more structured wines than adjacent lieu-dit La Chapelle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95+ RP(Domaine Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) A riper and more deeply pitched nose is comprised by notes of plum, cassis, violet and discreet earth and spice nuances. The sleek and almost painfully intense big-bodied flavors possess event power and muscle while delivering excellent persistence on the minerally, crunchy and youthfully austere finish. This too is very clearly constructed for the long-term and it’s pointless to buy this without the expectation of aging it properly. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 92-94 BH

The most Vosne-Romanée-like of the Nuits-St-Georges Premiers Crus according to Etienne Grivot, with a character that he identifies as ’a little wild’, Aux Boudots often produces on my favourite wines at the domaine. It’s plush, smooth and glossy all right, with a sheen of aromatic 30% new wood, fine tannins and some underlying bounce and vitality.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECA well of black currant and blueberry mark this sappy, yet beefy red. It’s a tannic Titanic, with a dense, compact finish that echoes the dark fruit, spice and iron notes. The aftertaste is saturated with fruit. Impressive, yet will require time to resolve the tannins. Best from 2025 through 2047. 53 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSHalf the vines were ripped out 5 years ago and will come back into play in 2020 maybe. Bouncing concentrated dark red fruit, not too exuberant on the palate though, an excellent fine-grained tannic structure behind, and exceptional length. This has been picked at optimum ripeness. Tasted Nov 2019.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru comes from the old part of the vineyard, half of which was replanted in spring 2017 (these young vines may reenter this cru next year, or more likely the Bourgogne Rouge until they reach maturity). The crisp, fresh, well-defined bouquet is probably the best among Grivot’s Nuits Saint-Georges this year, reflecting the pedigree of this vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive mineralité and tension, quite "strict" in style but boasting so much coiled-up energy on the finish that you could easily drink it now. This is a superb offering that should age with grace and style over many years.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThis too is quite firmly reduced to the point that it’s unreadable today. Otherwise the less concentrated but finer middle weight flavors exude evident minerality on the tautly muscular bitter cherry-inflected finish that is a bit leaner and less complex. The younger vines are in evidence though to be fair, and clear, this is still a very pretty effort.Burghound | 89-92 BH

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots is showing brilliantly this year, wafting from the glass with a deep-pitched bouquet of cassis, blackberries, spices and dark chocolate. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into a deep and layered core, concluding with a long and penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2018 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru was more backward than the Les Beaumonts and demanded more coaxing to offer raspberry, wild strawberry, sous-bois, touches of morels and light sage aromas, gradually unfolding from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite strict and maybe a little rustic for a Les Suchots, but with fine grip and spiciness toward the finish. This will require 4–5 years to fully meld.Vinous Media | 93+ VMThis is spicier still and a bit riper as well if not quite so elegant on the variety of black berry fruit aromas that are trimmed in very subtle wood. The velvety, generous and extremely rich flavors coat the palate with sappy dry extract on the, robust, muscular and bitter cherry pit-inflected finale. As is usually the case, this is not as refined but it’s definitely more powerful.Burghound | 92 BHSuchots is quite a way further down the slope than Beaumonts and is always a riper wine as a result, which in 2018 gives it a bit more of a roasted character here (again, very reminiscent of a 1990 Vosne), but still with plenty of complexity and breed. The nose wafts from the glass in a mix of roasted cassis, blackberries, roasted meats, dark soil tones, a bit of coffee grounds, bonfire and a topnote of Vosne spices. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely plush at the core, with far more mineral drive on the backend than the nose suggests, good focus and grip and a long, ripely tannic finish. This is a very good bottle in the making and I am sure that some might prefer its more flamboyant style than that of the Beaumonts, but I have a slight preference for the latter. (Drink between 2028 - 2060)John Gilman | 91 JGFrom vines planted in the 1910s, towards the bottom of the vineyard where there is plenty of earth but not down in the dip. Glowing mid purple. Soft and luscious but then with good energy behind and very good length. As always a very discreet wine, and in this case a very fine one. Tasted Nov 2019.Jasper Morris | 91-95 JM

The 2018 Clos de Tart Grand Cru was wonderful from barrel but now it seems to have gone up another level. It has an exquisite bouquet with wonderful mineralité infusing the brambly red fruit. Wonderful focus and quite profound complexity. You could nose this forever. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins married with a killer line of natural acidity. Everything is perfectly proportioned in this wine, very persistent with layers of dark berry fruit laced with white pepper and tea leaf on the finish. Immense. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMDense purple. Succulent ripe fruit, rich cherries, seductive yet not quite too much of a good thing. More oak emerges but in harness with a hugely impressive weight of fruit. This is an absolute baby. A few stems support the profile and while they add a lightly drying touch, this is a monumental wine for the very long term future. Drink from 2035. Tasted Sep 2022.Jasper Morris | 98 JMThe 2018 Clos de Tart demonstrates the superior nature of great terroir and mature vines. This is still a big year with very ripe fruit, but there is more elegance to the grand cru than La Forge de Tarte, the premier cru, and a sophistication that is lacking in the lesser wine. Ripe black cherry and plum fruit with a bit more oak, and some additional mineral nuance, lead gracefully to the powerful but fine-grained texture, impressive density and marvellously balanced finish. Although this does not have the elegance of 2019, it shows how great the ’18s can be with a sensitive hand.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECGentle but perceptible wood is present on the lightly mentholated nose of super-spicy and quite floral essence of poached plum and cassis-scented nose. There is a beguiling sense of underlying tension to the delicious middle weight plus flavors that culminate in a dusty, palate coating and beautifully complex finish that also reveals a touch of warmth. The 2018 Clos de Tart is not quite as concentrated as it usually is, but it still has the stuffing to improve over the next 20 years and it should hold for many years after that. I would also observe that it’s more powerful but less refined than the 2019 version.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2018 Clos de Tart Grand Cru opens in the glass with rich aromas of raspberries, plum preserve, ripe berries, warm spices and rose petals, framed by a generous touch of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s rich, muscular and extracted, with a brooding, introverted profile that will require—and, one hopes, reward—patience. As I wrote last year, this is a powerful, broad-shouldered Clos de Tart that has more in common with the wines of the Pitiot era than it does with what the domaine produced in 2015, 2016, 2017 or 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

This is unusually cool and airy in the context of what is typical in 2018 with its restrained and beautifully layered nose of rose petal, violet, lavender, lilac, sandalwood and soy nuances that add incredible breadth to the mostly red berry-suffused aromas, all of which is trimmed in very subtle oak influence. There is outstanding volume to the big, muscular and robust flavors that also possess focused power where the intensity does a slow build from the mid-palate to the explosively long and decidedly austere finish that just lasts and lasts. This is somewhat less 2018 in style than the prior wines though it is clearly quite ripe. It is also a bit less refined than it usually is, at least at this early stage, though to be fair it is still in its formative stages so we will see how it comes along with more aging. I would observe though that it is already abundantly clear that this is a stunningly great LT; indeed it may well rival the 1999 in time, is going to develop quite slowly over a very long period.Burghound | 99 BHThe grand old lady’ is how Bertrand de Villaine refers to La Tâche, now planted with 50-year-old vines and responsible for one of the great wines of the vintage in 2018, as it so often is. This is a Grand Cru with incredible presence and self-assurance, showing remarkable balance, grace and intensity, the majesty of a great, soaring cathedral, fine texture and flavours of green malt, red berries and autumn leaves. Wonderful stuff.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECA gorgeous rich imperial purple, with savoury characters over and above the others. The aromatics suggest a heart that stretches ever deeper. What a weight of fruit is there, how noble in reason. In a vintage like 2018 the fruit weight completely subdues the tannins, which are always a little bit more evident in La Tâche. The fruit shows this extraordinary dark raspberry character perfectly on the cusp of red and black, anting to be floral at the same time. Pens out from its more vertical style, with a sweetness of fruit to finish. Tasted Nov 2020.Jasper Morris | 98+ JMThe 2018 La Tâche Grand Cru exhibits quite a strong whole-bunch influence on the nose, perhaps a little too much when juxtaposed against the more seamless Richebourg. Scents of black truffle, pressed rose petal and decayed autumn leaves/undergrowth infuse the mainly dark fruit. There is something a little introspective about this nascent La Tâche. The palate is very well balanced with filigreed tannins. A multifaceted wine that leans more to the red side of the fruit spectrum. The silky, saline finish shows wonderful sapidity. Once the aromatics open for business, I have little doubt that this will be an awesome yet quite cerebral La Tâche.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

This is perhaps the spiciest wine in the range with a lovely mix of anise, exotic tea and sandalwood on the deeply pitched dark berry fruit aromas that also evidence a hint of volatile acidity. The rich, full-bodied and mouthcoating big-bodied flavors brim with sappy dry extract before concluding in a grippy and mildly rustic finish that still manages to deliver very good length. (Drink starting 2033)Burghound | 90-93 BH

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

From 0.17 hectares of vine worked by horse and including a large proportion of whole bunch, the 2019 Chambertin Grand Cru has a fragrant bouquet of pure dark cherry, boysenberry, crushed stone and pressed violet aromas. It reminds me of a Clos de la Roche in some ways. The palate is well balanced with fine and quite sturdy tannins. It does not possess the sophistication of the preceding Grands-Echézeaux, but there is good energy on the finish. Very fine. Vinous Media | 91-93 VM(Domaine du Clos Frantin (Nuits St. Georges) - Domaines Albert Bichot Chambertin Grand Cru Red) Here too there is enough wood to mention though not enough to be especially intrusive on the equally good and restrained nose that grudgingly offers up notes of red and dark cherry, sauvage, cool earth and a whiff of game. There is excellent intensity to the dense, powerful and muscular large-scaled flavors that exude an abundance of minerality on the austere, backward and sneaky long finish. This too needs to develop better depth, but the apogee of this wine is so far into the future that more is all but guaranteed to emerge with time. (Drink starting 2039).Burghound | 91-94 BH

This 1.65ha Lamarche monopole next to La Tâche was planted 40 years ago. Lamarche has destemmed the fruit and gently fermented this with an eye toward restraint, before ageing over two winters in cask (80% new). The result has a seductive, pronounced red and black fruit character on the attack, with notes of liquorice and smoke. The wine has pleasant heft, but there are no rough edges or heaviness and the substantial extract is balanced by good, fresh acidity. Lovely in every respect. Drinking Window 2024 - 2049.Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine François Lamarche La Grande Rue Grand Cru Red) An elegant mix of upper and medium register aromas centers mostly on the red side of the fruit spectrum along with hints of exotic tea, spice and pretty floral elements along with a hint of menthol. There is lovely detail and underlying tension to the moderately powerful medium-bodied flavors that possess plenty of punch on the dusty and youthfully austere finish that exhibits first-rate length. This beautifully balanced effort is a lovely combination of power and refinement and a wine that will also need extended aging though not as much as the Grands Ech. (Drink starting 2034).Burghound | 93-95 BHThe 2019 La Grande Rue Grand Cru is aromatically tailored in a similar vein to the domaine’s other Grand Crus: ethereal and floral in style with rose-petal-infused red fruit, the quintessential Pinoté, and hints of crushed rock developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, cohesive and poised, gaining weight with aeration toward a very pixelated finish and leaving a ferrous aftertaste. Very fine, very feminine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM