Red Wines

wines

The 2015 Charmes-Chambertin from Jean-Marie Fourrier was also showing very well at the time of my visit. The bouquet is deep, pure and complex, offering up a very red fruity blend of strawberries, cherries, a touch of orange peel, grilled meat, a fine base of soil tones, raw cocoa and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and very refined in profile, with a lovely core, excellent backend minerality and a very long, focused and ripely tannic finish. Marvelous Charmes in the making. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2015 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the first release from the estate (on the negociant side). It has a slightly smudged but pure kirsch, orange blossom and strawberry-scented bouquet that gains more delineation with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp red cherry and strawberry fruit with a touch of spice on the composed and elegant finish. This is a comely Charmes-Chambertin that is certain to be seductive over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(real Charmes): Dark red. Good violet lift to the black cherry aroma. Not yet hugely complex but rich, juicy and energetic, showing attractive inner-mouth floral lift and excellent definition. At once firm and quite suave. These négociant grand crus from Gevrey were harvested up to nine days later than the Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, noted Fourrier, but today I find a bit less energy in the Amoureuses.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA background application of wood sets off distinctly earthy, forest floor and humus-infused plum and dark currant aromas. There is a really lovely mouth feel to the caressing, round and vibrant flavors that possess fine richness and persistence if not quite the same complexity or persistence. Even so, this is certainly a quality effort.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets was showing very well from bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of raspberry, cherry, spice and orange rind that offer little hint of the savory complexity to come with bottle age. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, structured around juicy acids and a fine-grained but firm chassis of tannins that asserts itself on the finish. Fremiets sits above the Clos des Angles, and its shallower soils tend to issue in wines with notable crunch and tension.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay "Frémiets" 1er Cru Red) A notably ripe nose stops just short of surmaturité while displaying notes of plum, black cherry, earth and a pretty lashing of spice elements. There is a bit more size, weight and mid-palate stuffing to the velvety and palate soaking flavors that are shaped by a markedly firm tannic spine on the gorgeously persistent finale where the only nit is a barely discernible hint of warmth. Lovely but once again, patience required. (Drink starting 2030).Burghound | 92-94 BHBright ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the perfumed nose. Fine-grained and suave, but with terrific inner-mouth floral lift giving the middle palate a sense of energy. The wine's finishing sweetness is leavened by saline minerality and noteworthy grip. Really spreads out to saturate the mouth; an outstanding example of this premier cru.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLes Fremiets sits above the Clos des Angles, and the soils here are shallower. The resulting fruit tones are higher-pitched, with red plum and raspberry complicated by scents of pipe tobacco and raw cocoa. The tannic structure is more savoury and fine-grained, enrobed in less fat and texture, but with lovely focus and energy. Drinking Window 2025 - 2050.Decanter | 91 DEC

Medium ruby. Slightly reduced, extremely primary aromas of blueberry and fruity bitter chocolate. Juicy on entry, then extremely tight and unevolved in the middle palate, with the density of a black hole. This lightly saline wine finishes with outstanding mineral punch and palate-staining length, not to mention great finesse of tannins. There's nothing dry about this beauty. Offers amazing potential. The crop level here was 26 hectoliters per hectare, according to Guillaume d'Angerville.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is just as stylish as the Caillerets and even a bit more complex with its pure and equally elegant blend of red currant, dark raspberry, violet and equally spicy nose. The rich and powerful yet refined flavors possess first-rate mid-palate concentration along with an almost piercing minerality that really comes up on the youthfully austere, backward and strikingly persistent finale. About the only reproach that I noticed was a subtle hint of warmth but otherwise, this is absolutely lovely.Burghound | 95 BHThe 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds, which Guillaume described as his "odd child" since the vineyard is higher up than others, and tends to be more reserved and masculine, was in fact quite expressive when I tasted it—offering vibrant red berry fruit, minerals and boysenberry. There is wonderful definition here. The palate is tensile right from the beginning. There is not as much depth as the Caillerets - this is quite nimble and full of nervosité, before settling towards a pure blackberry finish that lingers in the mouth. This should age with panache.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThis expressive, solid red is fragrant, with black currant, blackberry and violet aromas. Firm and lean, this nonetheless shows balance and a fresh profile, ending with echoes of fruit and an emerging mineral element. Best from 2023 through 2040. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe Taillepieds is beautiful this year, with a cool and reserved bouquet of fruits of the forest, black cherry, dark soil, juniper, bitter chocolate and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, with beautiful cut and tension. It is deep, full-bodied and elegantly structured, with an expansive, sapid finish.Decanter | 92 DEC

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 La Prade bursts boldly from the glass with notions of chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry compote and plum preserves with suggestions of eucalyptus, espresso, licorice and cedar chest plus a waft of violets. Full-bodied, rich and plushly textured, the decadent black fruit and spicy layers deliver a very long, impactful finish. This is so tempting to drink right now, but it will age beautifully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPThe 2016 La Prade hits the palate with serious depth and intensity. A rush of inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, menthol, crème de cassis, and bittersweet chocolate melds together in this unctuous, super-expressive wine. Creamy, silky tannins enrobe this decidedly rich, flamboyant Côtes de Bordeaux. The 2016 finishes with terrific weight and substance. All of the elements are nicely fused together. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGStately and restrained, this has a clear sense of minerality and salinity. An enjoyable wine matured in 33% new oak of both 225’ and 500l sizes. Great quality. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.Decanter | 91 DECBold tannins and ripe fruit are the hallmarks of this rich wine from the Nicolas Thienpont range. A solid structure backs up the ripe black-currant flavors. The wine will certainly age well, so wait until 2021.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThis is integrated and lightly chewy with dark berries and light chocolate and some hazelnuts. Medium body. Fresh finish. A blend of 88 per cent merlot and 12 per cent cabernet franc. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

From the same winemaking team as Château d’Issan in Margaux, this wine has a sophisticated character. Ripe tannins and structure from Cabernet Sauvignon are perfumed with wood aging. The wine is ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA plummy and juicy red with a medium body, medium-round tannins and pleasing redcurrant and cedar undertones. Just opening now. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JS

The beauty of this wine with elegant fruits and warm tannins shouldn’t entirely mislead. Those tannins also have a bite that promises aging potential. This ripe, full wine packed with black-cherry flavors and acidity will not be ready to drink before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées (Domaine Louis Jadot) opens in the glass with a pretty bouquet of pomegranate, raspberries, blood orange and toasty new oak. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular, with excellent concentration, tangy acids and a fine-grained but firm chassis of structuring tannin that asserts itself on the youthfully chewy finish. This will demand some patience but it’s promising.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe Chambolle Fuées is a highlight in the Jadot range in 2016, wafting from the glass with a pure bouquet of cherry, raspberry and a top note of peony, with a classy framing of new oak. The wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and deep at the core, with excellent concentration, its fine tannins cloaked in a crystalline core of fruit. This will develop beautifully in the cellar.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru is quite perfumed on the nose, offering small red cherries mixed with blueberry and light seawater aromas. This opens nicely in the glass and reveals hidden facets. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous. Perhaps the most elegant of Jadot’s Chambolles, it will vie with the Feusselottes as their best from this appellation. Vinous Media | 92-94 VMBright mid purple. Clear crisp mid purple with a very classy fruit. This has real density to it, dark red fruit, good freshness, much more backward than Les Baudes, but the class and persistence are there. Tasted Oct 2017.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThere is plenty of wood/menthol influence to the notably more elegant nose that exhibits notes of plum, dark currant, orange pekoe tea and ample spice wisps. The rich and mouth coating flavors are finer and much more mineral-driven with a lovely sense of underlying tension adding lift to the beautifully persistent and complex finale where a touch of pit fruit bitterness appears. This is really lovely stuff and very Fuées in character.Burghound | 91-93 BH

Impressive aromas of fresh summer berries, slate and toasty oak. This has a very succulent array of ripe red plums and berries and delivers a smooth, long and appealingly grainy edge of very plush, flavorful tannins. A lot to like here. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Try from 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2016 Marquis de Terme, picked from September 29 to October 14, is pure on the nose with lifted blackberry and iodine scents, wonderful delineation, and seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip, but there is real backbone in this Margaux, and it feels more backward than the preceding vintage, with a dash of white pepper on the aftertaste. Excellent, but more classically in style. Tasted at the Marquis de Terme vertical.Vinous Media | 93 VMFresh and racy in feel, with a zip of acidity driving through the middle, lending support to the mix of blackberry, plum and cassis flavors. Dried anise, alder and lilac accents add range on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2034. 12,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose of the 2016 Marquis de Terme is earthy with damp soil and forest floor over a core of black and red currants, tobacco and bay leaves plus a waft of garrigue. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and softly textured with juicy fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis relatively little-known estate is now performing well. In this vintage the wine has gained weight as well as blackberry fruits and rich tannins. Its balance is already there and the wine should develop to be drunk by 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe outstanding 2016 Château Marquis de Terme is an attractive, elegant wine that has classic Margaux character. Black cherry and blackberry fruits, hints of graphite and smoke earth, and plenty of tobacco leaf all emerge from this medium-bodied effort, which has some firm tannins and a great finish. Give bottles 3-4 years to let these tannins chill out, and it should drink beautifully for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDA signature Bordeaux year - a ton of concentration but also balance - the magic combination that has built Bordeaux’s reputation over the centuries. This is a finely tuned wine, great tannic frame that holds the blackberry and bilberry fruit, laced through with grilled turmeric and smoke. 90% new vats at this point, as the winery was pretty much finished.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2016 Marquis de Terme has a deep garnet color. It charges out of the gate with exuberant scents of warm cassis, baked plum, and boysenberries, plus suggestions of camphor, cumin seed, and vanilla pod. Medium-bodied, soft and juicy in the mouth, it has elegant black fruit and spicy flavors, with a soft-spoken finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

A rich style, this white features lemon, peach and spice flavors, all backed by bright acidity. Balanced, leaving a chalky, even tannic impression on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2029. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSIf you like bold dry whites, then try this. Quite a tannic white Burgundy, but with richness that has a very positive impact on the wine. Plenty of citrus, plus some hazelnut and chalky character. Some real drive at the finish that promises a long life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSIt’s always interesting to compare and contrast Albert Bichot’s Clos des Mouches white with the one from Joseph Drouhin, as this comes from a slightly higher parcel on the slope. The oak is a little more clamorous here and needs more time to integrate, but this is tauter and crunchier with a little less in terms of mid-palate weight. Drinking Window 2020 - 2024.Decanter | 92 DEC(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose offers up notes of pearl, apple and citrus where the latter can also be found on the round, delicious and once again generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors that deliver perfectly good if not truly distinguished depth though I do like the length. Note that my rating once again offers the benefit of the doubt that more complexity will develop if this is allowed a few years of cellar time. (Drink starting 2022)Burghound | 90 BH

This is a large grand cru and quality is not uniform, but the domaine’s 0.8ha parcel is well situated on the mid-slope. The rich, cherry-scented nose is clearly ripe but also ethereal and heady, and there’s a touch of mint to give a cool edge. Firm and concentrated on the palate, this has generous fruit and firm but elegant tannins. There’s a silky texture and an intense, stylish finish with fine acidity. Poised and long.Decanter | 94 DECVery pretty deepish purple, this has precisely the chiselled, racy detailed, lacy aspect which I want in Echezeaux. A wonderful volume of fruit, cashmere texture yet in a soft smooth comforting basket of red fruits, and great length. This is ‘strict in its boots’ says Charles, but I may have missed something in translation there!Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMThe 2017 Echezeaux Grand Cru is also showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with scents of plums, peonies, exotic spices, orange rind and grilled squab. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it’s lively and complete, with fine depth at the core, powdery tannins and a long, rose-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPA still youthfully fresh and very pretty nose reflects an abundance of floral characters along with plenty of spice influence to the dark currant and cool cherry scents. The sleek and tautly muscular medium weight flavors possess very good if not exceptional concentration where the copious sap imparts a beguiling texture on the still firm, balanced and sneaky long finale. At only 7 years of age, and in magnum format, it’s no surprise that this should still be decidedly compact and backward and the ’17 Ech is going to need most of the next decade to arrive at its peak.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2017 Echézeaux Grand Cru comes from a 1.09-hectare parcel in the lieu-dit of Rouge de Bas; this cru includes 100% whole bunches. It has a tightly wound bouquet at first, gradually unfurling to reveal quite intense dark berry fruit laced with tea leaves and bay leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, crisp acidity, quite a masculine style and a stoic, rather aloof finish that might just require more flesh to counter the influence of the whole bunch stems. Let’s see how this matures in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

This rich, wood-aged wine comes from 40- to 50-year-old vines on an estate at the southern limit of the Madiran appellation. It brings together dense tannins and old-vine concentration. The acidity, black-plum flavors and tannins will keep this wine developing for many years. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

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 2017 Beaumonts from Cécile Tremblay is also outstanding, showing off the inherent elegance of the vintage on both its nose and palate. The bouquet is a refined blend of plums, red and black cherries, dark soil tones, Vosne spices, a touch of sweet stems again, fresh nutmeg and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, soil-driven and very complex, with a superb core of fruit, fine-grained tannins, bright acids and excellent length and grip on the poised and very, very promising finish. (Drink between 2027 - 2065)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru, matured in 60% new oak, has one of the most sensual bouquets from Cécile Tremblay this year, with plenty of crushed strawberry, rose petals and flecks of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, the new oak more conspicuous than in other crus at the moment, so give this at least two or three years to subsume the wood; there is plenty of substance to soak it up. Should drink well for 12 to 18 years.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMFirm reduction dominates the nose. Otherwise there is excellent tension to the almost painfully intense and wonderfully refined mineral-driven flavors that are impressively long, complex and notably better balanced. However the finish is also notably firmer so at least some patience advised.Jasper Morris | 92-96 JMAromas of smoked duck, cassis and smoky plums introduce the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts, a satiny, medium to full-bodied wine with a characteristically generous, ample profile, framed by velvety structuring tannins. It’s one of the more gourmand wines in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPFirm reduction dominates the nose. Otherwise there is excellent tension to the almost painfully intense and wonderfully refined mineral-driven flavors that are impressively long, complex and notably better balanced. However the finish is also notably firmer so at least some patience advised.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru is delineated and focused on the taut, fresh nose, quite linear and classic in style – very classy. The palate is pure, with silky-smooth, very fine tannins, piquant red cherries and strawberry fruit. Generous and fleshy toward the finish, which lingers wonderfully in the mouth. One of the most sensual offerings from the appellation. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMHistorically, Aux Cras was part of Les Boudots, but it’s now a very good premier cru in its own right on the Vosne side of Nuits-St-Georges. This is a serious, concentrated red from Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, showing good depth and concentration framed by 100% new wood. Spicy blueberry and plum flavours fill the palate.Decanter | 94 DECA restrained, cool and pure nose features notes of herbal tea, spice, earth, red currant and a whiff of the sauvage. The focused, detailed and punchy middle weight flavors possess a fleshy mid-palate yet the stunningly long finish is youthfully austere, compact and linear. As such this delicious but tightly wound effort will also need at least some bottle age. In a word, excellent.Burghound | 93 BHTo this point in the lineup, the Nuits “aux Cras” showed the best mid-palate stuffing and just a bit more emphatic structural elements of any of the wines. The bouquet is excellent, wafting from the glass in a blend of black plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, gamebird, woodsmoke, dark soil, a touch of nutskin and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and sappy, with a lovely signature of soil, ripe, suave tannins and lovely length and grip on the long and complex finish. This is going to last longer than the Brûlées. (Drink between 2024 - 2065)John Gilman | 93 JGThis offering of Aux Cras shows a clean pure nose, with some more floral top notes, a certain fresh stem quality, good acidity, medium length, attractive. This is a wine of middling intensity with very pleasing vibrancy.Jasper Morris | 93 JMAromas of cassis, wild berries and rich soil mingle with savory nuances of grilled game bird, dark chocolate spices and smoky new oak in a complex bouquet, introducing the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras, a medium to full-bodied wine with good depth and concentration at the core, structured around a firm chassis of chewy tannin that will likely resolve considerably by the time is bottled. The raw materials are present and the balance is excellent, but the wine’s structure was hard to read when I tasted it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

Aux Echézeaux is a very well-sited 0.47ha village parcel just to the south of the Mazoyères grand cru on the border with Morey-St-Denis. Planted in the 1930s, this old vine cuvée is aromatic, refined and detailed, with chalky acidity adding extra bite to the summer berry flavours.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECFrom 0.47ha planted in 1930. Fresh full purple, an immediate hit of wealthy fruit on the nose. Floral and lively, there is too much fruit to describe this wine as savoury until the red fruit finish, which offers concentrated cherry and strawberry flavours, and good length. Tasted Dec 2018.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThe 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux has a gorgeous bouquet with red cherry and cranberry fruit mixed with subtle sous-bois notes, becoming more floral with continued aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit on the entry, a light marine influence emerging to the finish that needs a little more cohesion. That should come with bottle age.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMOnce again there is a highly attractive freshness to the softly spicy if distinctly earthy nose that features mostly notes of dark currant and forest floor. There is good underlying tension to the well-detailed medium weight flavors that are shaped by relatively fine-grained tannins on the chiseled and sneaky long finish. This is a very good Gevrey villages and worth your interest.Burghound | 89-91 BHFrom the southern side of Gevrey-Chambertin, the 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux reveals aromas of cassis, wild plums, dark chocolate, loamy soils and warm spices. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and nicely balanced, with fine, powdery structuring tannins and juicy acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

Ripe, exuding blackberry and blueberry fruit, this red is dense, with a slightly dusty quality to the tannins. Earth and iron accents add depth as this stays defined and extends on the fresh, mouthwatering finish. Best from 2022 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WSPurchased by Christophe Roumier’s father in 1953, this 2.59ha clos is a monopole holding. Made with 35% whole bunches and aged in 25% new wood, it has the brightness, balance and freshness of the domaine’s Chambolle village, but with a bit more tannin and weight. Sappy, sweet and refreshing.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2017 Clos de la Bussière from Christophe Roumier is another bottling that has really benefited from the refined elegance of this vintage, as it offers up uncharacteristically early polish in its aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, black cherries, pigeon, bitter chocolate, woodsmoke, dark soil tones and a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still properly reserved in personality, with a fine core of fruit, lovely transparency and a long, ripely tannic and very well balanced finish. This will be an excellent vintage of Clos de la Bussière in the fullness of time, but it is still close to a decade away from starting to blossom. (Drink between 2030 - 2070)John Gilman | 92 JGDeep core of fresh purple, with much charm to the dark raspberry fruit. This is a concentrated wine, quite firm at the finish, a question of time because the fruit will certainly win through. Tasted: September 2021.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThe 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru has quite a straightforward bouquet of raspberry and cranberry fruit, pleasant sous-bois aromas percolating through with time. This gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and chiseled tannins, but it feels a little attenuated on the finish. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMAn unusually spicy nose reflects notes of earth and a whiff of game on the black raspberry and violet scents. There is a fleshy, even velvety, mouthfeel to the nicely voluminous medium-bodied flavors that flash focused power on the ever-so-mildly rustic and beautifully complex finale that delivers sneaky good length. This youthfully austere effort is finer than it usually is and should reward extended keeping.Burghound | 91 BHThe 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière is a real success, and decidedly reminiscent of the domaine’s excellent 2007. Offering up aromas of sweet red berries, warm spices, peony and subtle soil tones, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a fine core of fruit that cloaks its rich but fine-grained tannic chassis. While it’s an elegant rendition of the Clos de la Bussière, this always needs bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

This 1.6ha parcel is in the middle of the slope, two metres above the Clos des Angles on poor, stony soils over a limestone base. Crunchy, elegant and refined, it has lovely texture, raspberry sweetness and fine-boned tannins, finishing with a saline, mineral bite.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2017 Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru has an expressive bouquet with veins of blue fruit that strafe the vibrant raspberry and crushed strawberry. Here there is fine mineralité tucked just underneath. The palate is vibrant, almost effervescent on the entry with blood orange infusing the red fruit, great tension and quite pointed tannin, a Fremiet that is bursting with life. Superb.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA slightly more deeply pitched nose displays an evident spiciness to the plum, dark raspberry and violet-scented aromas. The highly energetic and intense medium weight flavors offer even more minerality on the well-detailed flavors that possess more depth and a bit more length as well on the firmer finish. This is very Frémiets in character and a wine that should amply reward extended keeping.Burghound | 91-93 BHThe 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets offers up aromas of plums, cassis, wood smoke, dark chocolate and rich soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, chalk and structured palate that’s firmer and more muscular than the supple, giving Clos des Angles. The soils here are thinner and the wine inherently less gourmand, but it will reward the patient with lovely purity and transparency.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

Showing a deeper colour than the other wines in his cellar, as it always seems to do, this serious, well-structured Nuits from Emmanuel Rouget shows bramble and black cherry fruits, some subtle oak spice, vivacious acidity and good underlying grip.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Village, matured in 30% new oak in order to preserve freshness, according to Rouget, has quite a generous bouquet of blueberry and black cherry fruit, the oak nicely integrated. The palate is bright and fresh with violet-tinged blue fruit, almost Vosne-like in style, leading to a silky-smooth, very classy finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThe 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges Village exhibits aromas of sweet Morello cherries, cassis, violets and rose petals. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and expressive, with a layered core and fine stony tannins, combining richness of structure, with lightness of touch.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPThis is at once more deeply colored and more deeply pitched with its fresh and restrained nose of plum, dark currant, violet and newly turned earth. There is notably better concentration to the muscular and punchy medium-bodied flavors that flash a mild rusticity on the mouth coating though not particularly austere finale. This well-made effort is very Nuits in character and should age well over the mid-term.Burghound | 89-91 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 Clos des Mouches made by Joseph Drouhin may be more famous, but Bichot’s parcel of 0.7ha, situated in the highest part of the Premier Cru, is pretty impressive in its own right. Bright, focused and chiselled, it’s the sort of white that wouldn’t look out of place in Puligny-Montrachet, combining citrus, wet stone and aniseed flavours.Drinking Window 2021 - 2028Decanter | 94 DECA creamy-textured white with sliced apples, pears, cream and some lemon and lime rind. Hints of morning yogurt and smoke. Medium-bodied, ready and delicious. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSCream and roasted hazelnut notes create an inviting, rounded nose on this wine. The palate has that same hazelnut richness and creamy flow, buttressed by freshness that recalls lemon and yellow pear. A lovely balance and a juicy, fresh finish do justice to the warm 2018 vintage. Drink by 2035.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE(Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard) - Domaines Albert Bichot Beaune "Clos des Mouches" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral nose combines notes of various white-fleshed fruit with those of lemon grass and spice wisps. The sleek, delicious and equally seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess very good depth and sneaky length. This balanced effort should drink well young as well as with a few years of bottle aging. (Drink starting 2024)Burghound | 91 BHMarked by vivid acidity, this white evokes lemon, apple, vanilla and clove notes. A tad disjointed, this could use a year to integrate, or decant now. Shows echoes of oak spice on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2029. 480 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Pretty ripe fruit with berry, walnut and chocolate character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body, round tannins and a savory finish. Drinkable now, but better in 2022.James Suckling | 92 JS

Good complexity on the nose, chocolate, cherries, plums and blackcurrants. Succulent straight away, it makes you suck your cheeks in, the tannins are abundant and fill the mouth but with a soft, juicy chewiness that’s really pleasant. I really like this density, it feels full without being too much - all in balance. A really enjoyable wine, good to have with food and will age well continuing to integrate and soften, but I like its fruit-forward confidence right now. A bit of milk chocolate sweetness, some chalkiness and then a herbal element too - everything you need in a good claret! with typicity and approachability. Top value too. Drinking Window 2023 - 2033.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Laffitte-Carcasset is gorgeous, just as it was from barrel. This mid-weight Saint-Estèphe impresses with its nuance and delineation. Bright red fruit, iron, menthol, anise, cedar and rose petal lend uncommon complexity, while fine grained tannins give the wine proportion and drive. This polished, under the radar gem is a real delight. Laffitte-Carcasset is an especially delicate wine for the appellation.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThe estate on the plateau of Saint-Estèphe is well situated to produce this rich, full-bodied wine. Broad tannins give the dry core essential for aging. They are balanced by black-currant fruits from the 50% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It will age well; drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEBlackcurrants, brambleberries, walnut husks, dried leaves and dark spices on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Fresh and structured. Crushed stone comes through in the aftertaste. Better from 2024.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2018 Pibran is fabulous, just as it was en primeur. Juicy, rich and expansive in this vintage, Pibran offers terrific richness and verve. Dark cherry, spice, new leather and cedar build as this stylish Pauillac shows off its considerable charms. The 2018 is unquestionably extroverted. It is also shamelessly delicious.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe 2018 Château Pibran emerges from a cooler, gravelly terroir in Pauillac and is close to an even split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all raised in 50% new oak. Lots of red, black, and blue fruits as well as lead pencil, violets, camphor, and smoked tobacco emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of freshness, ripe yet firm, polished tannins, and a great finish. This is another classic Pauillac that’s going to benefit from 3-6 years of bottle age (it’s far from unapproachable today) and keep for 20-25 years in cold cellars. (Drink between 2024-2049)Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDBlackcurrant, blueberry, pencil-lead, clove and walnut-husk aromas. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Nice minerality. Try from 2024 and onwards.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 Pibran is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot, matured for 18 months in barriques, 50% new and 50% one year old. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheerful scents of Morello cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries, giving way to a core of cassis, dark chocolate and violets, with a waft of woodsmoke. Medium-bodied, the palate is delicately styled with fantastic freshness and fine-grained tannins supporting the crunchy black fruit layers, finishing long and lifted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPRich in both structure and fruit, this wine has ripe tannins and a full, generous texture that is given shape by full-bodied, black-fruit flavors. From the northern part of Pauillac, the wine is good for medium-term aging. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA very tasty, enjoyable Pibran that comes from a cooler site than the main Pichon Baron wine, from gravel soils over a bed of limestone, and always the last for the team to harvest as was the case again in 2018. You can certainly feel the freshness and juice through the dark fruits – a wine that will be limbered up after just four or five years in bottle. 50% new oak. A yield of 37hl/ha. (Drink between 2024-2038)Decanter | 90 DEC

Shimmering purple. An expansive, spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, incense and potpourri. A nervy mineral element adds urgency. Juicy, focused and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that tighten up slowly and turn spicier with aeration. Shows real heft but there’s a distinctly elegant quality to this wine as well. Finishes sappy, subtly tannic and extremely long, leaving a suave violet pastille note behind.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2018 Brouilly Cuvée des Fous reveals a high-toned bouquet of licorice, blackberries and spices that displays a touch of volatility this year, though I suspect it will integrate after a few more months in bottle. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and powerful, with broad shoulders and a ripe, muscular profile.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP(Brouilly “Cuvée des Fous”- Jean-Claude Lapalu) The 2018 Brouilly “Cuvée des Fous” from Jean-Claude Lapalu comes bottled in a Bordeaux-shaped bottle, which caught me a bit by surprise. The wine is nicely ripe, coming in at 13.5 percent octane, but the old vines for this bottling (averaging eighty years of age and one parcel having been planted in 1900) are in some of the warmer microclimates of Brouilly. The wine is bottled without fining, filtration or added SO2 and was raised in older casks for six months prior to bottling. The 2018 Cuvée des Fous offers up a deep, ripe and classy nose of red and black cherries, pigeon, lovely soil tones, sweet cranberries, fresh thyme and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and pretty structured for young Brouilly, with a fine core of fruit, some firm backend tannins and a long, soil-driven and very well-balanced finish. This will need a few years in the cellar for the backend tannins to soften up a bit, but there is good matière here and the wine should age quite well. (Drink between 2023-2035).John Gilman | 90+ JG

Moving to the three Cornas releases, the 2018 Cornas is brilliant and certainly in the same ballpark as the 2016 and 2017. Lots of red and blue fruits, smoked earth, graphite, iron, violets, and gamey notes define this full-bodied Cornas. With ample tannins, fabulous balance, and a big finish, it’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age at a minimum yet should drink fabulously well over the following 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep ruby. Displays expressive cherry and dark berry scents, along with suggestions of cracked pepper, cola and botanical herbs. A floral note emerges with air carries onto the palate, which offers pliant black and blue fruit flavors that turn spicier through the back half. Finishes long, spicy and smooth, with well-knit tannins lending gentle grip.Vinous Media | 93 VMA well-crafted, textural and layered Cornas with aromas of dark berries, currants, wild herbs, earth and baking spices. It’s medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. So much concentration and focus. Poised and well driven, with a bright fruit character toward the flavorful finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSMichel’s 2018 Cornas is surprisingly drinkable, although it will surely age well for at least another decade. Scents of crushed stone and subtle cedar shadings accent red plums and cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is streamlined and focused, smooth and dusty on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Aromas of blackberries, dried lavender, black olives, tobacco, herbs and some smoked meat. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Layered and concentrated with a sleek, savory finish. 85% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 3% malbec. Better from 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSComing from the talented Thienpont team, the 2018 Château Puygueraud is a juicy, up-front, undeniably delicious 2018 offering lots of perfumed, floral, and violet notes, sumptuous blue fruits, medium-bodied richness, and a juicy, balanced, lengthy style that keeps you coming back to the glass. The balance is spot on, as is the purity of fruit, and it’s ideal for enjoying any time over the coming decade. The blend is 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDThis is great stuff and highly drinkable with a wonderful richness on the nose and palate. It’s pretty fierce in fact and has real impact with the austerity of the mid palate quickly filled out by rich sweet black cherry fruit and a deeply spiced finish. The harvest took place between 24 September and 5 October. (Drink between 2021-2028)Decanter | 92 DEC