Refreshing Whites

wines

The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is slightly deeper in color. This has a gorgeous bouquet of lemon thyme, orange blossom and crushed stone, all very focused, followed by an emerging touch of mintiness. The harmonious palate is powerful, ripe and slightly vanilla-y; it just lacks a little breeding and panache. A bold and brassy yet cerebral Montrachet that will need a lot of time. This surpasses all my expectations from barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is youthfully restrained for now with exotic essence of lemon, lime and grapefruit. The intensity and purity of the aromas is really captivating. Strong, flinty minerals and stones, too. The palate has a very plush, richly textural and expansive feel with extremely powerful tension between exceptionally concentrated citrus fruit and extremely intense acidity. Wow! Try from 2022.James Suckling | 98 JSAs all of the vines for the Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet are on the Puligny side of the vineyard, the frost damage here in 2016 was less severe than was the case on the Chassagne side of this grand cru. Consequently, there was probably a bit less pent up energy here and the vigor was more easily harnessed in 2017. In any case, the 2017 vintage of the Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet is flat out brilliant, offering up a stunning bouquet of pear, apple, lemon, a hint of almond paste, complex, limestone minerality, crème patissière, vanillin oak and a lovely topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with superb nascent complexity, bright, vibrant acids and impeccable balance on the very, very long, racy and utterly classical finish. A brilliant example of Montrachet in the making.John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2017 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru was showing very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with aromas of Meyer lemon, tangerine, dried white flowers, green orchard fruit, beeswax and wet stones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and expansive, with considerable volume and breadth at the core that’s balanced by lively acids that lend the wine energy and tension. The finish is long and pure. This is a beautifully balanced Montrachet that I expect to show very well in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe Drouhins’ plantings are in the northern part of Montrachet - there’s even a plaque on the wall to show you where they begin - and were picked in three stages in 2017. This is plush and smooth, with less acidity and bite than some, but it’s spicy and dense with aromatic oak, a drizzle of honey, and pear and nectarine fruit. Drinking Window 2021 - 2027.Decanter | 95 DECThis is also quite aromatically restrained with its decidedly cool and relatively airy nose that mixes a dollop of wood toast with plenty of floral, citrus and white-fleshed fruit scents. The super-fine but intense and tautly muscular large-scaled flavors possess a subtle minerality that carries over to the gorgeously complex, persistent and balanced finish. As it should be, this is very clearly built-to-age and a wine that should enjoy an extended maturity curve.Burghound | 95 BH

Opulent and perfumed for this great white in 2018, with lemon curd, cooked apple, lilac, lime flower, stone, rock and hints of sandalwood. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and compressed with layers of fruit that are integrated and focused. Needs time to open and show its true greatness but stunning. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSA stunner from first sip, as lemon shortbread and verbena notes lead off followed by a torrent of white peach, yellow apple, lime pith, honeysuckle and acacia notes. Racy, almost piercing minerality knifes through the middle, adding a mouthwatering element, while the shortbread and verbena take a curtain on the finish, creating a beautiful balance of contrasts. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2022 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 98 WSA Sauvignon Blanc-dominated release that includes just under 20% Sémillon, the 2018 Château Haut-Brion Blanc reveals a vivid light gold hue as well as gorgeous notes of crushed limes, white flowers, white grapefruit, and obvious crushed rock-like minerality. These carry to a medium to full-bodied white with flawless balance in its fruit, acidity, and alcohol, beautiful mid-palate depth, and an undeniable elegance and purity that's something to behold. It's not a powerful house, but it has a chiseled, elegant, incredibly long style that's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis wine has opulence and concentration, with crisp flavors of ripe yellow fruits. There is so much going on in this impressive wine. It has benefited from the hot summer, yielding a ripe wine that still manages to remain crisp and tight on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2018 Haut-Brion Blanc has blossomed beautifully over the last two years. Rich and ample in feel, with superb richness, the Blanc is a knock-out. Everything is dialed up in the 2018 - the aromas, flavors and textures are all so wonderfully expressive. Lemon confit, pear, marzipan, chamomile and gently spiced notes build as the 2018 continues to open in the glass. The 2018 is compelling. That's all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGClear Sauvignon Blanc character, rounded and deepened by smoked oak notes, with white pear flesh and hints of pineapple. There is uplift through the finish and this has depth, holding interest and focus. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2034.Decanter | 95 DECThe Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 80.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 19.4% Sémillon—this is the highest level of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend ever. Unsurprisingly, it needs a lot of air at this youthful stage, eventually unfurling bit by bit to offer subtle scents of lemon peel, fresh grapefruit, green mango and yuzu, with emerging suggestions of wet pebbles, struck flint, orange blossom and lime leaves with a waft of oyster shells. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous satiny texture and lovely freshness offsetting the intense stone and citrusy flavors, finishing long and layered. Give this a good 3-4 years to come around and drink it over the next 15 years or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

Beautifully layered aromas are composed by notes of citrus confit, white and yellow orchard fruit, dried apricot and traces of both wood and acacia. There is excellent density and richness to the powerful, palate coating and hugely long finish. This balanced but very firm effort completely transcends the rest of the range though note well that it’s going to require extended patience before it will reveal its full potential.Burghound | 93-95 BH

Bursting from the glass with aromas of peach, pear, fresh mint, baking spices, pastry cream, toasted almonds and white flowers, Ramonet’s 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a generous core of fruit, ripe acids and a long, expansive finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

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