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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

Fullish yellow. The complex nose shows the power of the vintage, a few drier tannins behind, fair acidity. I find this backward and difficult to judge. I think the Clos character is there, but it is reticent today. The palate does deliver detail and layers of fruit though. The finish does also suggest the necessary class. Really good length here.Jasper Morris | 94 JM

Ample but not dominant wood doesn’t completely mask the equally exotic white and yellow orchard fruit scents that exhibit enough Chablis typicity to be persuasive. There is once again very impressive volume and mid-palate density to the long, caressing and balanced finale where a refreshing touch of bitter lemon character slowly emerges. This is a powerful Preuses that will require at least a few years to fully integrate the wood treatment and to develop more overall depth.Burghound | 94 BHThe 2019 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a clean, precise bouquet, quite tight at the moment but displaying focus and admirable delineation. The palate is well balanced with a crisp line of acidity, fresh and vibrant, tapering away a little toward the finish, which offers bright citrus fruit laced with orange peel and truffle but needs a tad more depth and grip.Vinous Media | 91 VMA lean, wiry white, with a touch of oak spice framing apple, lemon and lanolin flavors. It’s bracing and moderately long. Drink now through 2025. 90 cases made, 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Enormously complex nose that marries so many flinty, savory and citrus aromas. Astonishing texture on the rich but precisely delineated palate, the concentration creeping up on you, building and building to a great crescendo. Enormously mineral aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, orange oil, almond paste, pineapple and fresh pastry. Full-bodied, satiny and textural, it’s rich and expressive, with lively acids and a charming, demonstrative personality.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThis is also aromatically cool and restrained with its combination of essence of white orchard fruit, especially pear, along with hints of wood, spice, mineral reduction and rose petal. There is excellent intensity to the textured, concentrated and quite powerful big-bodied flavors that exude evident minerality on the focused finish that is quite tightly wound. This is going to need at least 6 to 8 years of bottle age first.Burghound | 93 BH

The complex nose of candied citrus, flint, hazelnut and toasty oak leads you into this impressively rich and concentrated dry white for Pernand-Vergelesses. Very focused, super-elegant finish that has so much life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSAn open-textured white, with apple, almond and baking spice flavors. Leans to the oxidative side, but there’s ample acidity and this actually picks up energy on the finish, turning more minerally and focused. Decant. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA touch of new wood influence is present on the fresh mix of white and yellow peach, citrus confit and anise hints. The round, rich and enveloping flavors also possess an attractive texture as well as better depth and persistence on the clean and dry finale.Burghound | 91 BH

From the slopes above Montrachet, planted in 1962. The result shows aromas that meld citrus, tropical, and white stone fruits with a strong sense of salty minerality and notes of smoke and beeswax. The wine is firmly structured, with lots of racy acidity and plenty of extract, but there is never a loss of elegance or finesse. This is a superb wine that will easily continue to improve for thirty or forty years in a proper cellar. Drinking Window 2022 - 2034.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe yellow orchard fruit, clear honey, white flowers, toasted almonds and nutmeg. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s lively and concentrated, with a deep, enveloping core, racy acids and a long, precise finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPHere the wood influence is more apparent with notes of toast and menthol framing the aromas of the cool essence of pear, apple, fennel and jasmine tea. There is another dimension of size, weight and power as well as minerality to the big-bodied and dense flavors that display outstanding length on the balanced, clean and bone-dry finale. At least 5 to 7 years will be necessary as this is presently quite tightly wound.Burghound | 95 BH

Crystal clear like a mountain stream, a light oak influence adds a note of lanolin to the apple, melon and lemon fruit. Turns more sleek and defined on the long, mineral- and herb-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2027. 269 cases made, 64 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2019 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru comes from vines located just above Vincent Dauvissat’s. The well-defined bouquet features honeysuckle and subtle white flower aromas. The palate is where the action is: it delivers vibrant citrus fruit, orange zest and light ginger notes. Lovely depth on the finish. This is an excellent Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet is taut and chiseled, unwinding in the glass to reveal aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, beeswax and crushed chalk. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, it will require and reward a bit of bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

This white is lean, sporting lemon, green plum, chamomile and lanolin aromas and flavors. A spine of vivid acidity keeps it focused and long, while the balance and harmony bode well for the future. Shows excellent length. Drink now through 2027. 263 cases made, 93 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Les Minots is lovely, wafting from the glass with notes of clear honey, citrus oil, white flowers and oatmeal. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and succulent, it’s bright and charming, concluding with a long, mineral finish. As I’ve written before, this hails from one of the sunnier, warmer lieux-dits within the larger climat of Les Vaillons, and it typically produces a more generous, gourmand wine; it’s also often where Piuze begins his harvest.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru "Les Minots" has a pretty beeswax and gravel bouquet. The palate is concentrated with fine depth and a touch of viscosity.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard is toasty and open on the nose with baked apples and white peaches complemented by wafts of jasmine, crushed almonds and graphite. The light-bodied palate is satiny with concentrated, toasty fruits and balancing mouthwatering acidity. It has lots of focus and energy, and hints of exotic spice in the undercurrent suggest there’s loads more expression waiting to emerge as this unwinds in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard comes from a great vineyard in Carneros and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a touch more tropical nuances in its melon and papaya-like fruits as well as white flowers, toasted spice, and brioche-like aromas and flavors. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is soft, supple, and opulent while still showing fabulous purity and precision. This is another gorgeous Chardonnay from this estate that will keep for 4-5 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 2 is a pretty laid-back wine for Hyde, where the wines tend to be richer and weightier. Apricot, lemon confit, marzipan, apricot, tangerine peel, lightly honeyed notes and dried flowers all meld together in this beautifully precise expression of Hyde.Vinous Media | 94 VMLots of beautiful cooked-apple, lemon-curd and light pie-crust aromas follow through to a full body with a round texture, pear puree and a hint of apple pie. A combination of softness and brightness. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Restrained aromas of spice, mineral reduction and poached pear are also trimmed in just enough wood to merit pointing out. The delicious, round and caressing flavors also possess a fleshy mouthfeel while delivering fine length on the citrus rind inflected finish. This isn’t quite as energetic and there is a touch of warmth though the balance does not seem to be materially affected.Burghound | 91 BHThe 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne reveals aromas of orchard fruit, smoke, bread dough and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and lively palate that’s open-knit and elegantly textural.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The domaine purchased 0.19ha in 2011 without knowing the vine age, though probably around 40 years old. Paler colour and quite light on the nose, lightly biscuity, then the palate delivers a greater weight of white fruit with a little cream. One third new wood, only a little warmth at the back. Tasted: February 2021.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

A holding of 0.22ha planted in 2004, next to Sauzet, Carillon and Latour-Giraud. This is a very early site, usually where the harvest starts chez Pernot-Belicard. Pale primrose, light toast, one third new wood, giving a crisp edge to the rich white fruit. Plenty of weight here, a little on the powerful side, but long and satisfying. There is a useful little touch of acidity too. Tasted: February 2021.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

A holding of 0.53ha planted in 1955, vinified and aged with one third new wood. Pale primrose with quite a stylish bouquet, more fruit than floral, definitely encouraging a second sniff. There is an attractive lime blossom note, without the higher alcohol feel of the vintage (though still around 13.8%), sitting back with quality reserve. Long and quite impressive. Tasted: February 2021.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Green apple and Mirabelle flavors are cutting and pure on the palate of this richly textured, supple wine. While plush in body and undeniably ripe, it has an edge of lemony acidity alongside streaks of crystalline minerality. Voluptuous yet freshly composed, it’s delightful young but should fare well through 2030. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPhilippe Colin farms a parcel of mostly 50-year-old vines within Les Chaumées, in the northwest corner of Chassagne, bordering St-Aubin. Given that it is near the top of the hill, where the soils are shallow without much clay, the site produced an impressively cool and expansive 2019, a wine with a long horizon line of flavor touching on sea salt, lime and stone. That stony, flinty character keeps the structure tight, set for long aging.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SOnce again there is a petrol note to the more floral and less citrus-infused nose. There is excellent richness to the sappy medium weight flavors that possess just a bit more overall depth and persistence on the balanced finale.Burghound | 90-92 BHButterscotch and citronella aromas and flavors mark this smooth white that’s toasty too, with vivid acidity keeping this focused and driving the long finish. Drink now through 2025. 900 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard is laced with the essence of crushed rocks, white pepper, orchard fruit, white flowers, chalk and mint. It is a bit less forthcoming than the Alpine Chardonnay. Saline notes build into the palate staining finish. This classically austere young Chardonnay just needs time in bottle. Tasted next to the Alpine, the Horseshoe has more mid-palate weight and feeling of phenolic intensity. The differences between the two are remarkable considering the sites are just 400 yards apart. The Horseshoe is planted on Monterey shale, while the soils at Alpine are Purisima, a formation that is about 8 million years younger. Such is the complexity of the Santa Cruz Mountains.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGRipe Meyer lemons, crushed stone, white flower, and exotic spice notes all emerge from the 2019 Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard. Rich and medium-bodied, it has a beautiful mid-palate, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It shows the slightly more rounded, supple style of the vintage, yet I love its density and length. Give it a year or two and enjoy over the following decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Chardonnay “Horseshoe Vineyard”- Rhys Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains)) The 2019 Horseshoe Vineyard chardonnay from Rhys is one of the low octane whites from the winery in this vintage, as it comes in at a cool 12.3 percent. However, the wine is very expressive on the nose, wafting from the glass in a refined blend of apple, pear, fruit blossoms, a beautiful base of soil tones, a touch of hazelnut and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with lovely intensity of flavor and transparency, a fine girdle of acidity and a long, nascently complex and promising finish. This will need a few years to open up, but should prove to be a long-lived and lovely middleweight once it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2024-2035)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is all spice and lemon cream to begin, with undertones of almonds, pastry and jasmine that come through as it airs in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is textural and energetic, its citrus-and-mineral character and tangy acidity underpinned by nutty tones that drive the long finish. It has the freshness, texture and intensity for a long life in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Chardonnay La Rinconada Vineyard is earthy, powerful and savory. Deep and complex, the Rinconada Chardonnay is beguiling, but also a bit eccentric. As such, it is a wine that requires attention and time because it is not especially forthcoming.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2020 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from vines planted in the 1970s. It was matured for 12 months in 35% new French oak and finished with six months in stainless steel. This shows the impressive concentration and generosity that could have defined the style of the 2020 vintage before the wildfires hit. Youthful tones of crème brûlée and toast give way to citrus blossoms, lemongrass and apricot on the nose. The medium-bodied palate pairs generous, honeyed fruit and a luxurious, mouth-coating texture with laser-like acidity that compels you to take another sip, and although the Arista wines generally age well, there’s no reason to wait for this—drink it over the next 3-5+ years. 650 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPLeans into tropical notes of pineapple and mango, with fresh citrus accents, an elegant, soft body and fresh acidity that gains momentum on the long, expressive finish, where a touch of toasted green tea and honeyed, toasted sesame lingers. Drink now. 650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Mid lemon, a slightly subdued nose, competent if slightly lacking personality, middle weight and I like the quite generous finish. White fruit, good acid balance and relatively persistent. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

With forward aromas of ripe apple, acacia flowers and spice, this delicate, elegant wine exhibits admirable balance and finesse. Yet, there is enough substance and structure to draw it out to a lingering finish, although the texture is creamy rather than crisp. Heitz has nearly a half-hectare in La Barre, in stony soils over a slab of pure limestone just up the slope from Antoine Jobard. A very accomplished village-level Meursault.Decanter | 93 DECA hint of smoke character lurks in the background of the aromas of freshly sliced apple, hazelnut, acacia blossom and a touch of spiced pear. The succulent and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess fine richness as well as mid-palate density while exhibiting very fine depth and persistence for a villages-level wine. Worth checking out.Burghound | 90 BH

Purchased grapes, picked on 28th August. Mid lemon yellow, clearly a riper bouquet, slightly pungent even, the reduction showing less strongly gunflint, a bit more vegetal maybe. Good flesh on the bones, and I like the way this follows through. Some pears. Not really in place but I suspect may have greater potential than today’s showing. Tasted: October 2021.Jasper Morris | 90 JM

The 2020 Chardonnay Powder House is ethereal and gracious in feel. Effusive aromatics give the Powder House its lifted personality. White pepper, chalk, mint and lemon oil add quite a bit of brightness. The balance here is driven by energy and vibrancy more than by volume.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

A cool, late-harvest site relative to Aubert’s other sources, the 2020 Chardonnay Larry Hyde & Sons also sees a bit less new French oak (50%). Readers will note that the oak made virtually no impression on me, as the wine bursts with aromas of ripe, honeyed melon, balanced by bright lime notes. Full-bodied, creamy and lush on the palate, this is just a pleasure to drink, finishing long and zesty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis stunning version opens with a rich impression, with candied ginger, marmalade and honeyed overtones to the core of fresh fruit flavors, including notes of pear, apple, melon and citrus. Hints of orange blossoms and minerality mingle with fresh acidity, while a nutmeg-dominant wave of spices gain momentum on the long finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,538 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA big and juicy white with cooked apple, pear, honey, and mineral. Flint. Full and layered with a flavorful and delicious finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JS