Shop Wine

wines

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Village has a fresh bouquet that I much prefer to the 2022, livelier and fresher. The palate is well-balanced with a sapid entry, a little mint-fresh with a playful, citrus finish.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMA fresh lighter crimson colour. Quite an elegant pinot, not at all the rustic style of Chassagne. Juicy strawberry and raspberry on the palate, medium weight, good length with adequate acidity. A cheerful Chassagne to drink in the medium term. 5 new barrels out of 17. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 88-90 JM

Mid lemon yellow. Grilled almonds Marjolaine suggests, and I agree. Once more the flesh and the oak on the nose are apparent. All the requisite weight and white fruit, silky length, a little salinity, understated but very long indeed. Rather hidden at the moment. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMThe 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, from vines planted in 1996, had quite a bit of that matchstick reduction on the nose when I tasted it from barrel, but you can discern the concentration here. The palate is well balanced with a slightly honeyed opening. Acidity counters its richness as hints of ginger and white pepper emerge toward the finish. Powerful compared to its peers, this Grand Cru will require two or three years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

More yellow in the colour, a waxy flesh, slight evolution in the sample, I cannot quite see the stones up front. They do appear on the palate and the wine extends very well through to a flinty finish, with some saline notes right at the back. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret 1er Cru has a strict, almost sullen nose that demands coaxing from the glass, with hints of chamomile interlacing the orchard fruit, though I seek just a little more mineralité. The palate is well balanced with tropical notes of passionfruit and guava on the entry. Smooth in texture with countervailing acidity, the 2023 finishes open and easy-drinking. Drink just a year after bottling and enjoy this in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères is a level up from the regular Village, with more mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is well balanced and linear in style, with a keen line of acidity, fine weight and a sapid, chamomile-tinged close. Maybe the 2022 had a touch more depth on the finish, but this is worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 91 VMOld vines with a younger plot as well. Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet has a discreet distinction, more in minerals than flesh, one jar again. Tighter and more precise on the palate, with a light ripe citrus note added to the orchard fruit. In bottle. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The wonderful Corton-Charlemagne from Rapet offers pronounced apricot and quince fruit with a lemon-peel edge. The texture is rich and dense, yet balanced by a surprisingly crisp acidity for the vintage. The grapes from En Charlemagne, Chaumes et La Voierosse and Les Combes were picked on 11 September, right before the rain, and pressed as whole clusters before fermentation, mostly in 250-litre casks with a bit of foudre and one amphora. Ideally, I would age this at least 10 years and enjoy it over the next 40.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECRapet’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of peach and pear, mingled with white flowers, wet stones, crushed mint and hazelnut. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s deep and concentrated, with racy acids and a seamless, complete profile. This vintage marks a step up in texture and mid-palate volume for Rapet, and it is well worth seeking out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes mainly from the lieu-dit of En Charlemagne and was matured in one-third new oak plus amphora and foudre. What a lovely bouquet! Delineated and fresh with hints of oyster shell and crushed stone, this exudes class. The palate is well balanced with fine weight, a keen line of acidity, hints of apricot and hazelnut and a poised but sustained finish. Bon vin!Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2023 Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine Rapet Père et Fils is a beautiful young wine. It shows off superb depth and nascent complexity on the nose, soaring from the glass in a mix of pear, passion fruit, a gorgeous mosaic of limestone minerality, almond, white lilies, honeysuckle and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with a great foundation of Corton-Charlemagne minerality, bright acids, great focus and grip and a complex, impeccably balanced and very long finish. This is still a very young wine and I would try to not touch a bottle until it has had at least five or six years’ worth of cellaring. It should prove to be very long-lived. (Drink between 2030 - 2065)John Gilman | 95 JGThere are various ages of vine in the Rapet holding, with plantings in 1945 and 1950 plus 1980s and a 2018 plot. Mostly made in 350-litre barrels, plus one 12hl foudre, an egg, and a terracotta amphora. Lemon and lime, with some classic Charlemagne style fruit on the nose, a delicious lemon touch. The stones infuse the finish which is very persistent. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThis is very firmly reduced and while the reduction does not extend to the palate, it’s clear that the nose will need extended aeration. Much more interesting are the sappy, powerful and muscular flavors that also display evidence minerality on the long, compact and balanced finale. This is one of those wines that’s difficult to rate because while the reduction may dissipate with time, that is a supposition, not a guarantee.Burghound | 91 BH

As always, this estate crafted one of the most perfumed and complex rosé wines in France. The 2023 Bandol Rose exhales aromas of spring flowers, guava, lemon, spices and iodine mingled with delicate licorice hints. Medium-bodied, textural and layered, it’s perfectly balanced with a fleshy core of fruit and bright acids, concluding with a long, mineral and iodine-inflected finish. Kudos!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPWonderfully perfumed, the 2023 Rosé entices with orange oil, nectarines, crushed wild berries and savory herbs. Rich and broad yet with a stimulating core of acidity, this plays a game of contrasts on the palate, mixing citrus-laced green melon with zesty spice and crisp mineral tones. A cascade of rosy inner florals fills the senses, as a resonance of white peach and a zest of lime keep the mouth salivating. Glorious today yet also gently tannic, the 2023 is a showstopper.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Delicate and floral in the glass, the 2023 Rosé Château de Selle Cru Classé wafts up with a captivating blend of freshly sliced nectarines, minty herbs, peach sorbet and wet stone. This is seamlessly silky and serene, focused on purity, with ripe orchard fruits and candied lime motivated by a core of tantalizing acidity. It’s potent and long, with a spicy flourish of ginger and citrus while leaving a sweet herbal tinge that lingers on and on. The 2023 Château de Selle is simply stunning. - Eric GuidoVinous Media | 93 VMBright and vivid nose with strawberries, dried raspberries, cherry blossoms and a light, spicy undertone. Medium-bodied, round-textured and lengthy with lots of energy and a crisp, mineral backbone. Round and textural finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe nose of this wine is high intensity, with candied peach bursting out of the glass. The palate is in perfect balance, tart flavors of apple and grapefruit play off of the bitter grapefruit leading into the superlong finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDense and complex, this ultra-pale version starts off a bit closed before opening up to reveal apple blossom, crunchy nectarine and pear flavors cut with notes of crushed flint, while a thread of salty, smoky dried green herbs cruises through. Creamy and refined, this is drinkable and delicious. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. 11,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The killer 2023 Condrieu La Doriane boasts gorgeous orange blossom, honeyed flowers, toasted spice, and grilled peach aromatics that build incrementally with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, focused, and pure, this brilliant effort spent 9 months in 100% new French oak and represents the crème de la crème of the vintage. I’d recommend drinking bottles over the coming 7-8 years, although it will keep longer. Drink 2025-2033.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDHow can you resist the fresh honeycomb, honeysuckle and toasted brioche aromas and controlled extravagance of this high-end Condrieu? Rich stone fruit aromas on the expansive, medium- to full-bodied palate, where the freshness of the vintage deftly lifts the long, generous finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSMatured for 9 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Condrieu La Doriane takes off with toasty subtleties, mingling pristine white peach, apricot and jasmine with a touch of honeysuckle. Packing elevated flavor concentration on the dense palate, the 2023 is an outgoing, articulate La Doriane. Round and complex, it walks off the stage with a touch of lemon flesh and wet stone on the long, nuanced finish.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2023 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a wonderful mineral-driven yet understated bouquet unfolding in the glass with subtle oyster shell/crustacean scents. The palate is beautifully balanced with a keen thread of acidity that slices through the more malic fruit profile. Very harmonious with a judicious dab of spice on the finish, this is a marvelous follow-up to the 2022.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMPale with a green tint. Not so much nose on display yet. Then the volume of pure white fruit with some grapefruit bitters towards the back. Biding its time before displaying its wares. Tightly knit, good tension, this may take quite a while to unwind. Drink from 2030-2036. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMElegant, pure and beautifully layered aromas of honeysuckle, acacia, carnation, white peach and a whiff of citrus confit precede caressing, rich and relatively seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length on the balanced and more complex finale. Like the Combettes, this is really quite classy and stylish.Burghound | 92-94 BH

The 2023 Montrachet Grand Cru showed a little more cloudiness in the glass due to the lees (of course, they will disappear once racked). Perhaps the nose is a little primal as a result—it’s not as complete as the Bâtard or the Bienvenues. The palate is more indicative of where this Monty will be heading. It has intense, immense weight with an almost pixelated mineral-driven finish. This is going to be a great Montrachet, but it might take longer to reveal its true identity. Only six barrels were produced this year.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMSix barrels. This was slow to ferment and is still not clear after racking. A huge volume of pure white fruit with a slightly honeyed not as well, and a limestone backbone that drives the second half of the wine. Opulent in one sense yet managed, while the length and concentration of the finish is fully Montrachet worthy. Come back in many years. Lime as well as limestone, lingering in the mouth. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMEnough wood to remark upon surrounds the cool and airy white orchard fruit aromas that are liberally laced with spice, zest and floral nuances. The sleek, intense and impressively scaled flavors brim with sappy dry extract that seems to have no effect on the precision of the wonderfully long, bone-dry, superbly long and well-balanced finale that is also supported by citrus-tinged acidity. This is not a massive Montrachet but it’s beautifully proportioned and a wine that should more than repay extended keeping. Moreover, it’s the class of the cellar in 2023.Burghound | 93-96 BH

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet 1er Cru showed more reduction on the nose, yet there is clearly a lot of intensity here. It’s slightly more resinous than its peers, containing touches of melted candle wax and lanolin. The palate is well balanced and poised, with a keen silver thread of acidity and real energy building toward an assertive and complex finish. It is far superior to the 2022 when I tasted it last year. This is superb.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA fine mid lemon colour. Discretion continues to be the Sauzet watchword. The Champ Canet has the ideal balance between the concentration of white fruit flesh, acidity, nuance and length. The fruit ripples over a bed of minerals. Very compelling. Drink from 2029-2035. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMVery firm reduction is such that the lightly wooded nose reveals nothing today. By contrast, there is good verve to the delicious and attractively textured flavors that aren’t quite as dense as those of the Truff but, also somewhat unusually, they do display more minerality on the bitter lemon zest-inflected finale.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru has a well-defined nose with gravelly scents that unfold with each swirl. It’s quite strict, with hints of white tea in the background. The palate is well balanced, with a slightly tangy opening, touches of orange pith and a slither of sour lemon. Stem ginger adds a bit of feistiness on the finish. Drink it over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMMid lemon yellow. The Garenne seems riper and softer than the previous wines, with some yellow plums, but still the delicacy of all the Sauzet wines this year, and with an agreeable, almost floral, long finish. Ripe citrus zest on the nose. The Sauzet team work the vines and buy the grapes. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMSubtle though easily perceptible wood influence is present on the equally smoky aromas of petrol, apple and a broader range of floral elements. The supple and succulent, even seductive, medium-bodied flavors flash a subtle minerality that adds a sense of relief to the youthfully austere and sneaky long finale. I like the balance and this well-made effort should repay mid-term keeping.Burghound | 89-92 BH

An enthusiastically floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of pear, apple, matchstick and just sliced citrus. There is first-rate density to the surprisingly powerful and overtly stony flavors that possess excellent size, weight and length on the balanced and firm finale. This too possesses fine development potential, which is just as well as more depth is needed.Burghound | 91-93 BHAn attractive lemon yellow, with a slightly riper nose, and plenty of stuffing. Ripe citrus rather than yellow plum. Plenty of energy on the palate, more weight, perhaps less finesse than some, but a well constructed Puligny none the less with notable persistence. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Les Truffières 1er Cru takes a slightly different tack to the other Premier Crus from Sauzet. It has touches of brioche and almond on the nose, a hint of lanolin and later, frangipani. The palate is powerful and well balanced. This mouth-filling Puligny doesn’t quite deliver the same tension and mineralité as the previous vintage or some of the other Premier Crus this year. Maybe it was just picked a day late?Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru has another riveting bouquet with notes of white peach, orange pith and crushed limestone. It is intense but very elegant and delineated. The palate has exquisite balance and a little more rondeur compared to others. A touch more spiciness emerges toward the finish, with perhaps the longest aftertaste. This is superb.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMHere too the nose is cool and airy with its aromas of smoked apple, acacia blossom, crushed fennel and citrus confit. The richer and more concentrated, though less mineral-driven, middle weight flavors coat the palate with sappy dry extract on the clean, dry, delineated and balanced finale. This is really quite classy and well-worth your interest.Burghound | 91-94 BHA large block adjacent to Meursault. A fairly pale lemon yellow, with a concentration of solid white fruit on the palate. Significant weight, powerful on the palate, all very much a monolithic block of flavour, some ripe grapefruit at the finish. Weightier perhaps but Benoît’s style here at Sauzet is not for the massive. Two thirds come from 70 year old vines, one third 30. Good acidity to finish. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières 1er Cru has a compelling strictness and mineralité on the nose, averting the more tropical inclinations of the preceding Champ Gain. It has just a small touch of reduction. The palate is well balanced with a keen line of acidity. There is a patina of oak to be absorbed, but there is real tension and attack in this Les Perrières. This is a concentrated wine that deserves more time in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMMid lemon yellow, a stony tension to the nose, softer fruit behind that, as we are lower on the slope, with an engaging generous finish, infiltrated by the sense of minerality. Very persistent. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMAn airy and cool nose combines notes of pear and citrus with those of acacia blossom and just sliced citrus. Once again the mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is super-sleek with a beguiling sense of underlying tension that carries over to the saliva-inducing, stony and beautifully delineated finale that isn’t quite as complex or persistent though it’s close.Burghound | 90-92 BH

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet les Referts 1er Cru shows a little more ripeness and tropical traits than other cuvées from Sauzet. Its bouquet features notes of pineapple, nectarine and citrus peel, yet there remains delineation and mineralité that upholds a sense of Puligny-Montrachet. The palate is well balanced and weighty in the mouth, but I admire the tension and poise. It gradually builds toward the harmonious and subtle spice on the finish. Give this time.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA slighter fuller lemon and lime colour. The bouquet suggests greater density of fruit. A light lick of oak which suits the more clay-based wines. Excellent energy, the oak backing up the fresh vigour of the fruit, and a well-balanced finish. Not the ripest, but quite powerful. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMPungent aromas of moderate reduction and wood toast prevent an assessment of the nose. More interesting are the succulent, round and caressing middle weight flavors that possess solid volume and power that seems to build on the compact, sappy and well-balanced finale. Fine development potential here.Burghound | 91-93 BH

Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is flat-out great. A blend of 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne brought up in a mix of foudre and smaller concrete vessels, its medium gold hue is followed by a sensational perfume of stone fruits, dried pineapple, white flowers, and crushed stone. This carries to a medium to full-bodied white with an elegant, layered mouthfeel, perfectly integrated acidity, and a great finish. It’s approachable today yet will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for well over a decade. If you get a chance, don’t miss this! There are a tiny 250 cases made.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a very powerful white Châteauneuf – textural and driving, with intensity and freshness. The oak is mostly present in texture and shape. It’s very ripe but not overdone; the alcohol is in balance and the driving acidity will propel it forward; it’s a savoury, saline style that will age well. Grown in lieu-dit Les Serres, mostly galets roulés with sand. Fermented in foudre, demi-muid and concrete eggs; aged in foudre and concrete egg for six months.Decanter | 96 DECThis youthful white Chateauneuf manages to be rich and creamy, but also lively with stacks of candied fruit aromas and a touch of waxiness on the full-bodied palate. Wonderful purity at the very silky finish that’s simultaneously expansive and precise. A cuvee based on clairette with a small amount of roussanne from organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSVinified in foudres, large barrels and concrete tanks and matured for six months in wooden tanks (50%) and egg-shaped concrete tanks (50%), Ferrando’s 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc evokes aromas of spring flowers, herbs, spices, ripe orchard fruits and jasmine. Medium to full-bodied, charming and delicate, it’s enveloping and crystalline with bright acids and an ethereal finish enhanced by vertical energy. This blend of 70% Clairette and 30% Roussanne is one of the finest classic white wines of the appellation. Vinified with no malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness and finesse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBottled in January 2024, the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is an expressive white. As usual, the malolactic fermentation was blocked to preserve the wine’s freshness. Vivid spring blossom, lime flesh, ripe pear, quince and flintstone nuances are front and center. Closing with good persistence on the sapid finale, the 2023 will provide plenty of pleasure soon after release.Vinous Media | 93 VMFragrant and bright, with notes of honeysuckle blossoms, lemon pulp and yellow apple driven by a succulent, mouthwatering acidity that cuts through. Salty, yeasty notes add savory richness to the supple palate, with well-integrated elements of acacia marking the firm, dry finish. There’s good precision, freshness, focus and length. Clairette and Roussanne. Drink now through 2028. 700 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier is very pure and sensual on the nose, with generous red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit tones that envelop the senses. The palate is well balanced with a gentle grip, but there is more energy and greater frisson toward the finish than the Vieilles Vignes, which beckons you back for another sip. This is excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMHere too there is just enough wood to merit pointing out suffusing the compositionally similar, if less expressive, nose. The succulent and rounded medium weight flavors still manage to retain good detail on the solidly powerful, youthfully austere and moderately rustic finish that is both compact and robust. This is an excellent Gevrey villages that is worth your interest.Burghound | 90 BH

All Grenache sourced mostly from the Chapouin lieu-dit with a splash from Janasse, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin shows a medium ruby hue followed by a pretty, perfumed, remarkably elegant profile. It has a core of sweet red and black berry fruits, absolutely heavenly Provençal aromatics of herbes de Provence, black olive, pepper, and flowers, plus ripe, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Partially destemmed and aged 12 months in 70% foudre and 30% demi-muids, this heavenly 2023 will drink beautifully over the coming two decades. There are roughly 1,500 cases produced. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDAs always, a pure Grenache Noir sourced from sandy soils, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin is a terrific effort. Mingling aromas of wild herbs, dark berries, baked mulberries and garrigue, it avoids the excesses of over-ripeness or overt spice, instead delivering a beautifully controlled expression. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it displays impressive concentration and a sense of coiled energy, its muscular core of fruit framed by a fine chassis of ripe tannins. The finish is long, delicately spiced and impressively persistent. This will reward patience, as time in bottle should bring greater harmony and finesse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPHuge in scale, with a potent, warm, sappy profile. Its opulent rush of ripe cherry and licorice is well-framed by polished, firming tannins. Alder, anise and lavender smoke stream through; the finish is well-supported and reined in. Concentrated and broad-shouldered. This is for fans of the hedonistic style yet still shows drive and complexity. Best from 2027 through 2040. 3,333 cases made, 112 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA solid, well-composed and flavorful red with cherries, sweet strawberries, warm herbs and a hint of baked orange. Full-bodied with fine tannins giving a refined texture. Juicy and driven, with a long, flavorful and well-structured finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSStrawberry compote, raspberry jam, licorice and crushed violets introduce the expressive 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chaupin, with ripe black cherry adding more complexity. Neatly structured through firm tannins, the full-bodied 2023 packs ample flavor concentration and density, doubling down with blackberry flavors and garrigue on the long, savory conclusion. This won’t need as much time to come around as the Vieilles Vignes from the same vintage tasted alongside.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2023 Clos des Chevaliers from Domaine Chartron was one of the most brilliant wines I tasted during my entire nearly three weeks in the cellars here in Burgundy. The wine is utterly brilliant on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a pure, beautifully complex and elegant blend of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a complex foundation of limestone minerality, lemon blossoms, a refined framing of vanillin oak and a topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and seamlessly balanced, with a great spine of acidity, a gorgeous core of fruit, great mineral drive and cut and a very, very long, vibrant finish. Pure magic. (Drink between 2030 - 2075)John Gilman | 98 JGThe delicious Clos du Chevalier is the top wine in the Chartron cellar, boasting intense aromas of lemon peel, mandarin and passionfruit, with nuances of acacia flower and a pronounced saline minerality. The texture is lively and vibrant but rich as well, with a superb balance between the extract and the racy acidity. The clos, a former monopole of the Chartron family, is above the Montrachet from Marquis de Laguiche; although they sold 0.16ha to Lalou Bize-Leroy for its Domaine d’Auvenay, Chartron still owns a half-hectare of Chevalier here. Cellar this for at least a decade before opening.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru is Charton’s best Grand Cru this year. Intense and flattering citrus fruit notes commingle with crushed stone and light undergrowth scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is fresh, vibrant, beautifully balanced and very harmonious with a long and tender finish. Cohesive and multi-layered, très bon vin!Vinous Media | 95-97 VMAn attractive pale colour with a lime streak. Pure and stylish on the nose, with the white limestone feel of classic Chevalier. The bouquet will express itself more later on, I suspect. On the palate, the terroir also reverberates, with a very fine-boned acidity alongside the nuanced white fruit and flowers, with just a little well-judged oak bringing up the rear. A high-class finish. Very distinguished. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA markedly more floral-suffused nose speaks of distinctly cool white orchard fruit aromas, mineral reduction, Asian-style tea and a lovely range of spice nuances. The gorgeously textured and notably denser medium weight plus flavors exude a prominent stoniness on the sappy bitter citrus-tined finale that goes on and on. Like the Clos du Cailleret, the mouthfeel is like sucking on a small pebble and overall, this superb Chevalier should amply reward extended cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet from Domaine Chartron is another very fine village wine. It delivers a refined bouquet of white peach, apple, chalky soil tones, spring flowers, a nice touch of fresh almond and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, racy and sports a fine core of fruit, with a good soil foundation, seamless balance and a long, complex and nicely precise finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2025 - 2045)John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Village is a combination of Chartron’s own vineyard plus exchanges with other growers. This has commendable vivacity and focus, with Granny Smith and fresh Anjou pears on the nose. The palate is well defined with orchard fruit tones intermixed with touches of orange rind and spice. This has fine length and admirable precision for its class. It is recommended.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMMade from Les Benoîtes and young vine Caillerets. A lime tint to the colour, with some flesh on the nose, and a little well-judged oak. This is very prettily balanced, no more than medium depth, with a good fruit-acid balance. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 89-90 JMA more elegant and markedly more floral-suffused nose speaks of various white orchard fruit and quinine that is again trimmed in enough wood to notice. It can also be found on the rich and solidly voluminous flavors that possess a more sophisticated texture before concluding in a vaguely off dry finish. This is pretty but the off dry style appeals somewhat less to me than other wines in the range.Burghound | 88-91 BH

The 2023 Rully “Montmorin” from Domaine Chartron has also been bottled prior to my mid-January visit to the estate. The wine is really refined this year, offering up a lovely aromatic constellation of apple, wet stone minerality, dried flowers, a nicely discreet framing of new oak and a topnote of limepeel. On the palate the wine is pure, precise, full-bodied and shows off lovely depth of fruit at the core, with good mineral undertow, excellent acids and grip, fine balance and a long, complex and seamlessly balanced finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2025 - 2040)John Gilman | 92 JG

With the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Hommage à Louis, the Droins have regained the right to designate Les Clos on the label from the INAO, but they’re also continuing with the Hommage à Louis moniker. Whatever its name, the wine is lovely, opening in the glass with notes of green apple, peach and lemon mingled with iodine and toasted nuts, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate that’s deep, dense and muscular.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru Hommage à Louis has the best bouquet amongst the Grand Crus from Droin. Very vibrant and intense, with crushed limestone and flint. The palate is well balanced with melon, grapefruit, orange rind and quince on the entry, building nicely towards a slightly oily-textured finish. I can see this aging well in bottle - more complexity on the finish compared to say, the Valmur or Grenouilles.Vinous Media | 94 VMI believe that the authorities have now confirmed that all of Benoît Droin’s plots are properly within the boundaries of Les Clos, though Benoît will continue to use the Hommage epithet alongside the vineyard name. the 2023 Hommage à Louis has a clear and classic nose after the pale lemon colour. Brilliant balanced juice, the Clos transcends the vintage. All white fruit of course but some crunch to the white apple fruit. Juicy and generous but still with a fine firm classic core. Fabulous finish. Drink from 2028-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMSmoke and light wood nuances set off cool floral and spicy aromas of freshly grated citrus, white peach, honeysuckle and tidal pool wisps. There is again fine intensity to the dense and stony broad-shouldered flavors that flash fine length on the ever-so-mildly warm finale where a touch of youthful austerity slowly emerges. This refreshing effort is so rich that it should drink reasonably well young but the better choice would be to allow it to age for at least a few years as it could also use more overall depth.Burghound | 93 BH