Shop Wine

wines

Droin’s Fourchaume is located in the Vaupulent sector, on deep, clay-rich soils. A warmer site, this is a;ready very appealing with nice touches of baked apples and stone-fruit on the palate, with softer acidity and concentration. Although accessible early, this has the concentration to age extremely well and will deliver more saline aspects with more bottle age.Decanter | 92 DECA whiff of mineral reduction is present on the nose of pear and apple compote where there is just enough Chablis typicity to be convincing. The succulent, round and palate coating flavors possess good underlying tension while delivering solid depth and length on the delicious finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth.Burghound | 90-92 BHThe 2021 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru shows a little more reduction on the nose compared to other cuvées but a pleasant flintiness develops with time. The palate is well balanced with a cohesive entry, fine weight although it doesn’t quite deliver the same precision as the Mont de Milieu at the moment. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Droin’s Montmains site is on a gentle slope with richer, deeper, kimmeridgian marl soils. A colder site, making the wine richer and with great density on the palate. Distinctly more weight than the Vaillons, giving the blend plenty of gravitas. 8-10 months ageing on fine lees adds a creamy character with acidity less pronounced than with the Vaillons. Classy.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2021 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a classic Chablis-like bouquet with scents of shucked oyster shell and light fumé notes emerging from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a saline, lemon rind infused entry, moderate weight, perhaps not quite as precise as the Vaillons yet with satisfying persistence. Fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMAn even more floral-suffused nose speaks of the pretty essence of pear and apple while offering better overall typicity. The palate impression of the middleweight flavors is also plump, round and fleshy with its reasonably persistent, dry and balanced finale that also could use better depth. This attractive effort should be approachable young yet also reward 4 to 7 years of keeping.Burghound | 89-92 BH

A bigger, richer white, especially in the context of the vintage, the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc offers up a medium to full-bodied, vibrant, concentrated style as well as classic notes of honeyed melon, crushed stone, white flowers, and dried herbs. I love its mid-palate depth, and it has beautifully integrated acidity and outstanding length. It’s another serious, age-worthy white in 2021 that will benefit from short-term bottle age and be long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc marries the natural energy of this cool year with lovely mid-palate creaminess and texture. Understated yet persistent, the 2021 presents a gorgeous display of pear, white flowers and mint, along with a subtle touch of oak that frames the finish. Today, the 2021 is quite a bit less expressive than it was en primeur. It was also bottled in May 2022 (versus May 2023 for the reds) and may be in a closed period, which is not unusual for wines from cold years. We shall see.Vinous Media | 95 VMPeach and waxed-lemon character here. Some fennel and aniseed, too. Very fresh. Medium to full body with a round, creamy palate. A little closed for now at the end. 55.2% semillon and 44.8% sauvignon.James Suckling | 95-96 JSLa Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2021 leaps from the glass with notes of fresh grapefruit, white peaches, and honeysuckle, leading to touches of elderflower and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with vibrant stone fruit and zesty flavors, supported by a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA fresh, incipiently complex bouquet of pear, grapefruit, freshly baked bread and wet stones prefaces the 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy wine with a satiny attack that segues into a taut, structured mid-palate built around chalky dry extract, which lend this a more tightly-knit, mordant profile than the broader, fatter and more enveloping Haut-Brion Blanc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPFloral and green fruit aromas on the nose. Juicy and upfront, lively and fun, this has zing and focus. I love the almost sherbet lemon touch to the initial expression followed by soft green fruit and some softly spiced herbal accents. It’s clear and clean, bright and focussed. Tapers a little towards the finish, just lightening, but lovely and enjoyable - very aerial in style.Decanter | 94 DEC

The Menetou-Salon from Kevin and Karine Lauverjat is a fine bottle that really shows the bright, cooler vintage characteristics of 2021. The bouquet offers up a complex blend of limepeel, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, a lovely base of flinty minerality and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied, complex and nicely grassy in personality, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, a good spine of acidity and impressive length and grip on the well-balanced finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2030)John Gilman | 91 JG

This estate makes a bevy of terrific dry whites in addition to an incredible Sauternes. Starting with the 2021 Lions De Suduiraut Blanc Sec, which is a blend of 52% Semillon and 48% Sauvignon Blanc, it offers subtle grapefruit and citrus notes, a kiss of minerality, and a refreshing, vibrant, wonderfully balanced style on the palate. It’s a seriously good bottle of wine to drink in its youth.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2021 Lions de Suduiraut Blanc Sec is gorgeous. Rich, creamy and expressive, the 2021 is exquisite in its balance of textural richness and freshness. Orchard fruit, white flowers, mint, lemon oil and chamomile envelop the palate, while bright floral accents perk up the finish. Lions is the new name for the Blanc Sec, which is the same wine as before.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGA tangy white with sliced grapefruit, apple and celery character. Medium body. Fresh finish. White pepper. Dry and chalky.James Suckling | 91 JS

A wine with tremendous lineage and ageability, the 2021 Chardonnay Estate offers a depth of golden nectar, pear, and toasted oak, with a prestigious length and breadth that only begins to suggest its ability to age another 25-30 years. (Winemaker Jeffrey Patterson has been driven for decades by a dedicated vision of longevity for these wines.) The high levels of acidity lead toward a refined palate of elegantly demure fruit, a quench of Meyer lemon, and nuanced, integrated oak, just a touch of hazelnut accenting the long finish to great effect. With its pedigree for aging wines, this should drink best 2031-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Estate strikes an admirable balance between textural decadence and tensile sturdiness. It leads with a rich, layered nose of honeyed orchard fruits, blanched almonds and baking spices. The palate harnesses a soft, creamy richness with lifted acidity and impressive, saline length on the finish. Continuing the time-tested style of Mount Eden, this should build further complexity and intensity for nearly a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPDeep golden yellow in the glass, the 2021 Chardonnay Estate Bottled is soft-spoken and inward today. It’s clearly holding its power in reserve as it plots its next move. Briny, focused, lemony acidity presses on with much gusto, energizing a deep well of crushed stones, soft floral tones and green pear fruit. Rounded and enveloping, it unfurls at a snail’s pace as lime zest and subtle tropical flourishes inflect the finish. This classy, restrained wine needs a couple of years in bottle to fully blossom.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Super-restrained nose here with candied lemon and lemon bush, tuberose, peach kernel and integrated toastiness. Full body with amazing weight and concentration, yet with vibrant, lemony flavor, zesty and integrated acidity and a warming but balanced finish. Drinkable now, but with aging potential of more than 10 years.James Suckling | 97 JSFor the first time, Ornellaia Bianco becomes a Bolgheri DOC wine in the 2021 vintage. It’s again 100% Sauvignon Blanc, vinfied in a mixture of 300L and 500L amphorae, barriques and tonneaux, with only 25% new wood. Perfumed, exotic, stony and honeyed, it’s nonetheless a vertical and focussed wine, its structure constraining rich aromas and flavours of mango, peach, white flowers, orange peel, papaya and passion fruit. It does feel like it’s being held back, with a touch of austerity and that stony, mineral authority that makes it a necessity to drink with food. ‘It has much more vibrancy than in the past...a better defined character than when the project began,’ notes Marco Balsimelli.Decanter | 96 DECPreviously a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, the Ornellaia 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is now all Sauvignon Blanc. The estate recently planted Semillon, so it is possible that we will one day see that grape in the blend (especially because it is known to thrive in hot vintages). This wine plays its best cards in terms of texture. It sports broad shoulders and enough texture to support those many creamy citrus and delicately tropical flavors. A dusting of crushed stone adds elegance. The wine should show its best results in five to 10 years from now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is alluring. I sense a bit more textural richness vis-à-vis prior editions, a positive in my book. White pear, jasmine, sage, mint, white pepper, peach and apricot fill out the layers. Light tropical accents appear with some aeration, adding a tropical flair that is quite attractive. This is impeccably done.Vinous Media | 95 VMVerging on creamy in texture, this silky white features floral, peach, sage and mint flavors, with a flash of grapefruit pith. Complex, balanced and long, with a salty component on the persistent aftertaste. Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2030. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Bright straw-colored, the 2021 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is forward on the nose with notes of melon rind, fresh pear, flint, and delicate baking spice, and it has a lot of vibrant nature. Medium to full-bodied, it offers fantastic tension and a linear feel with great length, and it’s going to age very well. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is another dense, ample wine in this range. The Woolsey Road has a good deal of phenolic intensity. There’s real breadth and resonance here. Lemon confit, white pepper and dried herbs are nicely amplified.Vinous Media | 94 VMFragrant, focused and precise, offering flavors of lemongrass and lemon blossoms, with Meyer lemon and green papaya accents, plus a touch of tangerine. Shows green tea, lemon balm and white pepper notes on a mouthwatering frame, with a hint of salinity that lingers. Drink now. 787 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRichness and concentration are the hallmarks of this full-bodied, mouth-filling wine. Deep in Bosc pears, baked apples and baking spices, it offers a creamy texture balanced by moderate acidity. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

The textural component to this wine, and all of those from Rhys, is worth the price alone. The nose starts with aromas of lemon curd, baked orange and a light nutty tone before the palate’s chalky texture engages the entire mouth as citrus flavors abound.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2021 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains is a peek at the stellar produce of Rhys’s 2021 single-vineyard white wines. The nose opens with fresh, racy aromas of sea spray, lemon curd and Granny Smith apple. The mid-palate displays a level of creamy richness that takes substantial cellaring to unlock in the rest of the lineup. The signature tension and angularity of the Rhys style are present, albeit with a welcomed softness and generosity of texture. Readers holding this admirable array of wines should start here and hold off on the single-site wines for at least a few more years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPI love the nose on the 2021 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains, which feels lifted and briny with aromas of wildflowers, white peaches, honeycomb, and candle smoke. A blend of three vineyards, it’s medium-bodied to full-bodied and rounded through the midpalate, with a silky mouthfeel and a long, savory finish. As with the Anderson Valley Chard, this is going to drink well now or over the coming 6-7 years, and it’s a great value.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a gorgeous appellation level wine, and also a wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring, unlike most of the 2021s. Lemon confit, marzipan, dried flowers and chamomile all grace this soft, open-knit Chardonnay from Rhys. Bright saline notes extend the super-expressive finish. Terrific.Vinous Media | 92 VMBright and distinctive, with notes of tangerine, orange blossoms and lemon curd that show a hint of toasted sesame. Offers aromatic details of fennel, nutmeg and dried ginger, with a note of sea spray and a long, expressive finish. Drink now. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru, 80% aged in oak, has a delightful bouquet with orchard fruit, lemon verbena and orange pith scents that burst from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite precise with a welcome touch of bitter lemon that keeps the finish on edge. Not a long-term Bougros perhaps, but finely crafted. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Pale colour. A light and elegant nose, some marine notes behind, gentle but showing well, with a little more volume behind, a wave of white fruit and an attractively nuanced finish. Drink from 2025-2028. Tasted Jul 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The 2021 Chardonnay Zotovich Vineyard is a bright and focused from start to finish. Crushed rocks, lime, salt and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in this vibrant, intensely saline Chardonnay. All the elements are so nicely put together. This is another wonderfully translucent wine in the range.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis bottling sports a very pithy, citrus-rind-driven nose, with wet rock and tight apple flesh aromas also apparent. The palate is loaded with a rocky mineralitty, but also packed with citrus spray, Asian pear and mandarin flesh flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESamsara’s 2017 Zotovich Chardonnay is an excellent rendition of this top quality site. From the first vintage that Samsara produces white wines, it was fermented in all neutral oak and four barrels were produced. The nose is equal parts toasty, honeyed and saline, with aromas of cracker, coconut and sea spray. The palate is chiseled and linear, combining green apple, pineapple rind and salted caramel flavours. Chardonnay from this site seems to consistently marry weight and power with lift and focus, as is the case here.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is the white wine of the vintage, hands down. Creamy and layered, the 2021 offers all the qualities that make whites off this site so compelling, Nothing is out of place. It’s aromatic yet deep, fresh yet layered. Utterly mind-bending right out of the gate, this superb white hits all the right notes. Slate, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper linger. Magnifique!Vinous Media | 98 VMThis has so much depth and power, with complex notes of flint, oyster shell, white pepper, dried mango, lemon, papaya, apricot stone and chalk. Medium-to full-bodied. Bright, yet creamy. It’s so long and concentrated. Wait and see. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon, 5% sauvignon gris. From organically grown grapes.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (90% Sauvignon and 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon) is similarly crisp, focused, and chiseled, yet has another level of concentration. Racy citrus, lime, and graphite fruit notes are support by beautiful minerality, minty herb, and sappy flower-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated white offering perfectly integrated acidity, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This beauty will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and have over two decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDLemon and lime, such purity and scintillating freshness, bright and sharp, so well positioned and poised with licks of mineral salinity on the finish. Great texture, weight and sense of life. I love this wine! The juiciness is moreish and this makes you want another sip straight away.Decanter | 96 DECA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, and 5% Semillon, the 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc soars from the glass with enticing scents of nectarines, lime leaves, and fresh grapefruit, giving way to notes of cedar, jasmine tea, and yuzu zest, with a touch of chalk dust. The light to medium-bodied palate has exhilarating tension, with loads of orchard fruit and citrusy layers, finishing with fantastic length.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2021 Blanc has developed gracefully since en primeur, delivering attractive aromas of ripe pear, peach, lime tree leaves, verbena and mint intertwined with mineral, smoky nuances. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with a broad attack and fleshy mid-palate, it exhibits compelling purity and tension, concluding with a saline, mint-inflected finish. It has the potential to improve in the cellar over the next decade or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPlump, with an enticing edge to the mix of lemon curd, jasmine, honeysuckle and white peach flavors. Shows length too, with paraffin and salted butter details filling in. A touch shy on depth and cut overall, but this is still well ahead of the pack in this vintage. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2029. 2,400 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This harmonious white offers bright, buoyant acidity and fresh character to the aromas and flavors of orchard blossoms, nectarine and yellow apple. Yet this also has a light, pleasing plumpness, plus rich hints of mango puree, slivered almond and vanilla-infused pastry cream. Medium-bodied and creamy, with a lingering finish of spices and stone. Drink now through 2031. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBig and waxy chardonnay with ripe orchard and tropical fruit, notes of walnuts, pie crust and cream. Full-bodied, dense and oily with a mellow and ripe character framed by spicy and nutty nuances. Long finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA total seductress, the 2021 Chardonnay Ciampagnis lifts from the glass with an intense mix of lemon custards, sweet mint and confectionary spice. Its creamy textures soothe as a pure mix of ripe citrus-tinged orchard fruits settles upon the palate. Here it’s the acidity that impresses most, finishing remarkably vibrant despite its intense fruit-forward personality while leaving stimulating hints of lime and saline minerals to linger. Vie di Romans captures an amazing amount of complexity within the Ciampagnis yet uses only stainless steel in the aging process.Vinous Media | 91 VM

This is a big white with sliced apple, pineapple and lychee fruit. It’s full-bodied and dense with lots of fruit and phenolics on the mid-palate. A roundness and power at the end. From the same plots as Yquem. Harvested August 9. 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSComposed of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Sémillon, the 2022 Y d’Yquem has 6 grams per liter of residual sugar. It skips out of the glass with cheery notions of fresh, crunchy pears, allspice, fennel seed, and lime leaves, leading to touches of lemon drops, chalk dust, and white pepper. The medium-bodied palate has a satiny texture and racy backbone with layers of pear and baking spices flavors, finishing on a lingering chalky note.The Wine Independent | 94+ TWI

The 2022 Vino Bianco Leukò bursts from the glass with a wild aromatic display of ground ginger, incense, dried peaches and sour melon. It’s soft and enveloping with a pleasant inner sweetness up front and zesty acidity as floral-laced white pit fruits and candied citrus tones cascade throughout. The palate is left reeling, watering for more, as a perfumed floral air dissipates over tropical kiwi hints. This is Leukò on steroids. It’s a blend of 70% Greco Bianco and 30% Gaglioppo, vinified white.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2022 Pinot Blanc Réserve comes from the Brand Kirchberg (80%) and the granite soils of Niedermorschwihr, which adds texture and suppleness. The wine is rich and intense on the palate yet fresh, vital, well structured and persistently saline on the finish. This is a pretty complex Pinot Blanc from 50+-year-old vines. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2024.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2022 Pinot Blanc Réserve is a pure Pinot Blanc, made from one parcel in the Barnd Grand Cru and one in Niedermorschwihr, both on granite. They are harvested together, then co-pressed and co-fermented. Russet pear flesh and peel are evident on the nose, edged by slight mango notes. The palate is bright, fresh and beautifully intense, with pear peel and zestiness. This is a very fresh Pinot Blanc with much verve and direction. A lovely, zesty energy shines. (Bone-Dry)Vinous Media | 92 VM

Attractive nose of ripe mangoes, pineapple and grilled lemons with some toasty, nutty notes and hints of smoky minerality. Cardamom and pie crust, too. It’s full-bodied, nervy and juicy, with bright acidity and savory nuances. It’s layered and long and it builds up on the palate, with vibrant, spicy notes of candied ginger, dried lemons and bitter citrus peel. Truly the Montrachet of Italy. Drink or hold. James Suckling | 98 JSThis is Marchesi Antinori’s top white wine, and it comes from the region of Umbria. The Castello della Sala 2022 Cervaro della Sala is based on Chardonnay and has a small part of the local grape Grechetto in the blend. The nose opens to a reductive note of flint or matchstick, but it lifts quickly to reveal soft orchard fruit, white peach and minty apple. There are delicately applied toasted notes with a hint of pecan or macadamia nut. To finish, you also get salty mineral notes that underline the extremely vertical or lifted personality of the bouquet. Renzo Cotarella tells me that tweaks to winemaking in recent years have attempted "to slim down the wine and not make it any bigger." This was a hot vintage, but Cervaro della Sala remains true to its leaner and meaner blueprint. However, given its accessible personality, we could expect a shorter drinking window for the 2022s.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

This wine reflects the vintage with greater tropical expression, revealing hints of honey, beeswax, candied citrus peel, and apricot. These elements combine to create a wonderfully warm richness, layered with brown baking spices and pressed wildflower notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, it strikes a fine balance of an almost chalky or velvety texture with great energy. Following blending, half the wine underwent malolactic fermentation while the other half did not. Aged in all new oak for 7 months on the less with no stirring. The result is impressive in its length, with saline-tinged acidity bringing brightness and zesty complexity to the finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECAttractive aromas of white nectarines and salted lemons with hints of raw almonds, dried flowers and cream. Medium- to full-bodied, delicate and sleek with beautiful acidity that brings balance and energy. Silky and lingering. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSBold and confident, with plenty of aromatics up front, including honeysuckle, cardamom, toasted brioche and marzipan. However, what makes this wine memorable is the wonderful tension between these rich aromatics, plus its sleek, juicy thread of fresh Fuji apple, lemon curd and caramelized pineapple. Offers a long, expressive and highly detailed finish. Drink now through 2031. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAttractive white peach and tangerine fruit, as well as some honeyed mint notes, all emerge from the 2022 Chardonnay A26, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant Chardonnay from the Atlas Peak region that has good overall concentration as well as integrated acidity. It’s a solid, impressive Chardonnay to drink over the coming 3-4 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

The 2022 Meursault Village, a blend of Jobard’s lieux-dits, which has been the case for three vintages now, has a classic nose of orchard fruit, walnut and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is very well-balanced with a lime and citrus peel opening, crisp acidity and a little fatness towards the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMMid lemon and lime. The bouquet is not overtly weighty. The hillside vineyards and those below complement each other. There is certainly excellent energy beneath here, a fine thread to freshen the weight of white orchard fruit. Impeccable village Meursault. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMA very Meursault nose of white fleshed fruit, acacia blossom, hazelnut and a whiff of citrus character introduces rich and seductively textured medium weight flavors that flash a lovely minerality that adds a sense of lift to the bitter lemon-tined finale. This is also an excellent villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-92 BH