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The 2017 Barolo Bussia Cascina Dardi is a super classic wine from the Fantino brothers that melds together the richness of the year with traditional expression of Bussia structure. Bright red-toned fruit, kirsch, blood orange, mint and spice open over time, supported by beams of nervous tannin that lend energy. This is a terrific 2017 Barolo.Vinous Media | 93 VM

(Chambertin “Clos de Bèze”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2017 Clos de Bèze from Domaine Rousseau is an equally compelling wine in the making, but it is a bit the inverse right now of the Chambertin, as it is a bit more reserved on its youthful nose, but more open and flamboyant on the palate. The bouquet is very, very pure, precise and promising, offering up scents of red and black raspberries, cherries, raw cocoa, a very complex base of minerality, lovely spice tones and a very well-done framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with superb transparency and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and a very long, very energetic and vibrant finish. The wine is already suave and caressing on the attack, with all of this sappy reserve at the core and yet, it finishes completely defined by its complex minerality. A great wine. (Drink between 2030-2100).John Gilman | 98 JGSumptuously oaked and always poured last in any tasting at Domaine Rousseau, this is riper and plusher than the straight Chambertin bottling, with the power and density to age well, framed by 100% new wood and showing a bloody, ferrous undertone. Drinking Window 2027 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Red) While the wood treatment is certainly evident it remains reasonably subtle on the overtly cool and restrained nose that is markedly spicy with its broad-ranging combination of exuberantly fresh aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, rose petal, violet, plum and a suggestion of earth. There is excellent power and punch to the large-scaled flavors that are a combination of power and refinement while being blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive quality to the mouthcoating, hugely long and firmly structured and chiseled finish. While the Chambertin appears to have a slight edge at this very early juncture due to having slightly better complexity, it’s going to be interesting in 20 to 25 years’ time to see which is the better wine! (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 96 BHThe 2017 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has quite a high-toned bouquet, a touch of boot polish coming through and then receding to reveal very complex floral aromas. The elegant palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, perfect acidity and fine proportion. Maybe it is missing a little weight on the back end, but it is still a refined Clos-de-Bèze that will age with grace. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2017 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru bursts from the glass with extroverted aromas of dark, plummy fruits that mingle with notes of chocolate, licorice, sweet oak spice, grilled meats and espresso. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and ample with broad shoulders, a generous core of fruit and more mid-palate amplitude and tannic bite than the Chambertin.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP

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

Light in colour, with a certain attractive evolution in the bouquet, very sensual, lifted raspberry and alpine strawberry. This is a Vosne-Romanée which is all about the delicacy, perfumed and succulent up front, lighter behind. Perhaps just a little soft at the finish but with a heavenly fruit quality. Just the style that Charles Lachaux is trying to achieve. Tasted: October 2020.Jasper Morris | 91 JMAromatically the nose possesses a similar fruit profile but it’s notably spicier. There is also a bit more concentration to the medium-bodied flavors that possess a more refined mouthfeel before terminating in a saline and lingering finish. The refinement is mostly due to the dense but fine tannins and this should age well for its level.Burghound | 89-91 BH

Hand-picked and sorted 1868 planting, 50% crushed, 45% whole berry, 5% whole bunch. You’d stand up for royalty, and that’s this wine. To use the spit bucket is lèse-majesté. Just savour it, drop by drop, as it magically finds its way down your throat. It’s got the full rainbow of cool-grown shiraz flavours, a conjunction with a year made for it by Dionysius and, glory be, comes with a screwcap. Drink to 2067James Halliday | 99 JH

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is dreamy, wafting up with a remarkably fresh bouquet that features roses, violets, shavings of cedar, dusty cherry and sweet smoke. This is elegance personified, with ripe red and black fruits excited by vibrant acidity as confectionary spice emerges. Minerals add a more tactile feel toward the close. Balsam herbs and hints of mocha resonate as the 2017 finishes with a gentle tug of tannin and a slight bitter twang that punctuates the wine perfectly. This child of a warm vintage shows impressive balance and tremendous potential for the future. Bury your bottles deep.Vinous Media | 96 VMEnticing aromas of dried strawberries and raspberries, together with notes of heather-like herbs and dried citrus peel. Full-bodied with beautiful, silky tannins that embrace the fruit and add length. In fact this is very long, releasing more and more cedar and spicy dried peel for you to savor. An excellent 2017 from a top Amarone vineyard site. Enjoyable now and will age for many a year.James Suckling | 94 JSThis single-vineyard Amarone is high in the hills of the Valpantena Valley and opens with aromas of macerated black cherries steeped in anise and clove that then evolve into notes of forest floor and dried herbs. Finesse is driven with a balance between wild plums, savory and oolong tea notes that are guided by the elegant tannins and mouth-watering acidity on the end. A classic wine. Drink Now–2045. 94 points. Cellar Selection.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Roses and lavender with other flowers. Peaches. Glorious fruit of dark plums and ripe strawberries. This is dense and intense but there are layers of very fine tannins, like fine cashmere. Goes on for minutes. Opens in the mouth. Almost endless. Three years in cask and two years in bottle before January 2023 release. Give this at least five to six years.James Suckling | 98 JSThis year’s top-end release from Bruno Giacosa is the 2017 Barolo Riserva Falletto Vigna Le Rocche (in the red label). Bottled in 2019, the wine stands apart thanks to a hot and dry growing season that Bruna Giacosa is very excited about. In fact, she prefers 2017 to 2015, although the two vintages do share similarities. This wine is very open-knit, and it reveals dark concentration in the form of ripe blackberry, candied cherry and spice. The tannins show a loose, granular quality that adds considerably to the textural impact of this Riserva.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThis supple red is elegant and powerful, driven by an underlying mineral element. Strawberry, cherry, rose, iron and wild thyme aromas and flavors persist, building to a long aftertaste, while dense, refined tannins lend support. Offers superb balance and length. Best from 2025 through 2045. 110 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

The 2017 Syrah Bionic Frog is in the running for the wine of the vintage. An incredibly elegant expression of this cuvée, it reveals an almost opaque purple hue to go with stunning, Jamet Cote Rotie-like notes of black raspberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, green olives, and sweet mulch. More cured meats and salted pork notes develop with time in the glass, and it’s a wonderfully complex, layered, nuanced Syrah. Boasting medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, flawless balance, and a great, great finish, it’s the polish, elegance, and silky feel to the tannins that set this beauty above just about every other wine out there. It’s unquestionably gorgeous today (give it an hour or more in a decanter) yet has a solid 15-20 years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDFantastic decadence and richness to this, but not overdone, offering intense dried fruit, tar, roasted walnuts and smoked almonds. It’s full-bodied, but remains fresh. The aromas follow through to a flavorful. round and juicy palate. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSPart of the magic that happens with the 2017 Syrah Bionic Frog is that it is opaque with neon purple edges without being inky and massive. With classic Syrah tones of smoked meat, leather, lavender, lilac and black pepper, the wine is rich with aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and smoked plum. Medium to full-bodied, the wine explodes with intention and precision on the palate, with an immaculate balance and crystal-clear focus. Brilliantly structured, the wine continues to evolve with subtle and seamlessly integrated spice tones compounded by a mineral tension and a floral lift to make this wine float across the mid-palate. The wine glides effortlessly to a long, winding finish with persistence and the elegance of silk. The vibrancy of flavor remains in the mouth long after the wine has left. For a wine this dark and this full-flavored, yet as graceful and agile on the palate as it is, you’ll be hard-pressed to put down the glass; I certainly can’t keep my hands off of it. This is stunningly beautiful, and with only 516 cases made, it should be sought after by top collectors from around the world.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPBright red-ruby. Pungent, pure, wonderfully complex scents of blackberry, dark raspberry, crushed herbs, meat, graphite and black olive accented by black pepper. Incredibly precise, concentrated, saline wine with a sexy wildness and exceptional inner-mouth lift to its flavors of dark berries, licorice, olive tapenade and luncheon meats. Thick and savory but not heavy or flat, this is a great New World Syrah. Finishes salty but alive, with terrific firm but integrated tannins and steadily building length. A great vintage for this wine--maybe better than the 2016--with superb lift and structure for aging. Keeps its thickness and juiciness through the peppery, wild, very long aftertaste. Wow!Vinous Media | 96 VMThe aromas start off reserved and then ramp up intensity, with notes of peat, black pepper, crushed flower, soot and charcuterie. The flavors are intense but far from full throttle, showing a mesmerizing sense of restraint to the savory and potpourri notes. A lingering finish caps it off.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEShows personality and refinement, with vivid cherry and raspberry flavors, laced with garrigue, bacon, orange peel and river stone notes. Picks up speed toward the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2029. 516 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2017 Chapelle-Chambertin from Madame Tremblay is also a stunning wine, but it is a bit more reserved out of the blocks than the flamboyant and supremely elegant Echézeaux and will need a few more years to blossom. The youthful nose is pure and sappy, offering up scents of plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, violets, gamebird, a hint of hazelnut, woodsmoke, a wisp of orange zest and a lovely base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full and sappy at the core, with a beautiful structural chassis, lovely soil signature, ripe, fine-grained tannins and stunning length and grip on the perfectly balanced and youthful finish. All this great wine needs is time in the cellar to fully blossom. (Drink between 2030 - 2085)John Gilman | 97 JGCécile Tremblay’s top wine is made with grapes from a very old 0.35ha block in this small Gevrey grand cru. Exotic yet refreshing, it’s supple and appealing but has good underlying tannins, acidity and minerality, joined by intense red cherry and strawberry fruit.Decanter | 95 DECLike many wines from this charming, demonstrative vintage, Tremblay’s 2017 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru can already be drunk with pleasure. Exhibiting aromas of red berries and plums mingled with notions of orange rind, warm spices and vanilla pod, it’s full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a round, giving core of fruit framed by supple tannins and lively acids. Expect it to put on additional depth with further bottle age, much like its 2007 counterpart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is also quite floral with its cool and strikingly pretty aromas of softly spiced red and dark berry and earth scents that are trimmed in gentle wood nuances. The mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is quite simply gorgeous as it’s at once caressing and lacy yet potent and powerful, all wrapped in an intensely mineral-driven finish that goes on and on. This is a superb Chapelle.Burghound | 93-96 BHNotably deeper colour, this has much darker fruit on the nose, some black fruit notes, powerful though on the palate and with great energy. Fresh finish, with good, even weight throughout. Her holding is in the Gemeaux part of the appellation which resist dry conditions, especially as these are old vines. Very good finale I must say. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMThe 2017 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru has around 80% whole bunches this year. It has a very perfumed bouquet of raspberry, crushed strawberry, vanilla pod and a touch of iodine, all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black and red fruit, perhaps not as complex as the Echézeaux, and a touch of brown spice surfaces toward the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

One of the greatest young wines I’ve ever tasted is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum which is 100% old vine Grenache sourced from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit. Lighter in color than both the Combes des Fous and Ex Machina, it offers a heavenly perfume of kirsch liqueur, crushed rocks, exotic spices, and graphite. This beauty hits the palate with an incredible display of opulent, decent fruit paired with an elegance and seamlessness that needs to be tasted to be believed. With building richness, no weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit, it’s released only in magnum, so it will take upward of a decade to hit maturity and will keep for 20+ years. Hats off to the Maurel family and their consultant Philippe Cambie!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDBottled only in magnum, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum was made entirely from Grenache planted in 1905 and aged in new demi-muids, yet it has completely absorbed any trace of barrel. Incredibly intense and dramatic, it combines savory notes of licorice and dark roses with black cherries and dried spices. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a mind-bendingly long finish, it’s a tour de force that may prove to be perfection for some readers.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPDeep shimmering crimson. Powerful, expansive red berry liqueur, floral pastille, garrigue and Asian spice qualities on the hugely perfumed nose, along with building suggestions of incense and smoky minerals. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering intense Chambord, cherry pie, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors that deepen and expand steadily through the back half. Clings with superb tenacity on the gently tannic, mineral-tinged finish, which eventually leaves suave floral and exotic spice notes behind. Produced exclusively in magnums.Vinous Media | 97 VM

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

This is a great Yquem, delivering thrilling purity and intensity. The nose offers intense aromas of fresh and dried apricot and peach pastry, as well as freshly baked creme brulee, candied and fresh orange and kumquat. Some marmalade, too. Smooth, glossy texture with flavors of grilled orange, dried apricot and an exceptionally long finish with a powerful, driving push to the end. A flicker of toasty-oak influence arrives late, but this wine has completely consumed the oak. The 2017 Yquem is a very powerful wine from a very rich and exceptional vintage. The acidity has a big hand in balancing the richness. Pithy finish. The phenolics deliver some great depth. Rain at the beginning of September prompted an extensive infection of noble rot. The harvest lasted from September 26 to October 13. Great quality and one of the best since the legendary 2001. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThere was no frost at d’Yquem in 2017, and botrytis was very regular and even this vintage. The nose opens with very pure notes of freshly sliced oranges, yuzu and lemon barley water with hints of white pepper, fresh ginger and lime cordial. The incredibly rich, unctuous sweetness (148 grams per liter of residual sugar) is beautifully marbled with bright, vivacious citrus fruit and spice flavors, while lifted by well-knit freshness, and it finishes with epic length and great depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPThe 2017 Yquem is destined to be one of my favourite recent vintages. It has brilliant delineation on the nose with acacia honey, saffron, white flowers and a subtle crushed stone element. So much energy is palpable. The palate is supremely well balanced, surfeit with energy, spicy and feisty and yet paradoxically beautifully controlled and pixelated towards the extended finish. It’s not unlike the brilliant 2014 in style. Tasted at the château. Vinous Media | 97 VMVery flattering and unctuous in feel, with coconut, creamed papaya, toasted hazelnut and warmed peach and tangerine cream flavors gliding along in unison, all framed by warm brioche and piecrust notes on the finish. Remarkably rich, yet poised and pure. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,166 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSStill very youthful with light golden colours, showing flashes of green in the glass. Intensely aromatic with tropical fruit notes, pineapple, roasted apricot, honey and lime zest. Full-bodied and rich on the palate with plenty of botrytis notes showing through. Although unctuous and weighty, this Yquem retains plenty of acidity which freshens the palate and balances the concentrated fruit. Sandrine Garbay noted that 2019 reminded her of 2017, with the 2019 showing a little more opulence. Served with a dish of roasted pollock and smoked mussels, this was a wonderful combination, showing the sweetness and purity of Yquem. Residual Sugar: 148g/L. (Drink between 2024-2050)Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2017 Maya is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc and was bottled one week before I tasted it. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens with profound earthy notions of truffles, damp soil, crushed rocks and tar over a core of Black Forest cake, black raspberries, blueberry compote and aged meat plus touches of wilted roses and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is solidly structured with firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness lifting the multilayered blue and black fruits with a long, perfumed finish. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2017 Maya is not only gorgeous, it also appears to have handled the rigors of the growing season more successfully than the others. Ripe red cherry and plum fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and spice all build as this racy, sumptuous wine shows off its considerable allure. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are just magic here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGTiny production from the eastern hills of Oakville. If you love Bordeaux wines it’s such a treat to taste a blend of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, something that you rarely see in the Médoc. It works extremely well, with an aromatic kick of raspberry leaf and violet flowers but the key to the body is coffee, bilberry, rosemary, mulberry and cloves. Great acidity set against power and concentration. The savoury edge that makes Cabernet such a delicious food-friendly wine is here, and is extremely elegant and refined but with a punch and undertow. Good stuff, with long ageing potential. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe plum and chocolate, as well as hazelnut and dried-flower character is prevalent here. It’s full-bodied, yet very refined with lovely, polished tannins and a long, crisp finish. Balanced and focused. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSSolidly built, with ganache, plum, fig paste, smoldering tobacco and loam notes rolled together, ending with a muscular feel on the dark finish. Reveals a strong tug of terroir. Will need some time to stretch out fully. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. 800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2017 Croatina delivers all the intensity this indigenous variety is known for. Dark cherry, blackberry, dried herbs, lavender, tobacco and licorice infuse the 2017 with richness and brooding power, all wrapped into a classic frame. I would give the 2017 a bit of time in bottle, although it is pretty compelling today. Bright acids and a good bit of tannin make it a fabulous wine for the dinner table, especially alongside hearty fare.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

This remarkable 0.35ha parcel used to belong to Domaine Newman but is now an established part of the Mortet range. All located on white soils on the larger Chambolle-side of Bonnes Mares, this is showing its 70% new wood at the moment but has the structure and concentration to soak it up. It’s sappy, savoury and fine, with a palate-pleasing red fruit sweetness and underlying minerality.Decanter | 96 DECFine full mid purple. Gorgeous rich fruit leavened by some whole bunch effect. Dark raspberry fruit. Spicy notes, and not picked too late. The fruit swells beautifully on the palate, though still in the fine-boned style of the vintage. This has a most beautiful finish which really stretches the fruit out beyond the light tannins. Tasted: December 2018.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JMFrom a parcel with white soils, the 2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is very pretty, wafting from the glass with notes of rose petal, blood orange, wild berries and savory bass notes. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and fine-boned, with chalky structuring tannins, juicy acids and a vibrant core of fruit. The style here is exquisite, and if Mortet can coax a little more depth and concentration from these vines in future vintages while retaining its elegant profile, he will soon number among this grand cru’s greatest exponents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPA deft application of oak easily allows the earthy aromas of plum, red and dark berries and game to be appreciated. Once again there is very good volume to the powerful and solidly concentrated middle weight plus flavors that culminate in a refreshing and chalky finish that is slightly firmer as well as a bit longer too. This beauty possesses impressive development potential.Burghound | 92-94 BHThe 2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru includes around 30 to 40% whole bunches with around 70% new oak. At the moment, the new wood is quite vocal on the nose and slightly occludes the fruit underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, sorbet-like entry, notes of blood orange suffusing the red fruit, though I would like a little more depth to evolve on the finish, perhaps a touch more blue fruit too. Needs time to develop its personality.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

From Lavières and Bas de Combe plus two vineyards nearer to Nuits. Again there is no especial depth of colour, yet with this sublime fragrance. The whole bunches are a bit firmer but the fragrance comes behind. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 90 JMThe 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Village is a blend of several vineyards that offer homogeneous ripeness but on different soils. It has quite an earthy, sous-bois tinged bouquet that is very well defined, the 60% whole bunches nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a tart opening, and the 10% new oak lends discreet lift toward a persistent finish spiced with a dash of black pepper. Excellent.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMAn exuberantly expressive nose jumps from the glass to reveal a lovely array of earth, red currant, spice and a whiff of lavender. There is once again an appealing sense of energy to the lighter weight flavors that deliver solid punch and persistence on the balanced finish. This is a relatively elegant Nuits villages.Burghound | 88-90 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 Vosne V.V. shares the same beautiful fruit tones with the Chambolle AC in this vintage, but is perhaps even a hair more transparent in its expression of its underlying terroir. The nose wafts from the glass in a complex blend of raspberries, red and black plums, cocoa powder, duck, lovely soil tones, woodsmoke and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very soil-driven, with a sappy core, excellent focus and grip, suave tannins, vibrant acids and a very long, elegant and precise finish. This is a gorgeous village wine in the making! (Drink between 2022 - 2055)John Gilman | 91+ JGThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes, matured in 50% new oak with 25% whole bunches, has an aromatic, very floral bouquet, scents of pressed violets intermingling with the black plum and bilberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, finely judged acidity and good balance and matière toward the almost citrus-like finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMBursting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, exotic spices and smoked duck, the 2017 Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes is the broadest and most satiny of Tremblay’s village wines, with a medium to full-bodied, fleshy profile that was still digesting some structuring tannin when I tasted it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA markedly spicier and more deeply pitched nose grudgingly reveals notes of dark cherry, plum, violet and sandalwood. The velvety, delicious and caressing medium-bodied flavors possess fine concentration for the vintage, all wrapped in a highly seductive, sappy and sneaky long finish. I like the balance and overall this is too a really quite good plus it’s very Vosne.Burghound | 89-91 BHThis shows the typical deepish red colour of Cécile’s 2017s. The wood shows a little on the nose, in its toasty style but here it is just an inflection, then a really pure fine concentrated fruit on the palate, more red than black, fills out the mid palate. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

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

A well-defined red, with great focus and precision to the black cherry, black currant, violet and stony, mineral flavors. Ends with a chalky sensation, lending gravitas to the finish and overall impression. Best from 2023 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFresh deep purple with a delicious exotic brambly character, pure and forceful, some whole bunch but it is the fruit which wins. Absolutely gorgeous with perfectly balanced acidity and non-aggressive tannins. Liqueur raspberry finish and great length.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThe 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of morello cherry, wild strawberry and just a touch of graphite. This is strict and backward, yet very focused, and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, displaying fine tannins, superb mineralité and beautifully integrated oak, and delivering good body and persistence on the finish. An excellent Chambolle-Musigny with real pedigree. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMChristophe Roumier expresses the terroirs of Chambolle with a combination of emotional engagement and winemaking precision. This pale, delicate, almost balletic premier cru is racy and refreshing, with some spicy notes from 50% whole bunches and one-third new barrels.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2017 les Cras from Domaine Roumier is an outstanding bottle in the making. The nose wafts from the glass in a very classy blend of red and black cherries, violets, raw cocoa, gamebird, chalky minerality, vanillin oak and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, long and very soil-driven in personality, with a sappy core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and a long, focused and beautifully balanced finish. This should start to open nicely in another seven or eight years, but its real apogee is still probably twenty years down the road. (Drink between 2028 - 2065)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras is showing nicely, exhibiting notions of sweet berry fruit, cherries, peonies, spices and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and chalky back-end grip, it will demand a bit of patience, even in this extroverted vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPA whiff of reduction detracts slightly from the appeal of the overtly floral-inflected nose that reflects notes of violet, lilac, lavender and rose petal along with a fresh mix of red and dark cherries. The sleek, intense and almost pungent mineral-driven medium weight flavors possess terrific delineation on the dusty, firm and youthfully austere finish that goes on and on. This is decidedly backward and compact at present and is going to require at least some patience first.Burghound | 92 BH

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

Opening in the glass with hints of honeycomb, toasted nuts, fresh pears and wet stones, the 2017 Mâcon-Cruzille Clos de la Mollepierre is medium to full-bodied, enveloping but precise, with a tensile core, excellent concentration and a long, chalky finish. It’s another very serious wine from Domaine Guillot-Broux.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

There isn’t much of this grand cru to go around, alas, as the Cathiard parcel is a mere 0.17ha. But what a wine it is: plush yet refined, with scented oak, plenty of depth and spice, subtle reduction and layered bramble and black cherry fruit. Fresh and alluring.Decanter | 96 DECOne of the wines of the vintage, the 2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a stunning bouquet of plums, raspberries, dark chocolate, Asian spice, rose petals and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, enveloping and multidimensional, with stunning concentration and depth at the core, its ample chassis of fine, satiny tannins entirely cloaked in succulent fruit, its finish long and delineated. This is a stunning wine that entirely transcends the limitation of the year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, two new barrels out of three in total, has a very refined, supremely focused bouquet of perfumed scents of black cherries, strawberry pastilles and subtle orange blossom aromas. The medium-bodied palate is extremely precise and detailed, with very fine tannin and transparent mineralité toward the finish (as if you can feel the "bones" of this R.S.V.). Sensual and intellectual to boot.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMTwo new barrels out of three. Rich dense black core with an intense purple rim. The nose suggests a wealth of fruit to come but not ready to deliver yet., The front of the mouth fills up very nicely but the back delivers even more. Proper tension at the finish, this time more black fruit than red. At the moment the wine is more about intensity than elegance but this will certainly follow. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMAn exuberantly fresh if restrained nose offers up a panoply of spice elements to the primarily red berry fruit aromas that display additional breadth with hints of orange pekoe tea, lavender and a whisper of sandalwood. The lacy yet concentrated middle weight flavors possess a highly refined mouthfeel and first-rate complexity on the balanced and wonderfully persistent if youthfully austere finish. Like the Malconsorts, this is gorgeous but it is also very clearly built for long-term cellaring.Burghound | 93-96 BH

This cuvée, sourced from a 0.75ha parcel of 46-year-old vines completed its malolactic fermentation late, so was a little more backward than the other releases when I tasted it. It may need more time in barrel and bottle, but this is a superb expression of the premier cru, located at the fresher, more scented end of the spectrum. It has fruit intensity from the small berries (millerands) and a chiselled finish.Decanter | 96 DECNoble imperial purple. There is a such a wealth of vibrant heady fruit, which defies simple categorisation, so much more than just dark cherry, too concentrated for floral descriptors though some peony notes are lurking. There is an explosion of fruit at the back of the palate, a little more red than black, an excellent fresh acidity, a very complete wine with as much concentration as one could hope for in 2017. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMCathiard’s emblematic cuvée, the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts is also a great success, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, licorice, spices, dark berries, grilled game and an elegant framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a broad-shouldered chassis of velvety structuring tannin, considerable concentration and a long, expansive finish. Due to a late malolactic, this was one of the more primary wines in the cellar, but its immense potential is impossible to miss.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru is matured in 62% new oak and underwent a slightly later malolactic fermentation than the other cuvées. It has a very pure, detailed bouquet of precise blackberry, briar and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, displaying more grip and backbone than the Les Suchots, and the bold finish perhaps offering less charm. It will certainly require several years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM Firm reduction renders this impossible to fairly assess today. Otherwise there is more size, weight and muscle to the big-bodied and more evidently mineral-driven flavors that are almost painfully intense, all wrapped in a gorgeously long finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. However, it is pointless to buy this without the express intention to cellar it as it is very structured.Burghound | 92-95 BH