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Ramonet’s 1983 Montrachet is simply off the charts. Orange peel, almond, graphite, smoke and a hint of petrol wrap around the palate as this dazzling Burgundy shows off its class and pedigree. What a wine.Antonio Galloni | 97 AG(Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru White) (with thanks to Dr. Michael Chen). A flat out superb nose that is obviously very ripe with botrytis hints yet there is nothing obvious or cloying about it that introduces wonderfully long, fantastically rich and complex flavors that culminate in sappy, palate staining and almost unbelievably long finish. This is drinking perfectly now yet displays absolutely no sign of tiring and should drink well for another 10 years, perhaps longer. Consistent notes.Burghound | 95 BHIt is hard to believe a 1983 could have this much natural acidity. I would not be surprised to find out that Ramonet either blocked the malolactic fermentation, or did a little magical addition of acidity to this broad-shouldered, powerful wine. At age nine, it is still backward and closed, with outstanding extract levels, admirable weight, but little complexity. This could turn out to be a terrific example of Montrachet, but I would cellar it another 4-5 years. Last Tasted 8/92Robert Parker | 90 RPVery floral, complex and spicy, this comes on big and brawny, but still manages to slim down on the finish and squeeze out an elegant flourish. Has style and power, showing lemon, pineapple and honey flavors that echo on the finish. Best from 1998 on.--Ramonet Montrachet vertical.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Some bricking at the rim. There is evident if not dominant sous-bois present on the spicy, earthy and slightly animale-suffused nose. The supple, delicious and quite round middle weight flavors possess a refined mouth feel before terminating in a sappy and lingering finish where a touch of backend warmth sufaces. While the Rousseau style is an elegant one I would describe this as unusually elegant for both the vintage and for what is typical for the Rousseau Clos de la Roche. In sum, this is a lovely if not truly sensational effort that is drinking perfectly now.Burghound | 91 BH

The 1990 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques 1er Cru is magnificent. It displays stunning definition on the nose; there’s no messing about as it ladles out captivating raspberry, wild strawberry and light oyster shell notes. Though opulent and reflective of the growing season, the bouquet oozes class. The palate has a sorbet-like freshness and so much vitality after 31 years, building toward a perfectly symmetrical finish featuring vivacious morello cherries and raspberry coulis and hints of bay leaf. This is simply Rousseau in full flight. How do you follow that pair?Vinous Media | 97 VMThis was a wine that I was quite curious to try because while I had the good fortune to have enjoyed it several times in the 1990s, it had not come my way since 2001. I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint with its ripe yet airy aromas of sous-bois, spice, earth, game and beautifully well-layered secondary fruit. There is fine richness as well as very good power to the delicious and attractively textured medium-bodied flavors that exhibit equally good layering on the impressively persistent finale. This is not a particularly elegant vintage for the Rousseau CSJ and there remains enough tannin to notice on the slightly warm finish but overall, I found this to have aged out extremely well.Burghound | 93 BHThe outstanding Gevrey-Chambertin-Clos St.-Jacques possesses a saturated deep ruby color, and an explosive nose of black fruits, spicy new oak, flowers, and truffles. In the mouth, the wine is dense, seductive, and ripe, with low acidity, glycerin, and alcohol in the finish, making it a voluptuous, opulent mouthful of chewy Pinot Noir. Drink it over the next decade.Robert Parker | 90 RPA supple 1990, with a firm core of solid tannins and enough fruit to compensate for the tannic backbone. A well-integrated wine, with lots of raspberry, mushroom and wet earth flavors. Best after 1996.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

It is pretty amazing, when drinking this stunning wine, to realize that this was only the second vintage made by the Mugneret sisters on their own after the tragic passing of their father Georges in 1988. Their 1990 Ruchottes is one of the finest examples of this vintage that I have tasted in several years, offering a purity that is hard to find these days in this slightly roasted vintage. The nose wafts from the glass in a very complex blend of red and black cherries, sweet dark berries, grilled meats, dark soil tones, a touch of cigar ash, espresso, mustard seed and plenty of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and tangy, with a great core of black fruit, superb soil signature and grip, still a wisp of backend tannin and lovely balance on the long, focused and very complex finish. Great juice with many, many decades of life still ahead. (Drink between 2023 - 2070)John Gilman | 96 JGThe 1990 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru is consistent with the bottle poured at the vertical in London. It offers mainly black fruit on the nose laced with mulberry, liquorice and Clementines, though I would have liked more delineation. The palate is rounded and generous in terms of fruit, grippy in the mouth with a dense finish that just lacks the grace of more recent vintages. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.Vinous Media | 91 VM

It has been some years since the last time I cracked a bottle and at 22 years of age, it would be fair to say that this has reached its apogee with a really lovely and fully mature nose redolent of fully mature secondary aromas that do not yet evidence any notes of sous-bois. There is excellent richness to the delicious, sappy and still solidly well-concentrated flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is not an especially refined effort but one that is most satisfying and while there is no further upside development to be had, neither is there any rush to drink up. In a word, lovely.Burghound | 91 BHA firm wine that offers generous, clear black cherry, raspberry and spice aromas and flavors. Solid, with pure, focused flavors balanced by enough acidity and tannin. Drinkable now to 1998. 375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Huge, dense and thick with extremely ripe but not roasted fruit and flavors that still manage to remain graceful and reasonably elegant despite what can only be described as impressive concentration. The firm tannins have now almost completely been resolved with sweet and ripe flavors that are still vibrant if no longer youthful and for my taste I would suggest that this has arrived at its apogee though it should hold here for up to two more decades. Multiple, and consistent, notes.Burghound | 93 BHThe 1991 Gevrey-Chambertin-Les Combottes is an outstanding premier cru. This magnificent vineyard, sandwiched between such revered grand crus as Clos de la Roche and Latricieres-Chambertin, reaches heights in Leroy’s cellars that do not exist elsewhere. It offers a decadent nose of smoked duck, grilled meats, black fruits, spices, and truffle-like smells. Superb black-cherry fruit flavors are loaded with glycerin and extract. This unctuously-textured, hedonistic wine is remarkably long, sweet, and velvety. Tasting more like an unevolved barrel sample than a finished wine, it should be drunk between 1996-2012.Robert Parker | 92 RP

(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Red) The nose evidences a slight floral quality, and a fascinating mix of earth, leather, tea and spice notes plus an interesting green bark component. The slightly austere, tannic, wonderfully rich flavors are dense, in fact extremely dense with excellent depth and terrific complexity and a finish that seems to go on forever. Though there are now hints of secondary aromas, this remains very young, structured and remarkably intense. When you get the right bottle, the ’93 can be a real stunner. Note: the inconsistency of this wine continues unabated as a bottle opened at the Domaine recently was almost aggressively vegetal and awkward. In short, when it’s good it’s very good but I’ve now had too many disappointing bottles not to be wary. (Drink starting 2018)Burghound | 95 BHLight red. Beautiful nose, very youthful and pure. A vegetal note emerges with air. Packed with dense fruit and marked by a very firm structure of both acidity and dense tannins. The fruit is locked up right now in this massive, powerful La Tâche. Rather than open in the glass, this appears to close up, but have faith; this will be great.--La Tâche non-blind vertical. Best from 2010 through 2030. — BSWine Spectator | 95 WS

(Chambertin “Clos de Bèze”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 1995 Clos de Bèze from Charles Rousseau is an excellent bottle in the making that is almost ready for primetime drinking, but quite there yet. The superb nose wafts from the glass in a complex blend of cherries, blood orange, grilled meats, sous bois, coffee, a bit of vanillin oak and a topnote of exotic spice tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very refined in profile, with a fine core of fruit, suave tannins and lovely length and grip on the nearly open, tangy and soil-driven finish. It is very easy to drink this wine today, but I would try to keep my hands off of it for another three or four years and let its structural elements fade away just a bit more. A superb 1995! (Drink between 2018-2050)John Gilman | 95 JGDark ruby-colored, the killer Chambertin Clos de Beze floored me with its nose of roses, violets, black cherries and Asian spices. Its sublimely elegant palate impression is intense, complex, chewy, austere, minerally, stony, full-bodied and long. It possesses considerable tannin behind the rich fruit so it should be at its best between 2006 and 2016. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-94 RP(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Red) Superbly spice aromas just explode from the glass leads to wonderfully concentrated flavors of impressive depth and simply incredible balance for such a big, structured, powerful wine. The length though is what separates this wine from the "merely" great and it just goes on and on. The material here is so good that it would not surprise me if this eventually merits an even higher score as this is a most impressive effort and it has the rare gift of presence, something very few wines have even at the highest levels. In sum, this is killer juice.Burghound | 94 BHDeep red-ruby color. Flamboyant, expressive aromas of kirsch, black raspberry, toffee, mint and dried flowers. Black cherry and black raspberry fruit flavors show an almost liqueur-like sweetness. Seamless texture like liquid velvet. Fat but very intensely flavored; note of licorice gives the wine even more lift. Superb expanding aftertaste, with rich, thoroughly ripe tannins. Complete Burgundy.Vinous Media | 93 VM

(Richebourg- Domaine Méo-Camuzet) I have long been a fan of Jean-Nicolas Méo’s 1996 Richebourg and the wine acquitted itself very nicely at our tasting. The bouquet is deep, pure and still youthful, but also stunning in its potential, as it wafts from the glass in a complex array of black plums, red and black cherries, raw cocoa, Vosne spices, a complex base of soil, duck and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and quite refined in profile, with a lovely core, great soil signature, ripe, suave tannins, tangy acids and beautiful balance on the long and moderately tannic finish. Great juice in the making- just add more time. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 96 JGThis wine is medium-to-dark ruby-colored and displays a flattering nose of deeply intensely red and black fruits, and hints of mint-laced chocolate. Its magnificent personality has gorgeous definition, a full body, and spectacularly rich and fat cherry fruit. This highly concentrated, profound, harmonious, exceedingly classy, and superbly-balanced wine has a formidably long and supple finish that reveals loads of oak-imbued, juicy, and popping (the French would say croquant) red and black fruits. Wow! Drink this gem between 2004 and 2012.The village appellation offerings from Vosne and Nuits have the lowest pHs (3.35) of Meo’s wines (the rest are between 3.45 and 3.5).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPRipe and balanced, offering wet earth, mineral, smoke and red berry complexity, this is superbly intense on the finish, with a round, velvety mouthfeel. Grows on you as it kicks into high gear, rockets to a beautiful finish. This grand cru from Jean-Nicolas Méo tastes sweeter and more hedonistic than his minerally Clos de Vougeot, but both get the same classic rating. Best after 2007.Wine Spectator | 95 WSLess deeply colored than some of Meo’s other ’96s. Wonderfully complex, perfumed aromas of cassis and bitter chocolate. The sweetest of all these ’96s, with superb violet and dark berry inner-mouth perfume. Lovely balance. Finishes firmly tannic and very long. Seems less tough than the Cros Parantoux and even more charming than the Brulees. Lovely integration of oak.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Méo-Camuzet ’ Richebourg Richebourg Grand Cru Red) There is an interesting menthol character to the still agreeably fresh and bright aromas of red and blue pinot fruit that display only the barest traces of secondary development along with wet stone, spice, earth and leather hints. The palate impression is really quite supple yet the hallmark tension and precision typical of the ’96 vintage is very much present and not surprisingly the mineral character is much stronger here than it is in the ’97. The cool, clean and still moderately firm finish is especially intense and persistent with impeccable balance. Overall, this offers good power without undue weight in a refined and elegant style. In terms of maturity, while this is approaching its majority and could certainly be enjoyed now I would advise a few more years of patience. Consistent notes. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

The medium to dark ruby-colored 1997 Echezeaux offers a nose packed with dark cherries and notes of grilled oak. This is a large, masculine, structured wine, crammed with blackberries and cassis. It is rich, sweet, complex, medium to full-bodied, and has an admirably persistent finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2009. Importer: Martine’s Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Bright red-ruby. Brilliant aromas of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and bitter chocolate. Wonderfully intense, sharply delineated flavors of red berries, spices and mint; a wine of great density and verve, not to mention powerful structure for long life. A rare combination of silky texture and lightness of touch. Fabulous back end features utterly suave tannins and resounding, vibrant fruit.Vinous Media | 95 VM(Domaine Comte de Vogüé Musigny - Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) (with thanks to Dr. Reed Day). This is just now beginning to display hints of secondary development though the essential thrust of the nose remains ripe aromas of red and black pinot fruit that is nuanced with hints of violets and anise plus a fascinating array of spices. This remains mildly austere on the palate though much less so than it was in its true youth with plenty of soil and mineral-inflected nuances to the impressively dense and powerful yet classy flavors that deliver simply huge length. As classic Musigny always is, this delivers an incredible combination of power and grace. While this can certainly be approached now with pleasure, for my taste I would still be inclined to cellar this for another 5 to 8 years first. Multiple notes. (Drink starting 2016).Burghound | 94 BHTasted blind, I was able to identify the producer from the tannic structure of the 1998 Musigny Vieilles Vignes. The nose is very attractive: well-defined with boysenberry and raspberry preserves that segue into scorched earth and light seaweed scents. The palate is not quite as endearing, with firm, almost obdurate tannins that lend this Musigny a foursquare personality. It possesses the weight and sinew to age for another decade, yet at the same time it is difficult to see the return for one's patience. If only the palate had the charm of the nose.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 90 RP-NM

The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru from Hudelot-Noëllat personifies the vineyard with some style. It has a stunning, pure, elegant and effortless nose that maybe expresses that essence of pinoté better than more than a dozen other Richebourg wines present at this tasting. Raspberry coulis, wild strawberry and cold stone soar from the glass with great focus. The palate is tensile, the red berry fruit laced with orange zest that lends vivacity and energy. To be banal, this is just a Richebourg so well crafted that you want to just drink it rather than intellectualize over its virtues. That’s the sign of a great wine. Drink from 2015-2030.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM(Richebourg- Hudelot-Noëllat) The 1999 Hudelot Richebourg is much more together out of the blocks that the RSV, delivering a complex and compelling bouquet of red plums and cherries, milk chocolate, smoke, venison, minerals, herb tones, hints of forest floor and a stylish coating of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, lush and potentially quite opulent, with excellent focus and polish, packed with fruit at the core, and excellent length and grip on the moderately tannic finish. This does not quite possess the nascent complexity of the Méo Richebourg, but it matches it every step of the way for breed, focus and delineation, Another ringing success for the vintage. While this will be approachable in a few years, I would give it at least eight or nine years to fully open and start hitting on all cylinders. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2010-2040)John Gilman | 94 JG (aged in about 40% new oak, a bit less than in recent vintages): Medium red with modest saturation. Aromas of black raspberry, leather and earth are less pristine than those of today’s wines. Creamy-sweet and spicy in the mouth, with a slightly high-toned quality to its fat flavors of red berries, red cherry, underbrush and leather.Vinous Media | 93 VMClassic Hudelot style with its discreetly elegant nose of spice and beautifully proportioned flavors displaying outstanding richness and perfect acid/fruit balance. Very fine, very long and a Richebourg that delivers finesse rather than power though this is by no means a shrinking violet. In short, this is a complex, long and perfectly balanced effort that has largely reached its apogee.Burghound | 93 BH

Rich and ripe Pinot Noir, black in color, thick in texture, pumping out the flavors. Silky midpalate reveals the pedigree of this wine. Loaded with sweet blackberry character that goes on to a long finish. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBright, deep ruby-red. Complex nose melds violet, bitter chocolate, earth, meat and a hint of medicinal austerity. Dense, rich and thick; a wine of compelling richness and sweetness, but also solidly structured despite its accessibility today. Finishes with lush but firm tannins and exhilarating notes of cassis and violet. Lovely pinot noir.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Extremely ripe with powerful black fruit, wood toast and Vosne spice aromas with tannic, robust flavors yet good finesse on the long finish. This makes a firm statement and has good size to go with the penetrating fruit. (Drink between 2009-2016)Burghound | 90 BH

(Méo-Camuzet Echézeaux Grand Cru Red) Gorgeously scented and quite forward yet there is plenty of intensity, richness and better than average power for Echézeaux. Elegant and long is not quite as complex as the Clos de Vougeot.Burghound | 89-91 BHThe medium to dark ruby-colored 1999 Echezeaux has demure, sweet blackberry aromas. Medium to full-bodied, broad, and expansive, it is packed with red and black cherries as well as blackberries. Its long finish possesses loads of soft, well-ripened tannins. Projected maturity: 2003-2011.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-91 RPBright medium ruby. Spicy, tangy aromas of red- and blackcurrant, espresso and mint. Rich entry, then rather politely styled and reticent in the middle; less fleshy and deep than the Clos Vougeot. Here the normally firm acids from this vineyard combine with the wine somewhat obtrusive oak tannins to give the finish a slight leanness.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

This is my third bottle of 1999 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru and it repeats the breathtaking performance of the previous two. That said, it demands more aeration than I was expecting, backward and more introspective for the first 60 minutes until that crystalline, mineral-driven, profound bouquet reveals itself. The aromatics just shimmer. The palate is perfectly balanced as before, mind-boggling in terms of precision and grace, with laser-like intensity and a tension that electrifies the senses. More red fruit than black, hints of orange peel and oyster shell, it fans out languorously on the eternally long finish. Heaven in a glass! Picked on September 20 and cropped at 32hl/ha. 6,917 bottles produced. Tasted at the Romanée-Conti dinner at the Connaught Hotel.Vinous Media | 100 VMThe medium to dark ruby-colored 1999 Romanee-Conti is mind-boggling. It has a hugely expressive nose of super-ripe black cherries, candied plums, and violets. Full-bodied and possessing a magnificent breadth of sweet, penetrating fruits, this is an unbelievably complex wine. It coats the palate with its velvety sweet cherries, jammy blackberries, and fruit-soaked tannin. Perfectly balanced and seamless, this gem has a remarkably long finish. This is a wine of exemplary precision, delineation, and power with undescribable class and refinement. Projected maturity: 2006-2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-99 RP(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Red) Vibrant, pure, spicy, distinctly floral and unusually high-toned for the vintage with big, powerful and concentrated almost to the point of painful intensity with its super ripe, palate staining flavors yet this remains regal, almost aloof and quite reserved on the hugely long finish. The focus in unbelievable and while it’s hard to speak of subtle power, one can sense the vibrancy and depths of reserve that are still only hinted at now even eight years after the vintage. As seductive as the nose is and as awe-inspiring as the flavors are, the finish lasts literally for minutes, indeed I could still taste it the next day and I’ve noticed that this happens every time I am fortunate to have the ’99. And, difficult as it is to believe, I’m beginning to believe that my score is conservative. (Drink starting 2019)Burghound | 99 BH

(Etienne Grivot told me that this was a high-VA vintage for him; my sampled had been carafed for two hours): Good full red. Empyreumatic and balsamic aromas of plum, chocolate and graphite reminded me of a mature Pomerol on first sniff. A bit monolithic on the attack, then fine-grained but still tight in the middle palate--even a bit unyielding--compared to recent vintages of this bottling. Conveys a sexy iodiney minerality and good sweetness, as well as noteworthy energy, but still a bit more evolved than I would have thought. The tannins are slightly peppery and dusty compared to today's wines but give the wine a solid structural underpinning. Said Etienne Grivot: "1999 was at the very beginning of my modern period," adding that he changed his technique a bit in 2000 in search of wines that were a little less rigorous.Vinous Media | 91 VMBeautiful. Dark in color, refined in the mineral aromas. A full-bodied Pinot that is reserved and classy, with complex red berries, menthol, wet earth complexity. Tannins are well-integrated. Best from 2003 through 2010. 830 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS(Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Red) Interesting contrast of elegance and austerity with remarkably fine, intense, earthy fruit and structured flavors that offer excellent sève and solid structure. This will need time as it's presently closed and tight yet everything is here to permit it to age for at least a decade or more. (Drink between 2008-2015)Burghound | 90 BH

The 1999 Griotte is a bit more obviously ripe and generous than the cooler fruit-toned 2001, but it too will make an outstanding bottle of wine at full maturity. It will be interesting to keep tabs on the progress of the 1999 vis à vis the 2001 Griotte over the coming decades, as it is not clear which of these will ultimately be the superior bottling (though I give both vintages the nod over the potential of the 2002 at this early date). The bouquet on the 1999 Griotte is quite beautiful, as it offers up notes of black cherries, a touch of plum, chocolate, grilled meat, a lovely base of soil, woodsmoke and a delicate hint of cedar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and round on the attack, with a lovely black fruity core, ripe, buried tannins, sound acids and fine length and grip on the very long, meaty finish that closes with a note of bitter chocolate. A most impressive vintage of Griotte from the Drouhins, and one that should still be given another five or six years to fully blossom. Excellent juice. (Drink between 2014 - 2045)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe candied bing cherry-scented 1999 Griotte-Chambertin has a zesty, lively nose as well as a medium to dark ruby-colored character. It is packed with layers of raspberries, blueberries, and jammy cherries whose seamless flavors last from the attack through its supple finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2010.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPWhile there are subtle secondary notes present, this remains largely primary and still quite fresh with mostly red berry fruit that is cut with nuances of earth, roasted cherry and stone hints. There is moderate austerity to the relatively precise and energetic medium-bodied flavors that are presently somewhat lean and while not hard, it’s clear that this is not yet ready for prime time drinking. Save for one recent bottle that was hard to the point of being unpleasant, I have had consistent notes.Burghound | 92 BHPalish red with a brick rim. Mellow, soil-driven scents of coffee, faded rose, mocha, cedar and truffle, with red berry notes in the background; comes across as complex and mature. Quite suave but a bit peppery and lean on first pour, showing moderate flesh but surprising energy thanks to its firm acidity and minerality. Initially seemed a bit lacking in intensity (perhaps from the vintage’s generally high yields) but gained in suppleness and volume with aeration. Finishes with a firm spine of dusty tannins that avoid dryness. I find this quite sexy now with some aeration and would certainly want to drink it within the next several years. Incidentally, Jérôme Faure-Brac did not start vinifying at Drouhin until 2005.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The perfumed, candied cherry-scented 1999 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuees (domaine) is medium to dark ruby-colored. This soft, pure, and perfumed wine is lush, opulent, and sexy. Medium-bodied, filled with cherries, candied raspberries, talcum powder, and perfume, this supple wine possesses a long, super-ripe tannin-filled finish. Drink it over the next 10 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPRed-ruby. Musky, perfumed aromas of spicy red berries and bitter chocolate. Lovely sweetness on entry, then tightly wound and solidly structured, with firm acids and a stony backbone beneath. Finishes with very good length.Vinous Media | 88-91 VM

This was a magical bottle of the 1999 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, a wine that’s just beginning to hit its stride as it approaches its 20th birthday, unfurling in the glass with aromas of red berries, cassis, dark chocolate, cinnamon, dried rose petals and orange rind. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and immensely concentrated, with a broad attack, lovely acids and a formidable reserve of creamy old-vine fruit, structured around a chalky chassis of tannin that evokes the great old Burgundies of yesteryear. Concluding with a long and expansive finish, this is still a young wine, and another two decades of aging won’t be a problem. But it’s now clear that this ranks as one of Ponsot’s greatest recent hits—and one of the high points of this reputed vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA spicy, ripe and relatively expressive nose features superbly complex aromas that combine maturing red, black and dark berry fruit elements along with plenty of pungent earth character. There is terrific intensity to the seductively sappy and concentrated broad-shouldered but well-detailed flavors that offer knock out power. This really does a slow build from the attack all the way to the explosive finish that lingers for minutes. As impressive as the wine is however, the structure has once again begun to assert itself and thus it will likely need another 5 to 8 years of cellar time to be at its best. Tasted thrice recently with similar results though, somewhat worryingly, a fourth bottle displayed enough brett to notice.Burghound | 96 BHGood dark red. An initial touch of reduction to the aromas of raspberry, minerals, mocha and musky woodsmoke. Wonderfully sweet and lively on the palate; an outstanding expression of soil, with plush, fine-grained flavors of red berries, smoke, minerals and exotic Asian spices conveying an impression of finesse that’s striking for such a rich, powerful wine. The very long, mounting finish displays balsamic notes of cedar and sandalwood and benefits from strong, perfectly integrated tannins. New winemaker Alexandre Abel considers this wine too young to drink but would double-decant it if you do (my bottle had simply been uncorked two hours before I tasted it).Vinous Media | 96 VM(Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes- Ponsot) I should note that there is a provisional aspect to my enthusiasm for this wine, as this note dates back to the first couple of 1999 in the bottle tastings in late 2001 and early 2002. If this wines remains as strong as it initially appeared upon its arrival here, then the Clos de la Roche will be the first Clos de la Roche to issue forth from the domaine since the 1991. The nose is deep, packed with fruit and very primary, with layers of plum, cherry, vinesmoke, game, loads of soil tones, mustard seed, dark chocolate, and other herbs soaring from the glass. On the palate the wine is big, full and opulent, with great underlying structure, plenty of ripe tannins buried in fruit, and superb focus that the powerful 1997 never displayed this early in its youth. For those that have been hankering for another monument of Ponsot Clos de la Roche, the 1999 may well be the vintage. I only hope that it is able to maintain the freshness that it is currently showing. 2012-2050. 95 (if it stays the course and does not start to taste prematurely senile as the 1998 is now doing). (Drink between 2012-2050)John Gilman | 95 JG

Enormous fruit dominates this wine. Red fruits of every type, from raspberries to red currants mingle in a dense fruit salad. But underneath this mouthfilling fruit is a big, solid structure that promises great aging ability. Keep this wine for 10 years before opening, perhaps even keeping some more bottles for at least 20.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEGood full, bright red. Sappy aromas of briary black fruits, herbs, baking spices, smoke and menthol. Rich and sweet but rather backward for 2000; offers more complex inner-mouth aromas than the two Chambolle bottlings. The texture is lush but this is still holding plenty in reserve. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and very good length.Vinous Media | 91+ VM(Domaine Comte de Vogüé Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) More blueberry fruit and violet aromas with big, robust, very powerful, linear flavors with chewy tannins and outstanding persistence. This stains the palate and coats the mouth and offers superb fruit/acid balance. As young Bonnes Mares goes, this is quite seductive and finishes with velvet wrapped tannins and while it can't quite match the the '01 or '02 for sheer style and grace, it's closer than one would expect based on the relative merits of the vintages involved. Consistent notes. (Drink starting 2010)Burghound | 91 BHAromatically, the 2000 Bonnes Mares bursts with spices and blackberries. Notes of cedar are intermingled with spiced coffee cake, chocolate-covered cherries, and blackberries in its generous, delectable personality. This well-balanced and structured wine improved with air during our tasting. Projected maturity: now-2012.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

An expansive, powerful, and expressive wine, the 2000 Chambertin Clos de Beze reveals lovely spiced red cherry aromas. Medium-bodied, its harmonious personality releases flavors reminiscent of flower-laced cherries. Armed with lovely purity, outstanding depth, and an impressively long finish, this is a superb wine. Projected maturity: 2004-2011.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPBright, dark red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, mocha, dark chocolate, game, iron and minerals. Superripe but juicy and pure; remarkably showy, even a bit facile, for young Clos de Beze. But this is nonetheless sexy juice, finishing with firm, fine tannins and solid backbone.Vinous Media | 91 VM

(natural alcohol above 14%) Full ruby-red. Deep aromas of raspberry, smoke and earth. Supple, silky and large-scaled in the mouth, with impressively sweet flavors of black cherry, raspberry and earth. A bit dulled on the nose and aggressive toward the finish due to the fact that the wine is on its finings, but the sweet tannins come very late, allowing the wine strong fruit to express itself. Hard to assess with confidence but should offer great pleasure.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM(Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) This manages to display a better sense of equilibrium and freshness with its extremely spicy, rich and expressive aromas cut with pronounced wood spice and big, dense, concentrated and long flavors. This seems to have the size and weight to better tolerate the concentration technique.Burghound | 89-91 BH

(Domaine Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru Clos-St-Jacques, Burgundy, France, Red) Medium-full colour. Rich, concentrated, high quality nose with a touch of new oak. Fullish body. Profound. Youthful. Excellent grip. Very impressive finish. Splendid quality as usual. Will still improve. (Drink between 2003-2025)Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos St. Jacques" 1er Cru Red) Knockout aromas of wonderfully intense black and red cherry fruit loaded with cassis and a touch of new oak introduce medium-bodied, sweet, harmonious, very expressive and long flavors all underpinned by racy minerality and firm structure. The tannins are prominent but ripe and the density of extract is impressive and this both coats and stains the palate. As it always does, this delivers finesse with real mid-palate punch with near perfect grace. For my taste, I would hold this for another 1 to 3 years but it would be no vinous crime to be drinking this now. Note to be sure to serve this cool as the alcohol becomes noticeable if it becomes a bit too warm. (Drink starting 2013)Burghound | 93 BHRousseau’s 2001 Grevey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques is a very pretty wine, bursting from the glass with a projected bouquet of rose petal, cassis, red cherry, cedary new oak and sweet forest floor. On the palate, the wine is youthful but expressive, with a sweet, almost candied core of succulent fruit, framed by supple tannins. At first glance, this seems to epitomize Rousseau’s elegant style, but by the time the bottle was finished, the wine had begun to seem just a touch facile and diffuse, missing the intensity and concentration that this bottling can attain.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPGood medium red. Strawberry, coffee, rose petal and smoky oak on the nose. Sweet, ripe and plump, with aromatic flavors of plum and spicy oak. Here the nearly 100% new oak percentage (the foregoing wines get little or no new oak) adds considerable sex appeal and nicely frames the wine’s rather delicate fruit. Finishes long, subtle and aromatic, with an impression of finer tannins.Vinous Media | 90 VM