White and Rosé Wines for Spring

wines

Bright and expressive, this white sports apple, lemon, spring meadow and gravel dust flavors. The vibrant structure holds court on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Pale lemon colour. Very little nose as yet, too early perhaps for a wine of this potential power – which it certainly has on the palate, and very good acidity as well. The immense square of fruit in the mouth doesn’t yet show specific flavours but everything hangs together impressively for what will be an imposing Bâtard. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 97-99 JMIt is classic Bâtard, rich and almost honeyed. The wine avoids heaviness, however, and simply tends toward the richer side of the spectrum. This is made from fruit purchased from the Puligny side, most of it from very old vines. It is done in large, double-sized casks to reduce the influence of the wood.Decanter | 94 DECAromas of buttery orchard fruit, citrus zest and stone fruit mingle with hints of white flowers and freshly baked bread to introduce the 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Maison Louis Jadot), a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s taut and structured, with racy acids and fine depth at the core. This, too, shows plenty of promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPHere too there is a subtle application of wood framing the beautifully layered nose of white peach, carnation, citrus confit and a plethora of spice wisps. There is a bit more size, weight and volume to the solid concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the palate staining, powerful and impressively persistent finish. This is also quite tightly wound and packed with development potential. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has more attack and penetration compared to the Bienvenue, greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is finely balanced with plenty of ripe citrus fruit laced with stem ginger and dried orange rind. Perhaps it just cuts away a little swiftly on the finish, but otherwise this is a decent 2020 white. Closure: DiamVinous Media | 91-93 VM

With close to 6.5 acres in this grand cru, Arnaud Lavantureux treats most of this wine to barrel fermentation, then aging in used oak barrels; a small portion rests in new oak. The barrel time has amped up the wine’s power, its viscosity and smoky scents. But it never goes dark, sustaining a stark contrast of white on white. Complex, feather-light in the end, it keeps coming after you with detail, the way wildflower honey might, only this is completely dry.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&S

Having finished pruning just eight days before the brutal trio of April frost days and having put out a ’shameful’ number of candles, Weber was rewarded (it’s all relative in this miserly vintage) with almost 20 hl/ha. And, it is a divine Montrachet with spiced pears, herbal tea, gingerbread and cream. It is all lace and flourishes. The bustling acidity drives the flavors into a seemingly eternal finish with a lightly crispy edge. Bravo! (2023)Tim Atkin | 97 TATOP QUALITY This is a wine of impressive concentration, with complex layers of fruit on the nose that range from citrus to green apple, apricot, quince and passion fruit. There are elements of cream, butter, flinty mineral and fresh flowers. The texture is dense and long, but there is no lack of freshness, and the balance seems nearly perfect. It is produced from 0.89ha of mature vines on the Puligny side, just south of the Ramonet parcel. Profound and ageworthy, it will doubtless also show well young.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru is half the normal volume, pruned just before the frost with a massive number of candles, therefore it managed to produce 20hL/ha despite everything. This is unequivocally a step up from the Chevalier-Montrachet with greater definition and poise, more energy. The palate is well balanced with fine detail, light wild peach and citrus notes, fine mineralité with satisfying tension on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA bit better in yield as everybody protected their vines in Le Montrachet, with the 2016 disaster in mind. A fine mid lemon yellow, this begins discreetly but there is a wonderful concentrated intensity through the middle, a racy quality perhaps not quite there in the Chevalier. This time there is clearly a beginning, a middle and an end. Really enormously persistent and leaving a special taste in the mouth. I might just sip it to keep me company en route to my next tasting in Gevrey-Chambertin! Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Nov 2022.Jasper Morris | 94-98 JMThe 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of pear, confit orange, honeycomb, spices and freshly baked bread. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, it’s rich, fleshy and complete, with lively acids and a long, expansive finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPReluctant if broad-ranging aromas include those of petrol, floral, spice, white orchard fruit, especially white peach, exotic tea and a suggestion of oak. The dense and powerful yet caressing large-scaled flavors coat the palate with sappy dry extract while displaying stunningly good length on the balanced, youthfully austere and compact finale. This is definitely built-to-age but the mid-palate density is so good that the 2021 Montrachet should be approachable after only 7 to 8 years of keeping.Burghound | 93-96 BH

Made from two plots, one each in Pernand and Ladoix, but just two barrels this year instead of eight. Pale lemon and lime. A more reductive nose with a little oaky note, one new barrel in the two. Will take some time for the fruit to push past that. Plenty of fruit volume though and the style is typical of the appellation. White fruit, lemons, a little banana note, and a stony finish. Indeed plenty of weight at the finish. Drink from 2026-2032.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

The one-hectare parcel that constitutes the 2021 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru yielded five barrels this year. This also has a heavy reduction and is quite yeasty at the moment. The palate is well balanced with a marine-influenced entry, flecks of white chocolate complementing the citrus fruit with a longer finish than the Blanchot. Fine sour lemon mixed with orange rind on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

The 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, located right above their Caillerets, comprises of a single 600-liter barrel that was racked into an old Stockinger to limit oxygen ingress. It has a taut and focused bouquet with crushed stone infusing the citrus fruit, hints of honeysuckle and pressed white flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with a very subtle reduction on the entry, orange rind and hints of yuzu; the 2021 is quite mineral-driven with a clean and precise finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM1 x 600 litre barrel! Full lemon yellow. Plenty of weight apparent and a suggestion of class without having found its definition. Actually, it is pretty much complete on the palate, ripe apples, medium plus flesh, a certain juiciness over and above the natural austerity of the vineyard, and very persistent. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JM This is even more floral on the slightly more expressive nose that features notes of Poire William, zest, green apple and soft spice nuances, especially anise. The round but almost painfully intense medium weight plus flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel along with almost as much mineral character as the Caillerets while delivering stunningly good length on the beautifully nuanced finale. This is very classy and somewhat surprisingly for a young Chevalier, not especially austere. With that said, this beauty is built to reward mid to longer-term cellaring.Burghound | 93-95 BH

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Quite a different, cool, fresh character on the nose. Louis Moreau always aim to pick early to preserve freshness. Lemon-lime citrus characters dominate the palate giving lots of vibrant acidity, balancing the concentrated fruit notes and providing a great backdrop for future ageing. Needs a two or three years to settle in bottle, and it’s a keeper.Decanter | 95 DECThis white’s creamy texture is offset by lively acidity that frames its lemon, yuzu, floral and vanilla flavors. Tense and racy, picking up mineral and herbal accents on the long finish. Drink now through 2032. 712 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This white’s creamy texture is offset by lively acidity that frames its lemon, yuzu, floral and vanilla flavors. Tense and racy, picking up mineral and herbal accents on the long finish. Drink now through 2032. 712 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Chablis Clos des Hospices Dans Les Clos Grand Cru is the standout cuvée from Louis Moreau in this vintage. It has a slightly peachier bouquet than the regular Les Clos, well-defined with yellow flowers and light tertiary scents. The palate is well-balanced with a fine spine of acidity, taut and fresh with a saline finish urging you back for another sip. This is a delicious and well-made Les Clos that should age with style.Vinous Media | 92 VM

In 2021, the domaine protected this site above all from frost but still lost half their crop, despite being surrounded by the also well-protected vines of Domaine Leflaive. Accessible almost even now, the aromas of green apple and passionfruit, coconut, butter, and baking spice are almost opening even now. There is a lovely freshness and silky texture, yet this is a powerful wine with impressive length and density at the end. This should open in five years and continue to improve for at least twenty-five more.Decanter | 96 DECA gorgeously fresh, airy and cool nose combines notes of green apple, a panoply of white flowers nuances, wet stone and a pretty array of exotic spice elements, especially jasmine. There is a notably more refined mouthfeel to the tautly muscular and overtly mineral-driven medium weight plus flavors that exhibit focused power on the impressively long, balanced, youthfully austere and very classy finale. This is exceptionally stylish and a wine that should easily reward a decade plus of keeping.Burghound | 94 BH

A more restrained nose grudgingly reflects its aromas of strong petrol and mineral reduction with background hints of citrus zest and oak. There is fine mid-palate density to the tautly muscular broad-shouldered flavors that also exude evident minerality on the tightly coiled, lingering and balanced finale. This could use better depth so like the En Caradeux, at least a few years of keeping should prove beneficial.Burghound | 92 BH15 hl/ha despite the best efforts of a wine turbine and bonfire which I saw in action at 4.30a.m. on a cold snowy morning. Pale colour, backward nose, white flowers perhaps. This has a fine balanced fruit, actually sweeter and riper, then oakier behind, with an attractive mineral thread. Needs a little freshening, which will happen before bottling Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

UNDER THE RADAR A very elegant Bougros which matches the ripeness of this full sun site with great acidity and purity of flavour. There is lots of depth here with some zesty citrus characters and a stony, mineral thread in the background. Cleansing acidity on the finish. A grand cru which definitely shows its class, while managing to be both drinkable now yet have a long future ahead.Decanter | 95 DEC

An extremely subtle application of wood can be found on the cool if decidedly reluctant nose of spiced green apple, beeswax and citrus zest aromas. The palate impression of the medium weight plus flavors is quite interesting in that there is excellent concentration and power yet they are not massively scaled while maintaining impeccable balance on the palate etching and stunningly long finish, indeed I could still taste this 3 hours later. This is one extremely classy Montrachet and one of the jewels of the 2021 vintage.Burghound | 97 BHBeeswax and lime blossom, especially the latter, which Guillaume finds typical of Montrachet. The Montrachet shows both class and intensity over and above the Bâtard as indeed should be the case. Brilliantly racy despite the intensity. This year there is one 228 litre barrel instead of the usual 350, and made up in zebra fashion, half new wood with alternate dowels. Drink from 2030-2040.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThere’s only one 228-liter barrel of the 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru, so Boillot asked his favored cooper to assemble a special barrel, with alternating new and used staves. Delivering aromas of pear, honeycomb, freshly baked bread, spices and toasted nuts, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit and a long, nutmeg-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2021 Montrachet Grand Cru is incredibly airy and nuanced. Candied lemon peel, mint, tangerine oil and white flowers show effortless grace. This is an especially restrained, super-elegant Montrachet that shows Puligny’s finesse. The 2021 is absolutely exquisite. I doubt I will ever taste it again, though. Bright saline notes punctuate the super-expressive finish. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 93-95 VM

The 2021 Clos des Chevaliers from Jean-Michel Chartron is a breathtakingly beautiful young wine. It delivers a refined aromatic constellation of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a very complex base of limestone minerality, fruit blossoms, vanillin oak and a beautiful topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of fruit, stunning mineral undertow, a superb spine of acidity and laser-like focus on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. (Drink between 2029 - 2070)John Gilman | 97 JGThe 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru, which includes one new barrel out of the four (instead of the usual dozen), has a vivid bouquet with yellow fruit, nectarine, crushed limestone and subtle fumé aromas. The palate is well balanced with vibrant acidity, taut and fresh with notes of tangerine, citrus fruit and a pinch of spice. Linear in style, this lingers nicely, though it just needs a bit more nervosité on the finish. Still, this is very promising.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMA deft though perceptible dollop of wood sets off the ultra-floral-scented nose of mineral reduction, petrol and a plenitude of spice wisps. The large-scaled flavors are borderline painfully intense while displaying an almost pungent minerality on the chiseled, youthfully austere and strikingly long finale. This is potentially brilliant.Burghound | 93-96 BH4 barrels from 0.55ha is not a huge yield! Fine clean glowing pale yellow. The bouquet is promising too and shows the upper hillside authority of Chevalier. The nervous tension is very well incorporated into the weight of classy fruit, with a fine long and distinguished finish. A beautifully nuanced 2021. Excellent finish. Drink from 2028-2036.Jasper Morris | 93-97 JM

The 2021 Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine Jean Chartron is another outstanding wine in the making. The complex nose wafts from the glass in a mix of apple, pear, a fine base of chalky soil tones, a touch of almond, spring flowers crème pâtissière and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and nascently complex, with a fine core of fruit, excellent focus and balance, bouncy acids and a long, balanced and soil-driven finish. This not showing quite the same mineral dimension as the top two Puligny premier crus right now, but it may well catch up in this regard with some extended bottle age. Fine juice. (Drink between 2027 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThis delicious wine presents aromas of citrus peel and hawthorn flowers coloured with a chalky, saline mineral edge and notes of cream, butter, and spice. This year the wine is made exclusively from a domaine-owned parcel in Pernand from the lieu-dit En Charlemagne that was planted in 1961 and picked on 25 September just before the rain. It produced a single barrel, which is ageing in a two-year-old cask from the cooper Chassin.Decanter | 93 DECOnce again there is an attractive coolness to the essence of green apple, spice and mineral reduction scents. There is superb delineation to the bigger-bodied and more powerful flavors that are at once muscular yet refined, all wrapped in a moderately austere finale where a touch of wood slowly emerges. This tightly wound and very promising effort should age like a classic Corton-Charlemagne.Burghound | 92-94 BHOne barrel, an exchange. Paler colour and correctly chiselled. Very tight and with excellent concentration. The length is good too. Just a baby, but with promise. Stony lemons to finish. Drink from 2026-2031.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, reduced to one and a half barrels due to the absence of any exchange, sports quite a bit of reduction on the nose that makes it difficult to read at present. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, quite taut and maybe just missing a little tension on the finish. Fine, though Chartron has made better in the past.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

TOP QUALITY PRODUCER Weighty, profound and rich, this is a stunning Les Clos which has an extra level of depth and richness that would please many a Côte-d’Or fan. White flowers on the nose, spice and stone fruit on the palate with 40% oak and a lingering, freshening mineral undertow. A grand cru with gravitas that will drink for 15-20 years. Droin has 1.4ha with vine age averaging 40 years. Its plots are located in various sectors of the cru with some lower down in the western sector, and part on the blue clay soils on the mid-slope.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a clean and precise bouquet, flint and chalk filtering through the citrus fruit, gaining intensity as it opens in the glass, though I feel the Grenouilles has more sophistication. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, very harmonious, nicely poised with a dab of stem ginger and white pepper towards the finish that is resolutely classic in style. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLike the Grenouilles, there is enough wood to merit mentioning but not enough to overshadow the cool, airy and very fresh aromas of oyster shell, white flower and ocean breeze. The succulent yet powerful and delineated flavors brim with both minerality and dry extract, all wrapped in a driving bitter lemon-inflected and youthfully austere finale. This is a lovely combination of power and refinement that should amply repay a decade plus of cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Droin’s Vaudésir comes from just over 1ha with vines planted on both north- and south-facing slopes. A little subdued on the nose and palate, this is a subtle grand cru with plenty of definition, and will blossom with two to three years additional bottle age. No oak.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2021 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a taut and fresh bouquet, wonderful mineralité with a hint of smoke and flint coming through. The palate is well balanced with a saline note, fine depth, lemon and a little more lime. Builds nicely in the mouth, a lovely Vaudésir.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMHere too moderate wood sets off the overtly spicy and ripe aromas of white and yellow peach, iodine and hints of seashore. The sleek, delicious and intense flavors are just a bit more refined, indeed they are almost delicate, while still delivering excellent length on the citrus-tinged finish where a bit of wood slowly emerges.Burghound | 91-94 BH

This is displaying aromas of anise, dried lemons, white grapefruit, gun flint and even smoked meat, with dried mangoes and some green tea, too. Sophisticated rather than generous, with tight and firm layers. Full body. Mineral and tight finish.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is one of the more powerful wines in the range, mingling aromas of sweet orchard fruit and confit citrus with hints of toasted nuts, white flowers and new oak. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it’s rich and expansive, but it also maintains good tension.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

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

The magnificent, carousel-like sweep of the hill of Corton – almost 100 m top to bottom, and revelling in every exposition save north – means that exact location on the hill is critical for quality. The white wines of Corton-Charlemagne come overwhelmingly from south-west- and west-facing vineyards, coolly exposed, so often these are among the least articulate of all Burgundy’s great white Grands Crus in their youth. Not, though, in the case of this wine from the generous 2022 vintage. It’s promisingly pale, but already compelling on the nose, with subtle oak, wild hawthorne blossom and refined grape and cool citrus. It has all the controlled breadth you’d expect on the palate with more white blossom and subtle, vinous, breath-freshening fruits. The finish is long and lingering, mingling ripe, fruit-bonded acidity with a quiet pulse of ripeness. It will, of course, be better after a decade in a cool cellar, but there’s nothing to stop you enjoying the wine soon, either. Alcohol 13.0%. (DWWA 2024). - Decanter | 97 DECFour plots all in Pernand. Pale in colour with ripe apple notes. The bouquet suggests a leaner style of wine than the palate delivers, which may be a question of being just after bottling. There is some complexity on the palate, a little lime, a phenolic touch. I don’t notice the 40% new wood, so there is clearly good fruit concentration.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

The 2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet with yellow plum, wet stone, hints of baked bread and pressed white flowers. Very good intensity. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, very good salinity and tension with superb precision towards the finish. This Les Clos doesn’t want the Valmur to get all the acclaim.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMModerate wood is present on the overtly floral-suffused nose of mostly white fleshed fruit, especially pear and apple, along with notes of citrus confit, acacia and oyster shell whiffs. There is excellent richness and concentration to the markedly powerful larger-scaled flavors that coat the palate on the overtly stony, dry and compact finale. At least moderate patience will be required as this is pretty tightly wound.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Grandfather Fernand Coffinet, who planted the almond tree on the edge of this plot, died at the start of the year, so this wine is something of a homage to him. Clear bright pale colour. The nose shows the muscle in a harmonious way. Almost lean at the front then with a growing flesh behind. Huge potential here, less charming than Dent de Chien but a fabulous finish as well, stretching out even further than does the Dent de Chien. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JM

Matured in a mix of 500-liter oak and 228-liter steel barrels, the 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is deep and layered, exhibiting aromas of pear, white flowers, blanched almonds and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with attractive purity of fruit and bright balancing acids, it underlines this estate’s continued progress.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

A markedly floral-suffused nose is both cool and strikingly pure with its airy aromas of essence of white orchard fruit, passion fruit and plenty of spice and citrus elements. There is first-rate volume to succulent but punchy large-bodied flavors that are rich to the point of opulence yet there is very good delineation to the powerful, sappy and palate coating finish where the only nit is a trace of warmth. I would point out that this is presently decidedly compact and tightly wound so this would best be purchased knowing that at least mid-term cellaring will be in order.Burghound | 96 BHThe 2022 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru emerges from holdings that straddle the Chassagne and Puligny sides. Super-elegant and refined, Boillot’s Batard has a ton to offer, even if it is rather reticent at this stage. White flowers, mint, spice and light pastry overtones add layers of nuance. The 2022 is unctuous, but not at all heavy. This really opens beautifully onto its explosive finish. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 95-97 VMA glowing pale yellow. Super-concentrated if not yet very yielding bouquet. Extra tension here, certainly some depth, but perhaps more in class than power. That will change with time – the class with remain but the depth will expand. White fruit, tension, some youthful bitters, but keeping itself to itself for the moment. Really very long finish though. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: December 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-98 JM

Quite subtle and restrained on both nose and palate. Plenty of warmth of fruit, but as yet quite restrained. Lovely, salty, zesty notes promise a lot in the future. Ripe peach fruit characters develop with a few minutes in the glass. This will be a great example of Les Clos once in bottle. Tank sample.Decanter | 95 DECQuietly powerful, with subtle fruit flavors, a full body (for Chablis) and layers of fruit, minerals and toast that build on the palate and linger in the finish. Grown on a south-facing slope in clay-based but stony soil. 30% was barrel-fermented, and it shows an opulent, rich expression underlain by a minerally, saline character. Drinkable now, but will develop much more complexity with time. From organically grown grapes. Best from 2029.James Suckling | 94 JSA rich style, exhibiting peach and canteloupe flavors, with a hint of vanilla. Balanced and refreshing, this firms up, with a tactile sensation on the extended finish. Needs time to fully integrate. Best from 2026 through 2032. 1,812 cases made, 110 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSBright full lemon colour with greener notes behind. Floral though with more latent power than that suggests. There is no doubting the intensity of white fruit across the palate, lemons and apples joining the white fruit at the finish, then a more headily perfumed note at the very end, muscat and passion fruit, which suggests that it was time to pick these grapes. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMGenerous wood and vanilla nuances wood frame cool and exuberantly fresh aromas of citrus, apple and ocean brine. There is borderline painful intensity to the imposing and tautly muscular larger-scaled flavors that retain a lovely sense of refinement on the powerful, balanced, bone-dry and built-to-age finale. As is usually the case with this wine, it’s going to require at least a few years of patience to develop better depth and better integrate what at this point is a borderline annoying level of wood.Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2022 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is two-thirds aged in stainless steel and the remainder in wooden barrel for nine months, plus five months, whereby the entire blend is raised in vat. The nose has good intensity: green apple and light kiwi fruit, leesy at the moment but well defined. The palate is taut on the entry with fine depth, well-judged acidity, and smooth in texture with hints of Conference pear mixed with quite spicy peppery notes towards the finish. Good potential.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM