White and Rosé Wines for Spring

wines

From a 0.75ha plot at the top of the slope, in the Clos des Mouches, where Bichot owns some vines that give a wine of winning concentration. There is pleasantly ripe apricot and pear fruit, with a broad feel on the palate. Regal in stature, perhaps lacking a bit of acidity, although many will enjoy its rich character. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 92 DECBetter known for its red wines, this premier cru vineyard also has a plot of Chardonnay. Ripe with yellow fruits and toastiness, this wine has a full-bodied character, juggling crisp acidity with generous fruitiness and texture. Drink the wine from 2022.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2019 Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru Blanc has a vibrant, energetic bouquet, the citrus fruit, mango and white chocolate scents bursting from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, viscous opening. Good concentration here, and very long and sustained. This represents one of the best whites from Bichot this vintage. Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2019 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is characterized by broad, intense flavors foiled by tangy acidity. It offers aromas of apple pie, honeycomb, toast and white blossoms and is intensely flavored, ripe and textural, finishing with energetic freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPretty aromas of honeysuckle, white peach, lemon tart and flint. It’s full-bodied, yet bright, with tangy acidity. Textured and fleshy. Some spice and hay notes to close. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSWonderfully floral on the nose, sappy and rich on the palate, this expressive wine is packed with flavorful fruits perfectly set against tangy acidity. White peach, Asian pear and a touch of lime combine on a full-bodied midpalate. The juicy fruit flavors energize the wine and set the taster up for sip after sip.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEToasty with a lean oak frame, this smoky chardonnay’s aromas are mildly oaked at first. But the flavors are refreshing, lean and balanced, with an oyster-shell duskiness that suggests a pairing with shellfish, particularly seared scallops. Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

A relatively recent estate - Celine’s father is Jean-Marc Brocard, whilst Frederic worked at Domaine Durup. A classy Vosgros with ripeness of stone fruit allied to an intriguing fennel/herb character on the palate. Fleshy, with plenty of warmth from the vintage, this is married with a tangy, flinty finish. A fine Premier Cru, drinkable already and with good concentration for further ageing. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 93 DECApple, lemon, buttermilk and yeast all show on this wine’s funky nose. The palate unites these notions on a buffered, concentrated, chalky and lemony body that has subtle depth. The wine is smooth, fresh and understated.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Subtly smoky and thrilling in minerality, this pure-fruited, lemon-scented Chablis highlights white peach and lime flavors etched by limestone and chalk. Despite a hot vintage, it’s a classic, cooling expression of Mont de Milieu vinified entirely in stainless steel. It’s at peak from 2023 to 2035 but the wine should hold longer still.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2019 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a clean, Alpine-scented bouquet that displays fine mineralité and tension. In the mouth, it’s fresh, vibrant and quite spicy on the midpalate, leading into an engaging, intense finish. This is a superb Mont de Milieu that should age with style. A Chablis with pedigree.Vinous Media | 93 VMMore depth and resolve on the nose here, with a deeper hue in the glass and some intriguing spice and woody notes on the palate. Good concentration with some refreshing citric acidity to finish. This shows the combination of ripeness and stony minerality which makes Mont de Milieu one of the leading Premier Crus. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2027Decanter | 92 DEC

Pure white peach, tart pineapple, white flowers, and chalky mineral notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos Des Lunes Lune D’Argent Blanc, a Semillon-dominated, medium-bodied, concentrated, wonderfully textured white. This is well worth your time and money, and I suspect it will have a decade of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDSuch an aromatic nose, wow, the aromas just jump out the glass - lime, mandarin peel, candied lemon - smells more on the Sauvignon side. This is lovely on the palate, it has a great weight with definition and structure from the Semillon. There is acidity but it’s really well integrated giving a rounder, more wide and weighty wine than light and super fresh. I like the style, it’s gourmet and rich but still with a lovely lift and overall appeal. This also has a really delicate but wonderful florality to the fruit - perfumed lychee, pear and peach. Delicious. Just short of unctuous but on the good side. Crack open now and enjoy with food. (Drink between 2023-2035)Decanter | 93 DECBright and zesty nose of green pineapple, gooseberry, lime curd, passion fruit and crushed stone. Wax and nougat, too. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a fresh, creamy palate. Excellent length. 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon blanc. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Lune d’Argent, whose Sémillon is picked just short of botrytis, has a wonderful, sunny bouquet, traces of Sauternes DNA filtering through with aeration. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, taut, crisp and quite mineral-driven. The saline finish calls out for seafood. Maybe just a tad shorter than I recall, but I this Lune d’Argent still has a lot to offer.Vinous Media | 92+ VMA plump, friendly offering led by white peach and white nectarine notes, with acacia, honeysuckle and makrut lime hints along the way. Open-knit, easy finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2023. 12,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe 2019 Lune d’Argent comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of lemon drops, key lime pie and fresh pink grapefruit with suggestions of mandarin peel, honeysuckle and wet pebbles. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with vibrant citrus flavors and a racy backbone of freshness, finishing with a pretty perfume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

The 2019 Rully Clos du Chaigne 1er Cru, a monopole of the domaine on clayey soils, is matured in 60% barrels (less than 20% new) and the remainder in tank. It has a ripe and honeyed bouquet with honeysuckle, tinned apricot and hints of golden raisin. The palate is well balanced with impressive depth, very harmonious with a judicious touch of ginger. This builds nicely in the mouth and it fans out gloriously on the mineral finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Rully “Clos du Chaigne” 1er Cru Monopole- Domaine de la Folie) The Clos du Chaigne lies on the same slope as the domaine’s Clos St. Jacques, but a bit higher up, so the wine tends to be a bit more minerally in personality as a result. These vines were planted in 1971 and the wine is raised in a combination of about sixty percent tank and forty percent casks, with a small percentage of the barrels being new each year. The 2019 Clos du Chaigne delivers a complex nose of fresh pineapple, pear, chalky minerality, white lilies, just a whisper of buttery oak and a bit of orange zest in the upper register. On the palate the wine is vibrant, ripe and full-bodied, with a fine core, lovely mineral drive and backend bounce and a long, complex finish. This has a touch more cut than the equally impressive Clos St. Jacques this year. (Drink between 2021-2033)John Gilman | 91+ JGScents of Meyer lemon, musky peach, ripe pear, white flowers and nutmeg introduce the 2019 Rully 1er Cru Clos du Chaigne Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, round and fleshy wine that’s gourmand but precise. As usual, this will drink well young.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

So aromatic with banana-cream pie, smoke and lemon curd. Always subtle and complex. Full-bodied and very tight, offering a crushed-stone and cooked-apple finish with an intense dried-lemon undertone. 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. Drink after 2024, but already gorgeous.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Domaine de la Solitude Blanc offers a striking interplay of tension and power. Bright citrus, white flower and mineral nuances appear first, followed by hints of almond, crushed flowers and mint that add shades of complexity. It is one of the more vibrant 2019s I tasted. As such, I expect it will need at least a few years in bottle to be at its best.Antonio Galloni | 93-95 AGThe 2019 Domaine De La Solitude (Pessac-Léognan) Blanc has a clean, classy nose of tart pineapple, honeyed guava, and sappy flowers to go with a medium to full-bodied, rich, fleshy, impressively textured style on the palate. Coming from the team at Domaine de Chevalier, it has nicely integrated acidity, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s already drinking nicely yet should evolve for a solid decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDFresh nose filled with lemongrass, elderflower, peach and lychee giving that exotic yet floral tone to the nose. Generous on the palate with lots going on - definite spice from the wood with toast, vanilla and cinnamon alongside peach, apricot and pear. Such clarity to the palate, fruit feels precise and well worked - excellent quality here. Needs more time to fully settle and expand so buy and hold on to. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033Decanter | 92 DECFrom the estate owned by the religious community of the Holy Family, this white wine is produced by the team of Domaine de Chevalier. The wine is rich with a dense texture and already balanced. A tangy edge from Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine a mineral edge and tight aftertaste. It should be drunk from 2023. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2019 Blanc features bright, fresh citrus notes of grapefruit and yuzu over a core of warm peaches and poached pears with pepper and spice sparks. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with juicy stone fruit and zesty flavors, framed by crisp acidity and a silken texture, finishing with a white pepper kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPDelivers a lemony zip that pierces a core of white peach, jicama and fleur de sel flavors, ending with lively energy and a lingering savory echo. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2024. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This creamy version is laced with peach, lemon cake and sweet spice aromas and flavors, with a floral accent adding lift. Balanced and long. Drink now through 2025. 320 cases made, 106 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA softly toasty mix of white and yellow peach, acacia and spice also displays plenty of phenolic character. The slightly finer medium weight flavors possess really lovely vibrancy and an appealing mid-palate texture that contrast with the powerful, serious and robust finale that offers impressive depth and persistence. This won’t win any awards for refinement, but it is impressive all the same.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2019 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru comes from vines on the upper slopes of the vineyard and cropped at 25hl/ha instead of the 40hl/ha the Meursault Village enjoyed. The nose features clear honey, clementine and light saffron aromas. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy, marmalade-tinged entry, good weight and a harmonious finish that just needs a little more complexity given the vineyard. Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

(Domaine Follin-Arbelet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru White) A mildly oaky nose features aromas of green apple, citrus blossom and white-fleshed fruit. The sleek, delicious and more concentrated bigger-bodied flavors brim with minerality and particularly so on the muscular, powerful and sneaky long finish. This will need a few years to better integrate the wood treatment but given the density of material, that should be no problem. In sum, this is quite promising. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 93 BHThe 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing nicely, opening in the glass with scents of pear, orange oil, clear honey, blanched almonds and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and textural, it’s rich and fleshy, with bright acids girdling its enveloping core of fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP

Beautifully layered aromas are composed by notes of citrus confit, white and yellow orchard fruit, dried apricot and traces of both wood and acacia. There is excellent density and richness to the powerful, palate coating and hugely long finish. This balanced but very firm effort completely transcends the rest of the range though note well that it’s going to require extended patience before it will reveal its full potential.Burghound | 93-95 BH

This wine is both taut and generously fruity. The steely edge promises plenty of aging while more tropical flavors of mango and white peach give richness. The wine will age well. Don’t drink before 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourchaumes Vieilles Vignes wafts from the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, orange oil, pastry cream, vanilla pod and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it’s girdled by bright acids and framed by chalky structuring extract.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Les Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru, a selection that is raised in two demi-muids, has a glorious, vigorous bouquet of black currant leaf, white peach, Japanese yuzu and crushed rock. The taut, fresh palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and a saline finish. It needs a bit more persistence, but otherwise this has a lot of potential. Give it 2–3 years in the cellar.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Introducing the 2019 Chablis are aromas of beeswax, dried white flowers and oyster shell dominating youthfully discreet notions of citrus oil and fresh bread in an already complex bouquet. A medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping wine, this is fleshier and more textural than its Petit Chablis counterpart—though it’s just as chiseled—concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Village has an intriguing nutty and slightly smoky bouquet. The palate is lively on the entry, with a superb line of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth, leading to a brisk, energetic finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM(Domaine Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Villages White) Here too there is very fine typicity with its ripe but cool nose of white peach, pear, iodine and pretty floral nuances that also include a whiff of citrus confit. There is equally fine volume to the rich yet well-detailed flavors that flash a lovely mineral streak on the refreshingly dry finale. Good stuff in a robust and powerful style that should repay mid-term aging. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 90 BH

(Domaine Vincent Dauvissat Chablis "Montée de Tonnerre" 1er Cru White) A vague hint of the exotic is present on the wonderfully elegant lemony white orchard fruit scented nose that reflects additional notes of mineral reduction and oyster shell. The notably finer medium-bodied flavors possess excellent punch on the mineral-driven and chiseled finish that goes on and on. This is lovely and while it too will need better depth, the aging curve is sufficiently promising that I am optimistic that more complexity will develop over the next decade. In a word, terrific. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 94 BHThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is the sixth vintage that Dauvissat has produced of this climat, and he observes that it’s one of the few parcels he exploits that isn’t planted with the family’s proprietary massale selections. Exhibiting notions of citrus oil, fresh bread, iodine and warm pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and lively, with fine tension at the core and a long, mineral finish. It’s the most approachable while young of these premiers crus.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru comes from the domaine’s single 0.30-hectare parcel. It has a refined, very classic Chablis nose with wet pavement and light nutty aromas that remain discreetly in the background. The palate is slightly honeyed on the entry, spiced with touches of stem ginger, and delivers good depth, leading into an edgy, saline, powerful finish. You will probably have to give this 3–4 years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

A fresh version, with bright yellow plum, green almond and white peach flavors backed by notes of lemon shortbread and quinine on the plump finish. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2026. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSPretty apple blossom, spice, and sappy flower notes dominate the bouquet of the 2019 Saint Joseph Blanc. This carries to a more medium-bodied, elegant white that offers a solid sense of minerality, good mid-palate depth and concentration, notable balance, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful Saint Joseph white to drink over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDA bit more mineral than the Crozes-Hermitage, the Marsanne-dominant 2019 Saint-Joseph Blanc comes exclusively from the southern portion of the appellation, around Sarras and Tournon. Scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings (half was matured in tank, one-fourth in new oak and one-fourth in second-fill oak) accent notes of underripe peach and citrus on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is crisp, linear and long on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 Chardonnay Myrna shows just how compelling the vintage is for white wines. Lemon oil, white flowers, chalk and mint give the 2019 a brilliant upper register that almost comes as a surprise once the wine shows its superb depth and persistence. This highly expressive, nuanced Chardonnay has a lot going on and plenty to offer.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGA polished, minerally chardonnay with sliced apple, lemon rind and some stone and flint. Laurel and other herbs, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a creamy texture and balance. Phenolic texture. Lively and stony. From mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mount Veeder. Nice debut wine. Drink or hold. 1,500 cases made.James Suckling | 94 JSHigh-toned and floral, this wine offers a generous mouthfeel of salty oak, mineral and wet stone. The elegant fruit profile combines pear, apple and Meyer lemon with ease, complementing the body weight with ample acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Vibrant mandarin, really fresh and lively aromatic display. Has some glycerol gummy softness on the palate, but the wine has a nice sense of fluidity and brisk acidity. Very well balanced, fresh, clear-cut and precise. Well-integrated oak, fruit to the fore. Really deliciously drinkable. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DEC

The 2019 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has an attractive nose, more extrovert than others from this climat, displaying scents of yellow plum, pressed white flower, crushed rock and subtle Granny Smith apple. The palate is clean and fresh, a dab of bitter lemon on the entry combining neatly with the silver bead of acidity. Quite tensile toward the finish, which lingers in the mouth. This may warrant a higher score with bottle age. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2019 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a very pretty bouquet of yellow flowers, honeysuckle and light white truffle scents, plus a touch of flint in the background. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. This is certainly one of the more elegant Grand Crus in 2019, displaying admirable poise and a touch of spice toward the lingering finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Bursting with aromas of apples, pears, almonds, warm bread and dried fruits, the 2019 Méthode Ancestrale Une Bulle is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, with lively acids and a pillowy mousse. It’s a touch drier than its 2018 counterpart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A lifted intensity of lemon and hazelnut on this wine’s subtle nose promises concentration. The palate presents lemon zestiness and a yeasty texture that seems to fizz with freshness. It has lemony resonance, mouthwatering brightness and a rounded body to back it all up. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2019 Chablis Saint Martin, which had already been bottled, has a charming nose of fragrant yellow flowers, caramelized pear and hints of chalk, all very well defined. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, revealing a twist of sour lemon toward the finish. This is a very fine entry-level Chablis that deserves your consideration.Vinous Media | 91 VMThis special cuvée pays homage to the relics of St Martin, kept in the C9 cellars now owned by Domaine Laroche. This is a pretty strident example of Chablis with powerful acidity that is a little dominant at the moment. Ripe, sunny, peach fruit characters promise a bright future but this really needs 6-12 months to settle down. Drinking Window 2022 - 2026.Decanter | 90 DEC

Old vines grown on a warm, exposed slope (important in Chablis) give this wine its richness and textured concentration. Ripe apple and tangy lime flavors complement a tight edge that will soften as the wine matures. Drink from 2023. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDomaine Laroche traces its beginnings back to AD867. This high-quality example of Premier Cru Chablis Vieilles Vignes shows purity of fruit, density of flavour and some subtle, judicious, oak maturation adding some extra layers of complexity. With a mineral aftertaste, this also has intriguing hints of honey and lemon curd on the nose and palate. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with aromas of green orchard fruit, pastry cream, fresh bread and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and saline, it’s bright and chiseled, with a classically Chablisien tang.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Chablis Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru has a crisp nose of Granny Smith apples, freshly sliced Nashi pear, wild fennel, green olives and touches of crushed limestone. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, demonstrating admirable weight. A little viscosity toward the finish betrays the warmth of the summer, yet the acidity keeps it fresh and tensile. Delicious.Vinous Media | 91 VMAn inflection of green herbs and green fruit marks this round, lively white, with apple, yellow plum and earth notes completing the profile. Excellent length. Drink now through 2025. 1,500 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Onomatopoeia is all Chardonnay from the cooler Edna Valley, and it’s a bright, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced white offering classic citrus and lemon fruits, notes of sappy herbs, vibrant acidity, and a great finish. Aged 14 months in 48% concrete eggs, 26% in new barrels, and the rest in neutral oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered, it’s incredibly impressive.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Onomatopoeia is creamy, open-knit and inviting, all of which make it a good choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Lees stirring and full malolactic fermentation add textural richness. Hints of apricot, lemon confit, sage and chamomile linger.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

A delicious, creamy white with lemon-rind, dried-apple and pear character. Medium to full body, with energetic acidity and a polished finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 G Lot Chardonnay was produced with grapes from a plot in the Adrianna vineyard that was planted in Gualtallary in 1992 at almost 1,500 meters above sea level. This fermented in 500-liter oak barrels, 25% of them new, where it matured for one year. It has a classical nose of barrel-fermented Chardonnay, with spicy, smoky and toasty notes from the barrels combined with white fruit and flowers. The palate is sharp and austere, combining freshness and structure, creamy oak and chalky minerality. 30,000 bottles were filled in February 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGrapes from Gualtallary handled elegantly: 30% aged for 12 months in new French oak while the rest sat in used barrels. Golden yellow in the glass, the 2019 Chardonnay Luca delivers a nose of vanilla, hazelnuts, corn and ginger with juicy hints of fresh pear. Both smooth and fleshy, the freshness brings a chalkiness to the flavors underlined by the smoke in the very lengthy finish. A Californian style wine.Vinous Media | 92 VMBig and rich, with a luscious allure to the ripe apple and creamy baked pear flavors filled with concentrated spice and pastry accents. Savory hints on the firm and well-structured finish. Drink now through 2024. 800 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WSA smooth mix of melon, tropical fruit, vanilla and woody aromas open this high-elevation, mostly barrel-fermented Chardonnay that’s balanced yet a touch creamy in feel. Light oak, buttered white-bread toast and subtle white-fruit flavors are short on a plump finish. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The complex nose of candied citrus, flint, hazelnut and toasty oak leads you into this impressively rich and concentrated dry white for Pernand-Vergelesses. Very focused, super-elegant finish that has so much life. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSAn open-textured white, with apple, almond and baking spice flavors. Leans to the oxidative side, but there’s ample acidity and this actually picks up energy on the finish, turning more minerally and focused. Decant. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA touch of new wood influence is present on the fresh mix of white and yellow peach, citrus confit and anise hints. The round, rich and enveloping flavors also possess an attractive texture as well as better depth and persistence on the clean and dry finale.Burghound | 91 BH