White and Rosé Wines for Spring

wines

Beautiful mix of richness, grace and drive. As always with Fèvre’s Les Preuses, this is elegant, long-living and fine. Ultra-stylish and very mineral. From two sections of vines. One situated low down on Les Preuses next to Vincent Dauvissat’s plot, on the flatter part facing south, the other on deeper soils, with both adding richness and totalling 2.5ha.Decanter | 96 DECSuch a fresh lime infused colour. The bouquet shows the soft creamy riches that you can find here in Les Preuses. There is plenty of bulk but the hectare plot which drops down into Vaudésir gives the mineral tension. A little lime and lemon coats the tongue at the finish. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMThe 2022 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru is not unlike the Valmur on the nose: backward and a little sultry in style, with faint touches of crustacea coming through. The palate is more generous with orchard fruit, hints of apricot and wild peach, and fine acidity. It is very harmonious but without quite the same complexity as the Valmur on the finish. Still, this should give many years of drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA toasty nose features notes of smoky grilled shellfish, pear and algae. The dense and equally serious larger-scaled flavors don’t have quite the same power yet they are clearly more refined on the markedly bitter citrus zest finish that displays outstanding length. This is exceptionally classy and while it too could use more depth, that is all but assured if given a chance.Burghound | 92-95 BH

A consistently impressive chardonnay that highlights purity and saline minerality. Salted lemons, sliced apples, seashells and stones drizzled with a touch of oak spice. Full-bodied yet tense and lightly saline on the palate, with bright acidity and a pure, lengthy finish. Nervy and simply delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2022 Chardonnay hails from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels, with some under velo de flor, this bright green-gold wine reveals aromas of peaches and pears with a hint of cashew and a slightly oaky backdrop. Dry and lean, the palate lingers with a chalky mouthfeel. This is a modern high-altitude Chardonnay.Vinous Media | 94 WSDelicate aromas of mango and oak spices guide the senses to a smooth palate of honey, Meyer lemon and melon. A dash of chamomile elevates the close. This is a balanced Chardonnay with good acidity and texture. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Aromas of lemons, pie crust and a salty, minerally edge. Austere yet voluminous, incisive and saline, it shows a medium- to full-bodied structure, with an attractive interplay of freshness and nervy texture that drives the finish. This comes from a vineyard planted on decomposed gneiss soil in Sanxenxo. This wine should evolve beautifully with time in the bottle. Already drinkable. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe nose of the 2022 Leirana O Pradiño is very expressive and complex, different, with notes of quince, smoke and citrus, and the palate is marked by the soils, beautifully textured, tasty and long, with great balance, a little more volume and a harmonious finish. It comes from a single vineyard in the village of Sanxenxo. The wine matured for 12 months in a 600-liter barrel. 750 bottles were produced. It was bottled in August 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2022 Albariño Leirana O Pradiño, from Salnés, Rías Baixas, is planted on gneiss soils with ample sun exposure. Golden in color, it reveals resin and ripe stone fruit aromas. Compact on the palate, it shows intense freshness, a creamy mid-palate and a lingering saline finish. Refined and distinctive.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Wonderful nose of flint and grilled baguette with a touch of acacia. So energetic and racy, this is a strong argument for the greatness of Saint-Aubin. Excellent concentration in spite of being only medium-bodied. Long, driving, mineral finish. Very limited production. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

Lots of tangy fruit with spicy lemon, lime, lemongrass and raw ginger character and just a hint of waxy undertones. Medium-bodied, tight and focused, with a frame of fruit and a solid finish. Lots of spices and green fruit as well as fresh herbs like basil and sage. A blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, ribolla gialla and malvasia. Drink or hold. Screw cap.James Suckling | 96 JSThis elegant white is vibrant and inviting, with a sense of finesse as a racy spine of acidity is enmeshed with fruit flavors of melon, kiwi fruit and pink grapefruit glâcée, plus accents of green almond and white blossoms. Spice and mineral notes play on the mouthwatering finish. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana. Drink now through 2034. 5,833 cases made, 840 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSeashells and crushed stone mingle with tart orchard fruits, creating a vivid aromatic profile in this blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, and Malvasia. Bright and refreshing, the wine’s mouthwatering acidity is like a cool ocean breeze with ocean spray spritz freshly cut apples. It’s zippy on the finish, with a salty minerality that’s reminiscent of an early morning walk along the beach.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

A bright yellow hue with green highlights, the 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard is expressive in its lacy perfume of jasmine, tarragon, salty earth, and bright green apple. Medium-bodied, it offers beautiful, pristine, ripe fruit, a pithy texture, and a delicate arch to its rounded mouthfeel, with no harshness. It’s refined and graceful, with a floral flourish of lemon blossoms lasting long on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2022 Lark Block bottling of chardonnay from Durant Vineyard is truly one of the finest white wines I have yet had the pleasure to taste from Kelley Fox. The bouquet is very precise and has a gently exotic floral sheen to it, offering up scents of pear, casaba melon, fresh almond, a beautiful base of soil tones, lemon peel, orange blossoms and a touch of honeysuckle. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb depth at the core lovely soil inflection, a fine spine of acidity and a long, vibrant and impeccably balanced finish. This is very easy to drink out of the blocks, but there is so much more lurking here right below the surface that I would definitely try to give the wine three or four years in the cellar to allow its secondary layers of complexity to start to emerge. It is a great wine. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard blossoms in the glass as wildflowers and crushed apples give way to mint and crushed stone suggestions. This opens with a lovely inner sweetness and supple texture contrasted with zesty acids and crisp orchard fruits. It tapers off with amazing tension, grippy and cheek puckering with a citrusy concentration as savory herbs and a sensation of liquid stone fade.Vinous Media | 93 VM

A deep and rich chardonnay with lots of dried apple and honey, as well as honeysuckle and dried lilacs. Full-bodied and layered with lots of phenolics and richness. Some caramel, too, yet it remains fresh throughout. So much dried lemon at the end. Intense and contrastive. Fantastic. Better to decant. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS

A picture of poise and style, the wild and free 2022 Chardonnay is a delight, with subtle popcorn, grapefruit, floral and nectarine aromas seamlessly intertwined with quality oak. Tangy, with bite, it’s finely tuned and incredibly detailed, showing reserved power. Savory oatmeal and oat bran layers build, opening up with French nougat and a finish topped with subtle flinty tones. Stunning.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Crystal clear, but with quite impressive concentration. Limes, minerals, creamy fruit, sliced apples and touches of golden kiwis and ripe gooseberries. Pretty full-bodied and weighty, with creamy flavors and fresh, balanced acidity throughout. Long and attractive, with fine phenolics at the end adding interest and complexity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis drapes an alluring cape of bitter almond and warmed brioche over a core of lemon curd, white peach and shortbread. Subtle notes of jasmine oil, elderflower and honeysuckle add range through the finish, where there’s a long, subtle twinge of quinine buried deeply. The hedonist’s white Bordeaux. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2026 through 2032. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2022 Pape Clément Blanc is rich, layered and so inviting. Tangerine peel, pineapple, tropical fruit, mint and exotic floral notes fill out the layers. Light tropical inflections suggest a certain amount of richness, but in the end, the 2022 is airy and very nicely lifted. All the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2022 Château Pape Clément Blanc is another beauty from this team, and if it puts on some weight over the course of its élevage, it will merit an even higher score. Honeyed lychee, minty herbs, melon, and stone fruits define the bulk of the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions with consistent notes.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDCitrus kick straight away, great direction and focus - there’s purity to the lemon, peach, green apple, pear and apricot fruit. Sharp and straight but stylish. Fruity and juicy, precise and detailed, a touch tense still but there’s excellent sculpting here and lots of life. Quite bold, some toasted nuances putting the wood at the fore and narrowing some of the expression but there’s so much to like with a long, spiced finish. Harvest 28 August to 2 September. Yield of 30hl/ha. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants. HVE3 and Bee friendly certified. Rolland & Associés consultants.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe grand vin in white from this property is a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon and 2% Muscadelle (it’s good to see one or two estates still working with this variety), and it begins with a rather Sauvignon-dominant nose, with grassy pine needle, green apple and stark citrus fruits, with a little blotting paper note too, although it is subtle compared to many others. It holds up well on the palate though, showing a polished and coherent texture with lively citrus fruits, wrapped in a fine ribbon of acidity, and this cohesion persists through to the finish. Pithy and long, with phenolic grip and fresh acidity, this has nice potential. Give it four or five years to shake down those phenolic elements. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIA blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon and 2% Muscadelle, the 2022 Pape Clément Blanc exhibits aromas of spices, spring flowers, lemon, peach and hints of jasmine and grapefruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and satiny, with an oaky frame. The finish is long, persistent and elegantly spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

The Rochioli family has been growing grapes on their property since the late 1950s, with the vineyard now farmed by the third generation. The 2021 Ramey Rochioli blend is sourced from 82% Mid-40 Block and 18% River Block. This wine delivers a gorgeous intensity of fruit and pressed wildflowers. On the palate, ripe lemon peel fruit expands into the mid-palate, where density builds alongside remarkable tension, all balanced by an extraordinary silky richness. Pure and riveting, laced with subtle vanilla accents, fantastic ginger character, and poached pear. A Chardonnay of intense richness and impressive length. (The first vineyard-designate release from Ramey was the 2015 vintage, though Ramey has been sourcing these grapes since 2008.)Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

The 2022 Chardonnay Westside Farms is a bright yellow/straw color, while the nose takes on more depth and a layered feel in its notes of beeswax, poached apples, elegant baking spice, wet river rock, and fresh flowers. The palate is packed with energy, and while it’s full-bodied, it has fantastic drive and a core of bright, tightly wound, laser-focused acidity driving the long, balanced finish. It will take another year or more to unwind and will improve over the coming decade. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSo elegant, layered and rich in flavor yet brilliantly balanced in acidity, so it’s tempting to drink now but will also age well for many years. Such finesse, with intricate layers of citrus, white peaches, crisp apples and hints of cream, nutmeg and vanilla bean. Very flavorful yet slightly restrained in texture, which makes it even more appetizing. Aged in 20% new French barrels. From the Ramey family property. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSSourced from Ramey’s 30-hectare ranch, which has been farmland since the mid-1800s and borders a mile and a half of the Russian River. The vineyard shares the same silty Yolo loam soils as Rochioli Vineyard, located just a mile north. This wine brims with fruit intensity and deep, layered flavours—citrus peel richness, toasted almonds, and a remarkable salty depth. Candied ginger and cedarwood spices weave through brown spice accents, but what stands out most is the noteworthy tension that gives this wine its drive. Sourced from Block 1 of the property, the last of the 1989 plantings, this Chardonnay is rooted in AXR rootstock, dry-farmed, and known to struggle in drought years. These vines won’t be around forever, making this a rare opportunity—if you can find it, this long-lived Chardonnay will reward patience in the cellar for years to come.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Chardonnay Westside Farms Vineyard comes from grapes planted in 1989 on silty loam soils on Westside Road. The grapes were harvested on August 19, before the Labor Day heat wave, and the wine was barrel-fermented. Matured for 20 months in 20% new French oak barrels, it has slowly unfurling aromas of peach, ginger, cashew, honey and matchstick. The palate balances lush, honeyed flavors with fresh acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPImpressive for its clarity and focus as well as the power from its concentration, with a core of candied lemon peel, Meyer lemon, lemon verbena and pear. Fragrant orange blossom, fresh-cut Honeycrisp apple and kumquat notes are matched by the vibrant acidity and smooth, supple texture. Expands further on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2039. 422 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Woolsey Road benefits from two pillars of the Chardonnay world: it originates from the Hyde family’s cuttings of Old Wente and is farmed by the third and fourth generations of the Martinelli family. This Chardonnay showcases a remarkable flavour intensity, with rich citrus fruit—lemon, lime, and grapefruit zest—woven with oyster shell minerality. Restrained yet brimming with tension, this wine has so much going on. A real depth of fruit and mineral integrity is evident, though it remains somewhat shy, biding its time. Make no mistake—this will blossom into a rich and excellent wine, fully deserving of its high praise. It is focused and laser-like in its precision, with remarkable restraint and tension. This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to Ramey’s specifications in 2007. According to Ramey, it lies directly south of the Martinelli Winery on Woolsey Road. The vines are spaced one metre by two metres on a northeast-facing slope. Planted on 420A rootstock, known for its low vigour, the vines are cane-pruned. The site’s Huichica clay loam over clay soil composition contributes to the wine’s mineral-driven precision. This cool-climate site was planted with Old Wente cuttings from Chardonnay vines Ramey originally planted at Platt Vineyard.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

Perfumed nose expressing notes of baked pears, almond powder, cream, baked lemons, chamomile and some white flowers. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and character. Vertical with so much tension. Vibrant and intense but remains in control. Plenty of verve and brightness. There is a purity to it. Textural and well-composed. A brilliant white with a long, mineral finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSLast year’s debut of Tan Fruit’s 2021 White Walnut Chardonnay was extraordinarily singular and expressive, and this 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard is just as arresting. Matured for 12 months in barrel, plus six months in stainless steel, it explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscopic perfume of lychee and peach preserves streaked with accents of honey, hazelnut and green herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating and echoes the exoticism of the nose as it unfolds layer after layer of honeyed, spicy, floral fruit. Its focused spine of acidity expertly balances its natural opulence, and it has a hauntingly long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPFrom what Maresh calls an incredible vineyard in the Dundee Hills, he believes that no other Oregon site has more unique clonal diversity. It’s a melange of suitcase selections and far-flung clones planted in 2012. This is a wine of complexity with perfumed aromatics, Maresh believes there is a Musque clone somewhere in the mystery field blend. The aromatics are a bit of a mystery, juicy citrus melds with herbaceous character and a throughline of savoury saline minerality. The palate is spicy and alive. White pepper and chamomile, with a smoky grilled lemon finish, leans into savouriness and lasts seemingly for five minutes. The complexity of the finish is hard to pin down, but the impression it leaves is one of unique Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard is tremendously lifted and refined, opening with a complex bouquet that makes the taster work a bit It slowly evolves with a perfumed blend of young peach, green melon, spring flowers, hints of ground ginger and mint. It flows across the palate with textures of pure silk, taking on an early saline tinge as nectarine mixes with flint stone atop a core of brisk acidity. The 2022 cuts like a knife, wickedly fresh and cleansing, tapering off with medium length yet leaving a lasting impression. The White Walnut hails from volcanic soils, which impart amazing tension.Vinous Media | 94 VMFragrant and expressive, with multilayered tropical fruit and dried apricot flavors that take on accents of cinnamon and orange blossoms. Drink now. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Justin Willett’s transparent, focused winemaking style is well-suited for this site, endowing the 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard with compelling crystalline purity. A beautiful, nuanced nose of clementines, petrichor and white flowers gives way to a precise, lively yet pillowy palate, concluding with a fine-grained chalky finish that remains bright and rounded simultaneously. A graceful, understated expression of this site, I suspect some additional weight and dimension will come from a year or two in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2022 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is another stellar wine in this range from Tyler. Complex, layered and nuanced, the S&B Chardonnay has so much to offer. There’s gorgeous texture here, not to mention tons of S&B character. Clean mineral notes extend the finish.Vinous Media | 95 VM

This bright, savory white has aromas of pineapple, salted olives, lemon rind, wild herbs and salted crackers. So fresh, minerally and saline, with a medium body and wonderful meadow-herb freshness. Electric. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2022 Ried Grassnitzberg Riff 1STK Sauvignon Blanc is enormously aromatic on the nose, with passion fruit, papaya and ripe, lush peach aromas. Full-bodied, intense and fresh on the palate, with remarkable finesse and purity and highly stimulating salinity with tonic lemon notes, this is a beautifully distinctive Sauvignon Blanc from east/southeast-facing terraces climbing from 330 to 399 meters above sea level (inclination: 33% to 40%). The wine is remarkably light, finessed and elegant and thoroughly Styrian in its coolish and even herbal character. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at 1,450 meters above sea level in Lech/Arlberg in August 2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

The 2023 Gewurztraminer Brand Grand Cru combines a lovely mix of nettle, rose, white summer blossom and juicy Mirabelle aromas. The palate adds sweetness to a body that is essentially taut and sleek, expressing its granite. Lovely tension pervades this and leaves a profound sense of peach, stone and citrus. (Sweet)Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2023 Pinot Gris Wibtal Sommerberg Grand Cru was picked at 400 meters of elevation, facing south-southeast. The gentlest reduction adds a delicious smoky tinge to the nose with pear and citrus tones in equal measure. The palate, once again, is a little mind-bender, lending Riesling poise, freshness and citric verve to this stony, taut, superbly sleek Pinot Gris. The zestiness on the palate becomes ever more intense, only aided and abetted by its vivid juiciness. The 2023 is delicious and so memorable. (Dry)Vinous Media | 97 VM

The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria’s headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian masterpiece that is reminiscent of the great whites of Burgundy. The 2023 Cervaro della Sala opens to an elegantly reductive note of flint or crushed granite before sliding gracefully into silky fruit sensations, breakfast pastry and crème fraîche. It offers carefully balanced richness and textural importance...Part of the Chardonnay does malolactic fermentation, but the Grechetto does not. This gives energy and verve to the final results. Castello della Sala has recently planted more Chardonnay (now totaling 80 hectares) for flexibility in choosing the best clusters. Throughout its many reinventions, this is the best Cervaro della Sala I have tasted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPClassic Burgundian style. On the nose white chocolate, pink grapefruit, lemon zest and white flowers. Full-bodied, it shows weight, vibrancy and tension, with a silky texture and a salted citrus finish. Amazing balance in this vintage, with lemon peel bitterness in the aftertaste adding an extra dimension. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSYouthfully coy, the 2023 Cervaro della Sala blows off an air smoky reduction to reveal depths of crushed yellow apples, sesame seeds, pine shavings and nuances of vanilla custard. This is pure elegance in the glass, as silken textures envelop the palate. A bump of residual acidity maintains energy throughout, even as the 2023 tapers off tannic and potent, with a resonance of mineral-infused apricots. This is a suburb rendition of Cervaro della Sala.Vinous Media | 95 VMA vibrant white, with pleasing buoyancy to the acidity as it carries a finely woven range of poached apricot, toasted hazelnut, passion fruit and persimmon, with accents of vanilla, lime blossoms and mineral. There’s good tension and focus but also a sense of finesse as the profile waltzes across the palate and expands on the lasting, well-spiced finish. Chardonnay and Grechetto. Drink now through 2036. 21,669 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The grapefruit and honey aromas of this wine are echoed in its crisp and rounded textures. It is ripe with apple and spice flavors, the wood aging subtly in the background. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEWith its lemon rind and grassy notes, this Sauvignon Blanc dominated wine - ever reliable - continues to appeal in 2023, although it does have some varietal aspects that come across as less nuanced when compared to some of its peers. Nonetheless, this is excellent white wine, with grip, juiciness, depth and freshness. To be served confidently with fish in a cream sauce.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECVery bright and mineral with lively citrus-fruit, ginger, white-flower and crushed-stone character. A hint of seashell, too. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and focused with tense acidity and a firm, lightly phenolic finish.James Suckling | 93-94 JSA blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Sémillon, the 2023 Carbonnieux Blanc exhibits elegant aromas of pear, white peach, spring flowers and herbs, followed by a medium-bodied, satiny and long texture enhanced by bright acids and a lively mid-palate. It concludes with a long, delicate, mouthwateringly mordant finish, making it a classic white wine from this estate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2023 Château Carbonnieux Blanc is light gold-hued and offer terrific aromatics of ripe citrus, minty herbs, and a kiss of grapefruit. These carry to a medium-bodied white with a round, supple texture, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length.Jeb Dunnuck | 90-92 JDThe white 2023 Carbonnieux leaps with notes of lime leaves, Granny Smith apples, and grapefruit, plus touches of white pepper and wet slate. Medium-bodied, the palate is zippy and crisp, with a zesty finish.The Wine Independent | 88-90 TWI

Beautiful, with a ripe, layered style, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers honeyed lemon, quince, crushed stone, and floral nuances that develop beautifully with time in the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a deep, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated acidity, and a great finish. It has a touch more depth and volume compared to the 2024 and is a sensational white from this fabulous winemaker that will keep for 20+ years if well stored. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA truly stunning white, offering layers of complexity, this is supple and generous, with sun tea and dried herbs cruising alongside warm apple and quince. Round in feel, with flattering notes of macadamia and spices, but this stays fresh. Bitter chamomile and grapefruit pith elements add contrast to the full, salty finish. Drink now through 2035. 500 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis is a relatively full-bodied wine, with a pear and quince profile, slightly tingling acidity and salinity, and a touch of pink grapefruit. It’s certainly powerful, but it has good freshness and a mineral edge. The very long finish is lifted by the Bourboulenc and Piquepoul. Made from equal parts Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Piquepoul and Picardan; no malo; fermented and aged in stainless steel.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA creamy, well-rounded yet lively and citrusy white. It shows notes of fresh lemons, grapefruit, dried herbs, fennel and mild spices. It’s medium- to full-bodied. Plenty of volume on the ample palate, harmonious and poised. There is so much texture on the mid-palate with a caressing touch at the edge. Round and aromatic with a fresh, citrusy finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSCrafted from six permitted varieties in equal proportions, co-fermented and cold-settled for one night, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc from Clos des Papes exhales a delicate, complex bouquet of fennel, verbena, pear, iodine, herbs and acacia blossoms. Medium to full-bodied, pure and seamless, it’s built around bright acids, a layered, lovely structured texture and a long, ethereal, saline finish. The phenolic aftertaste adds a racy profile that I find particularly appealing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPVivid honeysuckle, lemon peel, ripe pear and spring blossom introduce the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Fennel and grapefruit add more layers to what is yet another captivating white Clos des Papes from Paul-Vincent Avril. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced by mild acidity, the 2023 closes with delicate salinity on the persistent finale.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Made from a single vineyard of very old vines, some almost centenarians, Garrus is the pinnacle of the Esclan estate wines and, although it’s very early days, I have a feeling that, like Les Clans, it has reached new heights in the 2023 vintage. It’s liltingly fragrant and floral on the nose – a little prettier, more elegant and precise than Les Clans 2023 – while the palate has riveting purity and tension. It has succulent, scented white peach fruit and a mouthwateringly saline, mineral drive. The oak is controlled and the wine is still tightly wound, but there’s no mistaking the density – or the energy, length and refinement. If you drink it this year (2025), allow it time to open up in the glass or consider decanting it.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECA splendid rosé, driven and tense. It shows notes of lemon tea, melon, fresh apricots, wild herbs and some rocks. Medium- to full-bodied with bright acidity. Seductive and succulent, with a stream of acidulated fruit on the palate framed harmoniously and funneling into the long finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSLively aromas of candied peach with a touch of grapefruit and vanilla. The palate is creamy and the vanilla from the oak works well in this highly structured rosé. Drink summer 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEFleshy yellow plum, cherry and clementine notes are salty and concentrated in this lushly styled, delicious rosé. Much more than a poolside sipper, this brims with range, depth and energy, while heather, chamomile and saline energy grace the drawn-out, saline-streaked finish. Grenache, Rolle and Syrah. Drink now through 2028. 3,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This lovely, powerful wine offers aromas of greengage plum, Williams pear and apple. The texture is rich, but the wine is still elegant and not at all hard to love. This vintage is the first bottling of a white Boudriotte, as far as I can tell – it used to get blended into the broader Morgeot appellation. Like Morgeot, Boudriotte can be a blend of several different lieux-dits; for this wine, a new 0.26ha vineyard in Chaumes is blended with 0.11ha of Champs Jeandreau .Decanter Magazine | 94 DECFrom Champ Jeandreau and a more recent planting in Chaumes. Clean fresh fruit, not too powerful. Quite lean and tense, a little bit more citrus. A suggestion of some light peach behind, but adding a dimension rather than denaturing.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

There is a ripe apple and apricot fruit aroma, lush buttery notes and a hint of spice. The texture is very rich in a classic Bâtard style. Winemaker Lucie Coutoux explained that they did a strict green harvest in July, cutting back to five to six bunches per vine, which pushed the ripeness forward, and thus, this was harvested first. She used her usual techniques: crush the grapes and slowly press them, running the must into barrel (25% new) with all of the lees. 2023 is the first vintage for Niellon since replanting the Bâtard-Montrachet in 2016. The results are spectacular.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECHere too there is a smoky note to the spicy and markedly floral-suffused nose of various white orchard fruit aromas, especially pear, along with a subtle if still easily perceptible wood nuance. Like several wines in the range, the medium weight flavors are not monsters of concentration but they do possess a sleek texture along with a lovely sense of underlying tension on the dry and balanced finale. While not quite what it used to be, it’s good to have an old friend back!Burghound | 93 BHIts back! Very young vines, needed a green harvest, in fact twice as the grapes compensated after the first. Took off half, so the vine could look after itself. 0.1190, 2273 for Chevalier. Had to pick first, with acidity declining. Pale colour, toasty nose. A lovely quality of fruit right away on the palate, less energy behind, or indeed length, only to be expected. The barrel toast remains, so look to a promising future. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThere are three barrels of the 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, whose vines were replanted in 2020 after being pulled up in 2015. Half the bunches were taken off in July before véraison to control vigor, and the pH is a little higher than other cuvées. There is some reduction on the nose, but you can feel the nascent energy. The palate is well-balanced with a richer, slightly more viscous texture than the Chevalier-Montrachet, powerful and long with a dash of spice on the finish. Of course, this is the opening chapter of the vineyard, and you can feel that it’s not full power, but it represents a promising return.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Chevalier-Montrachet 2023 from Domaine Michel Niellon is among the luminous successes of the vintage. The initial restraint on the nose gives way on the palate to aromas of ripe pear and quince with a hint of marzipan and fresh white flowers. The texture is generous, almost voluptuous, but there is a balance and elegance that hint at its noble origins. The grapes are from 0.22ha of 60-year-old vines at the base of the slope near the Leflaive parcel. Ideally, one would wait 10 years for this wine to show its full potential.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECOnce again there is a smoky whiff on the pretty, cooler and much more complex nose of wonderfully spicy pear and apple scents that are liberally laced with citrus and petrol nuances. The sleek, intense and more concentrated markedly mineral-driven flavors terminate in a chiseled, youthfully austere and bitter lemon-inflected finale that just goes on and on. This is a powerful but impeccably well-balanced Chevalier that should easily reward a decade plus of cellaring. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 95 BHPlanted in 1963 Lucie thinks. A bit degenerate, so lots of millerand. Picked at the start. Just as pale in colour, however the nose has more character showing the white limestone soil. Very linear, a classic Chevalier in the mouth, with warmth and energy to finish, but this is like licking the rock itself, more than eating the fruit. Quite tightly wound, so well worth longer keeping. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has an intense bouquet with crushed limestone, slightly more malic than Niellon’s Chassagnes. A touch of nuttiness develops with aeration. There is a pleasing strictness here. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. There is a little CO2 in the barrel sample, yet the energy is palpable on the finish, and it feels long and sustained in the mouth.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

Derived from over 70-year-old vines at the top of a south- and southeast-facing slope, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos opens with a deep bouquet of orange peel, Anjou pear, beeswax and jasmine, mingling with notes of warm stones. Full-bodied, multifaceted and layered, it is concentrated and enveloping, with a muscular core balanced by ample chalky extract that imparts a sensation of freshness, laden with racy acidity and culminating in a long, saline finish. Harmonious yet built for the long term, it will richly reward patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPYear after year, Fèvre’s Les Clos is among the great wines of Chablis. In 2023, the pronounced aromas range from grapefruit to nectarine and green apple, laden with pungent, salty mineral notes and a little smoky reduction – a bit of everything, really. The texture is dense, almost impenetrable at this age, but enlivened by a lovely hint of bitterness at the end. It is truly a wine for the ages. Ideally wait a decade before opening; this wine will last at least 40 years.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECAfter the fireworks of the les Preuses and Côte de Bouguerots, I always approach Domaine Fèvre’s les Clos as if there could not possibly be yet another level of quality here, but it always manages to land just a touch higher in the hierarchy than the two magical wines that preceded it in the tasting! The 2023 les Clos is stellar, offering up a vibrant bouquet of apple, pear, lime, beeswax, a gorgeous base of chalky soil tones, raw almond, citrus zest and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and perfectly balanced, with a beautiful core of fruit, a superb girdle of acidity, superb mineral drive and cut and a long, seamlessly balanced and complex finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2033-2070)John Gilman | 96 JGA more restrained nose grudgingly exhibits pronounced mineral reduction nuances that add breadth to the markedly floral nose of seashore, iodine and oyster shell scents. I very much like the mouthfeel of the powerful and concentrated larger-scaled flavors that are akin to rolling a small pebble around the mouth while displaying excellent length on the very dry, long, youthfully austere and balanced finish that is supported by overtly citrus-tinged acidity. Patience strongly recommended.Burghound | 94 BHA glowing lemon and lime colour. The bouquet is very backward at first, less demonstrative than Preuses. A greater richness of texture than Côte Bouguerots to add to the chiselled white fruit intensity and them a gorgeous, concentrated succulent aftertaste without sucrosity. Good acidity at the back. Drink from 2030-2040. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2023 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru comes from 4 hectares of vines, mostly at the top of the slope on limestone-rich soils. Oyster shell and light sea spray scents on the nose entwined with hints of orange pith and wild mint. The palate is very concentrated and intense, more so than William Fèvre’s other Grand Cru. Very harmonious with a poised, stem ginger tinged-finish that lingers long in the mouth. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMA chalky, stony mineral element leads off, with peach, yellow plum and orange Creamsicle, plus touches of herbs. This is supple and juicy, with charm through the persistent, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2034. 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDelicate aromas of lemon blossom, green apple and honeysuckle waft from the glass buttressed by zested orange peel. Fresh and bright on the palate, the wine is steely in texture with gentle acidity that refreshes without making itself the center of attention. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE