Wine Producing Countries

wines

Once again there is a touch of post-bottling reduction that’s enough to push the fruit to the background. More interesting are the strikingly textured, concentrated and powerful larger-bodied flavors that are borderline aggressively mineral that adds an additional sense of lift to the firm, superbly long and impeccably well-balanced finale. This is a knockout and highly recommended.Burghound | 94 BHMore lemon than yellow in colour, with a limestone upper hillside touch, and just a tendril or two of riper peach notes, notwithstanding that the core is well anchored. The finish fleshes out just a little in this excellent En Remilly. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet En Remilly 1er Cru has more reduction on the nose, which makes it tricky to read at the moment. The palate is better than the nose thanks to that acidity. Fresh and saline, with just a touch of orange rind and bitter lemon here that together lend tension on the finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Glowing mid yellow. The bouquet is once again relatively discreet, but the sheer class of La Romanée expresses itself beautifully on the palate. This has more backbone than the others, even Cailleret, while the fruit profile has scarcely formed as yet. I am taking my time to taste this to watch it develop. A little barrel toast comes along as well. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMHere too there is just enough post-bottling reduction to push the underlying fruit to the background but again, I doubt that it will last. There is a bit more size and weight to the bigger-bodied flavors that exude both evident minerality and obviously power on the medium dry, focused, balanced and lingering finale that isn’t quite as structured. This could use better depth so a few years of keeping should help.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée 1er Cru is another cuvée that is a tad reserved on the nose, a bit smokier with just a hint of reduction. The palate is well balanced with a bit more "cut" than the En Cailleret, though it remains conservative and linear towards the finish when you are willing it to kick on. Not bad overall though.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

There is just enough post-bottling reduction to push the underlying fruit to the background but I doubt that it will last. The super-sleek and gorgeously textured middle weight flavors display much more evident minerality that adds a sense of lift to the very dry but not especially austere finish that delivers excellent length. This is a lovely Cailleret that should easily repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 93 BHFuller yellow. Lots of energy to this, a mix of flesh and stones on the nose, replicated on the palate as a substantial mouthful of wines. Indeed, one of the fuller bodied Caillerets though the stones are well in place as well. Fine tension at the back, very promising. Drink from 2030-2034. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret 1er Cru is quite reserved on the nose, as per usual, despite rigorous coaxing. The palate is well balanced with well judged acidity but overall this is just missing some bandwidth and certainly needs more mineralité and terroir expression to manifest on the finish. Almost seems to be playing it safe.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

A markedly more floral-suffused nose, especially acacia and carnation, displays additional notes of petrol, white peach and zest. As one would reasonably expect, there is better volume and overall size to the delicious and sappy medium-bodied flavors that exhibit fine length but not necessarily better depth on the slightly more structured finale. This is very good but at present, it’s not materially better than the Houillères.Burghound | 91 BHA full lemon yellow. Clearly more fruit weight, between apple and plum, while retaining the fresh style of the vintage. There is a fresh almond note here, something slightly more waxy in texture, everything well in place, with good length as well. Young vines from 2017 are already showing real promise. Drink from 2029-2032. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Fairandes 1er Cru has a more aromatic bouquet than the Les Houillères, with touches of orange pith, French patisserie and almonds unfolding in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy opening. Not a deep or powerful Chassagne-Montrachet but there is plenty of flavour, even if other cuvées possess more in the way of mineralité. Enjoy this over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères is raised in one-third new oak. It is reserved at first, with scents of apple blossom and citrus peel intermixed with petrichor and wet limestone. It just needs more intensity. The palate is well balanced with hints of apricot and pineapple on the entry, a silver thread of acidity leading to a spicy lemongrass-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. It will be approachable young but should age in bottle.Vinous Media | 91 VMSuper-fresh aromas include those of smoky apple, pear, citrus, petrol and a similar whiff of rosemary oil. The rich, delicious and caressing yet powerful medium weight flavors that exhibit excellent length on the balanced, sappy and lightly austere finale. This is terrific for a villages-level Chassagne and while it could use better depth, the underlying material appears more than up to the job of developing it with a few years of bottle aging.Burghound | 91 BHIn bottle. Bright mid lemon colour. A touch of oak here as well as some candied citrus aromatics. The fruit is altogether more evident at the front of the palate and continues with energy through to a persistent finish. Drink from 2028-2031. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

A fullish yellow. A touch of ripeness in the fruit. The lovely backbone of Pucelles and the impeccable length, but there is also a little more yellow fruit which is less typical of this electric terroir. High class but doesn’t quite kick on. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru has an attractive nose with crushed stone/sea cave scents, a little reserved but that is fine for a Puligny. The palate is balanced with well-judged acidity, fine malic notes with a touch of pepperiness on the finish. Quite linear and correct in style, again it just needs a bit more precision and mineralité on the finish.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2024 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard comes from one of the oldest vineyards in the range, with 135-year-old head-pruned vines. Dark berries, preserved strawberries, flowers, lavender, and layered spice all emerge beautifully, and it’s mouthwatering and refined on the palate, with excellent length and texture. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2024 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard shows great restraint for such a potent, virile wine. Crushed rocks, leather and white smoke add complexity to a core of salty, brambly, wild blackberry and blueberry fruit. A real kick of chewy structure resonates with overtones of cocoa powder and white pepper. This is a sumptuous, heady Zinfandel, but the balance is beyond reproach.Vinous Media | 95 VMA briar patch in a glass, this is an old-school Zin, with expressive notes of black cherry, roasted sage and savory pepper that finish with big, zesty tannins. Drink now through 2035. 225 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2024 Rosé Château de Selle is the brightest and most mineral-driven of the three estate Rosés from Ott. Vibrant and utterly refreshing, the 2024 smells like the sea, levitating from the glass with a briny, herbaceous, maritime-influenced bouquet highlighted by spikes of fresh jasmine and orange peel. The 2024 splashes across the palate with soft curves and palpable grip. Balance? You bet. This is a match made in heaven for freshly shucked oysters.Vinous Media | 92 VMA silky, streaming rosé, with hidden density behind its savory notes of salty lime, pink grapefruit and herbs. Offers loads of verve and poise before giving way to talc-fine mineral elements and a refined beam of acidity. Classy and delicious. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. 4,463 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2024 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is a bright yellow color and offers notes of honeyed citrus, poached apples, and pretty spice. Full-bodied yet carrying a medium-bodied, fruity elegance, this vintage includes fruit from Freedom Hill and Durant. Aged in neutral French oak and concrete amphora, it has a great texture and a long-lasting finish. Drink now or over the next 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2024 Chardonnay Willamette Valley wafts up with minty freshness, blending white flowers with nuances of ginger, flint and slate. The palate is soothingly round, with a pretty inner sweetness and supreme balance as lemon mingles with apricot and a saline mineral tinge. Lively tension puckers the cheeks while mouthwatering acidity and a salty flourish linger. The value here is unparalleled.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2024 Cheverny Blanc from François Cazin is made from grapes that are organicallyfarmed and hand-harvested. The 2024 version is crafted from its customary blend of eighty percentsauvignon blanc and twenty percent chardonnay, with the two grapes fermented together and agedin stainless steel and older oak foudres. The wine comes in at twelve percent octane and deliversa vibrant and lovely bouquet of gooseberry, fresh lime, green apple, chalky soil tones, fresh-cutgrass and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is deep, bright and full-bodied, with asucculent core of fruit, beautiful soil signature and grip, zesty acids and seamless balance on thelong, complex and very precise finish. This may well be the best Cheverny Blanc I have evertasted! Shocking quality for such a difficult growing season! 2025-2035+.John Gilman | 93+ JG

Patrick Piuze’s 2024 Butteaux is a bit more structured and reserved out of the blocks than the lovely Montmains and will demand a couple years more in the cellar before it blossoms, but it may well be every bit as fine as the Montmains once it is ready to drink. The wine’s aromatic constellation is composed of scents of tart orange, lemon, apple, a fine base of limestone soil, paraffin, citrus blossoms and a deft touch of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and youthful, with a fine core of pure fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, lovely acids and a long, well balanced and very promising finish. 2032-2065.John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2024 Chablis “les Séchets” from Patrick Piuze is also an outstanding wine in the making. The bouquet is very expressive already and is flat out stunning, soaring from the glass in a mix of lemon, pear, beeswax, a complex foundation of chalky minerality, white lilies, apple blossoms, citrus peel and just a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full, pure and succulent at the core, with fine soil signature, a lovely spine of acidity, great focus and grip and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. Fine, fine juice. 2030-2065.John Gilman | 93+ JG

Opening in the glass with aromas of spring flowers, Granny Smith apple, lemon oil and nashi pear, the 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains is medium-bodied and taut, bright and chalky, with mouthwatering acidity and a long, precise finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 2024 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie is elegant, delicate and wonderfully nuanced. Lemon oil, crushed rocks, mint, slate and sage are finely delineated in a transparent, crystalline Chardonnay that is so impressive. The Lady Marjorie is a blend of sites in the Sonoma Coast. It’s such a pure, nuanced Chardonnay.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2024 Bandol Rosé from Domaine Tempier is utter class. Flaunting its trademark perfume of grapefruit peel, savory herbs, white flowers and sea spray, the Tempier Rosé shines in a league of its own. The mineral intensity and concentration through the mid-palate is really on another level in 2024. Supreme balance and textural finesse are the orders of the day. This is wine I consider a must-buy every year, but the 2024 is easily the best edition of Tempier Rosé in recent memory. Best of all, it will easily age for years. (Drink between 2025 - 2034)Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2024 Bandol Rose from Domaine Tempier reveals an elegant, lively bouquet of pomegranate, grapefruit, ripe orchard fruits and guava subtly accented by delicate spicy notes. On the palate, it’s bright and medium- to full-bodied, with bright acids and a juicy core of fruit that culminates in a saline, ethereal finish. As always, this is one of France’s most meticulously crafted and benchmark rosés, combining precision, charm and age-worthy depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPConcentrated and beautifully sculpted, with peach, persimmon and light red berry notes sharing the stage with sea salt, flint and fresh herbs. Shows density as details emerge on the creamy palate, revved up with citrusy acidity. Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault. Drink now through 2030. 2,500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A gorgeous wine all the way, the 2024 Condrieu Vieilles Vignes offers incredibly pure honeyed orange, marshmallow, tangerine, and flower oil-like aromatics and flavors. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has a fleshy, layered, ripe texture, and outstanding length. It brings that classic Condrieu richness while staying fresh, juicy, and light on its feet, and it has more than a passing resemblance to the La Doriane cuvée from Guigal. Drink this charming effort over the coming 5-7 years. Drink 2026-2033.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis seductive and aromatic Condrieu shows fresh apricots, white flowers, blanched almonds and a hint of flower honey on the nose. Medium-bodied with a tactile, textural and floral palate. Delicious and attractive, with a similar finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSSalty, fresh and herbaceous, with green herbs pouring through a supple core of ripe fruit -- apricot, melon, pear -- on a nicely rich yet fresh frame. Flattering hints of oak signature and white mocha line the finish, with a kiss of toasted almond and chalky mineral on the long, well-structured finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Based on 100% Roussanne from the Vaudieu lieu-dit and aged nine months in 50% new French oak, the 2024 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussannes is a voluptuous, layered beauty offering honeyed orange, ripe stone fruits, brioche, crushed stone, and floral nuances. It has perfectly integrated oak, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a spectacular finish that rivals Beaucastel’s Vieilles Vignes Roussanne. This deep, medium to full-bodied white shows terrific purity and incredible depth, with roughly 125 cases produced. It will evolve beautifully for 20+ years. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDDeep pear scents and honeysuckle, then a full-bodied, rich and powerful palate. An opulent wine that’s seen considerable oak influence, making for a finish that’s riven with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, with a very long finish. The acidity and freshness bring some balance, but this will always be a hedonistic treat albeit an elegant one. Limestone soils, fermented and aged in barriques, 50% new.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA stylish, golden-hued white, with a decadent robe of toasty oak around warm, spiced apple and juicy pear. Long and savory despite its opulence, with beautiful density and complexity. Salty intensity and a bitter kick of quinine build toward the finish, expertly offsetting the lushness. Tangy acidity keeps pace throughout. The oak will integrate with more time in bottle. Drink now through 2032. 450 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSBottled on the morning of my visit, the perfumed 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Les Vieilles Roussanne unwinds with prominent herbal tea, honeysuckle and a nuance of cedar. Open-knit and concentrated, the full-bodied 2024 carries impeccable freshness all the way through to the sapid close. Roussanne-lovers better line up for this one.Vinous Media | 92 VM