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A prodigious offering, the 2001 Climens’ light medium bold color with a greenish hue is followed by ethereal aromas of tropical fruits (primarily pineapple), honeysuckle, and flowers. It is a medium-bodied wine of monumental richness, extraordinary precision/delineation, great purity, and moderate sweetness. The finish seemingly lasts forever. This monumental effort is the stuff of legends. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.Robert Parker | 100 RPLoads of orange peel and dried apricots on the nose here. Full-bodied, with a wild and exciting palate. Sweet yet racy. Electrifying. Great class and elegance. One of the best Climens I have tasted. Best after 2010. 1,955 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2001 Climens has a well-defined, complex bouquet of dried honey, peach skin, quince and a light beeswax scent. Tight at first, it only takes a few swirls of the glass to get going. The palate is where the action is: very intense and concentrated with layers of botrytized fruit, lightly spiced with tangy marmalade, quince and nectarine notes, merging into saffron and gingerbread toward the very engaging, persistent finish. This is a magnificent Barsac that is only beginning to show what it is capable of.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Unfortunately there is only one new release from Dom Perignon on the market, but what a wine it is! The 2002 Brut Rose explodes from the glass with endless layers of huge, voluptuous fruit, A big, full-bodied wine, the 2002 is probably the most overly vinous, intense Rose ever made by long-time Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy. Layers of cool, insistent minerality balance the fruit beautifully on the crystalline, vivid finish. The 2002 will be nearly impossible to resist young, but take my word for it; the wine is extremely closed right now. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2032.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2002 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a tremendous example of this vintage at its very best. A Champagne of vertical thrust and intensity, the 2002 is rich, opulent and hedonistic from the very first taste. Readers should expect a Rosé built on a huge core of fruit. Rose petal, passion fruit and exotic flowers add shades of dimension to the wine’s decidedly flamboyant personality. What a wine!Vinous Media | 98 VMExtraordinarily powerful yet astonishingly beautifully constructed, the 2002 rosé is subtly different to its siblings, yet still seamless of architecture and impressive of length. Beyond the herbs and mellow autumnal berries there’s salinity at the back of the mouth. It’s perhaps a little unexpected from a rosé, but undeniably adds further layers to an already multi-faceted persona. Youthful yet wise beyond its years, this makes a wonderful pairing with the final wine, the 1990 P2 rosé. Drink with the most lavish crustacean dishes. Served from magnum. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DEC(Moët & Chandon Brut - Dom Perignon Rosé (magnum) Rosé) As it often is, this is quite aromatically discreet with its elegant and beautifully layered blend of soft yeast, cherry, raspberry, apple and rose petal. The still tightly coiled, intense and beautifully textured medium weight flavors possess an extremely fine effervescence before terminating in a clean, delineated and sneaky long finish that is markedly dry but not really austere. While the 750 ml version is drinking perfectly well now, in magnum format this striking beauty could still benefit from a few more years of keeping. (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 95 BH

Another stellar wine, the 2004 Dom Pérignon is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic development, as well as a bit of added weight it did not have as a young wine. The 2004 remains a bright, mid-weight DP built on persistence and length more than overt volume. I have always had a soft spot for the 2004. This tasting does nothing to dampen that enthusiasm.Vinous Media | 97 VMA return to regular form after the wild 2003 edition, this is business as usual in terms of the composed and complex swagger that is a hallmark of Dom. Good deep autolysis here, toasty yeasty characters wrap around a wealth of grapefruit and pithy lemon citrus notes; the chardonnay rings clear as a bell at around half of the blend. The palate has assertive, driving power and fully formed deep-seated phenolic presence with a chord of acidity steering it through a long, fresh and gently nutty finish. Classic Dom is back! Best drunk around 2019.James Suckling | 96 JS(Dom Pérignon Brut (Moët et Chandon)) The 2004 Dom Pérignon is another great classic in the making, and this is one of those vintages that will truly deserve all of thirty years’ worth of bottle age, so that it can fully blossom and deliver fully its formidable potential. The beautiful bouquet delivers a refined still youthful constellation of green apple, menthol, salty minerality, white flowers, a touch of iodine and already, the first hints of the crème patissière to come with more bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full and very racy in personality, with a lovely core, excellent complexity, refined mousse and superb focus and grip on the very long and energetic finish. This is still a puppy and needs several more years in the cellar to start to blossom, but it will be stunning once it reaches its plateau of peak maturity. Expect it to first start to properly open at age twenty and really hit its stride at age thirty and beyond. (Drink between 2024-2075).John Gilman | 96+ JGWith all the lush plenitude of the 2004 vintage, this wine’s explosive flavors give it a bold, broad, layered impression on the palate. But the tight structure and edgy tension of the acidity reins it in, capturing the wine’s aromatic power and extending it into graceful length. This is a precise and sophisticated Champagne suited to the cellar.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SA graceful Champagne, with minerally drive. Firm acidity and a rich vein of smoky mineral meshes with the plush texture, offering finely woven flavors of mirabelle jam, toasted brioche, crunchy pear, honey and smoked almond. Delivers a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2029.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2004 Dom Pérignon is one of the more reductive, autolytic vintages of this wine to have been released in the last decade, offering up a toasty bouquet of pears, green apple, iodine, peach and smoke. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny textured and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, a fine mousse and a vinous profile. The 2004 is drinking well today: as I wrote earlier this year, between the rich, ripe 2002 and the powerful but racy 2008, the 2004 is an excellent but more classically proportioned example of Dom Pérignon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPIn 2004, quality and quantity were happy bedfellows, especially in the vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. Geoffroy said that by now he had the confidence and experience to stand back a little and allow nature to do its worst, or in this instance, its best. He describes ’04’s appeal in terms of a ‘substantial embrace’ and there’s certainly a generous, almost sensual character to this wine. It’s finely manicured with a glorious nose, the faintest touch of reduction and woodsmoke held in perfect counterpoint by a nascent fruit character. Dramatic tension cedes to radiance and harmony. Served from jeroboam. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DEC(Moët & Chandon Brut - Dom Perignon (magnum) Champagne/Sparkling) In the same fashion as the 2006, here too there is noticeable reduction though in contrast to its younger brother, the reductive notes completely dominate. Otherwise there is very good intensity to the particularly well-delineated middle weight flavors that are supported by an admirably fine mousse while delivering good if not sensational length on the youthfully austere, linear, compact and notably dry finish. I appreciate that this is exceptionally primary and this sense of youthful backwardness is of course enhanced by the magnum format. That said, this seems to lack nuance and the nose is so reduced that it’s not easy to imagine how that level of funk eventually dissipates. In short, while this may eventually come together I found the ’04 Dom to be somewhat disappointing. (Drink starting 2024).Burghound | 90 BH

A beautiful mix of red and black pinot fruit aromas nuanced by hints of smoke, earth and underbrush merges into textured and layered medium full flavors that possess plenty of underlying material and a punchy, strikingly long finish. This is quite backward at the moment and like the Colombière is closing up fast so again, plenty of air is advised. In sum, this is highly recommended as it’s of reference standard quality.Burghound | 93 BHGood deep red. Ripe, complex, slightly reduced aromas of plum, currant, cherry and smoke. Silky and vibrant, with lovely lift to the flavors of red fruits and dried rose. Finishes very long and bright, but distinctly firmer than the preceding village wines. This seems to be shutting down in bottle today.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2005 Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or offers scents of plum, black raspberry, Asian spices, soy, noble fungus and wood smoke. In the mouth, it delivers tart (though ripe) black raspberry fruit with black truffle undertones and subtle spice and chalk, while managing to display a flattering creaminess. Fascinating fungal, fruit skin and mineral notes vie for attention in the finish. This strikes an ideal balance between flattering fat and underlying structure. Figure to cellar it for at least 12-15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPGood ruby-red. Superripe but reticent nose hints at blueberry and licorice, accented by orange rind and pepper. There’s a pronounced earthy underbrush component to the black plum fruit. Strong soil tones here. Finishes with serious, building tannins. This one needs patience.Burghound | 91-93 BHGood ruby-red. Superripe but reticent nose hints at blueberry and licorice, accented by orange rind and pepper. There’s a pronounced earthy underbrush component to the black plum fruit. Strong soil tones here. Finishes with serious, building tannins. This one needs patience.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

Easily the best Champagne I had all year, first tasted at a château lunch. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and eventually bought a bottle for my husband’s 50th. Just so much power and precision, while still having the delicacy, easy glamour and the most moreish delivery of fresh acidities and fleshy citrus.Jane Anson (Formerly of Decanter) | 100 JAThe 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must. (Originally published in May 2021)Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2008 Dom Pérignon is the first time the estate has released a wine out of order (the 2009 was released before the 2008) but the estate loved the wine so much they felt it warranted additional aging. This is a rich, powerful wine that still shows incredible purity and elegance, with a stacked, concentrated feel on the palate. It’s rare to find such a mix of ripe, pure, concentrated fruit paired with this level of purity, focus, and precision. This is a legendary Dom that surpasses all the great vintages of Dom I have experience with, including the 1990, 1996, and 2002.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDDeep and generous, yet driven, with delicious salted-butter and salted-caramel notes underneath the initial lemon and chalk. Really expands on the palate in all directions. Lemon cream and shortcrust. Creamy, yet underpinned by a sharp backbone of acidity throughout. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSDom Perignon 2008 will leave memories in the minds of wine lovers. A powerful, toasted style, the bouquet expresses aromas of almonds, candied lemon and a slight smoky touch that gives it an additional richness. The palate is powerful with a vinous character and an almost fleshy texture. Of course, time in the cellar will allow it to express itself fully, but it’s still possible to enjoy this now.Decanter | 97 DECUnquestionably the finest Dom Pérignon of the decade, the 2008 Dom Pérignon is drinking brilliantly today, wafting from the glass with notes of citrus oil, ripe orchard fruit, peach, buttered toast, pastry cream, iodine and smoky reduction. Full-bodied, rich and fleshy, it’s vinous and layered, with a deep core of sweet fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. The 2008 is aging very gracefully.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThere’s power to this graceful Champagne, with the vivid acidity swathed in a fine, creamy mousse and flavors of toasted brioche, kumquat, pastry cream, candied ginger and poached plum that dance across the palate. An underpinning of smoky mineral gains momentum on the lasting finish. *No. 5 Top 100 Wines of 2018, CollectiblesWine Spectator | 96 WS(Dom Pérignon Brut Millésime (Épernay)) I had not tasted a bottle of the 2008 vintage of Dom Pérignon since my interview with Richard Geoffroy at the abbey in Hautvillers just a few months before Monsieur Geoffroy retired. I was very happy to see it generously added by John Chapman to our lineup for the second Vega Sicilia vertical that I reported on in the previous issue, as it is a wine of the same superb quality as all those great old Únicos. As I noted in my feature on Dom Pérignon, the 2008 is an absolutely classic vintage for this wine, which means it is structured, structured, structured, and at twelve years of age, still an absolute infant! The primary bouquet offers up a promising blend of apple, lime peel, menthol, superb minerality, a touch of young DP botanicals and tons of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with brisk acids, refined mousse, bruising backend mineral drive and a very long, very pure and seamlessly balanced finish. I scored this a touch lower than the bottle in Hautvillers, but I suspect that this is just the result of context and the wine has not lost any of its luster- it has only hidden its essence even further behind its electric girdle of acidity. This is years away from its apogee, but has utterly brilliant potential. (Drink between 2030-2075).John Gilman | 96+ JG

I love the botrytis spice character to this wine with dried apricots and tropical fruits. It’s full bodied, medium sweet with a long intense finish. It’s very layered. Sweet wine of the vintage.James Suckling | 95-96 JSStructured firm, very spicy, while also showing fresh pineapple acidity. Concentrated and packed with botrytis.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA muscular version, with dacquoise and marzipan notes leading the way for creamed orange, white peach, ginger, mirabelle compote and tangerine accents that pump through the piecrust-filled finish. Has the vintage’s raw oomph, as well as range and cut for balance. Best from 2018 through 2035. 6,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2010 Rieussec is similar to the previous bottle a couple of years ago. It has since opened with saffron-tinged honeyed fruit, dried honey and almond shavings. This example is more vanillary and oaky than previous ones, and that actually distracts from the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied; again, the new oak feels more prominent than previous bottles, prompting me to lower my score. It’s utterly seductive but articulates more of the winemaking than I would like...Neal Martin, Vinous Media | 93 VM(Château Rieussec (Sauternes)) Château Rieussec has turned out one of the most elegant and refined examples of the 2010 vintage and this wine is an unqualified success. The nose is a bit less obviously botrytized than many of its neighbors this year, as the wine offers up scents of tangerine, pineapple, bee pollen, lovely, chalky soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and dancing, with fine mid-palate intensity, excellent focus and a really impressive lightness of step on the long, complex and tangy finish. In a vintage prone to heavy-handedness, the ethereal quality of the 2010 Château Rieussec is most impressive. (Drink between 2015-2035).John Gilman | 93 JGPale to medium lemon-gold in color, the 2010 Rieussec is evolving at a good clip, boasting roasted nuts, toffee apples and dried apricots scents with hints of beurre blanc, manuka honey and candle wax. The palate is a powerhouse of sweetness, with soft acidity and loads of savory/nutty layers, finishing on a praline note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Menthol and soft wood nuances frame the restrained but spicy aromas of black fruit and high-toned floral scents. There is good richness to the relatively full-bodied generous flavors that possess a silky texture, all wrapped in a lightly structured and impressively persistent finish. There is a bit of wood on the finish that offers only moderate complexity at present though my score assumes that more will develop over the next 3 to 5 years. As was the case when I originally reviewed this ultra-elegant effort, there is noticeable gas on the finish so if you’re going to try a bottle young I would advise decanting it first.Burghound | 92 BHSuchots can also often be quite black fruity in personality, but this is not the case with the 2011 Hudelot version, which offers up a fine bouquet of cherries, blood orange, Vosne spice, fresh herb tones, fine soil nuances and a bit of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off lovely mid-palate depth, with ripe tannins, bright acids and excellent grip and focus on the long and dancing finish. A very elegant and intensely flavored Suchots. (Drink between 2021 - 2050)John Gilman | 92+ JG(picked at 13.1% potential alcohol): Medium red with an amber edge. Highly aromatic nose combines strawberry, musky brown spices, dried flowers and cinnamon. Juicy and penetrating in the mouth, with a bit of unabsorbed CO2 accentuating the tartness of the cranberry, pomegranate and soil flavors. Very savory wine, with enough stuffing and flavor intensity to maintain its balance. Finishes with firm tannins and very good tangy length.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A heady, exotic Burgundy, the 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is remarkably vivid for such a big wine, with freakish levels of concentration that are beautifully balanced by insistent veins of underlying minerality. Layers of pure Pinot fruit build through the mid-palate and finish as this voluptuous, racy wine shows off its fabulous pedigree. It simpy doesn't get too much better than this.Vinous Media | 97 VM(Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos St. Jacques”- Domaine Armand Rousseau) The 2012 Clos St. Jacques chez Rousseau is another simply brilliant wine, and I was starting to get a bit worried, as I was already beginning to run out of numbers and I still had the Clos de Bèze and Chambertin to go! In any case, the 2012 Clos St. Jacques is a stellar example of the vintage, wafting from the glass in a stunning and very flamboyant nose of red plums, red and black cherries, cocoa, hints of the grilled meats to come, a brilliantly complex base of soil tones, exotic spices and vanillin oak. I think this wine was raised in sixty percent new wood this year, but the depth of fruit has positively eaten up the impression of new oak, and if you told me it was raised in twenty percent new oak, I would think that it was probably just about right! On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and stunningly suave on the attack, with a great core of sappy fruit, a very refined sense of soil, fine-grained tannins, outstanding focus and grip and a very, very long, unrepentantly elegant and velvety finish. The synthesis here of soil and gloriously sappy fruit is remarkable. (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 96 JG(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos St. Jacques" 1er Cru Red) There is a deft touch of wood to the reluctant but ultra-elegant essence of red pinot fruit, floral elements and wet stone scents. This is splendidly well-detailed with a terrific sense of underlying tension adding energy to the medium weight flavors that brim with a fine minerality before culminating in a balanced and stunningly long finish. This ageworthy effort is the most refined wine among these four 2012s and dances across the palate. In a word, dazzling. (Drink starting 2027).Burghound | 95 BHTasted blind at the annual 'Burgfest' tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques from Armand Rousseau has the most sensual nose of the quintet, perhaps the ripest with maraschino cherries, fresh strawberry and fruits pastilles. This is certainly the most generous nose. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannin, more modern in style but very pure and harmonious. The oak is a little more pronounced on the finish but that will be subsumed in time, and then it will be a Clos Saint Jacques that you'll wish you could drink every day.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM

The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes shows a much more aromatic, lifted side of Chambolle than the Groseilles, which precedes it in this tasting. Sweet floral notes meld into bright red berries in a classy, understated Chambolle that should drink nicely pretty much right out of the gate. Finely cut, chalky tannins give the wine much of its drive and focus.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThis offers a noticeable step up in aromatic elegance with its ultra-fresh, cool and restrained nose that is comprised of essence of red and blue pinot fruit, spice and stone nuances. There is excellent tension and beautiful delineation to the racy and silky medium-bodied flavors that also exude a fine bead of minerality on the delicious finish that tightens up quickly. This is a really beautiful and harmonious effort, indeed the word Zen comes to mind.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2012 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes comes from vines that border the village, around two-thirds planted in the 1920s, the rest in 1966. It owns one of the most appealing and complex aromatic profiles of the Chambolle premier crus, adorned with ripe blackberry, bilberry and mineral aromas that are vivacious and captivating to the senses. The palate is energetic with a crisp, citric line of acidity and impressive poise on the finish. I just love the vibrancy, the passion already evident in this Chambolle-Musigny.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

Here the equally brooding nose is slightly more elegant with its cool and restrained nose of red currant, cassis, spice and earth scents that are trimmed in just enough wood to notice. Like the Poisets this is notably rich with its relatively large-scaled flavors that also enjoy good density thanks to the abundant dry extract that also coats the palate and pushes the firmer supporting tannins to the background. Lovely.Burghound | 90-92 BH(vinified with 40% whole clusters): Medium red. Fruit-driven aromas of red cherry and strawberry. The silkiest and thickest of these 2014s to this point but with plenty of energy and cut. Boasts a sexy stem component and finishes juicy and persistent, with plenty of ripe tannins. Charles Lachaux told me that he uses the whole-cluster fermentation to soften the structure of this wine and he predicts that it will make a nice drink in five years, earlier than past vintages.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

Dark red with ruby tones. Deeply pitched aromas of currant, dark cherry, licorice and leather. Dense, sweet, slightly leathery wine with noteworthy depth of texture. Not showing the light mineral touch it displayed from barrel a year ago but this is quite ripe and broad--even a bit chocolatey--for the vintage. Finishes with slightly tough tannins.Vinous Media | 90 VMWhile not as pretty as the Chaumes this is notably complex with its subtly wooded nose of earth black currant, game, smoke and lovely floral hints. There is markedly better concentration to the delicious and suave middle weight flavors that possess excellent intensity and volume as well as impeccable balance. This isn’t as refined as the Chaumes but the additional concentration and complexity make this the more interesting wine.Burghound | 90-93 BH

An intensely spicy and floral red berry and cassis-suffused nose merges seamlessly into impressively rich and full-bodied middle weight flavors that possess just a hint of minerality on the hugely long and palate staining finish. This lightly austere and beautifully well-balanced effort is an obvious wine of class and grace.Burghound | 93 BH(100% vendange entier; 80% new oak; from a healthy crop of 42 hectoliters per hectare):Bright red-ruby. A touch of reduction mostly dissipated to reveal classic Suchots scents of black raspberry, Oriental spices, flowers and fresh herbs, plus an intriguing note of paprika. Wonderfully silky, plush, generous wine with sneaky inner-mouth energy. The wine’s sweet oak component will need a few years to harmonize with its fruits and flowers. Finishes with terrific length and substantial ripe tannins. This should ultimately make a wonderfully complete Burgundy.Vinous Media | 92-95 VM

The 2014 is one of the best young vintage of Feusselottes that I have tasted from the Mugneret sisters. The stunning nose delivers a perfumed constellation of red plums, cherries, roses, gamebird, cocoa powder, a gorgeous base of chalky soil tones and a gentle framing of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and sappy at the core, with stunning soil signature, suave tannins and great length and grip on the laser-like finish. A beautiful bottle of Chambolle. (Drink between 2024 - 2065)John Gilman | 94 JGGood dark red A bit less pristine and high-pitched on the nose than the Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Chaignots Round and silky on the palate, conveying an utterly seamless texture to the expressive flavors of strawberry, redcurrant and earth This doesn’t quite glisten in the mouth like the Chaignots does today but it’s still a wonderfully sappy, complex wine with slowly building red berry, mineral and earthy perfume A touch of pepper gives lift to the finishVinous Media | 92 VMThe 2014 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselots, which saw 50% new oak, has a crisp, tensile bouquet with more volume that the Nuits Saint Georges Chaignots. There is real transparency here: fabulous definition and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, tensile like the Chaignots but there is a touch of more fruit that seems a little darker and denser. The finish just skips along with joy. This is superb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThough there is a touch of wood here as well it is more subtle and easily allows the cool red currant, pomegranate, cherry and softly spice-inflected aromas to be appreciated. There is a notably finer mouth feel to the seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that exhibit fine depth and length if perhaps not quite the same refreshing vibrancy on the dusty finish.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2014 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Narbantons is brisk, precise and beautifully sculpted, with plenty of red-toned fruit and floral accents, all of which add to the impression of energy. Still very much tightly wound, the Narbantons needs time in bottle to soften a bit. There is plenty to look forward to, that much is clear. Small red berry, anise and crushed flowers add nuance, the Narbantons is ultimately a wine of energy. And there is plenty of that here.Vinous Media | 93 VMAt 10 years of age, this is still cruising with only a touch of secondary character present on the still conspicuously earthy and cool nose of humus and underbrush characters that add breadth to the mostly dark berry fruit scents. There is unusually good density in the context of the vintage to the velvety middle weight flavors that possess an abundance of dry extract that coats the palate and buffers the firm tannins on the slightly rustic and austere yet wonderfully complex finale. This is still improving and while it could certainly be enjoyed now, I would advise holding it for another 5 to 8 years first.Burghound | 92 BHWhen broaching the 2014 Savigny lès Beaune les Narbantons, Lalou quipped that it was her "Petit Corton." It has a complex nose of red berry fruit, dried orange peel and even a distant scent of fresh fig. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, plenty of freshness and vitality here, a little hardness toward the finish and a light spicy aftertaste. Very fine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

A super-complex Champagne with chewy tension. Aromas of coffee beans, lemon peel, burnt sugar, chalky minerality, barley candy and tarte tatin. Fine pinprick bubbles with flavors of lemon leaves, aspirin and Mirabelle plums, plus a touch of grapefruit bitterness keeping the tension. Zesty yet integrated chewy acidity and a medium body with a toasted finish. Drink of hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2015 Dom Pérignon is terrific. Bright and poised, the 2015 shows terrific energy. Citrus peel, white flowers, mint, white pepper and slate all race across the palate. There’s gorgeous tension and backbone here, with bright saline notes that extend the mid-palate and finish. This is a fine showing in a vintage that has proven to be tricky. I am intrigued to see how the 2015 develops in the coming years.Vinous Media | 96 VMDisgorged in January 2023, the 2015 Dom Pérignon shows a singular, ethereal profile with aromas of white pepper, iodine, ripe orchard fruits, toast, smoke, herbs and spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered, and structured, it’s enveloping and round with a delicate phenolic mid-palate that underlines chalky dry extracts, concluding with a sapid, penetrating finish with gastronomic bitterness. This iteration of Dom Pérignon, though replete with the customary charm and vinous generosity that typify the label, distinguishes itself by its structural delicate austerity and a notably phenolic profile, giving rise to a remarkably linear and well-defined style that diverges markedly from the more familiar expressions of Dom Pérignon. This is a blend of 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Chardonnay with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter; it will age wonderfully and can be enjoyed now or over the next 20 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPBurnished gold color with a fine, effervescent bead, the Grand Vintage 2015 shows abundant ripeness on the nose with notes of white peach, quince, butter pastry, elderflower and nougat. A 44% Pinot Noir 32% Chardonnay and 24% Meunier, it was disgorged in May 2022 and finished with a five gram per liter dosage. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses a straightlaced acid-line that lifts the rich orchard fruit core through the honeyed finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots, matured in two-thirds new oak, has a bewitching bouquet that is very pure and intense, layers of dark cherry and wild strawberry fruit tinged with iodine that seems to blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin and structured, underneath those intense dark berry fruit, a touch of salinity towards the finish that keeps the senses searching and eager for the next sip. Typical of Cathiard’s style of winemaking, this is just a brilliant Les Suchots from one of its finest exponents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(August malo): Full, bright red. Showy aromas of black raspberry, licorice and violet convey excellent cut and mineral lift. Savory, penetrating wine with strong early personality to its deep flavors of black fruits, salty minerality and spices. Has the old-vines density of texture to carry its ripe tannins effortlessly.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMJuicy raspberry nose packed with fruit. Good attack, with vibrant fruit and fine-grained tannins. Taut and concentrated with a piquant complexity and good depth of flavour.Decanter | 92 DECA brilliantly spicy nose is comprised by notes of violet, plum, lavender, soy, Asian-style tea and black cherry. There is more volume and richness if less precision and delineation to the velvety and seductive-textured medium weight plus flavors that coat the palate on the beautifully well-balanced, persistent and equally classy finish that is quite firmly structured. The sheer level of dry extract buffering the ripe and dense tannins is impressive and as such this terrific effort should age effortlessly.Burghound | 92-94 BH

The 2017 Beaumonts from Cécile Tremblay is also outstanding, showing off the inherent elegance of the vintage on both its nose and palate. The bouquet is a refined blend of plums, red and black cherries, dark soil tones, Vosne spices, a touch of sweet stems again, fresh nutmeg and nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, soil-driven and very complex, with a superb core of fruit, fine-grained tannins, bright acids and excellent length and grip on the poised and very, very promising finish. (Drink between 2027 - 2065)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru, matured in 60% new oak, has one of the most sensual bouquets from Cécile Tremblay this year, with plenty of crushed strawberry, rose petals and flecks of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, the new oak more conspicuous than in other crus at the moment, so give this at least two or three years to subsume the wood; there is plenty of substance to soak it up. Should drink well for 12 to 18 years.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMFirm reduction dominates the nose. Otherwise there is excellent tension to the almost painfully intense and wonderfully refined mineral-driven flavors that are impressively long, complex and notably better balanced. However the finish is also notably firmer so at least some patience advised.Jasper Morris | 92-96 JMAromas of smoked duck, cassis and smoky plums introduce the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts, a satiny, medium to full-bodied wine with a characteristically generous, ample profile, framed by velvety structuring tannins. It’s one of the more gourmand wines in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPFirm reduction dominates the nose. Otherwise there is excellent tension to the almost painfully intense and wonderfully refined mineral-driven flavors that are impressively long, complex and notably better balanced. However the finish is also notably firmer so at least some patience advised.Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru is delineated and focused on the taut, fresh nose, quite linear and classic in style – very classy. The palate is pure, with silky-smooth, very fine tannins, piquant red cherries and strawberry fruit. Generous and fleshy toward the finish, which lingers wonderfully in the mouth. One of the most sensual offerings from the appellation. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMHistorically, Aux Cras was part of Les Boudots, but it’s now a very good premier cru in its own right on the Vosne side of Nuits-St-Georges. This is a serious, concentrated red from Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, showing good depth and concentration framed by 100% new wood. Spicy blueberry and plum flavours fill the palate.Decanter | 94 DECA restrained, cool and pure nose features notes of herbal tea, spice, earth, red currant and a whiff of the sauvage. The focused, detailed and punchy middle weight flavors possess a fleshy mid-palate yet the stunningly long finish is youthfully austere, compact and linear. As such this delicious but tightly wound effort will also need at least some bottle age. In a word, excellent.Burghound | 93 BHTo this point in the lineup, the Nuits “aux Cras” showed the best mid-palate stuffing and just a bit more emphatic structural elements of any of the wines. The bouquet is excellent, wafting from the glass in a blend of black plums, black cherries, dark chocolate, gamebird, woodsmoke, dark soil, a touch of nutskin and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and sappy, with a lovely signature of soil, ripe, suave tannins and lovely length and grip on the long and complex finish. This is going to last longer than the Brûlées. (Drink between 2024 - 2065)John Gilman | 93 JGThis offering of Aux Cras shows a clean pure nose, with some more floral top notes, a certain fresh stem quality, good acidity, medium length, attractive. This is a wine of middling intensity with very pleasing vibrancy.Jasper Morris | 93 JMAromas of cassis, wild berries and rich soil mingle with savory nuances of grilled game bird, dark chocolate spices and smoky new oak in a complex bouquet, introducing the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras, a medium to full-bodied wine with good depth and concentration at the core, structured around a firm chassis of chewy tannin that will likely resolve considerably by the time is bottled. The raw materials are present and the balance is excellent, but the wine’s structure was hard to read when I tasted it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

A well-defined red, with great focus and precision to the black cherry, black currant, violet and stony, mineral flavors. Ends with a chalky sensation, lending gravitas to the finish and overall impression. Best from 2023 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFresh deep purple with a delicious exotic brambly character, pure and forceful, some whole bunch but it is the fruit which wins. Absolutely gorgeous with perfectly balanced acidity and non-aggressive tannins. Liqueur raspberry finish and great length.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThe 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of morello cherry, wild strawberry and just a touch of graphite. This is strict and backward, yet very focused, and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, displaying fine tannins, superb mineralité and beautifully integrated oak, and delivering good body and persistence on the finish. An excellent Chambolle-Musigny with real pedigree. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMChristophe Roumier expresses the terroirs of Chambolle with a combination of emotional engagement and winemaking precision. This pale, delicate, almost balletic premier cru is racy and refreshing, with some spicy notes from 50% whole bunches and one-third new barrels.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2017 les Cras from Domaine Roumier is an outstanding bottle in the making. The nose wafts from the glass in a very classy blend of red and black cherries, violets, raw cocoa, gamebird, chalky minerality, vanillin oak and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, long and very soil-driven in personality, with a sappy core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and a long, focused and beautifully balanced finish. This should start to open nicely in another seven or eight years, but its real apogee is still probably twenty years down the road. (Drink between 2028 - 2065)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras is showing nicely, exhibiting notions of sweet berry fruit, cherries, peonies, spices and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and chalky back-end grip, it will demand a bit of patience, even in this extroverted vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPA whiff of reduction detracts slightly from the appeal of the overtly floral-inflected nose that reflects notes of violet, lilac, lavender and rose petal along with a fresh mix of red and dark cherries. The sleek, intense and almost pungent mineral-driven medium weight flavors possess terrific delineation on the dusty, firm and youthfully austere finish that goes on and on. This is decidedly backward and compact at present and is going to require at least some patience first.Burghound | 92 BH

Ripe, exuding blackberry and blueberry fruit, this red is dense, with a slightly dusty quality to the tannins. Earth and iron accents add depth as this stays defined and extends on the fresh, mouthwatering finish. Best from 2022 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 94 WSPurchased by Christophe Roumier’s father in 1953, this 2.59ha clos is a monopole holding. Made with 35% whole bunches and aged in 25% new wood, it has the brightness, balance and freshness of the domaine’s Chambolle village, but with a bit more tannin and weight. Sappy, sweet and refreshing.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2017 Clos de la Bussière from Christophe Roumier is another bottling that has really benefited from the refined elegance of this vintage, as it offers up uncharacteristically early polish in its aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, black cherries, pigeon, bitter chocolate, woodsmoke, dark soil tones and a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still properly reserved in personality, with a fine core of fruit, lovely transparency and a long, ripely tannic and very well balanced finish. This will be an excellent vintage of Clos de la Bussière in the fullness of time, but it is still close to a decade away from starting to blossom. (Drink between 2030 - 2070)John Gilman | 92 JGDeep core of fresh purple, with much charm to the dark raspberry fruit. This is a concentrated wine, quite firm at the finish, a question of time because the fruit will certainly win through. Tasted: September 2021.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThe 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru has quite a straightforward bouquet of raspberry and cranberry fruit, pleasant sous-bois aromas percolating through with time. This gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and chiseled tannins, but it feels a little attenuated on the finish. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.Vinous Media | 91 VMAn unusually spicy nose reflects notes of earth and a whiff of game on the black raspberry and violet scents. There is a fleshy, even velvety, mouthfeel to the nicely voluminous medium-bodied flavors that flash focused power on the ever-so-mildly rustic and beautifully complex finale that delivers sneaky good length. This youthfully austere effort is finer than it usually is and should reward extended keeping.Burghound | 91 BHThe 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière is a real success, and decidedly reminiscent of the domaine’s excellent 2007. Offering up aromas of sweet red berries, warm spices, peony and subtle soil tones, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a fine core of fruit that cloaks its rich but fine-grained tannic chassis. While it’s an elegant rendition of the Clos de la Bussière, this always needs bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

This cuvée, sourced from a 0.75ha parcel of 46-year-old vines completed its malolactic fermentation late, so was a little more backward than the other releases when I tasted it. It may need more time in barrel and bottle, but this is a superb expression of the premier cru, located at the fresher, more scented end of the spectrum. It has fruit intensity from the small berries (millerands) and a chiselled finish.Decanter | 96 DECNoble imperial purple. There is a such a wealth of vibrant heady fruit, which defies simple categorisation, so much more than just dark cherry, too concentrated for floral descriptors though some peony notes are lurking. There is an explosion of fruit at the back of the palate, a little more red than black, an excellent fresh acidity, a very complete wine with as much concentration as one could hope for in 2017. Tasted: November 2018.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMCathiard’s emblematic cuvée, the 2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts is also a great success, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, licorice, spices, dark berries, grilled game and an elegant framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with a broad-shouldered chassis of velvety structuring tannin, considerable concentration and a long, expansive finish. Due to a late malolactic, this was one of the more primary wines in the cellar, but its immense potential is impossible to miss.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2017 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru is matured in 62% new oak and underwent a slightly later malolactic fermentation than the other cuvées. It has a very pure, detailed bouquet of precise blackberry, briar and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, displaying more grip and backbone than the Les Suchots, and the bold finish perhaps offering less charm. It will certainly require several years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM Firm reduction renders this impossible to fairly assess today. Otherwise there is more size, weight and muscle to the big-bodied and more evidently mineral-driven flavors that are almost painfully intense, all wrapped in a gorgeously long finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. However, it is pointless to buy this without the express intention to cellar it as it is very structured.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru has a wonderful bouquet of joyful red fruit laced with wild hedgerow and pressed rose petals, very elegant and crystalline in quality. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, good structure and impressive tension on the classic, traditional-style finish. Difficult to resist!Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2017 les Fuées from Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier is a lovely bottle in the making. It is still young, but the suave personality of the 2017 vintage also makes this quite easy to drink today, as it offers up a bright and complex nose of red and black cherries, beetroot, a lovely base of soil, woodsmoke, a touch of mustard seed and a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil undertow, suave, fine-grained tannins and a long, nascently complex and very well balanced finish. Though this is quite accessible in its youthful guise, I would try to leave my hands off of it for another seven or eight years and really let it come into its own. Lovely juice. (Drink between 2028 - 2060)John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of rose petal, raspberries, sweet forest floor and cherries. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied with excellent concentration and depth at the core, balanced by juicy acids and displaying an elegant but reserved profile that will demand and reward some bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPMedium depth of colour, a slightly charred note on otherwise attractive fruit, a little touch of bacon. Some tannins behind, the quality of the fruit is really lovely apart from the hint of something medicinal, which may clear later. Tasted: September 2021.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThere is enough reduction present to dominate the underlying fruit along with a similar note of herbal tea so if you’re going to try a bottle young, I would advise decanting it first. There is a lilting, indeed almost delicate mouthfeel to the more mineral-driven and slightly denser medium-bodied flavors that possess a silky mouthfeel, all wrapped in a sneaky long finish that is shaped by admirably fine-grained tannins. My rating assumes that the nose will clear up with a few years of bottle age.Burghound | 91 BH