Wine Ratings

wines

A discreet but not invisible dollop of wood is present on the airy aromas of both red and dark currant along with suggestions of earth and underbrush. The sleek, delicious and attractively vibrant medium weight flavors possess a lovely mouthfeel while displaying good balance on the persistent finale. This is a quality Gevrey villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BH

The 2023 Volnay Village comes from two lieux-dits. It has a lively, punchy bouquet with blackcurrant and raspberry scents and great vigor. The palate is smooth and sensual, with touches of dark chocolate and pain d’épices infusing the red berry fruit with a caressing and quite persistent finish. This is very fine.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Broad and densely textured, with flavors of peach and apple, but mostly vanilla and lanolin from the oak. This is less expressive and focused than its peers yet shows staying power, echoing the oak spice on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2037. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSPale in colour with a green tint. The Vaillons has kept its fresh kimmeridgian nose, though the palate is softer and fleshier, in white fruit, than a Chablis of the past. A little lick of iodine on the stones to finish. This wine has retained some tension, without recourse to acidification, because the malolactic was partially blocked. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JMThe 2023 Chablis Vaillon 1er Cru, which did not complete malolactic fermentation to retain acidity, has a vivacious, flinty nose that leaps from the glass. The palate is well balanced with a steely opening. Seductive lemon thyme and orange pith notes come through on the mid-palate, with a dab of ginger that enlivens the finish. The 2023 is very fine.Vinous Media | 90 VMVague whiffs of the exotic and a phenolic hint lurk in the background of the aromas of pear, citrus rind and discreet spice nuances. There is both more volume and refinement to the nicely concentrated medium-bodied flavors that possess better depth on the equally lightly austere finish that offers a bit more persistence.Burghound | 90 BH

Patrick Piuze’s 2023 Chablis Terroir de Chablis, informed by two north-facing parcels near Montmains, is bright and floral, offering notes of lemon zest, white flowers and green apple. Tensile and precise, concluding with a long, mineral finish, it’s one of the domaine’s calling cards.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2023 Terroir de Chablis is another vine villages bottling in the making. The wine’s bouquet is bright and complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of grapefruit, pear, orange peel, a fine foundation of chalky soil tones, a touch of straw and a lovely topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and well balanced, with a good core of fruit, fine framing acids, lovely focus and a long, poised and bouncy finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2025-2045)John Gilman | 91 JG

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes includes two parcels that were candidates for Premier Cru but denied as they were once quarries. Don’t ask me…ask the INAO! Tangibly, this has more salinity on the nose and that comes through on the palate, harmonious and poised, lightly spiced with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. What a lovely Pouilly-Fuissé!Vinous Media | 91 VM

There is good Chablis typicity present in the form of iodine, seashore and petrol along with citrus zest top notes. The delicious, vibrant and precise middle weight flavors flash good minerality on the clean, dry and saline-inflected finish. This is very good for its level and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BHThe 2023 Chablis Village was assembled for my visit by Didier Picq from 10 vats. It has an attractive if light bouquet with apple blossom and fresh pear aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little creaminess towards the finish. This will drink well for 4-6 years.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMBlend made up. Fresh pale yellow, immediate energy on the nose, this keeps growing in the glass, with good tension, even a little pleasing bitterness at the finish. Very promising. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted Jul 2024.Jasper Morris | 87-90 JM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean 1er Cru was picked a couple of days earlier than the Clos des Murées. Despite being opened the evening before my visit, there is still some reduction on the nose. The palate is taut, fresh, quite nutty and Meursault-like in style with an energetic, persistent finish. Give this a year or two in bottle—it is very promising.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

More yellow in the colour, a waxy flesh, slight evolution in the sample, I cannot quite see the stones up front. They do appear on the palate and the wine extends very well through to a flinty finish, with some saline notes right at the back. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret 1er Cru has a strict, almost sullen nose that demands coaxing from the glass, with hints of chamomile interlacing the orchard fruit, though I seek just a little more mineralité. The palate is well balanced with tropical notes of passionfruit and guava on the entry. Smooth in texture with countervailing acidity, the 2023 finishes open and easy-drinking. Drink just a year after bottling and enjoy this in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères is a level up from the regular Village, with more mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is well balanced and linear in style, with a keen line of acidity, fine weight and a sapid, chamomile-tinged close. Maybe the 2022 had a touch more depth on the finish, but this is worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 91 VMOld vines with a younger plot as well. Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet has a discreet distinction, more in minerals than flesh, one jar again. Tighter and more precise on the palate, with a light ripe citrus note added to the orchard fruit. In bottle. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The 2023 Rosé Mirabeau en Provence Pure makes a lasting impression as enriching notes of confectionery spice and sweet smoke complement freshly sliced nectarines. It’s silken in form, with stimulating acidity and citrus tones that add lovely depth as ripe pit fruits swirl throughout. The 2023 tapers off with admirable length, spicy and energetic, leaving a mineral tinge that adds a lovely punctuation. - Eric GuidoVinous Media | 90 VM

Aromas of grilled pineapple, kaffir limes, flint and lemon pith. The palate is light-bodied with bright acidity, giving flavors of guavas, lychees and grapefruit. Vibrant and fresh. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JSAromas of fresh, lively citrus, kumquats, and passionfruit, notes of various layered mint herbs and chamomile tea intertwine with flavors of melon, tangerine, and sedimentary rock roll into a juicy sun-kissed finish. Pair with the beach and friendsWine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2023 Zinfandel Old Vines is packed with dark cherry, plum, cedar, spice, tobacco and dried herbs. The mix of forward fruit and complicating earthy/savory notes makes for a compelling budget-friendly Zinfandel.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village presents a pretty nose with a mixture of blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. Well defined with nicely integrated oak, it conveys a sense of transparency. Fine tannins frame the palate, offering raspberry and strawberry fruit with a dash of spice on the finish, which is more structured than I expected. Delightful.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village offers up aromas of cherries, raspberries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural palate. Lively and mouthwatering, it’s an especially charming, giving vintage of the Dugat village bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA slightly riper nose freely offers up its array of plum, dark currant and more prominent earth influence. There is more size and weight, if not necessary better density, to the sappy, dusty and complex finale that is noticeably firmer. This is a lovely Gevrey villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BH

Green apples, sliced pears and wet stones on the nose of this fresh and crisp white. It’s light- to medium-bodied, clean and refreshing. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

From Les Chaumes. Mid lemon yellow. The nose is more about vanilla and coconut than fruit at the moment, but there is time. The density is certainly there, though this is a broad based Corton without the seeming minerality of Corton-Charlemagne. But it does seem a little overdone on the oak front. One barrel, one year old wood.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM

The Puligny Garenne has not fallen clear after a recent stirring. This blocks the nose a little, while nourishing the palate which has impressive depth and length. A little lemony note to the acidity. Probably not a typical note but clearly a promising wine. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne offers up aromas of apple, pear and fresh mint, followed by a medium-bodied, delicate and fine-boned palate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru from the top of the slope has a pretty nose with light orange blossom and apricot scents unfolding with aeration. The palate is leesy on the entry, fine weight, not quite the same tension as some of the other Premier Crus but there is satisfying length. Probably one of the earlier drinking cuvées from Sauzet.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

Aromas of nashi pear, orange peel, vanilla pod and flint preface the 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, a medium- to full-bodied, taut and racy wine that is considerably concentrated for the vintage, culminating in a long, oak-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPProminent petrol nuances are present on the ripe and smoky mix of mineral reduction, acacia blossom, lemon-lime and ocean breeze are trimmed in subtle but not invisible wood. There is both better volume and a bit more punch as well to the utterly delicious flavors that deliver fine length on the balanced, dry and sleek finale. While this could use better depth, it’s very stylish, indeed the word classy comes to mind.Burghound | 90-93 BH30% oak component. A lively fresh lemon. Immediate personality without the super-succulence of the hotter years. A little smoky reduction. White orchard fruit with good energy behind, attractive kimmeridgian texture behind. Fine persistence. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JMThe 2024 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru takes its time to open in the glass. Eventually, there’s more green fruit here, with touches of gooseberry, Conference pear and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with a more delicate style. It’s quite strict, though a little spice emerges toward the finish. This is understated for a Montée de Tonnerre.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

Delivering aromas of pear, almond paste and orange peel, the 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains is medium- to full-bodied and bright yet giving, concluding with a saline finish. It derives from a clay-rich site that is typically harvested a week later than Vaillons, 40% of which is vinified in wood. This year, it appears less successful when tasted alongside Vaillons.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP40% oak. Glowing pale lemon and lime in colour. The Droin holding in Montmains is in a cooler spot than Vaillons, so picked a week later. Some flesh but matched by a little tension at the back. Attractive in its balance. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 90-91 JMThe 2024 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru offers lilting apricot and clementine scents on the pretty nose, which is perhaps what I was expecting from the Vaillons! The palate is very well balanced with more body and slightly less tension than the Vaillons. This is more approachable with its open-armed, tropical-tinged finish. The 2024 will be difficult to resist!Vinous Media | 89-91 VMHere the wood treatment is no longer subtle though it stops short of being intrusive on the more floral-suffused nose that offers enough Chablis typicity to be convincing. The sleek and delicious, if less concentrated, medium-bodied flavors that possess a lovely texture that is also true of the clean and dry finale. This could also use better depth so again, a few years of forbearance are advised.Burghound | 89-91 BH

The 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, 30% of which is vinified in wood, wafts from the glass with aromas of orange zest, pastry and honeysuckle, followed by a medium- to full-bodied palate with a crisp yet demonstrative core of pure, open-knit fruit. Sourced from a warm site of higher maturity—where Droin typically begins the harvest—it has, unsurprisingly, turned out very well this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2024 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has a comparatively strict and correct nose for this vineyard. It’s stonier than I expected. The palate is more generous with hints of fresh apricot and peach. This is well balanced, pretty and quite persistent. Give it 18 months in bottle for the aromatics to open up.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMModerate wood serves as the backdrop for the more floral-suffused aromas of sea breeze, white orchard fruit and a touch of citrus confit. The caressing but punchy middle weight flavors possess a succulent mid-palate texture before concluding in a youthfully austere and attractively dry finale. This could use better depth so a few years of keeping are recommended.Burghound | 89-91 BH30% oak in the blend. A little more yellow in the colour, and a softer more opulent yellow fruit on the nose. Power up front, lighter behind, with lemon notes to finish. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Village is Niellon’s largest cuvée, around 20,000 bottles, representing the entire appellation—10 different climats from 15 parcels. This is quite forward on the nose, with perfumed fresh lime scents intermixed with a touch of apricot. It is very… giving. The palate is actually more complex than the nose: fresh and quite edgy, well-integrated oak, nicely focused with a touch of pepperiness towards the finish. Well worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 90 VM

They were thinking about pulling this plot out but it has come through the wetter conditions of 2024 very well, so they may keep it going. Clean pale lemon. The bouquet is quite reticent. Concnetrated white fruit, plenty of energy here, the fruit well married with the oak, fair length. A little extra here in 2024. Drink from 2029-2033. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The NV (2020) Brut Blanc de Blancs Coulmet, from vines in Sézanne, is soft, open-knit and gracious, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Baked apple tart, apricot, dried flowers and spice are all beautifully laced together. This is such a pretty and alluring Champagne. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe NV Champagne Blanc De Blancs Coulmet Brut has a bright pale yellow hue and is entirely crafted from Chardonnay around the 2020 vintage. A classic and very charming Blanc De Blancs, it’s refreshing and approachable, with notes of powdery fresh flowers, lemon-lime citrus, fresh green apples, and bread dough. Medium-bodied, it’s pure and fresh with clean citrus flavors and a delicate, elegant mousse. Drink now or over the next few years to preserve its freshness. Disgorged in May 2025 with 7 grams per liter dosage.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDThe Coulmet bottling of Blanc de Blancs from Nicole Moncuit just arriving in the market is from the base year of 2020 and was disgorged in March of 2024, after three years aging sur latte. The vins clairs are fermented and raised in stainless steel and go through full malo. The wine offers up a lovely nose of pear, raw almond, chalky soil tones, bread dough and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is bright, zesty and full-bodied, with a good core of fruit, fine mineral undertow, elegant mousse, brisk acids and fine length and grip on the complex and well balanced finish. The fruit from this hails from vineyards in the Côte de Sezanne, rather than from the family’s home village of Mesnil. Good juice. (Drink between 2024 - 2045)John Gilman | 90 JG

The NV (2021) Brut Blanc de Blancs Delos Grand Cru is terrific. The extra touch of dosage vis-à-vis the Extra Brut version helps soften the edges, something that is a big help in this 2021-base release. White flowers, spice, pastry, mint and dried orchard fruit are front and center. What a charmer. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.Vinous Media | 91 VM