Wine Ratings

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A rocking little gem of a wine from winemaker Haley Wight, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lewelling Ranch has an up-front, fruit-driven perfume of black raspberries, plums, cassis, dried flowers, and spicy oak. These all carry to a full-bodied, opulent wine offering velvety tannins as well as the inherent elegance and purity of this great vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Lewelling Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with bold, up-front scents of crushed blackberries, blackcurrant jelly, and juicy plums plus hints of spice box, licorice, and sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with just enough freshness and a long spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

Emidio Pepe, born in 1932, lives by his motto ‘in wine, life’. His respect for his 18 hectares of vineyards, Abruzzo’s traditional winegrowing values, and certified organic and biodynamic techniques results in wines with a distinctive, genuine character. This Trebbiano, trodden by foot, is fermented in concrete vats where it ages for two years. Broom, golden plum and white pepper aromas lead to a delightfully savoury, full-bodied mouth, vibrant with vintage charm and pleasing balance.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

Made from a mix of 60% Domaine Eden and 40% Mount Eden fruit, the 2021 Chardonnay is always a sophisticated wine that overdelivers on its price point, with fresh floral aromatics leading to a medium-bodied mid-palate of beautifully oaked pear and hazelnut layered in juicy acidity. Ready to drink now, it should age equally well, from now through 2031 at least.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDComing from a plot at 1,600 feet in elevation, the 2021 Chardonnay also includes about 25% declassified fruit from the Mount Eden estate. Spice-laden and taut, a super-enlivening core of vibrant acidity and white pepper bitterness here conveys seriousness. Nuances of tangerine peel, spearmint, crushed rocks and clove emerge on both nose and palate, coasting through the driven, precise finish. Well done.Vinous Media | 93 VMCrushed rock, lime pith and a hint of tonic water show on the nose of this bottling, the sister project to the iconic Mount Eden Vineyards. There’s a zesty spray of citrus on the palate that enlivens the subtle peach flavors and earthy minerality. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2021 Chardonnay is initially tight on the nose, opening up to reveal flashy aromas of white peach, nectarine and crushed hazelnuts. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, with a charming finish of citrus flavors flanked with toasty richness. It is a solid example of what one can expect from this property year in and year out, offering terrific value and classically proportioned balance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPBig and bold, with plenty of toast, spice and butterscotch notes up front, plus a core of peach cobbler, poached pear and caramel apple. The plush frame offers a vibrant thread of acidity, keeping the flavors fresh. Drink now. 2,163 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Here the wood treatment is somewhat more prominent though it is still reasonably discreet and easily allows the spicy nose of plum, green tea, dark currant and humus to be appreciated. There is fine volume and punch to the caressing yet powerful middleweight plus flavors that culminate in a dusty, palate coating and impressively lingering finale. This compact effort should amply repay mid to longer-term keeping.Burghound | 93 BH

Here too a discreet application of wood is present on the equally cool, wonderfully pure and exceptionally pretty aromas of essence of red currant, violet, lavender and a hint of earthiness. There is both excellent volume and mid-palate density to the intense and sleek mouthfeel that is again thanks to the polished tannins supporting the focused and sneaky long finish. As is often the case with the Lignier Charmes, it is a combination of power and finesse.Burghound | 92-94 BH

A touch of hazelnut chocolate to the ripe plums and cherries, with hints of minerals and dried grapefruit. Structured and bright, with almost full body and a succulent, vertical finish. A lot going on at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSThe Col d’Orcia 2021 Brunello is a fragrant, full-bodied red that opens with heady scents of violet, new leather, forest floor and ripe wild berry. As the estate lost 40% of its grapes due to frost, they made no single vineyard offerings in 2021 so the best grapes, including those from its lauded Poggio al Vento site went into the classic Brunello and it shows, thanks to its structure, finesse and energy that accompany flavors of wild raspberry, red cherry, blood orange and star anise. Taut, polished tannins offer seamless support while fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KOThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino is youthfully delicate, with nuances of dusty dried cherry, rose petals and licorice. The palate displays round textures and cooling acidity, with ripe red and black fruits beneath an air of inner florals. The long, energetic finish leaves fine-grained tannins and a pleasant chewy concentration.Vinous Media | 93 VM

25% whole bunch vinification. Still in barrel. A rich saturated purple. The fruit swarms across the palate, yet with a fine sense of balance. Fine grained tannins, not too wild a style of Bonnes Mares, and indeed the holding is on the white soil which explains the elegance. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VMHere the grudging nose is even spicier with a slightly more deeply pitched array of plum liqueur, dark currant and floral suggestions that are trimmed in hints of menthol. There is a bit more volume and mid-palate density, if less obvious minerality, to the medium weight plus flavors that are at once punchy and overtly powerful, all wrapped in a clearly built to age finale. This is excellent but patience will definitely be required.Burghound | 92-94 BHAromas of sweet red cherries, figs, rose petals and spices introduce the 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine that’s one of the riper, more muscular wines in the range, exhibiting just a touch of sur maturité.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

The 2022 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with notes of red berries and cherries mingled with incense, rose petals, spices and peonies. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it’s seep and multidimensional, with a concentrated core of fruit and a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries, wild strawberries and iris flower, more intense than the 2023. Taut and focused, the palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares, with a bright, vivacious finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VM25% whole bunch vinification. More of a pinky purple. Still in barrel, so the bouquet reflects this. There is a fine and concentrated mineral thread through the middle of this wine and significant class to the fruit. Does it have the silky sensual quality of the very finest? Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMLike the Clos de Vougeot, this too is quite firmly reduced and revealing nothing aromatically. More interesting are the beautifully textured and tension-filled bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit fine length on the dusty and balanced finale. This would benefit from having better depth but the potential to develop it appears to present.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The delicate nose of floral honey and acacia blossoms leads you into this elegant Meursault Charmes. Very focused and vibrant on the medium- to full-bodied palate, the fine tannins keeping this straight. If the firm finish was a bit more elegant, this would certainly rate higher. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSMore subtle oak influence can be found on the cool, airy and exceptionally pretty aromas of citrus, white flower and Granny Smith apple. Once again there is a beguiling texture to the impressively rich and mineral driven medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate on the youthfully austere, firm and beautifully persistent finale. While this could reasonably be approached after only three to four years, it has an excellent track record for aging and is a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 92 BHNotes of freshly sliced citrus and mineral reduction combine with those of white flower and discreet spice nuances that are trimmed in discreet oak. There is a restrained energy to the caressing, intense and lilting middle weight flavors that possess good richness but also a lovely sense of refinement on the bitter lemon-infused finale. This is certainly pretty but it will need a few years of cellaring to better develop the overall depth.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMMid lemon yellow. This is rather more open on the nose, with an easy white fruit, no great detail as yet but showing more on the palate. Quite intense apples with some ripe citrus rind alongside, medium plus bodied, fair length. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JM

A powerful and ripe Meursault with plenty of Mirabelle plums filling out the generous medium- to full-bodied palate. Attractive interplay of creaminess, fine tannins and freshness. Matured in small oak barrels, of which one third were new. Very limited production. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2022 Meursault Santenots 1er Cru has a complex nose: yellow fruit, spice box, touches of fennel and crushed stone, all coming through with aeration. The palate is very well-balanced with good weight - a lovely creamy texture whilst retaining tension. More open than other cuvées and persistent in the mouth, this is a well-crafted and delicious Meursault.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMAll from Les Santenots Blanc. A lime and lemon colour, some charm to the nose along with the energy. Rather a pretty expression of fruit, then a little more flesh behind, well integrated with the oak. A supple rounded Meursault with still a sense of refinement. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThere is enough wood present to merit pointing out surrounding the ripe aromas of primarily pear compote and citrus confit. The sleek, intense and solidly voluminous flavors possess an interesting hint of sweetness on the lingering finish that could use a bit better depth. With that said, this is sufficiently tightly wound to repay 6 to as much as 10 years of cellaring which should prove beneficial.Burghound | 90 BH

Bottled in late July. Pale lemon colour. A pure and fresh bouquet, mostly white fruit. Particularly stony this year behind a raft of white apple fruit, plenty of energy, starting to soften at the back. Middleweight plus, quite attractive. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

TOP VALUE Jessiaume is using the 2ha of domaine vines it recently recovered from a sharecropping contract to produce this lovely wine with aromatic raspberry fruit and a floral edge. Supple and approachable, with a pleasant sweetness to the fruit, structure and freshness. A noticeable step up from the other village-level bottlings. Organic.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThis red Santenay has a crisp acidity, but there’s excellent concentration and finely nuanced red-fruit aromas that easily balance this. Cool and elegant on the medium-bodied palate, where the fine-grained tannins, fruit and freshness neatly interlock. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2022 Santenay La Cassière has a pleasant bouquet with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit and some judicious and prudent use of new oak (20%). The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, more harmonious, and unlike the Vieilles Vignes, the finish has more substance. Drink over 4-6 years.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMFrom a plot below La Maladière, recovered by the domaine in 2021. An attractive lighter purple colour. This is an elegant style of Santenay. Quite nuanced, pleasing light red fruits, enough acidity and good length. Very far from rustic! Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 87-90 JM

A lovely, rich and supple Bourgogne Blanc, with aromas of ripe apple, nectarine and white blossoms. The texture is silky and delicate, yet there is impressive extract that will make for perfect drinking over the next several years. The grapes come from 5ha spread over eight parcels. Paul Delorme was delighted with the results, particularly the moderate alcohol and crisp acidity. A marvellous introduction to the domaine.Decanter Magazine | 93 DEC

The Beaux Monts from Hudelot-Noëllat is another level of richness and depth in 2022, with a pronounced mulberry and fig fruit aroma touched with earth, smoke and spice. The wine is dense and tannic, impressively muscular for this appellation. One can only imagine the secret is the old vines and judicious punching down; Van Canneyt farms 0.3 hectares at the top of the slope; otherwise, it is a cool terroir. The grapes were partially destemmed and firmly punched down before ageing in cask (25% new).Decanter Magazine | 95 DECRuby purple in colour, with an intensity on the nose well ahead of its predecessors. The Beaumonts goes into the mouth discreetly, then blossoms, offering summer pudding fruits with vivacious acidity, an excellent balance here. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMAromas of plums, red berries, orange zest, exotic spices and potpourri preface the 2022 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine with a concentrated core of fruit that’s framed by sweet, powdery tannins. It’s pure and complete.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2022 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru has red and black fruit, plus a touch of shucked oyster shell and Japanese nori. Impressive delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a pretty and relatively delicate Les Beaumonts. It is sapid and quite linear, maybe needing a little more grip on the finish. Give it 3-4 years once in bottle. Again, I think this will gain weight during its élevage.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA more deeply pitched and spicier, if perhaps slightly less elegant, nose is comprised by notes of exotic tea, sandalwood and an interesting hint of star anise. Here too the medium-bodied flavors possess a really lovely and sophisticated texture yet no lack of power on the intensely mineral-driven, dusty and youthfully austere finale. Excellent quality in an equally age-worthy package.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Fresh bright purple. What a radiant nose, all the heady joy of Vosne, such stylish bright ripe cherry fruit with some mixed red berries behind. Seamless texture and very long. Sheer class. Tasted Dec 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JMContaining 20% whole bunches, the 2022 Vosne-Romanée Village has a tightly wound and "correct" bouquet. It lets the Morey-Saint-Denis Village take the limelight at the moment, red and black fruit combined, a little more sous-bois than expected. The palate is medium-bodied with a core of lively, peppery red berry fruit, blood orange and a pinch of white pepper on the finish. A step up from the 2021, this will give a decade’s drinking pleasure.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMAn overtly spicy nose is comprised by darker fruit that includes plum and black cherry along with violet and sandalwood hints. There is a really lovely texture to the caressing but punchy middleweight flavors that deliver equally good length on the youthfully austere and even more refined finale. This too is exceptionally good for its level.Burghound | 89-92 BH

A total of one hectare is planted in Fournaux. The vines from the top of the slope in stony soils are blended with those from the deeper clay at the base. All the grapes are fermented as whole clusters and are ageing in mainly used casks to create this wine with a bright mulberry and pomegranate fruit aroma underpinned by saline minerality and a hint of savoury game. The texture is firm with grippy tannins and good length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fournaux 1er Cru is more closed on the nose compared to the Grands Liards, yet it is still well-defined with black plum and bilberry fruit, intermingling with sous-bois and a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It’s an elegant Savigny, not powerful, but armed with reassuring persistence on the white pepper-tinged finish. Lovely.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMAn even fresh purple. At first there is not much nose but a little fresh raspberry fruit begins to emerge. The Fournaux 2022 delivers a rounded raspberry and strawberry fruit across the palate with sterner tannins at the finish, and still a good acid balance. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMMore somber, even brooding, aromas of various dark berries, warm earth and a touch of the sauvage enjoy a floral top note. There is notably better punch, though not better density, to the powerful and serious medium-bodied flavors that coat the palate with firm tannins on the built-to-age finale.Burghound | 89-91 BH

This opulent style starts out supple before chalky tannins take hold of its cherry, blackberry, earth and mineral flavors. Muscular, solid and dry, this lingers, offering a fruit- and oak spice–filled finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 411 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis had just been bottled shortly before my visit and, unsurprisingly, was displaying some reduction. More interesting are the rich, caressing and delicious medium-bodied flavors that are noticeably finer while exhibiting excellent power, focus, balance and length on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. This is textbook Bressandes.Burghound | 93 BH

Welcome to this smoky and flint Chablis masterpiece that’s only just beginning to reveal it’s enormous depths. Stunning balance and purity on the full-bodied but extraordinarily fresh palate. Great drive at the compact and very clean finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSLike the Dame Nature Chablis, there is a touch of phenolic character lurking in the background of the aromas that blend white orchard, mineral reduction, shrimp shell with an interesting hint of something akin to a bitter almond nuance. There is again excellent mid-palate density to the very rich, even opulent, larger-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract on the firm, compact and built-to-age finale. At least some patience strongly advised as this is a relatively structured wine in the context of the 2022 vintage.Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2020 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru spent 14 months in oak and stainless steel vat. It has a clean and precise bouquet with lime, orange pith and light stony aromas, perhaps missing a touch of flair yet it is clearly well defined and gains intensity with time. The palate is well balanced with an ever so slightly honeyed entry. Quite fierce, lightly spiced with hints of vanilla and almond, the only real shortcoming is that it seems to fade prematurely on the finishVinous Media | 90 VM

Fine lemon and lime colour. The bouquet is very alluring and signals a yellow fruit style. Guillaume thinks the plant material is earlier ripening here than in Vergers. The fruit is sunny, the finish remains all lemons and limes. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru has an impressive sense of delineation and poise on the nose, yellow fruit commingling with sea spray and linseed aromas, and a touch of chai tea. The palate is well-balanced with a fine line of acidity, taut and fresh with subtle stem ginger notes towards the Meursault-like finish. Good potential.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru has more intensity and tension than the Chenevottes, greater mineralité coming through with aeration. The palate is taut and sapid, with satisfying mid-palate weight and a grippy finish boding well for bottle maturation. One to watch.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons has a very fine bouquet with real tension. A slight reduction is well-played (apparently, it comes from the clay-limestone soils). The palate is well-balanced with impressive depth and grip, a subtle nutty/fumé element, and quite a persistent finish. Not one to be ignored, but I would give it 3-4 years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMEarly picking here. Pale in colour. An attractive bouquet with spring flowers. Plenty of energy on the palate, a lime thread running through the middle, elegant and fairly long. In fact, the fruit keeps coming back. Fine-boned. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JM

This village-level appellation enjoys a prime position just underneath the premier crus Perrières. In 2022, the grapes delivered a charming wine with forward aromas of lemon peel, flint and flowers. The texture is fresh and lively, and there is considerable extract that draws it out to an impressive finish, particularly for a village wine. The grapes are from 1.17 hectares at the northern edge of the climat; they are crushed and firmly pressed before fermenting in cask (15% new) to produce this delicious wine.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes has a similar reduction to the Les Levrons, focused and perhaps even more concentrated. The palate is well-balanced with impressive depth. There’s not quite the mineralité of a Premier Cru, but ample concentration with a lively, spicy finish. Delicious.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPale lemon in colour. The bouquet is open and expressive, slightly more in fresh orchard fruit than floral, but with a pleasing elegance. There is just a little more intensity on the palate, with a racy fresh fruit quality and good length. A little fuller bodied all the way through, and keeps on going. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JM

Grown on red soil on hard limestone, planted partly in 1985 and mostly in 1995 at 14,000 vines per hectare. There’s a smoky touch to this, reminding me of my childhood overheated Scalextric set. This apart, the Clos du Meix offers linear intensity, fresh apple, a slight bitterness behind, then kicks on to a concentrated finish. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 92 JMModerately firm reduction renders the nose impossible to assess. More interesting are the caressing, delicious and more subtly mineral-driven flavors that deliver fine persistence on the compact, youthfully austere and built-to-age finale. Once again, this is very good though a wine that’s also going to need at least a few years of keeping.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2022 Chablis Vau de Vey 1er Cru is very composed on the nose with white peach, Vervane and light waxy scents. Fine delineation. The palate has a sapid entry, quite a keen line of acidity, fresh and marine-influence. A light tang of oyster shell emerges on the finish. Very classy.Vinous Media | 92 VMCooler notes here, as expected from the steep, east-facing slopes of Vaudevey. Decidedly more edgy, with a touch of smoke balanced by ripe fruit on the palate, which is almost tropical in character. A very good end result that’s both classy and complex.Decanter Magazine | 92 DECMore lime than lemon. A very clean and pure bouquet, less grassy. This fattens out well on the palate with a little more grip than the Jean-Marc Brocard version, though one can see a family resemblance. Tasted Jun 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-92 JM