Wine Ratings

wines

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie, named after the lieu-dit close to the Château de Gevrey, has a fragrant bouquet with red cherries, wild strawberries and touches of quince, vivacious and beautifully focused. Saline in the mouth with plenty of energy, gradually building towards a well-proportioned, slightly peppery finish that might deceive you into thinking there were stems in the mix. A level up from the previous vintages.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie is ampler and fuller than the regular Gevrey, unfurling in the glass with notes of dark berries, cherries, warm spices and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a succulent core of fruit and powdery tannins, it’s built to age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThis is the one wine in the range that was reduced and it’s enough to push the underlying fruit to the background. More interesting are the bigger-bodied and more concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the sneaky long and well-balanced finale. This is presently very backward, indeed it’s a bit grumpy, yet the potential for extended cellaring is clearly present. If you have the patience, and can find it, don’t hesitate.Burghound | 90-92 BH

The 2022 Chablis Vosgros 1er Cru, which is already in bottle, has a harmonious bouquet with fleeting lime, wet stone and a touch of citrus peel. Nicely detailed. The palate is sapid on the entry, with plenty of oyster shell/marine notes and a classically styled, almost "mean" finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92 VMDroin explains that although Vosgros is technically a left bank premier cru, it faces the same way as the top right bank climats. Although with a direct southwesterly exposition, the vines are located in a very cold valley. More restraint here, good density, but a little less of a mineral thread.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2022 Saint-Véran La Grande Bruyère is aged in foudres installed at the Domaine in 2009 and comes from marn/Silesian soils that are apparently trickier to vinify. It has a complex bouquet, well-defined, with hints of camphor behind citrus fruit, marmalade and curry leaf. It’s mercurial and involving; these are absorbing aromatics. The palate is well balanced with tremendous weight, fine acidity, a slight reduction and traces of orange rind and white pepper toward the finish. Great length. This comes highly recommended.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Pale colour. The bouquet shows a bit of white fruit but is quiet. Quite intense on the palate, more tightly wound, almost a tannic touch. Patrick says not atypical here, along with their hard pressing. Interesting complexity with length. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JMA rich style, this white offers yellow plum, melon and fresh herb flavors, with an underlying mineral note. Shows fine balance and length, ending with a tangy, mouthwatering feel. Drink now through 2028. 300 cases made, 47 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Chablis Fôrets 1er Cru has a more backward bouquet with touches of greengage and white flowers, later a hint of wild mint. The palate is well-balanced with a sapid entry and fine depth and acidity. It is quite strict towards the finish with a saline aftertaste. Good potential, but this will need time.Vinous Media | 90+ VMProminent smoky reduction notes dominate the nose today. More interesting are the sleek and relatively refined middleweight flavors that possess an equally lovely texture if not the same depth on the otherwise similarly long finale. Note that this should drink well on the younger side if desired.Burghound | 90 BH

An even more floral and cooler nose grudgingly reflects notes of mineral reduction, iodine and oyster shell. The ultra-sleek, vibrant and beautifully textured medium weight flavors retain excellent delineation while exhibiting outstanding length on the bone-dry, youthfully austere and sneaky long finale. Like several wines in the range, more depth would be advantageous but this is already exceptionally pretty.Burghound | 93 BHPale in colour. The bouquet is discreet at first, almost austere, but then develops some honeysuckle. Excellent tension, sun on the stones, ripe yellow fruit, very good acidity. Totally authentic Montée de Tonnerre. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 2022 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a lovely nose that is a mixture of white and yellow flowers, wet stone and hints of chalk. The palate is very well-balanced with a slightly tangy entry, fresh and saline, with plenty of substance on the finish. There is a real panache here.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis comes from the entry to the valley where there is very little topsoil. Patrick explains the relative austerity of this wine by the proximity of the mother rock. Very pure Chablis approach here, all in white fruit, with good grip behind. Plenty to work with here, needs time. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThe 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains is a pretty, perfumed wine, bursting with aromas of peach, orange zest and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and charming, with a bright but generous core of fruit, it will make for appealing drinking out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPHere too smoky reduction is all that can be discerned on the nose. By contrast, and as one would reasonably expect, there is a finer texture to the lightly stony if less powerful flavors that also offer reasonable length of limited depth.Burghound | 90 BH

Aromas of pear, honeycomb and dried white flowers introduce Piuze’s 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Les Minots, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and charming wine that’s seamless and enveloping, offering considerable early appeal.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2022 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru Les Minots has a lovely bouquet with orange blossom, Golden Delicious and light saffron aromas. The palate is well-balanced with a slightly honeyed opening, a little more exotic in style, yet it retains the essence of Chablis. There’s a very slight reduction that plays to its advantage on the finish. Highly recommended.Vinous Media | 92 VMMinots or Mélinots is the hottest part at the end of the valley. Mid lemon yellow. There is a clear pure ripe apple fruit, a slight marine note alongside, fresh and vigorous. A wealth of white fruit through the middle, with plenty of energy behind, and a very long finish. Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JMMinots is another spelling for the climat Mélinots which was originally known as Les Minos; it is generally considered to be the warmest of all of the climats within Vaillons yet curiously the wines always seem to retain good acidityBurghound | 91 BHGreen plum, Honeydew melon, peach and vanilla flavors pick up a hint of the sea in this round, open, balanced white, which ends with a moderately long finish. Drink now through 2028. 330 cases made, 83 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Elegant and ripe yet cool aromas include those of a blend of white orchard fruit, spice, citrus confit and a hint of seaweed character. The utterly delicious bigger-bodied flavors brim with sappy dry extract that adds a sense of power to the sappy and palate coating finish that offers notably better depth and persistence. The Butteaux is quite good but the Vaulorent is at another level.Burghound | 93 BHMid lemon yellow. The nose shows evidence of the yellow fruit style of the right bank. Indeed, a very classy bouquet, while the fruit builds in volume on the palate, offering generosity without sucrosity, very digestible, excellent length of aftertaste and fine typicity. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThe 2022 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a clean and precise bouquet with touches of nutmeg, desiccated orange peel, and chalky notes. The palate is very well-balanced with a sapid entry, quite powerful, with impressive density on the finish. Bit of a powerhouse, but a delicious powerhouse.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of pear, freshly baked bread, iodine and hazelnuts preface the 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, a medium to full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s richer and more unctuous than normal, reflecting the warmth of the vintage. If it tightens up with some time in bottle, it will make my score look conservative.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPGreen plum, Honeydew melon, peach and vanilla flavors pick up a hint of the sea in this round, open, balanced white, which ends with a moderately long finish. Drink now through 2028. 330 cases made, 83 cases imported.Wines Spectator | 90 WS

Shows richness and ripeness on the palate, countered by pretty strident acidity. Not quite at its best at the moment and likely needs 12 months in bottle. Should then open out and be a fine example.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2022 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru, matured in foudres, offers a touch of white chocolate interwoven in the citrus fruit, a subtle yeasty, bready note surfacing with time. The palate is well-balanced with lime and Granny Smiths on the entry, the foudres imparting underlying sweetness, candied orange peel and apricot towards the pretty finish. Enjoy this over the next decade.Vinous Media | 91 VMHere the cool and beautifully layered nose makes clear that it could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its array of oyster shell, brine, acacia blossom and Granny Smith apples. There is excellent punch to the classy medium weight flavors that brim with minerality on the youthfully austere and solidly persistent finale. This is perhaps not quite as refined as a classic MdT, indeed it’s borderline tannic, yet I suspect it will round out with a few years of bottle aging, in fact it will need at least some patience.Burghound | 90-93 BH

Cool, fresh and lively, yet the brisk acidity provides a great counterfoil for some succulent, juicy and ripe fruit. Clear Chablis origin, with the focus and intensity on the palate. This should have a long drinking window and is a very classy example, marrying the warmth of 2022 and the density of the premier cru.Decanter | 94 DEC

Plenty of density evident. A fine combination with concentration, a touch of smoke and richess on the palate, cut with direct acidity. Sunny and ripe yet remains fresh and focused. Will appeal when still relatively young but has the ability to age well.Decanter | 93 DECDiscreet if still noticeable hints of the exotic can be found on the ripe aromas of white and yellow peach, mango, citrus confit and a light touch of iodine. The middleweight flavors possess very good volume and richness allied with solid energy on the bitter lemon-suffused, balanced and sneaky long finale. While this delicious effort could use better depth, the underlying material appears up to the task if given a chance.Burghound | 90 BHThere is a fresh lime note in the otherwise pale colour. A lighter nose than some, less intensively Chablis, then a very fresh attack. The 2022 Brocard Fourchaume is no more than medium bodied, quite incisive, with medium concentration. Drink from 2026-2031. Tasted: June 2023.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JM

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse shows considerable promise, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear and orange oil mingled with notes of white flowers, mint and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and structured, with lively acids, chalky grip and a resonant finish, it will only be bottled after a second winter on the lees.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPLike the Vergers, the wood treatment is prominent but not invasive as it permits the ripe and again vaguely exotic aromas of white and yellow peach, passion fruit and citrus confit to be appreciated. The wood also appears on the caressing and plush medium weight plus flavors that are also blessed with an abundance of sappy dry extract that coats the palate on the powerful and serious but well-balanced and refreshing finale. While this could be approached young, I would advise holding it for at least a few years first so that the wood treatment can more completely integrate.Burghound | 92 BHPale lemon. Powerful character. Stands up like a limestone menhir. Too concentrated to see all the detail yet, with also a little salinity. Mostly white fruit but with some riper yellow tints to it. Clean at the finish, not too oaky, and of course persistent. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-94 JM

Raveneau mature all its Petit Chablis in 400 and 500-hectolitre barrels. Plenty of interest here, with density of ripe stone fruit and very linear acidity. Undoubtedly a very high class Petit Chablis which focuses on precision and elegance.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2022 Petit Chablis has a pretty bouquet with lime and light Golden Delicious scents. The palate is well balanced with a citric entry, modest weight, a little chalky in texture towards the finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

From 1.02 hectares of vines, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées includes one-third whole bunches this year. The intriguing bouquet offers red berry fruit, brown spices, and hints of Earl Grey - quite complex and mercurial in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, and vibrant with sappy red fruit, fine delineation, and a svelte, harmonious, graphite-tinged finish. This superb Gevrey should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA fine mid ruby. Less immediately seductive on the nose than the Gevrey Regnard, but still with plenty of red berry fruit, a little more structure from the barrel, and will take longer to come round. A fine intensity of strawberry fruit behind. Old vines, some pre-war, the rest 1950s-60s. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMAromas of spices, wild berries, smoke and loamy soil introduce the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées, a medium to full-bodied, pure and charming wine that’s ample and fine-boned, with melting tannins and a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA slightly more deeply pitched nose features notes of plum, earth, violet and a hint of the sauvage. There is very good mid-palate density to the solidly powerful middleweight flavors that exhibit fine length on the muscular, dusty, rustic and muscular finish. This is built-to-age and should repay 7 to 10 years of aging.Burghound | 89-91 BH

From purchased fruit, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Reniards has a perfumed bouquet of red berries, wild strawberries, and a touch of peppermint in the background. The palate is very well-balanced with red cherry, cranberry and crushed stone. Fresh and focused with a bit of allspice and peppercorns on the finish. This evidences a solid source of fruit. Very fine. (Drink between 2025 - 2040)Vinous Media | 91-93 VMPurchased grapes. On the pinker side of ruby in colour, with a very prettily perfumed nose. Cherry as much as strawberry here, filling the mouth very nicely, in an uncomplicated but delicious fashion. Well worth seeking out. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-92 JMFresh, bright and airy aromas include those of the essence of red currant and forest floor nuances. The medium weight flavors are at once succulent and sleek while delivering fine length on the balanced finale where a touch of bitter pit fruit-character slowly emerges.Burghound | 88-91 BH

The ripe mulberry and black cherry fruit aromas here have hints of leather, earth and spice that carry through to the palate. The structure has admirable grip and focus, leading the wine to a pleasantly persistent finish. The grapes are from a half-hectare recently purchased; he extracts very carefully, with a pre-soak but no more punching down. The result is elegant and should be ready to drink shortly after release.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECA pretty purple with good depth, on a steady slope well exposed to the south. Attractive juicy red fruit, more strawberries, with good energy all the way through. As with the village wine, this is more about the fruit than the structure. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JMThe 2022 Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle is seamless and charming, offering up notes of plums, sweet berries, smoke and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming palate. This will offer expressive drinking on release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RPFirm reduction blocks an assessment of the nose though there is good freshness and verve to the succulent, delicious and velvet-textured medium-bodied flavors that deliver reasonably good length on the firm, dusty and mildly chewy finish that is rustic but not hard.Burghound | 88-90 BHThe 2022 Monthélie Sous la Velle 1er Cru has a crisp, well-defined bouquet, the 20% whole bunches neatly integrated, offering hints of raspberry and blackcurrant leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins and well-balanced, though it needs a little more depth toward the finish. But I appreciate the white pepper notes on the conclusion. An admirable Monthélie.Vinous Media | 87-90 VM

After a somewhat disappointing 2021, Lignier’s Trilogie is back in fine form in 2022, with dense blackberry fruit aromas and tar, earth and spice notes underscored by a dark chocolate note. The texture is substantial and tannic – an imposing village-level wine. The grape blend is based on the Chenevery lieu-dit (60%) with the addition of fruit from old cordon-trained vines in the clay-rich soils of Clos Solon and a bit of Les Porroux on the border of Chambolle. Marvellous.Decanter | 94 DECThe trilogy of Chenevery (60%), Les Porroux (30%) and 10% Clos Solon was all planted by Laurent’s grandfather, planted between the late 1940s and early 60s. Just a little deeper in colour, and with some reduction, plus also slightly more oak, but well judged. Notably more precision here, what Clive Coates would call grip, and extra intensity towards the back. A slightly darker red fruit in this wine, and very persistent. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie is a success, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, peonies, raw cocoa and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with powdery tannins and a persistent finish, it’s the usual blend of Chenevery, Porroux and Clos Solon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-91 RPThe 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie, based around 60% from Chenevery, has a well-defined bouquet of vivacious red berries, tart red cherries, citrus, and a touch of white chocolate. The palate is well-defined, with a smooth texture and a keen bead of acidity. It is quite saline in the mouth with a slightly austere finish at the moment, but it will fill out with time in bottle. One for the patient amongst you.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMOnce again moderate reduction largely masks the underlying fruit. By contrast, there is both good freshness and energy suffusing the succulent and delicious medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a rustic, firm and sneaky long finish. This nicely made effort should repay 7 to 10 years of keeping.Burghound | 88-91 BH

Laurent Lignier has farmed a quarter-hectare of village Volnay since the 2020 vintage, split evenly between the rocky Ez Blanches at the top of the slope above the Clos des Chênes and Ez Echarts with deeper clay soils below Roncerets. The combination is delightful, with violet-scented blackberry fruit, firm tannic grip and rewarding density. The grapes are partly destemmed and given a cold soak before fermentation with a combination of punching down and pumping over. They will be bottled in the spring without fining or filtration.Decanter | 93 DECThis is also presently quite firmly reduced and unreadable in this condition. The relatively finely textured middleweight flavors also possess a succulent mid-palate that contrasts somewhat with the moderately austere and lingering if noticeably warm finish that isn’t subtle.Burghound | 87-90 BH

This also displays moderate wood influence on the ripe layered and pure nose that displays good layering and ample Chablis typicity. There is impressive mid-palate density to the opulent and lavishly rich medium-bodied flavors that possess a borderline lush, even creamy, mouthfeel, all wrapped in a citrusy and sneaky long finish. This unusually powerful effort should also be capable of mid-term development yet drink well after only 5 or so years.Burghound | 91-94 BH

From 60-year-old southeast-facing vines, with 10% of the blend matured in new oak. This shows Mont de Milieu at its best. Floral notes combine with good ripeness of stone fruit on the palate, freshened up by lovely acidity. Plenty of mineral notes add extra complexity to the whole. A fine premier cru which has power but in a refined, elegant package.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECAs is often the case with Mont de Milieu, there is a trace of exoticism suffusing the white and yellow fruit aromas along with classic Chablis elements of oyster shell, iodine and algae, all of which is trimmed in noticeable though still reasonably subtle wood influence. There is excellent size, weight, density and power to the succulent but muscular larger-bodied flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract while delivering excellent length on the overtly stony finish. This bone-dry and highly recommended effort is also going to require patience.Burghound | 93 BHThe 2022 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru sees ten months on the fine less. It has a keen, fresh, marine-influenced bouquet with dewy green apples and kiwi fruit. Fine delineation. The palate is fresh and vibrant, the acidity well judged with just a slight creaminess creeping in toward the finish. I’d afford this 12 months in bottle; it should evolve into a fine Mont de Milieu. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis. (Drink between 2025 - 2036)Vinous Media | 92 VM15% is vinified in new wood, then matured as the other 1ers crus. A little more yellow in the colour, and a slight touch of coconut on the nose. The wood can be detected on the palate too but it will certainly integrate. There is a fine full bodied classical Chablis lurking behind. A notably long succulent finish, then some classical minerality. Certainly, a fine acid balance. They make sure to pick here very early thus avoiding the over exotic character seen in some cellars. The 2022 is set to be a great success. Drink from 2028-2038. Tasted Jun 2023.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JM

Crafted by an estate with a history dating back to 1859, this creamy, intense Chardonnay is barrel-fermented and aged on fine lees for eight months. It has rich aromas of vanilla and citrus pastry on the nose and palate, with pronounced ripeness and lovely freshness. Honeydew melon, peach, and more vanilla cake linger on.Decanter Magazine | 92 DEC

The 2022 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from the southerly exposed lieu-dit of Les Chaumes and matured in used barrels (just one and a half, to be exact.) This has real presence on the nose: plenty of light honey scents, yellow plum, dried white flowers, and chamomile aromas. The palate is very well-balanced, with Satsuma and lime on the entry. It is not the most complex Corton-Charlemagne, but there is engaging balance and real depth, growing almost playful towards the finish with candied orange peel lingering in the mouth. Give this two or three years in bottleVinous Media | 92-94 VMHere too moderate wood influence is present on the ripe aromas of petrol, citrus rind and soil tones. The wood is also evident on the palate of the larger-bodied and more concentrated flavors that exhibit solid power on the lightly mineral-driven, balanced and lingering finish. This isn’t exactly rustic though it’s not refined either and has the stuffing to repay up to a decade of keeping.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2022 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a very impressive bouquet with wonderful marine-inflected malic scents, quite strict and focused, leaning more to traditional old school Chablis. The palate is very well balanced with a sapid entry, linear and strict with a twist of sour lemon on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VMCool and restrained, not showing a lot at the moment, but has a fine balance between fruit ripeness and a fine thread of acidity. Precise, this will need time. Samuel Billaud has one plot in Chapelot and one in Montée de Tonnerre.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECFresh mid lemon. Very classy on the nose, with the extra fruit-driven intensity. A brilliant core with the extra fruit from this sunny site making it more accessible. A tropical take on grapefruit promotes a lovely aftertaste Drink from 2027-2036. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 93 JMAn elegant, pure and beautifully airy nose presents ripe but wonderfully fresh aromas of mineral reduction, acacia blossom and oyster shell trimmed in enough wood to merit mentioning. The racy and borderline painfully intense middleweight flavors exude a bracing minerality that adds a sense of lift to the detailed, focused and lingering finale that is neither especially dry nor austere. Other than a trace of backend warmth, this is a classic MdT though one that could use better depth, so a few years of patience will be necessary.Burghound | 92 BH

Aromas of cherries, raspberries, smoke and spices introduce the 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, a medium to full-bodied, pure and layered wine with a fleshy core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, mineral finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru has an elegant bouquet that gains intensity in the glass: black cherry, raspberry and light floral scents of peony and rose petal, all finely delineated. The palate is very silky on the entry with good grip, a little sweeter than the previous vintage, with touches of cassis infusing the red fruit. This builds nicely in the mouth through a slightly confit-like finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMA subtle but not invisible application of wood frames the more elegant and slightly cooler nose of newly turned earth, essence of red berries and crushed anise character. The palate feel of the medium weight flavors is also supple but punchy with excellent delineation on the impressively long, youthfully austere and well-balanced finale. This too is worth a look.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie shows a patina of new oak on the nose (30%), though it combines with the lifted raspberry and blueberry fruit. It is showier than the Village Cru. The palate is medium-bodied and harmonious with good weight. There are fine "shoulders" here with a similarly peppery finish to the Village, but this will need a couple of years in bottle to assimilate the wood.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin La Marie opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, vine smoke and spices. Medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, it’s lively and concentrated, with a more muscular, structured profile than the blended Gevrey bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPFirm reduction presently renders the nose impossible to read. More interesting are the supple but punchy medium-bodied flavors that possess good detail and slightly better mid-palate density while delivering solid power on the rustic, serious and firmer finale. This is very Gevrey in character and at least some patience would be a good idea and overall, this too is a very good villages.Burghound | 89-91 BH