Wine Varietals

wines

The 2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts is richer and more muscular than the Perrières, offering up reductive aromas of pear, sweet citrus fruits and spices. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and satiny, it’s deep and textural, with good persistence on the saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru takes a little time to unfurl on the nose, eventually offering light walnut and flinty aromas that pin it down as Puligny. The palate is well balanced with a twist of orange rind on the entry. Fine weight, very cohesive, this gains momentum and structure towards the finish. Quite a "solid" Puligny, one with substance, one that I would be inclined to cellar for three or four years. Great promise.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMPale lemon yellow with a faint green tint. The bouquet shows proximity to Meursault with a little more flesh. A little touch of biscuity oak. More volume in the mouth, just a little less mineral but still there is a fine vigorous aftertaste. Drink from 2030-2034. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JM

From a sunny site that benefits from comparatively warm nights, Droin’s 2024 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir delivers aromas of lemon confit, beeswax and peach, mingled with pastry notes, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, textural yet racy palate. Gourmand in profile, it marries the inherent maturity of the site with the taut musculature lent by the cool growing season. Like Vaillons, it derives from a high-maturity site and has turned out very well this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPHere too the wood treatment is reasonably subtle though hardly invisible on the vaguely exotic nose of spicy white and yellow peach, quinine and cool shellfish nuances. The super-sleek and highly refined middle weight flavors are borderline delicate before terminating in a linger, compact and dry-in-the-best sense finish. While this should be capable of rewarding up to a decade of keeping, it’s not so backward that it couldn’t be approached after only 5 or so.Burghound | 91-93 BH35% oak in the blend. Pale in colour and restrained in bouquet. Fresh melons maybe. Good tension on the palate, limestone energy, and fair persistence. An attractive wine though a little less dense than its fellow grands crus. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2024 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru was not too impacted by the hail. It has a tightly wound, petrichor- and Crustacea-tinged bouquet that remains tight-lipped at the moment. The palate is fresh on the entry with citrus peel, clementine and grapefruit notes. It is harmonious, with finely judged acidity and a poised finish. This is a Grand Cru that stays within its means and benefits from that. The 2024 is very fine.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

I’m sad that Vaulorent had to be folded in to this wine, but at only 25 hl/ha, it is understandable. The wine is notably concentrated with apricot pits, Fuji apples and shortbread. The gently sculpting acidity delivers very nice definition.Tim Atkin | 93 TAThe 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume is derived from vines rooted in deep, clay-rich soils and raised in 40% oak, with the remainder matured in stainless steel tanks. Offering aromas of pear, dried flowers and almond paste, it is medium- to full-bodied, satiny and underpinned by tangy acids, concluding with a long, vanillin-inflected finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPGenerous wood fights somewhat with the ripe aromas of citrus confit, white orchard fruit and just enough Chablis typicity to remind one where this is from. I very much like the texture of the plump, round and punchy medium-bodied flavors that possess plenty of sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm acid spine shaping the lingering finale.Burghound | 89-92 BH50% oak. Vaupulans with more clay so on the richer side. Pale yellow. A plumper yellow fruit nose. Fruit through the middle, oak at the end, which past history suggests will integrate. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JMThe 2024 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru is more backward and austere on the nose than the Mont de Milieu. This is reticent at the moment. The palate is balanced with pineapple and grapefruit notes. This has a keen line of acidity, though it’s quite linear and less flattering compared to some of Benoît Droin’s other cuvées this year.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

A new wine in this range, the 2024 Pinot Noir Pacific Rock emerges from McDougall, a well-known site in Fort Ross-Seaview. Bold and explosive, the 2024 possesses tremendous textural depth and intensity. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, cedar, cloves, menthol and licorice fill out the layers. This imposing, broad-scaled Pinot has a lot to offer. There’s a bit of toughness in the tannin that needs to be addressed, but this is nevertheless a very fine debut. I expect the Pacific Rock will continue to improve now that the vineyard is being transitioned to organic farming, a process that takes 7-10 years to show full results.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2024 Pinot Noir Sea Field is powerful and tightly wound. Dark-toned fruit, leather, cedar, spice, incense and dried rose petal infuse the 2024 with tons of complexity. This potent, deep Pinot Noir packs a tremendous punch. There’s a lot of wine here, but this needs time to soften and for the mid-palate to emerge. There’s a striking, crystalline purity here.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Spellbinding aromas of rose petals, strawberries, citrus and bark, with hints of lemongrass. Medium-bodied, tight and structured, this offers a captivating combination of linear intensity and calmness, so classy and sophisticated. A continued benchmark for American pinot noir. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2024 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is fabulous. Deeply pitched spice notes, blood orange, new leather, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco meld into a core of sweet red cherry fruit, mint, spice and cedar. This is one of the finest vintages of the Royal St. Robert I have ever tasted, going all the way back to Raen’s early days.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2024 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a delectable nose not dissimilar to the Criots this year, beautifully defined with hints of oyster shell surfacing with time, quite Zen-like but paradoxically conveying real presence. The palate is very well balanced with wonderful poise. Impressive depth and concentration considering the growing season with a sprightly finish that fans out in a cool, calm and collected fashion. This is an excellent Bâtard-Montrachet that has its nose in front of the Criots.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a clean, fresh bouquet with simmering mineralité that comes through with time, a little Puligny-like in style. The palate is well balanced, the one-third new oak neatly integrated, not a powerful Chassagne but there is a sense of nervosité that runs through this wine that I appreciate.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2024 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a delightful bouquet with crushed stone infusing the bright citrus fruit, tightly coiled but opening with time in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, quite saline in the mouth with oyster shell on the weighty finish. There is real weight and presence here. No wonder it has the highest sugar level among all the Domaine’s cuvées - the power is palpable in this Criots.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

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

Lemon sorbet and orange sherbet, plus details of lemongrass, lemon verbena, and both fresh and dried ginger notes, show touches of saline and white tea on the long and detailed finish, with plenty of intensity and sleek, mouthwatering acidity that give this precision. Drink now through 2036. 23,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2024 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) is a terrific introduction to the range. Apricot, white flowers, mint, white pepper and tangerine oil are nicely pushed forward. The warmer season yielded an especially forward, open-knit Chardonnay. It’s a style that works quite well at this level.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Offers tension and grip, a slow unroll, reserved at first but as it opens you get luscious white peach and pear fruits, along with elderflower and apple blossom florals. Great stuff from this lovely structure-driven white wine. 50% new oak. 3.12 pH.Jane Anson | 94 JAJust bottled, the 2024 Blanc de Lynch Bages is a gorgeous, refreshing dry white to drink now and over the next handful of years. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and chalky undertones are beautifully delineated. There’s a bit more Muscadelle in this year’s blend, but that is not especially apparent. Instead, Sauvignon Blanc drives the feel here.Vinous Media | 93 VMGreat aromatics. Quite varietal on the nose, green apple, peas, elderflower, white peach and some bitter orange rind. Bright and forward, this is crisp with a shot of lemon acidity at first before settling and becoming a bit more creamy with gentle bitter edges. Jasmine, white flowers, some white stone fruit and soft creamy citrus elements. A touch waxy too. Light, elegant, nothing too much here but super easy to drink with hints of interest. Ageing 50% new oak for 6 months in barrels on lees. 3.12pH.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECQuite a fresh, lively white with aromas of bright gooseberries, green guavas, fresh mangoes and creamy stone fruit. Crisp and bright, with very good acidity and a long,linear, refreshing finish. There’s a touch of salinity at the end. 77% sauvignon blanc, 12% muscadelle and 11% semillon. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSShoots from the glass with vivacious notes of green apples, white peaches, and fresh pears, leading to hints of lime leaves and sea spray. The light-bodied palate is crisp and refreshing with loads of chalk-laced orchard fruit flavors and a zesty finish.The Wine Palate | 91 TWPShoots from the glass with vivacious notes of green apples, white peaches, and fresh pears, leading to hints of lime leaves and sea spray. The light-bodied palate is crisp and refreshing with loads of chalk-laced orchard fruit flavors and a zesty finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWIThe 2024 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc should certainly be outstanding. It plays in the fresh, focused, medium-bodied style of the vintage while bringing ripe melon, pink grapefruit, and floral aromas and flavors. It has nicely integrated, juicy acidity, and a balanced, lengthy mouthfeel.Jeb Dunnuck | 90-92 JD

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean 1er Cru is very aromatic and generous on the nose, with scents of white flowers, mirabelle and light beeswax aromas that blossom in the glass. The palate is very well balanced, with more body and depth than the Maltroie. Really good mineralité in this Clos Saint-Jean, very persistent in the mouth; this is exactly where the vintage excels in the Côte d’Or. Recommended.Vinous Media | 94 VMPale lemon colour. More biscuit than fruit at first on the nose, though ripe enough. First year for Rebichets replanting. A softer style of white fruit than Chenevottes. A little more depth to the colour, medium length, a little touch of acidity. Drink from 2028-2032. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

Pale lemon colour. The bouquet has a little extra concentration, firm footed fruit. The white fruit blossoms rather more on the palate, delivering an attracting middle weight Chassagne, extending further at the finish. The Chenevottes was a little riper at the harvest, coming in at 12% before chaptalisation.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

While the Romassan is all plushness and the de Selle is all drive, the 2024 Rosé Clos Mireille is all about fine delineation and precision. The core of fruit here is so pure. White cherry, white nectarine, apricot and Seville orange are all crystal clear. Everything about the 2024 speaks to pedigree, calibrated winemaking and finesse. The Clos Mireille is superb and uncompromising in its balance. Provence Rosé at its finest.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe quiet nose draws you in with wet stone aromas that combine with peaches and cream and a tiny pop of citrus. The palate has a hint of pear with lots of citrus pith. This rosé coats your whole mouth and the finish leaves a lingering heat. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA refined, restrained style, with beautiful textural purity to the delicate notes of melon, rose water and herbes de Provence. Salty and mouthwatering through the well-meshed finish, which shows range, energy and mineral depth. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. Drink now. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThere is an Ott signature for all of their rosés, creating elegant silky wines with subtle differences reflecting the terroir of each estate. This one, from coastal vineyards surrounded by a nature reserve, seemingly has an extra salty tang from its proximity to the sea, and whiter, fresher fruit. A pale shell-pink, with delicate peach aromas; the wine opens up to ripe white peach and creamy nut richness (from slightly longer ageing on the lees) is balanced by a long, crisp, saline citrus acidity.Decanter Magazine | 91 DEC

The concentrated exotic fruit aromas of this wine range from passionfruit and kiwi to gooseberry, with accents of acacia flower, spice and smoke. The texture strikes a beautiful balance between lively, fresh acidity and substantial extract, lingering exquisitely on the palate. The grapes are from just over a hectare of vines planted at the northern end of Les Pucelles, including a sliver of the Clos des Meix, which mainly belongs to Domaine Leflaive. This powerful wine should last 30 years at least.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2024 Clos de la Pucelle is a brilliant wine in the making. The wine’s aromatic constellation is elegant and complex, delivering scents of pear, golden delicious apple, lemon zest, crème pâtissière, apple blossoms, vanillin oak and a stunning foundation of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp, complex and utterly refined in personality, with a beautiful core of succulent fruit, even better backend mineral drive, vibrant acids and a very long, seamlessly balanced and youthfully complex finish. This is a brilliant premier cru in the making, but it will demand some cellaring time to blossom properly. (Drink between 2030-2060)John Gilman | 94+ JGFresh lemon yellow with a green tint, rather more backward on the nose. Still working itself out. There is more structure here but less appeal in youth. The Clos de la Pucelle offers good tension, but this will take time. I am not yet seeing the electric backbone that this wine can have. Drink from 2030-2036. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle 1er Cru was coming out to play when I visited the Domaine, the nose obstinate and backward. The palate is crisp on the entry, quite malic with cooking apple and notes of pear, moderate depth and a dash of spice on the finish. Fine, but it needs to find its groove.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Jean-Michel Chartron is lucky to have old vines in his parcel of Folatières as well, as these vines are now sixty years of age. They have produced a beautiful wine in 2024, delivering a bright, complex and very floral nose of apple, pear, almond, chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and a beautiful mélange of honeysuckle and white lilies in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, complex and full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of pure fruit, lovely soil signature, great acids and a very long, impeccably balanced and transparent finish. This is outstanding young Folatières! (Drink between 2026-2055)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2024 Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru has a very fragrant bouquet with yellow fruit, white flowers, a touch of mint and even a suggestion of red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a keen line of acidity. Very precise, certainly more mineral-driven than the "sunnier" 2023 - this has great potential.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMMid lemon yellow. The bouquet suggests optimum ripeness, though picked among the first. Apples in their prime, with ripe lemons in support, graceful and relatively full on the palate. All nicely proportioned to make a quality Folatières. A decent sized cuvée too, with 8.5 barrels. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JM

The 2024 Montée de Tonnerre had also been bottled in November of 2025. Guillaume Michel noted that they had almost fifty percent of normal yields in this vineyard in 2024, which was excellent by the draconian standards of the vintage. The wine is brilliant, offering up a deep and complex bouquet of lemon, pear, wet stone minerality, dried flowers and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy, with a gorgeous core of fruit, beautiful mineral drive, laser-like focus and a very, very long, perfectly balanced and complex finish. Great juice. (Drink between 2028-2060)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is more tightly knit and simultaneously slightly less demonstrative than Vaillons, exhibiting aromas of lemon confit, Granny Smith apple, orange peel and white flowers. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, with a tightly coiled profile and a long, chalky finish. It is one of Michel’s sites that suffered least from frost and hail in 2024.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2024 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet with just a very light reduction, though there is slightly more mineralité compared to the Vaillons or Vaulorent. The palate is well balanced and cohesive, with a fine bead of acidity and a touch of sour lemon perking up the finish. The 2024 is worth looking out for.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMA classic Chablis nose freely offers up its combination of citrus, iodine, mineral reduction, white flower and a background whiff of phenolic character. The notably denser middle weight flavors possess good volume and a succulent mouthfeel before terminating in a dry, youthfully austere and impressively persistent finale. This is really quite classy and one to consider buying.Burghound | 90-93 BHMid lemon yellow. Remarkably lactic on the nose. Flesh on the nose, and a biscuity touch, I would definitely have said oaked if tasted blind. Lacks a bit of energy behind. Tasted Jun 2025.Jasper Morris | 88-90 JM

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

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

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