Vinous (95-97)

The 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, matured in 15% new oak, showed just a tiny morsel of reduction on the nose, that the concentration here was still tangible. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, taut and fresh and very precise. This has real class and verve, though it will benefit from several years in bottle.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Mid lemon yellow, with some warmth to the nose. On the palate there is a delicious depth of quality fruit with a little bit of mirabelle, but with a wave of slightly different flavours and a mineral touch to finish. Drink from 2028-2034.

Vinous (86-88)

The 2019 Vougeot Clos de Village has a light, slightly green bouquet, although there are no stems here. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly coarse tannins on the entry, but it coheres toward the finish. A lightweight Vougeot considering the vintage. Just three barrels produced. 

Vinous (94-96)

The 2021 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a fragrant nose, a mixture of red and blue fruit, well-defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with fine tannins, layers of red and black fruit, a little reduction from the lees at the moment that will protect the freshness and allow them to add less SO2. Very persistent on the finish. Excellent.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

A new contract from 2019. Mid crimson colour. The nose here is a stylish red fruit but with some depth behind more together than Les Véroilles. Very even across the palate with medium plus length. You have to wait a bit but the finish shows quite how good this is. Drink from 2026-2032.

Burghound (90-92)

Highly restrained if not mute aromas are comprised by notes of green apple, just sliced lemon, anise and plenty of mineral reduction character. There is both excellent intensity and minerality to the big-bodied and powerful flavors that conclude in a bone-dry, linear and borderline strict finale that doesn't have the length it usually does. This of course may change but it would be fair to say that it's awkward today.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (88-91)

The fruit comes mostly from old vines in Carougeots, plus En Jouise and Belair. Lively pleasing red fruit, shows strawberry behind, raspberry up front, with the peppery finish of a wine which has just missed reaching optimum ripeness. Drink from 2025-2030.

Vinous (97-99)

The 2018 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is even darker than the Bonnes-Mares. It has a spectacular bouquet of intense black fruit, blueberries and shucked oyster shells, the mineralité heightened over the Bonnes-Mares and lending a great deal of precision. The palate is medium-bodied with blueberry, boysenberry and black currant fruit, extraordinary tension, razor-sharp acidity and a dash of white pepper on the crystalline finish. One of the finest Musignys I have tasted from barrel at de Vogüé.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Echézeaux Grand Cru offers real intensity on the nose, quite powerful with pure dark cherries, cassis, crushed violet and blood orange. Stylistically, this is not unlike Thomas Collardot’s good friend, Sébastien Cathiard’s in style. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, veins of blood orange and a pinch of sea salt. Lovely structure and focus on the finish. Excellent - this is an Echézeaux from the top drawer.

Tucked within the Burgundy's prized Côte de Beaune, the Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019, from the sacred plots of Domaine Croix, is a fine testament to the opulence of the 2019 vintage. This Pinot Noir is grown in limestone-rich soil and harvested in small, meticulously manicured parcels to preserve the integrity of each grape. Its vinification in traditional Burgundian open-top wooden vats, followed by ageing in French oak barrels, ensures a harmonious balance between fruit and oak nuances.

A sip of Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019 reveals complex layers of ripe red fruits, elegantly underpinned by earthy notes and a subtle spiciness. The wine's delicate tannins and balanced acidity make for a seamless finish, capturing the essence of French wine-making sophistication.

The impeccable craftsmanship of winemaker David Croix indubitably shines through in this vintage, making the Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019 an invincible selection for the discerning wine lover.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Quite deep crimson. Pretty damned dramatic on the nose! Very charmingly fruity and rich. There’s no doubt about this wine’s grand cru status. So sweet and smooth! But with spice underneath and real persistence. Very long and satisfying.

Vinous (91-94)

(half of these vines are 70 years old, the other half 60): Moderately saturated medium red. Musky, soil-driven scents of fresh red fruits, crushed rock, flint and rose petal. Penetrating and sharply delineated, offering terrific intensity to its flavors of red berries, sappy cherry, minerals and blood orange. At once salty and juicy, this very long wine leaves the palate perfumed. Stehly compares this wine to a Musigny in its youthful strictness, and it strikes me as a classic young Clos Saint-Denis that will need time in bottle to expand. Stehly used to work mostly with spicy Cadus barrels for this wine but now uses one-third each Berthomieu and Tonnelerie du Val du Loire for his Clos Saint-Denis, as he feels these barrels are at once sweeter and more delicate.

Vinous (96-98)

For the first time, Maxime Chuerlin decided to use stems in his crown jewel, the 2019 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, settling on 25% whole bunch for this year. This was an astute decision, because it lends freshness and more complexity to the bouquet of blackberry, undergrowth, tobacco and crushed limestone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, hints of peppermint behind the black fruit and touches of white pepper and sage toward a finish that fans out wonderfully. A slam-dunk for Maxime Churlin. Five barrels produced, matured entirely in new oak.

Robert Ampeau Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Combettes 1997 offers an unforgettable journey to the heart of fine winemaking, embodying the renowned tradition of French viticulture. This exquisite white wine, crafted under the watchful eye of the esteemed Robert Ampeau, hails from Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy and is part of the premier cru, denoting its exceptional quality.

The wine is famed for its elegant vibrancy and subtle complexity, a testament to Robert Ampeau's meticulous approach. Spared from invasive modern techniques, Ampeau tends his vineyards with care, allowing the authentic terroir of Montrachet to your glass.

The Robert Ampeau Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Combettes 1997 showcases rich character, nuanced with pear, citrus, almond and stony mineral notes. The palate is robust yet impeccably balanced, carrying through to a lingering, sophisticated finish.

Let this vintage transport you, an emblem of time, passion, and the indomitable spirit of French winemaking tradition.

Vinous (87-89)

The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis Aux Charmes 1er Cru has an earthy, autumnal bouquet with brown leaves filtering through the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, quite compact yet with decent focus on the finish. All that is missing is just a bit of flair.