Vinous (92-95)

Good bright, deep red. Red berries and licorice on the nose, lifted by pungent minerality. Sharply delineated and brisk in the mouth; tighter than the other Gevrey premier crus here but with terrific dimension and inner-mouth tension. Most impressive today on the rising, perfumed back end, which leaves the taste buds quivering. This beauty is downright 2010-like in its detail and perfume.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Barrel sample. Greyish deep crimson. Like the Échezeaux, this smells of luxury but here it is darker and a little more oaky on the nose, very dark fruit profile. On the palate, dark, dense and savoury, a little charry, peppery, spiced, but the tannins are unexpectedly fine and supple even if the oak has thickened them slightly. Long, savoury aftertaste. Needs a lot of time.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Cask sample. Intense, classy nose with real voluptuousness. Polished tannins are there in abundance with really bright fruit in great balance. This should beguile right through its (presumably long) life. Glossy fruit and fine, very ripe tannins. Good freshness and length.

Jancis Robinson (18.5)

Barrel sample. Deep crimson. Intense, dark fruit that puts the oak into the background. Terrific intensity on the palate, dark, savoury, charry but not at all over-oaked. Elegant tannins, extremely fine and deliciously dry. Immense length and refinement.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Cask sample. Deep crimson. Sample is showing very slight signs of tiredness which I will try to ignore. But the wine doesn’t seem to have quite the energy and conviction of the Richebourg. Maybe it’s a sample thing? But there’s just a slight rawness here as well as the density and energy.

Jancis Robinson (17.5+)

Tank sample. Deep cherry red. At first the fruit smells much riper here than any of the Maison Roche de Bellene wines tasted so far. Peppery damsons, but it changes in the glass. Dark and quite oaky, it seems, almost charry. Dry, fine tannins pull this back into the elegant camp. I changed my mind about this wine as I tasted it. It needs a lot of time but the structure is very fine indeed.

Vinous (92-95)

Bright, full red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, mocha, smoke, minerals and Oriental spices. A step up in concentration and texture from the Petits Monts and Suchots, offering outstanding richness and sweetness to the flavors of raspberry and spices. Finishes very long, with suave, palate-coating tannins. A lovely 2012 in the making.

Burghound (91-94)

(Outstanding) Like the Amoureuses this is highly restrained and also requires considerable swirling to coax the otherwise superbly fresh and spicy aromas of various wild red berries, anise, sandalwood, clove and pekoe tea nuances. Out of all of the 1ers in the range this is easily the biggest and most muscular; indeed this possesses grand cru size and weight, all wrapped in an intensely mineral-driven and explosively long finish. Note that here too this is not going to make for a good early drinker as ample patience will be required.

Burghound (91-94)

(Outstanding) Like the Amoureuses this is highly restrained and also requires considerable swirling to coax the otherwise superbly fresh and spicy aromas of various wild red berries, anise, sandalwood, clove and pekoe tea nuances. Out of all of the 1ers in the range this is easily the biggest and most muscular; indeed this possesses grand cru size and weight, all wrapped in an intensely mineral-driven and explosively long finish. Note that here too this is not going to make for a good early drinker as ample patience will be required.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges 1er Cru is nicely focused on the elegant, pure nose, which features perfumed black cherries, raspberry and incense aromas - quintessential Vosne-Romanée aromatics. The palate is well balanced with a silky entry, fine weight in the mouth and a succulent, high-toned but not excessive finish. The opulence is pitched just right. Superb. This benefits from being located at high altitude in a warm growing season.

The Rodolphe Demougeot Pommard 1er Cru Charmots 2016 is an exquisite red wine, meticulously crafted in the grand region of Burgundy, France. Esteemed vintner Rodolphe Demougeot, lauded for his commendable organic vineyard management, brings forth this wine from Pinot Noir grapes, meticulously harvested from a single vineyard, 'Les Charmots'.

With its careful vinification in relation to lunar cycles, this wine exudes an expressive bouquet of ripe red fruits, balanced with enticing earthy undertones. Delectably rich yet supple on the palate, this wine is known for its elegant complexity and robust structure, projecting the very essence of Pommard terroir.

The Rodolphe Demougeot Pommard 1er Cru Charmots 2016, with its profound intensity and seamless balance, is a luminous representation of what dedicated craftsmanship and exceptional terroir can achieve. A marvellous choice for those seeking the crème de la crème of Burgundian wines.

Immerse yourself in the elegance and complexity of the Roger Belland Volnay Santenots 1er Cru 2021. This exquisite Burgundy hails from eastern France, refined meticulously using traditional vinification methods. It carries the elegance of the Volnay appellation and the depth and power attributed to the Santenots vineyard's clay-rich soils.

Under the expertise of Roger Belland, a fifth-generation winemaker, the wine exhibits a rich, full-bodied profile. With an eye for sustainable practices, Belland's wines are farmed organically, honouring the vineyard's unique terroir and microclimate. The wine underwent fermentation in open stainless-steel vats, with ageing on fine lees in French oak barrels, thus amplifying its robust character and nuanced flavours.

The opus of Roger Belland is embodied in the Volnay Santenots 1er Cru 2021 - a harmonious symphony of ripened red fruit accented by spicy undertones and earthy notes. Sipping this wine promises an exquisite journey into the heart of Burgundy.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Made with 50% whole bunches in 2012, this has notes of pepper and clove spice on the nose and palate. There's plenty of sweet vanilla oak too, with chalky minerality and a hint of reduction on the palate. The wine was picked earlier and shows charming red fruits that complement the savoury undertones.

Vinous (89-92)

Good full red. Darker but less perfumed on the nose than the Latricières, offering aromas of black raspberry and licorice complicated by smoke and cocoa powder and perked up by peppery spices. Silky-sweet in the mouth; clearly the plushest and densest of these 2014s to this point. There's more mid-palate stuffing here to support the slightly dusty, late-arriving tannins. This is always a dense wine, notes David Rossignol--closer to Chambertin in style than to Griottes, for example.