Burgundy
When it comes to the world of fine wines, Burgundy stands tall as one of the most revered and sought-after regions. Renowned for its exceptional terroir and commitment to quality, Burgundy has long captivated enthusiasts with its exquisite and highly prized wines. Today, let us delve into the realm of the best and most expensive wines that Burgundy has to offer, a realm where true wine aficionados can indulge in the pinnacle of winemaking excellence.
At the heart of Burgundy's prestige lie its renowned vineyards, which have garnered global acclaim for their exceptional wines. The names that resonate in the world of Burgundy are Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Armand Rousseau, and Domaine Georges Roumier. These vineyards have become synonymous with greatness, crafting wines that define elegance, complexity, and longevity.
Burgundy's most esteemed wines are crafted from two noble grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The region's red wines, made predominantly from Pinot Noir, display a finesse and purity of fruit that are unmatched. Vineyards such as Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Richebourg produce red wines that command astronomical prices due to their exceptional quality and limited production.
For white wine enthusiasts, Burgundy's Chardonnay-based wines are a true revelation. Vineyards like Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, and Meursault showcase the full potential of this noble grape, producing wines of unparalleled richness, depth, and complexity. These whites epitomize the artistry of winemaking, with each sip revealing layers of flavors and a harmonious balance between fruit, minerality, and oak.
In the world of fine wines, Burgundy stands as an epitome of elegance, complexity, and refined craftsmanship. Its best and most expensive wines are a testament to the region's unwavering commitment to excellence, terroir-driven winemaking, and the artistry of the winemakers.
Burgundy
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Vinous (93-95)
(not racked; from a single parcel of vines on pure white soil on the Morey-Saint-Denis side of the cru, which was barely touched by frost according to Leroux): Healthy dark red. Captivating lift to the sappy aromas of maraschino cherry, licorice and exotic herbs. Dense, vigorous wine with terrific medicinal reserve and punch to its dark fruit, licorice and mineral flavors. Youthfully imploded in a classic Bonnes-Mares manner but not rigid or hard. A wine with outstanding finishing energy and length, built for a slow evolution in bottle--and a classic expression of its terroir. (Incidentally, Leroux is looking to supplement this fruit source with another piece of Bonnes-Mares.)Inc. VAT£611.29 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2021 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet, with a mixture of red and black fruit, undergrowth and dried leaves. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins. It's quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares and has a welcome, bitter edge on the finish. Fine, but a bit gawky.Inc. VAT£714.49 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (87-88)
Currently in tank, being fined in preparation for bottling. Pale colour with a reductive note. A plentiful exuberant juicy fruit, with some fresh citrus behind. Racy finish, this will be delicious to gulp down. Drink from 2024-2027. Tasted: October 2023.Inc. VAT£212.69 -
(1x150cl) 2015Vinous (93-96)
(50% new oak; vinified with two-thirds whole clusters): Healthy medium red. Knockout nose combines musky raspberry and complex soil tones. Began a bit monolithic on the palate, but aeration brought an increasingly silky texture and a captivating blend of raspberry and crushed rock lifted by spices. Still youthfully tight, this rather saline Chambertin is just beginning to express itself. Finishes with serious tannins and outstanding length. One can feel the power here, but this very tactile wine is quite unevolved. The finish offers terrific definition and lift.Inc. VAT£731.98 -
(1x150cl) 2017Vinous (91-93)
The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru has a tight-lipped bouquet that demands coaxing from the glass; the 80% whole bunches imparts captivating undergrowth/damp moss aromas that filter through the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and quite dense, with grippy tannin and a light espresso note. I find the Mazis-Chambertin has a little more grace on the finish by direct comparison. A bit of a curmudgeon, this will benefit from four or five years in bottle.Inc. VAT£713.29 -
(1x150cl) 2018Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru takes time to get going but is worth the wait, offering vivid red fruit, forest floor, tobacco and light oyster shell aromas. The palate is very refined on the entry, underpinned by a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and quite persistent, with a paradoxically powerful finish full of finesse. Gorgeous.Inc. VAT£781.60 -
(3x75cl) 2021Inc. VAT£1,139.41 -
Vinous (91-94)
Spicy nose is going through a slightly oxidative phase (this wine is lower in total sulfur today than the Abbaye de Morgeot and Les Baudines). Very rich and pliant but salty and hard to assess today, with its peachy yellow fruits in the background. This densely packed, nutty wine finishes with terrific grip, excellent length and a powerful impression of dry extract. These vines are 50 to 60 years of age and struggling, Leroux told me. There's barely 20 centimeters of topsoil here and the vines don't look healthy but they produce very concentrated grapes, added Leroux, who refers to this wine as his baby grand cru. (13% alcohol)Inc. VAT£1,263.49 -
Vinous (96)
The 2015 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has an immediately seductive, extremely pure bouquet of bright red fruit, strawberry and cranberry; hints of blueberry surface with aeration. The oak is very well integrated, and with continued aeration in the glass, the raspberry component becomes more expressive. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit encased by grippy, slightly firm tannins. This is a very serious Grand Cru, extraordinarily focused and full of tension; the mouth still tingles 60 seconds after it has exited. A consummate expression of a great Burgundy vintage. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.Inc. VAT£1,422.40 -
(6x75cl) 2018Vinous (95)
The 2018 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru initially has a slight reduction on the nose, red cherries and cranberry, like the 2018 Clos des Lambrays, clarifying with aeration and exhibiting fine transparency. It does not have the grandeur of the aforementioned Lambrays. The palate is more promising with layers of pure black cherry and bilberry fruit, white pepper and tobacco. Very fine delineation on the finish, taut and precise, this exerts just the right amount of grip on the finish. This should age extremely well in bottle. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.Inc. VAT£2,863.24 -
Vinous (90-93)
(Leroux lost one-third of the crop here but noted that the wall around Clos Vougeot gave his vines some protection): Dark red. Inviting ripe perfume of cherry, raspberry and licorice. Distinctly fatter and sweeter in the mouth than the Echézeaux, conveying a more pliant texture and lovely perfume as well as a strong mineral character. Then tougher on the back end, finishing with substantial chewy, tongue-dusting tannins and an impression of medicinal reserve.Inc. VAT£272.93 -
(3x75cl) 2016Vinous (89-92)
(Leroux began with only Vignes Blanches but now gets fruit from multiple climats in Echézeaux; totally destemmed): Dark, bright red. Distinctly dark, brooding aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate and licorice accented by a peppery quality. A bit youthfully brutal on the palate, offering savory flavors of blueberry, crushed stone, pepper and spices. This firmly structured, uncompromising Echézeaux finishes with dry, granular tannins and is very difficult to taste today. These vineyards were hit hard by the frost in 2016 and the malolactic fermentation was late.Inc. VAT£1,329.96 -
Inc. VAT£209.33 -
(6x75cl) 2015Inc. VAT£1,246.40 -
Inc. VAT£164.93 -
Vinous (91)
Good medium red. Musky red berries, spices and dried flowers on the scented nose. Silky and seamless on the palate, displaying rare volume for village wine. Very sexy round, dry village wine with subtle Gevrey soil tones. The long finish features lingering red berry flavors.Inc. VAT£440.44 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a slightly stemmy bouquet (around 20% whoe bunch), dark berry fruit laced with cold tea, just a slight beetroot note emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, firm grip, fine depth with a crisp finish. Very fine.Inc. VAT£111.59 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)
Aged in single and double barrels for the first year, 15% new wood, then racked to foudre. An even and charming purple. The bouquet is delicious, half southern end (strawberries) half Brochon (richer fruit) together makes a great blend, with excellent energy at the back. And the good news is that there is plenty of it: 16,000 bottles! Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted: October 2023.Inc. VAT£474.80 -
(6x75cl) 2023Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-92)
A rich but even purple. Plenty of generosity on the nose, covering the more savoury aspects. Very nicely poised with a burst of dark fruit energy, with a savoury dark strawberry note to finish, and medium plus length. Drink from 2029-2035. Tasted Oct 2024.Expected Price Range£283 - £347 -
Inc. VAT£693.20 -
(1x150cl) 2017Vinous (92-94)
(Leroux will bottle this wine from his own vines in a limestone-rich parcel close to Perrières entirely in magnums, because he fears that simply offering Dessus and Dessous bottlings would confuse his customers; just two barrels made): The nose shows more pungent crushed-stone minerality than the Meursault Genevrières-Dessous. Stylish, broad and horizontal, conveying a sense of brooding energy even if it's in a slightly oxidative phase today. Very dry, salty wine with a vibrant aftertaste that builds inexorably. In a distinctly less fruity and more Perrières -like wet stone style than the Dessous, which Leroux says is more typical Genevrières.Inc. VAT£574.28 -
Inc. VAT£894.72 -
(1x75cl) 2014Vinous (90-92)
Pale yellow. Lively aromas and flavors of lemon and orange zest, ginger and minerals. An impression of sweetness (actually less than 1.5 g/l r.s., according to Leroux) is nicely leavened by lively citric cut. This well-balanced, firmly structured wine finishes juicy and long.Inc. VAT£143.60 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 1er Cru has a detailed bouquet of tertiary red berry fruit that just needs a little more intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Quite a masculine NSG, leading to a slightly hard finish. Racking will soften this up and my score is based on that being carried out.Inc. VAT£557.09 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru, which contains 50% whole bunches, has a vibrant bouquet of red fruit infused with hints of quince and orange blossom; veins of blue fruit emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, almost pastille-like in terms of purity, and the finish is sensual and quite approachable. This will drink young but has the substance to give 15+ years of pleasure.Inc. VAT£1,007.52 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges les Boudots 1er Cru, picked on September 8, has a superb bouquet of dark cherries mixed with raspberry preserve and damp earth and moss aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, very fine tannins and a precise, elegant finish that expresses its terroir beautifully. Superb.Inc. VAT£637.24 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)
5 Star Wine. Benjamin loves Nuits-St-Georges in 2023 which is just as well because there is virtually nothing in 2024. Mostly destemmed. This has beautiful floral qualities, superb poise on the first half of the palate then develops a greater plummy richness behind. Archetypal Nuits in a very good way! Drink from 2031-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.Inc. VAT£420.80 -
(6x75cl) 2016Inc. VAT£632.29 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (88-90)
There was enough fruit to make use of a good mix of barrel shapes and sizes, as St-Romain was not much frosted. Pale colour with a light green tint. Fresh bouquet, some lime blossom, good tension here with a mineral backbone, and an attractive finish. Drink from 2024-2027.Inc. VAT£87.44 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2018 Volnay Les Caillerets 1er Cru was the first red to be picked by Leroux, on August 29. It has a slightly smudged bouquet of brambly red fruit, sous-bois and a pepperiness imparted by the two-thirds whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture and quite structured, like a Pommard, with its limestone soils very expressive and lending vivacity on the finish. Good potential.Inc. VAT£517.49
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Vinous (93-95)
(not racked; from a single parcel of vines on pure white soil on the Morey-Saint-Denis side of the cru, which was barely touched by frost according to Leroux): Healthy dark red. Captivating lift to the sappy aromas of maraschino cherry, licorice and exotic herbs. Dense, vigorous wine with terrific medicinal reserve and punch to its dark fruit, licorice and mineral flavors. Youthfully imploded in a classic Bonnes-Mares manner but not rigid or hard. A wine with outstanding finishing energy and length, built for a slow evolution in bottle--and a classic expression of its terroir. (Incidentally, Leroux is looking to supplement this fruit source with another piece of Bonnes-Mares.)In Bond£503.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2021 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet, with a mixture of red and black fruit, undergrowth and dried leaves. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins. It's quite linear for a Bonnes-Mares and has a welcome, bitter edge on the finish. Fine, but a bit gawky.In Bond£589.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (87-88)
Currently in tank, being fined in preparation for bottling. Pale colour with a reductive note. A plentiful exuberant juicy fruit, with some fresh citrus behind. Racy finish, this will be delicious to gulp down. Drink from 2024-2027. Tasted: October 2023.In Bond£158.00 -
(1x150cl) 2015Vinous (93-96)
(50% new oak; vinified with two-thirds whole clusters): Healthy medium red. Knockout nose combines musky raspberry and complex soil tones. Began a bit monolithic on the palate, but aeration brought an increasingly silky texture and a captivating blend of raspberry and crushed rock lifted by spices. Still youthfully tight, this rather saline Chambertin is just beginning to express itself. Finishes with serious tannins and outstanding length. One can feel the power here, but this very tactile wine is quite unevolved. The finish offers terrific definition and lift.In Bond£603.09 -
(1x150cl) 2017Vinous (91-93)
The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru has a tight-lipped bouquet that demands coaxing from the glass; the 80% whole bunches imparts captivating undergrowth/damp moss aromas that filter through the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and quite dense, with grippy tannin and a light espresso note. I find the Mazis-Chambertin has a little more grace on the finish by direct comparison. A bit of a curmudgeon, this will benefit from four or five years in bottle.In Bond£588.00 -
(1x150cl) 2018Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru takes time to get going but is worth the wait, offering vivid red fruit, forest floor, tobacco and light oyster shell aromas. The palate is very refined on the entry, underpinned by a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and quite persistent, with a paradoxically powerful finish full of finesse. Gorgeous.In Bond£645.36 -
(3x75cl) 2021In Bond£940.21 -
Vinous (91-94)
Spicy nose is going through a slightly oxidative phase (this wine is lower in total sulfur today than the Abbaye de Morgeot and Les Baudines). Very rich and pliant but salty and hard to assess today, with its peachy yellow fruits in the background. This densely packed, nutty wine finishes with terrific grip, excellent length and a powerful impression of dry extract. These vines are 50 to 60 years of age and struggling, Leroux told me. There's barely 20 centimeters of topsoil here and the vines don't look healthy but they produce very concentrated grapes, added Leroux, who refers to this wine as his baby grand cru. (13% alcohol)In Bond£1,035.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2015 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has an immediately seductive, extremely pure bouquet of bright red fruit, strawberry and cranberry; hints of blueberry surface with aeration. The oak is very well integrated, and with continued aeration in the glass, the raspberry component becomes more expressive. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit encased by grippy, slightly firm tannins. This is a very serious Grand Cru, extraordinarily focused and full of tension; the mouth still tingles 60 seconds after it has exited. A consummate expression of a great Burgundy vintage. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.In Bond£1,175.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018Vinous (95)
The 2018 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru initially has a slight reduction on the nose, red cherries and cranberry, like the 2018 Clos des Lambrays, clarifying with aeration and exhibiting fine transparency. It does not have the grandeur of the aforementioned Lambrays. The palate is more promising with layers of pure black cherry and bilberry fruit, white pepper and tobacco. Very fine delineation on the finish, taut and precise, this exerts just the right amount of grip on the finish. This should age extremely well in bottle. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.In Bond£2,370.00 -
Vinous (90-93)
(Leroux lost one-third of the crop here but noted that the wall around Clos Vougeot gave his vines some protection): Dark red. Inviting ripe perfume of cherry, raspberry and licorice. Distinctly fatter and sweeter in the mouth than the Echézeaux, conveying a more pliant texture and lovely perfume as well as a strong mineral character. Then tougher on the back end, finishing with substantial chewy, tongue-dusting tannins and an impression of medicinal reserve.In Bond£224.00 -
(3x75cl) 2016Vinous (89-92)
(Leroux began with only Vignes Blanches but now gets fruit from multiple climats in Echézeaux; totally destemmed): Dark, bright red. Distinctly dark, brooding aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate and licorice accented by a peppery quality. A bit youthfully brutal on the palate, offering savory flavors of blueberry, crushed stone, pepper and spices. This firmly structured, uncompromising Echézeaux finishes with dry, granular tannins and is very difficult to taste today. These vineyards were hit hard by the frost in 2016 and the malolactic fermentation was late.In Bond£1,099.00 -
In Bond£171.00 -
(6x75cl) 2015In Bond£1,018.00 -
In Bond£134.00 -
Vinous (91)
Good medium red. Musky red berries, spices and dried flowers on the scented nose. Silky and seamless on the palate, displaying rare volume for village wine. Very sexy round, dry village wine with subtle Gevrey soil tones. The long finish features lingering red berry flavors.In Bond£351.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a slightly stemmy bouquet (around 20% whoe bunch), dark berry fruit laced with cold tea, just a slight beetroot note emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, firm grip, fine depth with a crisp finish. Very fine.In Bond£90.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)
Aged in single and double barrels for the first year, 15% new wood, then racked to foudre. An even and charming purple. The bouquet is delicious, half southern end (strawberries) half Brochon (richer fruit) together makes a great blend, with excellent energy at the back. And the good news is that there is plenty of it: 16,000 bottles! Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted: October 2023.In Bond£375.00 -
(6x75cl) 2023Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-92)
A rich but even purple. Plenty of generosity on the nose, covering the more savoury aspects. Very nicely poised with a burst of dark fruit energy, with a savoury dark strawberry note to finish, and medium plus length. Drink from 2029-2035. Tasted Oct 2024.Expected Price Range£283 - £347 -
In Bond£557.00 -
(1x150cl) 2017Vinous (92-94)
(Leroux will bottle this wine from his own vines in a limestone-rich parcel close to Perrières entirely in magnums, because he fears that simply offering Dessus and Dessous bottlings would confuse his customers; just two barrels made): The nose shows more pungent crushed-stone minerality than the Meursault Genevrières-Dessous. Stylish, broad and horizontal, conveying a sense of brooding energy even if it's in a slightly oxidative phase today. Very dry, salty wine with a vibrant aftertaste that builds inexorably. In a distinctly less fruity and more Perrières -like wet stone style than the Dessous, which Leroux says is more typical Genevrières.In Bond£472.16 -
In Bond£727.00 -
(1x75cl) 2014Vinous (90-92)
Pale yellow. Lively aromas and flavors of lemon and orange zest, ginger and minerals. An impression of sweetness (actually less than 1.5 g/l r.s., according to Leroux) is nicely leavened by lively citric cut. This well-balanced, firmly structured wine finishes juicy and long.In Bond£117.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 1er Cru has a detailed bouquet of tertiary red berry fruit that just needs a little more intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Quite a masculine NSG, leading to a slightly hard finish. Racking will soften this up and my score is based on that being carried out.In Bond£445.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Boudots 1er Cru, which contains 50% whole bunches, has a vibrant bouquet of red fruit infused with hints of quince and orange blossom; veins of blue fruit emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, almost pastille-like in terms of purity, and the finish is sensual and quite approachable. This will drink young but has the substance to give 15+ years of pleasure.In Bond£821.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges les Boudots 1er Cru, picked on September 8, has a superb bouquet of dark cherries mixed with raspberry preserve and damp earth and moss aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, very fine tannins and a precise, elegant finish that expresses its terroir beautifully. Superb.In Bond£515.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)
5 Star Wine. Benjamin loves Nuits-St-Georges in 2023 which is just as well because there is virtually nothing in 2024. Mostly destemmed. This has beautiful floral qualities, superb poise on the first half of the palate then develops a greater plummy richness behind. Archetypal Nuits in a very good way! Drink from 2031-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.In Bond£330.00 -
(6x75cl) 2016In Bond£509.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (88-90)
There was enough fruit to make use of a good mix of barrel shapes and sizes, as St-Romain was not much frosted. Pale colour with a light green tint. Fresh bouquet, some lime blossom, good tension here with a mineral backbone, and an attractive finish. Drink from 2024-2027.In Bond£70.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2018 Volnay Les Caillerets 1er Cru was the first red to be picked by Leroux, on August 29. It has a slightly smudged bouquet of brambly red fruit, sous-bois and a pepperiness imparted by the two-thirds whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture and quite structured, like a Pommard, with its limestone soils very expressive and lending vivacity on the finish. Good potential.In Bond£412.00

