Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

From the Puligny side of the appellation. Clear beautiful yellow colour. The nose is discreet but very classy, then this huge wealth of fruit expands across the palate. We can wait for the nose. This is beautifully poised, a little wood, a slight youthful bitterness, but both add to the grip. Long and fine. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: October 2022

Vinous (93-95)

The 2021 Chambertin Grand Cru offers a touch more complexity and nuance than the Clos-de-Bèze with red berry fruit, orange rind, crushed stone and wilted rose petals. It's a little more delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, again, quite creamy in texture with a bit of new oak on the finish (though there is a prudent use of new wood - one new barrel out of three). Quite seductive, this should age well in bottle, though afford it four to five years at least.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92-94)

Due to the small market, the 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru is a blend of Poissenot, Les Cazetiers, Combe Aux Moins and Lavaux Saint-Jacques. This still amounted to just three casks! It has a well-defined, fragrant and floral bouquet that blossoms in the glass with hints of orange rind in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine-boned structure. It's well-balanced and focused with a very harmonious and poised finish. Blending these vineyards together was the logical decision, but it has resulted in quite a wonderful wine.

Vinous (87)

The 2021 Chablis Vaucoupin 1er Cru has a primal, grapefruit and lemon thyme scented nose that feels a bit strict. The palate is well balanced with a sapid entry, though it needs more grip and substance on the finish. Fine, but early-drinking. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.

Dive into an unparalleled vino adventure with Alvina Pernot Bourgogne Cote d'Or Chardonnay 2021, an exemplary embodiment of French winemaking finesse. Expertly nurtured in the prestige fruit gardens of Bourgogne Cote d'Or, this varietal hails from the esteemed vineyards of Alvina Pernot, an acclaimed producer renowned for tradition and innovation.

This Chardonnay resounds with a subtle blend of sophistication and charm. Carefully fermented in barrels to capture its unique oaky flavours, the wine presents a lively, balanced palate, finishing with a display of lingering citrus notes that spell sheer elegance. One look at the golden-hued pour spells a tantalising foreshadow of the wine's flavour profile.

Alvina Pernot Bourgogne Cote d'Or Chardonnay 2021 is an eloquent statement of the exceptional quality and rich heritage of Alvina Pernot's viticultural artistry, promising an indulgence that befits the discerning connoisseur.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (87-89)

A fine even purple. A nose of charm and delicious, adequately ripe, dark red fruit. Energetic fruit, with a touch of sandalwood, tightly wound with quite high acidity. Just slightly dry at the finish, though compensated by surprising length. Drink from 2024-2026.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2021 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a little more "gourmand" on the nose, cohering with time in the glass, loamy, almost peaty aromas emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-honed tannins. Lovely symmetry here, with a slight creaminess in texture towards the finish, where it feels very persistent. This is a lovely Charmes-Chambertin that should evolve wonderfully in bottle.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2021 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Ruchots 1er Cru is more introspective at the moment, with fine intensity, the fruit is darker than the Aux Chezaux, with hints of graphite in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, one of the "juiciest" Moreys that I have encountered with candied orange peel and spicebox on the finish. Superb.

Wine Advocate (97-100)

A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95-97)

The 2021 Beau-Séjour-Bécot is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted here. Pliant and deep, with striking depth, the 2021 is outrageously beautiful. All the elements come together so effortlessly. Dark fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and incense all build in the glass. The creamy tannins are impossibly refined for the year, while the finish is eternal. The 2021 is a real stunner. Readers won't want to miss it!

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Cask sample. Very inviting nose, liquorice, dark crushed cassis, leather, strawberry jam – earthy dark spice. A supple and ripe palate with good freshness and acidity throughout. Tight and fine, firm tannins, dark fruits, liquorice, thyme and a ripe savoury-tinged finish. Wonderful.

James Suckling (94-95)

Wonderful nose of orange blossom, melon and ripe stone fruit, then very creamy and silky on the concentrated and refined palate. Very delicious for a dry white of this stature, tasted from the barrel! 100% roussanne from 50 to 60-year-old vines. From organically grown grapes.

James Suckling (97-98)

Brimming with citrus and acacia-blossom aromas, this extremely concentrated dry white has astonishing tension and vitality for this appellation. How can you resist the floral honey note at the fleshy heart of this masterpiece, or the astonishing mineral freshness at the super-long finish? 100% roussanne from ancient vines. From organically grown grapes.

Famille Perrin Tasting note: A fabulous year for the reds of Coudoulet of Beaucastel. Full-bodied, lush, velvety in texture, featuring notes cherry and plum paste, laced with stony minerality and garrigue accents. Very balanced wine with beautiful tannins. The finish has great length and very complex.

Vinous (91-93)

Shimmering violet color. Primary red and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of olive, smoked meat and cracked pepper. Offers fleshy, appealingly sweet cherry and blackberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Subtly chewy tannins add grip to a long, smoky finish that leaves cherry and spice notes behind.

Introducing the magnificent masterpiece by Domaine Bernard Gripa, the Bernard Gripa Saint Peray Les Figuiers 2021. Hailing from the renowned Rhone region of France, this distinctive white wine distinctly expresses terroir. It is crafted from 100% Marsanne grapes, grown on south-facing, terraced vineyards located at the foot of the Saint Péray, a symbol of the exceptional terroir.

The producer, Bernard Gripa, is celebrated for his virtuosity in producing wines that balance richness and delicacy effectively. The Bernard Gripa Saint Peray Les Figuiers 2021 echoes this signature style, offering a harmonious blend of intensity and complexity. On the nose, it reveals aromatic blossoms and ripe stone fruit, while the palate delights with lively minerality and a plush, long-lasting finish.

This exemplary wine promises an unforgettable experience for discerning aficionados. Savour the regality of Bernard Gripa Saint Peray Les Figuiers 2021, a landmark white wine in the Rhone's illustrious lineage.

Burghound (90)

This is aromatically similar to the Les Crais though with the addition of a discreet dollop of wood. There is a bit more volume and power to the medium-bodied flavors that flash ample minerality on the moderately austere finale that delivers first-rate depth and persistence. This excellent and ageworthy effort is a classic Fixin and very much worth your interest.

Vinous (89-91)

The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Village is a blend of three parcels, though 50% is Au Combe de Dessus. With 20% new oak, it has an attractive wild strawberry and red plum bouquet. Impressive focus. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-tuned tannins, quite vibrant and lively, orange rind and touches of black pepper furnishing the finish. Give this a year or two in bottle.

Distinguished by its eloquent expression of the Beaune terroir, the Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Aux Coucherias 2021 is a testament to fine French winemaking. Boris Champy, renowned agronomist and oenologist, meticulously harvests from the partially historic limestone-clay vineyards of Coucherias, in the heart of Burgundy's Beaune appellation. The wine displays the unique characteristics of biodynamic viticulture with sustainable vineyard management.

Hand-harvested grapes are vinified naturally, giving rise to a dazzling Pinot Noir unencumbered by excessive oenological intervention. The sublime balance of ripe fruit, integrated tannins and vivacious acidity render the Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Aux Coucherias 2021 an epitome of elegance. Its ageing potential, refined by 18 months in oak barrels, suggests a promising evolution. This wine delivers a brilliant representation of the vintage's idiosyncrasies, showcasing Burgundy's signature complexity and depth.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-95)

This is all on the red soil part of Bonnes Mares, vinified with 100% whole bunches. Pretty lighter brighter colour, some reduction, then whole bunch strawberries. Generous fruit on the palate, quite complex, very stylish and with fine promise. A fine long aftertaste.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-97)

A low key lemon and lime colour. Clean fresh and classic on the nose. A very typical fresh stony palate, lightly washed in citrus, with enough flesh to provide the body necessary for ageing, and a fine, long, persistently mineral finish. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: November 2022

James Suckling (94-95)

A medium-bodied, very polished Brane-Cantenac with firm yet fine and textured tannins. Deep and compact core of black fruit, herbs and spices. Pretty licorice and clove notes. Structured and long. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot and 1% carmenere.

James Suckling (94-95)

Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium body with medium, velvety tannins. Juicy. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.

James Suckling (94-95)

Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium body with medium, velvety tannins. Juicy. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.