Vinous (94)

The 2019 Chablis Vosgros 1er Cru was showing just a small reduction on the nose, though it could not disguise the scents of yellow plum and honeysuckle and touches of wet limestone. The palate is very well balanced, taut and fresh, pinned down by a fine bead of acidity and very intense on the minerally finish. This fulfills the potential I found last year out of barrel.

Partake in the treasure that is the Guy Amiot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2019, a magnificent expression of Burgundy viticulture. This esteemed producer, known for its iconic, biodynamic practices, is located in the renowned Chassagne-Montrachet region where limestone and clay soils foster a perfect vine-growing microclimate. Displaying the highest craftsmanship, Guy Amiot's Chardonnay grapes are hand-harvested and pressed in whole clusters, undergoing fermentation in French oak barrels (partial new) for a layered richness.

Coming from the commendable 2019 vintage, this white wine exudes vibrant, succulent fruit aromas underscored by flinty nuances - a testament to its terroir. On the palate, you'll experience a finely-tuned balance of intense fruit character and refreshing minerality, with a lingering finish that echoes its superior quality. The Guy Amiot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2019 is a quintessential Burgundy masterpiece, brilliantly demonstrating the extraordinary potential of its cherished vineyard origin.

Experience the refined elegance of the Guy Roulot Auxey Duresses 1er Cru 2019, an exquisite Burgundy produced by the esteemed Guy Roulot estate. Nestled on the slopes of the Montagne de Bourdon, the vineyard enjoys an optimal climate, rendering their grapes full of character and balance. This vintage seamlessly combines varietal pinot noir, drawing its nuanced flavours from 50-year-old vines.

Winemaker Jean-Marc Roulot strictly adheres to organic farming principles, delivering an assurance of natural purity in every sip. The Guy Roulot Auxey Duresses 1er Cru 2019 is matured in French oak barrels for 18 months, contributing to its well-rounded tannins and impeccably balanced structure. With notes of ripe red fruit and earthy undertones, this selection promises a complex and vibrant tasting experience. Prematurely indulgent but offering great aging potential, an addition that always enhances any discerning wine enthusiast's collection.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)

Picked 19th September, with enough fruit for two tanks: one was destemmed and the other not at all. Fresh light purple, one never expects a great depth of colour from the Clos des Poutures. This is very attractive and with a bit more flesh round the edges than sometimes, enough acidity, some tannins from the terroir and the vinification, but overall making an attractive ensemble here with some length.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles exhibits aromas of orange oil, toasted nuts, pear and white flowers, framed by a deft touch of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit and bright girdling acids, it concludes with a precise, mouthwatering finish.

Burghound (91-94)

(from a 1.08 ha mix of younger and older vines that average about 50+ years of age). Discreet wood influence surrounds the notably ripe and fresh aromas of cassis, plum liqueur, earth and evident sauvage wisps. There is excellent richness and volume to the suave, round and seductive mid-palate of the broad-shouldered flavors that contrast markedly with the very firmly structured, youthfully austere and impressively persistent finish. As is usually the case, this is very compact and backward and a wine that will require extended aging to reach its peak. (91-94)/2036+

Burghound (91-93)

(from a .33 ha holding of ~55-year-old vines). A cooler and airier nose combines notes of red and dark currant with those of spice, earth and a whiff of game. The markedly more finely textured flavors exude an almost pungent minerality on the impressively persistent and beautifully well-balanced finale. This is pretty much textbook ESJ with its combination of power and finesse. In a word, excellent. (91-93)/2029+

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin La Perrière 1er Cru contains 50% whole bunch and is matured in 30% new oak (Billon and Chassin cooperages). The very cohesive bouquet features brambly red berry fruit, briar, black tea and undergrowth scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a peppery entry, fine acidity and a Morey-like structure toward the finish. While not amazingly long, it is very nicely focused and exudes breeding.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru comes from vines over 70 years old and was cropped at 45hl/ha, the first vineyard to be picked in order to moderate alcohol. Containing 100% whole bunch, it has an intense bouquet of pine-needle-infused red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, and a little tarry toward the finish. Perhaps the most peppery of the domaine’s wines. I can see this aging beautifully.

Vinous (90)

The 2019 Santenay Clos des Gravières Vieilles Vignes has a perfumed bouquet that shows more delineation and poise than the 2020. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine acidity and fine-boned with ample mineralité on the finish. Excellent.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

Mugnier's 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses is thrilling, soaring from the glass with scents of peonies, blood orange, rose petals, raspberries, bergamot and Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's exquisitely refined, with melting tannins, vibrant fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Exemplifying the ideal of intensity without weight, this is worth every effort to seek out.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Mid garnet. Heady mushrooms and violet nose. This is extraordinarily concentrated and tastes like a grand cru. Wow! Classic, top-quality red burgundy that's so vibrant, rich and yet elegant. Really rather thrilling. Perhaps the most exciting 2019 I have tasted in London.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Bousselots 1er Cru veers much more toward red fruit on the nose, hints of meat juice and garrigue emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite saline and cohesive, leading to an energetic, peppery finish that lingers. Another promising NSG from Chauvenet.

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Deep cherry red. Intense black fruit and savoury/stony restraint combined. All in embryo, like the Perrières but here the tannins are even firmer. The core is serious dark fruit and some oak spice but it is not intrusive even if it adds a note of dark chocolate to the aroma as it opens in the glass. Fine tannins slightly thickened by the oak but smooth and in harmony with the fruit. Long, savoury finish. (JH)

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)

Rich purple, an even colour throughout the glass. Robust red fruit. There is a fine depth of flavour and some class here, plump in the middle, juicy and long, filling the mouth again, while keeping a mineral fresh feel too.

Jancis Robinson (16.5)

Mid crimson. Deep-fruited and much more perfumed than the straight village Nuits-St-Georges. A marked step up in finesse. Dry, finely chalky tannins. Sinewy but elegant with that perfume on the long finish. Impressive persistence. (JH)

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges 1er Cru has "grown up a lot over the last 10 years," according to Etienne Grivot. It is one of the more reticent cuvées on the nose this year, reluctantly unfolding to reveal more tertiary red berry fruit laced with garrigue and iodine. Good complexity, but these aromatics will need time to open. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, lithe tannins. Quite compact at the moment, this has good grip and a saline, marine-influenced finish that fans out beautifully. A succinct, understated Les Rouge that will give 20-plus years of pleasure.

Inspired by the legacy of Burgundy, the Jean Guiton Savigny Beaune Peuillets 2019 is a testament to the vintner's passion for traditional wine craftsmanship. This wine is produced in limited quantities in the heart of Burgundy, France; a region known for its distinctive terroir and venerable viticultural traditions. Hand-picked from prime vineyards, Jean-Guiton uses environmentally-friendly methods, championing biodiversity to create exquisite wines.

The Jean Guiton Savigny Beaune Peuillets 2019, is celebrated for complex layers of hawthorn, raspberry, and liquorice aromas. Matured in partially new oak barrels for about a year, this Pinot Noir exudes elegance with a silken texture, bright fruit, and prolonged finish. It provides an enriching sensory experience that leaves a profound, lingering impression.

Produced by Guillaume Guiton, a respected innovator in the field, this wine maintains the enviable quality that embodies the Jean Guiton estate's renowned reputation.

Vinous (93)

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet 1er Cru has a very attractive nose with enticing scents of nectarine, tinned white peaches, Braeburn apples and a light chalky note. The palate is well balanced with orange pith, apricot and lychee notes on the entry. This Champ Canet has fine depth and good tension, the mouth tingling with spicy residues after it has departed. Excellent.

Savour the exquisitely crafted Jean-Marc Seleque, Coteaux Champenois Premier Cru, Dizy 2019. This vintage originates from the esteemed Premier Cru vineyards of Dizy in the Champagne region of France. Produced by seventh-generation grower Jean-Marc Seleque, this wine encapsulates the family's dedication to quality and tradition, with each cluster handpicked and diligently selected for superior taste. The vinification process utilises oak barrels, fostering a refined and complex flavour profile.

This elegant wine is distilled from pure Meunier grapes, offering an impressive pallet of red fruits with a delicate minerality. Bright crimson in hue, the Dizy 2019 provides a remarkable balance between acidity and rounded smoothness, yielding an exceptionally pleasing finish.

Enjoy the Jean-Marc Seleque, Coteaux Champenois Premier Cru, Dizy 2019's fine craftsmanship with confidence, knowing it represents the best of Premier Cru selections.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru, which is a selection from six different tries through the vineyard, has an intense nose, slightly Alsace-like in style thanks to a hint of linseed oil intermingling with yellow plum and orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with a tensile opening. Lovely orange pith and nectarine notes here. Not a voluminous wine, but very focused on the finish. Excellent. 

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Beaune Grèves 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of dark berry fruit, light seaweed and oyster shell scents, and the 30% whole cluster lends a subtle tertiary aspect. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannins. This is very well structured, delivering palpable energy. A saline finish gets the saliva flowing. Just a delicious Beaune Grèves.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-95)

Raised in 30% new wood and 70% 1 year old. Solid purple with medium depth. The nose starts on the oak and soon moves to the fruit. Very succulent again, smoothly balanced with a firm grip to the tannins. Yet it is suavely put together. High class, and it certainly has the length. Tasted: October 2019

Vinous (93)

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has an austere nose that demands coaxing from the glass; struck flint and sea spray scents, cool, calm and collected. The palate is taut on the entry, then fans out with glee, notes of dessicated orange peel, white peach and tangerine, a lovely bitterness that counterbalances the concentration on the finish. Exccellent. Closure: Diam 30

Jancis Robinson (16.5+)

Cask sample. Sweet and round on the nose. Perhaps just a bit sweet and simple? May become more interesting. There’s a cool chewy element on the palate that promises well for the future although at the moment it manifests itself in a note of grapefruit-peel bitterness.

Jancis Robinson (16++)

Cask sample. Just a little fragile on the nose. A bit brutal in terms of astringency. Not a charmer but there is certainly enough acidity and tannin. Hard work at the moment.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Cask sample. Deep garnet. Intense ferny undergrowth on the nose and pretty exciting vivacity on the palate. More concentrated than most. Closer perhaps to the traditional view of red burgundy. There is so much fruit that you could, with murder in mind, drink this even sooner. GV (relatively).