Tim Atkin MW (95)

The de Vogü  Amoureuses vines are the first ones on the right as you arrive from Vougeot. They suffer from virus and now are under a replanting program with the domaine's new winemaker, Jean Lupatelli. (The 2020 wines were made by Fran ois Millet.) Despite the state of the vineyard, there is excellent energy here with the lick of limestone texture countered by smooth tannins and a sweet fruit core. Strawberries, pomegranate seeds and warm earth lead into the strong finish. 2025-38

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru is a classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of lemon oil, citrus blossom, green apple, mandarin and beeswax, subtly framed by new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, beautifully complete and multidimensional, with a broad, satiny attack, a deep, layered mid-palate and a pure, penetrating finish. Youthfully reserved today, its almost understated elegance conceals impressive reserved of structure and extract.

Crafted in the esteemed Burgundy region of France, the Comtesse de Cherisey Meursault 1er Cru Blagny La Genelotte 2016 is a masterful example of viticulture finesse. This radiant white wine embodies the time-honoured traditions of its monopole vineyard, nestled within Meursault's Blagny sub-region. With meticulous cultivation practices, Comtesse de Cherisey yields immaculate Chardonnay grapes that capture the region's terroir exquisitely.

Undergoing cautious vinification in French oak barrels, this enticing nectar lends itself to elegant complexity. Predominantly mineral, the palate unravels with tropical fruit and floral notes, sung alongside a harmonious, creamy length. The 2016 vintage, marked by its favourable growing conditions, delivers an exceptional balance of opulence and acidity.

The ensemble of traditional and avant-garde techniques undertaken by the revered Comtesse de Cherisey Meursault 1er Cru Blagny La Genelotte estate manages to create a truly distinctive tasting experience with the 2016 vintage. One that will captivate white Burgundy aficionados and discerning collectors alike.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru is matured entirely in new oak with 40-50% whole-bunch fruit. It displays sublime purity on the nose, which offers layers of brambly red fruit mixed with crushed stone, pressed rose petals and freshly tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins and a perfect line of acidity. Tighter than the Mazis-Chambertin, with a precise and quite conservative finish. This is another profound Chambertin from Arnaud Mortet.

Wine Enthusiast (92)

This is a lightweight Cristal, floating and fresh, without the punch this great wine can have from Pinot Noir. It is also way too young. To taste, there is good balance, but the persistent grapefruit flavor shows the wine's youth.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2020 La Tâche Grand Cru is magical, mingling notions of mulberries, cherries and cassis with scents of bergamot, black tea, licorice, exotic spices and peonies. Full-bodied, rich and resonant, with a broad attack, huge mid-palate amplitude and a supple, seamless, elegantly muscular profile, this is a remarkably powerful but also profoundly complex, intellectually and sensually thrilling young wine.

LaRVF (95)

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru 1997

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2016 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru is a worthy successor to the profound 2015, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, peony, dark chocolate, cinnamon and exotic spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and satiny, with an ineffable sense of completeness, searing concentration without weight, a vibrant, indeed animating line of acidity, and a long, expansive finish that concludes with a judicious touch of mouthwatering bitterness. Wines like this are the foundation of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's reputation.

Wine Advocate (93)

A forward, sexy-style Cote Rotie that shows more oomph than most in the vintage, Jamet's 2000 Cote Rotie offers the hallmark complexity of the estate with its perfumed raspberry, game, flowers, olives and peppery bouquet. This carries to a full-bodied, voluptuously textured, seamless wine that has excellent purity, low acidity and tons of charm. Probably closest in style to the 1990, drink this character-filled beauty over the coming 5-7 years.

Wine Advocate (98)

Disgorged over a year ago with 0.8 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières is a striking Champagne, unwinding in the glass with scents of pear, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, mandarin orange, almonds and buttery pastry. Full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it's layered and muscular, with an immensely concentrated core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. As I've written before, this cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Sancerre Clos La Néore is almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place. Don't expect a seductive Sancerre, this is dry and steely with an appealing bitterness making for a very grown up white wine. It's starting to show early signs of development in its light almond/lanolin character alongside lemon tea. It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on. If you have any in your cellar, I can make myself available for dinner.

Crafted by esteemed winemaker Edmond Vatan, the Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a fine example of terroir-driven vinification. Produced in the heart of France's Loire valley, it's one of the last remaining single plots of Sancerre, offering unrivalled purity and typicity of the region.

The Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 demonstrates an exquisite balance of ripe fruit, minerality, and palate-gripping acidity. Hand-harvested from vines averaging 50-years-old on Kimmeridgian marl soils, this prestigious Sauvignon Blanc ferments naturally in old wooden foudres to enhance its inherent complexity.

With a limited production, the wine reveals a striking, crystal-clear golden hue alongside an aromatic profile of citrus zest, ripe apple, and flinty undertones. It's exceptionally layered, showing vibrant fruit, precise acid, and a lingering finish. Best consumed after carefully decanting, Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a sought-after vintage deserving of a place in the cellars of discerning neophytes and seasoned collectors alike.

Wine Advocate (99)

Broad and powerful, Egly's 2012 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a serious, vinous Champagne somewhat reminiscent of his brilliant 2002. Delivering complex aromas of pear, honeycomb, orange oil, sweet stone fruits, praline and freshly baked bread, it's full-bodied, deep and muscular, with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. Complex and compelling, readers will have a hard time choosing between the power and texture of 2012 and the quintessentially elegant, seamless 2013. Both are benchmarks for what contemporary Champagne can achieve.

Vinous (94-97)

(made from same plot of 60+-year-old vines on the Chambertin side of this grand cru as in the past; 100% destemmed): Bright dark red. Raspberry and a touch of reduction on the nose. Then dense, sappy and high-pitched in the mouth, with terrific intensity and saline complexity to the intense red berry flavors. Notes of menthol and crushed stone contribute to an impression of youthful tightness. Harder to taste today than the classic Clos de Bèze, which is showing more energy and salty minerality in the early going. But this is subtler and longer on the aftertaste, with a distinctly floral, feminine character that reminded me of a great Chambolle-Musigny. Very different in style from Faiveley's basic Clos de Bèze, but is it better?

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Sweet ripe berry fruits on the nose, depth of flavour, precision and clarity that last from the first to the last moment of this wine. Clear cocoa bean, espresso, chocolate, but also concentrated bilberry, blackberry and raspberry. The tannins are slate-strewn, textured, adding persistency and mouthwatering salinity to the palate. This is a brilliant Figeac, and ones that lovers of this wine should absolutely not miss. Harvest September 21 to October 15, 100% new oak for ageing.

Vinous (99)

The 2015 Flaccianello della Pieve is even more stratospheric than it was last year. Rich and ample on the palate, Flaccianello captures all of the best qualities of this radiant vintage. The blend of sites, all in higher altitude spots near the center of town, yields a gorgeous, riveting wine of the very highest level. Dense and brooding, with magnificent energy as well as nuance, the 2015 Flaccianello is positively stunning.

Wine Advocate (91)

A tribute to local tradition, the 2014 Barolo Albe represents an assembly of fruit from various vineyard plots throughout the area. Winemaking is classic in approach with a 25-day maceration period and aging in large Slavonian oak casks. This vintage shows silky, fine lines and a more accessible approach for near and medium-term drinking. I would recommend a few more years of bottle aging, however, to allow the wine the time to grow in texture and mouthfeel.

Wine Spectator (94)

Elegant and expressive, this red evokes cherry, raspberry and floral notes, aligned to a refined structure. This is balanced and leaves an aftertaste of fruit, tobacco and iron. Best from 2023 through 2043. 3,300 cases made.

Wine Enthusiast (93)

Red berry, rose and camphor aromas waft out of the glass. Tangy and delicious, the smooth, full-bodied palate doles out ripe Marasca cherry, fleshy raspberry and hints of ground baking spice framed in taut, polished tannins. It's already accessible but also has good midterm aging potential.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole is a delicate and pure expression of Nebbiolo. The wine shows its naked beauty with pride, provocatively semi-dressed in lacy, floral aromas of wild rose and pressed violets. At this young age, the wine exhibits a gentle mix of fruity and floral characteristics that merge into the bouquet with intrepidness. The fruit from this vineyard within the Barolo township has maintained its freshness and crispness despite the heat of the 2015 growing season. I think it would be a lovely match for a veal piccata and cream sauce, with parsley and capers.

Wine Advocate (98)

From the Bricco delle Viole cru, or the vineyard most strongly associated with this historic estate, this is a versatile or "evergreen" wine that always delivers consistent results. The G.D. Vajra 2016 Barolo Bricco delle Viole sees fruit from a seven-hectare vineyard with high exposures positioned at 400 to 480 meters above sea level. This site shows characteristic Tortonian-era soils classified as Sant'Agata marl with fossils. These soils have an enormous capacity to regulate the ripening process, resulting in the longer growing seasons relished by the Nebbiolo grape. In a word, the profile here is classic. You get delicate fruit tones and wild rose with camphor ash, licorice and tar. The wine is beautifully harmonious and ethereal. Some 15,000 bottles are hitting the market now.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

Aromas of underbrush, pine forest, woodland berries and cedar form the enticing nose. Full-bodied and savory, the structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and cinnamon before closing on pipe tobacco notes. Tightly knit but refined tannins provide the backbone, while surprisingly fresh acidity for the hot vintage keeps it balanced.

Vinous (94+)

Bright medium red. Knockout high-pitched aromas of red berries, peony and orange peel. Boasts compelling subtle density and sharp definition to its taut flavors of blackberry, violet, licorice, spices and minerals. In its juicy sappiness, this is like chewing on a ripe cherry. A classic Bonnes-Mares, offering superb volume without any undue weight. And an outstanding example of what phenolically ripe fruit could make in this cool vintage.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Dark crimson. Juicy and alluring on the nose. And then wonderfully rich and exciting on the palate. Great intensity and majesty. Woo hoo! Long and gorgeous.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-100)

All three cuvées, white soil, red soil and the new plot, have been blended. Overall two-thirds of the blend comes from white soil Bonnes Mares. Two thirds whole bunch, one third new wood. Glowing rich purple, with a beautiful bouquet demonstrating exquisitely balanced fruit. Ripe of course but there are some red threads in with the darker fruit, fine acidity too, just a sumptuous covering of exquisite dark raspberry and a little touch of blackberry. Bravo! There is a lovely covering of flesh on top of natural vivacity.

Vinous (90+)

The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Village is positively bulging with black and red fruit on the nose of dense blackberry and bilberry; a light marine influence surfaces with time. The palate is well balanced with firm, grippy tannins that feel more robust and slightly drier than the 2019 compared alongside. A little brusque on the finish at the moment; this will require time.