Vinous (95)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Quartiers de Marie Haut Grand Cru has a beautifully-defined bouquet with tensile red berry fruit, wonderful focus, cracked black pepper and a touch of hoisin. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine depth and beguiling sense of symmetry that beckons you back for another sip. This is an outstanding Clos de Vougeot that will age supremely well in bottle.

As an acclaimed French winemaker, David Duband casts a spell with his rendition of the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020, a quintessentially 'Burgundian' Pinot Noir. This elegant wine hails from Chambolle-Musigny, a highly reputed French appellation where winemaking has rich historic lineage. Meticulous vine management using biodynamic principles and the tinder care the Sentiers vineyard is given result in a wine marked with finesse and structure.

The David Duband Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Sentiers 2020 exhibits vibrant aromas of dark cherry, violet, and damp earth, underpinned by an enchanting minerality. Defined by its refined palate, this wine is a harmonious balance of intense fruit, silky tannins, and a lingering finish. David Duband's talent for harnessing the terroir's unique character is evident in each bottle, promising an extraordinary journey into the heart of Burgundy enjoyment. Due to its limited production, each bottle is a prized possession for any discerning wine enthusiast.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

Only 30% decorticated as this was the last picked and the team had had enough – but makes an interesting contrast with the others. More purple than black in colour. Still has some rose petals which cannot be common in Clos Vougeot! Super deep with some liquorice behind where the fruit darkens, but up front and on the nose it is more dark raspberry and redcurrant. Not quite so fine tannins when not fully decorticated, it would seem. But a huge follow through. If it were not for the utter brilliance of the Echezeaux, I might score this even higher! Tasted: November 2021

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-98)

5 Star Wine. A rich dark purple. The nose is astonishing because of its definition. It is a slightly darker and certainly less lushly appealing style. Peppery notes are in balance but the volume of fruit surmounts. This is a fine and very noble example which could well leap ahead of the 2020 in the rankings. There is such a wealth of fruit, on the cusp of red and black, which returns in the very long finish. Bravo. Drink from 2030-2040.

Decanter (95)

Hudelot-Noëllat's 0.8ha holding is made up of two parcels, both of them in the best bit of the Grand Cru. Aged in 40% new wood, this is a not a blockbuster style by any means, emphasising freshness, balance and harmony instead. Floral, racy and supple, it has well-integrated 40% new wood, some vanilla spice and a poised, elegant finish.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a very well-defined bouquet, quite mineral-driven with crushed rock and pressed iris flower combined with dark cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, very focused with quite a strict and saline finish. There is a sense of class here and it has the substance to age well in bottle.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a deep color. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, raspberry, incense and crushed stone aromas, all incredibly detailed and precise. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, perfectly pitched acidity and a structured finish that delivers good grip and a touch of black pepper on the spicy aftertaste. Seriously fine.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

70% crop achieved, so perhaps the helicopter treatment worked. A deeper dense purple, with a serious concentration of fruit here. The advantage of the vines which were less ravaged. Then darker fruit, almost a chocolate nose, a little foursquare as per its terroir, small waves of darker fruit coming through behind, a dark plum for example, then an evenly balanced finish between fruit, tannin and acidity. Drink from 2030-2040.

Revered universally for its superior quality, the Pierre Girardin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2019 is a contemporary classic symbolising true French finesse. Nestled amidst the legendary Burgundy region, Pierre Girardin, a 13th generation winemaker, crafts this exquisite wine using meticulous methods. Beauteous blue clay and limestone-intensive soil replace additives, providing a distinct terroir.

The vinification process uses 100% destemmed grapes and indigenous yeasts, aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels. This careful crafting provides a full-bodied, richly layered spectrum of flavours from luscious blackberries to dark cherries, popping with undertones of well-integrated oak and earthy undertones. A surprising note of minerality and soft, rounded tannins leave a sumptuous, lasting finish.

The Pierre Girardin Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2019, boasting an alluring deep ruby hue, is a testament to the Burgundian tradition of winemaking and a superb reflection of its revered vintage.