Vinous (87-89)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes has a clean and pure bouquet with perfumed raspberry and wild strawberry scents, a subtle earthiness underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine acidity, gentle grip with a nicely structured, Morey-like finish. Fine.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2005 Smith Haut Lafitte rouge is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, it slips confidently out of the glass with notes of creme de cassis, baked plums, cracked black pepper, and pencil shavings, plus wafts of sandalwood and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and juicy, featuring soft acidity and a long, beautifully poised finish. In a sweet spot for drinking now, this can cellar a further 20 years+.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94)

In 2014 Smith Haut Lafitte produced an exceptionally soft, sexy Grand Vin. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice, menthol and red-toned fruit are all nicely delineated, while expressive floral notes give the wine a closing flourish of aromatic intensity. The 2014 is quite pretty, if a touch slender. It will drink well with minimal cellaring given its soft contours and supple, inviting personality. The blend is 62 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 6 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. Tasted two times.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte is flat out stunning. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous energy and tension to play off the wine's dark, rich fruit. I am not sure I have ever tasted a young Smith Haut Lafitte with such extraordinary balance. In 2016, the Grand Vin is tense and pulsing with energy. Hints of lavender, spice, menthol and crème de cassis open up in the glass, but the 2016 stands out for its feel and exceptional harmony. The combined effects of picking a bit early, vinifiying more gently and reducing the impact of oak are having a profound effect at Smith Haut Lafitte. Thinking of some of the highly regarded wines of the last decade here, the 2009 and 2010 in particular, well, the 2016 is on another level. This is magnificent showing from proprietors Florence and Daniel Cathiard, and their team led by Technical Director Fabien Teitgen.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte is flat out stunning. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous energy and tension to play off the wine's dark, rich fruit. I am not sure I have ever tasted a young Smith Haut Lafitte with such extraordinary balance. In 2016, the Grand Vin is tense and pulsing with energy. Hints of lavender, spice, menthol and crème de cassis open up in the glass, but the 2016 stands out for its feel and exceptional harmony. The combined effects of picking a bit early, vinifiying more gently and reducing the impact of oak are having a profound effect at Smith Haut Lafitte. Thinking of some of the highly regarded wines of the last decade here, the 2009 and 2010 in particular, well, the 2016 is on another level. This is magnificent showing from proprietors Florence and Daniel Cathiard, and their team led by Technical Director Fabien Teitgen.

Wine Advocate (97+)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm redcurrants, baked blackberries and crème de cassis with hints of spice cake, dried roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a fantastic core of densely packed red and black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks, and spice. Deep, profoundly concentrated, beautifully seamless and textured on the palate, it reminds me of the 2009 with its opulent, powerful style. It's a brilliant wine from this terrific estate and up with the top wines in the vintage. Hats off to director Fabien Teitgen who continues to make an elegant yet powerful, uncompromising style of wine.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks, and spice. Deep, profoundly concentrated, beautifully seamless and textured on the palate, it reminds me of the 2009 with its opulent, powerful style. It's a brilliant wine from this terrific estate and up with the top wines in the vintage. Hats off to director Fabien Teitgen who continues to make an elegant yet powerful, uncompromising style of wine.

Jeb Dunnuck (97-100)

Checking in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Smith Haut Lafitte reveals a saturated purple color as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, graphite, crushed rocks, and spice. Deep, profoundly concentrated, beautifully seamless and textured on the palate, it reminds me of the 2009 with its opulent, powerful style. It's a brilliant wine from this terrific estate and up with the top wines in the vintage. Hats off to director Fabien Teitgen who continues to make an elegant yet powerful, uncompromising style of wine.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge comes from terroir composed of 60% gravel and 40% clay and is a blend of around 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums, and juicy blackberries, with hints of candied violets, licorice, espresso, and tapenade, plus wafts of crushed rocks and wood smoke. Full-bodied, rich, and opulent in the mouth, it has very firm, super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the voluptuous, mineral-accented fruit, finishing very long and achingly perfumed.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Like the domaine's La Combe d'Orveau, this Premier Cru sits high on a slope above Grand Crus. The vines averaged 44 years old for the 2020 vintage, with the larger part planted in 1974 and the smaller bit planted in 1986. The focused, pure nose smells of blackberry coulis and fresh flowers. The palate bustles with freshness and energy as the finely-hewn tannins frame the medium body. 2024-35

Vinous (89-91)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a very attractive, quite floral bouquet, understated but opening with lovely red berry fruit and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite structured with a Morey-like personality on the finish. This is quite stylish and should age well in bottle.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Etelois was completely destemmed and has a reserved bouquet, quite earthy in style at first, featuring brambly red berry fruit. It becomes spicier with aeration, revealing hints of cumin and bay leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, smooth and beautifully balanced, the oak seamlessly integrated. It lingers nicely on the finish, completing a very composed and seductive Aux Etelois.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux 1er Cru seems to be fulfilling the promise it showed from barrel. Elegant and very pure on the nose, it unfurls with those same brambly red berry fruit scents, tinged with potpourri and wilted rose petal. The palate conveys that sense of transparency, filigreed tannins framing pretty red fruit, and shows decent grip on the finish. I can see this maturing with style.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux 1er Cru contains 20% whole bunch with 50% new oak. There is a very tiny reduction here but there is plenty of red berry fruit with touches of orange pith. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, very cohesive and fine tuned towards the pixelated finish. Very long, very finessed.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru contains no stems this year. It has a very delineated and focused bouquet with superb mineralité and tension. The palate is very well balanced with the 50% new oak neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine delineation and so much freshness thank to the limestone soils. Very fine tension on the tightly-coiled finish. This has great potential. Wonderful.

Presenting the remarkably grand Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corvees 2016, hailing from the esteemed Domaine Tortochot in the heart of Burgundy, France. This vivacious red wine is crafted with Pinot Noir grapes, exclusively cultivated within the renowned Les Corvées vineyard. This delicate process involves intricate, low intervention vinification in oak barrels; a testament to Chantal Tortochot's fourth-generation vineyard mastery.

The Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corvees 2016 exudes a profusion of ripe red fruits, layered with smoky, earthy undertones, exemplifying the unique terroir of Gevrey-Chambertin. Embodied within its medium-bodied elegance, it reveals a noteworthy balance of acidity and tannins, with a lingering finish; a characteristic treasured amongst dedicated connoisseurs.

Crafted with passion and tradition, a bottle of Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corvees 2016 serves not only as a refined compliment to a gourmet dinner but also a reflection of Domaine Tortochot's enduring legacy in the arts of viticulture and winemaking.

Hailing from Gevrey-Chambertin, the heart of Burgundy's red wine district, the Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois 2017 stands tall. Domaine Tortochot, lauded for their commitment to organic viticulture, meticulously crafts this stunning Pinot Noir. Unfettered by artificial substances, the unique vines impart a character that is innately Burgundy.

Off the vine, Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois 2017 proudly sports an intense rubellite hue, a prelude to its elegance. Each sip reveals layers of complexity, densely packed with rich aromas of dark fruits, rustic spices, and earthy undertones, underpinned by silky tannins.

Matured for 12 months in French oak barrels and rested for additional 6 months in tank, this fine wine exhibits striking depth and a remarkable finish. A testament to the masterly art of winemaking, Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois 2017 certainly deserves the spotlight in a discerning connoisseur's collection.

Vinous (90-92)

(the yield here was just 15 hectoliters per hectare, according to Jean-Louis Trapet): Good bright medium red. Deeper on the nose than the preceding village wines, offering aromas of plum, currant, roast coffee and cocoa. Graceful, fine-grained wine, offering very good depth, intriguing saline minerality and noteworthy precision. More floral than herbal. The persistent finish features a subtle sweetness and suave tannins that saturate the sides of the tongue. This will be Trapet's only premier cru bottling from the 2016 vintage.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin La Petite Chapelle 1er Cru, blended with 80% whole bunch, has a tightly-wound bouquet with crushed stone infusing the blackcurrant and raspberry scents, a nuanced Earl Grey scent percolating through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, finely-chiselled tannins, very good weight with just a hint of menthol that enhances the finish.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin "Ostrea" comprises around 70% whole cluster this year and comes from parcels around the village of Brochon. This has an elegant bouquet of gorgeous wild strawberry and raspberry preserve aromas, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and well-judged acidity, and so juicy that it is nigh impossible to detect the stem addition. This might well constitute the best "Ostrea" I have tasted from Trapet.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

(5-Star wine) Still in barrel, unracked. Rich deep purple with a heady ripe raspberry fruit. But it is fresh, clean, mineral and intense on the palate with a lovely supple fruit backed by clean energy. Darker fruit, but significantly more weight. In fact, this is astonishingly concentrated at the back of the palate. There are plenty of tannins here, but easily enough fruit.

Vinous (92)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea comes from vines that have now been rewired higher according to Jean-Louis Trapet. It has a more mineral-driven, reserved bouquet compared to the Gevrey-Village, fragrant and beautifully defined, the 40% whole bunch lending freshness. The palate is fresh and vibrant with gentle grip, good weight, taut and fresh with a saline, Morey-like finish. Classy, for Burgundy-lovers who like their Pinot a bit cerebral.

Vinous (91-93)

Apparently the berries were very aromatic when they entered the vat for the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Bel-Air 1er Cru, which includes 40% whole bunches. It has a lovely bouquet of wild strawberry, raspberry and wild hedgerow scents, touches of iris flower emerging with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite fleshy and velvety-smooth in texture. There is more density here on the finish, which shows touches of spice and marmalade and fans out nicely. This should evolve well in bottle.