Tim Atkin MW (98)

Concentration is easy to achieve in Argentina,” says Alberto Antonini, “but texture is much harder.” All I can say is that he has succeeded here on this best-ever release from Altos Las Hormigas, which brings Burgundian levels of grace and complexity to Malbec. Scented, hauntingly graceful and complex with remarkable focus and depth, a hint of oak, sweet red fruits and a lingering finish. Exceptional winemaking.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru came across very backward on the nose, gradually opening with black fruit and black olive/briny aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe black cherry and blueberry fruit, sweet and sorbet-fresh with a high-toned, yet focused finish that lingers long in the mouth. Very promising but it will require 3-4 years in bottle.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Fresh dark purple, a mild reduction, a wine of elegance and charm on the palate with a surprisingly peppery finish. Almost exotic Asian spices. The fruit itself spreads beautifully across the palate, a mix of red and black. Tasted: December 2021

The Aurelien Verdet Morey-Saint-Denis Rouge 2016 is an exquisite Burgundy wine, exhibiting a delightful composure of elegance and depth. Bracing the standards of eco-conscious viticulture, Aurelien Verdet, the young noted producer, employs organic and biodynamic methods in the legendary terroirs Near Nuits-Saint-Georges. The grapes are handpicked at the peak of ripeness, ensuring that the wine's aromatic profile achieves a balance of ripe red berry expressions and earthy undertones.

The grapes are fermented in wooden vats then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. This intensive process bestows the Aurelien Verdet Morey-Saint-Denis Rouge 2016 with its sophisticated character. Decanting is advised to unlock its full palate potential, which includes tones of raspberry, dark cherry and hint of spices, complemented by silky tannins. This wine's vivacious complexity serves as testament to Verdet’s commitment to traditional Burgundian winemaking standards. A gem for any serious aficionado of French Wine.

James Suckling (98)

This is a phenomenal malbec with intense blue fruits such as blueberries and blackberries. Black truffle, too. Full-bodied, bright and juicy with fantastic power and richness. Yet the acidity just keeps going. Volcanic salt and white peppers. A thoroughly breathtaking wine. Try after 2020.

Vinous (89-91)

The 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis Village comes from four climats scattered across the appellation and sees one-third new oak. Compared to the Chambolle Village, there is more fullness of fruit on the nose, which offers red cherries, crushed strawberry and rose petal aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a fine bead of acidity, a little piquancy toward the finish and a bit of orange zest on the aftertaste. Excellent.

Wine Advocate (90-92)

A cuvée that's often the insiders' choice chez Dujac, the 2021 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru has turned out well, mingling aromas of plums and berries with hints of baking spice and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's layered and textural, with sweet tannins, lively acids and a perfumed finish.

Embark on a distinguished vinous journey with the impeccably crafted Georges Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes 2018. Cultivated in the prestigious vineyards of Burgundy, this epitome of French viticulture exhibits the savoir-faire of generational winemaking. Lush, elegant and truly captivating, this Pinot Noir is nurtured on marl and limestone-dominated soil for ultimate depth, ensuring a characteristically terroir-driven palate. Winemaker Benoît Stehly follows time-honoured practices, emphasising on organic viticulture and meticulous hand-harvesting for pure expressions of fruit.

Matured in French oak barrels, the Georges Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes 2018 teases with vibrant red fruit, culminating in a complex, layered experience on the palate. Its silky tannins, sombre colour, and sublime textures promise a truly divine libation. Indulge yourself in a bottle of this refinely structured, multi-faceted wine that impeccably showcases the prestige of its noble birthplace.

Vinous (87-90)

(no new oak used here or in the foregoing wines): Palish medium red. Spicy redcurrant and raspberry aromas are complemented by a suggestion of smoke. Subtly sweet and a touch reduced, showing good intensity and verve to its flavors of red fruits, brown spices and underbrush. Finishes with rather fine-grained tannins and a slightly rustic peppery nuance.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

The 2015 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière, which contains 50% whole bunch fruit, has a clean and precise, almost pixelated bouquet with blackberry, briary and cold limestone scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, quite structured in the mouth with filigree and tensile tannin. This is very focused, linear in style, which is surprising given the warmth during the growing season, with great clarity on the finish. This is just a fantastic Morey-Saint-Denis from Christophe Roumier.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (86-88)

Again quite a full yellow. The nose is full of apples and the palate brings out the chiselled hillside aspect but there is still some flesh. He has kept CO2 high (1100-1200) and this assists the final crisp aftertaste. But this is not really my wine. Drink from 2024-2026.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru is another cuvée that includes 100% whole bunch this year. It has a well-defined bouquet, the stemmy element not quite as pronounced as on the Gevrey Champonnet and more integrated with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, and generous peppery black fruit laced with cedar and white pepper. The grippy finish needs time to abrade its edges. A traditionally cut Morey-Saint-Denis that needs to be consumed with food. Good potential here.

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.

Burghound (91-93)

A ripe yet cool nose reflects notes of black raspberry, poached plum and a lovely violet top note. There is very good volume to the caressing yet muscular medium-bodied flavors that deliver fine length and even better depth. This should be excellent in time.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru is 50% whole bunch with no new oak. It has a more powerful bouquet compared to the Clos des Ormes, although it does not exude the same mineralité or finesse. On the other hand, the palate is very well balanced and seems to have more depth and precision than the Clos des Ormes, leading to a compelling mineral-driven, saline finish that lingers for 45+ seconds. Superb.

Wine Advocate (91-93+)

The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Cuvée des Alouettes opens in the glass with notes of plums, cherries, raw cocoa, cinnamon and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, it's layered and elegantly gourmand, with lively acids and a precise, mineral finish. As usual, this hails entirely from the Clos de Monts Luisants, but the domaine opts not to mention the lieu-dit on the label to avoid confusion with their emblematic white wine from the same vineyard.

Experience the exquisite allure of the Rene Bouvier Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy 2019. This distinguished Burgundian wine represents the expertise of vintner René Bouvier, renowned for his philosophy of respect for the terroir and diligent vineyard practices. Harvested from vines averaging 55 years old, the wine utters the eloquent language of Pinot Noir with its symphony of aromas — highlighting cherry, forest floor, and black fruits.

This distinguished tipple unfurls complexity and depth through its intense, yet smoothly integrated tannins and remarkable freshness. Grown on a steep, high-altitude vineyard in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, the wine is capable of aging gracefully, promising a continual evolution of flavours over years. Each bottle of Rene Bouvier Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy 2019 showcases Dedication to sustainable viticulture and biodynamic practices, offering each sip a profound sense of the revered terroir. Indulge in the finesse and timeless elegance this illustrious wine provides.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis La Riotte 1er Cru is expressive on the nose with dark berry fruit, sous-bois, just a touch of tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet entry, ripe red cherry mixed with allspice and white pepper, segueing into a quite a concentrated finish with a long spicy after that might deceive you into think there are stems here. One of my picks from Taupenot-Merme this year.

James Suckling (98)

What a nose, garnering complexity and depth. A wide spectrum of aromas that range from blackberries and blueberries to graphite, tree bark and wet earth. A medium-to full-bodied red, showing so much fleshy fruit and powerful, chalky tannins. But never imposing nor flattering. Impeccable poise, with a long, tight finish. This is the kind of wine that you can drink now or lay down for two decades. Better from 2025.

Wine Advocate (100)

I was blown away by the 2016 Finca Piedra Infinita, a wine I have been anticipating because I’ve seen the progression of the wine over the last few years. They use almost 40 different components to make this wine from small plots within the vineyard, especially the soils they call "supercalcáreo" (super limestone). The other type of soil they use is what they call "gravas calcáreas" (limestone gravels), and they don’t use any of the grapes from the deeper soils that go into the Q range. The wine has reached a stratospheric level of precision, symmetry and elegance in 2016 that is really captivating. Everything seems to be in its place; there is great harmony, the aromatics are clean and pure and the texture is like liquid chalk. There is power and elegance, energy and finesse. This is a really outstanding wine that summarizes the hard work at Zuccardi in the last few years. Bravo! 6,400 bottles were filled in February 2017.

Wine Advocate (98)

They use some specific soils for the 2017 Finca Piedra Infinita, up to eight different plots, but not all plots contribute to the wine every vintage; in general, the zones with 20 to 60 centimeters of soil and then large stones with calcium carbonate are reflected in the wines. So, they deconstruct the vineyard, and then they build the blend with the plots they like for each wine, up to eight here but only a specific one for the Supercal and Gravascal. There's a little more ripeness and exuberance here within the general austerity of the whole Piedra Infinita range, especially when compared with the 2018s. They harvested 15 to 20 days earlier than in 2018 (or in 2016) and they had to run, but the separation they have by soil helped them to harvest earlier the earlier-ripening parts of the vineyard. That gave them a great advantage and they produced very good 2017s, but the condition of the year, a shorter cycle and a more hurried year was what it was. This 2017 is not as long as the 2018, and there is a strong chalkiness in the finish. 7,300 bottles were filled in August 2018.

James Suckling (99)

Aromas of crushed fruit with mushrooms, dried flowers, ash, charcoal, iodine and bark, following through to a full-bodied palate with superb depth of fruit and layers of polished, fine tannins. Extremely long and seamless. A beauty by all accounts. Complex. Juicy. Supple. Better after 2023, when it will give you all it has stored up in goodness, character and uniqueness.

James Suckling (98)

Such a profound nose with plenty of mineral, wild herb, violet and dark cherry aromas and flavors. Full-bodied on the palate with plenty of seamless and powdery tannins which melt into the fruit. Super pristine, polished and refined. An iron fist in a velvet glove. Muscular but intellectual. Better after 2025.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2017 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal is produced with fruit from a very balanced plot with some 50 centimeters of soil before reaching the stones and limestone. This half-hectare plot had very low yields, so they had to harvest it very early. The plants here are very balanced, and the wine produced has a marked herbal sensation, always combined with the stoniness. There is less difference between the 2017 and 2018 here than in the other Finca Piedra Infinita wines. This is precise, fresh and harmonious, with very fine chalky tannins and a combination of fruit, spice and minerality that make it really attractive. 1,500 bottles were filled in August 2018.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2018 Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal has notes reminiscent of some wines from the Northern Rhône, a combination of orange peel, blood and iron, denoting freshness and minerality, with a chalky sensation and a finish that is a mixture of juiciness, stoniness, saltiness and texture. It comes from a 0.51-hectare plot in the Piedra Infinita. The wine fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in concrete until bottling. I think they have fine-tuned these single-plot wines tremendously since the initial and almost experimental 2015; in this 2018 wine, I found lots of similarities with the Finca Piedra Infinita bottling—it really excels. It finishes with a sapid and salty sensation and marked chalkiness. Finesse, elegance, simply superb! 1,100 bottles were filled in August 2019.

Tim Atkin MW (100)

Red Wine of the Year - Argentina 2022 Special Report If you’d told me I’d be selling an Argentinian wine at this price when I started, I would have laughed at you,” says Sebastián Zuccardi, but this remarkable red is worth every peso and more. Reflecting the hard work and talent of two complementary generations of Zuccardis, Gravascal is as brilliant as it is daring. Entirely concrete-fermented and aged, it’s hauntingly complex stuff, with tangerine and dark berry fruit, thrilling minerality and precision, filigree tannins and a finish that lasts for over a minute. Truly world class, this is one of the two greatest young Argentinian wines I’ve ever tasted.

Wine Advocate (98)

There is a strong iron note in the 2018 Finca Piedra Infinita Supercal, a Malbec from a small plot within Piedra Infinita, usually the first plot to be harvested within Piedra Infinita. It's an extreme plot, very shallow and with pure stone and a strong character. They found this plot in search for "cal," pure limestone, so they want a strong sensation of chalk in the wine here. This is austere, and I think it's more precise than in previous vintages. Only 1,000 bottles were filled in August 2019.