Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

Full pale lemon. The bouquet is attractive with an intriguing note of liquorice. Quite full on the nose, with a little warmth as well as body, then brought back in to a beautiful finish. Good acidity. A little tension behind, needs time. A wine currently showing in two halves, but which may very well develop positively from here. A conservative score for now. Tasted: November 2021

Jancis Robinson (16)

Fermented in oak, 18–20% new, as for most village whites. Cask sample. Intense fruit aroma with notes of clementine and ripe lemons and a light touch of spice. Ripe and spicy. Super-creamy, with some almond and quite obvious oak on the palate – obvious at the moment but there’s freshness underneath. Not very subtle but lots of pleasure. Plenty of volume in the mouth, quite a powerful wine.

James Suckling (93)

A classically structured wine for this appellation with the weight and round generosity that we expect from it, but with plenty of bright citrus and pear fruit, something these wines can lack a bit of. Good depth with an excellent integration of chalky minerality and healthy acidity at the long and delicate finish. With aeration a touch of vanilla bean develops on the nose. Drink or hold.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

South Africa's Sweet Wine of the Year 2017.

Decanter (98)

An historical wine, Vin de Constance has been re-established in the last few years as one of the world’s finest sweet wines. Dried Muscat grapes are aged for three years before bottling, in French and Hungarian casks with a touch of acacia wood. Citrus, orange zest, rosewater and spice notes leap out of the glass. The palate has a laser-like focus with massive sweetness perfectly balanced by acidity and a mineral finish. As impressive as Château d’Yquem (and considerably better value).

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure.

Matthew Jukes (19.5++)

I am informed by the top man at Klein Constantia that the price will be the same as last year’s superb 2017 and all of the likely candidates in the UK are likely to hold stock. It will require a little effort on Google and you will see that a large number of wine merchants will list 2018 Vin de Constance and while the prices swing around like no other wine I know, at £60 or so, for a half litre, it certainly makes sense to me and when you consider the sheer quality of this vintage, it is a bargain for this celestial experience. Stock is likely to arrive in September 2021, but do feel free to register your interest with your preferred wine merchant now. Vintage reports suggest that the build-up to the 2018 harvest brought the highest summer rainfall of the last six years and, combined with some of the coldest night-time temperatures on record, the vines were granted a very long and very slow growing season. These conditions have imbued extreme delicacy of perfume and flavour and also staggering concentration and length in this wine. It also means that the 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure. Light bunches and tiny Muscat de Frontignan berries underline just how unusual this vintage was and with a harvest that was a fortnight later than average and crops down by about 15% all of these facts make sense when you taste this ethereal wine. Aged for three years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small number of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres, this is both a sensual and also sensitive wine. For a start, the colour is incredibly pale – think a young Sancerre! But the viscosity is amazing when you pour a glass because the liquid moves ever so slightly slower and more deliberately into the glass. The lights come on and the brain fires up immediately and it takes you by surprise just how quickly your olfactory system senses that you are in the presence of greatness. I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is exquisite. The perfume and palate combine in an astral haze of delight with orange blossom, fig, lemon verbena, wild honey and acacia notes caressing your senses. The texture is super-smooth, incredibly long and unnervingly gentle. It certainly possesses the longest finish I can remember on a Vin de Constance and I have, very fortunately, a tasted huge number of vintages of this wine. If you have never tasted this wine before, please start with this vintage – it will blow your mind. If you have and you are a fan, this is a critical purchase for your collection. I cannot wait to add this wine to my cellar later in the year.

Decanter (98)

Butterscotch, lemon patisserie and peach aromas. Pristine quality to the texture, lively and thrilling, this is a serious, opulent and powerful wine, more on the spiced, nuanced side with aspects of dried herbs, wood scents and bitter lemon and orange with a touch of honeyed lychee. It feels supremely complex and characterful. Sophisticated, layered and balanced with some minerality, a slight graphite edge all of which adds to the whole. It's still extremely youthful but there is real sculpting here, a sense of precision, style and freshness. Well crafted with an extremely long life ahead. A wonder, and one of the best from the estate!

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-95)

Some light green reflections in the primrose yellow colour. A stricter nose, perhaps a touch of sulphur. This may also appear more backward coming after the Charmes. Then a vast wealth of fruit on the palate and now we see the real wine. It maintains the herbal note I associate with Genevrières, alongside golden fruit at a perfect degree of ripeness. The fruit and the acidity weave in and out of each other. I would not want the fruit to be riper but it is full of charm as it stands, and kept in place by the precision of the structure. Very fine. Drink from 2029-2037.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2017 Meursault Charmes 1er Cru comes from Domaine Prieur-Brunet, specifically two plots in Meursault Charmes-Dessus (1.2 hectares), one close to Les Referts and the other close to Genevrières. These are integrated with existing vineyards owned by Louis Jadot, so the label will be under Domaine Louis Jadot and not Prieur-Brunet. This has a pretty, quite precise bouquet of citrus fruit infused with yellow flower aromas; light touches of walnut emerge with time. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and a hint of black currant leaf toward the finish; certainly a more elegant take on this Premier Cru. The cru has clearly benefited from the addition of the new holdings. An excellent Meursault.

Adorning the esteemed vineyards of Burgundy, the Michelot Meursault 2018 originates from the exceptional terroirs of Meursault. This luxurious white wine emanates an enchanting aromatic complexity dominated by wood and spices. Lovingly nurtured by Domaine Michelot, this wine gains character over the years, demonstrating the Michelot family's commitment to the virtuous ideals of tradition, quality, and respect for nature.

The harvest is carried out manually ensuring a selection of only the healthiest grapes. Aged in oak barrels for 12-15 months, the Michelot Meursault 2018 carries a lingering finish with a zest of acidity, reflecting a perfect balance of richness and elegance.

To be enjoyed preferably between 2021 and 2026, each sip of this fine wine testifies the expertise of six generations of winemakers at Domaine Michelot. Michelot Meursault 2018 is truly an extraordinary ambassador of Burgundian Chardonnay.

Elegant sophistication defines the Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021, a masterful showcase from one of Burgundy's prestigious wine estates. This white wine hails from Meursault, an acclaimed wine village in Côte de Beaune, where Pierre Girardin, the 13th generation winemaker, meticulously crafts it. Painstakingly nurtured in French oak barrels, it embodies true artisanal winemaking.

The Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021 exhibits graceful, complex notes of orchard fruits, light citrus, and subtle touches of honied almonds, draped in luxurious minerality. This is the epitome of Pierre Girardin's commitment to sustainable viticulture, resulting in an expression that marries power and finesse with an exquisite finish.

With its extraordinary balance and long-lingering aftertaste, rest assured the Pierre Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Porusot 2021 is not just a wine, it's a remarkable Burgundian experience.

Discover the splendour of the renowned Pierre Girardin Meursault Les Casse-Têtes 2020. This Burgundy white, carefully crafted in Côte de Beaune, France, is a testament to Pierre Girardin's impeccable precision and detail. Pierre, a 13th generation winemaker, focuses on producing minimal intervention wines. Each bottle reflects the unique terroir through biodynamically-farmed, hand-harvested Chardonnay grapes.

This extraordinary bottle showcases the unmistakable identity of Meursault's Les Casse-Têtes vineyard. Undergoing 18 months of 228-litre French oak barrel maturation, where 10% is renewed yearly, this wine develops its complex and well-integrated oak profile. On tasting, expect a balanced blend of fresh orchard fruits, floral notes, rounded out by a bright, mineral backbone and persistent finish.

Whether enjoyed now or cellared for future pleasure, each sip of Pierre Girardin Meursault Les Casse-Têtes 2020 signifies an encounter with French winemaking at its finest. Beerens are proud to present this exceptional addition to our collection.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Meursault Les Charmes-Dessus 1er Cru comes from two parcels located down from Les Perrières. The vines are 65 years old, one parcel on SO4 rootstock that is particularly low-yielding. This has a pretty bouquet, understated at first and then unfolding to reveal crushed stone and yellow flower aromas. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, slightly honeyed opening, richer than the preceding Village Crus but nicely focused. Lemon curd and a touch of stem ginger toward the finish. A delicious Meursault to drink over the next 12–15 years.

Vinous (89-91)

The 2020 Meursault Les Charmes-Dessus 1er Cru has a little more intensity on the nose compares to the Les Narvaux. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tension, quite poised and tensil with a twist of bitter lemon and orange rind furnishing the finish. This should drink well over the next decade.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

From three sources, all in the upper part. Glowing mid yellow. Lovely weight of fruit here, the oak lending a light coconut touch. There is a proper concentration behind, ripe enough as well, almost a petrol noted, and very persistent. Drink from 2026-2031.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru comes from a 0.42-hectare parcel of 55-year-old vines. This is a step up in quality, delivering impressive, mineral-rich citrus fruit that conveys real vibrancy. The palate is well balanced with touches of praline and nectarine and a lovely build in the mouth while maintaining fine tension, leading to a spicy and quite persistent finish. This is a quality Genevrières that should age well over the next two decades.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2020 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru has an attractive orange blossom and apricot scented nose, perhaps just needing a little more mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with fine crisp acidity, fresh with Golden Delicious and orange rind note. Quite linear towards the finish, this is a very approachable Meursault that should age well over the next 12-15 years.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)

Six barrels in all, from various sources. Clear bright mid yellow. A little bit more savoury, some pepper here, leaner and finer in profile than the Charmes but not quite as complete overall. Decent persistence. Drink from 2026-2030.