Vinous (99)

The 2018 L'Apparita is a total stunner. Ama's 100% Merlot is usually a wine of bombastic intensity, but the 2018 marks a departure from that style, as it is all finesse and nuance. Blackberry jam, spice, menthol and lavender are some of the aromas and flavors that open in an Apparita that dazzles with its precision and nuance. Rain at the end of August pushed out harvest and gave Marco Pallanti the ideal conditions to craft this gorgeous wine.

Vinous (98+)

The 2019 L'Apparita is incredibly powerful in this vintage. Huge searing tannins wrap around a core of dark-fleshed fruit. Incense, tobacco, chocolate, mocha, lavender and spice open, but only reluctantly. Whereas most 2019s in the Ama range are quite inviting at this stage, L'Apparita is a wine for the cellar. In other words, the 2019 is a tight, backward Apparita that demands patience.

Wine Advocate (92+)

The 2016 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens is also quite reserved, offering up aromas of sweet red berries, dark soil tones and spicy new oak. On the palate, the wine is quite medium to full-bodied, chalky and firm, with broad shoulders and good concentration at the core. It's a promising Rugiens in the making but it will demand some patience.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

97-99 Barrel sample. A tasting from several barrels, because the chateau has not made the final blend, so the rating is provisional. But the wine is so rich, with an almost perfect balance of acidity and ripeness, allied to a complete purity of honeyed botrytis. However the final wine turns out, it will be magnificent.

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2015 Climens is notoriously difficult to taste in its youth, the aromatics often shutting down for the first few years and consequently showing poorly in blind tastings. Indeed, this transpires during the blind tasting of 2015 Sauternes so I retrieved another bottle and allowed it 48 hours to open. This is where this note comes from. It has a bashful bouquet compared to its peers with notes of beeswax and honeycomb, just a touch of jasmine developing in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a lightly spiced opening, notes of stem ginger and rhubarb with a vivacious and quite persistent finish that bodes well for the future. It is a great Climens in the making, but it will need a decade in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Vinous (94)

The 2016 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru has a classic, undergrowth infused bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of stewed black tea emerging with time, tobacco and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, succulent and juicy with a fleshy, almost Volnay-like finish that is very appealing. This is a well crafted and comparatively approachable Pommard. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2017 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru has a wonderful bouquet that fulfills its potential from barrel, offering immediately seductive brambly red fruit, crushed minerals and pressed rose petals. The 25–30% new oak is so neatly folded into the fruit that it is barely noticeable. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and quite citrus-driven, revealing orange peel and blood orange notes. Linear at first and then gently fans out and gains depth toward the persistent finish. Superb.

Jancis Robinson (18.5)

Cask sample. Quite a price! Transparent crimson. Very dense nose with more layers than most of the 2018 red burgundies I have tasted so far. Pretty rich with grand cru density. Very well done. Actually the best Clos des Epeneaux I remember tasting en primeur. Long, rich, opulent but all in a convincing structure. Very long in fact.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru was bottled in June and July ‘21. Very perfumed and floral scents on the nose, dark cherries, bergamot, damp earth and touches of clove, later hints of violet and blood orange (traits that I observed out of barrel). This is nicely detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a classy espresso-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. Excellent.

Decanter (96)

The final blend of this is superb, including both the energy of the young vines and the density of the old. They deliver a lush, spicy fruit with a strong mineral underpinning, a dense texture, firm but supple tannins and an infinitely rewarding finish. The Clos des Epeneaux is produced from a monopole of 5.23ha located at the juncture of Grands Epenots (20%) and Petits Epenots (80%). The clos is divided by regisseur Paul Zinetti into four main subdivisions by age of vine and underlying soils which are farmed and vinified separately.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2021 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru, the crown jewel of the Domaine, has an intense nose with black cherries, raspberry coulis, white pepper and bay leaf. Lovely definition with a subtle briny note that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a firm grip and moderate weight, though it is missing some amplitude towards the finish due to the severely reduced volume. Yet it has plenty of freshness and length, so afford it five to six years in the cellar.

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

Vinous (88-90)

The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Village, matured in 30% new oak, has a generous bouquet of red berry fruit, plus touches of brown spice and light loamy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and lightly spiced red berry fruit mixed with white pepper and sage, dovetailing into a slightly compact but fresh finish. Fine.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Superb. The acidity is geometric, triangular, feisty, orange-blossom fragrant, direct. The fruit is orange and passion fruit bleeding into plums and tea leaves and sage and mint and thyme and scribbles of pencils and late-summer nights and the finish is like walking through a just-harvested hay field when the first cool rain of autumn is falling soft as mist. Love this. It's delicious, delicious, delicious. I tasted it right at the end of a very long tasting – seven hours on my feet – and it quite literally revived my flagging soul.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Succulent, polished fruit in beautiful balance. This is enough to inspire a rash of multi-vintage blends, no? Walter may disapprove of the incursion of those Bordeaux grapes but it's a really lovely drink, grown, presumably, not that far from Tenuta del Trinoro. Very long and nuanced. Beautiful texture and freshness. Lip smacking! How wonderful to find this under £20 a bottle. No prizes for label design but I'd much rather all the effort went into making a lovely (and ready) drink. Not a wine for long keeping. Just drink it. Very good value.

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Full bottle all of 1,405 g. 95% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Cask sample. 18 months in oak envisaged. No information on yield. Greenish hint to the golden hue. Very classic with a botrytis note and some real freshness. Weight and integrity here with a savoury, even bacon-fat, finish. Not one of the sweetest wines, or what I probably mean is that the acidity is more pronounced than in many of its peers. Sleek and fresh. But probably for relatively early drinking. 13.5% Drink 2024 – 2038

A harmonious symphony of opulence and finesse, the David Duband Chambolle Musigny 2019 is the culmination of meticulous craftsmanship from renowned French winemaker, David Duband. Exquisitely hailing from his estate in the heart of Burgundy's Chambolle-Musigny village, this wine is a testament to sustained tradition and dedicated viticulture. Each grape was handpicked from this famed appellation before undergoing rigorous selection and gentle destemming, a technique employed by only the most discerning of vignerons.

The wine exudes a pristine ruby hue and reveals an exquisite bouquet of wild berries and violets, underpinned with a subtle hint of oak. On the palate, its opulence is eloquently balanced with a fine line of acidity, unveiling a depth of intricate texture and jubilant fruit flavours. The David Duband Chambolle Musigny 2019 offers a testament to the mastery of its eponymous creator, expertly capturing the quintessence of its prestigious terroir.

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.

Vinous (90)

The 2015 Duemani (Cabernet Franc) is a powerful, sumptuous wine endowed with considerable depth. Dried herbs, leather, cedar, smoke and tobacco give the Duemani its distinctive aromatic signatures. Even though the 2015 is quite powerful, the presence of slightly forward aromas leads me to believe it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later.

Jancis Robinson (16)

Deep cherry; less typically Chambolle than some, quite meaty actually. Floral later.

Burghound (88-91)

There is just reduction present to blur the nuances of the underlying fruit. More interesting are the very fresh and super-sleek middleweight flavors that possess fine intensity while exhibiting ample minerality on the lingering and youthfully austere finale. This is a Chambolle of contrasts as the lacy mid-palate is markedly different from the borderline rustic finale

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

80 year old vines in deeper soil just below Rugiens, with deep roots which make it consistent each year. Avoided the frost. 30% whole bunch, three new barrels out of ten. A fine mid purple with some depth of fruit. The stems have done their job of lifting the bouquet, this is rather delightful, too much fruit to be called floral but there are some roses in the background too. A little firmer on the palate, and a fresh acidity to finish. Promising. Drink from 2027-2034.

Super precision on the nose, charming bright red and black fruits and that characteristic deftness of flavour from Chambolle-Musigny. An elegance on the palate, the tannins, acidity and alcohol all in perfect balance and bright, seductive notes of cranberry, redcurrant, touches of violets and soft subtle spices from the oak, with a line of minerality running through.

James Suckling (93)

Notes of blueberries, blackberries, porcini and nutmeg. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced with a fleshy texture. Round and velvety. Long, flavorful finish. Fine and fresh at the end. Drink or hold.

The Wine Independent (96)

This 2019 La Massa is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It starts with smoke, spice and bitter cherry notes on the nose. Oak notes dominate at first but on standing it opens up to fragrant, floral notes like rose and iris. On the palate it is round and smooth but not too heavy. This is a very stylish wine that manages to balance elegance with plenty of depth of flavor, tied together with juicy acidity and fine tannins. I love the purity, brightness of this wine and the deft touch of the winemaker. There is a brilliance to the fruit and a high quality to the tannins which mark it out as something special.

Wine Advocate (97)

This is a truly sumptuous wine that stands as a tall testament to the winemaking talents of Giampaolo Motta, his vision for interpreting this vintage and his specific vineyard site in Panzano in Chianti. This standout wine brings Fattoria la Massa to a new level of accomplishment and opens an exciting new chapter of possibility. The 2013 Giorgio Primo (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot) is dark and impenetrable on first impact. The aromas accelerate slowly and grow evenly in power and intensity after a few quick swirls of the glass. The bouquet peels back with dark fruit aromas, baking spice and Mediterranean herb. The effect is seamless and smooth. A velvety texture is accented by full-bodied richness and just enough freshness to keep the palate energized. And, of course, this is just the beginning of a long cellar life.

Vinous (97)

The 2018 Giorgio Primo represents a new level of finesse at La Massa. Powerful and dense in the glass, with tremendous structure, Giorgio Primo is a terrific example of how compelling international varieties are in Panzano's Conca d'Oro district. Crème de cassis, spice, new leather, chocolate and sweet spice build into the textured, palate-staining finish.