Burghound (92)

A fresh and ripe nose combines notes of plum and dark cherry with those of earth, subtle wood and a cool spice wisp. There is excellent underlying tension to the more mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that are at once sleek and detailed before culminating in a sappy, austere and built-to-age finish. Excellent.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 1999 Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots is a stunning young wine that is still a decade away from full maturity but is already giving the full measure of its potential, exhibiting a superb bouquet of dark chocolate, ripe wild berries, rich soil, summer truffles and grilled ceps. On the palate, it's full-bodied, multidimensional and concentrated, with incredible depth and dimension at the core, framed by rich structuring tannins and concluding with a long and still youthfully chewy finish. This is the most powerful and broadest shouldered wine in this vertical of Grands Epenots, and it's a magical bottle in the making.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots has also turned out beautifully, mingling aromas of cherries, raspberries and orange rind with nuances of peonies, smoked meat, grilled ceps and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, succulent and enveloping, with terrific depth and concentration at the core, framed by lively acids and an elegantly muscular chassis of powdery structuring tannins. Like all Gaunoux's wines in 2017, this Grands Epenots marries seriousness with structural charm to very appealing effect.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots has also turned out beautifully, mingling aromas of cherries, raspberries and orange rind with nuances of peonies, smoked meat, grilled ceps and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, succulent and enveloping, with terrific depth and concentration at the core, framed by lively acids and an elegantly muscular chassis of powdery structuring tannins. Like all Gaunoux's wines in 2017, this Grands Epenots marries seriousness with structural charm to very appealing effect.

Burghound (94)

(Outstanding) Here too there is a discreet application of wood setting off the beautifully layered aromas of poached plum and spicy dark berries. The generously proportioned and appealingly refined medium weight plus flavors possess a suave and seductively textured mouthfeel while displaying outstanding length on the balanced and mildly austere finish where the only nit is the barest trace of warmth. This is arguably a bit more 2018 in style and a wine that should age gracefully for 15 to 20 years. In a word, terrific.

Burghound (94)

(Outstanding) Here too there is a discreet application of wood setting off the beautifully layered aromas of poached plum and spicy dark berries. The generously proportioned and appealingly refined medium weight plus flavors possess a suave and seductively textured mouthfeel while displaying outstanding length on the balanced and mildly austere finish where the only nit is the barest trace of warmth. This is arguably a bit more 2018 in style and a wine that should age gracefully for 15 to 20 years. In a word, terrific.

Wine Advocate (94)

A wine of grand cru depth and dimension even in this challenging vintage, the 2013 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens delivers a reserved bouquet of sweet red fruits, spices, candied peel and subtle espresso roast. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with excellent concentration, satiny tannins and a long, chewy finish that's lent delineation by the wine's tangy acids. The only missing ingredient is time.

Wine Advocate (94)

A wine of grand cru depth and dimension even in this challenging vintage, the 2013 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens delivers a reserved bouquet of sweet red fruits, spices, candied peel and subtle espresso roast. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with excellent concentration, satiny tannins and a long, chewy finish that's lent delineation by the wine's tangy acids. The only missing ingredient is time.

Wine Advocate (95)

More brooding than the Grands Epenots, the 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens unfurls in the glass with a deep-pitched bouquet of cassis, black cherries, rich soil tones, peonies and dark chocolate, deftly framed by a discreet touch of oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a textural attack, muscular but velvety structuring tannins and a long, resonant and intensely sapid finish. This is a brilliant wine from Gaunoux, and one of the wines of the vintage along the Côte de Beaune this year.

Wine Advocate (95)

More brooding than the Grands Epenots, the 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens unfurls in the glass with a deep-pitched bouquet of cassis, black cherries, rich soil tones, peonies and dark chocolate, deftly framed by a discreet touch of oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a textural attack, muscular but velvety structuring tannins and a long, resonant and intensely sapid finish. This is a brilliant wine from Gaunoux, and one of the wines of the vintage along the Côte de Beaune this year.

Burghound (95)

(Outstanding) A cooler and more elegant nose is dazzlingly pure with its elegant aromas of anise, essence of violet and rose petal, black cherry and an interesting hint of Asian-style tea. There is excellent power and underlying tension to the large-scaled flavors that possess a positively gorgeous mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the stony, detailed and compact finale. This is picture perfect Rugiens.

Burghound (95)

(Outstanding) A cooler and more elegant nose is dazzlingly pure with its elegant aromas of anise, essence of violet and rose petal, black cherry and an interesting hint of Asian-style tea. There is excellent power and underlying tension to the large-scaled flavors that possess a positively gorgeous mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the stony, detailed and compact finale. This is picture perfect Rugiens.

The Michel Magnien Chamboll-Musigny Argillieres 2016 is a masterwork cultivated in Burgundy's prestigious Côte d'Or. It speaks of the expertise of its producer, Michel Magnien, a fourth-generation wine-grower dedicated to bio-dynamic viticulture. Crafted from Pinot Noir, this wine reveals the profound relationship between grape and terroir, reflecting its clay-limestone (Argillieres) soil origins. Artisanally matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, the wine’s evolution nurtures an expressive bouquet, highlighting ripe cherries, spice, and subtle earthiness.

On the palate, it offers a remarkably balanced, refined structure, affluent in fruit intensity, harmonised with supple tannins and elegant acidity. The Michel Magnien Chambolle-Musigny Argillieres 2016 presents an ethereal journey through the Burgundian countryside, encapsulating the essence of its revered vineyard pedigree. This exceptional wine showcases the potential of meticulously crafted, earth-conscious wines - a grand testament to Michel Magnien's holistic approach to winemaking.

Vinous (88)

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny Village, matured in 30% new oak, is vibrant and fresh on the nose: black cherries, strawberry pastille and just a touch of violet petal. The palate is a little oaky on the entry. Good depth, quite dense for a Chambolle, touches of blood orange and pain d'épices towards the finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle.

Immerse in the aromatic symphony of the Mischief Mayhem Chambolle Musigny Cras 2015. Produced in the acclaimed vineyards of Chambolle Musigny in the Burgundy region of France, this exceptional wine mirrors the in-depth knowledge and passion of its creators, Mischief and Mayhem. This superior vintage, gloriously resonates the quintessential characteristics of this revered terroir.

Perfected over time, the Pinot Noir grapes were hand-harvested at optimal ripeness and underwent careful cold maceration to enhance flavour depth. The wine was matured in French oak barrels for 18 months, contributing to an elegant, balanced structure with fine-grained tannins.

Mischief Mayhem Chambolle Musigny Cras 2015 offers an enticing bouquet of red cherries interspersed with violet undertones. The palate is intriguing, with a pleasant acidity prolonging a nuanced finish of earthy mineral notes. Celebrate this tour de force of winemaking innovation - Mischief Mayhem Chambolle Musigny Cras 2015, the epitome of Burgundian finesse and terroir expression.

Wine Advocate (95)

Jorge Monzón considers 2020 to be an almost prefect vintage—cool and fresh, reminiscent of the great 2016. The pink 2020 Pícaro del Águila Clarete was produced with 35% Tempranillo, 35% Albillo Mayor and the rest other local grape varieties (Garnacha, Bobal, Bruñal, Monastrell, Tempranillo Gris, other Albillos, Garnacha Blanca, Pirules, Jaén, Moscatel, Malvasías...) found in the old vineyards. This is very different from your average rosé, more like a serious light red or powerful white that slowly fermented during 11 months and matured in barrel for 18 months. The orange-ish/pink wine is still young and lively, with some notes of toasted sesame seeds and a faint flinty reduction a little à la Coche-Dury, reminiscent of some vintages of their superb white. This was bottled without being racked, and perhaps that's why it has this nice reduction and could be the finest vintage to date. It has a strong chalky aftertaste from the limestone-rich soils, which makes it a terroir white, but it's also very marked by the style (which they updated from the traditional wines in Aranda in the old times) of a unique wine. It's balanced and mellow but not a shy wine, with 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.26. I've tasted 15+-year-old bottles of wines of this style, and they were still lively, so this one should not be shorter lived. Unique. Given my experience with past vintages, I'd wait a little before pulling the cork here. 8,358 bottles and 151 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2022.

Wine Advocate (93+)

The youngest of the released wines I tasted is a red—the 2016 Pícaro del Águila Tinto. It is from what they consider to be one of the best and freshest vintages in recent times. This is produced with the vines from the warmer parts of La Aguilera, a cold place to start with (and in a cooler year). The old vines are planted with a mix that is dominated by Tempranillo but also contains some 5% other grapes. All the grapes are picked and fermented together with full clusters and natural yeasts in concrete and stainless steel vats. It matured in oak barrels for 13 months. This is fragrant, expressive, open, aromatic and really attractive. The palate is really balanced, with great freshness, fine tannins and a very pleasant mouthfeel—supple, balanced and with great depth. This is the best version of this bottling so far, and it seems like 2016 could be a great overall vintage, based on some other wines I sampled from cask (many of them have an extended élevage). 21,550 bottles and 624 magnums were filled unfiltered and unfined in November 2017.

Wine Advocate (93)

2017 was an unusually short crop as a result of terrible frost in April 2017, when thermometers reached -10 degrees Celsius in some places. The 2017 Pícaro del Águila Tinto, their entry-level and most approachable red, was seriously affected, of course. They lost some 60% of the volume, but the wine is incredible for the condition of the year. It feels a little more mysterious, not as expressive or open, a bit reductive perhaps, but the aromas are clean and don't show any excess ripeness. They did an amazing job eliminating all the raisins that didn't make it into the fermentation vat, and the extra workload has clearly paid off. The wine has some grip and fine, chalky tannins. 17,025 bottles and 487 magnums produced. It was bottled unfiltered and unfined and with just a little sulfur added in October 2018 after 12 months in oak barrels.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The youngest of the reds I tasted, the 2019 Pícaro del Águila Tinto is their most approachable red and is still serious, vibrant and aromatic with great length and still has good aging potential. They use the grapes from the warmest vineyards they have in the village of La Aguilera, form the northern part closer to La Horra, mostly Tempranillo but with some 5% of other varieties (red and white) interplanted in the old vineyards, fermented together with full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels for 15 months. Like the 2019 Clarete, this is young and tender and has more tension than I expected for a warmer year. It has less oak than previous years (only 10% or 15% new barrels), and the wine feels better balanced and is floral and aromatic. It's medium-bodied with a very fine texture, a pretty wine that drinks very well and doesn't reflect a warm year at all, as it has incredible freshness. A great Pícaro. They produced 69,852 bottles and 850 magnums, a notable increase in volume... while they increase the quality! It was bottled in February 2021.