Vinous (90-92)

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet La Grande Montagne 1er Cru has a fresh and vibrant nose, clearly a level up from the Village Cru this year with more mineralité and tension. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh with a vibrant and poised, apricot and nectarine tinged finish. This will be delicious. Closure: Diam

Jancis Robinson (17+)

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Very much in the Alter Ego mould – lively, fruit-driven with that vineyard-fresh feel but with a little more structure than previous years. Pure and appetising but will age. (JL) 13.7%

Wine Advocate (94+)

A deep, brooding and rather powerful wine by the standards of this estate, the 2010 Bel Air Marquis d'Aligre unwinds in the glass with aromas of black cherries, wild berries, licorice, asphalt and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with an ample core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins. From my cellar, this is still the better part of a decade away from its peak, and if approached today, it benefits from several hours in a decanter.

Vinous (92-94)

(one of the four barrels was new in 2016): Musky, noble reduction to the aromas of pear, minerals and flowers. At once thick and juicy, boasting lovely concentration and clarity to its soil-driven flavors of stone fruits and saline, rocky minerals. Tight in the middle at present but this fine-grained wine broadens out on the very long, glistening, palate-saturating back end. Leroux told me he made between 25 and 30 hectoliters per hectare from these very old vines, which he noted is the normal yield here.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru has a terse bouquet, certainly one of the most austere and Puligny-like from Alex Moreau this year. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, steely and focused with wonderful sapidity towards the finish. Excellent.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years to become approachable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the Pauillac of Margaux. The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the Pauillac of Margaux. The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared.

Wine Advocate (97)

Derived exclusively from the château's holdings on the deep gravel soils of the plateau of Brane, the 2019 Brane-Cantenac has turned out brilliantly and merits a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, violets, sweet loamy soil and cardamon, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a beautifully seamless, perfumed profile. Retaining all the estate's signature elegance but with an extra dimension of depth and intensity, it's the finest Brane-Cantenac of the modern era and one of the great successes of the 2019 vintage.

Wine Spectator (93-96)

Fresh berry and currant, with mint and spices. Full-bodied, with supervelvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Toasted oak, ripe fruit, everything. A beauty. Best ever. Score range: 93-96 -JS

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

José Sanfins has overseen a 2019 Cantenac Brown that will give immense pleasure in coming years. The bouquet has tightened up since I tasted the barrel sample (also at the château, in summer 2021): blackberry, raspberry and cedar are now accompanied by just a touch of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a vibrant, harmonious finish. This Margaux brims with confidence and should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. The insiders' Margaux of choice.

James Suckling (96-97)

Fantastic depth of fruit with layers of firm, chewy tannins that are medium-grained and long in the mouth. Full and dynamic. One of the best ever.

Wine Anorak (93)

North part of Chassagne, they have 2 hectares. Rocky soil with lots of limestone. Linear, bright and mineral with a citrus fruit core and a bit of spicy oak. There’s a tiny hint of bitterness under the fruit. Has a bit of pineapple and pear richness, too, and some hazelnut. Lovely focus.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is a very pure expression of cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants, blackberries and tar. Wet earth, too. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved. Extremely racy, intense finish. This is super precise. Classical.

James Suckling (97-98)

Extremely floral and fruity with currants and blackberries. It’s full-bodied and very layered with delicious, dense character. Full-bodied with dusty, layered tannins. Rich, but not heavy. Long and chewy on the finish. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 3% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec.

James Suckling (94)

Blackberry, blueberry and sweet-tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, dense and layered with ripe tannins and a chewy yet polished, tannic finish. A young Bordeaux with plenty of structure and focus. A blend of 71 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 29 per cent merlot. Try after 2022.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2010 du Tertre soars out of the glass with blackberry, sous-bois and light mint aromas. Good definition here and nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple but quite firm tannins, a welcome sprinkling of cracked black pepper and an off-dry finish that feels long and persistent. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

James Suckling (96-97)

This is a crazy wine. Everything was done by hand, without electricity, because it was made in seven-hectoliter amphora. The grapes were hand-sorted. It’s full-bodied with tannins that are integrated so well into the wine, which gives it tension and freshness. Blackberries. Lavender. 10 hectoliters. Best Dufort ever?

Scoring double 96 points from the Wine Advocate's William Kelley and Decanter alongside double 95 points from Jane Anson of Inside Bordeaux and Vinous's Antonio Galloni, this blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot wowed Hindle so much that she 'immediately wanted another glass'. The palate is 'deep and concentrated' (WA) but with this being countered by 'so much clarity and freshness' (DC), it is 'hard not to be impressed by the balance on display here' (JA). A Margaux with serious agebility, this 2019 vintage has a drinking window up to 2065.

 

This Durfort-Vivens 2019 really is a 'brilliant Margaux' (WA). As William Kelley states, 'anyone who isn’t aware of just how good Gonzague Lurton’s wines are these days should taste a bottle' of this.

Vinous (94)

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru is very floral on the nose with pressed white flowers, honeysuckle and broom, touches of chalk and apricot. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, more density than the La Grande Montagne, impressive weight and salinity that gets the saliva flowing on the finish. Excellent.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru has a little more vigour and energy on the nose compared to the Vergers or Morgeots. The palate is well balanced with lime and orange pith, edgier than other cuvées with orange rind and ginger arming the finish. I can see this maturing nicely in bottle.

Vinous (93)

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has a crisp, more understated bouquet with more earthy overtones that the domaine's other cuvées. The palate is one of the most terroir-expressive from the domaine, very well defined with a lightly spiced finish. This has a real spring in its step.

Vinous (94)

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru, over towards the Santenay side, usually takes longer to ripen. The nose is well balanced with fine delineation, touches of honeysuckle and pressed white flowers. The palate is well balanced with a lovely white peach and white chocolate opening, fine salinity, very poised and tensile towards the finish. Superb.

Burghound (88)

All but invisible wood sits atop the peppery aromas of plum, red and dark currant along with violet hints. I very much like the texture of the middle weight flavors that possess a lovely sense of underlying tension that continues onto the nicely detailed if mildly rustic finale. A quality villages.

James Suckling (95)

This is a beautiful Giscours with tension and finesse. It's full-bodied and shows plenty of berry and spice character, not to mention a long, silky-textured finish. It seduces you with each sip. Why wait?

James Suckling (96)

Plenty of violets and dark berries on offer here. This has a striking sense of purity as well as an energetic, regal palate. The structure is impressively groomed with effortless depth and length. A standout wine. Try from 2022.

James Suckling (96-97)

The black color indicates a solid and structured red with loads of blackberry and blueberry character. Full-bodied and very tight and tensioned. Savory tannins that are powerful and intense at the finish. Classically structured. Finely toned and formed young red.

Partake in the treasure that is the Guy Amiot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2019, a magnificent expression of Burgundy viticulture. This esteemed producer, known for its iconic, biodynamic practices, is located in the renowned Chassagne-Montrachet region where limestone and clay soils foster a perfect vine-growing microclimate. Displaying the highest craftsmanship, Guy Amiot's Chardonnay grapes are hand-harvested and pressed in whole clusters, undergoing fermentation in French oak barrels (partial new) for a layered richness.

Coming from the commendable 2019 vintage, this white wine exudes vibrant, succulent fruit aromas underscored by flinty nuances - a testament to its terroir. On the palate, you'll experience a finely-tuned balance of intense fruit character and refreshing minerality, with a lingering finish that echoes its superior quality. The Guy Amiot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2019 is a quintessential Burgundy masterpiece, brilliantly demonstrating the extraordinary potential of its cherished vineyard origin.