Vinous (95)

The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Quartiers de Marie Haut Grand Cru has a beautifully-defined bouquet with tensile red berry fruit, wonderful focus, cracked black pepper and a touch of hoisin. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine depth and beguiling sense of symmetry that beckons you back for another sip. This is an outstanding Clos de Vougeot that will age supremely well in bottle.

Distinguished by its eloquent expression of the Beaune terroir, the Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Aux Coucherias 2021 is a testament to fine French winemaking. Boris Champy, renowned agronomist and oenologist, meticulously harvests from the partially historic limestone-clay vineyards of Coucherias, in the heart of Burgundy's Beaune appellation. The wine displays the unique characteristics of biodynamic viticulture with sustainable vineyard management.

Hand-harvested grapes are vinified naturally, giving rise to a dazzling Pinot Noir unencumbered by excessive oenological intervention. The sublime balance of ripe fruit, integrated tannins and vivacious acidity render the Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Aux Coucherias 2021 an epitome of elegance. Its ageing potential, refined by 18 months in oak barrels, suggests a promising evolution. This wine delivers a brilliant representation of the vintage's idiosyncrasies, showcasing Burgundy's signature complexity and depth.

Decanter (93)

Bouchard's evocatively named parcel is a monopoly holding that covers 3.9ha on sand and gravel soils in the heart of Beaune Grèves. Picked early but still pretty ripe, this has tobacco pouch and clove aromas from 20% whole bunches, layers of mulberry and raspberry fruit, aromatic 20% new wood and a backdrop of sinewy, granular tannins.

Decanter (96)

From Jeroboam. Bouchard purchased the site in 1791 and now hold 3.92ha. Fred Weber describes the vineyard as the 'fillet mignon' within Beaune-Grèves. Not surprisingly given the age/bottle size, primary characters are very dominant but there is clearly massive potential here. As the wine breathes, lovely aromas of raspberry/blackberry and violets evolve. Rich, ripe, pure dark fruit on the palate, subtle oak, mouthfilling and concentrated, with silky tannin and vibrant acidity providing the structure for long-term ageing. A great vintage and a great Beaune Premier Cru.

Decanter (95)

Bouchard has nearly four hectares of this, perhaps the greatest site in the Beaune appellation. On a modest slope with east-southeast exposure in the heart of the terroir, this has produced a sophisticated, elegant wine in 2020, fermenting out to barely 13.5% alcohol with a pH between 3.5–3.6. The fruit is supremely luxurious and lush, yet underscored with plenty of nuance of spice, smoke, earth, and leather. The texture is dense and powerful yet superbly elegant — a triumph.

Vinous (89-92)

One of the highlights in this range, the 2015 Beaune Les Avaux is sleek and expressive. Sweet red cherry, plum, mint and a kiss of new French oak give the wine its super-appealing, inviting personality. Like so many of these wines, the 2015 captures an incredibly appealing combination of deep, rich fruit and lifted aromatics. In other words, this is a quintessential 2015. - Antonio Galloni

Vinous (92-95)

The 2015 Clos de Vougeot is an impressive wine. Huge tannins give the 2015 much of its shape and sense of direction. Plum, crème de cassis, chocolate and lavender all develop in the glass. Ample and powerful in construction, the 2015 possesses very good depth, even if it can't match the pedigree of the Chambertin. This is another wine with a late malo. I hope to have a chance to taste it again from bottle. - Antonio Galloni

Vinous (93)

The 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a very pretty and pure bouquet, the oak here deftly integrated and allowing the dark cherries, cranberry and raspberry scents to flourish. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins framing the pure confit-like red fruit, just a splash of balsamic towards the finish lending another welcome dimension. I suspect that this will mature with style and panache. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Tucked within the Burgundy's prized Côte de Beaune, the Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019, from the sacred plots of Domaine Croix, is a fine testament to the opulence of the 2019 vintage. This Pinot Noir is grown in limestone-rich soil and harvested in small, meticulously manicured parcels to preserve the integrity of each grape. Its vinification in traditional Burgundian open-top wooden vats, followed by ageing in French oak barrels, ensures a harmonious balance between fruit and oak nuances.

A sip of Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019 reveals complex layers of ripe red fruits, elegantly underpinned by earthy notes and a subtle spiciness. The wine's delicate tannins and balanced acidity make for a seamless finish, capturing the essence of French wine-making sophistication.

The impeccable craftsmanship of winemaker David Croix indubitably shines through in this vintage, making the Croix Beaune Tuvilains 2019 an invincible selection for the discerning wine lover.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2020 Beaune Grèves 1er Cru is also one-third whole-cluster (based on fitting it on the cuve so it was more than intended). Dark berry fruit, a touch of black olive and hints of presses iris petal unfold on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, granular in texture with a fresh, slightly chalky finish. Very fine. Closure: Diam

Vinous (90-92)

(two-thirds vendange entier; 25% new oak): Bright, full red. Distinctly limestone-driven aromas of raspberry, earth and smoky minerality. Silky, sappy and impressively concentrated, with black raspberry and cooler cherry flavors framed and enlivened by brisk acidity. The serious, broad tannins arrive late, allowing the wine's fruit flavors to carry well on the aftertaste.

Vinous (89-91)

(20% new oak and one-third vendange entier; the average vine age here is 50 years): Medium red. More delicate on the nose than the Les Sizies, offering scents of strawberry and stone. Then juicier and more energetic on the palate, showing lovely precision and penetration to its red fruit and saline mineral flavors. On the lean side but the firmly tannic finish leaves behind a salty tang. Winemaker Brian Sieve describes the estate's Perrières holding as our most active limestone site along with the Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Thoreys. This wine started its malolactic fermentation sur marc--i.e., in the tank before the alcoholic fermentation finished.

The Domaine Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches 2020, a distinguished gem from the heart of Burgundy, is the epitome of exceptional winemaking. Born within the illustrious vineyards of Beaune, this complex Pinot Noir displays the tender balance between power and elegance that defines this prestigious terroir.

Boris Champy, the meticulous winemaker, observes an organic approach, practicing sustainable viticulture to foster the authenticity of this varietal's expression. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, it maturely unfolds its aromatic finesse and generous velvety texture.

The nose is dominated by ripe cherries and earthy spices, followed by a hint of toasted almonds. On the palate, it delivers a precise, fresh, and persistently savoury finish. With ageing potential until 2040, the Domaine Boris Champy Beaune 1er Cru Les Vignes Franches 2020 is a remarkable investment for dedicated wine enthusiasts.

Vinous (91)

The 2017 Beaune Epenottes 1er Cru is quite closed on the nose with raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, well defined but a little stubborn at present. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, crunchy, red berry fruit, fine acidity and good concentration. Not amazingly complex, yet it coheres nicely on the smooth-textured finish. This wine is closed under Diam 30. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze has some of the best sites in the Cote d’Or. The Clos de Vougeot 2011 has an exciting intensity throughout that engulfs the palate and exudes power on the long crafted finish. Plenty of wood and warm earth gives great balance to the very fresh red fruit.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

The 2015 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which comes from the upper slopes of the vineyard, has a rich and opulent bouquet with precocious mulberry and blueberry scents, violet and desiccated orange peel. The 30% whole bunches is discretely embedded in the black fruit, lending crunchiness to the texture. This displays impressive depth; notwithstanding infectious energy and a vibrant finish. Excellent - this is one of the best grand crus from Drouhin-Laroze this vintage.

Decanter (93)

This wine features a lovely bright raspberry fruit aroma with a bit of menthol and a suggestion of peony. The tannins are substantial, and there is plenty of acidity to draw the wine to a lovely conclusion. The grapes come from 60 – 65 year old vines in the lower part of Grèves where the soils are a bit deeper. The wine shows a true Grèves character in its restraint, elegance, and balance.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2015 Beaune 1er Cru Clos de l'Ecu from Domaine Faiveley needs some aeration to shake off some light reduction, opening in the glass with pretty notes of black raspberry, rich soil and currant leaf. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, sappy and succulent, with an ample chassis of fine tannins and a deep core of fruit, incipiently lavish but with good focus too. This will need some time in bottle to open up, but it is a promising Beaune 1er cru.

Burghound (92-95)

Earthy red berry fruit aromas trimmed in a discreet touch of wood spice are laced with earth, forest floor and violet hints. The full-bodied and tautly muscled broad-shouldered flavors possess excellent power and detail on the stunningly long, mildly rustic and youthfully austere finish. This is quite serious and clearly very structured yet it stops short of being overtly old school in style; that said, this will not be an early drinker.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru comes from Faiveley’s 1.27-hectare parcel. It has a floral nose with potpourri and light lavender aromas that partially occlude the fruit expression. The palate is lithe on the entry with modest depth and quite tertiary in style, and a keen thread of acidity lends freshness on the finish. A little austere in style, it opens with aeration to offer a very minerally finish. Here, it put the Echézeaux 2019 in its place.

Decanter (96)

The wine has an inky dark colour and pronounced aromas of blackberry, fig, smoke and spice. The texture is lush, yet there are firm tannins and the wine never seems overbearing or aggressive - everything is kept in elegant balance. Faiveley is the proprietor of three parcels that total 1.27ha in the Clos de Vougeot, including a portion in Grand Maupertuis and two parcels nearer the bottom. The fruit was picked very ripe (14.5%) and partially destemmed before fermentation, with a very careful extraction and ageing in cask (half new).

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

Pale but pretty colour. Light fruit on the nose. Spared from the frost, and as is typical of such cuvees in 2021, the wine feels more complete – in fact, displaying a particularly long finish. This avoids also the blocky side of Clos Vougeot, showing instead a rather fine fresh but light strawberry fruit. One could almost suggest that it is ethereal for this appellation! Drink from 2030-2038.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Three casks from three different spots. Slightly cloudy cherry red. Really rich and solid. From a very good producer (a long-term proposition) and made in the domaine philosophy. Lots of tannin on the end. Very energetic. Very slightly bitter on the end.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

Only 30% decorticated as this was the last picked and the team had had enough – but makes an interesting contrast with the others. More purple than black in colour. Still has some rose petals which cannot be common in Clos Vougeot! Super deep with some liquorice behind where the fruit darkens, but up front and on the nose it is more dark raspberry and redcurrant. Not quite so fine tannins when not fully decorticated, it would seem. But a huge follow through. If it were not for the utter brilliance of the Echezeaux, I might score this even higher! Tasted: November 2021

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-98)

5 Star Wine. A rich dark purple. The nose is astonishing because of its definition. It is a slightly darker and certainly less lushly appealing style. Peppery notes are in balance but the volume of fruit surmounts. This is a fine and very noble example which could well leap ahead of the 2020 in the rankings. There is such a wealth of fruit, on the cusp of red and black, which returns in the very long finish. Bravo. Drink from 2030-2040.

Wine Advocate (94)

Boillot's 2015 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which hails from the lieu-dit Grand Maupertui (neighboring Anne Gros' parcel), reveals a brooding bouquet of cassis, plum, musk and incense, framed by toasty new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and multidimensional, fresh and vibrant despite its considerable amplitude and power, with a fine-grained chassis of tannin and a long, sapid finish. This is a rich, lavish Clos Vougeot which should develop beautifully in the cellar.

Decanter (95)

Hudelot-Noëllat's 0.8ha holding is made up of two parcels, both of them in the best bit of the Grand Cru. Aged in 40% new wood, this is a not a blockbuster style by any means, emphasising freshness, balance and harmony instead. Floral, racy and supple, it has well-integrated 40% new wood, some vanilla spice and a poised, elegant finish.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has a very well-defined bouquet, quite mineral-driven with crushed rock and pressed iris flower combined with dark cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, very focused with quite a strict and saline finish. There is a sense of class here and it has the substance to age well in bottle.