Vinous (92+)

Palish red with a hint of amber. A bit cooler and more peppery than the Clos Saint-Denis and Clos de la Roche, with its reticent red fruit aromas complicated by herbs and menthol. Then densely packed, savory and intense, more about soil tones than primary fruit. Not a sweet style but youthfully penetrating. Finishes sweet, slightly medicinal and classically dry, with lingering salty and spicy qualities. A rather rigorous wine in the context of the vintage, but then this is Bonnes-Mares, which has traditionally been one of Burgundy's longest-aging grand crus.

Vinous (93+)

The darkest color to this point among these 2015s: bright medium red. Alluring, vibrant perfume of raspberry, dark cherry and rose petal. Sappy and extract-rich, with its deep, slightly medicinal flavors of blueberry, dark raspberry and tart red cherry enlivened by elements of saline minerality and crushed rock. This very concentrated but youthfully backward wine finishes with outstanding length; compared to the Clos Saint-Denis, it's a bit less refined but more powerful This may age longer owing to the richness of its tannins but it's also quite showy today.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93-96)

Deep, bright red. Urgent crushed cherry and red raspberry fruit aromas are complicated and lifted by rose petal, white pepper, citrus peel and sexy oak; an essence of Clos Saint-Denis. Rich, layered and deep but also wonderfully brisk, with an exhilarating element of blood orange contributing to the impression of razor-sharp definition. Finishes with fine-grained, noble tannins, subtle rising length and a magically weightless impression. A wine of compelling purity and class, this beauty should be long-lived. The yield here was 30 hectoliters per hectare and the pH is 3.4, according to Stehly. Incidentally, this estate is the largest owner of vines in Clos Saint-Denis, at 1.49 hectares. Stehly picks this fruit in the morning because he uses a smaller tank in which it would be harder to chill the grapes. He continues to sell some of his Clos Saint-Denis to Lucien Le Moine, Marchand-Tawse and Jadot, noting that his clients supply their own barrels and take the wines, with their lees, in January. (He also sells some of his Clos de la Roche.)

Vinous (91-94)

(half of these vines are 70 years old, the other half 60): Moderately saturated medium red. Musky, soil-driven scents of fresh red fruits, crushed rock, flint and rose petal. Penetrating and sharply delineated, offering terrific intensity to its flavors of red berries, sappy cherry, minerals and blood orange. At once salty and juicy, this very long wine leaves the palate perfumed. Stehly compares this wine to a Musigny in its youthful strictness, and it strikes me as a classic young Clos Saint-Denis that will need time in bottle to expand. Stehly used to work mostly with spicy Cadus barrels for this wine but now uses one-third each Berthomieu and Tonnelerie du Val du Loire for his Clos Saint-Denis, as he feels these barrels are at once sweeter and more delicate.

Vinous (87-89)

The 2019 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru shows quite a bit of reduction on the nose though there appears to be satisfactory fruit underneath. The palate is chewy and quite dense, though I am seeking more nerve and mineralité on its "blocky" finish.

The Georges Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 2019 exudes French winemaking sophistication steeped in tradition. This illustrious Pinot Noir, cultivated in Burgundy’s celebrated Gevrey-Chambertin appellation, characterises the quintessential style of its venerated producer, Georges Lignier.

Encompassing the Aux Combottes vineyard’s distinctive terroir, this 1er Cru displays an expressive symphony of ripe red fruits, intricate floral nuances, and an earthy mineral trace that showcases its rich clay-limestone soil origins. A testament to meticulous practices, only hand-harvested, low-yield grapes are used and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, developing its depth and complexity.

Perfected by the winery's fourth-generation steward, Benoit Stehly, the Georges Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes 2019 is an epitome of an exquisite Burgundian gem, resonating with refined elegance, robust structure, and an impressively long finish.

Vinous (87-90)

(no new oak used here or in the foregoing wines): Palish medium red. Spicy redcurrant and raspberry aromas are complemented by a suggestion of smoke. Subtly sweet and a touch reduced, showing good intensity and verve to its flavors of red fruits, brown spices and underbrush. Finishes with rather fine-grained tannins and a slightly rustic peppery nuance.

Vinous (98)

The 2014 Ruchottes-Chambertin is a wondrous wine. Two recent tastings in Burgundy reconfirmed its strong performance when poured blind at the Burgfest tasting. It has an intense pomegranate and raspberry scented bouquet that seems to switch up through the gears with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and lithe, laden with succulent black fruit and insistent grip, perhaps just beginning to close up for a while. Outstanding. Tasted in Burgundy.

Vinous (96)

The 2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a wonderful bouquet that fulfills its potential from barrel: very well defined, precise and mineral-driven with scents of black cherry, raspberry preserve and crushed stone. The pure, medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins, a silky texture and a caressing, seductive finish that feels very tender and sustained. Superb.

Vinous (89)

Bright ruby-red. Very expressive aromas of cherry, smoky minerals and coffee. Lovely silky, spicy, mineral-driven village wine with intense flavors of dark cherry, raspberry and chocolate, plus a hint of menthol. Still needs a couple years to absorb its dusty, slightly chocolatey tannins. Dry and classic.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91)

In keeping with the style of the vintage, the 2020 Vosne-Romanée from Mugneret-Gibourg is a rich, heady Burgundy, perhaps a bit big on its own, but very delicious on a cold winter day. Black cherry, spice, mocha and dried flowers all stain the palate. Dark and enveloping, with notable intensity, the Vosne-Romanée is a gorgeous village-level offering from this renowned domaine.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Les Chaignots wraps around the palate with layers of black fruit, spices and menthol. It shows fabulous depth and richness in a relatively full-bodied, opulent style for the domaine. It comes across as quite open and ready for business, although it is hard for me to see this not shutting down in bottle.

Vinous (93)

Mugneret-Gibourg's 2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Chaignots is remarkably polished and refined in this vintage. Sweet rose petals, spices and red berries emerge from a gracious Burgundy that shows the more finessed side of Nuits. This is one of the more classically structured 2011s readers will come across. Today, the Chaignots is drop-dead gorgeous. Dried rose petals, sage, mint and crushed raspberries linger on the close.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2015 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a wonderful bouquet, dark berry fruit, light mulch aromas, incense and potpourri, very complex and expressive. The palate is medium-bodied and lightly spiced with ferrous red fruit and impressive weight. This was the last vintage that was fully destemmed.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots has turned out brilliantly, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis, black plums and cherries mingled with hints of spices, orange rind and violets. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a generous core of fruit, it confirms that Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg performed especially well in the 2018 vintage.

The Georges Noellat Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2022 truly exemplifies the exceptional quality attained by this esteemed Burgundian producer. Crafted in the verdant landscapes of the upper slopes at the edge of the Côte de Nuits region, this poignant varietal embodies the quintessential properties of the realm's breathtaking terroir. This majestic wine is an exquisite expression of Pinot Noir, displaying a symphony of flavours.

Meticulously hand-harvested and traditionally vinified, this bottle showcases winemaking heritage that dates from 1930. Its vibrant ruby colour leads to a palate layered with red cherry, plum, and spicy undertones, framed by fine-grained tannins, anchored by an invigorating minerality and a lengthy finish.

An intoxicating blend of finesse and complexity, the Georges Noellat Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2022 offers an authentic Bourgogne experience for genuine wine enthusiasts. Savour this treasure from a tremendous vintage year, a testament to Noellat's unyielding pursuit of excellence.

The Georges Noellat Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2022 truly exemplifies the exceptional quality attained by this esteemed Burgundian producer. Crafted in the verdant landscapes of the upper slopes at the edge of the Côte de Nuits region, this poignant varietal embodies the quintessential properties of the realm's breathtaking terroir. This majestic wine is an exquisite expression of Pinot Noir, displaying a symphony of flavours.

Meticulously hand-harvested and traditionally vinified, this bottle showcases winemaking heritage that dates from 1930. Its vibrant ruby colour leads to a palate layered with red cherry, plum, and spicy undertones, framed by fine-grained tannins, anchored by an invigorating minerality and a lengthy finish.

An intoxicating blend of finesse and complexity, the Georges Noellat Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2022 offers an authentic Bourgogne experience for genuine wine enthusiasts. Savour this treasure from a tremendous vintage year, a testament to Noellat's unyielding pursuit of excellence.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (87-89)

Racked recently. Very pretty mid purple, lots of energy, this is more concentrated than most. Fairly punchy, minor reduction, plenty of stuffing, good dark fruit. Ticks the boxes very nicely. Drink from 2025-2028.

Vinous (96-98)

For the first time, Maxime Chuerlin decided to use stems in his crown jewel, the 2019 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, settling on 25% whole bunch for this year. This was an astute decision, because it lends freshness and more complexity to the bouquet of blackberry, undergrowth, tobacco and crushed limestone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, hints of peppermint behind the black fruit and touches of white pepper and sage toward a finish that fans out wonderfully. A slam-dunk for Maxime Churlin. Five barrels produced, matured entirely in new oak.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)

A little darker purple. More plums in the bouquet along with dark raspberry. This is a fully satisfying wine with a deep rich fruit and just the right structure to finish. There is still a lot more to come - another wine which needs more elevage. Drink from 2032-2040.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er Cru, matured in 80% new oak, has a very detailed, focused bouquet of blackberry, briar, raspberry jam and light orange peel aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly tarry opening, a smear of dark chocolate combining nicely with the dark berry fruit, but it is unapologetically backward and surly on the finish compared with the Echézeaux or the Vosne Les Chaumes, so give it some serious cellaring.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96)

5 Star Wine. One of the deeper purple colours. There is a significant weight of fruit, and it is clean enough. This is in the very opulent super-ripe fruit whole bunch style. Still needs time for the future path to become clear. A little dryness at the back and some pepper with blood orange notes in the mix. Very long, with some dark pepper notes. Drink from 2033.

Burghound (89-92)

There is just enough reduction present to push the underlying fruit to the background but not so much as to mask the pretty spice wisps. There is an equally seductive mouthfeel to the velvet-textured flavors that possess even better depth on the firm, palate coating and impressively persistent finish. This is an excellent Vosne villages that is worth your interest.

Vinous (89-91)

The 2020 Vosne-Romanée Village has a well-defined bouquet with dark cherries, raspberry coulis and rose petal scents, forward yet focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, good acidity, a little savory towards the finish with fine length.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)

Still in barrel like the rest below. Concentrated purple. Succulent yet with perfume. There is a fine tension to the dark fruit which cannot help offering its juicy dark raspberry aspect. Excellent weight on the palate, fine long aftertaste. Drink from 2028-2034.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Dark crimson. Juicy and alluring on the nose. And then wonderfully rich and exciting on the palate. Great intensity and majesty. Woo hoo! Long and gorgeous.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Dark crimson. Juicy and alluring on the nose. And then wonderfully rich and exciting on the palate. Great intensity and majesty. Woo hoo! Long and gorgeous.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-100)

All three cuvées, white soil, red soil and the new plot, have been blended. Overall two-thirds of the blend comes from white soil Bonnes Mares. Two thirds whole bunch, one third new wood. Glowing rich purple, with a beautiful bouquet demonstrating exquisitely balanced fruit. Ripe of course but there are some red threads in with the darker fruit, fine acidity too, just a sumptuous covering of exquisite dark raspberry and a little touch of blackberry. Bravo! There is a lovely covering of flesh on top of natural vivacity.

Vinous (92)

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras shows the more sensual, caressing side of the vintage in its layered contours and soft, tender personality. Today, the is voluptuous and expressive, with no hard edges and fabulous overall balance. The Cras isn't super complex, but it is incredibly delicious, even at this early stage.