Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)

5 Star Wine. Picked 28th September. A rich, indeed sumptuous purple. Exceptionally youthful bouquet with a little touch of new wood. A magical wine, which is entirely in balance. It is not just the concentration which moves to another level but the sublime and effortless suavity of texture. All in pure red fruit, nothing dark, my favourite alpine strawberries, but a host of other berries as well. Magical.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Not currently available.

Vinous (90-92)

(the yield here was just 15 hectoliters per hectare, according to Jean-Louis Trapet): Good bright medium red. Deeper on the nose than the preceding village wines, offering aromas of plum, currant, roast coffee and cocoa. Graceful, fine-grained wine, offering very good depth, intriguing saline minerality and noteworthy precision. More floral than herbal. The persistent finish features a subtle sweetness and suave tannins that saturate the sides of the tongue. This will be Trapet's only premier cru bottling from the 2016 vintage.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin La Petite Chapelle 1er Cru, blended with 80% whole bunch, has a tightly-wound bouquet with crushed stone infusing the blackcurrant and raspberry scents, a nuanced Earl Grey scent percolating through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, finely-chiselled tannins, very good weight with just a hint of menthol that enhances the finish.

Wine Advocate (90-92)

There are around 30 barrels of Trapet's 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Village, a lovely wine that mingles notes of wild berries with hints of dark chocolate, exotic spices and violets. Medium to full-bodied, lively and concentrated, it's deep and lively, with powdery tannins and a long, perfumed finish. This derives from eight different parcels spread throughout the appellation.

Vinous (95)

The 2015 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru has a refined bouquet of pretty, slightly tertiary red berry fruit laced with subtle oyster shell scents. The fresh, vibrant, medium-bodied palate presents fine-grained tannin, crisp acidity and a succinct, mineral-driven, detailed finish that does this grand cru proud. Bon vin! Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.

Vinous (96-98)

The 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, which contains around 60% whole bunch, has a well-defined bouquet of ebullient dark berry fruit laced with light woodland and earthy scents. So much vigor and coiled-up energy! The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful balance, supple tannins, perfectly judged acidity and a crescendo of flavors toward the splendid, mineral-driven finish. The cooler microclimate really benefited this cuvée in 2019, and it is one of the Trapet’s finest contributions to the vintage.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin "Ostrea" comprises around 70% whole cluster this year and comes from parcels around the village of Brochon. This has an elegant bouquet of gorgeous wild strawberry and raspberry preserve aromas, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and well-judged acidity, and so juicy that it is nigh impossible to detect the stem addition. This might well constitute the best "Ostrea" I have tasted from Trapet.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

(5-Star wine) Still in barrel, unracked. Rich deep purple with a heady ripe raspberry fruit. But it is fresh, clean, mineral and intense on the palate with a lovely supple fruit backed by clean energy. Darker fruit, but significantly more weight. In fact, this is astonishingly concentrated at the back of the palate. There are plenty of tannins here, but easily enough fruit.

Vinous (92)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea comes from vines that have now been rewired higher according to Jean-Louis Trapet. It has a more mineral-driven, reserved bouquet compared to the Gevrey-Village, fragrant and beautifully defined, the 40% whole bunch lending freshness. The palate is fresh and vibrant with gentle grip, good weight, taut and fresh with a saline, Morey-like finish. Classy, for Burgundy-lovers who like their Pinot a bit cerebral.

Colour:  Amber colour, almost mahogany

Nose:  Very complex, combining wooden, vanilla, old Porto, dry fruits, nuts to floral notes (dry rose), but also spicy (clove and pepper), cigar wooden box

Palate:  Light and elegant structure, rich and wooden notes. It is perfectly well-balanced and the length is exceptional The Lafite Cognac, given its rarity and long ageing, shows a complexity, suppleness and exceptional aromatic persistence which make it ideal to enjoy as a digestive at the end of a meal.

Vinous (96)

I am utterly blown away by the 2010 Alpilles Rouge, a re-release from the winery’s cellar. Still so fresh and vibrant, the 2010 is just stunning in its beauty today. Time in bottle has brought with it lovely complexity, especially in the aromatics. On the palate, though, the 2010 is so young. Swaths of tannin and bright acids suggest the 2010 still needs time to be at its best. As for the wine’s pedigree and quality, those are unmistakably world-class. Readers who can find the 2010 should not hesitate. It’s one of the rare values in fine, ageworthy red wine. This bottle was released from the domaine in 2020.

As an eminent expression of Provençal wine, Trevallon Alpilles Rouge 2016 is born of balance and subtlety. This masterpiece hails from the sought-after appellation of Les Alpilles at the iconic Domaine de Trevallon. A jewel amongst French viticulture, the domaine meticulously employs organic practices and low yields, resulting in exceptional quality.

Trevallon Alpilles Rouge 2016 is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, each conveying their unique personality whilst harmonising beautifully. The wine evolves over 24 months in oak, culminating in an intense, robust character with an elegant finish. Its palate reveals a melange of black fruits, herbal notes and a whispering spice.

Produced by Eloi Dürrbach in the heart of Provence, Trevallon Alpilles Rouge 2016 reflects the rich, diverse terroir of its birthplace. Dürrbach's commitment to minimal intervention, both in the vineyard and the cellar, honours the natural essence of the wine, offering a true taste of Provence's finesse. A true connoisseur's delight, Trevallon Alpilles Rouge 2016 personifies articulate winemaking.

Vinous - Neal Martin (91)

The NV Trilogie was a fantastic wine, a blend of three vintages of declassified fruit from Le Pin. There are two or three different blends, this one comprising 2013, 2014 and 2015. Again, served blind, I stupidly guessed Saint-Émilion! I know that Jacques Thienpont and Fiona Morrison dislike the speculation that shrouds Trilogie due to its connection. Affordability was their original intention, but you cannot fight market forces and the truth is that this is a delicious, surprisingly complex multi-vintage blend. As one of the only people that ever tasted the declassified 2013 Le Pin, serving as a guinea pig for Jacques on one visit, I can vouchsafe that he made far better use of the fruit that year.

Vinous (97+)

Bright golden-tinged straw-yellow. Enticing nose of yellow apple, mirabelle, crystallized ginger and white flowers, complicated by lemony minerality. Dense, fresh and juicy, displaying outstanding sugar-acid balance and an opulent mouthfeel that is nicely lifted by penetrating notes of mirabelle, lime, wet stones, lemon peel and almond. While this enters sweet, it finishes very clean and dry. Boasts one of the most fragrant, prettiest and most forward noses I recall in a young CSH.

Vinous (98+)

Luminous straw. Penetrating nuances of lime and guava join the lemon verbena, jasmine, mineral and white stone fruit aromas on the knockout, captivating nose. Then dense, complex and multilayered, offering profound flavors of fresh citrus fruit, sweet spices and talcum powder. Closes extremely long, clean and precise; this is a young white wine of utterly mesmerizing beauty. I find this to be one of the best young CSHs I have ever tasted; it is stylistically different but almost on the same quality level as the marvelous 2010 CSH. One sniff (never mind taste) and I was left almost speechless - and I’m not usually one who keeps his mouth shut when I recognize a truly great wine.

Wine Advocate (94+)

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Tronquoy-Lalande bursts from the glass with bold scents of baked plums, mulberries and crème de cassis plus suggestions of chocolate box, dried roses and fallen leaves. Full-bodied, the palate has a solid line of ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and mineral-laced.

Wine Advocate (93+)

A blend of 55% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Tronquoy-Lalande races out of the glass with bright, exuberant scents of Morello cherries, mulberries, warm plums and fresh blackcurrants plus touches of allspice, candied violets and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is laden with expressive black and red fruits plus loads of floral accents and a wonderfully plush texture, finishing long and fragrant.

The Wine Independent (94)

The 2019 Tronquoy-Lalande is made from 50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to offers fragrant notes of rose oil, Indian spices, and licorice over a core of creme de cassis and stewed plums, plus a hint of lavender. The full-bodied palate is firm and sturdy, with grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to match the muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy.

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 (97)

Powerful aromas of cassis, graphite and coffee framed by creamy oak and leathery undertones. Dense, mouth filling and very serious wine, with grand fruit intensity and well-layered firm tannins with a solid structure.

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 (97)

Powerful aromas of cassis, graphite and coffee framed by creamy oak and leathery undertones. Dense, mouth filling and very serious wine, with grand fruit intensity and well-layered firm tannins with a solid structure.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A flat-out gorgeous wine in the vintage is the 2012 Troplong Mondot, which sports an inky ruby/purple color to go with heavenly notes of black currants, smoked earth, plums, licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, seamless, ultra-pure and impressively concentrated, this blockbuster effort needs 3-4 years in the cellar to let the tannins integrate, and it will knock your socks off over the following two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

The 2014 Troplong Mondot is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, and this beauty has more intensity, richness, and exuberance than just about every other wine in 2014. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 85% new French oak, it sports a deep purple/plum color as well as a smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, scorched earth, toasty oak, graphite, espresso, and earth. With full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, and a rich, yet weightless texture, it’s a big, yet classy, elegant, and seamless wine from Xavier Pariente that should be snatched up by readers. It’s already drinking well but has 20-25 years of prime drinking to go.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

A wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is a tour de force that readers need to snatch up. This cuvee comes from the cool, clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau (it’s the highest point in the appellation) and is a blend of 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvest between September 30th and October 21st, that was brought up in 85% new French oak. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as a sensational bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, toasted spice, licorice and spring flowers, it’s another huge wine from this estate that has perfect balance between its fruit, oak and tannin, a stacked mid-palate, and an incredible finish. I wrote "crazy good" more than once in my notes. It has enough fruit and texture to drink nicely even today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two to three decades. It's one of the great wines of the vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

A wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is a tour de force that readers need to snatch up. This cuvee comes from the cool, clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau (it’s the highest point in the appellation) and is a blend of 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvest between September 30th and October 21st, that was brought up in 85% new French oak. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as a sensational bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry, toasted spice, licorice and spring flowers, it’s another huge wine from this estate that has perfect balance between its fruit, oak and tannin, a stacked mid-palate, and an incredible finish. I wrote "crazy good" more than once in my notes. It has enough fruit and texture to drink nicely even today, yet needs 4-5 years of cellaring and will keep for two to three decades. It's one of the great wines of the vintage.