The Duval Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru 2002 is an exceptional indulgence for the discerning wine connoisseur. Originating from the renowned French champagne house of Duval Leroy, this prestige cuvée is meticulously crafted from the finest Grand Cru vineyards. Developing over a decade, its assembly encompasses 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir grapes, infusing exquisite complexity.

This vintage Champagne is revered for its impressive finesse and delicate effervescence. The palate vaunts ripe, sun-drenched fruits, subtle brioche nuances, and a refined minerality that exudes elegance. Aging in chalk cellars imparts an unrivalled depth of flavour and creamy, persistent finish.

As a testament to its superior quality, Duval Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru 2002 has clinched prestigious global accolades, firmly establishing its place among the finest champagnes. Toast your special occasions with this hallmark of luxury, promising a taste of ultimate sophistication.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2019 Echo De Lynch-Bages is the second wine of Château Lynch-Bages and it's beautifully done, with a more floral, perfumed, pretty style compared to the Grand Vin, yet it still brings plenty of structure. Red and black currants, sappy flowers, tobacco leaf, and gravelly earth all define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, has integrated acidity, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. It's beautifully balanced and already accessible, yet will nevertheless benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age.

Jeb Dunnuck (92-94)

Offering classic Pauillac notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, violets, and lead pencil, the 2020 Echo De Lynch Bages is a big, rich, nicely concentrated wine that shows the fresh yet powerful style of the vintage beautifully. It's a terrific second wine, yet one that's going to benefit from a few years of bottle age. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Sancerre Clos La Néore is almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place. Don't expect a seductive Sancerre, this is dry and steely with an appealing bitterness making for a very grown up white wine. It's starting to show early signs of development in its light almond/lanolin character alongside lemon tea. It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on. If you have any in your cellar, I can make myself available for dinner.

Crafted by esteemed winemaker Edmond Vatan, the Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a fine example of terroir-driven vinification. Produced in the heart of France's Loire valley, it's one of the last remaining single plots of Sancerre, offering unrivalled purity and typicity of the region.

The Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 demonstrates an exquisite balance of ripe fruit, minerality, and palate-gripping acidity. Hand-harvested from vines averaging 50-years-old on Kimmeridgian marl soils, this prestigious Sauvignon Blanc ferments naturally in old wooden foudres to enhance its inherent complexity.

With a limited production, the wine reveals a striking, crystal-clear golden hue alongside an aromatic profile of citrus zest, ripe apple, and flinty undertones. It's exceptionally layered, showing vibrant fruit, precise acid, and a lingering finish. Best consumed after carefully decanting, Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a sought-after vintage deserving of a place in the cellars of discerning neophytes and seasoned collectors alike.

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 (98)

Year after year, Egly’s NV Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères remains one of the most compelling and reliable wines from the Montagne de Reims. Sourced from a south-facing lieu-dit in Ambonnay that was planted between 1946 and 1947 on shallow chalk soils with just 30 centimeters of topsoil, it was disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter. This release blends the richer 2017 vintage with the taut, incisive character of 2016. Notably, prior to 2000, Francis Egly produced this cuvée as a single-vintage expression, only later opting for a two-vintage blend to buffer against the variability of any given season. The wine ascends from the glass with a bouquet of remarkable complexity—aromas of acacia, ripe pear, orange zest, toasted nuts and patisserie elements unfurl. Full-bodied, concentrated and layered, with ample chalky structuring extract and mouthwatering acidity, it concludes with a long, saline finish. While I often vacillate between Les Crayères and the Millésime as to which I favor, this year, Les Crayères stands as the most captivating wine in the cellar. It offers immense youthful appeal yet promises to evolve beautifully with age. Readers would be wise not to hesitate—it fully lives up to its reputation, and I’d gladly secure bottles for my own cellar.

Wine Advocate (100)

Francis Egly and I tasted a bottle trial disgorgement of the 2008 Brut Grand Cru Millésime that saw six grams per liter dosage, and the wine surpassed even my high expectations. Wafting from the glass with scents of crisp orchard fruit, Meyer lemon, praline, warm bread and walnuts, it's full-bodied, deep and multi-dimensional, with an immensely layered, concentrated core that cloaks its racy but ripe spine of acidity, abundant but refined structuring dry extract and an incredibly long, precise and sapid finish. It represents the confluence of a great vigneron at the peak of his powers with a historic vintage, and it's unquestionably the finest 2008 Champagne that I've tasted to date. Egly and I agreed that it might be even better with only five grams per liter dosage, but we'll see what he finally decides when he disgorges the wine later this year. What is clear is that the the 2008 Brut Grand Cru Millésime will be worth any and every effort to seek out once it arrives on the market.

Vinous (94)

The 2011 Brut Millésime Grand Cru is a very pretty wine, especially within the context of the year. Bright floral notes meld into hints of lemon confit, tangerine oil, dried flowers, sage and pastry. There is terrific freshness to the 2011, although not quite the dimension of the very best years. Even so, this is very clearly one of the finest 2011s readers will come across. I would not push my luck on aging, but there is so much to like and admire here. Francis Egly and his team clearly got the very best out of the year. Disgorged: July, 2020.

Wine Advocate (99)

Broad and powerful, Egly's 2012 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a serious, vinous Champagne somewhat reminiscent of his brilliant 2002. Delivering complex aromas of pear, honeycomb, orange oil, sweet stone fruits, praline and freshly baked bread, it's full-bodied, deep and muscular, with a multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. Complex and compelling, readers will have a hard time choosing between the power and texture of 2012 and the quintessentially elegant, seamless 2013. Both are benchmarks for what contemporary Champagne can achieve.

Wine Advocate (100)

Francis Egly has produced another profound Champagne with the 2013 Brut Grand Cru Millésime. If the monumental 2008 stands out for its power, structure and intensity, the 2013 is distinguished by its harmony, finesse and completeness; both vintages are very great wines but thus quite different in style. Wafting from the glass with scents of Anjou pear, crisp yellow apple, freshly baked bread, clear honey, iodine and fresh mint, it's full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a layered, concentrated and effortlessly balanced core of fruit, uniting precision and sensuality to compelling effect. Girdled by racy acids and animated by a delicate pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. Is this the most elegant wine Egly has produced to date? It's certainly among the most compelling that this high quality but initially underrated Champagne vintage has delivered.

Vinous (94)

The NV Vieilles Vignes de Vrigny (Meunier) is one of the best vintages of this cuvée I can remember tasting. Bright and finely cut, the Vieilles Vignes sizzles with tension from start to finish. Dried pear, spice, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all race out of the glass. Meunier has rarely been so refined, so nuanced. Give this a year or two to unwind. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: September, 2022.

Vinous (96)

The NV Extra Brut V.P. Grand Cru (Vieillissement Prolongé) is a rich, textured Champagne that expresses all of the natural intensity gained after having spent eight years on its lees. Baked apple tart, pastry, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes infuse the V.P. with tremendous flavor complexity to fill out its broad, expansive frame. It is a wine of remarkable depth and vinous intensity. In a word: superb. Disgorged: July, 2020.

Wine Advocate (91-94)

I tasted three components of the 2020 Crozes Hermitage Les Trois Chênes—maybe four, as Darnaud hadn't yet decided on whether the last one would be included in this cuvée or bottled separately as Au Fil du Temps. The blend should reflect a balanced blend of floral, stemmy notes, bright red cherries and notes of dark-skinned fruit and black olives. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it should drink well on release and for up to a decade. The final sample, aged in second use François Frères barrels, stood out for its suave, silky texture, smoky notes, vibrant raspberry fruit and long finish. If Darnaud bottles it separately, don't hesitate to snap it up.

Incredibly focused aromas of lifted black cherries and dark chocolate-coated violet creams dominate, before the concentrated, mouthcoating blackcurrant fruit pervades the palate. However, it is the pure energy of the wine, along with the harmonious concentration of fruit and freshness, and the fine yet pertinent tannins that is really impressive here. This is a truly lovely, powerful yet balanced Saint Joseph.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-99)

From a miniscule one-hectare parcel right across from Clinet, on the upper plateau of Pomerol, the 2018 Enclos Tourmaline is a blockbuster in the making, and I suspect it’s going to give the 2016 a run for its money. Checking in as a 100% Merlot raised in new oak, which hit 14.7% natural alcohol, this inky color blockbuster boasts a massive bouquet of black fruits, smoke herbs, chocolate, and damp earth. It shows a more floral edge with time in the glass and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and plush on the palate, with sweet tannins. It’s certainly one of the sexiest wines in this terrific vintage. Hats off to vineyard manager and winemaker Jérôme Aguirre as well as consultant Michel Rolland for another brilliant wine in the making. Tasted twice.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The 2019 Enclos Tourmaline is a tiny production Pomerol coming from a one-hectare vineyard beside Clinet. It's a rich, powerful, yet incredibly elegant Pomerol that does everything right, offering beautiful cassis and darker cherry fruits, notes of cedarwood, spicy oak, and chocolate, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a great finish. It marries opulence with finesse perfectly and is one heck of an impressive Pomerol that can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or so. Pomerol was one of the standout appellations in 2019, and this shows it.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Fidès is a gorgeously textured, full-bodied wine that seduces you with its ripe, rich fruit. It's a wine that focuses on mouthfeel rather than aroma. It offers an attractive, bitter grip on the finish, masses of freshness and subtle oak-derived character. My only complaint is that the alcohol seems a little warm on the finish.

Savour the exquisite Esprit Leflaive Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos Reyssier 2019, an exemplary expression of craftmanship from the iconic estate of Domaine Leflaive. Hailing from Macon region in Burgundy, this wine is cultivated on a unique limestone and clay terroir in Le Clos Reyssier. The 2019 vintage captures the essence of the vineyard, with meticulous bio-dynamic farming and traditional vinification in oak barrels lending depth and complexity to this Chardonnay.

Under the visionary leadership of Brice de La Morandière and the winemaking prowess of Pierre Vincent, Esprit Leflaive Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos Reyssier 2019 offers a harmonious blend of floral notes, stone fruit accents, and minerality. The palate presents a vibrant acidity balanced gracefully with a rich texture and a long, luxurious finish. Esprit Leflaive continues the Leflaive heritage of producing world-class wines, and this vintage is no exception. A heavenly experience undeniably awaits with each sip of the Esprit Leflaive Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos Reyssier 2019.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes is excellent, offering up aromas of stone fruits, pear, pastry cream, white flowers and fresh croissants, followed by a full-bodied, rich and textural palate, with a broad attack that segues into a layered, multidimensional palate. Powerful and broad shouldered, but nicely balanced, this is a compelling wine from Sauzet.

Vinous (95)

(25 hectoliters per hectare): Full, dark red. Tight, primary, slightly reduced aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and minerals. Densely packed, rich and broad; a distinctly horizontal, pliant style of Clos Vougeot, no doubt a function of the very warm, sunny vintage. Today this is sweeter and more open-knit than the Grands-Echézeaux but both of these wines should easily age for two decades or more. (Mallard noted that on some days this wine comes across as stricter, more Cistercian.) Finishes with spicy, ripe tannins and terrific energy and length.

Vinous (94)

The 2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru is well defined and precise, with cranberry, raspberry and vibrant red cherry scents that soar from the glass. The oak here is very well assimilated. The well-balanced palate offers fine but firm tannins that frame the black cherry and raspberry fruit. Lovely tension and mineralité on the finish, which delivers just the right amount of spice and length. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.

Wine Advocate (92-94+)

The 2017 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru is a great success, unfurling in the glass with aromas of blackberries, wild berries, rich soil tones and espresso roast, framed by a lavish but nicely integrated touch of toasty new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with a generous core of ripe but juicy fruit, concluding with an expansive, saline finish. While this is quite giving and charming by the standards of the appellation, it's the most concentrated wine in the Eugénie portfolio this year, and will likely prove the longest lived.

The Fabien Coche Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2022 is a testament to the exceptional winemaking prowess of Fabien Coche, a scion of the renowned Coche family in Burgundy, France. This dazzling white wine is produced from sustainably cultivated Chardonnay grapes in the lauded terroir of Meursault's Premier Cru vineyards, with Charmes applauded for its prestigious climats.

The 2022 Charmes embodies the precise oenological craftsmanship of Coche, with a meticulous manual harvest and traditional vinification in oak barrels, dignifying its exalted quality. An exquisite embodiment of Meursault's hallmark minerality, intermingled with nuanced notes of ripe fruit and honey, this wine offers an elaborate, vibrant palate and a persistently elegant finish.

With its distinguished genealogy and breathtaking purity, the Fabien Coche Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2022 validates its place among the pantheon of eminent Burgundy whites. An iconic choicely-curated cellar addition for discerning oenophiles.