Tim Atkin MW (96)

A bit of a mysterious wine as there is so little of it and wasn't even made for 20 years while the new vines were settling in, this is always a treat to taste. This is the seventh commercialized vintage with the revitalized vineyard, and it is utterly charming. Starting with match strike and Comice pear, the palate doubles down with riper flavors – including tropical fruits – and plentiful fresh herb lift. The well-knit acidity meshes seamlessly with the medium body lightly brushed with classy oak. It finishes long, dry and refreshing. 2023-34

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Meursault Boucheres 1er Cru underwent an élevage identical to that of the Désirée, yet this is far superior due to the influence of terroir. Fresh and vibrant on the nose, it has tangible mineralité and vigor, while the palate is very well balanced with tangy orange peel and quince. Brimming with tension. The impressive, powerful finish lingers in the mouth. Very refined yet intense. 

Vinous (93+)

(bottled the day before my visit; aged in 40% new oak): Complex, vibrant aromas of peach, orange zest and lemon accented by white pepper. Rich, ripe, tactile and sweet, with the intense citrus and stone fruit flavors accented by peppery spices and complicated by vanilla and leesy nuances. A very good showing today, but this is still a baby.

Vinous (93+)

(bottled the day before my visit; aged in 40% new oak): Complex, vibrant aromas of peach, orange zest and lemon accented by white pepper. Rich, ripe, tactile and sweet, with the intense citrus and stone fruit flavors accented by peppery spices and complicated by vanilla and leesy nuances. A very good showing today, but this is still a baby.

Vinous (93+)

(bottled the day before my visit; aged in 40% new oak): Complex, vibrant aromas of peach, orange zest and lemon accented by white pepper. Rich, ripe, tactile and sweet, with the intense citrus and stone fruit flavors accented by peppery spices and complicated by vanilla and leesy nuances. A very good showing today, but this is still a baby.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95)

(5-Star Wine) An attractive faint green tint to the colour. The nose shows no signs of heat or heaviness. This is magical on the palate, absolutely fills the mouth, ripe lemons on top of rich pear fruit, but nothing peachy or over-ripe. A brilliant example of Charmes, as the vineyard and the vintage are completely in harmony. Drink from 2026-2035.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru has a very pure with honeysuckle, orange zest and walnut, gaining intensity with time. This is a multi-dimensional nose, kaleidoscopic. The palate is well balanced with an almost Corton-Charlemagne-like entry, a little more austere compared to previous vintage with a lightly spiced finish. Very fine, quite intellectual, this is a scintillating, almost audacious Meursault-Charmes that has the edge over the Perrières (a view concurred by the man who made it!) Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (92+)

Perfumed aromas of hazelnut, lime and spice. Rich but racy and stylish; youthful and minerally. Rather elegantly styled wine, quite precise for the vintage. Very long on the finish. Lafon now uses just 50% new oak for his Genevrieres; as recently as 1992, this was made in all new barrels.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru has a vibrant, menthol-tinged bouquet that bursts from the glass, touches of quince and yellow plum coming through with time. The palate is very well balanced with orange zest and tangerine, very harmonious and poised with a hint of apricot towards the finish. Delicious, exuberant and punchy. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru has a vibrant, menthol-tinged bouquet that bursts from the glass, touches of quince and yellow plum coming through with time. The palate is very well balanced with orange zest and tangerine, very harmonious and poised with a hint of apricot towards the finish. Delicious, exuberant and punchy. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Burghound (91-94)

Sweet Spot Outstanding. Hints of spice and petrol add breadth to the ripe and mildly exotic aromas of white peach, mandarin orange and discreet wood influence. The bigger and richer medium weight plus flavors possess excellent mid-palate density while displaying excellent depth and drive on the focused and powerful finish. Impressive.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2020 Meursault Goutte d'Or 1er Cru has a lovely bouquet with fine delineation, orange pith and apricot, hazelnut with a touch of flint. The palate is beautifully balanced with insistent grip on the entry, more saline than the Bouchères, fine delineation with great precision on the finish. Very...complete. Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (94-95)

(a tank sample, fined ten days ago) Knockout nose combines musky citrus peel, white flowers and grilled nuts. Offers bracing lemon, lime and stone flavors of outstanding purity, with strong minerality giving the wine uncanny energy and cut. The sugar/acid balance here is exhilarating, and the wine's resounding finish offers an almost magically light touch. This should age very slowly.

Vinous (96)

The 2017 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru showed some reduction on the nose, but there is impressive delineation and focus and real mineralité here. It just needs bottle age. The palate is very well balanced, a live wire of acidity, tensile and mineral-driven with a judicious touch of spice toward the persistent finish. This is very classy and persistent, translating the terroir with style, a wine that flirts with profundity. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.

Vinous (96-98)

The 2018 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru rivets you to the spot with crushed pebble and crushed limestone scents that could only really originate from this vineyard. Such intensity! The beautifully balanced palate delivers a fabulous line of acidity, notes of orange zest and white peach and a stunning crescendo toward the finish, which shows amazing persistence. A Les Perrières with class. Brilliant.

Vinous (96-98)

The 2018 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru rivets you to the spot with crushed pebble and crushed limestone scents that could only really originate from this vineyard. Such intensity! The beautifully balanced palate delivers a fabulous line of acidity, notes of orange zest and white peach and a stunning crescendo toward the finish, which shows amazing persistence. A Les Perrières with class. Brilliant.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru has quite a rich bouquet with tropical tones, maybe to the detriment of the mineralité that is slightly masked at the moment. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, quite saline, lightly spiced with a vibrant finish that finally delivers the spiciness. Maybe pipped by the Les Charmes this year, this is a classy but not peak Perrières. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru has quite a rich bouquet with tropical tones, maybe to the detriment of the mineralité that is slightly masked at the moment. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, quite saline, lightly spiced with a vibrant finish that finally delivers the spiciness. Maybe pipped by the Les Charmes this year, this is a classy but not peak Perrières. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (94-96)

The 2020 Meursault Les Porusots 1er Cru has a perfumed bouquet with lemon verbena, orange pith, honeysuckle and pressed yellow flowers. Vibrant and concentrated. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little more extract here perhaps, spicy with touches of stem ginger towards the persistent finish. Superb. This vies with the Meursault-Charmes as "best in (Lafon's) show". Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (91+)

(tasted just off the bottling line) Pale color. Discreet aromas of soft citrus fruits and powdered stone. Juicy and tightly wound, with a captivating floral perfume in the mouth. For a wine with a light touch, this finishes with impressive thrust, not to mention aromatic persistence. Lafon calls this his favorite Clos de la Barre in a long time, noting that he also likes the 2000 very much.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2020 Meursault Clos-de-la-Barre has a clean, quite precise bouquet that is a step up from the Village, traces of grilled almond and hazelnut. The palate is underpinned by a fine line of acidity, more mineralité and tension with a saline, slightly Puligny-like finish. One of those less-is-more Meursaults. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Vinous (91-93)

The 2020 Meursault Clos-de-la-Barre has a clean, quite precise bouquet that is a step up from the Village, traces of grilled almond and hazelnut. The palate is underpinned by a fine line of acidity, more mineralité and tension with a saline, slightly Puligny-like finish. One of those less-is-more Meursaults. Bottled under Diam 30. Closure: Diam 30

Explore the symphony of flavours embedded within the Cottenceau Givry Champ Pourot 2020. Artfully rendered in the vineyards of Burgundy, France, this fine wine is a testament to traditional winemaking methods with modern precision. Cottenceau, the esteemed vintners noted for exclusive wines, have invested their expertise in crafting this superior 2020 vintage.

Created with hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes, each cluster is meticulously selected for its specific attributes. From controlled-temperature fermentations to 12-month maturation in French oak barrels, evolution in the bottle cultivates a harmonious blend of depth and structure, unparalleled in its taste and aroma.

Bringing forth a rich palate of red and black berries intertwined with hints of finely ground spice, the Cottenceau Givry Champ Pourot 2020 presents a memorable finish. A vibrant display of delicate tannins and seamless acidity, it encapsulates the true essence of the Givry. For connoisseurs seeking sophistication in a bottle, the Cottenceau Givry Champ Pourot 2020 sets a bar none can parallel.

Hailing from the esteemed terroirs of Burgundy, Cottenceau Montagny 1er Cru Les Vignes longues 2020 is a testament to exceptional winemaking prowess. Crafted by renowned vintner Cottenceau, this first-class single vineyard wine encapsulates the heart of Montagny's unique climate and soil structure. The meticulous traditional winemaking techniques employed yield a dynamic wine with delightful longevity.

Each grape is hand-harvested from old Chardonnay vines in the Les Vignes longues plot, ensuring maximum concentration of flavour. The 2020 vintage sports exquisite complexity adorned by a blend of citrus and mineral notes balanced with a subtle undertone of oak, owing to the wine’s partial maturation in French barrique barrels.

The Cottenceau Montagny 1er Cru Les Vignes longues 2020 is a prestigious embodiment of sublime quality and artisanal mastery. It is eagerly anticipated by connoisseurs, thus serving as an indisputable signature of fine tasteful indulgence from the coveted slopes of Montagny.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (91)

Healthy pale color. Ethereal, highly complex nose combines floral and herbal scents with notes of pineapple, marzipan, mint and spicy oak. Moderately viscous, sweet and shapely; concentrated and fresh. Like the '97, this is silky and suave. The very long, ripe finish hints at honey and caramel.

Wine Advocate (92)

Tasted single blind against its peers. This has a very floral, exuberant bouquet with white peach and grapefruit soaring from the glass. It is very pure and vivacious. The palate is harmonious with what feels like more sucrosity than on previous occasions. It is not viscous in texture, suggesting high acidity to slice through all that sweetness (a typical Coutet trait, as it turns out.) The finish displays touches of ginger and dried orange rind that linger nicely in the mouth, although the general impression is that it needs several years to “calm down.” Tasted January 2012.