Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)

Domaine. 4 barrels, half new, 60% whole bunches, very healthy grapes here. Not too deep in colour, with a very stylish nose, albeit with the oak quite present in youth. A fair weight to this then a light sawdust note from the barrel. The intensity is more at the back of the palate and the length is impeccable.

Vinous (93-95)

(80% new oak; 60% vendange entier): Good dark red. Complex nose and palate meld cherry liqueur, animal fur, resiny spices and cedar, lifted by high notes of flowers and citrus peel. Very sweet, silky and ripe, with outstanding sappy verve giving this dense, tactile yet suave wine a noble quality. The very long, mounting finish shows superb fine-grained tannins and building sweetness. A real essence of this grand cru.

Vinous (95)

The 2016 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a complex and higher toned bouquet compared to the Mazis-Chambertin from Faiveley: compelling aromas of blackberry, raspberry preserve, briary, sea cave and light rose petal aromas. The oak just needs more time to assimilate. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, and nicely pitched acidity. A tightly coiled finish feels abrupt for the moment. It just needs several years in bottle. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Vinous (95-97)

he 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru contains 20% whole bunch, since the single parcel of 80-year-old vines tends to produce tiny bunches. This has a complex bouquet of red plum, red currant, marmalade and light peppery notes that seems to expand with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Poised and harmonious, leading to a precise and very persistent, earthy finish. Superb.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-98)

5 star. Picked 2nd September at 13.5%. 80% new wood. 10% whole bunch. Lovely mid purple, not the deepest. More reserved than Mazoyères but clearly with an amazing depth. Crystalline purity, a whole bevy of fine red fruits underlined by a little torrefaction. It is really backward still but with extraordinary length. Very stylish. And actually then a huge weight of fruit returns even later. Tasted: November 2021

Burghound (93-95)

(Don't Miss) (from Mazis-Bas). An elegant, airy and beautifully layered nose is spicier still with plenty of floral influence suffusing the mix of red and dark currant, anise and forest floor. The super-sleek and equally, if markedly denser, medium-bodied flavors exhibit excellent power on the sappy, balanced and wonderfully persistent finale that is unmistakably built to repay extended keeping. One to strongly consider.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

45% whole bunch. Lifted ruby purple. A touch of coconut from the wood. This has much more finesse than the Charmes. Really graceful on the palate yet still with tensile strength. An excellent fruit acid balance too, altogether a classy Mazoyères. Very persistent. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Nov 2024.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain 1er Cru has the best aromatics of Tawse’s white with delineated, mineral-driven citrus fruit that blossoms in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation, citrus fresh with touches of orange zest and nectarine towards the finish that has plenty of energy. Excellent.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

A domaine wine, badly hit by the frost. Clear bright colour, a light barrel toast but clearly with interesting fruit beneath. There is quite some concentration on the palate especially at the back, with yellow plum and pear fruit, a good thread of acidity and persistence.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-91)

Destemmed, 20% new wood, now racked to tank. A lovely fresh crimson colour. Mixed red berries, including strawberry, this is unforced and very pleasing. Tannins, lighter acidity, but the fruit wins through. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Nov 2024.

Burghound (91-93)

This is also elegant, perfumed and very floral with its pretty blend of red currant, cherry, anise and violet-scented nose. There is lovely tension and minerality suffusing the rich, focused and surprisingly powerful flavors that brim with dry extract on the beautifully long, firm and youthfully austere finish. This is excellent and easily the best of the Tawse wines from the Côte de Beaune. Very much worth considering. (91-93)/2031+

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (89-92)

Black centre, purple rim. 50% whole bunch with two new barrels in seven. The alcohol shows through a bit on the nose. Racked and assembled. Impressive density here, even with some intense red fruit backing the blacker notes. The power takes it out of a classical Volnay but is still a good wine for those who are OK with the extra intensity. Tasted: November 2021

Vinous - Neal Martin (91-93)

The 2023 Volnay Les Fremiets 1er Cru is completely destemmed this year. It has a fresh and more marine-influenced bouquet to the point where you might misconstrue there being some stems in the mix. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and much more elegant than the 2022. It has fine tannins and nice poise with a harmonious finish. There's not enormous length, but this is really quite a lovely Volnay.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Inky purple in color, this youngest Taylor vintage Port boasts a floral, wonderfully open and appealing bouquet, backed by layers of rich fruit. What makes this wine extra special is the seductive texture—somewhere between creamy and syrupy—and ample length. Hold.

Wine Advocate (97)

Now with a couple years in bottle, I am erring to the Taylor’s over the Fonseca (although these can always change!) The Taylor’s show more delineation and refinement with pure black currant, cassis, pencil box, hints of marzipan and a hint of dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and sumptuous with super-fine tannins, very pure blackberry and boysenberry notes interlaced with cedar, dried fig and a touch of black pepper on the beautifully refined finish. Excellent.

Wine Orbit (96)

Revealing elegance and sophistication, the engaging bouquet shows Black Doris plum, dark cherry, warm spice and toasted nut characters with nuances of truffle and floral. The palate displays outstanding concentration and focus, while offering rich texture and expansive mouthfeel, superbly framed by loads of fine, polished tannins. Multi-layered and magnificently flowing to an impressively long silky finish. The wine is gloriously composed and expressed, promising to evolve gracefully. The wine exhibits classic Te Mata elegance, freshness and refinement within a perfectly formed structure.

Wine Front (94)

Violet, bay leaf, black fruit, almost liquorice, mocha, baking spices and cedar. Medium bodied, black fruit laced with liquorice and tobacco, a fleshy mass of tannin and dark chocolate, cool clean acidity, and very long fi nish, all black tea and perfume in the aftertaste. Chewy satisfaction and a little fl amboyance in every mouthful. Love this.

Wine Orbit (97)

Offering harmony and structure within an opulent framed of rich fruit and silky tannins, this is a gratifying red offering awesome value. The enticing bouquet shows blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco and cedary oak characters with a delicate floral overtone. The palate displays amazing depth and persistency, wonderfully complemented by delectable fruit flavours with spicy nuances. Tannins are fine, mouth-coating and just right, making it structured and seamless at the same time.

Wine Orbit (98)

This is brimming with gorgeous aromas of Black Doris plum, violet, warm spice and toasted almond on the nose, leading to a concentrated palate offering a rich texture and plush mouthfeel. It’s powerful and imposing while remaining gracious and captivating, beautifully framed by fine grainy tannins, finishing persistent and immensely satisfying.

Wine Orbit (99)

Expressing precision and purity, combined with brooding strength and complexity, this is spectacular and breathtaking. Immediately appealing with dark plum, sweet cherry, graphite, olive, spicy oak and floral aromas, it’s succulent and fleshy in the mouth delivering layers of seductive flavours backed by beautifully infused tannins. It’s mouthfilling and velvety with a prolonged engaging finish.

Bob Campbell MW (98)

Bright, youthful blended red of cabernet sauvignon (52%), merlot (33%) and cabernet franc (15%). This is classic Coleraine with cassis, cedar, floral, blueberry, a suggestion of wood-smoke, anise and spicy oak flavours. Terrific depth and an exquisite balance between fruit sweetness and acid/tannin structure. It will be a long-distance runner.

Wine Orbit (100)

Destined for a long life, this majestic offering shows cassis, dark plum, hint of tobacco, cedar and floral aromas on the nose. The palate is packed with rich fruit intensity combined with layers of silky texture and complex flavours, wonderfully supported by perfectly pitched chalky tannins, making it sturdy and structured with a seemingly endless finish. Flawless and spellbinding. A blend of 59 cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot & 4% cabernet franc. At its best: 2029 to 2049.

Wine Orbit (100)

This is solidly built yet fine and flawless with cassis, scented floral, olive, cake spice and stylish oak aromas on the nose. The powerfully concentrated palate offers dazzling clarity of fruit purity as well as astonishing complexity, brilliantly structured by perfectly pitched chalky tannins. Beautifully layered with formidable depth and seductive texture, making this rendition of Coleraine undeniably spellbinding.

Wine Orbit (100)

The 2021 Coleraine exhibits a commanding presence and majestic poise. The bouquet reveals classic aromas of cassis, dark plum and violet with whispering nuances of cedar and cigar. There are hints of warm spices, compounding the pleasure upon inhalation. The palate is bold and graceful at once, enhanced by plush texture and multi-layered mouthfeel, beautifully framed by refreshing acidity and fine chalky tannins. Robust and substantial with a great line and length, which seem to go on to infinity. This youthful wine is already impossible to resist, but time will reward those who can wait. In sports, they often talk about ‘The Greatest of All Time’, or 'The GOAT'. This 2021 Coleraine is undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2018 Matallana is the only wine they produced in Ribera del Duero, a traditional blend of Tempranillo with approximately 15% other varieties —Valenciano (Bobal), Navarro (Garnacha) and white Albillo—from different soils in five different villages, Sotillo de la Ribera, Roa, Fuentecén, Fuentemolinos and Pardilla. It fermented in oak and stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts and matured for 14 months in French oak barrels of different ages. It has 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.68. The wine is subtle, harmonious and elegant, complex and with integrated oak, very expressive with velvety tannins and a long, dry, chalky finish. This is superb, elegant but with the Duero rusticity and stone minerality. It has to be the finest Matallana to date. 22,020 bottles produced. It was bottled in May and June 2020. They skipped the 2017 of this wine as the year was decimated by killer frost.

Delight in the exquisite Telmo Rodriguez Rioja Las Beatas 2018, a Spanish masterpiece hailed from the prestigious Rioja region. Esteemed winemaker, Telmo Rodriguez, meticulously crafts this wine from single-vineyard grapes harvested from a plot of pre-phylloxera, bush-trained vines averaging 100 years old.

Renowned for his commitment to authentic Spanish terroirs, Rodriguez uses minimal intervention techniques. This approach allows the vineyard's unique qualities to shine through in the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja Las Beatas 2018. Each bottle reflects the profound mineral complexity of its calcareous clay soil, and the region's robust continental climate.

The wine exudes an elegant balance of bright red fruit, delicate floral notes, and sophisticated spice accents. Aged for 15 months in French oak, the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja Las Beatas 2018 captivates the palate and exemplifies the very best of traditional Spanish winemaking.

Destined to impress the discerning oenophile, the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja Las Beatas 2019 is an absolute masterpiece of Spanish winemaking. Crafted by the esteemed Telmo Rodriguez, one of Spain's pioneering winemakers, this vintage talks volumes about Rodriguez's commitment to preserving old vineyards and traditional methods. The Las Beatas vineyard, nestled in the Rioja Alavesa region, benefits from distinctive calcareous clay soils and a unique microclimate. This favourably influences the delicately hand-picked Tempranillo grapes used to produce this wine. The vinification process involves 14 months of maturation in French oak barrels, lending a refined complexity to the end product.

Upon sipping, expect the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja Las Beatas 2019 to unveil notes of ripe red fruit, spiced undertones and delicious hints of vanilla. Admire its depth in colour and intricate layers of flavour which unfurl with each sip. This is an extraordinary testament to high-quality, artisant production, and an exclusive opportunity to experience Spanish viticulture at its finest.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

The talented Telmo Rodriguez is launching this wine onto the Place with its first vintage for the entirety of its production. The grapes are from a 3.8ha limestone-dominant plot within the family’s Remelluri estate, found in the foothills of the Sierra de Tolono mountains. A sweet and smoky attack, with a ton of flavours and fragrant aromatics that grab hold and hang on, from dense liquorice root to crushed stones to blueberry, redcurrant, rose petals and tobacco, nothing too much or too overwhelming, but you also feel the herb-strewn call of the vineyard and you want to be there, among the vines where this is made. Get hold of it now, enjoy the brilliance of Telmo Rodriguez and the sense of place that he can bring to a wine. A field blend, as with the brilliant Remelluri Blanco, with just over 7,000 bottles in this inaugural vintage. An outstanding first outing that you should be following - believe me, this is a cult wine in the making.