93/100 Tim Atkin

Domaine l'Enclos' 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Vaudsier demonstrates both elegance and power: apple, pear, quince, orange and orange zest, notes of vanilla, bread crust and coffee with milk. Everything is dominated by a scent of sea air, dried oyster shell and seaweed. A great opening on the tongue, lots of light and juicy fruit combine with a fine acidity which is wonderfully integrated into the fondant of the fruit. A high-class Chablis.

The Corton Grand Cru Les Maréchaudes from Domaine Michel Mallard stands as an exceptional wine, marrying strength and elegance effortlessly. Its bouquet is rich and complex, offering notes of wild strawberry, faded rose, humus, cigar, and toasty nuances. On the palate, this complexity is further enhanced by a delicate and well-balanced structure, culminating in a long and persistent finish that leaves a lasting impression of finesse.

The 2019 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru has a bit of SO2 reduction on the nose, though this gradually blows away. It doesn't reveal much, and I find others convey more personality. The palate is well balanced with a fine lime and orange pith entry and good weight, yet it needs more detail and mineralité towards what feels like a rather conservative finish.

Pairs well with: Shellfish, Lobster and Crab

Of a deep ruby colour with a garnet hue, our Romanée-Saint-Vivant "Les Quatre Journaux" 2019 unveils pepper, liquorice and blackcurrant bud aromas on the nose. This wine is generous and fresh with silky tannins. It reveals black cherry and liquorice notes on the palate. Nice toasted hint. Beautiful length.

Droin Chablis Valmur Grand Cru is a white wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in the Valmur Grand Cru vineyard in Chablis. It has a bright, pale gold color and a complex aroma that combines mineral, citrus, and floral notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with a rich texture and flavors of ripe citrus fruit, green apple, and a subtle hint of honey. The wine has a long, elegant finish with a refreshing acidity and a lingering minerality. 

A legend throughout the entire Cote-d'Or, Henri de Villamont can be easily spotted from miles around due to its famous Guettes Tower and beautiful manor house, which has drawn wine lovers on a Burgundy pilgrimage for many decades. Located in the heart of one of the region's prettiest villages, Savigny les Beaune, Henri de Villamont is a magical place, surrounded by high walls and scores of Premier Cru vineyards. The property is owned by a major Swiss family company who have been in the wine business for over 20 years. A shy nose that very slowly releases precise red berries. Eventually this rounds in the mouth, has a hint of salt too. This has decently understated concentration and real grand cru complexity here. Understated, sometimes subtle, but excellent.

This family owned Domaine has a prestigious location: they are the only Domaine located inside the walls of Clos Vougeot itself. They are the largest owners of land with 5.5ha, many of these with Pinot Noir vines that were planted in 1910. Although they always farmed organically, they received their certification in 2021. The Grand Cru is a cuvée that is the most faithful expression of Clos de Vougeot. Picked from different plots, the grapes are vinified and aged separately, then blended just before bottling. This 100% Pinot Noir is a powerful wine with penetrating aromas of cherry and spice. Powerful tannins and mouth filling, give this wine some time to settle down. 

Blend: Chardonnay 100%

A masterpiece of precision and power, the 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru from Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet epitomizes the domaine’s legendary craftsmanship. The nose reveals captivating aromas of white peach, citrus blossom, crushed stone, and delicate oak spice. On the palate, it is expansive yet refined, with layers of ripe orchard fruit, vibrant acidity, and an unmistakable mineral core that carries through a long, resonant finish.

This is a wine of remarkable tension, depth, and longevity — a true grand cru that will evolve beautifully with time.

Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most trusted and revered wine houses in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Frédéric Barnier, Jadot’s esteemed winemaker, and his team balance tradition and technology, focusing on the purest expression of each wine’s terroir.  Founded in 1859, the house now owns 528 acres of vineyards, including 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots. The origin of Chambertin comes from one of the owners whose name was Bertin and who had the idea to plant vineyards close to the climat used by monks. Chambertin comes from Champ de Bertin. The Chambertin vineyard is situated on a chalky soil in the depth and clayey at the surface, which makes the wine both powerful and round. It boasts impressive body and depth, showcasing the true character of this esteemed Grand Cru vineyard. The flavors are intense and vibrant, with a remarkable hint of minerality.

The Grand Cru is a powerful wine with a structure similar to Côte de Nuits wines. The vineyard orientation allows to elaborate a wine with silky tannins and harmonious acidity. Les Grèves is a South east exposure vineyard based on a siliceous soil. This gives power and delicacy to the wine.

Color: Brilliant golden yellow with green reflections and silver rim.
Nose: The bouquet of the 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot from Domaine l'Enclos is delicate and mineral, its aroma gaining additional expression with oxygen contact. Fruity hints of apple, lemon, lemon zest, honeydew melon, vineyard peach and a hint of wild strawberry combine with lime blossom, heather and anise as well as freshly churned butter and brioche. Its elegant and multi-layered attack invites you to enjoy it.
Palate: Juicy, playful on the palate, its fine acidity, pronounced fruitiness and fine tannin make you think of grapefruit and lemon peel. A truly great Burgundy that still seems a little shy on the palate, a real long-distance runner with a chalky orientation. The patient connoisseur will be rewarded if he puts a few bottles aside, because the fineness will clearly catapult forward with further maturity. The impatient will best forget it opened for a few days in the fridge before drinking it with classics of French cuisine.
Be sure to decant. Bellied Burgundy glasses let it win additionally.

Blend: Pinot Noir 100%

The 2022 Échezeaux Grand Cru from Bruno Desaunay-Bissey is a powerful yet elegant Pinot Noir, showcasing the depth and complexity of Burgundy’s Grand Cru vineyards. The nose offers aromas of ripe red and black cherry, raspberry, floral hints, and subtle spice. On the palate, it reveals layered fruit, silky tannins, and a refined minerality, finishing long and precise.

A Grand Cru of exceptional finesse, perfect with game, roast poultry, or fine mushroom dishes.

Blend: Pinot Noir 100%

The 2022 Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru from Bruno Desaunay-Bissey is a wine of exceptional power, elegance, and complexity. The nose reveals concentrated red and black cherry, raspberry, floral nuances, and subtle spice. On the palate, it offers silky, layered red fruit, refined tannins, and a mineral-driven structure, culminating in a long, precise, and age-worthy finish.

A Grand Cru of outstanding finesse, ideal for pairing with game, roast poultry, or fine mushroom dishes.

For six generations, Domaine Noellat has been farming their 20ha of land. With entreprenurial spirit, the family was always looking to adapt to new technologies, whilst respecting the traditions handed down from one generation to another. The cellar was built in 1980, then in 2007 an ultra modern winery was erected with state of the art stainless tanks and a dedicated tasting space in the cellar. Cousins Sebastien and Sophie work closely together making strategic decisions based on the nature of each harvest. The pinot noir grapes are all hand harvested and 100% de-stemmed, stainless steel fermentation, then ageing for 16 months in 70% new barrels. The wine shows ripe cherries, red currant and earthy notes with medium body, and silky tannins. Great ageability on this wine; put this away for a few years yet. Drink to 2060.

Violet combines in a most subtle fashion with gentle vanilla on the perfumed nose. A slight cloud of flinty reduction has nothing on them. The palate is supremely elegant, translucent and so subtle that every nuance of red-fruited finesse gets its moment in the light. This is elegance squared. Beautiful, poised, exquisite and lasting.

This family owned Domaine has a prestigious location: they are the only Domaine located inside the walls of Clos Vougeot itself. They are the largest owners of land with 5.5ha, many of these with Pinot Noir vines that were planted in 1910. Although they always farmed organically, they received their certification in 2021. This 2019 Pinot Noirs shows tightly packed black and red fruit accented with notes of violets, mineral, earth and wild herbs. This is powerful and rich, with firm tannins, lots of body, and the ability to age almost indefinitely. Try from 2026

Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most trusted and revered wine houses in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Frédéric Barnier, Jadot’s esteemed winemaker, and his team balance tradition and technology, focusing on the purest expression of each wine’s terroir.  Founded in 1859, the house now owns 528 acres of vineyards, including 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots. This is a wine of delicacy and finesse, with notes of berries, earth and oak in a silken texture.

The vineyards of Michel Mallard located in Ladoix-Serrigny at the foot of Corton Hill in the Cotes de Beaune encompass all levels of vineyard quality: Villages, Premier Cru Grand Cru. Red wines of Corton will typically be more structured than wines of Vougeout, but perhaps not as powerful as Pommard. The Grand Cru of Le Rognet is a complex wine with notes of buleberry, blackberry and blackcurrant with nuances of licorice and pepper. Smooth and velvety tannins, this wine will age for a surprisingly long time.

This 50ha walled vineyard was created by the Monks of Citeaux and the soils in the areahas a large clay content, which accounts to the powerful, well-structured wines that can be rustic when young. This Grand Cru is on 1.28ha plot with 100% pinot noir. The grapes were handpicked and destemmed, then fermented in large oak vats. The wine was further aged for 20 months in French oak. The nose shows floral notes of rose petals, berries and spices. The tannins are fine and elegant with flavours of fresh fruit and spices of nutmeg and pepper.

The Tollot-Beaut family is a based at Chorey-Les-Beaune with vineyards located in Beaune, Savigny, Aloxe-Corton and a small holding in Corton Charlemagne. The 2020 Corton Grand Cru, which comes from Les Combes as usual (though not on the label), has a lovely nose with brambly red fruit, black truffle and subtle pencil box aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, very fine tension and an almost sorbet-fresh, quite mouth-coating finish. It will require time in bottle...but this Corton will be worth the wait.

The Tollot-Beaut family is a based at Chorey-Les-Beaune with vineyards located in Beaune, Savigny, Aloxe-Corton and a small holding in Corton Charlemagne. This 100% Pinot Noir has ripe black cherry, black currant, violet and mineral notes. The palate is dense, yet elegant with ripe fruit and fine tannins. A consistently underrated site from a wonderful domaine.

Michel Mallard Le Rognet is a Grand Cru vineyard located in Ladoix-Serrigny on a small plot of 1.27 ha growing Pinot Noir vines that are between 45-55 years old. The vineyard is known for producing wines with complex flavors and aromas. The 2012 vintage of Michel Mallard Corton GC Le Rognet is generally considered to be a good year for Burgundy wines, with favorable weather conditions leading to a high-quality harvest. The wine is aged in oak barrels for approximately 18 months, which adds depth and complexity to its flavors.This 100% Pinot noir has aromas of violets, blackberries, pepper spice, and licorice. Full-bodied and rich, the palate is dense, yet velvety. This wine can age for an impressively long time.

The history of the Rebourseau family goes back to 1782, humble farmers involved in viticulture which were passed on from one generation to the next. Through the years the objective was to bring the production of each appellation to its best level, ensuring the wines reflect the most accurate version of their climates. Clos Vougeot, which covers approximately 50ha is considered one of the best Grand Cru sites in Burgundy. The Rebourseau is a wine with pronounced minerality expressing earthy notes of fern, moss and truffle, revealing velvety tones of coffee beans and black radish.

For six generations, Domaine Noellat has been farming their 20ha of land. With entreprenurial spirit, the family was always looking to adapt to new technologies, while respecting the traditions handed down from one generation to another. The cellar was built in 1980 while in 2007 an ultra modern winery was erected with state of the art stainless tanks and a dedicated tasting space in the cellar. Cousins Sebastien and Sophie work closely together making strategic decisions based on the nature of each harvest. Echezeaux is considered to be one of the premium wine-growing regions of Burgundy. The 0.80ha site perhaps used to be home to Gallo-Roman ruins, and the vines now grown there have an average age of 70 years. The bouquet of this 100% Pinot noir is rich and exotic with a rich texture, fleshy tannins and a touch of black pepper and spice on the finish.

Raphet Burgundy is handmade from field to bottle, with a rhythm and method that hasn't changed in more than four generations. Pinot Noir vines at the estate are on average very old, with many surpassing 100 years. Raphet wines are a Burgundy lover's Burgundy. While the wine's colour in the glass is a delicate ruby, aromas and flavours surprise with their forceful intensity. This contrast often catches the uninitiated off guard, yet it is part of the seduction of these limited and highly sought-after wines.

Echézeaux is fragrant, fine, full and silky and full of flavour. The 'Cuvée 49' is, as you might expect, from a single parcel of vines in the Echézeaux du Dessus lieu-dit, planted in 1949, so very special. Grands Echézeaux shows richness and opulence, in a plump softer style.

An elegant and perfumed bouquet graced with delightful essences of red cherry, raspberry, violet, and lavender is subtly framed by moderate wood and menthol influences. The palate begins with a caressing mouthfeel that swiftly transitions to a firm, muscular structure, showcasing well-detailed and comparatively robust flavors. This dynamic leads to a vigorous and more harmoniously balanced finish, maintaining its intensity throughout.

Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most trusted and revered wine houses in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Frédéric Barnier, Jadot’s esteemed winemaker, and his team balance tradition and technology, focusing on the purest expression of each wine’s terroir.  Founded in 1859, the house now owns 528 acres of vineyards, including 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots. Brisk deep purple, this is a solid multi-textured wine with depth of flavour and a certain darkness to it but it remains superbly balanced in tannins and acidity. An extremely perfumed and exotic wine.

The vineyards of Michel Mallard located in Ladoix-Serrigny at the foot of Corton Hill in the Cotes de Beaune encompass all levels of vineyard quality: Villages, Premier Cru Grand Cru. Wines from the Grand Cru of Marechaude are typically full-bodied and robust due to the heavy clay soils found in this marshy area of Corton (Maresche means swamp in old French). The Mallard has a bouquet of blackberry, licorice, cloves and hints of minerality on the elegant, tannic palate. Like the Le Rognet, it can be aged for many years.

The vineyards of Michel Mallard located in Ladoix-Serrigny at the foot of Corton Hill in the Cotes de Beaune encompass all levels of vineyard quality: Villages, Premier Cru Grand Cru. From the name that literally means "vixens" (Renardes), the name is appropriate as this Grand Cru with its iron rich soils that reputedly impart the rich, gamey character of these Pinot Noir. Along with the animal subtleties, expect to find blueberry, red currant, licorice and hints of black pepper on a ricy and racy palate.

Clos de Vougeot is located in the heart of the Côte de Nuits between Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée. It represents an area of 49.86 ha, at an altitude varying between 240 and 255 meters above sea level. Founded in 1110 by the Abbaye of Citeaux, Clos de Vougeot is the ideal image of Burgundy, rich with a terroir worthy of art. The village of Vougeot also has 4 climates of 1ers Crus on an area of 12.5 ha, including 3 ha of white wines: Les Cras, La Vigne Blanche, Les Petits Vougeot, and Clos de la Perrière.

To the north of the Côte de Beaune, the Montagne de Corton brings together the villages of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny. The vineyards lie between 250 and 330 meters above sea level, forming an amphitheatre unlike any other on the Côte. Corton Grand Cru is produced mainly in red over 90 ha, and may bear the name of its climat, of which there are 25, such as Les Perrieres, Les Combes, Clos des Meix, Les Bressandes, Le Rognet, Les Renardes, Le Clos du Roi, etc.

The vineyard of Vosne-Romanée covers about 240 ha on Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Echezeaux. The village of Vosne-Romanée, situated at the heart of the Côte de Nuits, is comprised of six fabulous Grands Crus such as Romanée-Conti, Tâche, Richebourg… whereas its neighbor, Flagey-Echezeaux, shelters Echezeaux and Grands-Echezeaux. The production of Grands Crus represents ¼ of the vineyard. Les Echezeaux itself covers only 34.8 hectares, at an altitude varying between 230 and 300 meters above sea level, with a rather complex mixture of soils: limestone, red silt, marl…

Clos Vougeot is one of the most renowned vineyards in Burgundy, and it holds the Grand Cru classification, indicating the highest quality level for Burgundy wines. Château de la Tour is one of the prestigious producers in the area, focusing on producing exceptional wines from the Pinot Noir grape variety. Chateau de la Tour Clos Vougeot Grand Cru is known for its elegance, complexity, and finesse. The wine typically exhibits flavors of red and black fruits, such as cherries and blackberries, with notes of spices, earth, and sometimes floral undertones. It often has a medium to full body, well-integrated tannins, and a long, lingering finish.

Gerard Raphet and now with his daughter Marion, farm the small plots of nearly 100-year-old Pinot Noir vines in Morey St. Denis and surrounding area. Raphet is shy and prefers to let the majesty of his Pinot Noir wines do the talking. Clos de Vougeot is a highly regarded appellation with over 80 producers owning very small plots. As such, the wines vary considerably in both style and quality. Raphet's wines are amongst some of the best wines produced here, with grapes coming from 60-80 year old vines. The rsulting wine is structured, yet suave with notes of raspberry, black cherry, earth and baking spices.