James Suckling (99)

Extremely aromatic, with incredible wet-earth, bark, stone and graphite notes on the nose, then changing to violets, blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, yet so linear and fine, with titanium tannins that go on so long. Builds and builds then just rolls around the palate through the endless finish. Real Bordeaux here. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. Exceptional. Better after 2029.

James Suckling (98)

This is extremely aromatic and perfumed with crushed-berry, flower, currant and orange-peel character. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with fabulous depth and density that brings you down through the wine. Deep and serious. Very classic wine that reminds me of top Haut-Brions of the mid-1980s. Try after 2025.

James Suckling (100)

The black cassis comes out of the glass, together with iodine, sandalwood and subtle moss and wet-bark undertones, then turning to violets. The palate is mind-blowing, with a cashmere texture that unravels on the palate and continues on for minutes. It’s full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouth-feel, One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is one for your deep cellar. Try in 2029.

James Suckling (100)

This is crazy quality. The depth and intensity is really something. It is so compact and powerful with such intensity and density. Energy. So structured. Full-bodied. Layered and superb. Like a great Montrachet from a great vintage, but so Haut Brion. Speechless. Perfect wine.

Burghound (93)

(Outstanding) Here there is enough post-bottling reduction to largely mask the nuances of the more floral-suffused aromas. As is typically the case, there is more refinement but less size, weight and power to the delicious and gorgeously textured medium-bodied flavors that display excellent length on the citrus-tinged finale. This youthfully austere effort will require at least a few years of patience, but it should be well worth the wait.

Burghound (95)

Smoky broad-ranging aromas are composed primarily of various white orchard fruit, acacia blossom, citrus rind, wood and a hint of exotic tea. There is an abundance of dry extract that imparts a sappy character to the concentrated, mineral-driven and wonderfully complex flavors that also display a hint of mandarin orange on the strikingly long finish that is Zen-like in its harmony. In a word, fantastic.

Burghound (90)

While the wood treatment and associated menthol character are not subtle they stop short of dominating the more elegant if otherwise similar nose. The mouth feel of the medium-bodied flavors is notably finer; indeed it's seductive, while offering more evident minerality on the ever-so-mildly austere, complex, balanced and impressively long finale. As it should be, given that the blend is from 5 different 1ers, this is a villages plus in terms of quality.

Vinous (97)

The MV 16 is bright, fresh and airy and yet has the natural richness of Aÿ that Giraud fans have come to expect. Apricot, tangerine oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, chamomile and dried flowers all meld together in a creamy, ample Champagne that hits all the right notes. A Champagne of towering presence, the MV 16 is classy, understated and undeniably alluring. It is also one of the most impressive Champagnes I have ever tasted from Claude Giraud. Even in the early going, the 70% new oak is so well-integrated. This set of new releases is full of highlights, but the MV 16 is especially fine. Don't miss it! Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 11, 2020.

Wine Spectator (95)

From green clay and pebbly silex soils, the 2018 Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec offers a clear, intense but elegant and sublime nose that intermixes ripe fruit and ginger aromas with spicy-flinty notes. Very well articulated and precise on the nose, it is lush and intense on the palate, with a good structure and complex finish. This is a highly promising Vouvray whose combination of 14% alcohol and unfermented sugar asks for a couple of years of cellar aging. The finish is salty, pure, tight and vibrantly fresh. A gorgeous, highly energetic wine. Tasted in May 2019.

Decanter (97)

The crown in the Hugel jewels, Schoelhammer comes from 30 rows in the core of Grand Cru Shoenenbourg, high above Riquewihr. An intense, dry and mineral-charged Riesling with floral aromas and concentrated lime/lemon zest flavours. Fermented in neutral oak, this retains absolute purity and clarity of flavour. Bottled in Spring 2012, this vintage was first released in 2018. Still very youthful and with decades ahead.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er Cru is gentler on the nose compared to the Pruliers, scents of wild strawberry, raspberry, crushed limestone and light ferrous aromas unfolding from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a sweet entry. This has a lot of sucrosity and energy. Powerful and vivacious toward the saline finish, which reveals touches of boysenberry and black cherries and lingers for 45 seconds. Superb.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

The 2014 Nuits St Georges 1er Cru les Pruliers was much more backward on the nose compared to the 2014 les Roncières when I tasted it at the domaine; this is broody and a bit sulky at the moment. The palate is more expressive with fine, saturated tannin. The new oak is a little more prominent here and will need time to be absorbed, but there is plenty of fruité and density on the finish; plus there is tangible mineralité and indeed, spiciness on the finish that has more concentration than Etienne Grivot's other Nuits-Saint-Georges. Superb.

Burghound (91-93)

As it should, this presently has an entirely different aromatic profile with its ripe and fresh combination of earth and sauvage characters together with both red and dark currant scents. Here too there is really lovely mouth feel to the tautly muscular flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the energetic, detailed and beautifully persistent finish. This is also admirably seamless and should amply reward extended keeping.

Jeb Dunnuck (98+)

A powerhouse of a wine that flirts with perfection, the 2019 Hermitage reveals a dense purple hue as well as an extraordinary bouquet of sweet blue fruits supported by notes of crushed stone, lead pencil, leather, and ground pepper, with hints of flowers in the background. Full-bodied, stunningly pure, and massively concentrated, yet with riveting precision and elegance, it needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for a decade and will evolve for 30, 40, if not 50 years. Tasting the trilogy of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 over the coming decades will be the equivalent of wine nirvana.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Another heavenly white from this estate is the 2020 Hermitage Blanc, which is the usual 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne from a mix lieux-dits. Incredibly perfumed with notes of acacia flowers, buttered stone fruits, toasted brioche, honeysuckle, and crushed stone, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. The purity, balance, and intensity here are just about off the charts, and this beauty deserves a solid decade of bottle age, although you'll be excused if you drink one in its youth as well.

Vinous (91)

The 2017 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet 1er Cru offers fine intensity on the nose of orchard fruit, touches of orange blossom and crushed stone scents, all quite intense while maintaining delineation. The palate is well defined with a fine line of acidity, and maybe just a little oaky at the moment, although that should be absorbed with time. It just feels conservative on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.

Vinous (93)

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet 1er Cru has a very attractive nose with enticing scents of nectarine, tinned white peaches, Braeburn apples and a light chalky note. The palate is well balanced with orange pith, apricot and lychee notes on the entry. This Champ Canet has fine depth and good tension, the mouth tingling with spicy residues after it has departed. Excellent.

Exuding the epitome of Burgundian excellence, Jean-Marc Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2013 is considered a gem in the world of fine wines. Hailing from the revered Caillerets vineyard in Volnay, an acclaimed sub-region of Burgundy, this Pinot Noir exhibits distinct complexities. Jean-Marc Bouley, a respected third-generation vigneron, meticulously oversees the winemaking process, yielding this luxurious vintage.

Touted for the strict non-interventionist methodology deployed through the vinification process, the Jean-Marc Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2013 features hand-harvested grapes, ensuring impeccable quality. A 15-month sojourn in French oak barrels amplifies depth to the wine's aromatics and enriches the palate. The resulting taste profile is redolent with cherry, redcurrant undertones and a remarkable mineral-driven finish.

Demonstrating admirable age-worthiness, this vintage whispers narratives of its prestigious lineage with every sip. The Jean-Marc Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2013 promises an indulgent Burgundy experience for devoted connoisseurs and discerning collectors alike.

Indulge your senses with the Jerome Prevost Grand Cru NV, an emblematic reflection of the terroir of La Closerie, Reims. Jerome Prevost, highly admired within Champagne circles, is revered for his meticulous practice and devotion to the craft. This impeccable Grand Cru NV, predominantly made from Pinot Meunier, captures the quintessence of his artisanal approach, encapsulated in a single vineyard plot.

Bottled without fining or filtration, and fermented solely from natural yeasts, the wine exemplifies an unadulterated expression of Prevost's philosophy. The decades-old vines, deeply entrenched in calcareous soils, yield a wine of profound depth and complexity. Bright acidic backbone, entwined with nuances of chalky minerality and rich pear notes, the Jerome Prevost Grand Cru NV is a touchstone for boutique Champagne production.

Appreciated by wine purists, this beguiling wine faithfully represents the work of an innovative winemaker dedicated to precision and purity, and the eternal appeal of the Grand Cru designation.

Wine Advocate (94)

A new bottle from Prévost, the NV Extra Brut & (LC18) is a blend that marries 20% Les Béguines with the balance deriving from other sites in Gueux that share the same sandy soils. It's based on the 2018 vintage, with some 20% reserve wines from 2017. The label is easy to distinguish thanks to the large red ampersand. Offering up aromas of pear, red apple, walnuts, fresh bread and mandarin, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with a fleshy core of fruit and a saline finish. While it's produced from purchased grapes, Prévost farms some of the sites and determines the date of harvest and sorting, though he told me that the average yield is naturally a touch higher than in his own vineyards.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

There are two special cuvées from this estate. Looking first at the 2018 Cornas Cuvée Jana, it tastes like the essence of Cornas with its meaty, bloody aromas and flavors of scorched earth, ground pepper, rare steak, iron, cedar, and dark, almost blue fruits. Tight, tannic, and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied effort packs incredible intensity and power yet stays lively, elegant, and weightless. It's a brilliant, brilliant Cornas, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. It actually reminds me slightly of the incredibly age-worthy wines from Domaine Clape, and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Meursault Charmes 1er Cru had been bottled in August 2018. It has a well-defined bouquet, hints of white chocolate infusing the citrus fruit, and just a touch of honey giving away the warmth of the growing season. The palate is well-balanced with a discreet spicy opening that dovetails into a pure, quite tensile midpalate. There is a sense of fullness to this Meursault, which displays impressive amplitude toward the persistent finish. This comes highly recommended.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Cask sample. Gorgeously intense purple fruit on the nose. Sweet ripe cherries. More damson on the palate, very ripe, just fresh enough, almost a little jammy but rich and generous.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)

The 2004 Vintage is a gorgeous Champagne that is just beginning to enter its first plateau of maturity. Dried flowers, brioche, mint, marzipan, tangerine peel and spice lend notable nuance throughout. A hint of reduction adds intrigue. As always, the 2004 is a linear, focused Champagne endowed with terrific energy. It is impeccably done. There's a bit more Chardonnay and Meunier than usual in this vintage, and that very much comes through in the wine's personality and overall feel. The blend is 37% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay and 24% Meunier as opposed to the more classic 50%/35%/15% blend. Disgorged: Summer 2018. Krug ID: 318031.

James Suckling (98)

It shows reserved character but with a lot of energy and tension. Concentrated citrus fruit, candied lemons and mandarin peel with hints of savory herbs and spices. Notes of brioche and caraway seeds. Full-bodied, complex and nervy on the palate. It has fine, silky bubbles yet it’s structured and firm with a lot of power. It builds up on the finish with freshness and vibrancy. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Wonderful precision and depth right away on the nose, with dried pineapple, light apricot and hints of flint and slate. Medium-bodied palate that’s firm, bright and linear. Vivid,driven acidity adds focus and perfection. Dried lemon and a wonderful, creamy texture with a mineral undertone. Extremely long, almost endless. Sophistication here. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

The tightness and tension of this is impressive considering the youngest wine from this is 2015 (hot and dry year), with some wines going back to 2000. Ginger and orange zest. Some creme brulee. It's medium-bodied with apple, pie crust and floral character. It's salty and zesty yet, at the same time, complex and gorgeous. Chamomile and other floral teas highlight everything. Turns rich and flavorful at the finish. Terrific release. Really takes off at the end. Drink or hold.