Vinous - Neal Martin (93-95)

The 2022 Chablis Vosgros 1er Cru takes a little more time to open on the nose than Picq's other cuvées but eventually reveals eucalyptus-tinged citrus fruit flanked by wet stone aromas. The palate is very well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, very saline but with a countervailing, almost honeyed element keeping this on its toes. This is a brilliant follow-up to the 2021.

Indulge your palate with 'Gouffier Mercurey 1er Cru Les Champs Martin Blanc 2022'. Proudly produced by domain Gouffier, this exceptional wine embodies the superior quality of the famed Burgundy region. Meticulously crafted from 100% Chardonnay, the Gouffier Mercurey 1er Cru Les Champs Martin Blanc 2022 displays remarkable finesse and balance. The vineyard's south-east facing exposure guarantees perfectly ripened grapes, leading to a wine that sparkles with notes of green apple, citrus, and white flowers.

Aged in 20% new French oak barrels, it evinces a voluptuous texture that complements its crisp acidity and nuanced minerality. Domain Gouffier, under the guidance of winemakers Frédéric Gueugneau and Benoît Pagot, emphasises elements of traditional viticulture while utilising modern winemaking techniques to create their stunning wines. Honouring the historic terroir of Mercurey, the 'Gouffier Mercurey 1er Cru Les Champs Martin Blanc 2022' is a testament to the winemaker's dedication to quality and authenticity.

The Gros Frere et Soeur Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Chaumes 2022 is a masterstroke in fine French winemaking from the esteemed Côte de Nuits region, Burgundy. This exquisite Premier Cru red, harvested from acclaimed Les Chaumes vineyard, boasts meticulous vinification - handpicked grapes followed by traditional winemaking methods, detailing rigorous selection and oak-ageing. The producer, Gros Frère et Soeur, carries an esteemed Burgundian lineage, universally respected for its consistent, high-quality terroir-driven wines.

Expect an opulent nose of wild berries, hints of clove, and vital earthiness. Balanced acidity dovetails beautifully with the gracefully concentrated tannins and rich, succulent fruit, encapsulating the essence of Pinot Noir. The Gros Frere et Soeur Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Chaumes 2022 brings together the vineyard's distinctive minerality with robust fruit characters, grounding the wine in its coveted terroir. A sophisticated, cellar-worthy choice for the discerning collector.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (89-92)

A rich deep purple. the nose too is luxurious, with a touch of coconut as well. Totally fills the mouth but there is just a little more precision than the Chorey. The fruit and the coconut make me think of Lamingtons. As long as the coconut dies down this will be pretty impressive. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted: November 2022.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

100% new wood, to bottle in April. The wood comes from mixed forests, as Jean-Pierre thinks Tronçais doesn’t work here. A bright fresh crimson ruby. More floral more sensual, the early morning rose says Jean-Pierre. This is more quintessentially Vosne than the Brûlées, with a lifted and balanced flair, a mix of darked red fruits, avoiding the blacker side. White pepper spice becomes more apparent at the end. A thick velvet coat of fruit throughout. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

100% new wood, to bottle in April. The wood comes from mixed forests, as Jean-Pierre thinks Tronçais doesn’t work here. A bright fresh crimson ruby. More floral more sensual, the early morning rose says Jean-Pierre. This is more quintessentially Vosne than the Brûlées, with a lifted and balanced flair, a mix of darked red fruits, avoiding the blacker side. White pepper spice becomes more apparent at the end. A thick velvet coat of fruit throughout. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-97)

(5 Star Wine) Deep ruby crimson colour. At this end of the scale the power of the fruit and the vineyard character completely outweigh the vinification. 100% new wood (Tronçais) is invisible. Instead, we find the slaty and singed character of the vineyard, plus an astonishing wealth of fruit. A thickness of texture which is extraordinary. Quite stunning this year with the blood red depth of fruit. Enough acidity behind and exceptional pure as well as concentrated. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-97)

(5 Star Wine) Deep ruby crimson colour. At this end of the scale the power of the fruit and the vineyard character completely outweigh the vinification. 100% new wood (Tronçais) is invisible. Instead, we find the slaty and singed character of the vineyard, plus an astonishing wealth of fruit. A thickness of texture which is extraordinary. Quite stunning this year with the blood red depth of fruit. Enough acidity behind and exceptional pure as well as concentrated. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2022 Meursault Clos Richemont 1er Cru is a dense, opulent white built on texture more than anything else. It is one of the most overt wines in the Boillot range. Orange jam, spice, vanillin, lemon confit and baked apple tart infuse the 2022 with tons of textural intensity. This is such a distinctive wine.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2022 Meursault Clos Richemont 1er Cru is a dense, opulent white built on texture more than anything else. It is one of the most overt wines in the Boillot range. Orange jam, spice, vanillin, lemon confit and baked apple tart infuse the 2022 with tons of textural intensity. This is such a distinctive wine.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93)

Just bottled. A pretty, light lemon colour. A pleasing fragrance with spring flowers and the lighter side of plum fruit. Generous on the palate with a graphite touch which is probably the oak speaking, a wealth of fruit through the middle and enough flesh to cover the final point of acidity. Fine length as ever. Drink from 2028-2035. Tasted: December 2023.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2022 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru is a complex, dynamic wine. I especially admire its focus. Pear, slate, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all hover across the palate in a Meursault that marries fruit richness with layers of depth and explosive energy. In other words, classic Genevrières. The 2022 is quite reticent today, but I take that as a positive sign for the future. What a gorgeous wine this is.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2022 Meursault Les Poruzots 1er Cru marries fruit intensity with drive. It’s a combination that works so well here. Then again, that is a signature of this part of the vineyard. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and light tropical notes all come alive with some time in the glass.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru is bright, tense and nicely focused. Lemon peel, mint, crushed rocks and white pepper lend notable energy to this wonderfully vibrant, sculpted Puligny. All the elements are so well balanced. Saline notes emerge in the glass, supporting the beautifully persistent finish nicely. This is so attractive.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru is bright, tense and nicely focused. Lemon peel, mint, crushed rocks and white pepper lend notable energy to this wonderfully vibrant, sculpted Puligny. All the elements are so well balanced. Saline notes emerge in the glass, supporting the beautifully persistent finish nicely. This is so attractive.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

5 Star Wine. Mid yellow, with a biscuity touch. Seems unsubtle until you get to the palate which is super powerful but also with subtlety. This Monopole vineyard comprises four distinct terroirs though they are always assembled. An electric backbone stops the power overturning the balance. Yellow fruit, and then an extraordinary, indeed grand cru, weight. Incisive white fruit finish. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

5 Star Wine. Mid yellow, with a biscuity touch. Seems unsubtle until you get to the palate which is super powerful but also with subtlety. This Monopole vineyard comprises four distinct terroirs though they are always assembled. An electric backbone stops the power overturning the balance. Yellow fruit, and then an extraordinary, indeed grand cru, weight. Incisive white fruit finish. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

Middling deep yellow. A little oak on the nose, but otherwise high class predominantly orchard fruit. This is more nuanced than the Folatières, entirely white fruit and a good balance between the clay and the minerals. An excellent and persistent finish. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted: December 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

5 Star Wine. A pale lemon yellow. The bouquet is beautifully classy. Little white fruits and flowers, perfectly nuanced, very slightly richer at the back and extraordinarily long on the palate. Perfect fruit acid matching all the way through. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95-97)

5 Star Wine. A pale lemon yellow. The bouquet is beautifully classy. Little white fruits and flowers, perfectly nuanced, very slightly richer at the back and extraordinarily long on the palate. Perfect fruit acid matching all the way through. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92-94)

The 2022 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets-Saint-Georges 1er Cru had been racked the previous week, but it was essentially the final wine I tasted as it was just about to be bottled. It has a stricter and more backward bouquet than the Chênes Carteaux: blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, the 20% new oak neatly folded in. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannins, leaning more towards black fruit laced with tar and tobacco. Quite Morey-like towards the finish with impressive persistence. Give this two or three years in bottle to shave the edges. Very fine.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-94)

Still in barrel. An intense deep purple. A little wood alongside the relatively heady fruit. Quite ripe, super succulent, plenty of plums, yet with some mineral tannins at the back which require longer elevage. The tannins are on the firmer side. Drink from 2031-2038. Tasted: November 2023.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93-95)

The 2022 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru has a very complex bouquet, a mix of red and black fruit, crushed flowers, and hints of spice coming through with aeration. This seems to "grow" in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins. It’s very pure, so pure that it almost disguises the backbone of this Les Saint-Georges, gaining depth towards the finish with touches of pain d'épice and white pepper. An excellent NSG that will repay cellaring.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

(5 Star Wine) 30% new wood. Fresh mid purple. The bouquet is wonderfully lifted, Antoine explains they use a particularly light hand with this cuvee to avoid the potential austerity. The acidity is fine and the tannins are ripe, while there is still that clear backbone to the fruit which Vaucrains should have. Very persistent, and such high-class fruit. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.