Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (87-89)

In tank now after a long slow fermentation and 12 months in barrel with 10% new. Currently not clear. A lovely energy to the nose. A little lime juice, then a more generous white fruit with tangy grape skins behind. Rather lovely especially in texture. texture. Drink from 2025-2028. Tasted: December 2023

The Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers 2022 is an extraordinary refinement of the prestigious Chardonnay grape. Expertly crafted in the revered vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet in Burgundy, France, the Pillot family exhibits remarkable skill and tradition in every bottle. The wine is painstakingly matured under the guidance of Laurent Pillot, a paragon of his craft.

This extraordinary cuvée exudes a captivating bouquet of crisp apple, toasted almond, and intriguing mineral notes. It's palate delivers an exquisite balance of creamy texture and refreshing acidity, culminating in a gracefully lingering finish. This embodiment of Burgundian mastery captures the character of the Vergers terroir beautifully, enveloped in its regal complexity and depth.

Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers 2022 offers the discerning oenophile an exquisite experience of a lifetime, further solidifying its laudable position in the pantheon of luxurious wines.

Discover the exquisite taste of Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 2022, a premier offering from the renowned vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy. This fine wine presents an impeccable balance of depth and complexity, as the vineyards' clay-limestone soil imparts on the meticulously selected Chardonnay grapes a characteristic minerality and richness. Each hand-picked cluster is vinified traditionally, fermented in oak barrels and aged for over a year to achieve an elegant blend of rounded textures and delicate aromas.

The established Pillot family, with Fernand and Laurent at the helm, continue their century-old tradition of quality winemaking. Their meticulous viticulture and vinification techniques have cemented their reputation for producing sophisticated and distinct Burgundy wines. The Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet 2022 embodies this commitment to excellence, encouraging oenophiles to savour its rich bouquet and refined palate for a truly captivating experience.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2022 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has an almost clinical bouquet with more penetration than the Criots served alongside. The medium-bodied palate has fine tension, but there is a real delicacy about this Bâtard with a very persistent, controlled finish and hints of white peach on the aftertaste. Wonderful.

Vinous (87)

The 2022 Bourgogne Blanc has a light bouquet with apple blossom and orange pith. The well-balanced palate is taut and fresh with ample weight and a bright sapid finish. Everything you want in a white Burgundy, really.

Vinous (93)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru has a crisp and precise bouquet, very focused with seamlessly integrated oak, crushed limestone and petrichor scents percolating through the yellow fruit. The palate is very well-balanced, with a slightly honeyed opening. It’s one of the richer cuvées by taste, though analytically, it has very good acidity and 13% alcohol. Fans out wonderfully on the finish. Excellent.

Vinous (90)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru, raised in one-third new oak, has a well-defined bouquet with yellow plum, jasmine and light brioche aromas. It will require a couple of years to absorb the wood. The palate is well-balanced with a subtle walnut note on the entry, quite linear in style, with stem ginger veins towards the finish. Impressive length, this should give over a decade's worth of drinking pleasure.

Vinous (93)

Wipe your tears because this is the last vintage of Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée 1er Cru for now; the vines were pulled up after the harvest as production had tumbled to untenable levels, plus there was unacceptable soil erosion. The well-defined bouquet is intense with yellow plum, Mirabelle, crushed stone and wilted white flowers. The palate is very well-balanced with superb tension, focused and energetic with a saline finish. Bowing out in style.

Vinous (93)

Wipe your tears because this is the last vintage of Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée 1er Cru for now; the vines were pulled up after the harvest as production had tumbled to untenable levels, plus there was unacceptable soil erosion. The well-defined bouquet is intense with yellow plum, Mirabelle, crushed stone and wilted white flowers. The palate is very well-balanced with superb tension, focused and energetic with a saline finish. Bowing out in style.

Vinous (92)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has wonderful delineation and poise on the nose, real frisson, with yellow fruit, egg whites and wild peach. Love it! The palate is very well-balanced with a touch of reduction, elegant in style, perhaps needing more depth and grip on the finish. But this is very suave and nuanced.

Vinous (92)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has wonderful delineation and poise on the nose, real frisson, with yellow fruit, egg whites and wild peach. Love it! The palate is very well-balanced with a touch of reduction, elegant in style, perhaps needing more depth and grip on the finish. But this is very suave and nuanced.

Vinous (91)

There are just two barrels of the 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Chenevottes 1er Cru, the Domaine's smallest cuvée. Ergo, it is raised in 50% new oak. This is relatively primal on the nose, yet to reveal its personality. Yet, there is plenty of concentration here with an underlying sense of tension. The palate is well-balanced, but as expected, it is oaky at the moment, and it will require 4-5 years to subsume that wood fully. I'll be cautious for the moment.

Vinous (92)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru has a terroir-driven, minerally bouquet with crushed stone filtering through the orchard fruit and subtle hazelnut and litchi scents developing in the glass. The palate is well-balanced, perhaps just a little conservative/timid at the moment, precise yet bashful. Hints of rose water and peach skin towards the finish. One of the prettiest cuvées from Fontaine-Gagnard this year.

Vinous (92)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru has a terroir-driven, minerally bouquet with crushed stone filtering through the orchard fruit and subtle hazelnut and litchi scents developing in the glass. The palate is well-balanced, perhaps just a little conservative/timid at the moment, precise yet bashful. Hints of rose water and peach skin towards the finish. One of the prettiest cuvées from Fontaine-Gagnard this year.

Vinous (88)

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Village is matured in 20% new oak. It has a generous bouquet with orchard fruit, touches of almond and patisserie. It will require a couple of years to absorb the oak. The palate is well-balanced, with a fine bead of acidity countering the richness, though it needs to muster a little more complexity on the finish.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2022 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a terse, stony bouquet with touches of granite, orange pith and grilled walnut aromas that gradually gather momentum in the glass. The palate is very well-balanced, with a reductive note lending tension and poise. Surfeit with energy, this fans out wonderfully and is one of the longest in the mouth. Due to be bottled next spring, this is a magnificent Criots.

Vinous (94-96)

The 2022 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a terse, stony bouquet with touches of granite, orange pith and grilled walnut aromas that gradually gather momentum in the glass. The palate is very well-balanced, with a reductive note lending tension and poise. Surfeit with energy, this fans out wonderfully and is one of the longest in the mouth. Due to be bottled next spring, this is a magnificent Criots.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2022 Montrachet Grand Cru is the only cuvée in two one-year-old barrels. I don't think it needs new oak. There is real energy and complexity here, orange pith and lemon verbena, touches of lemon curd. The palate is beautifully balanced with great depth and power, far more than the Bâtard-Montrachet. It has a beguiling length and precision, velvety smooth, with a hint of walnut on the finish. Divine.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2022 Montrachet Grand Cru is the only cuvée in two one-year-old barrels. I don't think it needs new oak. There is real energy and complexity here, orange pith and lemon verbena, touches of lemon curd. The palate is beautifully balanced with great depth and power, far more than the Bâtard-Montrachet. It has a beguiling length and precision, velvety smooth, with a hint of walnut on the finish. Divine.

Vinous - Neal Martin (90)

The 2022 Saint-Aubin Le Remilly 1er Cru comes from a limestone-rich parcel with touches of pineapple and Clementine, the 30% new oak imparting light frangipane notes. The palate is well-balanced, with a slightly tangy entry and fine acidity. It is fresh and vibrant but needs a little more mineralité on the finish. Otherwise, this is a fine En Remilly.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2022 Saint-Aubin Murgers des Dents de Chien 1er Cru has a more complex bouquet than the En Remilly this year, demonstrating a touch more mineralité, crushed stone notes infusing the orchard fruit. Its higher elevation perhaps advantages it. The palate is medium-bodied with a nervous entry, very good raciness here that counterbalance the richness of this Saint-Aubin. The finish has very good weight, and the 30% new oak is neatly integrated. Excellent.

The Gerard Duplessis Chablis 2022, an embodiment of elegance, is an exquisite classic from the heart of Bourgogne, France. Produced by the Duplessis family, this wine adheres to high standards of viticulture, showcasing their passion through generations. Drawn from meticulously grown Chardonnay vines planted on limestone soil, the wine unfolds the true expression of its terroir.

Each bottle prizes the unique minerality and crisp acidity that traditional Chablis is famous for. Aged on fine lees in stainless steel vats to retain its vibrant freshness, the distinctive Gerard Duplessis Chablis 2022 brings harmony between power and finesse with notes of citrus, green apple and hints of oyster shell. Its poised, linear structure and prolonged finish make it an admirable offering for fine wine enthusiasts. An exemplification of the producer’s authenticity, it encapsulates the charm and character of the Chablis region.