Burgundy
When it comes to the world of fine wines, Burgundy stands tall as one of the most revered and sought-after regions. Renowned for its exceptional terroir and commitment to quality, Burgundy has long captivated enthusiasts with its exquisite and highly prized wines. Today, let us delve into the realm of the best and most expensive wines that Burgundy has to offer, a realm where true wine aficionados can indulge in the pinnacle of winemaking excellence.
At the heart of Burgundy's prestige lie its renowned vineyards, which have garnered global acclaim for their exceptional wines. The names that resonate in the world of Burgundy are Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Armand Rousseau, and Domaine Georges Roumier. These vineyards have become synonymous with greatness, crafting wines that define elegance, complexity, and longevity.
Burgundy's most esteemed wines are crafted from two noble grape varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The region's red wines, made predominantly from Pinot Noir, display a finesse and purity of fruit that are unmatched. Vineyards such as Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Richebourg produce red wines that command astronomical prices due to their exceptional quality and limited production.
For white wine enthusiasts, Burgundy's Chardonnay-based wines are a true revelation. Vineyards like Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, and Meursault showcase the full potential of this noble grape, producing wines of unparalleled richness, depth, and complexity. These whites epitomize the artistry of winemaking, with each sip revealing layers of flavors and a harmonious balance between fruit, minerality, and oak.
In the world of fine wines, Burgundy stands as an epitome of elegance, complexity, and refined craftsmanship. Its best and most expensive wines are a testament to the region's unwavering commitment to excellence, terroir-driven winemaking, and the artistry of the winemakers.
Burgundy
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Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has wonderful transparency on the nose of red currant and wild strawberry, plus glimpses of orange blossom and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, lightly spiced and quite peppery in the mouth. Fine grip and length. This is a lovely Lavaux that will be difficult to resist in its youth.Inc. GSTSG$1,230.51 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet with dark berry fruit, sous-bois and just a touch of dessicated orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Is it the most complex Lavaux? Maybe not, though it has an attractive juiciness mixed with sapidity that keeps you coming back for more.Inc. GSTSG$1,449.59 -
Inc. GSTSG$1,629.44
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Vinous (88-90)
Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark raspberry and licorice on the nose, complicated by musky herbs, menthol, leather and game. Then less sweet and more medicinal in the mouth than the Lavaux, displaying distinctly darker flavors. In a more masculine style, finishing with tougher tannins. The vines here average 55 years of age, making them the oldest of the estate.Inc. GSTSG$2,031.66 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has a very composed bouquet of darker fruit than the Lavaux Saint-Jacques; there are also hints of blood orange and tangerine here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and superb acidity. Quite saline in the mouth, displaying real complexity and nuance toward the finish. Superb.Inc. GSTSG$1,753.71 -
Vinous (86-89)
Medium red. Aromatic nose combines red fruits, coffee and meat. Sweet and fine; offers lovely pinot noir tang and sap. High-quality village wine, atypically strong for this cuveeInc. GSTSG$1,420.90 -
Wine Advocate (91+)
Tasted from bottle, Rousseau's 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Village opens in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of wild berry fruit, plums, peonies and orange rind mingled with suggestions of forest floor and cedar. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with lively acids, good depth at the core and fine structuring tannins that subtly assert themselves on the finish. Even this communal bottling—which contains declassified premier cru fruit—is quite introverted at this stage, and readers with bottles in their cellars are advised to forget them for the better part of a decade.Inc. GSTSG$1,426.35 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a little more intensity and lifted compared to the Clos du Château, a touch more mineralité too. The palate is very well balanced, quite juicy and ripe but over excessively. Dark berry fruit laced with spice and it fans out wonderfully on the finish. Lovely.Inc. GSTSG$1,028.13 -
Vinous (85-87)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Château has a very perfumed bouquet of red cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate is tart on the entry with slightly rustic tannins and modest weight. Just a little attenuated on the finish.Inc. GSTSG$1,291.54 -
Vinous (90+)
Medium red. Red fruits and tobacco on the nose, with some funky hints of truffley evolution. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then classically dry but more harmonious in the middle palate than the nose suggests. Clamps down on the finish, showing a cool and slightly ungiving character and an edge of acidity. I expected a bit more expansiveness and sweetness but Cyrielle Rousseau noted that she and her father Eric find their 1999s rather ungiving so far. She told me that she opened this bottle about six hours before I tasted it and predicted that it would be better the next day. She also described this Mazy as a funny wine, like a clown.Inc. GSTSG$3,181.25 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2012 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with lively red berry fruit mixed with bergamot and fresh strawberry. It does not quite have the presence of say Bernard Dugat’s example: more introverted and bashful. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the opening, luscious red berries laced with orange zest and a hint of vanilla. The finish is nigh irresistible – full of vigor and tension with peach on the aftertaste. After a slow opening this finishes with grandeur and ambition.Inc. GSTSG$1,868.52 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru is clearly a step up from the Charmes-Chambertin, offering deeper and more intense red fruit, rose petal and undergrowth aromas. There is also a more tangible marine influence at play here. The palate is medium-bodied with very good structure. Elegant and poised toward the finish, which leaves hints of tobacco and truffle on the aftertaste. Superb. Quintessentially Rousseau.Inc. GSTSG$2,228.22 -
Inc. GSTSG$5,858.64
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Vinous (90)
Fresher, deeper red. Much more complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, leather, game, herbs and spices. Suave, silky and concentrated; fresher than the Clos de la Roche thanks to harmonious acids. Really seamless texture. Finishes with well-buffered tannins, very good grip and strong fruit.Inc. GSTSG$3,694.99 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
Medium red-ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of red berries, spices and minerals. Dense, silky and sweet; a bit more harmonious, complex and perfumed at this early stage than the Clos de la Roche. Finishes with ripe tannins, plenty of verve and sneaky persistence.Inc. GSTSG$3,230.66 -
Vinous (90)
Medium cherry-red. Deep, complex, expressive aromas of red fruits, smoke, earth and underbrush. Sweet, fat and smooth but with a medicinal reserve to its black cherry and mineral flavors. Conveys a strong impression of saline soil tones. The Clos de la Roche seems riper but this is more minerally and taut.Inc. GSTSG$2,304.16 -
Jancis Robinson (18++)
Very intense purple fruits with a hint of black pepper and then very luscious fruit. Gorgeous already and quite sinewy. Really racy and pure.Inc. GSTSG$1,688.31 -
Vinous (92-94)
(30% new oak): Good medium red. Pure, restrained aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and minerals. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then juicy and tighter in the middle, showing strong calcaire energy as the mother rock here isn't much more than a foot below the surface. This rich, firmly tannic wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring black fruits and violet. Impeccably balanced from the start, but this youthfully austere wine will need time in the cellar. The estate is slowly replanting this vineyard, so this 2016 is a mix of old and young vines.Inc. GSTSG$2,031.66 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a pixelated bouquet that really expresses the limestone soils of this vineyard: subtle pressed iris scents infuse the red berry fruit, all with brilliant delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is a fine bead of acidity here, again, a little spicy (the leitmotif throughout the Rousseau range) with impressive grip and persistence on the finish. Excellent.Inc. GSTSG$2,102.51 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Going into the darker fruit spectrum here but with a cool elegance in the aroma. Dark and ripe yet the ripeness is somehow savoury not sweet. Like roasted veg. Elegance and restrained, super-fine tannins. A dark, refined beauty with paper-like tannins in layers.Inc. GSTSG$1,595.66 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a thrilling bouquet struck through with mineral-rich red berry fruit that teasingly takes time to unfurl in the glass; you can sense the limestone, and hints of graphite emerge later. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite piquant in style, leading to an edgy, slightly chalky finish that bristles with energy. This has great potential as a poised Ruchottes.Inc. GSTSG$2,408.07 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet, very floral, exquisite focus and control with a surfeit of mineralité. Real intensity and grace. The palate is wonderfully balanced with supple tannins, fine acidity, impressive density with a voluminous black cherry and wild strawberry finish with just a tang of brine on the aftertaste. Perhaps the finest Ruchottes in '20.Inc. GSTSG$1,907.39 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2021 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru is much more introspective on the nose compared to the Clos de la Roche or Mazy, displaying dark berry fruit, loam and blackcurrant pastilles. Maybe not quite the mineralité of previous vintages? The palate is medium-bodied with orange rind and allspice on the entry. Showing fine weight, there's a little sinew within this cuvée and a tobacco-tinged finish. Quite a "serious" 2021 from Rousseau - I am fascinated to see how this will show once in bottle.Inc. GSTSG$1,907.39 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-93)
Cooler yellow peach and lemon aromas are lifted by a floral topnote. Suave on entry, then elegant and pliant in the middle, with a dominant flavor of crystallized lemon peel. Very firmly built wine, finishing with lovely lingering stony perfume.Inc. GSTSG$2,828.44 -
Wine Advocate (94)
Tasted blind, this was an exceptional showing for Ente's 2015 Meursault 1er Cru La Goutte d'Or, a beautiful wine that offers up a youthfully reserved bouquet of iodine, citrus oil and white flowers. On the palate, this Goutte d'Or is full-bodied, ample and layered, with terrific cut, concentration and length, its tension and vivacity lending it considerable drama despite its reticence in other respects.Inc. GSTSG$4,467.81 -
Vinous (89)
Subdued, pure aromas of citrus fruits and flowers. Supple, round and pure, with sweet stone fruit flavors that avoid coming off as exotic. Full, concentrated village wine with moderate complexity and good grip. (I found the 2006 Bourgogne Blanc to be pure but almost exotically ripe for a wine from Ente; the atypical sweetness of the 2006 vintage appears to have favored his Aligote.)Inc. GSTSG$1,443.14 -
Vinous (92)
The 2013 Meursault Village shows just a small reduction on the nose with light grapefruit, beeswax and pressed white flower scents emerging with time. I admire the delineation here. There is a superb line of acidity that runs straight through this Meursault, spicier than I anticipated yet still youthful with veins of lime on the aftertaste. Superb. Tasted at Chapon Rouge in Dijon.Inc. GSTSG$1,252.67 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)
Pale clear colour. A gentle fresh apple nose, this has notable tension on the palate, not a rich, ripe rounded Meursault – but that is not the intention anyway. The attack suggests that this is only just ripe, but the finish indicates that it was picked at a very good moment, otherwise you wouldn’t have this length of flavour. Fine tension to finish.Inc. GSTSG$1,464.14 -
Vinous (91+)
Pale yellow. Fresh nectarine and peach aromas sexed up by hazelnut. Dry but stuffed with ripe peach and citrus flavors. Classically styled Meursault, with a dry, brisk finish. Drink the basic village wine now and give this a few years in the cellar.Inc. GSTSG$1,399.24 -
(1x75cl) 2014
Vinous (95)
You may raise an eyebrow at my score, but this note was taken under blind conditions where it could have been a Chardonnay from anywhere in the world. The 2014 Meursault Clos des Ambres has a killer reduction on the nose with intense mineralité. It almost shocks the senses. The palate is fresh and vivacious, so penetrating and razor-sharp that you might think it is a Grand Cru. The energy just bursts through on the finish. In fact, this ends up with my highest score in a tough blind tasting. I can understand why people pay top dollar. Tasted a the New World/Old World Chardonnay Challenge in London.Inc. GSTSG$2,005.85
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Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has wonderful transparency on the nose of red currant and wild strawberry, plus glimpses of orange blossom and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, lightly spiced and quite peppery in the mouth. Fine grip and length. This is a lovely Lavaux that will be difficult to resist in its youth.In BondSG$1,120.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet with dark berry fruit, sous-bois and just a touch of dessicated orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Is it the most complex Lavaux? Maybe not, though it has an attractive juiciness mixed with sapidity that keeps you coming back for more.In BondSG$1,320.00 -
In BondSG$1,485.00
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Vinous (88-90)
Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark raspberry and licorice on the nose, complicated by musky herbs, menthol, leather and game. Then less sweet and more medicinal in the mouth than the Lavaux, displaying distinctly darker flavors. In a more masculine style, finishing with tougher tannins. The vines here average 55 years of age, making them the oldest of the estate.In BondSG$1,855.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has a very composed bouquet of darker fruit than the Lavaux Saint-Jacques; there are also hints of blood orange and tangerine here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and superb acidity. Quite saline in the mouth, displaying real complexity and nuance toward the finish. Superb.In BondSG$1,600.00 -
Vinous (86-89)
Medium red. Aromatic nose combines red fruits, coffee and meat. Sweet and fine; offers lovely pinot noir tang and sap. High-quality village wine, atypically strong for this cuveeIn BondSG$1,295.00 -
Wine Advocate (91+)
Tasted from bottle, Rousseau's 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Village opens in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of wild berry fruit, plums, peonies and orange rind mingled with suggestions of forest floor and cedar. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with lively acids, good depth at the core and fine structuring tannins that subtly assert themselves on the finish. Even this communal bottling—which contains declassified premier cru fruit—is quite introverted at this stage, and readers with bottles in their cellars are advised to forget them for the better part of a decade.In BondSG$1,300.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a little more intensity and lifted compared to the Clos du Château, a touch more mineralité too. The palate is very well balanced, quite juicy and ripe but over excessively. Dark berry fruit laced with spice and it fans out wonderfully on the finish. Lovely.In BondSG$934.00 -
Vinous (85-87)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Château has a very perfumed bouquet of red cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate is tart on the entry with slightly rustic tannins and modest weight. Just a little attenuated on the finish.In BondSG$1,175.00 -
Vinous (90+)
Medium red. Red fruits and tobacco on the nose, with some funky hints of truffley evolution. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then classically dry but more harmonious in the middle palate than the nose suggests. Clamps down on the finish, showing a cool and slightly ungiving character and an edge of acidity. I expected a bit more expansiveness and sweetness but Cyrielle Rousseau noted that she and her father Eric find their 1999s rather ungiving so far. She told me that she opened this bottle about six hours before I tasted it and predicted that it would be better the next day. She also described this Mazy as a funny wine, like a clown.In BondSG$2,910.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2012 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with lively red berry fruit mixed with bergamot and fresh strawberry. It does not quite have the presence of say Bernard Dugat’s example: more introverted and bashful. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the opening, luscious red berries laced with orange zest and a hint of vanilla. The finish is nigh irresistible – full of vigor and tension with peach on the aftertaste. After a slow opening this finishes with grandeur and ambition.In BondSG$1,705.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru is clearly a step up from the Charmes-Chambertin, offering deeper and more intense red fruit, rose petal and undergrowth aromas. There is also a more tangible marine influence at play here. The palate is medium-bodied with very good structure. Elegant and poised toward the finish, which leaves hints of tobacco and truffle on the aftertaste. Superb. Quintessentially Rousseau.In BondSG$2,035.00 -
In BondSG$5,365.00
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Vinous (90)
Fresher, deeper red. Much more complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, leather, game, herbs and spices. Suave, silky and concentrated; fresher than the Clos de la Roche thanks to harmonious acids. Really seamless texture. Finishes with well-buffered tannins, very good grip and strong fruit.In BondSG$3,380.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
Medium red-ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of red berries, spices and minerals. Dense, silky and sweet; a bit more harmonious, complex and perfumed at this early stage than the Clos de la Roche. Finishes with ripe tannins, plenty of verve and sneaky persistence.In BondSG$2,955.00 -
Vinous (90)
Medium cherry-red. Deep, complex, expressive aromas of red fruits, smoke, earth and underbrush. Sweet, fat and smooth but with a medicinal reserve to its black cherry and mineral flavors. Conveys a strong impression of saline soil tones. The Clos de la Roche seems riper but this is more minerally and taut.In BondSG$2,105.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18++)
Very intense purple fruits with a hint of black pepper and then very luscious fruit. Gorgeous already and quite sinewy. Really racy and pure.In BondSG$1,540.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
(30% new oak): Good medium red. Pure, restrained aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and minerals. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then juicy and tighter in the middle, showing strong calcaire energy as the mother rock here isn't much more than a foot below the surface. This rich, firmly tannic wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring black fruits and violet. Impeccably balanced from the start, but this youthfully austere wine will need time in the cellar. The estate is slowly replanting this vineyard, so this 2016 is a mix of old and young vines.In BondSG$1,855.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a pixelated bouquet that really expresses the limestone soils of this vineyard: subtle pressed iris scents infuse the red berry fruit, all with brilliant delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is a fine bead of acidity here, again, a little spicy (the leitmotif throughout the Rousseau range) with impressive grip and persistence on the finish. Excellent.In BondSG$1,920.00 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Going into the darker fruit spectrum here but with a cool elegance in the aroma. Dark and ripe yet the ripeness is somehow savoury not sweet. Like roasted veg. Elegance and restrained, super-fine tannins. A dark, refined beauty with paper-like tannins in layers.In BondSG$1,455.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a thrilling bouquet struck through with mineral-rich red berry fruit that teasingly takes time to unfurl in the glass; you can sense the limestone, and hints of graphite emerge later. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite piquant in style, leading to an edgy, slightly chalky finish that bristles with energy. This has great potential as a poised Ruchottes.In BondSG$2,200.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet, very floral, exquisite focus and control with a surfeit of mineralité. Real intensity and grace. The palate is wonderfully balanced with supple tannins, fine acidity, impressive density with a voluminous black cherry and wild strawberry finish with just a tang of brine on the aftertaste. Perhaps the finest Ruchottes in '20.In BondSG$1,740.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2021 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru is much more introspective on the nose compared to the Clos de la Roche or Mazy, displaying dark berry fruit, loam and blackcurrant pastilles. Maybe not quite the mineralité of previous vintages? The palate is medium-bodied with orange rind and allspice on the entry. Showing fine weight, there's a little sinew within this cuvée and a tobacco-tinged finish. Quite a "serious" 2021 from Rousseau - I am fascinated to see how this will show once in bottle.In BondSG$1,740.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-93)
Cooler yellow peach and lemon aromas are lifted by a floral topnote. Suave on entry, then elegant and pliant in the middle, with a dominant flavor of crystallized lemon peel. Very firmly built wine, finishing with lovely lingering stony perfume.In BondSG$2,585.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
Tasted blind, this was an exceptional showing for Ente's 2015 Meursault 1er Cru La Goutte d'Or, a beautiful wine that offers up a youthfully reserved bouquet of iodine, citrus oil and white flowers. On the palate, this Goutte d'Or is full-bodied, ample and layered, with terrific cut, concentration and length, its tension and vivacity lending it considerable drama despite its reticence in other respects.In BondSG$4,090.00 -
Vinous (89)
Subdued, pure aromas of citrus fruits and flowers. Supple, round and pure, with sweet stone fruit flavors that avoid coming off as exotic. Full, concentrated village wine with moderate complexity and good grip. (I found the 2006 Bourgogne Blanc to be pure but almost exotically ripe for a wine from Ente; the atypical sweetness of the 2006 vintage appears to have favored his Aligote.)In BondSG$1,315.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2013 Meursault Village shows just a small reduction on the nose with light grapefruit, beeswax and pressed white flower scents emerging with time. I admire the delineation here. There is a superb line of acidity that runs straight through this Meursault, spicier than I anticipated yet still youthful with veins of lime on the aftertaste. Superb. Tasted at Chapon Rouge in Dijon.In BondSG$1,140.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (90-93)
Pale clear colour. A gentle fresh apple nose, this has notable tension on the palate, not a rich, ripe rounded Meursault – but that is not the intention anyway. The attack suggests that this is only just ripe, but the finish indicates that it was picked at a very good moment, otherwise you wouldn’t have this length of flavour. Fine tension to finish.In BondSG$1,335.00 -
Vinous (91+)
Pale yellow. Fresh nectarine and peach aromas sexed up by hazelnut. Dry but stuffed with ripe peach and citrus flavors. Classically styled Meursault, with a dry, brisk finish. Drink the basic village wine now and give this a few years in the cellar.In BondSG$1,275.00 -
(1x75cl) 2014
Vinous (95)
You may raise an eyebrow at my score, but this note was taken under blind conditions where it could have been a Chardonnay from anywhere in the world. The 2014 Meursault Clos des Ambres has a killer reduction on the nose with intense mineralité. It almost shocks the senses. The palate is fresh and vivacious, so penetrating and razor-sharp that you might think it is a Grand Cru. The energy just bursts through on the finish. In fact, this ends up with my highest score in a tough blind tasting. I can understand why people pay top dollar. Tasted a the New World/Old World Chardonnay Challenge in London.In BondSG$1,830.33