Jancis Robinson (19.5)

More youthful colour than many – mid garnet. Intriguing complexity with some violet notes. Really gorgeous breadth and balance with fruit and freshness. Still obviously gaining in interest and very long. Really smooth and with wonderful depth and persistence. The best 2011 so far in this tasting of top wines from that vintage. The sort of wine every burgundy drinker wants to find. Went on for a good minute…

Vinous (92)

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras shows the more sensual, caressing side of the vintage in its layered contours and soft, tender personality. Today, the is voluptuous and expressive, with no hard edges and fabulous overall balance. The Cras isn't super complex, but it is incredibly delicious, even at this early stage.

Vinous (92)

The Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras shows the more sensual, caressing side of the vintage in its layered contours and soft, tender personality. Today, the is voluptuous and expressive, with no hard edges and fabulous overall balance. The Cras isn't super complex, but it is incredibly delicious, even at this early stage.

Vinous (92+)

Roumier's 2011 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de La Bussière is terrific. Dark plum and cherry notes meld into cloves, menthol and spices in a layered wine dripping with class. Veins of underlying minerality give the 2011 much of its energy and tension. Although Christophe Roumier's wines have become objects of desire for Burgundy lovers all over the world, the Clos de La Bussière remains the most under-appreciated of his wines, mostly because it is often much less charming young than the Chambolles. Readers who can cellar the 2011 are in for a real treat.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (94-97)

Good deep, bright red. Pungent aromas of small wild berries, mint, rose petal and orange peel, plus a whiff of jammy blackberry. Marvelously silky and sweet, offering an uncanny combination of sheer concentration and inner-mouth perfume and vinosity. This struck me as almost more powerful than its 2010 sibling, with more of an impression of weight. Finishes with palate-staining persistence, a hint of violet and great snap.

Wine Advocate (96)

Shockingly good given that it’s 100% Grenache (which struggled in the vintage), the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre comes all from sandy soils in La Crau and Pignan. Aged all in concrete, it’s more focused and concentrated than the Gallimardes, with beautiful minerality, dark fruit, roasted garrigue and assorted Provencal nuances. Serious stuff, with full-bodied richness and chewy tannin, it will have a broad drink window. Count me a fan. Drink 2015-2027.

Wine Advocate (90)

This experimental, concentrated, 100% Merlot from a vineyard planted with 10,000 vines per hectare, is treated like a pampered child in its viticulture, fermentation and upbringing in barrel. Made by the Despagne family, this luxury cuvee has been a brilliant success in just about every vintage they have released to date. The 2011 is a big, robust effort whose exuberant tannins, which are not fully integrated, suggest caution may be needed. Loaded with sweet, rich, chocolaty berry fruit intermixed with graphite and vanilla notes, it still reveals some new oak, so some additional time in the bottle is warranted. It is hard to believe that a wine that carries a Bordeaux appellation exhibits the courage and visionary zeal needed to produce something like this. This offering should drink well for a decade, but the tannins need to be better integrated for it to fully merit an outstanding score.

Wine Advocate (89-91)

No tasting note given.

Wine Spectator (94)

Very focused, with a lovely beam of lightly steeped red currant, bitter cherry and plum fruit flavors that glides atop singed cedar, black tea and dried star anise notes. The long finish is very fine-grained. A gorgeous wine. Best from 2016 through 2027.

Wine Advocate (99)

A step up over the other two single vineyard releases, the 2011 Cote Rotie la Landonne is an incredible wine that knocks it out of the park in the vintage. Its inky purple/ruby color is followed by to-die-for notes of cassis, black olives, truffles, graphite and crushed rock. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, thick and unctuous, it has the vintage’s flamboyant fruit profile, yet backs it up with a stacked mid-palate, serious amounts of tannin and a finish that just won’t quite. It’s relatively approachable now due to its glycerin and fat, yet needs a decade of cellaring and will knock your socks off over the following two decades or more.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2011 Cote Rotie la Turque is about as seamless and sexy as wine gets, and this cuvee continues to put on weight and richness with every passing year. Offering a monstrous nose of Asian spices, kirsch liqueur, blackcurrants, pepper and smoked meats, this full-bodied Cote Rotie has layers of sweet tannin, no hard edges and a killer finish. It's already hard to resist today, but has three decades of prime drinking to go.

Dive into the world of elegance with the spellbinding Harmand-Geoffroy Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2011. Crafted meticulously in Burgundy, France, it's the epitome of the world-renowned Harmand-Geoffroy estate's wine-making mastery. A benchmark for Pinot Noir, the grapes went through meticulous manual sorting, followed by precise temperature-controlled fermentation. The wine matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, achieving a captivating equilibrium between fruit and firmness.

Gloriously mature, the 'Mazis-Chambertin' shows off an enthralling perfume of red berries mingled with subtle notes of earth and mushroom. The palate is complex and juicy, beautifully showcasing the soft tannins and a long, balanced finish. This wine signifies the essence of Gevrey-Chambertin, recognised for its power and longevity.

With only a limited production, the rarity of Harmand-Geoffroy Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2011 is alluring. A choice recommendation for those seeking a distinguished addition to their cellar.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The saturated ruby/purple-hued 2011 Haut-Bailly exhibits a glorious, subtle, noble set of aromatics consisting of red and black currants, sweet cherries, graphite, truffles and a faint hint of wood spice. The wine hits the palate with the profound elegance and purity that have become so much a characteristic under Wilmers and Sanders. Still youthful, with good acidity and freshness, this brilliant, medium-bodied 2011 needs another 4-5 years of bottle age, and should evolve effortlessly for 20-25 years.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The saturated ruby/purple-hued 2011 Haut-Bailly exhibits a glorious, subtle, noble set of aromatics consisting of red and black currants, sweet cherries, graphite, truffles and a faint hint of wood spice. The wine hits the palate with the profound elegance and purity that have become so much a characteristic under Wilmers and Sanders. Still youthful, with good acidity and freshness, this brilliant, medium-bodied 2011 needs another 4-5 years of bottle age, and should evolve effortlessly for 20-25 years.

Wine Spectator (95)

This packs some serious density for the vintage, with layers of braised fig, blackberry pâte de fruit and dark currant paste, all inlaid with lively briar, tobacco leaf and roasted apple wood notes. Shows lots of energy through the finish, with the grip generating a mouthwatering feel.

Wine Spectator (95)

This packs some serious density for the vintage, with layers of braised fig, blackberry pâte de fruit and dark currant paste, all inlaid with lively briar, tobacco leaf and roasted apple wood notes. Shows lots of energy through the finish, with the grip generating a mouthwatering feel.

Wine Spectator (97)

This has terrific depth and cut, offering a core of dried pineapple, Jonagold apple and white peach fruit, along with quinine and gooseberry notes, all lined with a bracing jicama edge. The finish is backed by salted butter, brioche and shortbread details. Shows power and purity, with terrific length. Approachable now, but give this time. Best from 2017 through 2030. -JM

Vinous - Ian D'Agata (87-90)

Good full red. Spicy, oak-influenced aromas of luscious ripe plum, mocha and coffee. Juicy and sweet in the mouth, with harmonious acidity framing the chewy red fruit and dried violet flavors. Finishes with serious, slightly dusty tannins and excellent length. Impressively fruity, but I worry about this wine's tannic bite. Hopefully, the tannins with smooth out enough over time.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (91-93)

Bright red-ruby. Rather brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, smoke and licorice are pure and discreet. Surprisingly rich on entry, then lush and seamless in the middle, but with very good acidity framing and lifting the black fruit and game flavors. The powerful, rising finish features building tannins and a distinct thick-skinned character. The old vines in Boillot's parcel were strongly affected by millerandage, which largely explains this wine's extra measure of texture and concentration. Boillot noted that his 2011s generally have 3.8 to 4 grams per liter of acidity following the malos, which is quite healthy for the vintage.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright ruby-red. Far more expressive than the Marie Beurrier, displaying a wild array of candied red fruits, flowers and Asian spices, along with an intense mineral overtone. Silky, sweet and pure on the palate, offering intense raspberry preserve and spicecake flavors and a jolt of lavender pastille. Closes long and sweet, with building spiciness and smooth, harmonious tannins that sneak up late.

Matthew Jukes (19.5)

“It must be said that tastings take all shapes and forms, but tasting this wine was the single most extraordinary event of the year. I have written up a couple of Henri Giraud Champagnes in the last twelve months, and they are all masterpieces, but this wine takes the biscuit. As always, the Argonne forest plays a leading role in this wine’s makeup. Giraud uses new Argonne oak, lots of it, and great Aÿ fruit in perfect harmony to make astonishingly impactful wines. But this rosé uses a ‘few liters of extraordinary Aÿ Grand Cru Rouge’ to transform this white wine into a rosé, and the result is game-changing. I tasted this wine at Hawksmoor Seven Dials before a ‘Monday Night £5 corkage’ dinner. I then popped a stopper in it and brought it out during the main course, after a couple of stellar white Burgundies and before a Vieux Château Certan, a Grange and a couple of other impressive reds. Having already road-tested 2013 Argonne at The Clove Club earlier in the year and finding it one of the most gastronomically-skilled wines on the planet, I was confident that this insanely beautiful rosé would step up to the mark. And boy, it did not disappoint. But, as well as it romancing Hawksmoor’s finest steaks, I was more interested in the impression this wine made on the assembled wine aficionados. While I am familiar with the Henri Giraud legend, the other five fellows around the table were not. This meant they could comment on the flavour without getting hooked up in the impeccable presentation and astronomic price tag. We all agreed that this statesmanlike wine was like nothing we had ever tasted before. One of our brigade was so baffled and befuddled that he admitted defeat early on. He loved the flavour but, not surprisingly, couldn’t find a place to file it in his wine memory, so he bowed out. The other four chaps were spellbound, carving out ever more fantastical descriptors and admiration for this unique wine. There is no doubt that the artistry and individualism of the Henri Giraud range are shocking to many and, in some cases, polarising, but if you crave Champagnes of the very highest standards with tremendous depth of fruit and an all-encompassing and otherworldly presence on the palate, you must taste these wines. 2011 Argonne Rosé hails from one of the world’s most famous villages and is embellished with some of the most revered oak on earth. The fact that it is a sparkling wine is a detail, a mere delivery mechanism, a vector of flavour. It is an elite messenger of the most elemental vine and wood flavours in drinkable form, and it blows my mind.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-92)

Good bright, deep red. Blackberry, minerals and crushed stone on the nose. Densely packed and concentrated, with savory dark berry, floral and licorice flavors leading to a youthfully powerful if rather strict finish. Classic sturdy Nuits-Saint-Georges but with lovely energy and finesse to its fruit. The big tannins spread out on the back end, yet the wine maintains a light touch.

Exuding a sense of refinement, the Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Brunet 2011 is crafted with meticulous precision, embodying the epitome of expert Burgundy winemaking. Esteem of the prestigious Hospices de Beaune vineyard, located within Burgundy's acclaimed Beaune region, lends delegates this sumptuous offering.

This exquisite blend is a result of a steadfast commitment to quality and tradition, assembled through exploiting the famed terroir. By meticulous orchestration, the wine sees 14 months in new French oak barrels, culminating in a tantalising harmony of rich fruit and nuanced wood complexity.

The Hospices de Beaune Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Brunet 2011 captures the very essence of Beaune, with a complexity, elegance and robust structure which does justice to its intricate origin. Encompassing expansive layers encased within tranquil subtlety, this vintage reflects the dedication of the winemakers and the superior quality of the 2011 grape harvest.

Vinous (91)

The 2011 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru has a very appealing, harmonious bouquet with ample red cherries, crushed strawberry and subtle undergrowth scents that gain vigor with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded, quite sensual entry: red fruit laced with white pepper, blood orange and subtle leafy notes. It gradually unfurls towards the finish maintaining adequate freshness and with a detailed bitter orange-tinged aftertaste. Excellent. Tasted at Flint Wines Burgundy 2011 tasting.

Vinous (93)

Good medium red. Reduced, slightly decadent aromas of strawberry, spices, underbrush and game: this could only be Burgundy! Seriously silky, pliant and glyceral, with a lightly liqueur-like quality to the plush flavors of red fruits and spices. Quite sweet on entry, then more restrained on the back half. Finishes concentrated, spicy and long, with broad, suave tannins and terrific spicy persistence. A major mouthful in the context of the year.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (93-96)

(vinified with some whole clusters, but a lower percentage than was used to make the RSV and Clos Vougeot): Medium red, a bit less saturated than the RSV. Reticent but rather wild aromas of red berries, smoky underbrush and caraway seed. Sweet and smooth in the mouth; larger than the RSV but less demonstrative and complex today in spite of possessing very good energy. Most impressive today on the rising, palate-staining finish, which features terrific grip and serious spine for two or three decades of aging. Fairly powerful for a wine from this producer, particularly given the essentially gentle style of the year.