Decanter (98)

What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition.

Vinous (98)

The 2008 Dom Pérignon is a huge, powerful Champagne and also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This is one of the most reticent bottles I have tasted. So much so that I am thinking about holding off opening any more bottles! The 2008 has always offered a striking interplay of fruit and structure. Today, the richness of the fruit is especially evident. Readers who own the 2008 should be thrilled, but patience is a must.

Decanter (99)

And so from P1 methuselah to P2, which for Geoffroy ‘goes beyond Champagne’. P2, he continues, must be ‘deeper, richer, longer…better than P1' - otherwise why release it? Well, they haven't yet, although it's pencilled in for later in 2019. Here we have drive, vinosity and incredible length. The sweet and savoury balance indulges with a seductive embrace. Gustav Klimt in a glass maybe. Outstanding.

James Suckling (98)

This is a very thick, dense DP with layers of ripe fruit. Dried apple, pineapple and pie crust with some nougat undertones. Dense and layered with chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Umami undertone. This has the highest percentage of pinot noir ever. 15 years on the lees in bottle. 62% pinot noir and 38% chardonnay. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon raised in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon raised in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Vinous (95)

Like its Brücke counterpart, this Auslese reflects genuinely botrytis-free grapes, said Dönnhoff, but ones that were too numerous and too high in sugar to use elsewhere, “and certainly not in the Grosses Gewächs, which would then have ended up with 14% alcohol.” Sea breeze on the nose intimates the sweet-saline savor of raw scallop that emerges on this wine’s lusciously lingering, mouthwateringly umami-rich finish. White peach and quince preserves feature throughout, reinforced on the soothingly creamy palate by nougat-like nut essences. There is an animating, juicy fresh-fruit aspect as well, and a wonderful sense of both focus and transparency to stony and ore-like nuances.

Revel in the opulent luxury of the Duval Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru 1996, an exquisite vintage meticulously crafted to perfection. The heart of the Champagne region bares this exceptional Grand Cru, a testament to Duval Leroy's outstanding savoir-faire, widely acknowledged for their uncompromising dedication to quality. This vintage employs 100% Chardonnay grapes, harvested from the finest vineyards, encapsulating the terroir's quintessence. Duval Leroy's painstaking viticulture and traditional métodos champenoises see this cuvée age for more than twenty years in their cellar, imparting unparalleled complexity.

The Duval Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru 1996 emanates elegance, offering a majestic bouquet of fresh orchard blossoms and honeyed brioche. This medium-to-full bodied Champagne boasts a rich, refined palate; fresh citrus notes adorned with hints of toast and truffle. Its shine doesn't fade with a lingering, mineral-laced finish. A coveted gem amongst aficionados, the Duval Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru 1996 is a sublime testament to Champagne's grandeur.

Wine Advocate (98+)

A blend of the 2015 and 2014 vintages, Egly's emblematic NV Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères was disgorged this year with only one gram per liter dosage. Bursting with aromas of mirabelle plum, Anjou pear and green apple mingled with notions of freshly baked bread, honeycomb and praline, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, its satiny attack segueing into a deep, layered mid-palate of striking texture and concentration. Concluding with a long, intensely saline finish, it's another brilliant wine from a great producer at the top of his form.

Jancis Robinson (17)

A bit of apple peel. Very ‘natural’. Very pure and unadorned. All top Montagne de Reims villages. Extreme champagne. Very dry finish. Lots of potential.

Vinous (96)

The NV Extra Brut V.P. Grand Cru (Vieillissement Prolongé) is a rich, textured Champagne that expresses all of the natural intensity gained after having spent eight years on its lees. Baked apple tart, pastry, spice, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes infuse the V.P. with tremendous flavor complexity to fill out its broad, expansive frame. It is a wine of remarkable depth and vinous intensity. In a word: superb. Disgorged: July, 2020.

James Suckling (98)

A tight and beautiful white with a dense palate of beautiful, ripe lemons and apples. Layered and refined with phenolic tension. Complex yeast and hints of oak and flor. Full body. Great length. 80 per cent flor-growth in barrel. Drink now.

James Suckling (97)

This is another rock-star chardonnay from here with dried-apple, pear-skin, crushed-stone and peach-pit character. Full body. Creamy texture. Phenolic form and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste. Always great quality for the price. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

Attractively briny nose with some cooked lemons, hot stone minerals, yeast, juniper and a hint of bread crust and almonds. Full-bodied yet bright and slightly phenolic on the palate with excellent freshness and power. Transparent, dry and saline in the finish. Delicious and super drinkable. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (95)

This has rich, lemon and lightly grassy aromas in a very fresh, pure and focused mode. Some fresh-pastry and chalky notes, too. The palate is succulent and piercing. Some smooth, lees-derived texture sits nicely around the fresh, lemon flavor with pastry-like resolve. Impressive textural complexity really makes this special. Drink over the next six years.

Wine Advocate (95)

I had the luck of tasting two vintages of the Chardonnay from slate/schist soils side by side, including the 2016 Aconcagua Costa Las Pizarras Chardonnay. The juice from the whole clusters decanted for 24 hours, fermented in oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and then aged in barriques for 14 months. It's a little more compressed than the 2017 and has good, vibrant flavors with some floral notes and some gentler flavors, perhaps more similar to the 2014, with the austere schist minerality but with more volume and juicy fruit. There is a little more malolactic in this year. If people have the idea that 2015 is warmer than 2016 and that 2017 is again warmer, the character of these Aconcagua Costa bottlings is the opposite: 2015 and 2017 are fresher, and 2016 is a little warmer. This sometimes happens, as the cooler years are harvested later and the warmer ones see an earlier harvest, so that the wines are exactly the opposite of what you expect. This is great, and its only problem is being tasted next to the 2017, which is otherworldly. 5,000 bottles were filled in May 2017.

Wine Advocate (93-95)

The king of the cellar chez Coche this year is the 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes, a beautiful wine that unfurls in the glass with scents of white peach, oatmeal, spring flowers and subtle spices. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and satiny, with a deep, concentrated core, lovely purity and a bright, precise finish. This is a classic in the making that will reward cellaring.

Wine Advocate (91)

The Fattoria le Pupille 2020 Poggio Argentato is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Traminer and Semillon, and the percentage of Sauvignon Blanc in this vintage was raised from 60% of the blend to 70%. This slight adjustment makes a big impact on the wine's perfumes, especially in a hot vintage such as this. Cold temperatures during pressing and the use of stainless steel helps to lock in tropical aromas, minty apple and crushed limestone. The Petit Manseng helps to give more vertical lift to the bouquet. Average annual production for this wine is about 40,000 bottles, but this vintage came in about 8,000 bottles short.

Vinous (88-90)

The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers 1er Cru just misses the mineralité expressed by other cuvées on the nose - a little one-dimensional by comparison. The palate is better with fine "bite" on the entry, moderate depth, perhaps just needing a little more precision on the finish.

Emerging from the esteemed vineyards of Saarburger Rausch, the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 2009 offers an indulgent taste of superior German craftsmanship. Hand-harvested with meticulous precision, this outstanding wine reverberates with the expertise of the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken estate, revered for its dedication to viticulture since 1742. This magnificent Riesling Auslese exudes the distinct terroir of Saar Valley, a unique composition of weathered grey slate and iron-rich soil, delivering an indelible minerality in every sip.

Characterised by an aromatic bouquet of ripe apricots, candied lemon peel, and subtle hints of honey, it possesses a remarkable ageing potential. Its vibrant acidity and persistent sweetness yield perfect harmony, making the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 2009 a cherished addition to any discerning wine collector's selection.

James Suckling (96)

A super-filigree Mosel Auslese that impresses with fabulous delicacy and precision. So much vanilla-bean character, but also tropical-flower aromas. Beautifully integrated grape sweetness at the long, very refined finish. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

The latest vintage of this noteworthy producer's Chardonnay is singing. A harmonious, multifaceted nose offers notes of bright citrus, fresh melon and flowers, while a chorus of sun-baked stones and freshly baked bread linger behind. Beautifully textural and salty on the palate, it crunches with minerals and vibrant fruit. The oak is tucked away and the finish long and salty.

Decanter (93)

Gosset is the oldest house in Champagne, and is a favourite among wine trade insiders. This non-vintage cuvée is redolent with the aromas of mellow red apple fruit. It has beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate, with creamy apple and plum flavours, and a great precision at the same time.

Decanter (98)

The clean, fresh aromas of just-picked citrus fruits belie the enormous power of lime juice and rich lemon pith that immediately fills the front palate on this latest vintage. There’s poise in addition to the power though, with multiple layers of rounded citrus and mineral flavours enjoying a luxurious textural roll through the mid-palate. Perfect integration of fresh citric acid carries the pure fruit qualities through extraordinary length to a crisp, lip-smacking finish.

Dive into the elegant world of French wines with the Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins Blanc 2020. A masterpiece from the Loire Valley, this white wine is a true testament to Romain Guiberteau's exceptional viticulture savoir-faire, hailing from his biodynamic vineyard renowned for its limestone-rich soils. Steadfast attention to traditional wine-making methods, low-intervention approach and strict yield control results in wines of phenomenal depth and exquisite purity.

Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins Blanc 2020, a Chenin Blanc varietal, exudes a vibrant array of aromas from orchard fruits to minerality, perfectly encompassing the characteristics of Saumur's unique terroir. On the palate, this wine dances with balanced acidity and profound complexity. A pristine expression of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, this wine is noted for its age-worthiness, and rewards patience with developing finesse over the years.

Relish in the refined pedigree of Guiberteau Saumur Les Moulins Blanc 2020, a wine that radiates charm, luxury and an authentic taste of France.