2021 Burgundy: Côte de Beaune tasting notes

Sarah Marsh MW continues her coverage of the 2021 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of the Côte de Beaune.

More in this series

2021 Burgundy: When the gods stopped smiling

2021 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages

2021 Burgundy: Chablis report and tasting notes

2021 Burgundy: Côte de Nuits tasting notes

2021 Burgundy: Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais tasting notes

Pernand-Vergelesses

Domaine Vincent Rapet

Pernand-Vergelesses

Energetic, straight, well-edged and bright, this mineral wine whistles across the palate. Spot-on. 2023–26. 88

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

A very well-defined and singing Corton-Charlemagne. Among the best I tasted. Pure, channeled, and intense, with a chalky, racy, and persistent finish. 2027–35. 97

Savigny-lès-Beaune

Domaine Chandon de Briailles

White

Claude Jousset used stems, as usual at the domaine, because they were well-lignified. As ever, very little new oak. She uses a basket-press. Racking using gravity and nitrogen, so there is no pumping and very little or no sulfur until bottling. She bottles the whites later now. The 2020 was not bottled until November 2022.

Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Saucours

Northeast exposure and sandy soil. Young vines, replanted in 2013 with Chardonnay, for which 2017 was the first vintage. No skin contact. Basket-pressed then fermented in a 1000-liter barrel. Primary fruit dominates the aroma, with pineapple and banana. The attack is creamy, yet the palate is sharp, tacky, and vibrant. Tight and lively palate. The palate is truer to the terroir. 2023–27. 86

Corton Blanc Grand Cru

“Mainly Bressandes this vintage, due to frost,” explained Claude, “and Bressandes is more of a red-wine soil.” It shows in the rich aroma and punchy structure. The palate is dense, compact, and firm. There is intension and ripeness, with a cold cut beneath. Jolly good. Should age well. 2026–30+. 93–94

Red

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Île des Vergelesses

Limestone and east-facing. Pernand-Vergelesses suffered most from the frost but caught up, and this was harvested at 12.5% ABV. Tight and focused aroma. Plenty of tension on the attack. Energetic and lithely muscular. Showing some proper Pernand-Vergelesses attitude. 2026–30. 90

Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fournaux

The vines are one third village and two thirds premier cru, all planted in 1956 with a massal selection from Domaine Tollot-Beaut. Lightly fragrant and slightly earthy. A sprightly and precise palate, which is surprisingly delicate and bright for Fournaux. 2024–29. 87

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Lavières

From vines planted in 1956. Red cherry and flowers. It is seductive, scented, and elegant. Finely textured tannin. A pure ribbon of fruit and streamlined to finish. Absolutely charming. 2024–28. 89

Corton Bressandes Grand Cru

There was 80% whole-bunch for this cuvée. There is more limestone in this soil, and the nose is more refined than for the Maréchaudes, showing ripe forest fruits, while the palate is supple and silky, with lively fluidity. Chalky, fine, and talc-like on the finish. Well-sustained, with a seasoning of salt. 2026–35. 94–95

Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru

Beefy on the nose. More savory. Lithe muscle on the palate. A dynamic, if lighter, profile for Clos du Roi. Vital on the finish. At the moment, there is lots of tension, but it is still quite battened down. A cut above. 2027–37. 95

Corton Maréchaudes Grand Cru

Clay, iron, and plenty of stones. It can be very warm in this site. Meaty, bloody note to the nose. Chunky wine on the attack, and it has some heft mid-palate. Punchy and generous. I think the whole-bunch brings a lightly stemmy freshness and bite to the finish. It works. 2026–35. 93–94

Chorey-lès-Beaune

Domaine Tollot-Beaut

“I very much like 2021,” remarked Nathalie Tollot, “as we go back to the ’80s and ’90s for red fruit and the balance of acidity. It doesn’t lack. It has nice structure, but no muscles. It may not be quite so appealing to newcomers, because of the acidity.”

Chorey-lès-Beaune La Piece du Chapitre (Monopole)

Pure and perfumed aroma. Rather delicate and finely textured for this lieu-dit. Lightly bitter morello-cherry fruit. Fresh, bright, and crisp to finish. 2025–30+. 90

Beaune Premier Cru Grèves

Certainly one of the best and most sophisticated Beaune Grèves I tasted this vintage. This is elegant, with a lively red-fruit aroma and chiffon-textured tannin. The sweetness is finely woven with acidity. It has a silky soft finish. 2025–32. 94

Beaune

Maison Albert Bichot

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Chabiots

Ripe raspberry and woodland notes on this inviting, sweet, and savory aroma. A direct attack. Snaps. Light and precise, with clipped edges. Decent intensity, if slightly lean. Shivers on a cool, mineral, and modestly well-sustained finish. 2026–35. 91–92

Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils

Bouchard is almost exclusively domaine. From 2022, it will no longer purchase fruit for Bourgogne. At the top end, it wishes to continue with Clos de Bèze, but it controls the harvest, from an excellent grower, and the quality is top-notch. This is an extensive domaine. Winemaker Frédéric Webber cannot recall any such serious damage to the crop from frost. I tasted an extensive range of reds and whites, and can say that I liked everything. The reds and the whites are equally precise, well-executed and showing their terroir. Webber did thorough leaf-plucking to expose the fruit and aerate the vine, and at harvest a rigorous sorting. The quality is high and consistent. Frédéric increased the proportion of whole-bunch to manage the acidity. He has handled the extraction delicately. The textures are fine and silky smooth across the range of reds. Lively, fresh whites, which he compares with 2014 and 2008: “Very focused, with beautiful acidity.”

White

Beaune

Rounded and succulent. Ripe, with good freshness and bite. From the flat Prevoles, which has damp clay soil. Historically, a place for reds, but Webber grafted with cuttings from Charlemagne in 2017 to make this juicy wine. Jolly good. 2023–27. 86–87

Beaune Premier Cru Clos St-Landry

Rich, with pineapple notes. Slightly exotic even in 2021, but with good acidity underscoring the palate and freshness to finish. Dried papaya on the palate, but lively. A good vintage for Clos St-Landry. 2025–28. 91–92

Meursault Les Clous

Ripe citrus and sherbet; it’s juicy, bright, and racy. Candied lime combines with pithy notes. Attacks the palate. Attractive bitterness on the citrus finish. 2024–28. 88–89

Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières

Delicate, white-rose perfume. Pure and glassy. It has shimmering salinity and a sea-breeze feel. Detailed and precise. Just a delight. 2026–33. 95

Meursault Premier Cru Perrières

Concentrated and focused. Richer than Genevrières. Intense, this has a firm spine. Savory, sapid, and twanging with energy. Excellent finish. 2026–35. 96

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

The parcel is in Languettes. It is structured, dense, and compact. Rich and thicker textured. Strong, with good sapidity to finish. Has some muscle, yet super-fresh. 2027–35. 96

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

No Cabotte this year, as all of the very low crop went into this cuvée. Oyster-shell minerality. Super-dry. Whips across the palate on a focused, taut line. The well-sustained finish is at once delicate, intense, and lightly austere. 2028–40. 97–98

Montrachet Grand Cru

Serious structure, with burnished muscularity. Excellent depth and richness. It shows its pedigree. Powerful finish. Actually rather splendid. 2030–40. 99

Red

Beaune du Château Premier Cru

Exotic scented aroma of the spice market. Soft, succulent, and rounded. Open texture and full-ish, supple and smooth, with an aromatic finish. Maybe some raspberry jam on the finish. Very Beaune. 2024–28. 90

Beaune Premier Cru Grèves

From several parcels. Pure and light, intense and very mineral. Has a tight, fine, precise feel. Delicate, with chalky minerality to finish. Fresh red fruits. 2025–30. 92–93

Beaune Premier Cru Grèves Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus

A big step up in density. Compact and vigorous. Layered. Assertive, persistent, chalky minerality to finish. Pretty impressive. 2027–40. 95

Beaune Premier Cru Teurons

East-facing, thin soil, rich in limestone. Concentrated red fruit, with red peppercorn. Ripe, with good tension. Neatly layered, springs onto the palate. A crisp and tight texture to the tannins. Peonies on the palate. Good energy and tension and a salty finish. Like this. 2025–30. 93

Monthelie

Blueberry fruit and floral notes. Light, delicate, with fine-textured tannins. It’s crunchy and there are violets to finish. A very delicate and fruity Monthelie. 2024–27. 86

Monthelie Premier Cru Les Duresses

Webber was especially careful in the maceration here, which was the last plot to be harvested. Blackberry fruit, good energy, a tangy, licorice bite, and light sinew. 2024–29. 87

Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Cailles

Smooth satin and lightly glossy texture. Aromatics of garden herbs. Lithe and neatly structured, with freshness and intensity. Black fruits and an energetic finish. 2026–35+. 94–95

Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens

From the top of the hill. Tension and reserve. It is compact and tight. This feels very cold. Even a touch severe. Assertive finish. 2028–35. 94

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Lavières

South-facing, gentle slope, 10 acres (4ha), with lots of limestone. Soft-scented aroma. Supple, smooth, upfront, and so charming. Glides gently onto the palate on a talcy-slippery texture, with freshness underpinning the palate. 2024–28. 88–89

Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes

Smooth, satin texture enfolds the dense palate. There is richness and slight opulence. Svelte muscle. Light austerity on the cold, sapid, and powerful finish. 2030–40. 95–96

Chambertin Grand Cru

Satin-textured, channelled, pure, and super-intense. 2028–40. 98

Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

This comes from the upper part. An aromatic profile, with black cherry, violets, and white rose. What a fragrant, airy, and beautiful Clos de Bèze, with a stream of mineral freshness to finish. Expressive and delightful. 2028–40. 97–98

Les Echézeaux En Orveaux Grand Cru

Pure, delicate, and perfumed. Silky textured and fine. Lighter-bodied, with a saline finish. A delicate and fluid Echezeaux. 2027–35. 95–96

Maison Champy

White

Pernand-Vergelesses

From village parcels around the hill of Frétille with different exposures. This cuvée now includes Belles Filles as well as Combottes, but is largely Combottes. Straight-up, salty, and citrus on both nose and palate. Zesty lemon peel; direct and a touch bitter, in a good way. Plenty of energy and salinity to wrap up. A village wine with quite good length and spot-on typicité. Very snappy. I like it a lot. 2023–26. 87

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru En Caradeux

This climat is on the hill of Noël, opposite En Charlemagne on the hill of Corton. Lightly spicy (oak) on the aroma and attack, with hints of melon and ginger. Just a touch tropical on the palate, which is quite soft, broad, nutty/toffee, and maybe lacks intensity for a premier cru, although it rallies on the savory finish. 2023–26. 87–88

Red

Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de Bully

On marl limestone in a cool situation. Fullish, earthy, village wine, somewhat robust, with a loose texture. Light, grainy tannin on the finish. Slapping, juicy, honest, and easy-going. 2023–27. 85

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Île des Vergelesses

Hedgerow-fruit aroma. On the palate, sweet and juicy fruit, cut with icy acidity. Slices keenly to an attractive, bitter, morello-cherry finish. Light and just slightly grippy tannin. Straight, energetic, and piquant. A slim, stylish, and really quite elegant Île des Vergelesses, showing good terroir typicité. For 2021 Pernand, this is as good as it gets. I like it a lot. 2025–30. 92

Domaine Chanson

Managing Director Vincent Avenel is ably assisted by two young women, vineyard manager Justine Savoye and Lucy Auger, Cellar Master. It’s Chanson’s first year of official organic conversion. Together they visited the domaine’s acres (43ha) before harvest began on September 15, assessing ripeness, particularly the stems.

Whole-bunch is a feature of the approach at Chanson, but since Avenel’s arrival, is no longer applied systematically, and in a dramatic departure from tradition they destemmed 70% in 2021, and reduced the cold-maceration, previously lasting between 8 and 10 days, another quite distinctive approach, to between 4 and 8 days.

“The general idea was to be delicate in order to have a more gentle extraction, allowing us to have a bright fruit with pure terroir expression,” explained Avenel. They also did a thorough sorting. Avenel remarked that the reds have exceeded their initial expectations. “They are delicate, lacy, with great terroir transparency. For whites, we were already more confident at the beginning. This vintage has obviously not the concentration, power, voluptuousness, or structure of its recent predecessors, but perhaps it shows more terroir diversity.”

I tasted the six red Beaune premiers crus blind, and chose my favorites among Grèves, Clos des Mouches, Teurons, Fèves, Clos du Roi, and Marconnets. Teurons is the lightest, brightest, and most elegant of the six. I prefer it to Clos des Mouches and Grèves. Clos du Roi, which is ponderous in a hot year, is supple and attractive; and Fèves hit the mark. The reds have herbal crunch and light chew.

Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Fèves (Monopole)

Aroma of ripe, soft, summer fruits, white pepper, and touch of luscious oak. Energetic attack, with plenty of gloss. It combines ripe fruit with herbaceous greener notes. Quite closely knit and zesty, with sappy tannin, which gives a fresh and lively kick on the decent finish. 2025–32. 93

Beaune Premier Cru Clos du Roi

Somewhat spiky, herbaceous nose, but a supple, ripely rounded, and juicy palate, with some new oak apparent. Decent energy. The ripe forest fruits are laced with fresh acidity and it sweeps into a slightly licorice finish. I am often a bit sniffy about Clos du Roi, but this is rather good. Well-balanced. 2025–30. 92–93

Beaune Premier Cru Teurons

Lightly exotic perfume, with a hint of anise. A smooth and straight glide into the palate. Silky texture, with warm red fruits and toasted five-spice notes giving a slight bitterness. Slim and light, with a lively and fresh, sapid tang on the finish. Becomes quite snappy in a good way. 2025–30. 93

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru La Dominode

Chanson has nearly 5 acres (2ha) of this premier cru, with 90-year-old vines. Light, ripe, red-cherry aroma, to a soft, slim, and mellow palate, with a light leafy note and a touch of bitterness at the end. 2024–28. 86

Maison & Domaine Joseph Drouhin

“I summarize [the vintage] in two words,” said Frédéric Drouhin. “Seductive and unique. Seductive, for its balance, finesse, precision, and charm. Unique because of the frost. We lit 500 candles per hectare and it took eight people to do this. You run like a rabbit. I was in the Montrachet. Beautiful to see… but you are scared!” Of the whites, he said: “The lees were very important, not for bâtonnage, but essential to bring flavor and to keep freshness and balance.” Drouhin used plenty of whole-bunch for reds, but Frédéric remarked, “There was high malic acidity, so we had to be careful with the tannins to manage the balance. We used less pigeage and remontage.” He added, “The wines will be appealing very young. It’s not a vintage to keep 15 years, for red or white, as it’s on the lighter side. So, drink the 2021s before the 2020s.”

White

Pouilly-Vinzelles

Drouhin manages acres (15ha) of the total (50ha) in the village. The gentle east-facing slope catches the morning sun. Lemon-curd aroma. Lightly creamy and a touch tropical, with litchee notes and soft acidity. Inviting. 2023–26. 84

Puligny-Montrachet

20% of crop. “The village that suffered the most” says Frédéric Douhin. Delicate, fine and floral with a well sustained perfumed finish. 2025–30. 88–89

St-Romain

Light and wafting. Delicate and precise. Breezy. This is the style of St-Romain I like. 2024–38. 86

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Rich butterscotch aroma. The chubby palate is most appealing for its energy and succulent, juicy acidity. It has youthful exuberance. 2025–32. 94

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros

From a steep slope, so it is plowed by horse. Vinified in 500-liter barrels and cask, but no new oak. Quite broad up-front and lightly sumptuous, with a fullish and rounded palate. An attractive touch of bitterness to finish. 2025–32+. 93

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

From vines in Languettes. High-toned and reserved. Plenty of tension and a bright twang of energy to finish. It carries very well on the salty and juicy finish. 2026–35. 96

Red

Beaune Premier Cru Les Cras

Super-ripe on the nose and attack. Nice concentration, with a cold mineral cut under the palate. A wine of contrast and juxtaposition. Sweet and savory. 2025–30. 91–92

Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Mouches

Redcurrant aroma, with notes of fresh coriander, while the palate has an inviting svelte texture, with chamois-leather tannins. It is perfumed and seductive, with plenty of soft summer fruit. 2026–30+. 92–93

Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Amoureses

100% whole-cluster. This was made in a 500-liter barrel. Gorgeous perfume, which enfolds the palate in a sumptuous aromatic richness. Satin-soft tannin, rich yet airy. Quite an exotic note. 2026–35+. 95–96

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Prieur

The grapes ae bought under contract from a grower. Both juicy and flowery up-front, the generous fruit entwined with freshness and aromatic richness. The texture is quite suave. 2026–30. 91–92

Nuits-St-Georges

There is a little premier cru Damodes and Richemone in this village wine, which is rather perfumed. A hint of red peppercorn on the front palate. A pretty, light, and lifted Nuits-St-Georges, which has fine-textured tannins. 2025–28. 89–90

Vosne-Romanée

Some Petits Monts and Malconsorts in this cuvée made with purchased grapes. Ripely seductive with a silky density and a dark chocolate character. Svelte and complex and rather long for a village wine. 2026–30 90/1

Maison Louis Latour

2022 saw the very sad passing of Louis-Fabrice Latour. I tasted with winemaker Jean-Charles Thomas. The company manages 125 acres (50ha) as domaine and, including the Mâconnais, takes fruit from an area of between 1,730 acres and 1,980 acres (700–800ha). So, Louis Latour is still a traditional négociant, buying in fruit and must, but with some long-term contracts with growers, which gives them a say in the vineyard management. On the Côte d’Or, I feel that the quality and terroir definition could be even higher. The wines are attractive but rather safe and crowd-pleasing. Thomas could “step on the gas.” There is more to be achieved, especially with the domaine vines.

White

Meursault Premier Cru Château de Blagny

Straight, well-balanced, and energetic, with sweet, candied fruit to finish. 2024–30. 91

Meursault Premier Cru Goutte d’Or

Ripe and rich, with greengage fruits and almost chunky concentration. It is rich and bling. Crowd-pleasing. 2024–28. 90

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru En Caradeux

Picked at the end of the harvest, this domaine parcel has richness and generosity balanced with a nice savory quality. 2023–26. 86–87

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Sous Le Puits

Succulent and juicy up-font. Nicely racy energy. Very juicy, and it has freshness to boot. 2024–30. 91

Red

Volnay Premier Cru Chevret

With an expressive cherry-pie aroma, this combines ripe fruit with purity and intensity. Soft in the middle, but has some salinity, vibrancy, and minerality to finish. 2025–30. 92

Benjamin Leroux

A bit of a gallop to get through Ben Leroux’s extensive portfolio. “Much less wine, but twice the work,” said Ben ruefully. But he did a great job, for quite frankly it was difficult to decide which to include here. Limpid, pure wines, very consistent in quality and style. The texture of the reds is delicate and refined.

White

Bourgogne Aligoté

Fresh, lime-sorbet palate, with a slight pithiness. Light-bodied. Yum. 2023–26. 85

St-Romain Sous Château

Silky and mineral. Wet stone on the smooth finish. Top-notch. 2024–28. 87

Meursault Vireuils

White flowers, high-toned, bright, delicate, and super-taut. Lively wired wine. 2025–30+. 90

Meursault Premier Cru Charmes

From a 500-liter barrel. Elegant and just lightly succulent, with airy volume mid-palate. Delicacy and precision on the refined and persistent finish. Excellent. 2026–35. 95

Red

Bourgogne Rouge

Juicy, fruity, and rounded. Very pretty. Mostly Côte de Beaune. Red fruits and a silky texture. 2023–25. 85–86

Blagny Premier Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois

From 5 acres (2.2ha) in Blagny. Crunchy and bright. Zesty, spicy, with herbal notes of dill and fresh coriander. Straight line and a sappy finish. 2025–30+. 92

Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Cailles

Aromatic and satin-textured. Ripples rather elegantly, with good tension and refinement. Finely textured tannins. Streamlined, long finish. Very polished. 2026–35. 95

Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens Haut

Power and finesse. High-toned and fine-boned, gathering more depth across the palate. It has tension and intensity. Focus onto the finish. 2026–35. 94

Volnay Premier Cru Clos de la Cave des Ducs

Rose petal. Silky, fresh, and lightly crisp. Delicate and fluid. Perfumed to finish. Lacy. Exemplary expression of Volnay in this vintage. 2025–35. 95

Vosne-Romanée

Super-succulent and slightly spicy. Attractive depth and density. Somewhat lush, with a rounded body and svelte texture. Very Vosne. 2023–30+. 91

Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Malconsorts

Deliciously rich aroma, sumptuous and generous, with velvet-rich tannin. Rather glorious and so fresh to finish. Hoovers up the whole-bunch. 2027–40. 96

Gevrey-Chambertin

Now Leroux also has fruit from the Brochon side. Ripe forest fruit, smooth on the front palate, with firm structure and density to the mid-palate. A touch of grip. A good Gevrey. 2025–30. 90

Chambertin Grand Cru

Pure, so intense and yet so discreet. What a fabulous finish. 2028–40. 99

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

Rich and generous attack, yet so airy and perfumed, with a super-silky, gauzy texture. Stretched on a fine and persistent finish; a fresh and almost-chalky line. A delicate expression of Griotte. 2028–40. 97

Corton Grand Cru

Usually a blend, but this year just Renardes. This is strong and burly. Good vitality. Powerful, but Ben Leroux brings it some finesse, with the finer texture of the tannins. 2028–35. 95

Domaine Seguin-Manuel

Thibaut Marion used the same proportion of oak as in previous years, but medium- rather than light toast, explaining, “The higher toast in 2021 brought some sucrosity to the wine, which complements the grapes.” He added, “Even if this vintage is not dark and extracted like our solar vintages, don’t underrated it. It has the potential to age well, as there is a natural balance in this vintage.”

White

Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Mouches

What saved the crop here was that it was pruned and tied down in April. A silky richness on the rounded body, with good density. An earthy, savory bite gives freshness, and there is plenty of sapidity to finish. A very good white Beaune. 2025–30. 93

Meursault Les Clous

Shivering, cold, and cutting. Slices on the palate. So sapid. Taste the limestone. Very edgy. Absolutely spot-on. 2025–32. 90

Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux

Pure, straight, and focused, it whips along with good tension. Tastes really salty this year, and savory. It was picked at the end of the harvest. Racy. 2024–30. 89

Montagny Premier Cru Vigne du Soleil

Deeper soil and this gives a full-bodied Montagny, with a juicy succulence. Nice freshness and floral notes to balance. This is made partially in concrete eggs, which Thibault finds useful to enhance the floral notes. 2023–26. 83

Savigny-lès-Beaune Goudelettes

Lime-citrus aroma, with a cool and slicing palate. Such delicious, juicy intensity mid-palate, with a pithy, bitter-almond finish. I just love this wine. Such a strong personality every year. 2024–30. 87–88

Red

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Summer fruits and white flowers. This is lifted and charming. Light tannins, with a slight crunch to finish. 2023–26. 83

Beaune Premier Cru Bressandes

From high up in Bressandes. Blue fruit, blueberry and violets. High-toned palate. Piquant and lively. Plenty of vivacity to finish. A little snappy. 2025–30. 92

Beaune Premier Cru Cent Vignes

Strawberry-cordial fruits. A very sweet aroma. Soft and rounded and supple. Super-aromatic. Underscored with a light, fine, and fresh line, which carries the finish. 2025–30. 90

Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

From the Brochon side. The aroma has a touch of dill and tarragon. Punchy and also quite glossy. Lots of vigor and concentration. Firm and darker on the finish. 2025–30. 88

Savigny-lès-Beaune Godeaux

High-toned and bright and zesty. Piquant. Crunchy tannins. 2024–28. 86

Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes

From vines on the flat part. Soft, red-fruit aroma. Supple and rounded, with good depth for a village wine. Smooth tannins and a light and crisp finish. Gentle, even lightly sumptuous, and certainly very appealing. I like the ping to the finish. 2024–28. 86

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Lavières

Perfumed on both nose and palate. Silky, flowing, and juicy, with powdery tannins. Charming fluidity. Spot-on for typicité. 2024–30. 88

Pommard Petits Noizons

Summer fruits with violets. Soft, juicy, and lightly rounded. An appetizing, tangy finish. Some of the typical Pommard body, but with surprising elegance. Nicely done. 2024–30. 87–88

Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru

Black fruit, spice, and black-pepper aroma. Super-svelte and debonaire. Lovely fluidity and a fine, polished texture. Depth and intensity. Beautifully woven. I’m very impressed by this Rognet. 2027–35. 95–96

Bligny-lès-Beaune

Dominique Lafon

Dominique Lafon remarked, “It is an elegant vintage. I love the tannins. So elegant and silky.” He destems but keeps the berries whole. In 2022, there will be some changes in his approach.

White

Bourgogne Blanc

From Grand Couture on the Meursault side, with some on the Puligny side made separately and blended in July. Two thirds in puncheon, 500-liter barrels, the remainder in foudres. Lafon bought the puncheons for the 2018 vintage and prefers to use them for this Bourgogne. Light citrus and floral aromas drift from the nose over the palate. It has gentle, silky roundness and a sliver of mineral to stretch the finish. It combines a touch of Meursault body with Puligny elegance. 2024–26. 86

Meursault Narvaux

A big step up in density and intensity. Muscular minerality and intension. Great typicité. 2026–33. 91

Meursault La Petite Montagne

Springs on the attack. Lively, with grapefruit zestiness. It fizzles brightly on the finish. 2024–28. 88

Pernand-Vergelesses

A new one for Lafon. Savory, nutty aroma. Some reserve. Notes of fennel on the straight, well-edged palate. Lots of sapidity to finish. Very appetizing. 2024–28. 87

Red

Volnay

Enticing, fresh-strawberry aroma, light-bodied, and so fragrant, with a crisp-fine texture. Delicate. 2025–30. 88

Volnay Premier Cru Les Lurets

The premier cru from the top half of the climat beneath Caillerets. Lively, morello-cherry aroma. Silky and juicy, with succulent fruit filling the mid-palate. Precise and lucid. 2025–32. 91

Meurgey-Croses

Sadly, Pierre Meurgey lost his contracts for whites in the Côte d’Or, but he has a new and attractive Hautes-Côtes red. “It is in Bévy,” he explained, “at about 400m [1,300ft], on a bed of limestone, so it was lovely in 2021. I was looking for grapes. I wanted to find someone farming organically and this is in conversion. I got the whole parcel and harvested with my team.” Sadly, however, the vineyard was super-dry in 2022. The grapes shriveled and there was nothing for him to buy. Such is the lot of the micro-négociant.

White

Mâcon Uchizy

An easy-going, spicy wine, with exotic aromas of litchee and creamy rambutan, underpinned by sapid freshness. It’s attractive. 2023–25. 83

Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes

A well balanced Pouilly with richness; a golden citrus character and a nicely sustained finish with a touch of salt at the end. A more delicate and refined finish. 85/6

Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes

A slim and aromatic Viré-Clessé, with notes of mandarin and orange blossom. Light and wafting. 2023–25. 82–83

Red

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

Oodles of ripe blackberry fruit. Juicy, fresh, and lively, with just a light touch of tannin. What’s not to like? 2023–25. 83

Côte de Nuits-Villages Aux Montagnes

Meurgey decided against any stems this year. A good move, as it could easily have become too rustic. The result is robust and bold, with plentiful fruit and chunky tannins. It is slightly coarse, but undoubtedly crowd-pleasing. A decent bistro wine. 2023–26. 85–86

Pommard Premier Cru Les Grands Epenots

Just one barrel. Satin tannins, with a smooth glide on the palate. Very harmonious and well-woven, and it stretches elegantly into a long, focused, and fresh finish. What an elegant Pommard. 2026–33+. 94–95

Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Bas Liards

Soft, smooth, and flowing, on an easy-going, red-fruit palate. Loosely textured and charming. Pleasurable. 2024–28. 85–86

Volnay Ex Exchards

Meurgey made this in a 750hl oak vat. Succulent fruit aroma. Rounded and charming, with plenty of summer fruit. An inviting fresh bite of tannin on the finish. A touch of François Frères oak at the end brings the freshness. 2024–28. 87

Pommard

Domaine Coste-Caumartin

White

Beaune Premier Cru Les Chouacheux

Soft, succulent attack, lightly greengage fruit combining with slight spice and savory stoniness. Stretches quite well on the finish, with dry, chalky sapidity. I like the tacky texture to finish. It’s subtle, light, and sappy. 2024–27. 90

Red

Beaune Premier Cru Les Vignes Franches

Light, red-cherry aroma. Splashing attack. Juicy and generous, with a plump mid-palate. Lots upfront, with plenty to like. Soft tannins and an attractive morello-cherry follow-through. A very captivating Beaune. 2024–28. 92

Pommard Le Clos des Boucherottes

Light redcurrant and herbal nose. Fresh attack. Quite sweet and juicy, with smooth texture upfront, while the tannins come in fine and lightly crunchy. Sprightly energy and a greener, sappy finish. Lively and attractive. 2024–28. 91–92

Pommard La Rue au Port

From a lower lieu-dit on clay. Sturdy, full, and spicy aroma. Notes of sweet sandalwood. Soft and juicy attack. Lightly plump and succulent, with a firm thread of freshness that carries the finish. This is a good village Pommard, well-balanced, with decent intensity and supple tannins. Good job. 2024–30. 88–89

Pommard Les Vignots

Pretty, red-berry aroma. Lightly rounded, fruity, and softly textured upfront. Light and easy-going. Well-balanced, with an attractive crispness to round it off. I would expect this lieu-dit to be leaner in this vintage, but while this is slim and trim, it’s charming, too. 2024–28. 88

Domaine du Pavillon

Some nice wine, but the oak can seem rather overt.

White

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes

Quite an oaky Charmes. Quite full and creamy, with well-ripened fruit, blending with buttery and nutty notes. Blonde. 2026–30+. 92–93

Red

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Ursulines

Smoky, caramel aroma, which must be the oak. Ripe redcurrant and Sichuan pepper on this energetic, slightly herbal palate. A gravelly edge to the chunky tannin. Rather loose and robust. 2026–30. 88

Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens

Slightly oaky aroma, showing a touch of asphalt, with glacé-cherry fruit. The attack is crunchy, with cassis, but becomes smooth vanilla. It is energetic. It has lithe muscle and a peppercorn prance. Slightly bitter, sapid twang to finish. An interesting wine, showing some complexity. 2027–32. 93

Corton Grand Cru Clos des Maréchaudes

An oaky aroma, with toasty and caramel notes. Rich with summer fruits to start. It’s smoothly rounded, with minty black chocolate and a longish, fluid line. It has some sensuality, spiked with a sapid, fresh, and tangy tannin on the finish, maybe from the oak. 2026–33. 92

Château de Pommard

Paul Negrerie, who arrived just before the 2021 harvest, is the new winemaker. The domaine was Demeter-certified for biodynamic production in 2022. “We see the improvement in the soil now. I would like to see more acidity and energy in the wine, but we need ten years to see the effect on the pH in the grapes.” (The domaine has a négociant activity, Famille Carabello Baume, for which they buy organic grapes.)

It’s a struggle to find pickers, but all is picked by hand, which is not easy, as everything matures at roughly the same time in the 47-acre (19ha) Clos Marey-Monge. Ideally Negrerie requires 70 pickers. The clos is divided into six parcels, while a seventh wine is a blend. As we tasted, we looked out of the window of the château to see the parcels. I tasted four wines from the clos, of which my favorite was Grands Esprits, for its finer texture. This comes from the section near the Route 74, where there is more limestone.

White

Ladoix Premier Cru Les Gréchons

Peachy, nutty aroma, with a savory palate showing some macadamia-nut oiliness. An attractive fat. Quite a lot of new oak, but it works and provides a touch of richness to finish. 2023–25. 86

Red

Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Grands Esprits

Soft summer-fruit aromatics. Light and delicate, with a fine, soft, salty finish. I like the touch of bitterness at the end. 2025–28. 86–87

Nantoux

Domaine Boris Champy

Boris Champy, who is based in Nantoux, on the Hautes-Côtes behind Monthelie, has parcels of vines at different altitudes, and on different soil types, from which he makes his different cuvées. Champy used plenty of whole-bunch on his reds, if fewer than in 2020. Strict selection was necessary, for while his later budding vines were less affected by frost than those on the côte, they were affected by botrytis. It’s colder up here and Champy fills out the body of the whites with some bâtonnage and some new oak. This year he has two Aligotés—the same grapes but those for one wine are pressed in a vertical press. He saved his production in Beaune with candles. It was even colder than expected, because of the wind.

Champy feels a leaner vintage can benefit from more new oak. I think the new barrel of Tronçais oak glossed over the slightly grainy tannins of the village Pommard En Boeuf, which is a cold site. Champy’s wines illustrate that new oak works well with the high acidity and lean palate of Aligoté.

He works biodynamically. Part of this approach is adding manure to his vineyards. Apparently, this is very difficult to obtain—so much so, that he puts aside wine, even in a small vintage like 2021, to swap for manure. “What makes the wines so beautiful, fresh, and pleasant is the small yields,” he commented.

These wines from the Hautes-Côtes punch well above their weight.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Aligoté Doré

Half of the vines for this cuvée are very old and half were replanted with selection massal in the mid-80s. Barrel-fermented, with some bâtonnage. Steely and savory. Straight and edgy, with a nicely bitter almond-kernel bite to finish. Dry, cutting freshness. 2023–26. 83–84

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Aligoté Presse Verticalé 429

Fruit from the same vines is pressed in his vertical press, which gives very clear juice with slightly higher acidity, although Boris says this was less apparent in 2021 than in 2020. It is fresh and vibrant, with a silky gloss; more body and texture from the 50% new oak. Very nicely balanced. It would be interesting to see the two with the same oak treatment. An alluring, even glamorous Aligoté. 2023–26. 84–85

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc Montagne 382

Richer, riper citrus aroma, just lightly rounded, with sweet acidity and a concentration of candied citrus. More viscosity. Champy used bâtonnage to enrich the palate. Lightly nutty and a touch of fresh butter. Slight lactic notes at the end. 2024–27. 84–85

Red

Coteaux Bourguignons Gamay Fin

100% Gamay, with a lot of whole-bunch, made with a semi-carbonic approach. Blueberry aroma, with a touch of oregano. Spicy at first, juicy and forward, with a light rustic note. Fruity and fresh. This is rather authentic Côteaux Bourguignons, given that it is from high up, on the Hautes-Côtes, and not from the flats. 2023–25. 82

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Altitude

High-toned, lively, fresh, and bright. A little lean, but light and delicate. 2023–25. 83

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Bignon 421

A parcel on clay at the top, on a plateau. A wild, forest-floor, earthy note. A light punch to the mid-palate. Dark, gamey, and graphite. There is a touch of lightly astringent, sinewy freshness. It is wine in evolution, demanding another winter in barrel. 2025–28. 85+

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Clou 377

Expressive floral aromas. Fruity and quite silky upfront, but it clips along with a light tannic bite. Has slight grip and austerity, and no lack of freshness. Slim, with energetic skate on the finish. Combines light austerity with a certain elegance. Much more refined than the Bignon, but also more in place. I like this a lot. 2025–28. 87

Beaune Premier Cru Coucherais

Soft red-fruit, strawberry aroma. Scented, soft, and rounded. Gentle wine, with an open texture. Strawberry aromas to finish. Airy, cottonwool profile, with a warm perfume. All about the cloud of perfume. 2025–30. 91

Beaune Premier Cru Vignes Franches

A higher toned and slightly peppery aroma. Light and fine-grained tannins. Quite light-bodied, gentle, and rounded, but with more structure and intensity than the Coucherais. Fragrance of soft garden herbs. Hint of minerality to finish. 2025–30. 91–92

Pommard En Boeuf

From a south-facing flank beside Vignots, well into the cold valley. No frost damage, due to the later budbreak. Normal crop. 40% whole-bunch. Anise aromas. Slightly grainy tannin, but fresh and energetic. Well-ripened red fruits. Very tangy and aromatic. 2025–28. 87

Volnay

Domaine du Marquis d’Angerville

Winemaker François Duvivier describes 2021 as a classic, wet, rainy, and cold vintage typical of Burgundy in the ’70s and ’80s. “It’s a long time since we were waiting for higher alcohol levels,” he noted. No chaptalization, so the premiers crus have from 12.5% to 13% ABV, and Duvivier used rather less than the usual 15% of new oak. “Happy wines for this vintage. It has the potential to age for 15 years, but will drink sooner than the 2020 vintage.” A pure, bright, and energetic flight.

Volnay

Just nicely crunchy red fruit. Morello cherry. Lean, crisp, and pure. Zesty and lively energy. 2025–28. 89

Volnay Premier Cru Champans

Pink rose petal. A gently scented wine, with a light glide on the palate. There is sweetness to the texture and more gloss to the fruit, and it purrs in a satisfied way to finish. 2026–30+. 93–94

Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Ducs

Much more reductive. This is stronger and dense. It has intension and power; a light, lithe muscularity and a long finish. “That’s the white marl,” commented François Duvivier. 2026–35. 95

Volnay Premier Cru Fremiets

A fresh, pure, red fruit-aroma. The palate is forthcoming, with red-cherry fruit and flowers. Delicate and light. It dances to a bright and talcy finish. Lucid wine. 2025–30. 92–93

Volnay Premier Cru Taillepieds

Quite spiky and taut. Vibrant. Lean. Slices on the finish. Clipped precision. Quite edgy and austere at present. (Not quite Francois’s “happy” expression. Seems rather cross.) 2026–35. 93–94

Domaine François Buffet

A flight of light-bodied, supple-textured wines from Marc-Olivier Buffet. Even the Pommard and Pernand-Vergelesses are charming. All are engaging and accessible in youth but, being nicely balanced, offer some aging potential as well.

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Les Vergelesses

Earthy aroma, with kirsch, spices, and marzipan. Soft and fruity upfront, but certainly robust and meaty on the mid-palate, and it has a cold, slate grip to finish. Attractive warm licorice ripeness balanced by cool bitterness. Lots of character. Rustic in a good way. 2025–28. 89

Pommard Premier Cru Les Poutures

A gamey aroma leads into a chunky palate. It has some shoulder. Somewhat languid initially but it gathers momentum and finishes punchy and earthy. 2025–29. 90

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Narbantons

Red-cherry and floral aroma; slim and fruity, with delicate tannins, light and crisp, with a fresh and slightly salty finish. Spot-on. What an attractive Savigny. 2024–28. 88

Volnay Premier Cru Carelle Sous La Chapelle

Floral first impression. Ripe summer fruits on the aroma and palate, but the shape is delicate and light-bodied, with a fine and talcy texture. Sweet fruit, with light tannin and a fresh finish. Trim and airy wine. 2024–28. 91–92

Volnay Premier Cru Champans

Aroma of just-ripe wild strawberries, with highlights of white pepper. Slides into the palate on summer fruits; quite plump and lightly intense on the mid-palate. It has finely textured, supple tannins, with a fresh, cool finish. Harmonious. Volnay charm and delicacy. 2024–29. 92–93

Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes

Cherry and herbal aroma. Quite a sweet attack. Supple texture upfront, but it crunches into the finish, where there is more austerity. Straight, juicy, and fresh. Sapidity and edge. 2025–30. 93

Domaine Y Clerget

Thibaut Clerget said he did a great deal of sorting; as much as seven hours for his Champans, for which he selected only whole-bunch. He moved to remontage in 2019 and used no pigeage in 2021. He had already bottled four cuvées in November, directly from barrel, as he had only two barrels and didn’t want to pump them to tank. The Clos de Vougeot is matured in a glass globe.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Pure Pinot aroma, and a singing, bright, crunchy, and fresh palate. So attractive. Delicious. 2024–28. 84

Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens

Finely textured and delicate. Straight, taut, and crisp, with a bitter, black-chocolate snap to the tannins. A salt and cocoa powder dusting to finish. Pure and precise. I am not sure I would recognize it as Rugiens, but certainly a Pommard with finesse. 94

Volnay Premier Cru Carelle Sous La Chapelle

Vivid red fruit. Vibrant and crunchy taffeta tannins and a pure, fresh finish. 2025–30+. 91–92

Volnay Premier Cru Les Champans

Aged in a new barrel, with 100% whole-bunch, this will be bottled in magnum. Thibaut said it took him seven hours to make the selection on the sorting table. The impression of new oak and whole-bunch is gentle. A touch of thyme flower and an attractive, light, stemmy freshness on the fine-textured silky tannins. Maybe the Tonnellerie Tremeaux oak also brings freshness. There is vivid fruit and elegance. A delightful Champans. 2026–35. 94

Volnay Premier Cru Clos du Verseuil (Monopole)

From a walled parcel just over 1 acre (0.5ha) in size, close beside Clos de la Chapelle, where the soil is thin, and the mother rock is close. It has a delightful, ripe cherry fruit and perfume, with a cool grip of tannin beneath the charming fruit. It is quite strict and shows sapid austerity to finish. 2026–35. 94

Clos de Vougeot

The vines are in the Grand Maupertuis sector. There will be two bottlings of this wine. The wine was all made with 50% whole-bunch but aged in different ways—one cuvée in four barrels, of which two are new, and the other in a glass globe. I preferred the latter, Cuvée Felix (named after Thibault’s uncle, to whom the vines belong), which was very pure-fruited and channeled. It is straighter and somewhat more austere than the oak-aged wine (95), but has an extra level of vitality and tension. 2026–30+. 96

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle

I generally preferred the whites to the reds at this domaine in 2021. Some of the reds were a little lean and hesitant. The old-vine Taillepieds, however, had good substance, and I liked the Corton-Bressandes’s soft suede texture and plump generosity. The stand-out wine of the domaine for me is the Pommard Chanlins.

White

Beaune Premier Cru Les Reversée

Broad and juicy undercut with sapidity. I like the colder grip on the finish, which gives it freshness. 2025–28. 92

Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Sous Frétille

Super-fresh and lively. This bounces on the palate. Quite cutting pithiness on the citrus mid-palate, with just enough ripeness to balance. Lemon sprinkled with salt, and a touch of sweetness here, too. Sparkles and fizzles. Lovely terroir expression. 2025–29. 92

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

From just over half an acre (0.23ha) on the Pernand-Vergelesses side. A straight, lean, keen, and savory palate, with marked tension. Lightly steely and austere, with a persistent, pithy finish. 2026–30+. 94–95

Red

Pommard Premier Cru Chanlins

Peppery, up-toned, and piquant. Silky texture, slippery, talc-fine tannins. Delicate and pure, on a long, light, and fluid line. Delicate but intense. A refined Pommard. 2026–30+. 94

Domaine Michel Lafarge

Frédéric Lafarge chose to blend and make fewer cuvées in 2021. So, there is just one Aligoté, Meursault, Passetoutgrain, one Volnay village, and just one Volnay Premier Cru. Neither his grandfather nor his father had ever seen a “winter” frost in spring, which damaged the premiers crus so profoundly that they were blended for the first time. All five premiers crus come together in probably the most complete and complex Volnay I tasted in 2021. Everything was harvested the same day and fermented in one normal-size 2.5hl vat, giving a ten-barrel cuvée.

The Beaune Grèves vines are 100 years old this year and still in great shape. It is hand-destemmed and rolled through a willow sieve, which gives intact berries, “for energy and purity,” explained Frédéric, who considers 2021 a “classic vintage, with the tannins very present, but very rounded and silky and very Volnay.” In style, he finds it between 2013 and 2010, “for the freshness and energy of 2013, and the depth and fruit of 2010.”

White

Bourgogne Aligoté Raisins Dorés

Intense lemon-sherbet aroma, with rather good concentration and smoothness to the palate. Light, pithy finish. 2024–28. 84

Beaune Premier Cru Clos Les Aigrots

Concentrated fruit, quite lively, with grapefruit notes and nicely balanced with sweet acidity. Good density of smooth minerals on the finish. 2024–30. 92

Meursault

Depth and fullness, this is rounded and even feels quite rich. Good focus mid-palate, and a delicious, candied-citrus finish. A sumptuous, generous, and well-balanced Meursault. 2025–30+. 90

Red

Bourgogne Passetoutgrain L’Exception

Blueberry and floral aroma. Splashing fruit on the palate, with lots of energy and soft tannin. 2023–26. 84

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Lucid Pinot, with red fruit and flowers. Lively, silky, and just delightful. 2024–28. 86–87

Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Aigrots

Redcurrant aroma. Silky and pure, peppery and lively. Very zesty. It has a fresh, sappy note and is crisp and bright to finish. Lots of upfront charm and a mix of crunch and silk. Certainly one of the most engaging Beaunes I tried in 2021. 2025–30. 93

Beaune Premier Cru Grèves

The parcel is just above and north of Bouchard’s L’Enfant Jésus parcel, so on quite a steep slope two thirds of the way up this large appellation. Perfumed. Satin texture, with enveloping ripeness and depth and a soft, salt minerality on the fluid, elegantly stretched finish. 2026–30+. 94–95

Volnay

Pure, singing, red-cherry aroma. A silky, vivid, and lively Volnay, with delicate texture, lovely intensity, and a racy finish. It sings. 2024–29. 90

Volnay Premier Cru

Frédéric commented, “The premiers crus are complementary, and I feel that if you make one of them in a very tiny quantity, you do not represent the terroir. It was a very good experience to do this. It is a unique experience.” He clearly hopes, however, that it will be a one-off! Gorgeously scented, with rose petals and ripe red fruit. Sumptuous glide onto the palate. It purrs with deep, satin generosity, yet there is firm, underlying structure and tannin, probably from the Clos des Chênes. It has depth and density (maybe that’s the Clos du Château des Ducs). The finish has drive and intension, yet is swathed in fragrance. Both firmly structured and elegant. Very complete wine. 2026–35. 96

Domaine de Montille

I was shown only a selection, from which I have chosen a few, while the full range would have given me more scope. Winemaker Brian Sieve said, “It was a little like 2013 for whites, but now I think the 2021 is above that. A sharpness and crispness of 2017, and a bit of 2019, but the growing season was more like 2013, and the volume, too, which is why I go back to this.” Plenty of whole-bunch for reds, if a little less than usual, often to get the volume in the wooden cuve to maintain the temperature for sufficient extraction.

White

Beaune Premier Cru Les Aigrots

From deeper clay soil with some limestone. Decent tension and sapidity. An earthy richness comes under the palate. Sieve does a small crush and says picking early is important here. 2025–28. 89–90

Meursault Premier Cru Perrières

Racy and focused. Almond bitterness and freshness. Fine, powdery stone character. Quite persistent and notably energetic. 2026–32. 93

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets

A more delicate expression of Caillerets than others I tasted in 2021. Soft up-front but gathers intensity. I like the salinity on the finish. The light and salty note carries quite well, but overall, a little disappointing. 2026–32. 92–93

Red

Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens

Light oregano notes, pure, fresh, and lively, with crunchiness and a rather refined feel. The mid-palate has good intensity. There is a greener aspect, crisp bite, and a certain delicacy for Rugiens-Bas. 2026–35. 94–95

Volnay Premier Cru Taillepieds

Delicate, finely textured, and rather perfumed Taillepieds, showing unexpected charm. Maybe the whole-bunch, by increasing the pH, has toned down the austerity. 2026–30+. 94

Maison Deux Montille Soeur-Frère

Montagny Premier Cru Les Coères

Soft, rounded, and citrus. Easy and accessible, with some freshness to the finish. 2024–26. 84

Domaine de la Pousse d’Or

In 2018, the domaine was certified biodynamic by Demeter and certified organic, but it has been working this way since 1997. Everything is destemmed and goes through an optical sorting machine. Pousse d’Or favors whole berries, with a cold-maceration of seven days, but longer in 2021, since it was slower to release color. 20% new oak in general. Intriguingly, after fermentation, three cuvées were matured separately in barrique and in 800-liter amphora. The amphorae give a pure, fruity, and elegant expression of the terroir.

In addition to the Côte de Beaune vineyards, which includes three monopoles in Volnay, the domaine has some pretty impressive climats in the Côte de Nuits. Of the 42 acres (17.2ha), 30 acres (12ha) are in the Côte de Beaune. I liked the Chambolle Amoureuses and, especially, the Clos de la Roche, which showed excellent vigor and cold sapidity. The various Caillerets were the best I tasted in 2021.

Volnay Premier Cru En Caillerets Clos des 60 Ouvrées (Monopole) Cuvée Amphore

Floral, with a light note of raspberry. Keen, lean, and bright, with a lively, spirited, and airy feel. Gossamer-light texture. Intense fruit and balletic. It just pirouettes onto the finish. So refined. 2026–35. 95

Volnay Premier Cru Le Caillerets

Warm, strawberry-field aroma, with white flowers, even white pepper. Airy and rounded, it has a light bite and crunch. Some grip and spice, with a chalky-dry, mineral freshness to finish. 2025–30+. 94

Volnay Premier Cru Le Caillerets Cuvée Amphore

High-toned red fruit. Bright, slim-textured, with light, refined tannins. Focuses on minerality. It is precise, trim, and just shimmers on the finish. 2026–35. 94

Volnay Premier Cru Clos d’Audignac (Monopole)

From a north-northeast slope, with north-south facing rows. A cooler exposition but sheltered by the walls and the house. It misses the sunshine in the evening. Probably a good vineyard with climate change, but I found it showed well in this cooler vintage. Good concentration of sweet-cherry fruit, while so fresh and concentrated. Very lively but contained. I like the sweet/fresh cut to this wine. Energetic, with a good follow-through. 2206–34. 94

Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

On the red soil. A rich, full, and dense palate. Lightly muscular, with dark fruit and a chocolate richness. Follows though very nicely, with a seductive, smooth, and well-sustained finish. 2027–35. 97

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

Much more restrained and austere. Compact and tight. Layered. Long and cold finish. Savory sapidity. Such a cool, mineral feel. Taste the soil. 2027–40. 97–98

Auxey-Duresses

Domaine Alain et Vincent Creusefond

Alain Creusefond makes the wines with his son Vincent. Reliable Auxey whites.

Auxey-Duresses

Nutty aroma. A succulent and juicy attack. Just lightly rounded, with a light crème patîssière creaminess on the mid-palate. There is fruity generosity for a village Auxey-Duresses, and it carries on with smooth minerals. An accomplished Auxey white. 2023–26. 84–85

Domaine Diconne

Some nicely made whites and a couple of decent reds.

White

Auxey-Duresses Terres Folles

Zesty, citrus fizzle on the palate. High-wired, slim, and so very tangy. 2024–25. 83–84

Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes

Richer wine with more substance, lightly rounded, with a slightly exotic litchee character. There is nutty creaminess enfolding the mid-palate, with a more lactic note to finish. 2024–27. 84–85

Red

Auxey-Duresses

Fruity and splashing. Easy-going with a light, piquant snap. Attractive. 2024–25. 83

Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses

Red cherry and almonds on the nose. Juicy and vibrant attack. Plenty of red fruit. Sappy freshness. The tannins do have some grip, but on the good side, and I like the attractively fresh crunch to finish. 2025–28. 86

Domaine Jean et Gilles Lafouge

There is much to like at this 32-acre (13ha) domaine, which is largely in Auxey, but has 5 acres (2ha) in Meursault and 2.5 acres (1ha) in Pommard. Gilles Lafarge is working with his 24-year-old son Maxime, the sixth generation of the family Lafouge farming in Auxey. All the fruit is hand-picked: Bravo, as much is still machine-harvested in Auxey.

I had plenty of time to taste and talk with Gilles Lafouge on a Sunday morning, and he remarked, “For 20 years I have been working to make fruity and elegant wine, and Maxime has some ideas to continue to improve (including whole bunch in 2020, but not in 2021). It would be a big mistake to try and make a 2020 wine in 2021. We want to respect the fruit, the terroir, and the vintage, and this is particularly important in Auxey-Duresses. Go too far, and you make rustic wine.”

They have done a great job on the texture of the reds, with a focus on fruit. There is a new addition to the domaine, the village lieu-dit Clos du Rougeots in Meursault—2.5 acres (1ha) of east-facing, fully walled vineyard, with slightly red soil, hence the name. I have always wondered who made this. In fact, the must (juice) was sold to négociants. I was intrigued to try this wine in its first vintage, and it was not bad at all, probably with even more to give. Previously, half of this Clos was machine-harvested, and vines take time to recover when they have been bashed around by a harvesting machine. Now, it, too, is picked by hand. The other half was better managed.

Lafouge follows a lutte raisonée approach. So, they use some systemic sprays for oidium, but no herbicides. (I sense Maxime Lafouge will push to become organic.) The style of Clos du Rougeots is not dissimilar to neighboring Tesson. I liked all the wines at this domaine, so have included as many as possible.

White

Aligoté

From 65-year-old vines on the northwest-facing slope in front of the winery. Light elderflower character. Fresh and lively to finish. Pretty. 2023–25. 82–83

Auxey-Duresses Les Hautes

Citrus and fresh. Sherbet, fizzling energy. Shivers. Very lively, with a light bitterness to finish. 2023–26. 84

Meursault Clos du Rougeots

A silky glide onto the palate, with nice intensity, smooth minerality, and ripe citrus. Candied fruit on the finish combines with wet stone. 2024–30. 86

Meursault Meix-Chavaux

From deeper soil above the domaine’s Auxey-Duresses Boutonnières (which is also very nice) and 94-year-old vines. Succulent up-front. It has good drive, lively freshness, and firm minerality to finish. 2024–30. 87

Red

Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru La Chapelle

From a small vineyard that belonged entirely to Lafouge until Gilles’s grandfather divided the vineyard after his daughter’s marriage into the Latour family; so, another wine from here is also made by Henri Latour. The climat is to the southeast of the village, straddling premiers crus Les Bréterins and Reugne. Good intensity of red-fruit ripeness on the nose. Rather smooth tannins, even a touch velvety, with some depth and body and a little tension to finish. 2025–30+. 87

Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses

Each year the harvest starts here as it gets warm. Spicy aroma and dark fruit. It is straight, firm with finer grained tannins, tight texture and licorice notes. 2025–30. 87

Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Ecussaux

Ripe summer fruits. Soft, juicy, and slightly plump, with just a light-textured crunch of tannin on the finish. Very accessible. 2023–26. 84

Domaine Henri Latour et Fils

A very reliable domaine for both red and white. The Premier Cru La Chapelle is very silky.

White

Auxey-Duresses

Straight, citrus, and quite intense on the nose, then a silky palate, with savory, buttery fennel and a light attractive bitterness to finish. Citrus sweetness and pithiness to contrast. 2024–30. 84–85

Red

Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes

Ripe, dark, black-cherry fruit, with some substance to the mid-palate. There’s depth to the texture, and firm tannin; quite bold and just slightly robust. Spicy aromatics to finish. Tastes more like an Auxey premier cru for structure and matter, if not quite for texture. A top-notch village wine. 2025–30. 86

Domaine P&L Project

Louis and Pierre Trapet, sons of Jean-Louis and Andrée Trapet, have expanded their business in the Côte de Beaune, having bought the vines belonging to Louis’s father-in-law, part of the extended Prunier family of Auxey-Duresses. Now they have several cuvées and work quite experimentally with different vessels in the winery, including concrete, stainless-steel eggs, and glass globes. These are interesting wines, in the more oxidative spectrum when I tasted them, showing plenty of texture, from quite tacky, to rough stone, which is combined with vibrant energy and savory freshness. Pushing the boundaries.

Aligoté

Stainless-steel egg. Bruised apple on the aroma, with savory characters. On the palate, biscuit and rough stone. It is energetic and has notes of dill and apple. Keen and lean, becoming quite salty and sharp and crystaline. Rather interesting. 2023–25. 83–88

Auxey-Duresses

Made in barrel and demi-muids. A light, silky creaminess up-front, moving to puckered apricot skin and bitter kernel, with a clean line of acidity and nervy freshness on the finish. Very lively, and it becomes quite floaty and delicate. My favorite of the four wines I tasted here. 2024–26. 85

Domaine Piguet-Girardin

Young Damien Piguet is as energetic as his wines. His mother sold fruit to the négoce but when I first tasted his wines, about five years ago, Damien had already started making a couple of cuvées under the domaine label. Now there are nine, with a pithy white Auxey which hits the spot, while a white Morgeot weighs in at the other end. Piguet said, “I find the whites most like 2014, and the reds, 2011. I want to stay with light red fruit and easy-to-drink wines, so I destemmed and was very careful with extraction.” Work in progress here, but on the right path.

White

Auxey-Duresses

Slight elderflower aroma. Springs onto the palate. Straight, sharp, light, and grassy. Light-bodied, lean, and keen, with citrus and mint. Slicing, pithy acidity. 2023–27. 82–83

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Full-bodied and punchy, with plentiful oak, muscle, and acidity, which carries on a sappy finish. The oak shows on the finish, where it turbo-boosts that sense of freshness: 80% new barrels of tight-grain wood… which may be a little too much. ”They give me the spark and tension to the Chassagne,” Damien said. Burly. 2025–30. 88–89

Meursault

A blend from Limozin and Gruyaches at the bottom of the village and Clous at the top. Damien explained, “This has fifty percent new oak, but I think it is good to have more toasty oak for the Meursault, as I am looking for something richer.” Satsuma and honeyed aromas, with a touch of candied citrus peel on the sightly creamy mid-palate. To contrast, it has a bitter-lemon finish. 2024–28. 85–86

Red

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Kirsch and nutty almond aroma, while on the palate, light crunchy notes, with fresh and juicy morello-cherry fruit. A light snap of tannin. Medium-bodied, with more of the kirsch and attractive, bitter, almond-kernel notes and a hint of florality to finish. 2025–30. 88

Domaine Michel Prunier et Fille

Michel Prunier has always used whole-bunch for reds, and his daughter Estelle continued to use some in every cuvée in 2021. It is most successful in the Beaune Premier Cru Sizies, where it brings sappiness and energy to balance the ripe fruit and rounder structure. I find it less successful on the Auxey reds and Pommard. Nice, sapid Auxey whites.

Auxey-Duresses

A blend of lieux-dits Les Hautés and Les Closeaux. Stony, bright, sapid wine. Straight, slim texture, fresh and snappy. More savory than fruity. 2022–25. 83–84

Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes

From 85-year-old vines in La Canée, on the cold face, it but catches the morning sun. 25% new oak, which is a little obvious, but there is more density, layering, and concentration of fruit on the mid-palate to carry it. This, too, has a firm, sapid finish. 2024–27. 85

Domaine des Terres de Velle

Fabrice and Sophie Laronze make the wine in their modern winery at the entrance to the village. I have been tasting here for quite some years now. Unlike the owners of the other domaines I have included in this report, they are not locals and established their business with outside investors.

This hard-working couple are very focused on their vineyards, and the wines are precise and very well made. “The word I would use for this vintage is ‘pressure.’ It was tough,” said Sophie. “Right until the end, we didn’t know what we would get. The growing season was exhausting—twice as much work, yet we knew we would have so little, so it was mentally exhausting.”

Explaining their approach in the winery, she continued, “In 2020, we stopped adding sulfur to the whites during the vinifiaction. In 2021, we were not sure, but we took our time with the pressing and the débourbage, which is always done very seriously, and we continued to work with no sulfites.”

White

Bourgogne Chardonnay

From three parcels—two below Meursault and one on the Puligny side—and because they only had a few cases of Monthelie grapes, those went into the blend as well. Delicious and juicy. Quite a rich mid-palate, with a lot of density for a Bourgogne. Pear-like fruit and lightly spicy to finish. 2024–28. 85

Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés

From a village lieu-dit with older vines behind the cuverie. Only one and a half barrels this year. Almost crunchy ripe and zesty. It captures so much succulence, underscored with freshness. Top-notch Auxey. 2024–28. 85–86

Chassagne-Montrachet La Platière

From a lieu-dit below Morgeot, with deep soil. A juicy and rather gregarious village wine. Super-fruity, fresh, forward, and appealing. 2025–32. 87–88

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes

A rich, full, and generous Charmes, with ripe fruit, plenty of concentration, and a glossy finish. Not the most elegant I tasted. Leans toward a fuller, richer style, with the new oak showing. 2025–32. 93

Puligny-Montrachet

From Les Noyers (75%) and Levrons (25%), the fruit being pressed together, as it was all from 60-year-old vines in the same area and with a similar profile. I recall that the two parcels were separately vinified in the first, 2009, vintage. This is flowery and soft, cloaked in nicely ripe fruit. More delicate up-front. Saltiness to follow. A longer finish than the Chassagne. 2025–30. 88–89

Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Aux Vergelesses

Lightly creamy up-front, with hazelnut, savory richness, before becoming more austere and sappy on the finish. Appetizing. 2024–30. 87–88

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

From two parcels, one in Le Charlemagne, the other En-Charlemagne. Five barrels. Straight and citrus and pure. Tension, intensity, and a frisson of cold, stony minerality on the well-sustained finish. Very good. 2029–35+. 95–96

Red

Auxey-Duresses Les Closeaux

From a village lieu-dit on the hill behind the village on the Meursault side, with 45-year-old vines. A cold climat, and one of the last to be harvested in 2021. “Crazy sorting,” said Laronze. “Thanks to the pickers and sorting table.” What a great job they did! This is delicate, pure, and red-fruited, with light tannins. Fresh acidity and crispness.” 2024–27. 84

Monthelie Premier Cru Les Duresses

This was saved from the frost because the vines are cordon-trained and were less far into their growing cycle. Soft summer fruits. This is structured, of course, but they have coaxed the very best of the fruit from the grapes and the terroir is still present. Very lightly done. A refined version, which is not easy to achieve, and the best expression of this site that I tasted this vintage. 2025–29. 85

Volnay Ez Blanches

A village parcel under the trees above Clos des Chenes. Tiny yields. Crisp, light, and delicate. Racy. Pink peppercorn. Light tension and a piquant finish. I do like this. It’s light, but so stylish. 2025–32. 87

Volnay Premier Cru Le Roncerets

Quite some ripeness on the nose, and a broad, succulent palate. Juicy, even extravagant, with plentiful, spicy tannins and a good, punchy flow-through. It has some heft for a Volnay in 2021. 2026–35. 93–94

Meursault

Domaine Ballot-Millot

Charles Ballot commented, “It is so amazing to see the freshness of the vintage in 2021, with such a tiny production. I didn’t expect this freshness. In 2012, the production was also small. But it was a warmer vintage so, it didn’t have this acidity. We had good ripeness, as the production was low, but it is not overly concentrated: a very good balance. Many people wondered if it would be flat, but it isn’t.” He finds it like 2013 in terms of the freshness, but also “like 2010 for freshness and intensity, saltiness and acidity, but here is lower acidity without any exotic notes in 2021.”

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot Tête du Clos

Good concentration. A compact layering of fruit and a cold, earthy grip. Broad and dense. Powers into a sapid finish. 2027–35. 94

Meursault Les Narvaux

Fabulous energy and intensity. Compact and dense. Leans into the muscle, but there’s so much freshness. Top notch. 2026–30+. 90–91

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes

Fine-boned, delicate, and pure. Racy. This sparkles with minerals and I like the lively acidity. There are notes of lime flower and lime zest on the precise finish. From the upper part of the climat, with only 16 inches (40cm) of topsoil over the limestone, and it shows. Spot-on. 2026–35. 95–96

Meursault Premier Cru Les Genevrières

Floral and delicate, with piano-wire intensity and precision on the floral finish. Such finesse. 2026–35. 95

Domaine Michel Bouzereau

Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau used just a light foulage [crush] in 2021: “That was my feeling. In 2020 and 2022, I made a much stronger one. The débourbage [settling] was longer, over two days, but all the lees were nice. I was being very prudent. I wanted to pay attention to make sure to preserve the best quality, as we had so little production in 2021. It is a classic vintage, in the sense that you see the terroir.”

Bourgogne Côte d’Or

Some 75% of the fruit for this cuvée came from Puligny, because the Meursault side was more affected by frost, and this Bourgogne is certainly very Puligny in style. Light and intense, floral and delicate. Straight and pure. It has a light stream of citrus in the palate. Good energy. 2023–25. 85

Meursault Le Limouzin

The previous parcel of vines was ripped out in 2016, and this is only the second year of production from since the replanting. So, very young vines, but a delightful wine. Elegant and silky, it ripples across the palate; lightly woven, with freshness and soft salt on the finish. 2025–32. 88–89

Meursault Les Tessons

From 50-year-old vines. A light gloss wraps around a polished, soft-steel core. Intense, vibrant, and long. Excellent finish for a village wine. 2025–28. 89

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes

Elegant and pure. Super-ripe citrus, with a lively, long, and stretched feel. The energy flows into the finish and it’s crystal at the edges. A cut-glass feel. 2026–33. 94–95

Meursault Premier Cru Les Genevrières

Light, intense, airy, and aromatic. Gorgeous fragrance. Very finely textured and precise. Salty notes entwine with the floral aromas. Detailed. 2026–35. 94–95

Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrières

Elegant, intense, compact, and channeled. A little more austere than the Genevrières. Good tension and savory, sapid minerality. Coiled. 2026–35. 94–95

Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru Les Caillerets.

Tension. Marine character. Colder face. Oyster-shell minerals. Very focused and persistent. 2028–35. 95–96

Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet

Jean-Philippe Fichet considers 2021 a blend of 2016, for the tension, and 2014. He prefers his lesser wines, considering it a superb vintage for these, while the Meursault hillside, with its small yields, has made good, but not great, wines. His regional wines are excellent.

Bourgogne Aligoté

Intense white-fruit aroma. Super-vibrant, with grapefruit zestiness and bucketloads of energy. 2023–26. 85

Bourgogne Blanc

Ripe lemon, nicely rounded and succulent, with a really juicy finish. Spot-on. 2023–26. 85

Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes

More richness, concentration, and density, with plenty of minerality in this regional wine. 2024–27. 85–86

Auxey-Duresses

Lively pounce on the palate, with plenty of grapefruit and lime zest. Fruitier than the Monthelie. 2024–28. 86

Monthelie

Light and glassy. Cucumber, with a cutting slice of freshness. White clay. It has a lively cold touch. 2024–27. 86

Meursault

This is an assemblage of village lieux-dits, including Les Clous, Chaumes des Narvaux, and Criots. So much energy and tension, with a generous cloaking of fruit, and it finishes with tingling minerality. 2025–30. 89–90

Meursault Meix Sous Le Château

Richer and full, with greengage and ground ginger on the finish. Generous and aromatic. 2024–30. 89

Meursault Tessons

Straight, glossy, and intense, with good energy. Concentration of ripe citrus fruit is streamed with creamy acidity, and it stretches into a silky finish. 2025–30+. 90–91

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Referts

A full and succulent aroma. Broad palate, with plenty of depth and juicy concentration. Layered and persistent. Very well-balanced. An earthy, soft graphite, smooth mineral quality to the finish. Very at ease with itself. 2026–30+. 95

Vincent Girardin

Meursault Les Casses-Têtes

Juicy, rounded palate, with notes of clementine and cinnamon. Just a light sheen of oak, with quite a soft and sweet mid-palate, but well-balanced by dry, chalky minerality, which stretches the finish. Plenty of personality and generosity to this village wine. Jolly good. 2025–30. 88–89

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes-Dessus

A golden, silky palate. Hazelnut, a hint of greengage, with minty, lemon balm. Light, glossy richness upfront. This purrs, unfolds, and has some succulence as it stretches out and carries to a refined, cool, and white-talcy finish. Maybe a little light, but elegant. 2025–32. 93

Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrières

Keen, well-defined palate. Good intensity. Straight and focused, with a persistent, polished-steel finish. Streamlined. 2026–35. 93–94

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Blanchot-Dessus

Broad wine, but also super-compact, layered, and vigorous. Grips the palate and slices on a cold, dark, slatey finish, with a phenolic bite and great persistence. 2026–35. 94

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Rounded and full, with a rather honeyed, chunky mid-palate. Seems quite oaky, but it focuses well, to a very respectable, sapid finish, with some grunt. 2026–30+. 92

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Reserved and battened down for now, with quite a lot of oak. It has a slightly herbal aromatic quality. Punchy, broad, and compact. A powerful, firm, and persistent finish, with a slightly greener note. 2028–32+. 95

Red

Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Aigrots

Juicy, red-cherry fruit and modest intensity. Herbal freshness and slightly rustic tannins. A moderate finish, with chicory notes. 2025–30. 90

Volnay Premier Cru Les Champans

Peppery, spicy, up-toned aroma. A silky unfurl, to a straight and rippling palate, underscored with freshness and cherry-stone bitterness. Slightly grassy, with a hint of chicory on the nicely sustained finish. 2025–32. 93

Volnay Premier Cru Les Pitures

A bit oak-dominant at this early stage; creamy vanilla and spice upfront for this mid-weight wine, with its herbal crunch; orange-zest and mint notes. Sappy and modest finish. Lively and piquant. 2025–30. 91–92

Volnay Premier Cru Les Santenots

Dark, earthy aroma. A rich first impression to the fuller, generous palate, with blueberry fruit and thick, light, and soft velvet tannins. Lively, juicy, and fresh, finishing on a licorice note. Somewhat sumptuous for the vintage, but also rather elegant and racy on the well-sustained finish. A good Santenots. 2026–32. 93

Domaine Patrick Javillier

A good vintage. Not the vintage of the decade,” says Marion Javillier, “but they have freshness and the notion of terroir.”

Meursault Tête de Murgers

Light mandarin on the aroma, with some floral notes. Supple, rounded, and lightly glossy, underscored with a pithy, bitter-almond bite, which I like. 2024–28. 88

Meursault Tillets

Light citrus and minty nose. Lively bright jump onto the palate. Zesty, with sherbet fizzle and a tingle of white, sparkling minerality. 2024–28. 89

Domaine des Comtes Lafon

White

Dominique Lafon has passed on the management of the family domaine to his daughter Lea and nephew Pierre. 2021 was the handover vintage, which he made with them. “Hard in the vineyard, but it was not difficult in the winery. This made it easier to keep the potential of this vintage,” says Pierre. The new oak has been dialed back. Pierre told me that they bought only one barrel of new oak for the cellar. Genevrières and Charmes show great finesse. Delicate and refined.

Meursault Clos de La Barre

Full, succulent, and dense, with punchy sapidity. It is tightly knit and so well-integrated. Top-notch. 2025–32+. 91–92

Meursault Premier Cru Bouchères

Lafon racks in July and puts the wine back into oak for the second winter in the adjacent cellar, but in 2021 he simply rolled Bouchères into the neighboring cellar. Hence it stayed on the original lees. Creamy and lightly rounded; it has macadamia-nut richness and is well woven. Slightly sumptuous. 2026–35. 94

Meursault Premier Cru Charmes

A light and purring elegance. A refined Charmes, with a delicate, shimmering, focused, crystalline quality. Eye-wateringly pure. Exquisite. 2026–35+. 95–96

Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières

Light and airy and crystalline. Racy and fine. Soft salt, with a fine thread of freshness. It shimmers with a soft luster and is woven with haunting floral aromas. Just divine. 2026–35+. 96

Meursault Premier Cru Goutte D’Or

This is rather bling for 2021. No new oak here, just gorgeous, upfront fruit. Quite flashy with the crystalized citrus and juicy acidity. Plenty of bubbling energy to carry this along. 2026–35. 94

Meursault Premier Cru Perrières

Straight, tight, dense, and channeled. Burnished steel. Super-intense. Precise. Fabulous finish. 2026–40. 97

Le Montrachet

And another step up again. Stately. It exudes such presence. Goes on and on. 2028–40. 99–100

Red

Monthelie Premier Cru Les Duresses

Red fruit, bright and lean. Spicy and somewhat spiky. 2025–28. 85–86

Volnay Clos des Chênes

Finely textured. A light, trim, and refined body. Rather delicate and vibrant, with talcy tannins. Redcurrant fruit and good tension on the finish. A fine-boned and elegant Clos des Chênes. 2026–35. 95

Volnay Premier Cru Santenots du Milieu

Full and slightly sturdy, with a firm structure, grip, and good tension. A vital wine. Punchy on the finish, with slightly bitter cherry kernel. Lots of muscle for 2021. 2026–38. 94–95

Château de Meursault

Having lost so much to frost in 2021, in 2022 Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, Directeur Général, has decreed that no vines will have a first prune before December, and only when he gives authorization can the second pruning be done. “With later pruning we can win 15 days.” He likens his Meursault to Bentley and his Puligny to Aston Martin. Everything is destemmed for the reds, as the optical storing machine came in handy for the 2021 vintage.

White

Beaune Premier Cru Blanche Fleur

Lime-flower aroma, with frangipane richness on the palate, which is juicy, quite deep and quite rounded. Well-balanced and super-succulent. 2025–30. 91–92

Meursault Limouzin

Seductive and silky and really rather long, with an underscoring of smooth, wet-stone mineral. Very good village wine. 2025–32. 90

Meursault Premier Cru Charmes Dessus

Buttery Brazil-nut generosity on the attack, with richness and depth of texture, but it soon smartens up, straightens, and cuts across the palate with plenty of freshness and a chalky, super-salty minerality to finish. Keen and persistent. Love the finish. Not bad at all. 2026–33+. 95

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet

Flowery and airy; rounded but light, with a fine, delicate, and long finish… aromatic and lingering. 2026–33+. 94

Corton Les Vergennes Grand Cru

Savory, straight, and dense palate. Well-edged, channeled palate. Cold muscularity and a persistent, sapid, and punchy finish. 2026–35+. 96

Red

Savigny-lès-Beaune

Light and zesty. Sappy freshness and oodles of energy, with a bright, splashing, red-fruit finish. Crunchy. 2023–28. 86

Pommard La Platiere

This vineyard is partly premier cru and above the village. It lies above the premier cru of Arvelets. Well-exposed, but with the cool draught from the combe. Surprisingly smooth, with chamois-leather depth to the texture. It is even slightly unctuous. Under the palate comes the freshness. Rather well-managed. 2025–30. 88

Pommard Premier Cru Epenots

Supple and silky; rippling on fine tannins. It’s all about the texture, which is talc-slippery smooth. There is delicacy and refinement to this Epenots. A Pommard with intensity, delicacy, and finesse. Much more discreet than the Volnay Clos des Chênes. Equally good. 2026–37. 96

Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes

Tight and reserved at the front, taut texture on the mid-palate, and a muscular, stony grip. Plenty of tension and austerity, and a long, cold, and sapid finish. It’s quite strict, but I like it. 2026–37. 96

Corton Marechaudes Grand Cru

Coffee and milk chocolate. Deepish, fullish, and plump, a little fat and generous, supple and engaging. 2026–30. 93

Corton Rognet Grand Cru

Seductive and smooth, with ripe black cherry. Deep and even slightly unctuous; dark and polished and well woven with freshness to finish. 2027–40. 94–95

Corton Les Vergennes Grand Cru

Anise and cherry-blossom aroma, then on the palate, cocoa powder and bitter cherry-kernel freshness. Intense, focused, and so fresh. Finely textured. Precise. This is sophisticated and detailed, with its sharp snap and the bitterness of very fine dark chocolate on the finish. 2026–35+. 96

Blagny

Domaine Chapelle de Blagny

“We lost 85% in Blagny,” said Etienne de Brechard. “I had to blend all the Meursault into a Meursault Blagny. Just three barrels of Puligny. It was a hard year, and if we can do it organically this year, we can do it any year.” Etienne has been working organically since 2019 and has now applied for certification. “I didn’t have to chaptalize,” he explained. Even if it is not more than 12% ABV, it is still perfect. Why should I add sugar? Thanks to nature, it should be different each the year. We are a very small domaine, and we can explain to our customers. I feel under no pressure.” For the reds, he commented, “I am finding my way.” He focuses on a gentle remontage and is doing a lovely job: light and lacy reds, with the same delicacy and translucency as the whites.

White

Bourgogne Aligoté

One barrel. A new wine for the domaine. Light citrus aroma, with rather good intensity on the palate. Lively, with zesty sweet acidity and candied lemon peel. Just delicious. 2024–26. 84

Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru

Cool, upright, and white-flower aroma. Vibrant, straight, and delicately dancing on the palate. High-toned. Shimmers in a slightly steely way, with a soft-salt, mineral finish. Pure, light-bodied, and elegant. 2025–30. 92

Red

Blagny Sous Le Dos d’Âne Premier Cru

Red-cherry with cherry-blossom perfume, which drifts across the palate. Airy and lacy-textured, with light, crisp tannins. A lucid, light-bodied wine. Fine and delicate. Love it. Just a delight. 2025–30. 92

Puligny-Montrachet

Maison & Domaine Olivier Leflaive

This was the 40th vintage for technical director Franck Grux… and he has never seen a vintage to compare with the low yields in 2021: not even a third of a normal vintage, some at 10% of normal. As Franck says, they have stock, so it is not disastrous, but he has not one barrel of Corton-Charlemagne. He has 130 regular suppliers, and only one grower delivered the normal yield, as he pruned late.

Franck therefore resorted to blending. “What do you do with 40 liters of Meursault Les Clous—put it into a village blend. It is impossible to prune everything later, with an estate like Olivier Leflaive.” And as Grux points out, he is buying grapes and juice from the Mâconnais, to Chablis. The harvest will be ready at different times. It is a herculean job to juggle everything.

He is not, however, disappointed with the 2021 vintage. “2021 was saved because the volume was reduced. It is a good vintage, because of these yields.” I tasted more than 20 wines. Some will benefit from fining, to bring more precision, but all showed good terroir definition. As ever, Franck has done an excellent job. Sadly, I think 2022 may be his last vintage.

Bourgogne Aligoté

From vines below Meursault and in Puligny, matured largely in oak, not new, but the barrels needed filling, or they would have been empty. Carries the oak with ease. Citrusy aroma, with quite a rich, expressive, and lightly rounded palate; fresh sherbet bite to finish. Scrummy. 2023–25. 83

Bourgogne Blanc Oncle Vincent (Domaine)

From a domaine vineyard near Puligny, under the Château de Puligny. Just 15hl/ha in 2021. A reserved and floral aroma, with a more austere palate. Straight, bright, and mineral, and really quite concentrated. Excellent Bourgogne. 2023–27. 85–86

Meursault

A global impression of the village, from ten lieux-dits, even in 2021. Ripe citrus, with a touch of mandarin and spice. Fullish, quite plump and generous, seems easy, but watch this wine, because it has really chalky minerality on the finish. A good firm follow-through. 2024–30. 88

Meursault Vireuils

Pure aroma, with white-citrus pithiness. Fizzles on the palate. Sherbet, light and tense. Nervy and high-wired. Spot-on for terroir. 2024–30. 88–89

Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru Sous le Dos d’Âne (Domaine)

The vines were replanted in 1995. Pure, strong, and sweet attack. This has a core of steely minerality. Intense. Very straight, to a lively, long finish. I like the salty minerality at the end. Racy. 2023–28. 92

Montagny Premier Cru

From four climats including Bonneveaux, which is on a south-facing slope and receives a full day of sun. This wine has a sunny, ripe aroma and a succulent palate, with juicy acidity on the finish. 2023–26. 85

Montagny Premier Cru Vignes Sur Le Cloux

From rocky and marly soil on a southeast-facing slope. Shows in a slightly steelier aroma. A lighter, but more intense line and a longer finish. Sweet minerality on the end. 2023–27. 87

St-Aubin Premier Cru Chatenière

Dense, compact, energetic, and savory. Ripe and stony, with vibrant energy on the finish. Punchy. 2024–30. 88

St-Aubin Premier Cru En Remilly

High-wired, with tension and minerality. Taut on the finish. Quite saline. 2025–28. 88

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Abbey de Morgeots (Domaine)

From vines planted in 1982 and 1986. Only four barrels in 2021, with 25% new oak. Succulent and juicy attack; rich, full, and meaty density. It has a gravelly grunt and some licorice and savory notes on the finish. 2026–30. 93–94

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières (Domaine)

Dark, gravel, and slate aroma. The palate is earthy and savory. Muscular and punchy. Pounces on the finish, where there is a hint of garden compost. Slightly burly, but this has very good potential. A standout Folatières in 2021. 2027–35. 95

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Pucelles (Domaine)

Creamy apricot and silky, pink rose-petal aroma. A streamlined and pure palate, skating on ice. Sorbet freshness and a creamy texture. Aromatic and mineral finish. Complex and intriguing. 2026–32. 95

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Domaine)

Ripe, floral aroma, and the palate is urbane and supple; broad but with mineral freshness on the long and rather powerful finish. It tastes like a warmer vintage, a bit heavy, ripe, and rounded. 2027–35. 96

Montrachet Grand Cru

High-toned, austere and tense. Focused and chiseled. Tastes much colder and seriously vital. It focuses on an excellent finish. 2029–35. 98–99

Domaine Jacques Carillon

“A very classic vintage, with lovely minerality and finesse,” said Jacques Carillon.

Puligny-Montrachet

Fresh citrus aroma. Glassy and straight, with juicy acidity and good concentration. It becomes very pithy on the finish. 2024–28. 89

Domaine Jean Chartron

Jean-Michel Chartron uses Diam for all the whites. High quality and consistency across the range.

Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Vieilles Vignes

This is from Nantoux. Super-juicy, with lime and grapefruit. Vibrant, keen, and lean, and energetic to finish. 2023–27. 84

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Benoîtes

From a lieu-dit under Morgeot. Includes three barrels of very young-vine Cailleret in the 13-barrel cuvée. Good concentration and depth, with cut and thrust. Robust and full, with intension and drive on the finish. Packs a punch for a village wine. 2025–30. 89–90

Pernand-Vergelesses

Largely from Belles Filles. Sherbet aroma. Candied lemon on the front. Sweet concentration in the middle. Juicy, with attractive sucrosity and a lively freshness to underpin the fruit. Riper than you might expect, and just delish. Spot-on. 2023–28. 86–87

Rully Montmorin

From a windy, south-facing hillside with lots of limestone, where the topsoil is so thin that Chartron cannot plow it. This has good tension and vibrancy. Very zesty, lemon, with a cold and pithy cut. More classic, citrusy Rully. Like it. 2023–27. 86

Santenay

One barrel. Ripe, even quite melony; it is supple, rounded, and slightly glossy, with sweet acidity and a lightly peachy finish. 2023–26. 85

St-Aubin Premier Cru Les Murgers des Dents du Chien

Half the normal yield this year. This is high-toned, shaley, cold, with a talcy texture. Lightly severe. Almost shivering. Chalky finish. 2024–30. 88

St-Aubin Premier Cru Les Perrières

From a climat within the village, behind the post office, on a southeast-facing slope. Chartron bought it in 2008. This has a warm appeal upfront, like a sugared grapefruit in the middle, sweet and sour and inviting, with a sappy note to finish. 2023–28. 86–87

Puligny-Montrachet Ensignères

This has plenty of spice. Made in two-year-old barrels from Tonnellerie Chassin, which I find rather less assertive than those from François Frères. Straight, intense, and powerful. Homes in on minerality. Steely and precise. A very good village Puligny, showing more depth and concentration than many this year. 2025–30. 90–91

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes

From Hameau be Blagny, which is usually blended with several barrels of other premiers crus, but not this year. Planted in 1953. High-toned and pure. Cut glass. There is ripe, sweet lemon fruit wrapped around the piano-wire core. Sharp and cold, the minerality carrying the finish. Saline. Flighty, if a little severe for now. Good. I like this. 2025–35. 92

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos du Cailleret

Compact and tight. Layered and front. Vital. It has so much attitude. Cold and grippy, but also so pure. Love this. 2028–35. 96

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Pucelle (Monopole)

Silky upfront; a ribbon of fruit woven with lively acidity, floral notes, and minerality. A warm wash of salinity onto the finish. Stretches in a long line. Lively fluidity to this wine. 2026–35. 95

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières

The lowest yields of the domaine this year: 12hl/ha. Concentrated and compact. Strong and punchy. Layered. Assertive, almost earthy finish. Grunt. Even some heft. Lots of dry extract. 2027–35+. 95

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Only one and a half barrels and no new oak. Super-dense and compact. Rich and intense, concentrated, layered, and broad, but well-cut. Powerful stretch on the well-sustained finish. 2028–35. 97

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Clos de Chevaliers

Only four barrels rather than the normal 12. Pure and shivering. It is cutting and precise. Deep and intense and channeled. Almost severe. Vibrantly persistent finish. It has a frosty intention and reserve. Such vitality. 2030–40. 98

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

En Charlemagne. One barrel. This is pure, tight, and straight. Mineral and lively. Lean. Salty finish. Pushes though. Tightly edged and pure. 2028–35. 95

Red

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos du Cailleret

Just a half-barrel. Fermented in a 500-liter barrel with the top off. Silky and fresh red-fruit aroma. Satin texture upfront, with a soft, burnished minerality. Rather fluid, with its supple-silk texture. Lightly glossy and aromatic to finish, with salinity at the end. 2026–35. 94–95

Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy

Jean-Louis Chavy and his father had never seen Folatières so badly affected by frost. “A proper winter frost, with very low temperatures, –6^ºC [21^ºF], and snow. We benefited from the first half of September, as there was nice weather.” Jean-Louis uses 350-liter barrels for many of his cuvées. His wines are always very forthcoming and charming. He considers 2021 “like 2014, for the acidity. It is a classic vintage, such as we knew some years ago.”

Bourgogne

Older wood is used here. All from vineyards below the village. Lively, with grapefruit notes, fresh acidity, and lemon zest. 2023–26. 84–85

Puligny-Montrachet

Juicy and racy. It has sweet-lemon acidity on the straight palate; rather more citrus than mineral, and silky at the end. 2025–28. 87

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ-Gains

Spicy ginger and sherbet fruit. Light, delicate, and wafting Champ-Gains. 2024–39. 90

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Clavoillons

Glossiness to the fruit and a touch of oak enhances the sucrosity and generosity on the palate. Fuller and slightly sumptuous. 2025–30+. 93

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières

Ginger and white pepper. For Folatières in this vintage, it is quite fine-boned and energetic, and has tension without being strong. 2025–30+. 93–94

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Perrières

Straight. A more vigorous and firm line, with more depth and firm intension. Pushes on the finish. 2025–30+. 92–93

Paul Chavy

Jean-Louis’s son Paul Chavy is making his négociant wine in the same way as his father, and remarked, “I like generous wines with a gourmand feel.” He is one of the few micro-négociants to be expanding, for he now has seven cuvées in 2022.

St-Aubin Premier Cru Sur Gamay

A lively floral aroma skips onto to a fresh, pure, and neatly edged palate. Very racy, with a white flower and delicate saline finish. 2014–29. 85–86

St-Aubin

Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet et Fils

Jean-Baptiste remarked, “There is more freshness and tension in the whites than in 2016. A mix between 2019 and 2020. Often small yields give the concentration, tension and freshness, too.” Bachelet is using 456-liter, double-sized barrels for several of the cuvées, together with some barriques. “I like this more and more. It gives more precision and purity, and we can still move the barrels around. We age everything the same, from Bourgogne, to grand cru; for 18 months in barrel and four or five months in tank.”

Quite a lot of new oak, but nicely done. As he commented, he is making the wine for aging long-term. For the reds, the tannins are quite finely textured. I was surprised that Bachelet did eight to 12 punch-downs. But that was all at densities between 1070 and 1040, so without much alcohol, and when the wines were warm, not hot. “We want to avoid too much extraction and to preserve fruit.”

White

Bourgogne Aligoté

Marzipan aroma to a lively, nutty palate. Zesty, citrus, and slightly pithy. 2024–28. 84

Bourgogne

Chassagne area. An elegant, lightly and smoothly rounded Bourgogne, with a lick of new oak adding light gloss and allure. Fresh finish. 2024–28. 84

St-Aubin Premier Cru Les Champlots

From the top of the slope next to Sur Gamay, but with more white clay in the soil than the other premier cru sites here, which may be giving it its juicy, fruity succulence. Lightly exotic floral aromas. Plenty of generosity, a rounded middle, and vibrant, citrus-fresh finish. 2024–32. 87

St-Aubin Premier Cru Les Frionnes

Bright, fresh, and tangy citrus. A lively palate, with plenty of zest and a lemon-pith finish. 2024–28. 86

St-Aubin Premier Cru Murgers des Dents de Chien

Much more savory and cold-feeling than the Remilly. Sappy, austere, and strong. It is compact. Piercing and persistent finish. This hits the mark. Top-notch. 2026–35. 90

St-Aubin Premier Cru En Remilly

From vines planted in 2003, which yielded only 15ha/ha in 2021, so there is just one barrel. Slightly tropical aroma, with a hint of banana, then litchee aromas on the palate. Spicy attack, really nicely intense. Straightens and focuses, to a racy and sappy mineral finish. 2025–28. 87–88

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Encégnières

Plenty of concentration in this village wine. Full-bodied and punchy, with a firm, assertive follow-through. Very good example. Some muscle. 2026–30. 90

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Blanchot-Dessus

Powerful and broad. Quite exotic, with litchee and pineapple fruit. Rich, creamy, and ripely rounded. Concentrated wine, balanced with just a nice amount of acidity and a tropical finish. Picked on the second day, this had good ripeness at 13.3% ABV, showing the concentration of old vines planted in 1927. 2026–30+. 94–95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Boudriotte

Fresh, deep, and straight-cut on the front palate, this gathers momentum and more breadth, but stays channeled and fresh, with lively, cold sapidity to finish. More aloof than the Macherelles. 2026–35+. 93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Macherelles

This has richness and density, and is super-exuberant; juicy and lightly sumptuous, undercut with freshness, which carries the finish. Really good balance, with a bit of everything. 2026–32+. 92

Puligny-Montrachet Les Aubues

From a village parcel cut out of Enseignères. Super-reduced. Tight, well-edged, and straight palate. Super-citrus, keen line. Good energy. Very fresh-lime freshness and a smooth, mineral finish. 2025–28. 89–90

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Sous le Puits

From vines just under the wood; always good acidity. The smoothness and richness of the oak showing for now on the front-palate, but I like the white-peach notes and it focuses to a straight, silky, clean, and light line. Much more floral to finish. Moves beyond the oak to delicacy and intensity. Appeals to me. 2026–30. 92–93

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Only one larger 380-liter barrel from Francois Frères, made specially for this vintage. This cooper is very prompt. Two days after ordering, Bachelet received the barrel. The new oak accentuates the freshness on the palate. Loads of concentration at the front, while being more delicate, floral, and pure as it stretches across the palate. A high-toned, fine, and floral finish. 2027–35. 96

Red

Bourgogne

Delicate floral aroma. Light, floaty texture. Airy and light-bodied, with a light, crisp snap to finish. Pretty. 2023–25. 83–84

Chassagne-Montrachet Concis du Champs

Nice concentration, with generous, red-berry fruits, lightly herbal tannins, and some aniseed notes. Quite fine-textured tannins. 2024–28. 86–87

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Boudriotte

Morello-cherry fruit and five-spice. Thicker, richer texture and smooth tannins. Supple at first, with more grip and oak on the finish. This gives freshness. 50% new oak, as just two barrels, but roughly the same proportion is used each year. Burly. 2026–30+. 87–88

St-Aubin Premier Cru Derrière La Tour

Juicy, with red-cherry fruit. Energetic, crunchy texture and a lively freshness to finish. 2024–26. 85

Gamay

Domaine Sylvian Langoureau

Nathalie Langoureau finds the vintage “a little like 2018, for the fruit, freshness, and good tension, and it’s easy to taste young.” The domaine was unable to make several climats this year. They like to bottle in August.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Garenne

Ripe yet racy. Straight, lean, slim, bright, swift, and high-toned. A fizzle of salt on the finish. 2023–28. 90

St-Aubin Premier Cru Le Champlots

Succulent and generous upfront, with a juicy mid-palate. It chases up with sapidity and freshness. 2023–27. 86–87

St-Aubin Premier Cru En Remilly

Riper aromas than the Sentier du Clos. Litchee fruit, a little spice, too, before it slips into a focused, lean, and vibrant palate. 2023–27. 87

St-Aubin Premier Cru Sur Le Sentier du Clos

Zesty tension and vibrancy on this light, racy wine with a saline finish. 2023–26. 85–86

Red

Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Clos Marc

From between Rochepot and St-Romain. This clos was overgrown when they took over managing the vineyard in 2007. No oak, only stainless steel, and all the fruit was destemmed. Very fruity and juicy, with a bright crunch of piquant tannins. Lively, with a red-pepper note. A light, slim, trim, and very likeable wine. 83

Le Rochepot

Domaine Franck Lamargue

This 30-acre (12ha) domaine is based in the village of Le Rochepot, near St-Aubin, and offers wines from lesser villages, including Maranges and Monthelie.

Monthelie Les Gamets

Light, pure, slim, and crunchy. Morello-cherry fruit. Bitter almond kernel nips at the end. Attractive. 2023–26. 83–84

Chassagne-Montrachet

Domaine Marc-Antonin Blain

Marc-Antonin Blain took out the old and unproductive Pinot Noir vines from Morgeot. He will replant in Pinot from a massal selection from the family’s old vineyard planted in the 1920s in Morgeot. “It is so important to keep this genetic material,” he insisted. His Morgeot is from the lieu-dit Champs Jendreau, under Boudriotte, which he says has plenty of limestone. Marc-Antonin commented that for reds, 2021 is a very convivial and easy vintage to drink young.

White

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Voillenots

Just two barrels. Pithy citrus, with savory sapidity to finish. Quite keen, bright, and energetic. Lean and vibrant. 2025–30. 87

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Succulent aroma. Fruity and intense upfront. The mid-palate has a light gloss of richness, which is cut with cooler reserve. Catches the dry, sapid, chalky minerals to finish. Lighter and fresher Morgeot. 2026–35. 92

Red

Chassagne-Montrachet

Red fruit, bright and lively, with a light tannic structure. Very approachable and has some crunch. This is a lighter, more translucent style of Chassagne. 2024–26. 86

Domaine Jean-Marc Blain-Gagnard

Jean-Marc Blain said he had no problems in the vineyard in 2021. He grasses between the rows and thinks it was more difficult for people who plowed. I tasted both reds and whites and made a selection from the whites. I like the fact there only a smidgen of new oak at this domaine. The one barrel and a quarter barrel of Montrachet have none at all.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Boudriotte

Juicy and succulent aroma. Compact palate. Strong and cold. Good sapidity. It has a lively punch. Somewhat muscular, but so fresh. 2027–35. 94

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets

Upright, cool citrus aroma, flows into a silk-smooth river on the palate. It has the fluidity of entwined minerals, fruit, and freshness. Refined and intense, with a soft-salt finish. 2027–35. 95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Fruitier and richer, broader and generous. A fatter palate. Maybe not as long as the Caillerets. “Like a gâteau on the nose,” says Jean-Marc. Maybe an orange-almond sponge? 2026–35. 92

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Strong anise, with hint of bitter chocolate. Dense and compact, mouth-filling and generous. Showing a softer, burnished acidity. Smoothly persistent and swanky, with a hint of cocoa powder to finish. 2026–35. 95

Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Ripe, litchee aromas. Just slightly exotic. Also very aromatic on the palate, with dried mango. You can tell Jean-Marc has to catch this early, and it was indeed the first to be harvested. Full-bodied and rounded, softish but underscored with sufficient freshness. 2026–33. 95

Le Montrachet Grand Cru

Much more aloof on the nose. Precise and focused on the palate. Channeled and intense. Very persistent. Interestingly, it is also slightly exotic right at the end. 2027–37. 97–98

Domaine Bruno Colin

Bruno Colin managed to vinify every climat separately, although this produced just one barrel of several wines, including En Remilly. He has been using 350-liter barrels since 2015, but had to resort to traditional 228-liter barriques for some cuvées in 2021. The 114 liters of Chevalier is aging in a glass globe. He has extended his négociant activities, including an Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, to supply wine bars.

White

Bourgogne Aligoté

Lightly rounded and silky, with good intensity and lively, grassy freshness. Very neat. 2024–27. 83–84

Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Steely, citrus aroma. Straight and lively. Pacy palate with a lime-citrus finish. A light, tart snap to finish. 2023–26. 82–83

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Blanchot-Dessus

This has tension, richness, and depth. A broad, firm, sapid, and persistent palate. 2025–30+. 94–95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Boudriotte

From the lieu-dit of Champs Jendreau. This is much more elegant than the Morgeot. It combines richness with drive and depth, and has a glossy and sapid, fresh finish. 2025–32. 94–95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chaumées

A light and silky wine; a refined palate, with a high-wired line. Fine and pure, this whistles along. So stylish. One of the best this vintage. 2024–29. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie

Exuberant, with a rich, chunky, and generous feel, and sweet acidity to finish. 2024–32. 93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Morgeot

Earthier aroma. Punchy and vigorous. Packed in. Dense. Barges onto the finish. Very Morgeot. 2025–35. 93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru En Remilly

Perfume drifts across the palate. Fine-boned and pure. Slightly exotic litchee fruit entwines with a salty line. Lovely persistence and intensity. 2025–30+. 95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Vergers

A fruitier tone and a touch more richness than the Chaumées, with a hint of apricot. A lick of gloss, as it flows, succulent and smooth, with plentiful energy. And there’s freshness to finish. 2024–30. 92

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Truffière

Pink perfume and a warmer feel. Satin texture, succulent and generous on the front, then it focuses to become straight, tight, and very saline on the finish. 2025–35. 95

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

Raised in a glass globe. Pure, deep, and tight, with powerful intensity. Super-long finish, carried on a cold and austere line. 2026–30+. 97

Red

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

This has now been replanted to white, which is a shame, since this is a lovely Pinot. Pure Pinot, with silky tannins and fresh red fruit. 2023–26. 84

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie

This is the swan song for this wine, as this parcel, too, has been replaced with Chardonnay. The parcel was in the middle of Chardonnay vines and too difficult to manage. Ripe, silky fruit, with good intensity on the rounded body. A really rather refined and pure Pinot expression of Chassagne (Pinot Fin), with spicy aromatics and a super-smooth texture. 2025–30. 91–92

Maranges Premier Cru La Fussière

Light floral aroma. A delicate and fine-textured palate. Fresh and pure, it shivers on a tight and saline line. Delicate this year. 2024–28. 88–89

Domaine Richard Fontaine-Gagnard

Céline Fontaine bottled her whites in August, although she plans to change this in future. So, unusually I tasted a wine from bottle. Tiny quantities, with most bottled in halves to allow for tastings with press and importers. The exception is Grand Montagne and Montrachet, which were only in full bottles, so I didn’t taste them this year. I assessed reds and whites and chose to include a selection of whites. “The whites have a generous approach already; even easier than the 2020s a year ago,” said Céline.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Boudriotte

Slice of citrus. Very fresh, with good tension and density and energy. Certainly stricter than the Morgeot, but also more refined. 2025–30+. 94

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets

Battened down. Austere and compact, with cold, savory layering. Powerful, chalky finish. 2026–35. 94–95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos St-Jean

Citrus and litchee. Elegant and juicy, becoming more savory and sapid, with good tension to finish. 2024–30. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie

Full and succulent. Gregarious and generous. Fresh and savory on the finish. You can’t help liking this super-friendly wine. 2024–30. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Muscle and density, very compact and powerful, almost chewy. 2025–30+. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Vergers

Silky, fluid, with a scented and pure palate. Delicate, precise, fine, and salty. Just a delight. 2024–30. 92–93

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

This is much more muscular and dense than the Criots, but has a rather gourmand richness and depth of texture for Bâtard in this vintage. Punches well on the finish, savory and darker than the fresher, brighter feel of Criots. 2208–35. 96

Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Surprisingly luscious upfront. Generous middle, but with lots of tension. It has succulent fruit layered with the cold minerals. Long and strong, with a generously fruity, fresh finish. I find it very engaging. 2028–25+. 96

Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard

Caroline Lestimé’s domaine is certified organic and she found it particularly stressful in the Hautes-Côtes where the yield, after frost and fighting odium, was negligible. “However we have nice material and substance on the palate, she explained. “Reds are light but not thin. Each wine has its own character.”

Hubert Lestimé supports his wife in the winery, but his main activity is making jam in Blanchot-Dessous. You may notice the small house, used for harvesters in vintage. He takes a terroir approach to jam, sourcing the best fruit from specific locations. I did a speed jam tasting between my wine tastings.

There are about 26 different varieties now, which include a piquant griotte jam from a morello-cherry tree in Vincent Dancers’s parcel of Chevalier, and fig jam from Boris Champy’s figs in Natoux. They are sold via distributors globally and from Lestimé’s small shop next to the church in Chassagne.

White

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Boirettes

This is in Morgeot, the southern neighbor of La Chapelle, bought by Boisset, but there is a dividing wall and the land steps up 4ft (1m) or so. I like the vitality and energy. Straighter and longer. Pushes into the finish. 93–94

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Boudriotte

This is in the lieu-dit of Les Chaumes within Boudriotte, so lower down, away from the whiter soil on heavier clay. It does, however, have a cooler, energetic feel, with its butter-mint aroma and sappy freshness. It is broad and full mid-palate. Savory, earthy complexity, with a richer, nutty finish. 2027–32. 93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs-Gain

Already in bottle. Spicy, gingerbread aroma, with a succulent and juicy palate. A lively bounce, with some citrus highlights. Spicy finish. I like the energetic note to this Champs-Gain. 2025–30. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chaumées

Floral aroma, to a straight, delicate, neatly edged palate. Fresh acidity and lime zest. Dances on the palate. A saline, streamlined finish. 2025–30. 92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de Maltroie

More density and depth. Quite punchy. There is grip and vigor. Good persistence to finish. 2026–32. 92–93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot Petits Clos

We definitely go up a notch in quality here. Much more refined and layered Morgeot. This has such an athletic quality. Keen and focused on the finish, the stony line encased with more intense fruit. 2027–35. 94–95

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Butterscotch aroma. Larger volume. Expansive, but with a light-footed, airy feel. Creamy mid-palate, which stretches effortlessly into a persistent, silky, salty finish. 2027–35. 96

Red

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos St-Jean

Violets. Floral aroma. Silky slide into the palate, where it flows gently and quite subtly, with a smooth texture and vivid, blueberry fruit. An elegant and pure Chassagne. This showcases the best of this appellation. 2026–30. 92–93

Domaine René Lamy-Pillot

Sébastien Caillat remarks, “2021 is exactly in the middle of what Burgundy has been in the past 50 years. I trust the quality.” The Montrachet is aging in a glass globe of 120 liters. There was so little fruit because of the frost, and Sébastien didn’t want to use a small barrel. “It is difficult to get any evolution in glass, but better than something too oxidative.”

White

St-Aubin Les Pucelles

Fruity and forward, with succulent and bright acidity. Lively and accessible, with a salty finish which is rather well-sustained. Excellent village wine. 2023–26. 86–87

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Morgeot

Dark, broad, and gravelly. It has grip, guts, and density. There is some fleshy sweetness and yet no new oak here at all. Good concentration. 2024–28. 90

Le Montrachet Grand Cru

Powerful, layered, dense, and intense, with concentration and searing acidity. Full tilt on the finish, with raw-silk texture and almond-kernel bitterness. It has an exotic note. Very raw and pure. It will be interesting to see how this ages in bottle. 2028–30. 96–97

Red

This is the first vintage in which Sébastien has not used a pump to move the reds to the tank. A small vintage, so he could make this adaptation to the cellar work and it shows in the more refined reds this year.

St-Aubin Les Argillers

Southeast-facing. Fruity, juicy, accessible, and fresh. What’s not to like? 2023–26. 85

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Boudriotte

Refined, elegant, and fluid. Intense and sappy, with a chalky undertone and freshness on the finish, where it pushes through. It’s firm but restrained. 2025–30. 91–92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos St-Jean

Seductive and intense, with supple, suede tannins and depth of just lightly luscious fruit. Suave. Old vines, which often yield only 20–25 hl/ha and from which Sébastien is now making a massal selection. 2025–30+. 92–93

Domaine Lamy-Caillat

Sébastien Caillat makes these wines in a separate cellar in Chassagne from the Lamy-Pillot winery, and this is where he pushes the boundaries. These are interesting wines, pressed with a mechanical press, which he manages by eye. There is no débourbage, so full lees, and the mechanic press gives plenty of solids. Sébastien was a little apprehensive in 2021. I am glad he persevered. The wines were racked into stainless steel three months before I tasted. All were pretty reduced, but they have texture and phenolic bitterness, which I like. There is no new oak and no bâtonnage. Savory and stark, with no gloss. While they are quite raw, they showed plenty of potential.

Saint-Aubin En l’Ebaupin

Planted in 2015 on a parcel that had been fallow for more than 20 years, a steep, southeast-facing, slope. Good diurnal temperature and a very chalky soil. Firm, with lively bitterness. Structural core, wrapped in a touch of wars fruit ripeness. 2024–26. 86–87

Chassagne-Montrachet Pot Bois

From 60-year-old vines, older than those in the Lamy-Pillot holding, which are simply labeled Chassagne-Montrachet, to avoid confusion. High-toned and savory aroma. On the palate, plenty of tension, with nervous, skittish acidity, which aligns mid-palate and slices through to the finish. White, pithy fruit and cutting to finish. Excellent village wine. 2024–28. 90–91

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Caillerets

Broad and dense, this is undercut with savory, chalky sapidity, and sweeps along on oodles of acidity. Powerful and dense. Layered. A seriously structured wine, which should develop very well. 2026–30+. 95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Grande Montagne

There was frost in La Romanée, where yields were too low to make it separately, so this is a blend of two parcels—La Romanée and Tonton Marcel—which fall under the collective climat of Grand Montagne. The parcels ripen differently, although they are both at the top of the slope and not far apart. Floral, fine, and tense. Clipped. Straight and pure. Racy elegance on the fine and well-sustained finish. 2025–30. 94

Fernand and Laurent Pillot

The Pillot family began organic management in 2021 and Laurent Pillot says ruefully, “It was not the easiest year to start.” They saved production where the Pinot Noir and Aligoté are spur-pruned on cordon, and Laurent adds, “We know from our grandparents that they pruned much later, and we need to remember this.”

But they lost a lot of the fruit from the young vines, which were more precocious, and all the good stuff on the hill. But they didn’t blend anything, so they had just two barrels of many premier cru whites… but they made it. Laurent had to rip out some vines in Morgeot and has replanted with Pinot Noir (pretty unusual these days): “I still believe in reds in Chassagne,” he said. Good for him. “The soil is heavy clay and so, sticky. I plow my vines from Santenay, to Beaune, and I know that in Chassagne we have the worse [heaviest] clays on the Côte de Beaune.”

They grow their whites on the top part of Morgeot. “The reds are more and more Adrian’s wines, but I am still the boss. Adrian uses whole-cluster on most of the reds, while I only used it on the old vines of Rugiens. Although we destemmed everything in 2021. Adrian also likes less oak.”

Bourgogne Aligoté

Small crop, so barrel-fermented and aged in old barrels this year. The same for the Bourgogne. Quite grassy, very fresh, and so energetic. Nice bitterness. 2023–25. 82–83

Bourgogne Blanc

From young vines from below Chassagne and Pommard. Light litchee character. Very juicy and lightly rounded, fresh and slightly sappy. 2023–25. 84

Puligny-Montrachet Noyers Brets

Light, straight, pure, and delicate. Slim and racy, this fizzles on a saline line. Very intense village wine. 2024–28. 90

Chassagne-Montrachet

Rounded, with ample generosity on the mid-palate. It has savory nuttiness and is lightly buttery. Appealing. 2024–28. 87

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chênes

This is deeper and creamier, yet it also has a wet, smooth, stone minerality onto the finish. Definitely a notch up. 2024–28. 89

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets

Compact. Good tension. Layered, tight, and strong. Intense and deep. Super-cold. A powerful, cold, and persistent finish. 2026–35. 95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gains

Quite a ripe aroma, with a hint of greengage fruit and ground ginger. Juicy and rounded. Spicy, with lashings of succulence fruit. There is ground ginger on the finish, too. 2024–30. 91–92

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Grandes Ruchottes

Just two barrels, both in one-year-old oak. “First time I have never put new oak in this vintage. Adrian’s decision to respect the wine.” Floral aromas. Very pure, straight, and focused, with a lively vibration to the finish. It is intense, but fine and flighty. It combines delicacy and elegance with intention. 2026–33+. 95

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

From Petit Clos and Fairendes. What an elegant Morgeot; neatly edged, silky, crisp, and slightly earthy, with a slippery stone character and rather a pure finish. 2024–31. 92

St-Aubin Premier Cru Sentier du Clou

From a steep slope on limestone. Light and lean, with a light sparkle of minerality on a delicate, fresh, and direct palate. 2024–26. 87

Red

Bourgogne

Juicy red-cherry fruit. Fresh acidity, bright and light, with crunchy snap. 2023–26. 83

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot

Spicy and full-bodied, with good intensity and generosity. Plump and full. The tannins are richly sinewy and licorice. Honest. Aromatic to finish. 2025–32. 88–89

Pommard Tavennes

Nicely ripe and engaging red-fruit aroma; quite smooth tannins softly woven with plentiful red fruit. The acidity is quite fresh, even sharp, but lively and balanced, with good generosity of fruit. 2025–28. 86

Pommard Premier Cru Charmots

Upright and piquant aroma, while on the palate, more depth, with some tension. Straight palate, with cool sapidity, light grip, and minerality on the finish. 2026–30+. 92–93

Pommard Premier Cru Clos de Vergers

Red-fruit and floral aromas. Silky, supple, and slim. This ripples nicely on the palate, with an elegant and lively feel. A line of freshness on the finish. 2025–30+. 92

Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens

Cool and floral, with lively intensity on the neatly layered and compact palate, which is channeled and stony to finish. 2026–30+. 94

Domaine Marc Morey

Sabine Mollard recalled that it was difficult to stay positive when the work was so hard. “I prefer Chardonnay in larger quantities,” she explained. “Small yields can make less elegant wines. But there is good definition of terroir in this colder vintage. I like to use the lees and do bâtonnage once a week until the malolactic, and then just once a month. I think you can keep this vintage.”

Bourgogne

Some juice from the Hautes-Côtes and two domaine parcels from the Chassagne area, fermented in barrel. Full and sturdy, with plenty of punch, the acidity cutting through. 2023–25. 82–83

Chassagne-Montrachet

Lightly rounded, with a slippery, stony minerality, lime freshness, a note of orange blossom. 2024–26. 88

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier cru Les Chenevottes

So fruity and forward. Packs in the fruit on the mid-palate. Sweet, mandarin juiciness to finish. Not long but so inviting. 2024–28. 90

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Vergers

More reserve. There are white flowers and white pepper on the nose. Streamlined, detailed, and focused. Delicate, fresh citrus lime, and lively energy. 2025–30. 92–93

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru En Virondot

Perfumed, pure, and straight. This is lively, keen, and lean. Clipped and racy. Taut and long. Saline at the end. Precise finish. Detailed wine. I like the combination of salinity and floral notes. 2026–30+. 95

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Referts

This will be the last vintage for this wine here, as the fruit has become just too expensive, and another négociant will pay more. Full, rich, dense, and succulent, with fresh drive on the long finish. Powerful. 2026–30+. 94–95

Cheilly-lès-Maranges

Domaine Chevrot

This domaine lost two thirds of the crop to frost. The little fruit they did get was in “lots of small bunches on different canes, as the vines were very bushy,” Pablo Chevrot told me. “Early in June, I had 40 people in the vines to remove the leaves in front of the grapes, as it was so wet.” The domaine is organic and Pablo plows using two horses. They trim by hand and now have a caterpillar tractor for the spraying, which Pablo says is “very good for the structure of the soil.”

Aligoté, which has slightly later bud break, was less affected by the frost. Pablo used foudres for the Aligoté this year, so as not to have the oak empty. Two very good Aligotés resulted, so I’m glad he will continue to use foudres for these wines. He was able to continue with his very low-sulfur regime, adding only 1g per barrel when he racks the wine. He likes to filter lightly the reds: “I think the aging is more precise.”

Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Spéciale Tilleul

Fully aged in foudres. Super-racy and pithy. Cuts across the palate, sharp as a tack. Grapefruit zestiness. Very pithy. Super-sappy. Loads of energy. Top-notch Aligoté. 2024–28. 85

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Citrus and silky on the front, this is straight and focused, with salinity to finish. 2024–27. 84

Maranges Blanc

Both juicy and savory upfront. It has good tension and some concentration. Very nicely balanced. 2024–27. 86

Maranges Premier Cru La Fussière

Just one barrel of this wine this year. Lightly exotic and spicy on the nose and on the attack. Intense and focused as it races on the palate. Cutting finish, precise, mineral, and chalky. 2024–30. 89–90

Santenay Premier Cru Clos Rousseau

Generous and rounded. It has honeyed, greengage fruit, cut through with such lively freshness. 2024–28. 87

Red

Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Spicy, ripe, red-plum fruit on both nose and palate. Fruity succulence, with a light bite of tannins. Sweet-fruit finish. What a charming Bourgogne. 2023–26. 84

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

This is leaner, clipped, bright, and crunchy. Very lively. Snappy and slightly salty to finish. Zippy. 2025–27. 84

Maranges Premier Cru Les Clos Roussots

Rich, full, and generous, with plenty of fruit on this more robust and chunky palate. Some swagger here. Shows the clay. 2025–28. 88

Maranges Premier Cru Le Croix Moines

Sixty percent whole-bunch. Only one barrel, and it is new. The wine is rich, full, and dense on the front. Plenty of fruit and tannic matter. Dark, licorice, almost chewy. Lots of concentration is balanced with the freshness of the tannins. Becomes more refined and talcy, with fine black chocolate to finish. Very good length. 2026–35. 90

Maranges Premier Cru La Fussière

A fine-boned structure, but also very intense. Sparks. The minerality glitters against a background of intense fruit. Super-honed, with tight edges. Channeled and taut and salty to finish. 2026–30+. 89

Santenay Vieilles Vignes

Forty percent whole-bunch. This is the most likely place for frost, and yet they had none. Juicy, ripe, quite fresh, with firm, lightly robust tannin. It has a licorice bite and is a little more sinewy, with some culinary herbs on the finish. 2024–26. 86

Santenay Premier Cru Clos Rousseau

Thirty percent whole-bunch. “I usually like to do more,” said Pablo Chevrot. Fresh earth and floral notes. Elegant upfront, with bounteous blue fruit and violets on the mid-palate. It is really very primary. Gathers more weight. Silky, but also has a stemy freshness and aromas of oregano and tarragon on the finish. Rather a complex Santenay. 2024–29. 87–88