Sarah Marsh MW continues her coverage of the 2020 Burgundy vintage with detailed tasting notes on the wines of the Côte de Nuits.
More in this series
2020 Burgundy: Classic wines from an extreme season
2020 Burgundy: A guide to the sub-regions and villages
Related
2020 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes
2020 Burgundy: Côte de Beaune tasting notes
2020 Burgundy: Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais tasting notes
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These tasting notes represent a selection from many hundreds of wines tasted. I look for quality, typicité, and wines that I enjoy, but this is not a definitive wish list. You can be sure there are good wines from the following producers that are not included. My tasting notes are snapshots taken from late October to late November 2021, toward the end of élevage when the wines are still evolving, and this is a vintage that needs time. Most whites will benefit from a little fining to sharpen the profile, and the reds from natural refining in tank after racking. Don’t underestimate the significance of the finishing processes to the final polished presentation of the wines.
Marsannay
Château de Marsannay
“An historic vintage, as we started on August 21 and finished on August 31,” remarked Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, managing director of this 100-acre (40ha) domaine, which has 70 acres (28ha) in Marsannay and is run organically with an emphasis on cover-crops. “The season was easy, but such an acceleration from the beginning to the end!” In 2020 there was no pigeage, only remontage, and anything between 20% and 100% whole-bunch fermentation was used, depending on the cuvée.
Marsannay Ez Chezots
This benefits from the cool air of the combe, being fresh and energetic, with a vibrant twang to finish. Juicy, blackberry fruit, with a violet touch and a light crunch to the tannins. 2023–28. 86–87
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru En Orveaux
Lucid red fruits, a fine, silky texture, and delightful fluidity. It shimmers to an intense and delicately floral finish. 2025–35. 94–95
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
After a taut, upright aroma, this attacks the palate with intention. A finely chiseled palate. It shows both rigor and vigor. Sparse. Cool, mineral grip and vibration on the long and intense finish. 2026–35. 96
Domaine Bruno Clair
This domaine has been on an upward trajectory over recent years as the Clair brothers have refined their approach.
Marsannay Rosé
Red rose-petal aroma. Creamy, airy, and generously rounded palate; pretty florals, with a light dash of salt to round it off. Delightful. 2022–23. 84
Marsannay La Charme aux Prêtres
50% whole-bunch. Succulent fruit, generous and super-juicy, with bright freshness. So much energy. The tannins are fine, with a light catch and a slight bite of almond kernel. A charming and lively wine. 2023–28. 87–88
Marsannay Les Longeroies
Edouard Clair points out that Longeroies, although it is on the cône de déjection with alluvial soils, includes plenty of clay and is hard to work. Interesting aromatics, both gamey and floral, rather wild. It’s sweet and seductive on the mid-palate, which contrasts with crunchy tannins. Very spicy on the palate, with quite a bite to the tannin on the finish. 2024–30. 88–89
Domaine Jean Fournier
For three years now, Laurent Fournier has been using 50% whole-bunch fermentation, and he always puts them at the bottom of the tanks. He doesn’t want to touch the stems and he wants whole berries in the press. There is pigeage, with a mid-ferment rack and return for oxygen, resulting in a more structured style of Marsannay. Laurent didn’t change his normal approach for the 2020s. The élevage of the reds takes place in demi-muids (600l).
Marsannay Clos du Roy
Cappuccino aromas and a touch of coffee bitterness on the palate. It is rich and strict and punchy. Plenty of black fruit, but notable austerity and a firm grip to the finish. Wine with vitality. 2025–30. 89–90
Marsannay Es Chezots
A varied soil, where the southern part is stonier and the middle part on white clay. Laurent has 3 acres (1.2 ha) of this lieu-dit planted in Pinot and with a little Chardonnay. A wine with good tension and a slightly graphite bite. High-toned florals. It is quite compact and has a light-bunched vigor, but there is also plentiful, generous, ripe damson fruit. It has a cold, punchy feel. Good aging potential. 2025–30+. 88
Marsannay Les Longeroies
An opulent attack, with plenty of vigor for Longeroies. It has rippling energy and richness. Sweet tannins, milk-chocolate smooth, combine with ripe black-cherry fruit. It has more savory, earthy, and appetizing freshness to finish. 2024–30. 88–89
Domaine Hugenot Père et Fils
White
Marsannay Collection
Several parcels. Youngish vines. Aged in 500l barrels. Lively citrus aroma. It is fresh, with a marked citrus slice to the finish. Lively snap. 2022–24. 86
Red
Marsannay Champs-Perdrix
From 5 acres (2ha) over many parcels on Comblanchien limestone (calcaire à entroques). 20% whole-bunch. A firm core and good tension. Very clipped. Sappy, chalky, graphite note, with an appetizingly dry and salty finish. The texture is finely grained. Just slightly austere in a good way. 2024-28 87–88
Marsannay La Charme aux Prêtres
From 60-year-old vines on Comblanchien limestone. Glossy and generous up-front, then opulent, sweet fruit on the mid-palate, where more new oak is apparent. Supported by an attractive, dry, salty freshness. 2023-28 86–87
Domaine Laurent Pataille
There is a gorgeous texture to Laurent’s wines.
Fixin
“From one plot with a deep white soil, but the vines never yield much,” said Laurent. No added SO2 and 100% whole-bunch, vinified in demi-muid (600l) with the top taken off. A delightful silky texture, with blueberry and fine floral notes. It is rich but delicate and sweeps gently to the finish. Such a refined Fixin. 2024–27. 89
Marsannay Les Longeroies
70% whole-bunch. Super-seductive, this is enrobed in satin-soft tannins and purrs across the palate, creamy and generous and deliciously opulent, through to a svelte finish. 2024–30. 92
Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Marsannay Chapitre
Elegant and subtle to start, but it gathers intensity and richness, which entwine the straight core. There is savory almond, a touch of rich marzipan, but it’s also airy and aromatic. Complex. Fine-grained tannins. A good line and tension to the salty finish. 2024–30+. 92
Marsannay Clos du Roy
Almost 100% whole-bunch fermentation, with a little destemmed fruit at the top of the vat. Rich and full-bodied in structure. Saturated with forest fruits. The tannin has depth and richness; thicker textured and more robust than the Longeroies; a plentiful structure but well-contained. Vigorous finish, with a slightly gamey note and a hint of culinary herbs. 2025–30+. 91
Marsannay Les Longeroies
Almost 100% whole-bunch fermentation, with a few whole berries at the top. This had a long maceration of three weeks, unusual in this vintage. An alluring aroma of red cherry and spices, ginger and cardamom. Super-silky and sensual on the front-palate, it ripples across the palate with such fluidity. It is both intense and delicate. Chiffon-fine texture. A cloud of exotic aromatics envelops the palate. 2024–30+. 92
Fixin
Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet
“If we hadn’t changed our methods, we would have extracted too much in 2020,” remarked Nicolas Faure. “We waited, then touched the tank very little—just a little pigeage and remontage.”
Fixin
All de-stemmed; 20% new oak. From five vineyards with deeper soils on both sides of the village. This is rather crunchy. Bramble forest fruit, with a light sinew to the tannin; the bite gives a fresh lift at the end. Needs time to refine the slight rusticity. 2024–26. 85
Fixin Les Crais
Fresh, juicy sapidity, tension and a silky texture. A lively wine, with appetizing fruit and a dark and vibrant finish. 2024–27. 86
Fixin Premier Cru Les Arvelets
There is keen, bright freshness and energy. A firm, fine core and crisp edges. Well-defined on the finish, slightly aromatic at the end. It is very nicely balanced and sveltely textured. 2024–28. 88–89
Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Alain Burguet
Eric Burguet explained, “We wanted something more expressive and ripe so we waited and harvested September 4–10. We had a little rain just before harvest, so it was better balanced and we had more juice.” He prefers to keep the approach in the winery consistent so that each vintage shows its own identity. So, there is one pigeage in the morning and one pump-over in the afternoon, with a three-week cuvaison. The wines are super-ripe here, with some higher alcohol levels, but from the more limestone terroirs they still show some tension.
Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Favorites
A blend from old vines in clay parcels, this is an extravagant village wine. Ripe black-plum and spicy aromas, with coffee and nutmeg. Rich, full-bodied, and generous, with plentiful smooth and chunky tannins. Spicy, licorice on the finish. 2024–30+. 88
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Lavaux St-Jacques
From 65-year-old vines with deep roots. Peonies on the nose. A rich and exotically fruity palate, which shows some tension and minerality in the core and a fresher and slightly chalky finish. 2025–30. 91–92
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Rouges du Dessus
Perfumed aroma. Satin-textured tannins. This is straight and well-defined. It has austerity and edge. Cold grip through the palate. It’s super-ripe but remains restrained and this extends to a long finish which shows smoky-chalky minerality. 2026–35. 93
Domaine Pierre Damoy
Pierre Damoy typically harvests later than most in Gevrey and this year was no exception. Hence the wines are full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, with relatively high levels of alcohol but no lack of freshness. Pierre is in no hurry to finish these wines. “They may not be civilized at the moment, but I will take time to polish them. 2003 showed us the way, and since then we have honed our techniques. We work differently to stay in the Burgundy style.” They will also have time in bottle—he is only now releasing his 2017s.
Bourgogne Blanc
Concentrated aroma and palate, with apricot and honeyed notes. It is full and richly rounded, with tart-apple freshness and zesty fresh ginger on the finish. Pierre likes to keep a little malic acidity and it works. 2024–28. 82
Gevrey-Chambertin
In a blend of nine parcels, Pierre has found the equilibrium he wants. Rich and powerful, this has plentiful structure, density, and grip, with attractive austerity to finish. Both rich and cold. 2027–35+. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Tamisot
Powerful and compact, but fresh. Layered and dense. Needs taming. It snaps and is fiercely keen and vigorous on the finish. 2028–35+. 92
Chambertin Grand Cru
Dense and powerful. The concentration and energy is channeled and focused. A rich but quiet presence, with a splendidly persistently and concise finish. 2030–40+. 98
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
An exuberant aroma. The palate has extravagant volume and substance. Gloriously generous and deep and yet there is vibrancy. The tannin provides extra freshness. Marvelous, long finish. 2030–34. 98+
Domaine Jérôme Galeyrand
White
Marsannay Champs Perdrix
Young vines on a steep slope; deep limestone soil, with a sandy texture. Juicy and savory, with a light pithy note to finish. 2022–24. 86
Red
Fixin Le Champs des Charmes
Really quite luscious and generous, with richness and depth to the fruit and a supple, smooth texture. 2024–28. 87
Fixin Le Champs de Vosger
Deep gravelly soil. More elegant and aromatic than the Champs des Charmes, with fine-grained tannins and a lively freshness to finish. 2024–28. 87
Marsannay La Combe du Pré
This is light-bodied and quite delicate, with a herbal twang of tannin. Sweet redcurrant fruit and slightly minty note. 2024–28. 86
Arnaud Mortet
These are from Arnaud’s project with his sister Clémence—from 10 acres (4ha) rented from a domaine in Gevrey, from which the fruit or wine had been sold to the négoce. Arnaud now farms it himself. “A fresh and elegant vintage,” he commented of 2020.
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
An elegant Gevrey with a tight and straight mineral core; crisp at the edges. It has tension and vivid fruit. Fine grained texture and a lively finish. 2025–30. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru La Perrière
Interesting iron notes, slightly gamey. Uber-juicy black fruit on the front palate, and underneath, savory sapidity to stretch the finish. Silky tannins. A harmonious wine. 2027–35+. 95
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
“This parcel is proper Charmes, next to Griotte,” said Arnaud. “I could have made one cuvée but they are very different terroirs.” Succulent, juicy aroma. The palate is finer, pure and elegant. Floral on the finish. It has an airy quality, underscored by a fine chalky line. 2030–40. 96–97.
Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru
Dark, spicy, and intense. Reserved but with no lack of tension. Powerful yet compact. A cool-grip finish. 2030–40. 96
Domaine Denis Mortet
Since 2018, grapes from the premier and grand cru sites vineyards been destemmed by hand, and Arnaud continues to decrease the proportion of new oak used—“to have more terroir and elegance,” he says.
Fixin Vieilles Vignes
Arnaud started using whole-bunch fermentation in 2015—“almost by accident, as the destemming was not working well”—and this wine had between 60% and 70% whole-bunch. Spicy, with black pepper. A bunched and punchy palate. The plentiful tannins have a licorice, tacky grip, which provides freshness to the finish. Good bite and a slightly minty lift at the end. 2024–28. 87
Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs
From parcels largely on the Brochon side. One-third whole-bunch. Pure and floral on the nose, with a touch of culinary herbs. The palate is fine and neatly edged. Dark-fruit sweetness and depth. The freshness and sweetness combine on the finish. 2025–30+. 90–91
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Champeaux
From 65-year-old vines with small yields of 18hl/ha. Sweet red fruits and supple tannins upfront, this is cut with a serious bite of chalky acidity. An appetizingly salty finish. 2027–35+. 94–95
Le Chambertin Grand Cru
This is quiet yet powerful. Straight, dense, supremely focused and sustained. 2030–40. 99
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Lithely muscular, this has an austerity, cold grip, and taut, persistent, salty finish. I love this reserved style. 2030–40. 97–98
Echézeaux Grand Cru
Uber-smooth and urbane, this purrs on a deeply rich and velvet line. Opulent intensity. Ripples into a long and sensual finish, underpinned by cool freshness. 2028–40. 96–97
Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
Nicolas Rossignol commented, “It was a hot vintage, but the wines are more classic than you would expect. You don’t smell a hot vintage. Maybe it’s like 2010, in the nice level of acidity and good structure. There’s the freshness of a colder vintage, like 2008, but it’s not 2008. The freshness comes not only from the whole bunches, as it did in recent vintages.”
Beaune Premier Cru Les Teurons
Attractive red-fruit aroma. Soft and supple on the front, plump and juicy red-fruit middle, then a redcurrant snap and freshness to finish. Yum. 2024–30. 91–92
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Forest fruit and a touch of spice. Very expressive. A straight stride on the attack. Fine, taut, and firm tannins and lively, fresh acidity. An intense but well-mannered Gevrey, with a slight licorice note to the finish. Top-notch. 2025–30. 91
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Prieur
Succulent, ripe summer-fruit and blueberry aroma. Smooth and generous, it glides rich and supple on the palate to a fine and spicy finish. Well-balanced, with a hint of tarragon on the fresh finish. 2025–30+. 93
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Petite Chapelle
From a vineyard with deep clay. A dark-chocolate and black-fruit aroma. With bunched energy, this has succulent and deep, spicy fruit, a light, muscular grip, and plenty of tension on the finish. There is freshness from the tannin. A wine of vitality. 2026–35. 93–94
Chambertin Grand Cru
Glides on black satin to a rich, straight, and notably deep palate, with an excellent balance of richness and freshness and a wonderfully sustained finish. Plenty of spices, cinnamon and sandalwood, on the very scented finish. Contained and sophisticated. 2028–40. 99
Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Spicy aroma. A lucid wine with a fine tight core, which is enveloped in exotic aromas with hints of star anise. Light, high-wired, and intense. Finely textured, it carries to a beautifully persistent, salty finish. Graceful grand cru. 2028–35+. 97–98
Domaine Armand Rousseau
“Not much juice because of the lack of water, but nature did well and gave us power and energy. Quality, but not quantity,” remarked Cyrielle Rousseau.
Gevrey-Chambertin
Lovely concentration. Deep black-cherry sumptuousness, layering, and notable depth for a village wine. Good persistence, with exotic floral aromas to finish. 2025–30. 91–92
Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux-St-Jacques
Intensely sweet, upright aroma. With ringing freshness, this has a vivacious and straight line. Super-vibrant, and there is tingling minerality on the finish. Pure and singing. Lavaux-St-Jacques doesn’t get any better than this. 2026–35+. 94–95
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Cazetiers
Plump and purple aroma. Juicily expressive front palate, it’s full-bodied and lush with hints of the exotic, notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, but all is neatly supported by a fine grip of tannin and a cut of savory salty minerals. And these stretch the finish. Excellent Cazetiers. 95. 2028-40+
Chambertin Grand Cru
Compact and channeled. Powerful and layered but so focused and reserved. Quiet. The finish goes on and on. Blimey, this has a fab finish. 2030–40+. 99–100
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
A glorious cloud of aromatics envelop this wine. It’s satin-smooth and deeply delicious. This has volume and serious intensity. Yes, it’s somewhat exotic, maybe a touch heady, but the aromas that carry finish are intoxicating. 2030–40+. 98
Domaine Marc Roy
“Delicate tannins, because I was very careful with extraction,” remarked Alexandrine Roy, “since it was a solar vintage that gave so much. Just punch-down, three times in total, and 17–18 days vatting. Not super-long, but enough for the texture. We still have wines that taste of Pinot. I was afraid we would lose the soul of the Pinot in the warm vintage. It’s like 2018, but maybe with more intensity.” Alexandrine is meticulous in her approach in both vineyard and cellar, making refined Gevrey wines.
White
Marsannay Champs Perdrix
Alexandrine’s parcel is right at the top of the vineyard. Light apricot and a hint of jasmine. Smoothly round, lightly viscous, and gently rich, but equally very fresh, with a firmly stony and sapid finish. A lively balance. Jolly nice. 2023–28. 86–87
Red
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Floral aroma. Smoothly rich dark-fruit palate, underscored by lively freshness, then a hint of crisp black chocolate with a light snap to the tannin to finish. 2023–30. 89–90
Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Alexandrine
The aroma and palate are concentrated and rich. It has depth and intensity. The tannins are smooth, with a light grip boosted by the fresh acidity, for this wine is vibrant and lively. A lovely, long finish. 2024–35+. 91
Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice
“I always wanted to make La Justice,” remarks Alexandrine. “It is a unique site; a stony place.” It took time to get the vineyard into shape after she bought it in 2010, but she feels that now the wine reveals the potential of the terroir. Blueberry aroma, slightly floral. So silky, this flows gently, rippling across the palate. The acidity is woven neatly into the core of the palate. 2023–30. 90
Domaine Jean & Jean-Louis Trapet
Jean-Louis reflected, “With my sons, Pierre and Louis, we decided to have a long harvest, from the August 26 until we picked Latricières on September 7. Some vineyards were slow to develop aromas and phenolic maturity. It reminds me of 1999 with more purity.” A slightly later harvest, but nothing too rich here. All is well-balanced and fresh. Lots of energy to boot.
A Minima
Appealing Passetoutgrains, 50/50 Pinot Noir and Gamay from vineyards on the border with Gevrey. “We want to make something more accessible and affordable,” says Jean-Louis. Easy and fresh, with juicy, fruity generosity and soft tannins. 2022–24. 81
Gevrey-Chambertin
Fresh and lively, this has fine-textured tannins and elegant balance. Light and pure, with a certain delicacy and finesse. 2025–32. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin 1859
A project of Pierre and Louis, which will not be made every year, but only in the best. From vines on single staves and 100% whole bunches. Rich and dense aroma, followed by a concentrated and punchy palate. Lots of matter but with an elegant turn, and it shows bags of energy on the finish. 2026–30. 90–91
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Capita
Rich and energetic on the attack, this combines depth and concentration with notable vibrancy. Plentiful tannins turbo-boost the freshness and it focuses with attention on a vigorous finish. 2028–35+. 94–95
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Prieur
Smooth and broad; rich with sweet forest fruit and deeply succulent. It sweeps into a dark, graphite, and earthy intensity on the finish. 2028–35+. 94
Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Finely executed and defined; this showcases purity, depth, and focus, with a super-vibrant, precise, and lingering finish. Excellent typicité. 2030–40+. 98–99
Morey-St-Denis
Domaine Cécile Tremblay
Cécile Tremblay says her 2019 vintage had a magical quality, but she clearly doesn’t have quite the same feeling about 2020. She recalls that the biggest challenge was to keep freshness in the face of such a warm and dry growing season, and she used a fridge to cool down the fruit after harvest. A long cuvaison of three to four weeks using very little whole-bunch.
Morey-St-Denis Très Girard
Delicacy, purity, and a clean line. Fruity and juicy, with a more sapid note beneath. 2024–28. 88
Echézeaux du Dessus Grand Cru
Silky rich texture. This is elegant and smooth on the palate. Rich and ripe, but restrained, it has a lovely long and fluid line. 2027–35. 96
Dujac Fils & Père
Morey-St-Denis
Rich and spicy with dark fruit. Quite robust and chewy, but full of personality. The wine I liked most from the négociant side. 2023–26. 85
Domaine Dujac
Jeremy and Alec Seysses harvested August 19–26. “We were pressing by the time some started harvest,” Jeremy recalls. They had a short maceration, with fewer pigeages and a high proportion of whole-bunch. Alcohol levels of 12.5%–13.9%. I was frozen when tasting in this cellar, as were the wines. Nevertheless, the peppery vibrancy of the reds was tangible. Whole-bunch character of up-toned culinary herbs is the signature here, so I will not write it into all the notes. It’s quite assertive at present, combining well with the riper notes of the vintage. Super whites, too.
White
Morey-St-Denis
Rich and juicy, with ripe stone fruit. Apricot and floral notes, rounded, with light viscosity and sapidity to finish. Appetizing phenolic bite. Punchy, energetic, and very savory. It’s honest and so enjoyable. 2023–30. 88–89
Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru Mont Luisants
Cool, restrained, and pure. Straight and clipped, a combination of rich concentration and shivering minerality. Piercing acidity on the finish. Slicing. Delicious. 2024–32+. 93–94
Red
Morey-St-Denis
Purple, spicy fruit aroma. Bounces onto the palate with boldly rounded tannins; spicy red-peppercorn notes and snappy freshness. 2023–28. 88
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaumonts
Ripe forest-fruit aroma. Straight attack, with juicy succulence and a rich concentration of dark-cherry fruit, but remains fine-boned and pure, and it sings with freshness. Vibrant and fizzles with energy on the finish. 2028–40. 95
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Malconsorts
Intense, rich, red floral aroma. Glorious, rich texture, sumptuous mid-palate, with satin-smooth depth of tannin. Generous and aromatic on the finish. Really a rather complex, delicious, deep, and alluring wine. 2030–40+. 96
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Rich, dark, and compact on both the aroma and attack. Cold, deep, and dense, with the richness of black chocolate but also with notable freshness and cut under the palate. Quite austere, and this carries the strict finish. Straight and persistent. Takes no prisoners. 2030–40. 97
Echézeaux Grand Cru
Sunny ripeness of red summer fruits. Juicy mid-palate. Maybe it’s the whole-bunch that gives it more staccato notes, rather than the long, fluid line typical of Echézeaux. It defines the lively, long finish, tangy with culinary herbs. 2030–40. 96
Domaine des Lambrays
After Jacques Devauges arrived for the 2019 vintage, he moved the vineyard management to organic. He describes this as the first and most significant change. Moving to organic meant devising new equipment and some hand-hoeing as the vines are planted north-south across the the slope of this historic cru (almost, but not quite, a monopole). Jacques has identified 12 parcels within the Clos, which are now picked, vinified, and aged separately, but the whole comes together finally in one properly representative cuvée, with the exception of young vines, which go into the premier cru. They have resisted the temptation to make a blend from the best. “The Clos is east-facing, but it undulates, creating different microclimates and with a 2000ft (60m) difference in altitude from top to bottom, with varied rock beneath, so, we needed to study it in more depth.” I found that the wines improved under Boris Champy’s short tenure and continue to do so under Jacques’s. This is the most refined vintage of Clos des Lambrays I have tasted.
Morey-St-Denis
Village parcels above Clos de Tart and Clos des Lambrays on rocky limestone. Intense, fruity aroma of ripe blueberry sweetness. Concentrated for a village wine, spliced with vibrant freshness. Straight, clipped, and showing plenty of energy, it sizzles with cool, chalky minerals. I love this cool, crisp style. 2024–30. 89–90
Clos des Lambrays
Rich, spicy aroma. Coffee and orange zest mingle with the perfume of roses and tarragon. It flows onto the palate and shimmers. It is light but intense and pure, with the texture of crisp tempered black chocolate. Fine and delicate shards. Finishes on rose petal. Delicate, refined, and precise. 2028–40. 97–98
Domaine Perrot-Minot
“The finesse and freshness of 2012 and the ripeness of 2005,” says Christophe Perrot-Minot. “It was very important to take away the dry and shriveled berries to have the freshness. And to take care of the extraction, because it was very concentrated, with very low yields.” 40%–50% whole-bunch. Christophe makes understated, sophisticated, and finely textured wine.
Bourgogne
Charming and lively red-fruit Bourgogne, with a waft of light tannin and a fresh, crisp finish. Spot-on. 2023–26. 85
Morey-St-Denis La Rue de Vergy
Floral and high-toned. Cranberry-crisp fruit. So fresh and crunchy, with lively acidity and a sappy, snappy, salty finish. Spot-on. 2024–30. 88–89
Nuits-St-Georges Les Murgers des Cras
Red peppercorn and white pepper aromas. A delicate, intense, and refined NSG with silky tannins. The finish is perfumed and carries a hint of culinary herbs. 2026–30+. 91
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru La Richmone Cuvée Ultra Vignes Centenaires
Rich and creamy textured. Concentrated and dense. Uber-smooth chocolate tannins. The freshness comes up under the palate to a fresh and spicy finish, with notes of anise and oregano. 2028–35+. 95
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru La Combe d’Orveau Cuvée Ultra
The warmly seductive, rose-garden bouquet wafts into a richly perfumed palate, where a ribbon of silk is entwined with freshness. Its lively frothiness, texture, and aromas capture the essence of Chambolle. 2027–35. 95–96
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts
High-toned floral notes. A fine-boned wine. Intense, ripe, but delicate, with a taffeta texture and fine tannin. This showcases purity entwined with minerality and has such precision to finish. Reserved and discreet. Love it. 2027–35+. 95–96
Chambertin Grand Cru
Discreet, focused, and intense. Channeled and taut, with vibration, to a powerful, wonderfully persistent and streamlined finish. 2030–40+. 98–99
Domaine Ponsot
There was no revolution in the winemaking when Alexandre Able took over in 2017, but small tweaks that have refined the wines. As ever, no new oak.
White
Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru Clos des Monts Luisants
This is the only premier cru in Burgundy that can include Aligoté. From 80-year-old vines planted in 1911 and younger vines planted in 2006. Stony aroma. Lightly rich viscosity on the rounded palate, which has an orange-flower character, a fine and firm cut of acidity, and a long and mineral finish. 2025–30+. 94–95
Red
Bourgogne Cuvée du Pinson
Floral aromas. Lightly rounded, red-cherry, crisp, and bright, with a touch of cherry kernel and a snap of tannin. Light and lively. Delightful. 2023–26. 85
Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru Cuvée des Alouettes
Plenty of concentration, but so very energetic. It has a slice of white and savory minerality. Fine-boned, this is cool on the lovely, long finish. Plenty of tension, so stylish. 2027–35. 94–95
Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
Ripe morello-cherry fruits. What an elegant, refined, and silky Chapelle. An excellent expression of this terroir. It has a real sweetness and juiciness, and is vital and fresh. Fine-textured tannins. Straight and firm core, enveloped in ripe fruit, with a persistent, vibrant, and mineral finish. The best example of this cru that I tasted this vintage. 2030–40. 97
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
A rich and deep aroma. Succulence and generosity. Deep, crushed velvet tannins, underscored by an austere, stony minerality, strong sapidity, and marvelous freshness. Very powerful on the finish. Excellent. 2030–40+. 98–99.
Chambolle-Musigny
François & Julien Millet
François Millet, who has been responsible for cellar at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé since 1989, established a small négociant with his son Julien in the 2017 vintage. The father-and-son team have converted the garage in François’s and Michelle’s house in Chambolle, so everything is on a small scale with an artisanal philosophy. He commented on the vintage: “The vintage is very bright but not pretentious. There is no aggression but it has a high presence.” He does a gentle extraction, pouring buckets of juice or wine over the cap. “Be very careful. Use the silence between the notes. You cannot push this vintage. You must add relief and stand behind the vintage. It has good aging potential but may close because of the concentration and structure.”
White
Aligoté Les Gravières
Long aging over two winters in barrel. A fine, citrus, and lightly floral aroma. Punches with quite a rich texture, cut with savory sapidity. Stony and tight. A firm and fresh finish. Some umami notes. A good wine for food, thanks to its texture and savory freshness. 2022–27. 86
Red
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
Rose-petal aroma. A delicate, silky, rich, textural ribbon. Treble notes, too. This really sings. Sweet fruit and finesse. An exceptional Hautes-Côtes. 2024–28. 87
Chambolle-Musigny Le Fouchères
Ripe and juicy red fruit underscored by a lively sapidity. This has bite and brightness on the mid-palate. Good tension and an energetic finish. A contrast of warm and cold. Lovely balance. Lots of limestone here,” says François. It’s at the front of the “amphitheater,” which is a warmer spot. 2025–30+. 89
Gevrey-Chambertin Croix des Champs
“We decided not to punch down to keep the elegance.” A juicy attack, succulent and generous, but it calms in the middle and becomes rather refined, with light-textured tannins and a sweet and salty finish. 2025–30. 88
Beaune Premier Cru Champs-Pimont
Ripe summer fruits with a delicate white-pepper lift. A lively combination of tight, fine, and crunchy tannins, fresh acidity, and vibrant redcurrent fruit. It is bright and juicy, with plenty of energy. A lovely example of this appellation. 2025–30. 92
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
“Never before has the whole cycle shifted by one month,” remarked Frédéric Mugnier, who completed his harvest in August. “I was very anxious for the quality of the tannin when we picked. I thought it would be green and harsh, but it is very silky.” He makes a comparison with “1993 for the stiffness [slight reserve] and fruit quality.”
White
Nuits-St-Georges Clos de la Maréchale Blanc
Stone-fruit aroma. Lively, sapid, cutting freshness. A succulent attack, then opulence and creaminess on the mid-palate, but the fruit is balanced on the finish by freshness and sapidity. 2024–30+. 93
Red
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Clos de la Maréchale
Delightfully swathed in delicate aromas of star anise. This has a joyous energy. It is concentrated but light, so fresh and vibrant. More Chambolle than Nuits-St-Georges in its confident but elegant sashay across the palate and its fine-textured, crunchy tannins. 2026–35+. 94
Chambolle-Musigny
This pirouettes onto the palate. Light and lively. Bright and elegant. It is pure, crisp, and scented with white rose petals. The texture is feathery and silky. Lucid wine. 2025–35. 91
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
Enchanting rose-garden perfume, warm and inviting, while the palate has dew-drop freshness. Gossamer tannins. Concentrated and intense, but with airy volume and lightness. It focuses to a streamlined and glimmering finish. 2030–40+. 97–98
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
A wine of tension and reserve. There is marked intensity and vigor. The richness and succulence is spliced with a cool line of austerity. Seriously long. 2030–40+. 98–99
Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier
“I very much like the balance of the wines,” enthused Christophe Roumier. “They show lots of terror expression. The vintage [character] is strong but does not mask the wine. Maybe the wines will close down, but for now they are very bright, fresh, and intense. We were very surprised by the acidity. How was this level maintained? Maybe because the nights were much cooler. There was not this difference between day and night in 2019.” It was tricky to make my selection at the top end of the flight, but I have chosen to feature here the Bonnes Mares and the Amoureuses for their sharply contrasting personalities; one so inviting, the other most reserved.
Bourgogne
Inviting berry aromas. Juicy and fresh. Vibrant and singing. Crunchy on the finish. Very moreish. 2024–28. 86
Chambolle-Musigny
Splashing, vibrant concentration of red-cherry fruit; rounded and plump with juiciness. It has lightly spicy and floral aromatics. So energetic. There’s a crisp crunch to the texture and a tight mineral line to finish. Joyous wine. 2024–30. 91–92
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
An exuberantly fragrant aroma, which also envelopes the palate. So enticing and alluring. This wine is all about the texture. The glorious texture of rich satin. It is generous, supple, and seductive. Flows in a deep river of contentment, yet the finish is fresh and vital. The acidity is beautifully entwined. Just gorgeous. 2030–40+. 98
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Cras
An upright aroma, with notes of mint, tarragon, and white pepper. Silky-smooth ripple on the palate. Lightly rounded, both fresh and concentrated, it straightens to a crisply defined, bright, and lively line, with salty-chalky minerality to finish. Taffeta tannins. It is rich but delicate and refined. I love it. 2025–35. 95
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Dark aroma, fresh and deep. Full, svelte, and muscular. It is powerful and deep. Crushed velvet tannins. But there is austerity here, too. The persistent finish is both sleek and chalky. Christophe acquired another parcel on the white soil in 2016, increasing it to 65% of the blend, and the profile of this wine has changed to have more reserve and tension. Serious stuff. 2030–40. 98–99
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé
Jean Lupatelli is the new chef de cave, François Millet having retired in April 2020. Jean remarked, “The domaine is known for starting [the harvest] early, and this year we began on August 21. We have great terroir and old vines, which helped to keep the freshness and the Burgundian tension, with great concentration in all the cuvées, so the balance stays very classic.”
White
Musigny Blanc Grand Cru
Straight and pure. A cold and high-toned wine that shivers with minerality. It has a crystalline quality. Shimmers on the saline finish. 2025–30+. 94
Red
Chambolle-Musigny
Deep, rich, red-cherry aroma. Smooth-textured tannins, so supple and rounded; plump concentration in the middle and so vibrant on the finish. Scrumptious village wine. 2024–30+. 91–92
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
Some of the vines are planted north-south. Rich floral aromas, red rose petal, with a touch white pepper. Glides onto the palate, succulent and juicy, with silky-smooth depths. Curvaceous on the mid-palate, but with delightful fluidity. A ribbon of silk. It dances elegantly on to a fresh finish. Lovely energy and, at the end, real precision. 2028–40. 97
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Dark, velvety aroma, with a note of black pepper and anise. Flows opulently onto the palate. Satin-rich, deeply textured. Full-bodied and layered. Smoothly muscular. This has notes of melted black chocolate and pushes on to a powerful finish. It has volume and rather glorious richness, cut with freshness underneath. 2030–40+. 97–98
Musigny Grand Cru
Discrete, deep, and concentrated. There are floral notes. Channeled, straight, layered, and compact, but it has such elegance and purity. Fine-boned. There is a sparseness here, where less is more. The salty minerals underscore the palate. It is fine-cut and precise. It has power, intensity, and elegance. 2030–40. 99
Gilly-Lès-Cîteaux
Domaine Mark Haisma
Mark Haisma said, “I like to make elegant wines. I’m chasing the aromatics.” It’s true that his style has evolved over the years into something fine-boned and textured, with perfumed wines in both red and white. He now has many cuvées from across the Côte d’Or, some from 5 acres (2ha) of vines he farms himself organically, but he is best-known for his wines from Gevrey, where he began. These are but a few of my favorites.
White
St-Romain
Apricot aromas. Gently creamy and juicy. Light, bright, and silky. Pure and salty on the finish. 2022–26. 85
St-Romain Le Jarron
At last Mark has returned to isolating the best parcel of St-Romain. This has an extra level of intensity, cut with fine acidity. A clean line of energy and intensity and smooth salinity. A really rather fine St-Romain. 2024–30. 86–87
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru La Maltroie
This has oodles of energy. Excellent concentration and balance of ripe fruit and citrus freshness. Rounded but with clean-cut edges. Vibrantly intense, with a well-sustained, singing finish. 2024–30+. 93
Red
Gevrey-Chambertin En Pallud
Mark farms this village parcel below Corbeaux. Rich and dark in aroma, slightly exotic, with hints of violets. Super-svelte on the attack, it has a lively palate streamed with freshness. Real sweetness of black-cherry fruit on the mid-palate, then it races away into a fine and floral finish. Top-notch. 2025–35+. 90
Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru Les Chaffots
Lots of whole-bunch here. Upright and pure, with a treble note, it fairly tingles with high-toned sweetness and fine florals. Super-fine, slippery-talc texture. Streamed with light and sparkling. Crystalline minerals on the piercing finish. I like this a lot. 2026–35+. 95
Volnay La Cave
Lively floral aroma. It is both crunchy and silky. Snap and crackle. Light, pure, and vibrant. A delicate and precise finish. What a delight. 2024–30. 88–89
Vougeot
Domaine Clerget
Christian Clerget’s daughter Justine has been in charge of the winemaking here since 2018 and has pulled back on extraction. She was careful to pick early in 2020 to retain freshness. In 2018, when a parcel of Chambolle Aux Croix came in overripe, she separated it and kept the bunches intact—a happy accident, as it turned out, since this is now set apart from the other 11 parcels of village Chambolle and has made it into my selection.
White
Morey-St-Denis Les Crais
Light stone-fruit aroma. Rich and glossy, with good density. Appealingly punchy and fresh, with a savory and sapid finish. Spot-on. 2024–26. 88
Red
Morey-St-Denis
This is also from the lieu-dit Les Crais. Finely textured tannins, rather delicate and silky, with a light crunch. Pure, light, and straight, with a slightly salty bite to the finish. 2024–28. 87–88
Chambolle-Musigny
Pure and airy Chambolle; slim-textured and trim, with red-cherry lightness and crispness and a delicate and lightly sapid finish. So pretty. 2024–30. 88–89
Chambolle-Musigny Aux Croix
Richer, riper, more concentrated and spicy, with notes of tarragon and mint. Zesty and vigorous. More tannins than the village cuvée ronde, with quite an assertive personality. 2025–30. 88–89
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
Lightly creamy, rich and gently rounded. Just slightly opulent, but very fresh and vibrant, with a lively juiciness. An energetic finish, with spicy, fresh and floral notes. 2025–30+. 93
Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat
Charles Van Canneyt told me that it was an easy season to work organically. He has a cellar of old wine from which he can learn, and he was concerned not to have in 2020 the dry tannins caused by the drought in the 1976 vintage. He therefore did less pigeage and more remontage, helped by a week of cold-maceration, which he feels softens the skins and allows for a more gentle extraction. “Never before have we had this quality and concentration of richness and freshness in one vintage.” There is very high and consistent quality at this domaine.
Chambolle-Musigny
Juicy and generous. Succulent, with a smooth and luscious texture, balanced by freshness and a red peppercorn bite to the finish. Scrumptious. 2024–30. 91
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
Red rose-petal aromas. Supple, feather-soft texture. It is full, rounded, and airy, enveloped in gorgeous perfume. Spot-on for typicité. 2025–35. 94–95
Vougeot Premier Cru Les Petits Vougeots
The perfumed aroma, sumptuous, even exotic, flows into the palate. Deliciously ripe and plump, with a lively cut of acidity and a fine, pure, and saline finish. I love the piano-wire finish. 2024–32. 95
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaumonts
Great concentration of aroma, and on the palate it slices deep, fresh and precise. Such good intensity, with piercing minerality and a wonderfully sapid finish. Both rich and cold. A great expression of this terroir. 2027–40+. 96
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Succulently rich palate. There is depth, volume, and power, but under this a quiet and steely grip. A bunched fist muffled in velvet. Power and vigor. 2028–40+. 96
Richebourg Grand Cru
Much more reserved than the Romanée-St-Vivant, a towering architectural framework filled with cold light. It is as austere and reserved as the RSV is intense and focused. 2030–40+. 98–99
Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru
Distilled essence of rose petal, with a superb depth and finesse to the texture. Uber-concentrated, sweetly deep, yet focused and vibrantly fresh, with an impressively persistent, fine and lingering finish. 2030–40+. 99
Vosne-Romanée
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
“A vintage for aging, with this level of alcohol and acidity, while 2019 will be more accessible earlier,” remarked Sébastien Cathiard, who harvested September 8–12 and has achieved a rich, black-fruit style. The alcohol levels range from 13% in the Hautes-Côtes, to 15%. I prefer his 2019s, but feel that tannic matter creates a happy equilibrium with the concentration in 2020, and am sure these will refine after a second winter in barrel.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguette
Super-ripe, with deep, damson-ripe fruit. Shows juicy energy and cool grip to balance. 2024–26. 83
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Murgers
Exotic floral aromas, with accents of black pepper. Concentrated black fruit, full-bodied and luscious. There’s a real thickness to the tannins, which are smooth and substantial. This unctuous palate is supported with orange-zesty freshness. This finds a good balance with the substance from the tannin and matter. You wouldn’t guess it has highest alcohol level here this year. 2026–35+. 93–94
Vosne-Romanée
Rich, full, and succulent, with plentiful soft tannins. Rather opulent, with sweet strawberry aromas, then a touch of sweet balsamic on the fresher finish. 2025–30+. 88
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Reignots
Black prune, violets, and star anise. Very ripe aromatics; it is has rich depths and layering. I enjoyed this Reignots, because it retains its straight palate, with firm, well-defined edges, and has good minerality and tension on the finish. 2030–40+. 94–95
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Broad and muscular. Powerful wine, with a rich quantity of tannic matter. Dense and compact. Really punches onto the finish. 2030–40+. 95
Domaine Jacky Confuron-Cotétidot
“It was a hot summer, but the wines are not fat. They are too concentrated at the moment, but with age they will refine,” says Yves Confuron. “It is really important to have tannin. This makes a vibration. It supports the wine where there is low acidity. Maybe they’re not very ripe tannins but they contribute to increase the quality and freshness of the taste.” Yves has used no new oak and probably will not bottle until winter 2022/23. Certainly, these wines have considerable tannin, matter, and high alcohol levels (at 15% and above), but they are also aromatic from the whole-bunch fermentation, and I agree that the tannin contributes freshness.
Gevrey-Chambertin
Sweet blackcurrant aroma. Full, with plentiful, richly round and dark tannins and a kick of tart bitterness to freshen the finish. 2025–30+. 89
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Gorgeous density of forest fruit, this is sweet and focused, with a deep swathe of svelte tannin, a deliciously smooth and supple texture which sweeps to a persistent finish. It has a natural harmony and balance. Certainly very rich, but in a way quite understated. 2030–40. 97
Nuits-St-Georges
Sumptuously concentrated fruit, with black-cherry and spicy aromas onto and through the palate. Very juicy upfront, bold, and supported by plenty of tarry, licorice tannic matter. 2025–30+. 89
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Aux Vignes-Rondes
Rich, black chocolate, a seductive aroma, with exotic notes of Earl Grey tea on the palate. Richly scented, full, and extravagant, with rounded, lightly chewy tannins and a more refined aromatic finish. 2027–35+. 93
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Expressive rose-petal aromatics. Rich, thick tannins, with a dark-chocolate bitterness. Very nicely balanced. Concentrated but fresh, long, and lingering. 2028–35+. 95
Domaine Jean Grivot
Etienne Grivot has handed over to his son and daughter. Mathilde comments, “It is a very glamorous, charming vintage, with high minerality, freshness, and precision. Like 2019 but with more of everything.” She waited a little for the phenolic maturity, harvesting September 3–9. Deep and luscious Vosne-Romanées. Mathilde is coaxing more refined tannins and a more elegant expression from Nuits-St-Georges.
Chambolle-Musigny La Combe d’Orveau
Delightful and enveloping fragrance. The texture is creamy. The smooth succulence of fruit is woven in with vibrant freshness to an aromatic finish. From a cooler site, so the deep and sumptuous feel is quite surprising. Excellent village wine. 2026–35+. 91
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Roncières
Springs in a sprightly fashion onto the palate. Rather a fine texture and at the end quite snappy, with lightly crunchy tannins. Shows a lively face and a tingle of tension. Appetiszing notes of tarragon and oregano on the nose and finish. 2025–30+. 93
Vosne-Romanée Les Bossières
Very ripe summer fruit on this spicy aroma. Rich and slightly opulent palate with a plethora of smooth tannins and a rich and quite exotic finish. Very plush. 2025–30+. 90–91
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Aux Brûlées
Upright and discreet aroma. It is bunched, compact, and closed. Fresh and vigorous. Tight, layered, and focused. Straight and persistent. It may be reserved but shows great vitality to finish. Excellent aging potential. 2030–40+. 95–96
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaumonts
So charming up-front, with a fine and fruity expression. After the expressive front palate, with a light, sumptuous richness and silky texture, it focuses to become tight, fine, and pure, with a piano-wire finish. 2030–40+. 95–96
Echézeaux Grand Cru
Distilled sweetness, with a rich but high-toned and vibrant line. Pure, svelte, and flowing. The concentration of fruit is streamed with freshness to a persistent and sophisticated finish. 2030–40+. 97
Richebourg Grand Cru
Lofty, soaring architecture. A light-filled volume with a fab finish. 2030–40+. 98
Domaine Michel Gros
Michel has retired and handed over to his son Pierre, who observed, “Some cuvées are like ink, very dense and concentrated, but there is also freshness because of the higher acidity than in 2019. It is not a vintage to drink early but a vintage for aging—we should allow at least two to three years longer than usual.”
White
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Fontaine Saint Martin Blanc
Ripe apricot fruit on the generous aroma. Medium-full and creamy, with a touch of pithy apricot skin and plenty of freshness and tension. Almond kernel and sapidity to finish. Yummy. 2022–25. 84–85
Red
Morey-St-Denis En la Rue de Vergy
Upright and up-toned, floral and bright. The straight, clipped palate is enfolded in ripe red fruits. Firmly threaded with acidity and well defined at the edges. The finish is savoury, salty and sappy. Spot on. Both racy and ripe. 90. 2025-35.
Nuits-St-Georges Les Chaliots
Black-cherry aroma then an energetic palate with a firm bite of tannin, encased in rich dark fruit. A slightly herbal note. Very fresh, with a smoky, graphite finish. 2024–30. 88–89
Vosne-Romanée
Ripe strawberry fruit aroma, the succulence flecked with white pepper. Generously rounded and juicy; full and ripe, with light snap to the tannin and appetizing bite. Full on the front-palate, quite open and airy through the middle, and more delicate and precise to finish. 2024–32. 89–90
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Aux Brulées
A quite haughty aroma, then reserved on the palate. Shows good depth and density, with a firm grip to the tannin. Vigorous and powerful on the finish. It is ripe but has a colder cut. Good persistence. 2027–40+. 95
Méo-Camuzet Frère et Soeurs
White
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
This is from two parcels, one in Ladoix under the wood, which is colder, the other in south-facing Pougets. Spicy, ripe greengage aroma. Juicy, candied-citrus palate, the richness cut by pithy freshness, which carries the finish. 2025–30+. 93–94
Red
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
Rounded, juicy, and succulent. Lively acidity and vibrancy; plump and generous, with a light herbal freshness on the finish. Good typicité. 2025–30+. 93–94
Domaine Méo-Camuzet
“I don’t like wine at 15% [ABV],” said Jean-Nicolas Méo. “I am in the camp of harvesting early, and you can tell me it is not phenolically ripe and I don’t care. This is really a great vintage, perhaps the greatest ever. The only drawback is that it is so structured that we may have an evolution like the 2005—on paper, it has all the elements but lacks seduction, or maybe it’s just a question of time.” The tannins are on the crunchier side but ripe enough, and there is no lack of freshness and concentration.
White
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Blanc Clos Saint Philibert
Juicy, with apricot notes; fresh, with lightly creamy apricot notes again, and sapidity to finish. 2023–25. 84–85
Red
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Murgers
A rich red-fruit and aniseed aroma, then ripe cranberry sweetness and generosity on the palate. It is super-ripe, but zesty-fresh and juicy. The texture is silky up-front but crunchier on the finish, which is vibrant, sweet, and crisp. Plenty of vivacity. 2026–35. 93
Vosne-Romanée
Ripe summer fruits, but very nicely contained. Slightly spicy. Juicy, with a vibrant tannic twang. I like the energy and the zesty quality, as well as the lightly spicy aromas to finish. Energy and elegance. 2025–30. 90
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux
Extravagant, sumptuous, enveloping, and lavish. Dense, layered, and complex. It has purple richness and a deep-pile velvet texture, with a sappier tannic freshness on the persistent and vigorous finish. Coming together slowly. 2030–40+. 96–97
Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg
This domaine is run by three generations of women. Marie-Andrée and Marie-Christine are handing over to their daughters. They finished harvest before the end of August. The wines are rich and have exotic aromatics but reflect the terroir on the palate.
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Chaignots
Very concentrated and sweet aroma. On the front, it is unusually dense and compact for Chaignots, but well-balanced with freshness. The fine-textured tannins reveal the more elegant typicité of this terroir. 2028–35. 93
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Vignes-Rondes
Full and exotic aroma. Attacks the palate. Punchy and juicy and rich. Black fruit and licorice. A savory graphite note on the finish. 2028–35. 93
Vosne-Romanée
A rich and exotic aroma, into a juicy, ripely rounded, full, and expressive palate, with a hint of the spice-market wafting on the finish. 2024–30. 88–89
Echézeaux Grand Cru
A seductive and ripe aroma. Rich, satin fluidity. It is very ripe and glossy but finds a happy equilibrium of dark fruit and freshness. It’s long and fine on the finish, with a scented floral note to the end. 2030–40. 96
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Ruchottes has an exotic personality. Cloaked in a hazy richness of purple aroma, beneath which there is austerity, cold line, tension, and vibration. A persistent, straight, and salty finish. 2030–40. 95–96
Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils
Guillaume Tardy harvested for three days at the end of August. The style is quite edgy, with just ripe enough phenolics and no lack of vibrancy.
Fixin La Place
Very juicy with red berry fruit and a bright crunch of cranberry freshness. Quite fine-grained tannin for Fixin. It is vibrant and appetizing. 2023–28. 85
Nuits-St-Georges Bas de Combe Vieilles Vignes
Lightly exotic aroma with a peppering of star anise. Rounded and juicy, the ripe sweetness balanced by good freshness. Just lightly firm, but fine in tannin. Richness, with a lifted and vibrant note. Delicious NSG. 2025–30+. 89–90
Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier Vieilles Vignes
Perfumed aroma, svelte and smooth. There is sweetness and depth, with a touch of finesse. I like the purity and the finish is good for a village wine. 2025–30+. 90
Nuits-St-Georges
Domaine de l’Arlot
Winemaker Géraldine Godot commented, “The difference with 2019 is that we didn’t have a heatwave. It was dry and warm, but not too hot. We had wind and some rain as we began harvesting. We had a big concentration of fruit, acidity, and tannin. Only after pressing did we realize that it is not heavy. I was very surprised. It is classic. Less extravagant than 2019.”
White
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Le Mont
From 2.5 acres (1ha) of vines above Clos des Fôrets St-Georges, where the upper two thirds are planted to Chardonnay. White peach, slightly spicy, light and lively, with a clip of bitterness and salinity. 2022–24. 86
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Clos de l’Arlot Blanc
Firm structure and density. This has some presence on the palate. Creamy richness, smooth minerality, and well-sustained savory sapidity on the finish. 2024–30+. 93
Red
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Le Mont
Ripe but crisp and fresh, with a red-cherry aroma then a bright and zesty palate, with crunchy tannins. Lip-smacking and yummy. 2022–24. 85
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Cuvée Mont des Oiseaux
Vines from the top part of the vineyard and younger vines. Destemmed. Upright red-fruit aroma. Pure and singing. Light and lively tension and plenty of energy. Crisp tannin. A high-wire, mineral finish. Very pretty indeed. 2024–28. 91–92
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Clos de L’Arlot
Intriguing aromas in which ripe red fruit combines with white pepper and a hint of oregano. This has depth but also elegance, a lightness and vibrancy. Fine tannins, with a lively crunch and a ringing, lucid finish. A delight. 2025–35. 94
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots
Suede-smooth richness of texture, density, and power. Elegance combines with lithe muscularity. It has power, but it’s so well-contained. Excellent equilibrium. It glides into a well-sustained, fresh, and purring-rich finish. Most alluring. Another winter will just polish those tannins to rich satin. Rich but refined. A lovely example of this terroir. 2027–40. 96
Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru
Exquisite rose-petal aroma, with dew-drop delicacy and intensity. A wine with lucidity, luminosity, and an amazing vibration on the finish. 2030–40+. 99
Albert Bichot
White
Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay Secret de Famille
Fruity, rich, rounded, and succulent, with a flashy but inviting stamp of oak. It’s well-balanced with acidity, but best of all, it has an attractive, salty pep. It delivers. 2022–24. 83–84
Red
Fixin Premier Cru Clos de la Perrière (Monopole)
Ripe red-cherry aroma. Super-juicy and splashing. Open, sunny, and accessible, with a sappy freshness and a lightly bitter, herbal crunch. 2023–25. 84
Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Expressive, warm but cool, raspberry-ripe aroma. Quite a lot of oak showing and some lifted notes. It has the finest texture among all the Bichot wine I tasted, including the various domaines. It mixes a hint of the exotic with herbal tarragon notes. It’s racy and intense and has a well-sustained silky-powdery finish. 2026–35. 95–96
Domaine Jean Chauvenet
Christophe Drag’s style has refined over the years, and he now makes smart, well-cut Nuit-St-Georges with transparency to the terroir. This is the finest vintage I have tasted here, with floral notes, modest alcohol levels, fine-textured tannins, and all very fresh. He pulled back in vinification, with a shorter vatting and practically no pigeage.
Nuits-St-Georges
A blend of four parcels including the very good parcel of St-Jacques. Black-forest fruit aroma, intense and rich onto the palate, with a fresh and crunchy note of cranberry. It’s precise, zesty, and has a lively snap. Spot-on. 2024–30+. 90
Nuits-St-Georges Les Lavières
A delicate and refined NSG, with fine-textured tannins. A light sweep across the palate, with a spot of redcurrant piquancy to finish. Just a delightful village wine. 2024–30. 90
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Bousselots
Hints of licorice on the spicy, black-fruit aroma. Smooth, deep, and burly, with good density and depth of tannin. The slight grip, albeit enveloped in rich fruit, gives a punch to the finish. 2027–30+. 94
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Damodes
Purple floral aromas, then a deeply juicy and straight palate, with notes of coffee and black chocolate, underscored by a river of smooth sapidity and freshness. Concentrated but beautifully balanced and so fresh to finish. It shows its terroir. 2025–35+. 94
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Perrières
Just two barrels instead of four this year, so one is new; usually this would have only 25% new oak, so it is a little dominant now and needs time. Excellent intensity. Channeled and taut, with a streamlined core. Delightful, keen, and mineral with a salty sapidity to finish. NSG with purity and cut. 2025–35+. 95
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Rue de Chaux
Expressive. Ripe, deep, and straight, neatly edged. The tannin has a snap of bitter chocolate. There is dark richness, with lively freshness, firmness, good direction, and vitality. It is precise. 2027–35+. 95
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Vaucrains
Four barrels instead of the usual eight. Rather elegantly perfumed on the nose and the palate. Refined, satin-smooth texture. Ripe fruit depths, with a vibrant line of cool freshness. It has polished minerals under the palate, which stretch the finish. It is surprisingly harmonious at this stage and has excellent persistence. 2027–40. 95–96
Domaine Joseph Faiveley
Jérôme Flous manages both vineyard and winemaking at Faiveley. He tells me that he built the wines around the backbone of acidity in 2020. He picked early and used only remontage this year in order not to extract too much. The reds are the best I have tasted at Faiveley, for their more delicate style, their precise aromatics, the fine texture of the tannin, and a lively translucency to each terroir.
White
Meursault Premier Cru Blagny
Cool, straight, fresh, and mineral, with the juiciness of white peach on the mid-palate and slight apricot kernel to finish. 2024–28. 92
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
White flowers and lightly toasted almonds on the nose. Silky-rich, with a touch of honey and citrus notes. It is pure and has a gently rounded palate. On the persistent finish, it is straight, delicate, and refined. Intriguing lime-flower aromas. 2025–32+. 96
Red
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
A full but delightfully light and airy palate, swathed in aromatics of rose petal and white flowers with hints of white pepper and fresh mint. Very fine gossamer texture, which is threaded with glimmering acidity. Very fine finish. Lovely typicité. 2026–35+. 94–95
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Damodes
Violets and a hint of coffee on the nose. Ripe and expressive. The rich summer compote fruit on the palate is balanced by lively freshness, firm and snappy tannins, and a light bite on the finish. 2027–35+. 93
Gevrey-Chambertin
Earl Grey tea on the nose. Supple and finely textured palate, with red fruit and lively acidity to finish. An elegantly structured village wine. Very good. 2025–30. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux St-Jacques
Minty notes, coffee and orange zest. Very perfumed aroma to a straight and fluid palate, with fine, crisp edges. A crackle of fine, crunchy tannin, pomegranate fruit, light bitterness, and tension. This has good energy. 2026–35. 93
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Cazetiers
Dark forest fruits, sweetness, and depth to the nose. Full and deep, with svelte muscle, rich and concentrated but austere beneath, with a strictness to the tannin. A vigorous and notably spicy finish. 2028–40. 95
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
An exuberant aromatic profile. Full-bodied and opulent; power and density. Richness and layers. Super structure. A very well-sustained aromatic finish. This has volume and a splendid finish. 2030–40+. 98
Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Super-silky texture. It ripples delicately but intensely across the palate to a fine and saline finish. Very precise and pure. Delightful, refined, and complex. 2030–40+. 98
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Forest fruit, with a wild and slightly gamey note, which becomes spicier on the palate. This has depth, bunched energy, and power onto the finish. A slight green bite to the tannins, which gives the freshness. Long, rather sauvage finish. 2030–40+. 97
Echézeaux En Orveaux Grand Cru
Airy and more delicate Echézeaux. Ripe summer fruits combine with exotic aromas, underscored by a fine line of freshness. It has light, fine-textured tannins and aromatic persistence. 2028–40. 95–96
Domaine du Clos Frantin
This 22-acre (9ha) domaine in Nuits-St-Georges is owned by Albert Bichot.
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Malconsorts
Intense, rather sophisticated forest-fruit aroma. Silky and fresh on the attack. Fine-textured, with a crisp snap to the black-chocolate tannin. It’s 13.5% ABV but seems somewhat straight and lean for Malconsorts. It certainly has a zesty herbal freshness which carries the finish. 2026–35. 93
Echézeaux Grand Cru
An intriguing aroma with blueberry fruit, white pepper, and orange zest. Supple and richly textured, with a glossy cruise onto the palate. Quite sumptuous, it develops an exotic, purple aromatic profile on the nicely sustained finish. 2026–35. 94–95
Château Gris
Another Albert Bichot domaine. An 8.5-acre (3.5ha) walled monopole vineyard, on terraces facing due east at an altitude of 900ft (280m).
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Château Gris
Upright, ripe, but cool redcurrant aroma. Clean-cut edges. Concentrated but precise. Brushes off its 14% ABV. Good tension. Fine-textured tannins, with an airy, herbal touch, and I like the fresh, sappy follow through, with a touch of silk to finish. A stylish and refined NGS. 2025–30. 93–94+
Domaine de la Vougeraie
Vougeraie has a large team, so can organize the picking to be super-specific—and it shows. These are fresh wines with delicacy and precision. Twenty years of organic viticulture reaps rewards. The wines have notable energy. Lively, light, and intense reds, with fine-textured tannins and balance.
White
Bourgogne Pinot Noir Terres de Famille
Rich stone and fresh apricot, with a glossy minerality, an appetizing sapidity, and slightly phenolic note. Yum. 2023–25. 85
Vougeot Premier Cru Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot
This monopole has a golden, glossy aroma, with the richness of fresh marzipan. Almond and rich buttery notes. Quite sumptuous. And on the palate, just lightly creamy, nicely rounded, but the freshness comes from underneath, with a broad blade of austerity. What a delicious cold cut to the punchy finish. 2025–30+. 95
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Honeysuckle and white flowers. It has grand cru volume but no weight. Such attractive lucidity, delicacy, and refinement. Vibrant freshness and intensity on the delightfully persistent and saline finish. Just the most engaging example I tasted. 2025–30+. 98
Red
Chambolle-Musigny
A light-bodied, energetic, and fresh Chambolle, with red pomegranate fruit, a lively snap and crackle of tannin, and herbal anise notes to finish. 2025–28. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles
Engaging aroma, with fresh woodland and hints of coffee. Silky, fine tannins. What an elegant and lucid Gevrey. Ripples lightly over the palate with a touch of redcurrant and white pepper to finish. Top-notch. Delightful. 2024–30. 91
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Old roses, white pepper, and tarragon. A complex and rather floral aroma for Clos de Vougeot. The largest parcel, near the château, is whole-bunch. Full-bodied, dense, and layered, this has lithe muscularity and a marked tension on the finish. 2028–40. 97
Corton Le Clos du Roi Grand Cru
50% whole-bunch. Deep and spicy aroma, with lively highlights of fresh coriander. Smooth-textured. This is full but with an airy volume. An expansive palate sharpens to a persistent, precise finish, with tension at the end. A lovely example of more refined Corton. 2028–35+. 96
Musigny Grand Cru
Satin-smooth texture, with great intensity and length, precision and finesse of texture. 2030–40+. 98–99
