CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
Domaine Ghislaine Barthod
It is no longer Ghislaine at the helm here, but Clément, who has taken over from both his parents (Ghislaine Barthod and Louis Boillot). Clément says the season was pretty easy but needed a good green-harvest: “It’s sad to remember that in 2023 we removed between 30 and 50% of the bunches, and in 2024 we have so little. In 2023 we averaged 42hl/ha. Some places were very healthy but in others, especially near to the forest with birds and wasps, we had problems of acetic rot. It was easy, though, to take out the affected bunches when we sorted. We started harvest at the beginning of September, as we saw that quality was deteriorating and we wanted to preserve the health.”
Clément has modified the vinification at both domaines. All the fruit is still destemmed, but while Ghislaine and Louis favored punching down at the end of the fermentation, when the vat is hot and there is alcohol, Clement now punches down at the beginning, to break the skins. “I am also using more cold-maceration at the beginning”—not least because he is now making wine at three domaines, and it is easier if the wines don’t start immediately. He likes five days of cold-maceration. “This way I can take my time and be more precise.” He uses remontage thereafter. “I also have a shorter maceration. My parents had 20–25 days but now I am around 20 days.”
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“For aging, I am now using some larger barrels. In 2023, we have 30–35% new oak but as 500-liter barrels, and I am also using foudres and tanks for Volnay.” All the barrels are from Remond.
The wines are now racked in October the year following the harvest into stainless-steel vats and left until the following March, whereas previously they were racked in August, returned to barrel, then racked again the following March before bottling. “I like longer time in tank before bottling, so we have more roundness. It is also because we have lower acidity than we had in the past, and I feel we keep the impression of freshness better if we keep the wines in tank.”
Alcohol levels are generally 12.5–13.8%: “A good balance, as the yields were not high.” In Gevrey-Chambertin they averaged 35 hl/ha, and in the Côte de Beaune, 45hl/ha. “The pHs are on the higher side—3.4–3.67 before MLF and 3.8–3.9 afterwards—so we added some tartaric at beginning. My parents were always looking for freshness, so I cannot make fat and heavy wine.”
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“2023 is a little like 2009 in Chambolle. Good maturity and yields. With the 2009s, however, I always have the sensation of alcohol, which I do not have with the 2023s. The tannins are finer than in 2018, while 2015 was more concentrated. 2023 is not like 2017 here, as 2023 is more contracted. I find 2022 more like 2017, while 2023 is riper and more concentrated.”
These wines are a delight—and nowhere else can you taste such a wide range of Chambolle premiers crus. Clément has separated out a couple of the very small parcels that Ghislaine used to include in the village blend.
“In 2016, we worked with such small quantities. I was here in 2016, and I said, Why do we not vinify and make these small parcels separately? My mother has 11 premiers crus in Chambolle, maybe more than anyone in any one village on the Côte d’Or. So, I think it is important to make them separately.” He uses small stainless-steel tanks of 300 liters, which are wrapped with insulation, and in which he uses a fish-tank heater: “Hard work but I enjoy the result.”
“It was a surprise for us to see such clear differences between all the climats. We thought that as in some sunny vintages, there might be more similarities.”
White
Bourgogne Les Gravières
This is the third vintage from this parcel, in the Chambolle area, which Clément planted in 2018. 55 hl/ha. Savory, stony, and rounded. Quite soft but attractive. Aging is in barrel, stainless steel, and ceramic amphora. “It is a good blend of vessels, as it can be a fat wine, but with the tanks and the amphorae we keep the freshness and the acidity.” 2025–27. 82
Red
Bourgogne
Most of the fruit is from Bons Bâtons, but this is not on the label as the wine also includes a smidgen of something else. It is smooth and silky, with red fruit and soft tannins. Charming. 2025–28. 83
Chambolle-Musigny
A blend of nine parcels. Floral and silky Chambolle, with red, soft summer fruit, plump and ripe but with just enough freshness to balance. 2026–31. 87–88
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Baudes
Full and rich, lightly reduced. Spicy and dark, with grippy tannins. This needs time to knit. It is muscular and burly and slightly surly for the moment. The green notes at the end are quite fresh. 2027–35. 93
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Beaux Bruns
Succulent and dense and juicy. Round palate. Velvety tannins. Slightly earthier wine, which is spicy on the finish. 35% new oak. “I always separate Chambolle North and South. In the North I am looking for the iron in the soil, and I find the wines are rounder and richer, like Beaux Bruns. 2026–35. 93
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes
So floral and perfumed on the rounded and opulent palate. Spot-on for typicité. A light herbal lift carries the finish. Lovely. 2026–32. 93–94
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Chatelots
From 80-year-old vines in a climat just below the domaine. “The soil is particular—just 10–15cm [4–6 inches] of dark and heavy clay above the mother rock.” Red cherry fruit. Fresh and piquant. Cherry and red-currant fruit, nicely ripened. Vibrant, with a light crunchy note. Lively to finish. I like the snappy character. 2026–35. 93
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Aux Combottes
From vines that are 45–55 years old. Quite luscious and rounded, but with richer tannins; slightly more muscle and power here. “I do not find the same length as in Chatelots.” 2026–34. 91
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cus Les Fuées
Red-fruit aroma, and a delicious intensity. This is more complex, layered with sweetness and stoniness. The greatest concentration and yet there is freshness, too. Good length. Spot-on again. 2026–35. 94–95
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Greunchers
After the Charmes, this is crunchier and spikier. Crisp and juicy red fruit. Lively. Morello-cherry bite and lift. Crackles on the finish. I like the cherry-stone bitterness to the finish, and prefer this to the Charmes. 2026–32. 94
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Noirots
There is 50–100cm (20–40 inches) of topsoil here: “Like Sentiers, but with more clay.” Until 2017, the fruit went into the village wine. Two barrels. It is very juicy and a touch exotic. Very perfumed, rich and rounded and full, with a rather purple finish. “I compare this with Beaux Bruns. I am looking for the same dark, spicier fruit.” 2026–34. 91
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Sentiers
This is elegant and silky, red-fruited, supple and fresh and fluid, with a light, cool minerality to finish. Only one barrel, so Ghislaine included it in the village wine. 2026–34. 92–93
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Véroilles
A more herbal and upright, piquant, red-cherry aroma. Direct and pure, with lovely, bright, and singing fruit. Pure and lucid, energetic and saline to finish. My favorite among all these premiers crus. 2026–32. 94–95
DOMAINE LOUIS BOILLOT
“There is more concentration for the Gevrey wines, as we had lower yields. In Gevrey, we had good ripeness, richness, and tannin,” says Clément Boillot, who has taken over from his father Louis. He is not sure about a vintage comparison but wonders about 2000: “It was also smooth and delicate and had good ripeness.”
He started the harvest in the Côte de Beaune, picking the Caillerets quickly. “I prefer to chaptalize than to acidify.” In Volnay he is using tanks, foudres, and 228-liter barrels for aging. “I am looking for density but with smooth tannins.” He is using less pigeage and more remontage, and had shorter vatting in 2023. The alcohol is a little higher in the Côte de Beaune than in the Côte de Nuits, but not high, averaging around 13.5%.
I prefer the wines from Gevrey and Pommard to those from Volnay. There is good terroir distinction in the Pommards. Many of these wines have intensity and freshness. Clément has coaxed supple, smooth texture and approachable tannin without losing the structure.
Bourgogne
A full, juicy, dark-fruit Bourgogne, with plentiful but smooth tannins. Well-balanced and inviting. A good Bourgogne. 2026–28. 84
Côtes de Nuits-Villages Vignois
From the Brochon area, and this will become Fixin in 2024. I like this spicy, smooth, and generous wine, which is succulent and accessible. 2026–30. 85
Chambolle-Musigny
Red-fruited, tight, and crisp. Straight and slightly nervy to finish. Very different from the Barthod Chambolle. This is lighter and more energetic. Less classic, but super-attractive. 2026–30. 87
Gevrey-Chambertin
From 50- to 60-year-old vines across 15 lieux-dits, including four at the top of the village. A very good round-the-village expression, with a supple swath of tannins, good concentration, and dark fruit. It’s dense but rather elegant. Bitter chocolate on the suave finish, which has decent extension. An excellent example of village Gevrey. 2027–35. 90
Gevrey-Chambertin Evocelles
Only 12.5% ABV. This is silky and elegant up-front. Straight, strict, and crisp mid-palate, then the finish is very salty and razor-sharp. “There is no soil here. It is almost impossible to put in new plants—we need a pneumatic drill. So, the wine is never generous.” I’d say super-severe and cutting… but in time, this should come round: “Very good after ten years,” says Clément. 2028–35. 88–89
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Cherbaudes
I prefer the Cherbaudes to the Champonnets—it is purer. A smooth ripple into the palate, where it has richness, density, light muscle, and a light grip of tannin. Good tension and freshness at the end. 2027–36. 94
Pommard Premier Cru Les Croix-Noires
The vines here are at least 70 years old, in deep clay soil. Alluring, ripe, blueberry fruits. Sweet and juicy. Concentrated. Supple, smooth tannin and fresh to finish. What a juicy finish. A very yummy Pommard. 2026–34. 92
Pommard Premier Cru Les Fremiers
Red fruit and perfume—this is more aromatic and trimmer than the Croix-Noires. A slimmer and more delicate wine. At the moment, it is a touch terse and edgy, but there is a good, firm core here and the finish has sapidity. Not showing as well as the Croix-Noires now, but it will probably turn out to be as good, albeit it very different in style. I like both these Pommards. 2027–34. 92
Volnay Premier Cru Les Angles
The vines are 65 years old on average. It succulent and juicy. Loose, crochet texture. Easy-going and summery. Very accessible. 2026–30. 87–88
FRANÇOIS & JULIEN MILLET
François Millet established his négociant business in 2017 with his son Julien, after retiring from Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. It has expanded considerably since and now offers more than 20 cuvées—tiny lots of one or two barrels. François and his wife Michelle come from the Jura, where he has recently started making wines with cousins. He comments, “The 2023 season had a bit of everything, so it’s difficult to define. The heat blocked ripening, and this was the only advantage of this heat, as the grapes are not too ripe. The alcohol levels are quite high, but we achieved phenolic ripeness, too.” None of the wines was acidified. “The growers were serious and did a good green-harvest. Yield was key in 2023.”
As is usual here, remontage involved pouring a bucket of fermenting juice over the cap. There was only one punch-down on the Gevrey Le Fourneau and on the Beaune Champs Pimont. All the fruit is destemmed. “I am not dogmatic about it, but I feel that whole-bunch is a style, and not the best way to express the terroir.” Julien says the vatting was a little longer in 2023 than surrounding vintages. Even in a warm vintage, it is challenging to maintain the temperature during fermentation with such small (one- or two-barrel) quantities. They don’t have temperature-controlled tanks, but there is air conditioning. The winery is in a converted garage at the back of the house, but because the house is on a slope, the garage is lower down, where the cooler air flows, and it is east-facing so it is always cool, kept at a steady 12ºC (54ºF) with air con for all the aging.
The basket press has gone. François and Julien now have a new 8hl press with an open cage. This makes it a bit like a basket press but horizontal. “The wine filters well, as there are no drains—the press is clearer and cleaner,” says Julien.
The MLF was quite quick and was all finished in December: “Very spontaneous MLF, as there was not a lot of malic acid.” After MLF, the pH averaged 3.65.
François remarked that the wines had already gained in structure and he envisaged that continuing; he likes to keep all the wine, red and white, for a second winter before bottling. He always racks in the summer and uses a traditional “goat” to do this. It is a simple devise, which looks as if it had been in use for a couple of generations, with which you can tip a barrel and decant the wine off its lees. “With racking, the wine will be more precise,” says François. Remond and Rousseau are their preferred choice of coopers and there is no new oak.
The portfolio here has increased considerably and now ranges from Marsannay to Montagny. It became a gallop to get through all of them during my tasting of the 2023s. There are four village Gevreys. There is even a Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, which I tasted too quickly to comment on. There is a pretty Volnay village wine from Les Grands Poisots. There are also several wines, red and white, from the Hautes-Côtes, all of which are very attractive and worthy of your attention. The score system doesn’t really do them justice. The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits are from Segrois, a west-facing hill and a beautiful spot.
François remarks on the vintage: “The vintage is creamy and quite spicy. Open and convivial. There is a roundness to the vintage. The acidity was relatively low and coherent with the structure. Lower acidity and less structure, so this was in harmony. With the creamy fruit, you had to be careful to optimize the structure. Approachable and rounded and convivial from the start.”
White
Hautes-Côtes de Beaune En Vallerot
Super-ripe, citrus aroma and a white-peachy palate. Attractively fresh, with a light sapid note and silky sweetness to finish. Delish. 2026–30. 82
Marsannay La Croix du Bois
Only two producers—the Millets and the grower—make wine from this lieu-dit, a limestone, mid-slope parcel. Apricot intensity and richness. Plenty of concentration, with a vibrant, fresh finish. Very good Marsannay indeed. 2026–30. 85
Meursault Premier Cru Poruzots
Ripe and generous, full-bodied and richly textured; somewhat glossy, although there is no new oak here, just richness and concentration. Good terroir character. This wine punches into the finish. 2027–33. 93
Red
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
From two west-facing parcels in Segrois—Es Beveys and En Riotte—at 330m (1,080ft), so on the lower slope, with marl and some debris form the hill; quite a yellow soil. About 25-year-old vines. 2020 was the first vintage. Summer fruits, smoothly textured, lightly creamy and slightly piquant to finish. Appealing. 2026–28. 80–81
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Petite Vigne
From the top of the slope in Segrois, close to the wood, at 345m (1,130ft), where there is more limestone and less marl. Bright and upright aroma, with a hint of white pepper. Straight, delicate yet intense, and finely textured. A light and salty wine, with some tension. This is my favorite among the red Hautes-Côtes. 2026–28. 83
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Martennes
From a parcel in Segrois facing the ruins of St-Vivant abbey, at 340m (1,115ft). This has the greatest depth of red fruit and is a bit fuller; yet it also has a sappiness to the finish, which gives it appealing freshness. 2026–28. 82
Bourgogne Les Rues
From the end of a combe on an alluvial fan, so there are plenty of stones mixed with some clay. “It is like a little Chambolle!” says François, optimistically, as this comes from the other side of the main road. But it is a very pretty Bourgogne, with red-cherry fruit; a bright, crunchy wine, with plenty of freshness and a light pithy note. A touch herbal to finish. 2026–30. 82–83
Marsannay Le Potet
Black, spicy fruit, somewhat robust. It’s from a sandy soil, but there is clay here, too. “I think about the skin of the blueberry for the tannin,” says François. I find it quite chewy, but plenty of personality. The white is considerably better. 2026–29. 83–84
Fixin En L’Olivier
From up by the forest near Arvelets, and also near the church, so maybe the name refers to an olive tree once planted here. Red-cherry fruit and florals. This is a silky and finely textured Fixin. Neat and precise. Pure fruit and a light, talcy chalkiness to the finish. A top-notch village wine. Outperforms its status. 2026–30. 87–88
Gevrey-Chambertin Champ Franc
From the bottom of the village. Smooth and easy, soft and juicy. It’s nicely balanced. Simple. Well made. 2026–30. 85
Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice
Spicy, slightly exotic, red-fruit aroma. The succulent palate has a lightly creamy texture that carries to the finish, where there is a touch of salinity. “There may be only one vintage of this—we didn’t get it in 2024 and I am not sure we can have it again.” A pity, as it is a pretty Gevrey. 2026–30. 87–88
Gevrey-Chambertin La Croix des Champs
Darker and burlier, but the tannins bring freshness as well as structure. 2026–30. 86–87
Chambolle-Musigny Les Fouchères
This lieu-dit lies at the foot of the bowl of village parcels on the south side of the village. It is well-drained, as there are plenty of small stones, and it is well-exposed to boot. This has a light-footed and bright note. Fresh and pinging. Light and crisp. Slightly sapid to finish. Very Chambolle. 2026–32. 88
Beaune Premier Cru Champs-Pimont
This climat benefited from cool air from the combe. A rich and ripe, red-fruit aroma and juicy, generous mid-palate. Smooth tannins. There’s a little muscle to this Beaune, which is a good thing, particularly in 2023. It shows some freshness and vigor and has a good shot at the finish. 2026–32. 92
DOMAINE JACQUES-FRÉDÉRIC MUGNIER
Frédéric Mugnier comments on the season: “Until July, I thought it was similar to 2022, as there was no excess of anything. The quality was also similar to 2022, and the fruit was very healthy. I had to decide whether to do a green-harvest, but I decided to wait and see. What changed was the rain in August—more than we have become used to—and the result was that the grapes became bigger, the berries swelled, so there was more quantity than we wanted. The sanitary conditions were deteriorating, and the grapes were fragile due to the rain, so we did a lot of sorting out in August. There was some acidic rot and we had to sort this in the vineyard.” Frédéric hates sorting tables and has never had one. “The conveyor belt is terrible. I instructed the pickers to put in the basket only what you would like to eat.” He let them work slowly, at one third of the normal picking speed: “Slow and costly, but I prefer to do it this way, as it makes people responsible for what they do, and it is more efficient. I don’t want any mold in the winery.” The harvest lasted September 7–15.
“I had normal pH levels—3.6 to 3.7—something I have noticed for the past ten years. Even though we have warmer climate, the pH levels are not so high. Maybe it was lower in the ’90s—but I also had wines with a pH of 4 in the ’90s.” This may have been due to the higher levels of potassium in the soil, as a result of fertilization in the ’70s. “These days, we have lower levels of malic.” Frédéric wonders if the metabolism of the grapes has been changed by the climate, so that the grapes now synthesize more malic acid. “It doesn’t make sense scientifically, but maybe malic acid has been partly replaced by tartaric acid.”
“There were very thin-skinned grapes, which is why we had the rot: a high juice-to-skin ratio.” He was expecting wines with less color, but in fact the color is not light. “I did the same as usual in the winery, as I just didn’t know how I should change things. The skins were thin… but should I therefore extract more or less? I decided to accept what Nature gave me, and respect the balance in the wines, or I might have ruined them.”
In the winery, there was one change. “This year I did some saignée, to take off some of the water than fell in August.” The last time he did this was in 1999. “Doing this will not change the level of alcohol, so I prefer this to chaptalizing.”
“I am now very optimistic about 2023. They are not big wines. This is vintage that will be ready earlier, which is a good thing, as we have had a series of vintages that demand aging. When I want a wine to drink, and not an old vintage, I will always choose a wine from a colder vintage, as they will show more expression in youth than a hotter vintage.” And Frédéric considers 2023 to be a cold vintage: “Just three very hot days in September. Maybe it is like 2001 for the rain or 1999 for the volume—but it’s very different from recent vintages.”
The wines are delicate, and light in a good way, as always. Not as concentrated as recent vintages. They are gentle. In the wines from Chambolle, there is a whisper of tannin, with a light herbal note, which contributes freshness.
White
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Clos de la Maréchale Blanc
Ripe, stone-fruit aroma. Apricot, juicy richness and generosity on the full palate, which has a sumptuous texture, all of which is undercut with sapidity. It shows energy and freshness to finish. Opulent and inviting. 2026–23. 93–94
Red
Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Clos La Maréchale
Light spice and wild bramble fruit on this sweetly supple palate, with velvet tannins. It has an attractive bitterness on the finish. 2026–35. 92
Chambolle-Musigny
Strawberry aromatics; a gently rounded, inviting palate of soft red fruit, with a waft of tannin and lightly herbal note to finish. A hint of leafiness at the end works well here, for it is delicate and brings freshness. Frédéric comments, “The south part of Chambolle has a nice vegetal note, by which I mean there is fruit, flower, and the leaves.” 2026–33. 89
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
Intense aromatics, concentrated and perfumed. A silken-textured wine, woven with just enough acidity as the fruit envelopes the core. There is volume, but it’s airy. It has a lightly peppery character, part of the aromatics, and at the end, a hint of mint. “Les Amoureuses always has a distinct profile—weight, intensity, and weightlessness,” muses Frédéric. 2027–36. 94–95
Le Musigny Grand Cru
Both lucid and focused. Delicate but intense and channeled. Fine-porcelain tannin. A fine-boned wine with lovely persistence, which shows tension as it vibrates to the finish. 2028–38. 97
DOMAINE GEORGES ROUMIER
Christophe Roumier remarked on the light during the 2023 growing season. “Lots of light. The number of sunlight hours was high, and we had good conditions. It was an easy year. The fruit set was good and we had no difficulties. We did a green-harvest in some places, as the fruit set was too good. I am happy with eight to ten bunches per vine. No real purpose to take off more.” He harvested September 13–18. “I have a feeling some people started very early, and yet the ripening continued, and the canopy was still functioning, so maybe some didn’t get full maturity.” He spoke of deselecting green and pink berries. “All the berries that went into the tank were perfect. The pHs are high and sugars were high at harvest—13.1–13.8. The skins were of normal thickness and the light was responsible for this.”
“We were cautious with pigeage—only three of four for the whole cuvaison. It was not necessary to do any more extraction.” He will move the wines to stainless steel before Christmas, and may bottle a little earlier than usual. “In 2022, it was the same. The purpose of barrel-aging is to make the tannins finer and the aromatics more delicate and precise, so there is no need to continue longer in a vintage like this. The wines are shining. A little bigger than 2022, with lots of delicacy and complexity.”
“Chambolle averaged 50hl/ha, but some vineyards provided more and others less. Bonnes Mares gave 41hl/ha and Amoureuses 46hl/ha. It is pleasant to have good yields and the luxury to sort out anything that is not desirable, while in 2024 every berry counts. Maybe the high yields explain why the wines are not dense, even though we have richness and volume. If the yields had been lower, we would have made big wines—and we don’t have that.”
There is less new oak this year. Chambolle is always less than 20%, and this year it is only 20% for the premiers and grands crus. Some 90% of the barrels across the range come from François Frères.
“I kept the same quantity of whole-bunch as usual, as I thought it would be a mistake not to use them as usual. I adjusted the acidity a little—when you use whole-bunch, you have to accept this—before fermentation of course. I never do it by looking at the numbers, but rather by taste. If I felt I was missing something, I would adjust before the barreling down.”
“2023 is a bigger and stronger version of 2017. The 2023s are bigger and darker and have more tannin than the 2022s. Maybe a lighter, less alcoholic version of the 2018. The 2023 offers more delicacy immediately than 2018, which needs time to age. 2023 is not like 2015 or 2019—there are some common points, but 2023 is friendlier and for early drinking. The 2009s were flabbier than the 2023s. 2009s are nice wines that have developed more elegance, but they were rougher in the barrel at the same stage.”
Bourgogne
Lovely intensity of ripe red fruit on both nose and palate. There is freshness and a piquant, red-currant note enlivens the finish. Slightly crunchy. Delicious. Destemmed. 2026–30. 86–87
Morey-St-Denis Clos de la Bussière
75% whole-bunch. Clay soil and a place that ripens quickly. They have a team of 24 pickers, as it takes a day and a half to pick it, at 2.59ha (6.4 acres). Dark forest fruit on the aroma. Succulent strike, full, plenty of volume; full, spicy, and punchy, with a grip from the tannin. “The tannins have a different touch from Chambolle. The grip of the tannins is good here.” 2027–34. 88
Chambolle-Musigny
Super-suave into the palate: succulent red fruit, smooth, gliding, and generous. A nice, crisp, tannic note to finish. 50% whole-bunch, and you notice this herbal note on the finish. 2027–34. 91
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
Concentrated, denser and richer than the Ruchottes, and more engaging. It’s juicy and energetic. So succulent. A touch opulent on the finish, but equally powerful and persistent. 2027–37. 96
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Combottes
The second vineyard to be picked. Rich, dark fruit and a ripe, floral aroma. Super-smooth onto the palate, with a sappy and stony freshness to finish. It’s ripe but has good energy. 2026–37. 92
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Cras
Sweetness on the nose. Red summer fruits and white-pepper spiciness, which carries into the palate, which is full and rounded, lightly opulent and nicely juicy. At the end, it is much saltier, with a fine twang of tannins. Savory, salty tension at the end. Sweet then salty—the best I tasted. Super terroir definition. 2027–28. 95
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Bitter black chocolate and forest fruit. A streamlined Bonnes Mares. There is a density and intensity. Power and lithe muscle, then at the end really quite salty. I like the well-defined edges and then the salty bite to the finish. “60% of the white soils now, and this brings the saltness,” says Christophe. 2028–38. 96
Le Musigny Grand Cru
There were two barrels in 2023 and 2022 and none at all in 2024. Gorgeous rose-petal intensity on both nose and palate, but make no mistake—this is fabulously focused. A strong and steely core. It’s easy to be distracted by the wonderful perfume, but under this the structure is firm and contained and there is exceptional length. Stunning finish. Among my top four red wines of the vintage 2028–40+. 99
Charmes-Chambertin Aux Mazoyères Grand Cru
There is a freshness and airy quality to this Charmes, which has a full, rounded, and generous palate. 80% whole-bunch. I prefer the Echézeaux for now. The reason for the Charmes-Mazoyères label goes back to the 1984 sharecropping agreement, when the owner of the parcel preferred to label it as Charmes, since it was easier to sell, “but I brought Mazoyères back to the label to be more precise,” says Christophe. 2027–35. 94
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
It has grip, bite, and a whistling, cold note. Savory, tense, and tight. Channeled, knife-edged, with a super-salty, persistent finish. I like this chiseled and chilly style. “Very long and focused, mineral and tight,” muses Christophe. 2028–37. 96
Echézeaux Grand Cru
In 2023, Christophe has an additional new source for this wine—0.13ha (0.3 acre) in the exciting En Orveaux section of Echézeaux. “I was offered the opportunity to farm a section of a 0.26ha [0.6-acre] parcel, which is better located in Champs Traversins, where the soil is marne (white clay).” The assemblage is made in in fruit. 90% whole-bunch. Smooth and satin-rich in texture. A lightly sumptuous note. On the mid-palate, there is ripe, blackcurrant fruit and dark-chocolate bitterness, which carries to the finish. I liked his pretty En Orveaux, but this is deeper, richer, and suaver. “This new parcel brings more density and richness. It is a bit more serious now.” 2027–40. 97
DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ
Jean Lupatelli, the chef de cave, commented on the vintage. He started harvest on September 6 and finished on September 13, when it rained just as he was going to make a speech in the vineyard, so everyone had to race for cover. “Crop control was the important thing, with a very strict green-harvest from the end of June, just after veraison, and we took almost half the crop in some places. We have many old vineyards, but we still wanted to regulate the crop, to a maximum—not an average—of just five bunches per vine. We had just two or three bunches on some vines. And even with that we averaged 33hl/ha (the average at the domaine over the years is 25hl/ha). I am obsessed with balance; obsessed with acidity.”
The pH was 3.2–3.3 at harvest. They finished here at 13–13.5% ABV. “We had incredible phenolic ripeness, which we saw when I took the samples.” He mentions the high density of anthocyanins and tannins, as these are measured in the lab. “I didn’t want to wait too long, as the ripeness was racing ahead quickly, and the phenolic potential was high. We could be very soft with the extraction. For many cuvées, we did only remontage.” When he arrived three vintages ago now, Jean made a new storage room with air conditioning for grape reception, to bring the grapes down to 7–8ºC (44–46ºF). “We sort only cold grapes and we do not need a heat exchanger. The cooling was so important in the vintage, when fruit arrived at 27ºC [80ºF].”
There are no issues with the fermentation temperature here. “We had a large crop, but we did not need to cool. It went to 33ºC [91ºF]. It is much easier to work with large quantities.” 50% whole-bunch—the crop used to be totally destemmed when François Millet was the chef de cave. Jean has increased the number of tanks with stainless steel in addition to the traditional cuves, but it was nevertheless a little tight, as the winery was designed to manage 25hl/ha. He still managed to accommodate a proportion of whole-bunch.
Everything is racked at the end of the MLF, using a manual hand pump, into a small stainless-steel tank and then back into the same barrel, because Jean wants to follow each barrel individually. Time-consuming stuff. He has started matching the origin of the forest to the wine, so is careful to monitor this. He is still using a lot of barrels from Rousseau and Remond (the preferred coopers in François’s day) but also some from Les Granges and Hermitage. 30% new oak, but the oak has longer seasoning now and lighter toast.
Jean believes 2023 to be “like 2015 for richness, ripeness, and balance, but 2023 has a more artistic expression.” He finds 2022 “a more perfect vintage, rich and ripe and structured, while 2023 has more of an acid vibration.”
White
Musigny Blanc Grand Cru
A blend from two parcels. The smaller one is on the north side, which Jean says is a “more natural place” for Chardonnay, as there is a more decomposed limestone here, as distinct from the hard plate of limestone on the south side in Petit Musigny, where the larger parcel is located. The vines were planted in 1992, and the wine was first bottled as grand cru in 2015. “Often the production is too small,” Jean says, “but in 2023 we had a more normal production, so I prefer it.” Greengage aromas and hot stone. Cold bite on the palate. Super-savory. Powerful, buttoned-down, and super-concentrated. Rich and compact. Tense and salty on the finish. A chalky, savory note. It’s quite severe to finish—which I like. 2028–46. 94–95
Red
Chambolle-Musigny
The main parcel for this is Les Porlottes, behind Christophe Roumier’s house. It is a high parcel which, Jean says “is slightly tipped to the north—a steep slope and hard to work, a more limestone place for the domaine.” Jean finished the harvest here. The blend also includes 20% premier cru Les Baudes and Fuées, which were blended after pressing. Quite dark, bramble fruit. Smooth tannins, with an intensity of fruit on the strike and density mid-palate. Quite of lot of tannin—there is certainly some substance here—and graphite to finish. The most compact and tannic (and slightly stalky) Chambolle village wine I tasted. 2027–35. 89–90
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru
From vines less than 25 years old in Musigny, planted in 2007, with a good massal selection. The parcel is located just south of Amoureuses. There is just 0.3ha (0.74 acre) of this younger material now, as the other two thirds have graduated into the Musigny cuvée. Super-silky and intense. This is tight, straight, and focused, with tension and minerality, and is nicely persistent on the finish, where there is a light vibration. It is certainly not as long as the main cuvée of Musigny, but I think this is due largely to the location of the parcel, rather than to the age of the vines. This works better with the whole-bunch than does the Amoureuses. 2028–35. 95–96
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses
The holding here is 0.5ha (1.2. acres) but 40% has been pulled out. The part remaining is at the top of the climat. “We have looked into the soil structure, and in this location, it is only pure Comblanchien limestone.” Intense, red-fruit aroma. Succulent fruit on the front-palate, then tight, zesty, and somewhat edgy. There is some austerity here. It is tart and ends on a sapid note. The whole-bunch—approximately 50%, layered in the tank—is not quite as well-integrated for now—maybe the proportion or handling needs perfecting. “I want something more delicate,” says Jean. It’s not delicate now, seeming tighter and more vertical and slightly severe. It’s not typical, which may be a reflection of the terroir in the particular section used. 2027–32. 94
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
From 2.6ha (6.4 acres) on clay soil in the south corner. Dark and spicy. Concentrated and dense. But also a lot of sweet tannins. Punchy, powerful, and somewhat muscular. Jean says it is a more Chambolle style of Bonnes Mares, but I am not quite sure about that. I find it dense and bold, dark and spicy. 2029–40. 95
Musigny Grand Cru
50% whole bunch. There is richness, gloss, and sweetness of fruit up-front. Power and intensity and a lot of concentration mid-palate. There is certainly impressive density and, on the finish, salty persistence. I like the austerity at the end of the palate. 2029–40. 97
2023 Burgundy: Abundant variability
2023 Burgundy: A guide to the villages and vineyards
2023 Burgundy: Chablis with a sunny disposition
2023 Burgundy: Chablis tasting notes
2023 Burgundy tasting notes: Côte de Nuits—Marsannay and Fixin
2023 Burgundy tasting notes: Côte de Nuits—Gevrey-Chambertin
2023 Burgundy tasting notes: Côte de Nuits—Morey-St-Denis
