Filters Sort results
Reset Apply
 | The 2021s from Gros are an unmitigated triumph, and even more impressive given the… More (+) The 2021s from Gros are an unmitigated triumph, and even more impressive given the difficult vintage. Abundant rain and a cooler summer produced wines with less concentration than the last few scorching hot years – a welcome relief from the chewy, syrah-like Pinots of recent memory. Across the board Gros’s 2021s are elegant, refined, and middle weight, with subtly extracted tannins and beautiful length.Their lighter touch has meant they’re more charming young than we expected. Drawn mostly from a plot abutting Musigny Grand Cru, this overperforms it’s village-level billing by a mile. Neal Martin of Vinous found “an enticing nose with pressed violet and iris,” with “supple tannins, velvety smooth, and fine depth.” This always a top cuvée at Gros and the 2021 is no different. It’s elegant and classy, full of tension, precision, and the domaine’s signature smoky polish. We think the 2021s will age a decade with ease, but it’s already a tremendous glass of red Burgundy today. Less (-) | |
 | ||
 | Arnaud Baillot is a bit of an anomaly in Burgundy – he has no… More (+) Arnaud Baillot is a bit of an anomaly in Burgundy – he has no family connection to wine or the region, and has only been making wine for six years. His wife Laure is of a storied Burgundian family (Hudelot-Noëllat), but they have short winemaking experience and almost zero reviews. And since a hidden gem is the perpetual pursuit of all importers, we squeezed an appointment in late in the afternoon of our final tasting day this spring -- we're certainly glad we did.The Volnay 1er cru Mitans 2022 is everything in the village wine, but more so. Mitans is on the northern side of Volnay, near the Pommard border. It produces intense, concentrated wines full of compact fruit and character. Baillot’s is bold and beautiful, with beautiful spice elements in the nose (cinnamon, clove) alongside violets and cassis. As with all of Baillot’s wines, the oak is minimal and perfectly integrated. This will reward a few years’ patience beautifully. Less (-) | |
 | Léon Amiot is first and foremost a farmer. A cheerful twentysomething with a quick… More (+) Léon Amiot is first and foremost a farmer. A cheerful twentysomething with a quick smile and friendly demeanor, he’s traveled the world gaining extensive viticultural experience, and has brought real energy and renewed focus to his family’s tiny 5-hectare gem of an estate in Morey-St-Denis. He’s officially organic as of this year, but has already started the process of biodynamic certification. He has abandoned herbicides, planted cover crops, and this year begins an agroforestry project in the name of vineyard biodiversity.Ruchots was a real stunner this year, very ripe and expressive with loads of lush, inky fruit. It’s got the extraction and length to match. Léon’s vines here cover a wide swath of the terroir within the vineyard, and he credits the diversity of soils with the complexity of the wine. He’s able to blend elegant juice from up-slope stony sectors with rich juice from down-slope clay-rich soils; and the resulting wine has nearly unmatched complexity for its level. Less (-) | |
 | Typically for Puligny, it is a precise wine, refreshing and structured despite its excellent… More (+) Typically for Puligny, it is a precise wine, refreshing and structured despite its excellent concentration. Burghound found that “cooler and more elegant aromas are comprised [of] notes of acacia blossom, mineral reduction, petrol and a whiff of white peach.” He thought the wine “wrapped in a seductive yet quite punchy finish where the supporting acidity reflects a touch of citrus.” All the elements – oak, fruit, acidity, minerals – are perfectly layered and integrated. Less (-) | |
| | ||
 | Pierre Gros has now produced more excellent wine than can be chalked up to… More (+) Pierre Gros has now produced more excellent wine than can be chalked up to beginner’s luck. His father Michel is never far away with ready counsel and advice, but this is Pierre’s ship now, and he’s steering it beautifully. Like many of his peer group Pierre has moved the domaine toward organics, and his wines are clean and pure – they sport the same polish as his fathers’ with perhaps a bit more concentration of fruit and slightly longer finishes.The 2023 Vosne-Romanée was particularly expressive from barrel, with lovely floral and spice notes against toasted oak. In the mouth there is both length and elegance that lingers on the palate, and the fruit is impeccable and very long. Less (-) | |
 | Pierre Gros has now produced more excellent wine than can be chalked up to… More (+) Pierre Gros has now produced more excellent wine than can be chalked up to beginner’s luck. His father Michel is never far away with ready counsel and advice, but this is Pierre’s ship now, and he’s steering it beautifully. Like many of his peer group Pierre has moved the domaine toward organics, and his wines are clean and pure – they sport the same polish as his fathers’ with perhaps a bit more concentration of fruit and slightly longer finishes.The Chambolle-Musigny comes largely from a parcel adjoining the Grand Cru Musigny. It shows a density and structure more like a premier cru than a village wine, with ripe black currant fruit and a refined palate that persists in a long and lovely finish. Less (-) |