Burgundy Wine

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 92 Points | Very snappy and crisp on first sip, this gains depth and complexity in toasted almonds and butter as it opens. Alive with crisp apples, lemon zest and a mineral tang that gives a very lively texture and great balance. Medium-bodied. Blended from 60 sites in the region, it was partially barrel fermented.

Winemaker Description 

Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles (family garden) has become one of the most popular items in the entire Frederick Wildman portfolio. Year in/ year out this wine represents impeccable quality and unsurpassed value in the French wine category. This wine exceeds expectations of even the most discriminating of palates.

Les Sétilles is sourced from vineyards within the communes of Puligny Montrachet and Meursault, with each village representing roughly half of the final blend. Grapes are sourced from multiple plots within each village in an effort to maximize complexity of the final wine.

Vintage consistency is the goal with this wine so the blending of lots and aging technique will vary according. Roughly 60% of the wine is aged in Allier oak, only 10% of which is new. The remaining 40% of the wine is aged in stainless steel to preserve clean varietal character.

Winemaker Description 

A good balance of fresh but softly perfumed ripe red currant and strawberry fruits with a touch of rosewater and anise. The nose leads to well-rounded but lively crunchy red fruits on the palate with spice and chalk notes on the elegantly tailored finish.

After being founded in the 1750s, in the mid-18th century, the Domaine de Montille century extended over 12 hectares. The family's financial problems meant that Etienne de Montille, the manager at that time, had to abandon certain parcels of land and focus on 3 hectares, mainly in Volnay. With the arrival of Hubert de Montille, Etienne's grandson, the domaine took off in another direction. Like his father, Hubert was a lawyer, however he would go on to lead a double life as a wine grower and a lawyer. He decided to produce his own wines from A to Z. Within a few decades, he would become one of the finest examples in the region, perfectly expressing the terroir of each climat with pure and elegant wines.

Today, the domaine is managed by Etienne and Alix de Montille, Hubert's children who also were originally steered towards a legal career. The domaine now has 20 hectares of vines, including 15 of grand and premier crus, on the best climats of Burgundy, in white and red! Domaine de Montille now produces its wines using biodynamic methodology, perpetuating the tradition of innovation and excellence introduced by Hubert de Montille. Etienne and Alix also created a mini trading structure, Maison Deux Montille Soeur Frère.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review

Burghound Allen Meadows 93 Points | Much more layered aromas are comprised by notes of wet stone, citrus confit, Granny Smith apple and pretty spice wisps. The dense but sleek and highly energetic larger-bodied flavors display impressive power and length on the compact, austere and impeccably balanced finale. This is excellent and a wine that is built to repay extended keeping.

Quick Expert Summary - Vintage 2022

 🍇 Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy) 92 Points Described the fruit as having a refined character and complexity, with a savory red berry note, plenty of energy, and good acidity.

🍷 Vinous (Neal Martin) 91 Points Noted a well-defined bouquet with black cherries and wild strawberry fruit; the palate is medium-bodied, smooth and sensual toward the finish.

📜 Burghound (Allen Meadows) 90 PointsPraised the attractively spicy nose and the "slightly better verve" on the palate, which finishes with fine-grained tannins.

✨ Wine Spectator (Bruce Sanderson) 90 Points Found it to be a tangy red with spicy cherry, pomegranate, and blood orange flavors, calling it nicely integrated and juicy.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Allen Meadows writes:  An attractively spicy nose freely offers up aromas of dark pinot fruit, Savigny-style earth, violet and an interesting hint of white pepper. There is slightly better verve suffusing the lightly stony middleweight flavors that also possess a caressing but punchy mouthfeel on the lingering finale that is noticeably finer thanks to the fine-grained tannins. This too could be approached young though at least a few years of cellaring should be beneficial.  - Burghound 90

Bruce Sanderson writes:  A tangy red, this features spicy cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and toasty oak flavors. Nicely integrated, with a whisper of dusty tannins lining the finish. This is juicy, with the fruit resonating on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2040.   - Wine Spectator 90

Neal Martin writes:  The 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Lavières 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet with black cherries and wild strawberry fruit, pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe red fruit and light pastille notes, smooth and sensual towards the finish. Give this three or four years in bottle.  - Vinous 91

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Alain Meadows of Burghound writes 95 Points |  Here too the beautifully layered nose is decidedly cool with its more citrus-suffused aromas of green apple, wet stone and crushed fennel. The more refined, if slightly less concentrated, medium weight flavors flash an almost pungent minerality on the beautifully textured, bone-dry and sneaky long finale. This chiseled effort will need at least a few years of cellaring first as it's quite tightly wound today.  - Burghound 95 ♥️

Critic Notes

Charles Curtis MW writes:  hint of exotic Asian spice. The palate has a deft balance between density, moderately firm tannins, and a lively freshness that leads to a pleasantly lingering finish—lovely wine. The grapes come from the domaine holding of just under a half-hectare located under Clos de la Roche; they are partially destemmed and carefully fermented before ageing in mainly used casks. Age five years before opening.  Drinking 2028 to 2055.  - Decanter 95

Neal Martin writes:  The 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes 1er Cru has one-third whole bunches. Brambly red fruit, sous-bois and light chalky scents on the nose that feels quite strict at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. There’s mainly black fruit here, plus cedar and graphite, rather "serious" towards the finish. Fine, but it will require bottle age.  Drinking 2026 to 2042.  - Vinous 90-92

Allen Meadows writes:  A discreet application of wood sets off the softly spicy and earthy aromas of violet, lavender plum and red currant. The powerful and markedly more concentrated broad-shouldered flavors exude a subtle minerality on the succulent yet very firmly structured finale that exhibits excellent length. Patience will be necessary but it should be well-rewarded in time as this is packed with development potential.  Drink 2024+  - Burghound 93

Winemaker Description

The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy cranberry and strawberry, bright and taut with a transparent finish. Warning - you will be totally smitten.

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The 2020 Domaine Coche-Dury Bourgogne Rouge is a distinguished Pinot Noir from one of Burgundy's most esteemed producers. Crafted by Raphaël Coche, this wine exemplifies the estate's commitment to quality and tradition.

In the glass, it presents a vibrant ruby hue, leading into aromas of ripe red berries, cherries, and strawberries, complemented by subtle earthy notes. On the palate, it offers a medium-bodied profile with flavors of crunchy cranberry and strawberry, bright acidity, and a transparent finish .

This Bourgogne Rouge is versatile in food pairings, complementing dishes such as roasted duck, grilled salmon, or white meats. Its refined tannins and long, lingering finish make it a wine to savor and enjoy .

Winemaker Description

Considered the pinnacle of Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti produces some of the world’s most revered wines from its tiny vineyards in Vosne-Romanee. Grands-Echezeaux, is a Grand Cru vineyard yielding sublime wines that are among the most highly-sought, seductive and rarest in the world.

The 2020 Grands Échézeaux is full-bodied, ample and fleshy with an abundance of powdery tannins and succulent acids. The luscious palate presents strawberry, cherry, leather, earth, mushroom, mint, a touch of spice, oak, and refreshing minerality.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

Burghound | A much more floral-inflected nose freely offers up its aromas of cool and ripe pear, apple and zest. There is good richness if not quite the same density to the more finely textured middleweight flavors that conclude in a crunchy bitter lemon-tinged finale. Lovely and understated.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Burghound 93 Points | A more reserved if equally airy and elegant speaks more of acacia, green apple and zest, all of which is trimmed in enough wood to notice. Here too there is excellent volume and punch to the medium-bodied that flash noticeably more minerality on the beautifully persistent finish. Like the Pucelle, this possesses a simply gorgeous texture that can be replicated by no other commune in the Côte. It's worth pointing out that the Pucelle and Cailleret are quite similar qualitatively but they offer two very different expressions. Outstanding. ♥

Decanter 94 Points | Chartron’s Clos du Cailleret is a regal premier cru. This emblematic cuvée of the Chartron family is particularly successful in 2021, with exotic aromas of guava and pomelo, lemon, and spice. The texture is concentrated and rich, with no lack of acidity but an equally impressive richness in extract for balance. The vines come from the Chartron parcel of nearly a hectare at the northern end of the Clos. The grapes are lightly crushed and slowly pressed before fermentation in cask (25% new)—genuinely delicious wine. 

Winemaker Description 

Located in the heart of the village of Pouilly in Southern Burgundy, the Domaine des Sansonnets is owned by the same family since 4 generations. The current vine growers Mr & Mrs Lucien Berger work with passion and use sustainable methods to create this complex and vigorous Pouilly-Fuissé.

Uncontested king of the Mâconnais, this wine comes from the beautiful Southern Mâconnais region guarded by two jagged rocky outcros: Vergisson and Solutré. The 8 acres of 30 to 60 years old Chardonnay vines are planted in a clay limestone soil on hillside slopes facing the rising sun.

Our Professional Review 

Alain Burguet insisted on farming organically almost twenty years before Ecocert was created to certify organic farming. His sons, Jean-Luc and Eric have taken it a step further, converting all their vineyards to Biodynamic farming. The Cuvee Symphonie is made from a range of several vineyards 40 to 50 years old. Fermentation is with natural yeasts with no additives, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration and very little sulfur. Juicy raspberry aromas on the nose with bright fruit, sweet supple tannins and spice complexity on the long and lovely finish. Bart Hopkins

Winemaker Description 

Siituated just below premier cru Aux Argillas on the slope in northern Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Bousselots provides an impressive showcase for the vigorous minerality typical of this village. Drag farms a half-hectare parcel of Bousselots that abuts the well-regarded premier cru Les Chaignots to its immediate north, and this bottling possesses a murmuring stony intensity which contrasts the often-floral character of its immediate neighbors. Notes of bright red fruits, warm leather, and dark dust orbit a core of iron-like mineral enormity, and its sinewy, densely concentrated palate promises plenty of positive evolution.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Allen Meadows Burghound writes 91 Points | Ripe but cooler aromas include those of plum liqueur, black raspberry and airy floral nuances. There is excellent energy to the delicious and nicely detailed flavors that exude evident minerality on the borderline rustic, youthfully austere and balanced finale where the only nit is a subtle hint of warmth that doesn't really detract from the overall sense of harmony. Note that this dusty and moderately austere effort could use more depth so this will require at least mid-term cellaring.

Winemaker Description 

Bitouzet’s formidable Bourgogne Rouge comes from a hectare’s worth of Pinot Noir planted between 1963 and 1970 in the lieu-dit Petit Près, situated just below the villages-level Volnay vineyard Les Pasquiers near the Meursault border. Aged entirely in used barrels for 12 months, it leads with fruit— small-berried, finely etched fruit—but possesses ample minerality and a notable sense of refinement for its level. 

Expert Review - VIntage 2023 

Allen Meadows Burghound | Slightly more elegant aromas include those of red currant, cherry and softer earth influence. There is slightly better size, weight and mid-palate density to the medium weight flavors that possess a caressing mouthfeel while delivering solid depth and persistence on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finale. This is quite good for its level and worth a look.

Winemaker Description 

Hoffmann-Jayer’s Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Rouge comes from a hectare’s worth of 60-year-old Pinot Noir planted in the lieux-dits En Foigery and Les Castaings in Magny-lès-Villers. After a pre-fermentation cold soak and a spontaneous fermentation in cement tank, the wine spends 18 months aging in a combination of two-thirds 228-liter barrels (20% new) and one-third terracotta jar before being bottled without filtration. Bright, red-fruited, and marked by lip-smacking minerality, this is a fresh but serious version of this appellation, buttressed by clean and elegant tannins.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020 

Allen Meadows Burghound | A spicier and slightly more deeply pitched nose of plum, black cherry and similarly subtle earth influence gives way to bigger and richer medium weight flavors that also possess fine tension on the impressively long finish. One to buy.

Winemaker Description 

Intense ruby red in appearance. Aromas are powerful and concentrated. Good tonicity of floral aromas but also blackberry then caramel and roasted chocolate. Volume of ripe fruit with dominant aromas of blackberry and blackcurrant, associated with notes of liquorice. Opulent and well-structured on the palate, this area is rich in tannins chiseled lace. The acidity is well integrated. 

The wine has a hint of minerality that makes you mouth water. The finish is persistent and fresh. The pairings are multiple and infinite and we can refer to all the pairings of our red Beaujolais, particularly the rabbit terrines, duck, wildfowl, young roast rabbit, a pigeon with peas, small Provencal stuffing, red fruit tarts etc.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 96 Points | The density and balance are so attractive here, with sliced apples, white pineapple and crushed stones. Hints of dried flowers, too, such as white roses and lilacs, as well as almonds. Medium-bodied with focus and subtle strength. Seemingly endless, with a bitter-lemon edge and nice reduction in the aftertaste of gun metal. Drink and enjoy.

Decanter 94 Points | Drouhin's Clos des Mouches 2023 exemplifies the vintage's potential for delicious whites. The wine has lush, forward aromas of Mirabelle plums and quince with hints of marzipan, butter and a suggestion of stylishly smoky reduction. The texture is supple and dense, but the richness is kept in balance and the extract carries the wine to a lingering finish. Parts of the 7ha vineyard have been replanted; the old vines that produce this bottling have delivered a wine of great character.

The Wine Advocate 93-94 Points | The 2023 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc (Domaine) is another strong performance, delivering aromas of sweet pear, peach and mandarin mingled with buttered toast and mint. Full-bodied, rich and ample, it's layered and unctuous, with a seamless, satiny, textural profile and a long, lusty finish.

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Stylish and graceful, this white evokes lemon, apple, white flower and honey aromas and flavors. Almost seamless in its texture and balance, with finely meshed acidity providing lift and freshness. Excellent length.

Winemaker Notes

An outstanding wine. Pale yellow color. Complex floral nose of white lilac and white rose. Once open, fruity aromas come to the fore, evolving towards grilled hazelnut and almond. When the wine is more mature, the nose is surprisingly strong and fifteen minutes of aeration produce wonderful notes of white truffle, citron (cedrat), honey and nutmeg, elegantly meshed together. Very lively on the palate. Its rich texture is in evidence, but also its structure and minerality. It is round, but never heavy. Harmonious fullness in the aftertaste. This wine allies remarkably the complexity and elegance of a Bâtard-Montrachet with the power of a Corton-Charlemagne.

Winemaker Description 

An effusive yet delicate nose showing aromas of honeysuckle, quince, and roasted almond. The palate is rich and complex offering flavors of warm spice, pear, and sea shells.

Domaine Gerard Tremblay Chablis 1er Cru Montmain 2023 represents the purity and finesse of Chablis, now highly valued among collectors and sommeliers in the United States. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 98 Points | The iodine, blackberry and rose-stem character comes through clearly. Plenty of fruit and depth. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that caress the palate and provide endless flavors of Indian spices, flint, nutmeg and light crust. Such refinement and integrity. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2023 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches (Domaine) is showing nicely, bursting with aromas of sweet berries, spices, orange zest and new oak. Medium to full-bodied, succulent and lively, with chalky grip on the finish, it will offer a broad drinking window.

Decanter 93 Points | Lovely cherry fruit with hints of lavender and rosemary. The texture is silky and dense, almost fat. There is more clay here, and less limestone than in Les Cras, and the tannic structure is not as firm. The grapes are from Drouhin's massive 6.75ha here, not far from Pommard; they are partially destemmed and fermented on native yeasts before ageing in cask (25% new) for 14–18 months.

Winemaker Description 

Located in the village of Épineuil, 20 kilometers northeast of Chablis, Dominique Gruhier has farmed his 10 hectares of vineyard as naturally as possible with respect to nature and obtained organic certification in 2016. These cool climate vineyards are composed of limestone rich Kimmeridgian soil, much the same as neighboring Chablis.

The 2023 Cuvée Juliette is elegant with delicate intensity. 

Generous aromas of strawberry and raspberry dominate the nose and develop in the mouth with expressive layers of minerals, spice and supple tannins. Perfectly balances and drinking superbly.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Vinous 100 Points | The 2022 Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru is a real head-turner. What a wine! As is so often the case, Romanée St. Vivant is not an obvious wine, rather it is a Burgundy of detail, of understatement, of total class. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Silky tannins wrap around a core of red-toned fruit, mint, white pepper, blood orange and exotic spice.

Decanter 97 Points | The Romanée-St-Vivant has developed more complexity since bottling, with a savoury, almost gamey edge to the lush berry fruit aromas and a hint of spice. The grip and freshness of the wine are impressive and seem to carry this wine to a new level of intensity. Although this wine had originally seemed ethereal and silky, the substantial nature of the structure is now evident, aided perhaps by the stricter selection. Bertrand de Villaine confirms that two parcels in this vineyard were pulled up due to issues with the rootstock, leaving them 23,699 bottles in 2022.

The Wine Spectator 97 Points | Shy, suggesting cherry, strawberry and spice flavors. Nonetheless, there is plenty of structure and length.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Decanter 100 Points | The 2022 La Tâche was very impressive out of barrel; still, at the time I preferred the Romanée-Conti. I am less certain of this judgement when tasting the wines in bottle. Admittedly it is splitting hairs, but to judge what they show today, the exquisite La Tâche may have edged ahead of even the Romanée-Conti at present. It is a serious wine, substantial and structured; less open than the Richebourg and showing more savoury and spice notes than overt primary fruit, yet it is a wine that is unbelievably dense with flavour and long on the finish. 

The Wine Advocate 98 Points | The 2022 La Tâche Grand Cru is the most complex and compelling wine in the range at this early stage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and plums mingled with rose petals, orange zest, exotic spices, incense and wintergreen, it's full-bodied, rich and layered, with a deep and pure core of fruit, lively acids and sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, gently oak-inflected finish. It was harvested the fourth through the sixth of September, just after the Grands-Échézeaux, and bottled in March 2024.

The Wine Spectator by Bruce Sanderson 95-98 Points Barrel Sample | La Tâche exudes black cherry and licorice aromas and flavors, an altogether darker, meatier profile with greater concentration. Nonetheless, it is also refined, with a lingering aftertaste suggesting sandalwood.

Expert Reviews - VIntage 2023 

Decanter 92 Points | Jadot's white from its holdings at the top of the slope in Santenay is easy to love, with forward aromas of ripe apples, pears and a hint of white flowers. As technical director Frédéric Barnier explains: 'The whole task is to keep the freshness and balance. We blocked the malolactic conversion and won't go too far on the elevage.' His tactics seem to have worked. Although the wine is marked at present by the cask ageing (one-third new), this should be ready to drink at bottling.

James Suckling 91 Points | Attractive toasty and nutty aromas are married to generous candied citrus fruit on the silky, medium- to full-bodied palate. The bright, flinty acidity gives this excellent energy. Drink or hold.

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | Aromas of peach, pear, orange zest and toasted nuts introduce the 2023 Santenay Clos de Malte Blanc (Domaine Louis Jadot), a medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless palate that's charming and expressive. It's another solid performance for this reliable bottling.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

The Wine Spectator 92 Points | Verging on creamy in texture, this white exudes peach, apple and honey flavors wrapped in an embrace of toasty oak. Vibrant and harmonious, with a long, layered aftertaste, where a mineral element emerges. Drink now through 2032.