After tasting more than 1,300 Burgundy 2021 en primeur samples, Charles Curtis MW has given his full verdict on the new vintage.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the 84 red wines wines that scored 94 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
Producer
Appellation
Score
Notes
Lamy-Caillat
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets)
2021
97
The Caillerets from Lamy-Caillat is a monumental wine with a powerful nectarine and greengage plum fruit character and notes of salty minerality, spice, flowers, and smoke. The texture shows tension and concentration and a lasting persistence on the palate is rewarding indeed. The grapes come from a half-hectare that stretch from the bottom to the top of the lieu-dit. The grapes are crushed, pressed hard, and the must fermented in cask (after starting in stainless) before ageing over two winters.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
97
WHITE WINE OF THE VINTAGE TOP QUALITY Among the greatest white wines of the vintage; this is often the case with Lafon Montrachet. However, this vintage is different: with less alcohol and body than it has had in recent years, it shows an almost perfect balance. To be sure, there are super-ripe aromas of apple and peach with notes of marzipan, honey, mineral and butter, but there is a freshness and spice here that transcend the norm. Lafon farms 0.32ha on the south-facing Chassagne side; 80% of the vines come from a very old massal selection, planted in 1953. Monumental wine.
Lamy-Caillat
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Champs-Gains)
2021
96
The 2021 Champs Gains from Lamy-Caillat boasts exotic fruits on the initial attack, with notes of pomelo, passionfruit, and hibiscus, along with a modest complement of spice and cream. The texture is ripe and supple yet very long, with exquisite balance and concentration. This vineyard is the lowest on the slope among the Lamy-Caillat vineyards. There are 0.11 hectares here, and the almost decadent richness pays testament to this origin. This wine will drink perhaps just a bit sooner than the others from this cellar and age a decade or more after that.
Bouchard Père & Fils
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
96
The yield in Bouchard’s Chevalier-Montrachet vineyard was among those most severely impacted by frost and rain in 2021—the house produced only four barrels from 3.5 hectares. If you see a bottle of this wine, seize the day - it is absolutely superb. The initial attack features a piercingly concentrated lemony fruit with notes of white flowers, coconut, and exotic spices. There is incredible concentration here – the wine seemed ‘polished like a diamond’ in the notes I took. Doubtless, it will continue to improve for decades.
Domaine Michel Niellon
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
96
In 2021, the domaine protected this site above all from frost but still lost half their crop, despite being surrounded by the also well-protected vines of Domaine Leflaive. Accessible almost even now, the aromas of green apple and passionfruit, coconut, butter, and baking spice are almost opening even now. There is a lovely freshness and silky texture, yet this is a powerful wine with impressive length and density at the end. This should open in five years and continue to improve for at least twenty-five more.
Domaine Ponsot
Morey-St-Denis (1er Cru Monts Luisants)
2021
96
The white Clos des Monts Luisants is a riveting wine, one of the great successes of the 2021 vintage. Intensely concentrated and complex aromas range from green apple and gooseberry to tarragon and crème fraiche. The texture is lively, yet there is the breadth and chewiness to ensure that this will age well into the next decade. The vineyard of Aligoté was first planted in 1911; approximately 15% was replanted in 2006, but work continues, and the walls surrounding these ancient vines have recently been restored to ensure that this wine will continue to delight savvy wine lovers.
Bouchard Père & Fils
Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
96
TOP QUALITY This is a wine of impressive concentration, with complex layers of fruit on the nose that range from citrus to green apple, apricot, quince and passion fruit. There are elements of cream, butter, flinty mineral and fresh flowers. The texture is dense and long, but there is no lack of freshness, and the balance seems nearly perfect. It is produced from 0.89ha of mature vines on the Puligny side, just south of the Ramonet parcel. Profound and ageworthy, it will doubtless also show well young.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières)
2021
96
TOP QUALITY Tremendous – truly 'the grand cru of Meursault'. This has almost pungent aromas of grapefruit and passion fruit with hints of smoke and mineral. The fruit opens up even more on the palate to show hay, beeswax and cream. The texture is rich and broad, but a lively acidity also drives this to an intense, long-lasting finish. Lafon's 0.91ha are spread over three parcels: two in Perrières Dessous (old vines, massal selection, 0.77ha) and Perrières Dessus, which he calls Perrières Ginette (0.14ha). The blend is one of the great whites of the Côte de Beaune.
Maison Millemann
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
96
TOP QUALITY Pierre Millemann has produced one of the most exciting Corton Charlemagnes of the vintage, with abundant smoky reductive notes on the initial attack, a bright, forward, lemony fruit, and a strong suggestion of salty minerality, opening on the palate with ripe green apple and floral notes. It is tightly wound, and one has the sense that with time the edges will soften and the aromas will develop further. For the time being, it is as focused as a laser beam, and the crisp acidity and rich phenolic charge drive the wine to a persistent finish.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Romanée)
2021
96
TOP QUALITY This thrilling wine has a profusion of ripe nectarine, green apple and lime fruit aromas on the initial attack, with a pronounced saline minerality and reductive smokiness. It opens with a bit of time in the glass to give a more generous creamy impression. The concentration of the old vines planted by Pillot’s grandfathers almost directly on the rock is evident. There is a great purity of fruit here without so much as a single new cask to distract from the focused citrus fruit, and those who appreciate powerful, tense whites will be delighted.
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
96
This wine took nearly a year to finish its fermentation, and in the end has delivered robust ripe apple fruit and notes of butter, hazelnut and smoke. This rich, persistent wine is produced from the southern part of Languettes on the border with the Clos du Roi, separated from this vineyard by a fault in the limestone, where Liger-Belair farms a mere 0.12ha and produced only a single barrel this year.
Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Marsannay
2021
95
There is a lovely depth of flavour in this vibrant white from Chenôve, with bright citrus and nectarine aromas, refreshingly crisp acidity, yet enough body and extract to ensure impressive length to the elegant finish. It is produced from old vines (planted in 1955) in Pataille’s east-facing 0.70-hectare parcel. He presses the grapes as whole clusters without sulphur during the fermentation and ferments them in mostly-used casks to produce this elegant, concentrated wine.
Domaine de la Vougeraie
Vougeot (1er Cru Le Clos Blanc)
2021
95
This exotic, seductive wine is one of the specialties at Domaine de la Vougeraie. It features ripe pear and peach fruit with smoke, beeswax and floral notes. The texture is dense, with balanced acidity and plenty of extract that lingers on the palate almost like a Corton-Charlemagne. It is produced from the Domaine’s monopole of just over three hectares that is planted to chardonnay with a small admixture of Pinot Beurrot and just a drop of Pinot Blanc. The grapes are farmed biodynamically and pressed as whole clusters. The fermentation starts in tank and finishes in cask (about one-quarter new).
Domaine Alvina Pernot
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
Alvina Pernot has produced a superb Bâtard. The terroir, which tends toward heaviness, seems well-suited to her style, which tends toward lean, racy wines. Here the combination gives the impression of ripe apple fruit with a suggestion of something more exotic; the texture on the palate reveals the density of the wine, with a rich, full body and flavours of butter and cream along with a mineral note. Pernot and her husband farm a half-hectare, and if this is any indication, they have particular success with this wine.
Domaine Pierre Vincent Girardin
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
The Bâtard from Pierre Girardin is incredibly assured and masterful. The aromas initially seem slightly restrained, but it begins to open up nicely with ripe pear, white flowers, mineral, and smoke. The texture has incredible tension, but there is enough richness to bring everything into dynamic balance. The grapes come from a 0.125-hectare parcel of ancient vines that Girardin purchased in 2017 on the Chassagne side near the stone house. This wine will open in a few years and should continue to improve for decades in a proper cellar.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
The Bâtard was curiously less expressive and a bit more reserved than other wines in this cellar. Still, however, pleasantly ripe pear and quince aromas with a subtle hint of white flowers develops on the palate. The texture is firm and broad, with structure in all the right places. The grapes come from the 0.08-hectare plot at the centre of Bâtard; they are lightly crushed prior to fermentation in large casks with a modest proportion of new wood for the appellation.
Domaine Alvina Pernot
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
Ripe aromas of green apple, passionfruit, and melon dominate the nose and are given depth with shades of butter, chamomile, and spice. The texture is rich and deep, with a creamy feel but no sense of heaviness. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters and fermented on native yeasts, mainly in used casks, before ageing over two winters. This wine is elegant and fine, yet does not lack the substance for long ageing.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru)
2021
95
The vineyards farmed by the domaine were so badly damaged by frost and rain in 2021 that the premier cru parcels in Chassagne (like the village-level vines) were blended together. At the premier cru level this includes Chenevottes, Caillerets, and Abbaye de Morgeot; the result was seven barrels instead of 25, but the quality of what remained was tremendous, with ripe apple and pear fruit aromas kissed with a floral edge and a firm mineral note. The texture showed pleasant density and nice 'shoulders' – admirable length, breadth and substance. This is impressive wine by any measure.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets)
2021
95
Thierry Pillot grinned as we tasted his ’21 Caillerets: ‘I don’t feel the stress in 2021’. A nerve-racking vintage, to be sure, but he ended up delivering in spades. This wine is particularly successful, with bright lemony fruit, some aromatic floral notes, and a moderately strong smoky/reductive edge. The acidity is bright and lively but not acerbic, and the finish is long. It is produced from nearly a half-hectare at a high elevation in thin soils above 300 metres. This is top-class Chassagne in a fashionably racy style that will not disappoint.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Grande Montagne)
2021
95
The minute quantities of Grande Montagne from Pillot are eminently worth seeking out, given the wine’s thrilling, electric lime peel and salty mineral nose and smoky reductive aromas. The texture packs a lot of concentration, extract, and length into a reasonably light frame. High-elevation vineyards are something of a specialty of Pillot; the two discontinuous sections of Grande Montagne high on the slope are a perfect example. Their tiny plot holding produced a single 350-litre cask in 2021.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Grandes Ruchottes)
2021
95
Bright aromas of pomelo, lemon peel, and passionfruit aromas with a mineral accent feature prominently on the initial impression of the ’21 Grandes Ruchottes from Pillot. The texture is rich, supple, and fresh, and the complex flavours echo across the lingering finish. The wine is accessible, almost opening now, yet its concentration suggests it will age well indeed. The grapes come from 0.20 hectares at the top of the slope; they are pressed as whole clusters and run into large casks with most of their lees for fermentation and ageing over two winters to produce this intense wine.
Domaine Lamy-Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Morgeot)
2021
95
This is a fabulous wine, if somewhat un-Morgeot-like. Morgeot is well known for its reds, while whites run the risk of heaviness. Here, however, the contrary is true: the wine has a greenish cast to its lemon-yellow hue; lime peel and green apple fruit aromas are touched with a salty minerality. The texture is fresh and crisp, with plenty of acidity and perfect length. The grapes come from a third of a hectare total in Morgeot spread over three lieux-dits: 0.18 in Les Petits Clos, 0.05 in Fairendes, and 0.11 in Champs Jeandreau. The vines average fifty years of age and come from a quality massale selection—well done indeed.
Louis Jadot
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
This is a beautiful wine, made at a heavy cost – only three casks were produced from a half-hectare. The results, however, are outstanding, with focused lemon peel, white flower, and mineral notes that open up to show a bit of oak spice on the palate. The texture has impressive concentration, and the flavours run deep on the palate. The grapes come from the Jadot-owned parcel at the top of the slope that was promoted from premier cru Cailleret. This wine may take a few years to open up but should last at least twenty years.
Bouchard Père & Fils
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
95
Lemony and bright, this wine exemplifies the virtues of whites of the 2021 vintage. The initial impression is citrus peel, but there is a nectarine sweetness, some richer apricot notes, a salty mineral overlay, and some lovely floral notes. The wine has plenty of structure and length, but the freshness is well-balanced with the impressive level of extract. This wine will be better after a few years in the bottle and should age for decades. Bouchard’s four-hectare plot in thin white marl soils at the top of the hill consistently delivers grapes of concentration and bracing tension.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
95
This dynamic wine is blended from grapes purchased from two parts of the hill of Corton – most of it is from En Charlemagne in west-facing Pernande-Vergelesses, while nearly a third comes from a parcel in Les Languettes high on the slope in Aloxe. The two are very complimentary, and there is more of chalky minerality from the Pernand fruit and a riper, sweeter fruit with almost a hint of coconut from the Aloxe portion. The ripeness extends to the palate, and a density here carries the wine to the next level.
Domaine Michel Mallard
Ladoix (1er Cru Les Gréchons)
2021
95
This lovely, concentrated wine is another example of a perfect alliance between the 2021 vintage and a terroir that can produce a somewhat ponderous style. Here the wine is powerful, long, and spicy, with notes of quince, ripe pear, marzipan, and subtle mineral shading. The texture is dense and concentrated yet avoids heaviness by dint of the lovely fresh acidity that pulls everything into balance. Mallard’s tine 0.11-hectare, south-facing parcel in Le Charlemagne has produced only one cask this year, and fermentation and ageing are in a single (new) cask. ‘Don’t be too enthusiastic’, he told me ‘I don’t have very much!’
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault (1er Cru Genevrières)
2021
95
I found the 2021 Genevrières to be the biggest of the Meursault premiers crus in the Lafon cellar this year, with aromas of ripe apple and peach and almost hints of cotton candy on the initial attack. The texture is lush and dense, with balanced acidity and impressive length. The wine is made from the old vine fruit in Lafon’s 0.55-hectare holding in Genevrières. The grapes are crushed lightly before pressing and fermented in cask with a modest proportion of new wood. This bottling is among my favourite wines from this premier cru.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault (1er Cru Les Charmes)
2021
95
The ’21 Charmes from Lafon shows more definition and lemony freshness than customary for this lieu-dit, yet it is not lacking richness. There are pitch-perfect aromas of lemon peel and white flowers but also richer notes of nectarine and marzipan. The texture is silky and surprisingly vibrant. It will open to show its full potential in a few years and should age well for the next twenty years. The grapes come from a 1.71-hectare parcel in Charmes-Dessus near the border with Puligny.
Domaine Blain Gagnard
Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
2021 is a marvelous vintage for Blain-Gagnard’s Montrachet. The style is usually very ripe, and that element of the wine is undoubtedly here, with aromas of ripe apple and peach and a dense and creamy texture. Conditions in 2021 delivered a wine with more acidity than usual, bringing a lovely freshness to the wine – ‘very present, very discreet’ in the words of Jean-Marc Blain. This wine should age effortlessly for twenty years. The grapes come from two ouvrées (0.086 ha) on the Chassagne side between DRC and Fontaine Gagnard.
Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent
Santenay (1er Cru Les Gravières)
2021
95
Vincent’s Chardonnay vines in Santenay Gravières (0.33 hectares) are planted in high-density fashion (>14,000 vines/ha), which have given spectacular results, with aromas that range from ripe pear to pomelo with hints of hay and beeswax. Vincent works with a high percentage of lees to obtain a seductively velvety texture and enable him to use a minimum of sulfur (only at bottling). This wine will drink well young and improve over the next ten to fifteen years.
Henri Boillot
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
TOP QUALITY An exemplary Bâtard and among the best wines of the appellation. There is a deep lemon-yellow hue and pronounced ripe apple and pear fruit aromas with hints of spice, cream, butter and toasted hazelnut. The texture is lush and dense, just this side of opulence, but there is enough acidity to balance everything out and lead it to a harmonious, lingering finish. It is produced from a domaine-owned parcel of one third of a hectare on the border between Puligny and Chassagne, fermented and aged in new casks.
Domaine Jean Chartron
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
95
TOP QUALITY The jewel in the crown. This is lemony, tightly wound and incisive, but it is not all acidity and freshness since there is depth and substance here as well. This property has been in the family for more than 150 years, and is recommended by its neighbours – above the Marquis de Laguiche and just north of Maison Leroy. Unfortunately, Chartron produced just four barrels this year instead of the customary 12. A memorable wine.
Lamy-Caillat
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Grande Montagne)
2021
95
UNDER THE RADAR TOP QUALITY A majestic wine with immense ageing potential. There is a lovely apricot fruit here with notes of quince and spice, and a silky, almost waxen texture, but it's not heavy. It has lively acidity and a super-long finish. The intensity is marvellous, but one can sense that something is still in reserve. The wine is produced by blending the parcels in both La Romanée and La Grande Montagne, since La Romanée can take the name of Grande Montagne.
Lamy-Caillat
St-Aubin
2021
95
Quirky and unique, this is unlike anything else in the cellar. Initially, there is a sense of reduction that almost smells like grapefruit; Sébastien Caillat justifiably calls it 'petrol'. There is a lively acidity, medium body and a lingering mineral finish. He explains that the land here (nearly 0.4ha) was fallow for many years and was only planted in 2015.
Domaine Michel Niellon
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos de la Truffière Les Chaumées)
2021
95
TOP QUALITY Consistently among the top wines in the appellation for me, this was particularly successful in 2021. The fruit character blends the citrus and the tropical, with notes of lime, gooseberry and passion fruit, alongside tarragon, clove and smoke. The texture is dense and concentrated, yet the wine is exquisitely balanced and never seems heavy. It is produced from a 0.5ha plot of 100-year-old vines near the top of the slope. A touchstone for Chassagne.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru La Garenne)
2021
95
TOP QUALITY This inspiring wine combines notes of citrus, ripe pear and green apples with hints of mineral, smoke and spice. The texture is lively and fresh but not without velvety charm – crisp acidity balanced by moderate body and extract leading to a lingering finish. Only one barrel was produced due to frost damage; it is still maturing in cask and will not be racked for bottling before the end of the second winter.
Domaine de la Vougeraie
Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
95
From the only producer to use the AP Charlemagne label, this shows a lovely citrussy nose with hints of mineral and hawthorn flowers. The texture is compact but not heavy; there is abundant acidity to balance the impressive level of extract, and an immensely satisfying finish. It is produced from two parcels totalling 0.5ha. One faces south on the Aloxe side, and one faces west on the Pernand side. The combination is compelling and should not be overlooked.
Benjamin Leroux
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
This wine is among the high points in the Leroux portfolio in 2021. It avoids the rigours of the vintage to deliver a classic experience of Bâtard, with lush aromas of ripe apple, butter, and hazelnut accented by some smoky reductive notes and a hint of minerality. The feel on the palate is big for the vintage – ripe and round, with more richness than most, and a supple, silky side that brings balance to the lengthy finish. From Leroux’s 0.16-hectare parcel on the Chassagne side between Domaine de la Vougeraie and the Hospices de Beaune.
Domaine Blain-Gagnard
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
This superb rendition of Bâtard has surprisingly ripe notes of quince and melon de Cavaillon, acacia flower, and spice. The texture is dense and rich but kept lively by the fresh acidity of 2021. The grapes come from three parcels totaling nearly a half hectare. Two are planted with vines more than fifty years of age, and all three are in Chassagne near the border with Puligny. This year Blain stirred the lees (not always done) to give the wine a bit more density and depth.
Domaine de la Vougeraie
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
This lovely wine boasts aromas of ripe apricot and quince fruit with a suggestion of honeycomb and hay. The palate demonstrates power and depth of flavour, and the wine continues to impress with abundant extract, balanced acidity, and a wonderfully balanced finish. The grapes come from three plots that total 0.38 hectares; they are slowly pressed as whole clusters, settled overnight, fermented in cask (one-third new), and aged over two winters.
Domaine Jean Chartron
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
This Bâtard stretches from exotic aromas of passionfruit to ripe apple and pear with rich hints of butter, cream, and baking spices. The texture is classic Bâtard, creamy and rich with balanced acidity and impressive power. The grapes are located from a small parcel on the Chassagne side near the cabotte at the top of the slope. The grapes are lightly crushed before fermentation in older casks. This wine will open soon and should drink well for twenty years.
Louis Jadot
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
Although this wine is made from purchased grapes, it is given the same care and attention as the domaine parcels. The texture on the palate is dense and creamy—a classic Bâtard feel—yet it is enlivened in 2021 by the vintage’s acidity; the ripe peach and pear fruit aromas are liberally accented with butter, spice, and smoke. I recommend you give this a few years to open and drink it over the next decade.
Domaine Faiveley
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
Although the Bienvenues is not as powerful as the Bâtard, it has an elegant balance that excels its richer neighbour. The wine boasts aromas of ripe peach and melon with a pleasant hint of chamomile and an almost salty mineral note. The texture is concentrated and dense, but the silky elegance and superb balance also come through. The grapes come from a half-hectare parcel acquired in 2008; they are firmly pressed and fermented on native yeasts with most of their lees in cask (60% new), where they stay over two full winters.
Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Bourgogne (Aligoté)
2021
94
This is great white Burgundy that happens to be made from Aligoté. The wine boasts aromas of ripe pear, exotic spice, and fresh tarragon; the texture is dense and deep, with crisp acidity equally balanced by enormous extract. The wine is made from ninety-year-old vines in Chenôve’s Clos du Roi vineyard planted in thin clay soils with high iron content and limestone pebbles (grèzes litées). Pataille works the vines with a horse, and ‘weaves’ the vine shoots rather than cutting them. The result of these labours of love is an absolutely superb wine.
Domaine Lamy-Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet
2021
94
The village-level Chassagne from Lamy-Pillot is particularly engageing. The wine has a green cast to the lemon-yellow fruit and a ravishing saline edge to the lemon peel and leesy fruit aroma. The texture is chiseled and dynamic, with fresh acidity and medium body at most but a marvelously lingering finish. The grapes come from four lieux-dits : Les Houillères, Les Essarts, Les Pierres, and Les Champs de Morgeot. The grapes are gently pressed and fermented in cask (25% new).
Domaine Lamy-Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet
2021
94
The second village-level Chassagne from Lamy-Pillot comes from one of their favourite lieux-dits near the top of the slope, Pot Bois. These are the highest vines in the village, and they give a wine with a powerful, focused lemon fruit aroma, a bit of smoky reduction, and a salty mineral tang. The texture on the palate is racy and fresh, but there is enough extract to bring the wine into balance and carry it to an elegant, lingering finish.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet
2021
94
Pillot’s village-level Chassagne is a delightful wine that can boast ripe lemony fruit, floral notes, a hint of smoky reductiveness on the attack, and impressive density balanced by citrusy acidity on the palate. The wine is blended from two old-vine parcels in the Morgeot sector: Les Chaumes and Les Plantes Mornières. The fruit is picked early, crushed and fermented with most of its lees to deliver this wine with more tension and edge than most at this level.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet
2021
94
With its lemony quince fruit aromas and floral notes and the combination of vibrant acidity and lean body on the palate, this wine is tightly wound and refreshing. The combination of intense aromas and concentration on the palate ensures that this wine will be refreshingly crisp from release and able to age as well. The grapes are from Les Masures, a top-notch source for village-level grapes located at the base of the slope under premier cru Champ Gains.
Lamy-Caillat
Chassagne-Montrachet
2021
94
This wine is an extraordinary example of a village-level Chassagne. The aromas add lovely floral and spice notes to a green apple fruit character, while the texture on the palate feels substantial but still very elegant. This wine of undeniable weight and concentration has a balance and delicacy that one does not find every day. The grapes come from the lieu-dit Pot Bois, the highest vineyard in Chassagne. They look east and take the cold sun in the morning—definitely worth discovering.
Domaine Michel Niellon
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Champgains)
2021
94
Lucie Cotoux relates that the domaine picked their 0.44 hectares of Champgains in three hours since there was so little fruit on the vines. The concentration, however, was superb, with focused citrusy fruit, plenty of mineral and white floral notes, and a bit of spice. The texture shows a lovely density and weight and a long, powerful finish—this is a very distinctive wine, that should show well fairly early and continue to improve for at least a decade.
Domaine Michel Niellon
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos St-Jean)
2021
94
The domaine owns nearly a hectare in Clos St-Jean, planted to Pinot (base of the slope) and Chardonnay (at the top). In 2021 these latter vines delivered an ample, ripe wine with ripe apple and quince fruit character, balanced acidity, and impressive concentration and length. The fruit is lightly crushed, pressed very gently, fermented and aged in cask. This wine should open up in two or three years and drink over the next decade at least.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos St-Jean)
2021
94
Thierry Pillot makes both red and white from his premier cru Clos St-Jean. The white is among his richer wines, with ripe apricot and marzipan aromas on the nose and a firm mineral underpinning. The wine is rich and dense but not lacking freshness and draws on to a satisfyingly long finish. The domaine has 1.2 hectares of Chardonnay at high elevation in this climat. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters and run into 350 litre casks for fermentation.
Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Dent du Chien)
2021
94
This tiny lieu-dit is located just up-slope from Le Montrachet, against a sheer cliff. Coffinet-Duvernay is the largest of four producers. The 2021 vintage has ripe apple, apricot, and peach fruit aroma and notes of butter, white flowers, and salty minerality. The texture is dense but very well-balanced by a lively acidity, creating a muscular, luxuriant feel. The vines are located on a solid slab of limestone with little soil, helping grapes ripen early, even in a year such as 2021, creating this superb wine.
Domaine Paul Pillot
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Champs-Gains)
2021
94
Ripe nectarine and gooseberry fruit lead the charge, rounded out with floral notes and a suggestion of fresh cream. There is more ripeness and less tension to this wine than for many in this cellar, making it well suited to the vintage. The balance between the fresh acidity, complex fruit aromas, and rich feel on the palate draws the wine out to a lingering finish. It is produced from 0.38 hectares of vines on the gentle slope of this climat.
Domaine Michel Niellon
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Chenevottes)
2021
94
The Chenevottes is richer and riper than the Champgains – it is straightforward to see the distinctive nature of each climat in the Niellon cellar. Here the aromas are more floral and green apple than citrus; the texture is silky and very fine. The grapes come from 0.17 hectares at the base of the slope near the border with Puligny. They are lightly crushed and pressed slowly before being run into primarily old oak casks for fermentation and ageing.
Domaine Chandon de Briailles
Corton Grand Cru
2021
94
This magnificent wine initially has a bright lemon peel note, but as it opens up, there is something riper and richer, with quince, apricot, and hazelnut aromas. The texture is waxy and dense with lots of extract, yet the richness is balanced by the crisp acidity of the year. In 2021, the grapes came from Bressandes in Aloxe, giving a rich result; normally, grapes from Chaumes are blended in as well. The yield here was good – 20 hl/ha, giving seven barrels, one of which was new.
Domaine Comte Senard
Corton Grand Cru
2021
94
Slightly closed at first, the white Corton opens on the palate to show a complex aroma that includes hints of marzipan, ripe pear, and quince with an almost chalky minerality that lingers on the palate. This intriguing wine is a blend of 85% Chardonnay with 15% Pinot Beurot (AKA Pinot Gris) planted on 0.40 hectares of the monopole Clos des Meix. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters, and the juice is fermented in large casks (half new).
Domaine Alvina Pernot
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
94
This Corton-Charlemagne is striking for its vibrant acidity and lemony charm, with salty mineral notes and white flowers. There is also a richness and breadth that are very appealing. The grapes come from a friend in Pernand-Vergelesses; typically, they exchange Puligny Folatières two-for-one for the Corton Charlemagne. It is worth the premium, although this year, their friend could only part with enough for a single barrel. The grapes were gently pressed as whole clusters and fermented in a used cask. The result is a wine of limpid purity that lingers seemingly forever on the palate.
Domaine Génot-Boulanger
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
94
The Corton-Charlemagne from Génot-Boulanger is a triumph in 2021. The wine has lovely aromas of ripe apple and pear, along with acacia flowers, spice, and mineral notes. The palate has impressive concentration and enough freshness to balance the considerable extract. The wine is produced from a parcel of 0.29 ha in Le Charlemagne; the grapes are gently pressed as whole clusters before fermentation and ageing for a year in cask (less than 30% new) and another six months in tank—marvelous wine.
Louis Jadot
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
94
The Jadot Corton-Charlemagne came into its own in 2021 with ripe apple and apricot aromas, hints of white flowers, and a bit of spice. The texture is supple and dense, but the vintage's freshness brings the wine balance, elegance, and finesse that can elude this bottling in some years. It is produced from the same mid-slope, southeast-facing parcel in Les Pougets that provides their red. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters and fermented in cask before ageing to produce this lovely rendition.
Philippe Pacalet
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
2021
94
Describing his 2021 Corton-Charlemagne, Pacalet noted ‘This was not a vintage for beginners, but there is substance here all the same’. The wine has a lovely lemon zest attack followed up by notes of chalky, saline minerality and white flowers. It is a vintage of finesse rather than power, and the impressions on the nose and palate are a bit restrained, yet this wine should age well. The grapes come from an old-vine parcel on the Pernand side at mid-slope—lovely wine.
Domaine Blain-Gagnard
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
The Criots has less richness than the Bâtard but more elegance, with notes of ripe pear and hawthorn flowers and a greater sense of minerality. The aromas open up on the palate, which is still grand cru-rich but less massive. The freshness lifts the creamy, nutty flavours and sustains the wine without heaviness through the lengthy finish. The Criots will open more in a few years and will continue to improve in bottle for at least twenty years.
Domaine Joliet
Fixin (1er Cru Clos de la Perrière)
2021
94
This exciting, vibrant wine is lemony and fine, with pronounced citrus fruit aromas and a salty mineral edge. The lively texture has plenty of tension but no lack of density or length. This year it is being given a bit more luxurious maturation, with 30% new Vosges barrels, but there is plenty of substance to support this. According to Benigne Joliet, the Chardonnay is planted at the base of the combe, exactly where the monks planted it in former times.
Château de Chamirey
Mercurey (1er Cru)
2021
94
This white Mercurey premier cru was among my favourite whites from the Côte Chalonnaise in the 2021 vintage. It boasts ripe apricot and quince aromas and notes of acacia flower, mineral, and beeswax. The texture is concentrated yet still very fresh and lively. This wine will open in a couple of years and should age well for ten to twenty more after that. The grapes come from a monopole next to Clos du Roi, planted with low-yielding eighty-year-old vines that are gently pressed and fermented on native yeasts in classic Burgundian barrels (15% new)—definitely a wine to seek out.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault
2021
94
There is more ripeness to the Clos de la Barre monopole, with an exotic fruit character ranging from grapefruit to passionfruit and hints of coconut. Despite the opulent aromas, however, there is a lively, fresh acidity that draws the wine to a lovely lingering finish. The grapes come from a 2.1-hectare clos behind the domaine in the village, whose oldest vines date to 1950. This wine is a significant step above the already high standard set by the blended village-level Meursault.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault (1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or)
2021
94
The ripe apple aromas of the ’21 Meursault Gouttes d’Or are lush but do not veer into tropical. The texture is rich, but the acidity of the year ensures a pleasant balance despite the substance and weight of this powerful wine. With a few years in bottle, it should show even better, and it will undoubtedly hold 10 – 20 years in a proper cellar. The wine comes from a 0.40-hectare parcel in fairly deep clay soils, accounting for the density of the wine it provides.
Domaine Joseph Drouhin
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières)
2021
94
This wine offers a lovely intensity of ripe apple and spice aromas with pleasant mineral notes that lead to a feel on the palate that balances nicely the crisp acidity and abundant extract that lead the wine to a lingering finish. It has all of the intensity and depth of the appellation; this is a worthy Perrières. This wine was produced from purchased fruit. Drouhin was about to lose supply due to a change of generation, although they have retained the contract for now.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Meursault (1er Cru Porusots)
2021
94
This wine boasts forward, ripe passionfruit aromas with hints of acacia flower, mineral, and spice. The complexity and depth of flavour only increase on the palate, sustained by the wine’s crisp acidity; this freshness, along with medium body and pronounced fruit character, make for a dynamic wine that lingers on the palate. The grapes come from nearly a hectare in metayage from René Manuel. This wine should drink well and will only improve with cellaring.
Domaine Thenard
Montrachet Grand Cru
2021
94
The 2021 Montrachet from Baron Thenard has lovely aromas of ripe apple, white flowers, mineral, and spice. On the palate, a note of honey develops, yet there is acidity to balance the rich fruit. The texture remains lush and decadent and has the unmistakable density of the appellation. The domaine is the second-largest proprietor after the Marquis de Laguiche; the vines are all located on the Chassagne side, up-slope from DRC and Lafon. This vintage of Thenard’s Montrachet is not the biggest or longest-lived but should provide pleasure for many years.
Domaine Dujac
Morey-St-Denis (1er Cru Monts Luisants)
2021
94
This stylish and elegant wine is a medium lemon yellow; although Jeremy Seysses disapproves of the colour, I enjoyed the fruit aromas that ranged from ripe apricot to gooseberry and quince, all coloured with a firm minerality. There is plenty of freshness (with a pH under 3.0), but there is enough density and length to bring everything into balance. One new barrel out of 4.5 rounds everything out with just a bit of spice.
Domaine Jean Chartron
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos du Cailleret)
2021
94
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.
Domaine Alvina Pernot
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Pucelles)
2021
94
This wine was my favourite of the premier crus from Alvina Pernot’s cellar. The fruit character was still primarily focused on citrus, but there are also notes of ripe apricot and spice. The texture is rich and deep, with more extract balanced nicely by crisp acidity and a mineral edge on the palate. The Pucelles is produced from her family's holdings in this lieu-dit, whose fairly heavy clay soils deliver a solid, concentrated wine. I suggest waiting a few years to open and then enjoying this over the next ten to twenty years.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
St-Aubin (1er Cru Chatenière)
2021
94
Aromas of ripe apple, hazelnut, and butter grace the initial attack of this lovely wine from the south-facing lieu-dit of La Chatenière. The texture is more substantial than nearby Champlots, and the grapes have marvelous maturity. The site is a bit further down the slope than the former and is sheltered from the wind. Colin presses the grapes gently and runs the must into cask without settling to craft this delicious wine that easily recalls his more famous appellations.
Domaine Lamy-Pillot
St-Aubin (1er Cru En Créot)
2021
94
This sheltered site overlooks the village of Saint-Aubin and faces south, sheltered by the steep slopes that lead to the Hautes-Côtes. The wine has a marvelously ripe lemon and green apple fruit with a nuance of marzipan and butter. The texture is dense and concentrated, and the final impression is one of impressive balance and elegance. Lamy-Pillot farms 0.62 hectares of south-facing vines in white marl and limestone soils; the grapes are gently pressed and fermented in cask (20% new). This St-Aubin premier cru outperforms expectations at every turn.
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon
Mâconnais (Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine)
2021
94
TOP VALUE Perhaps the finest site for Lafon in the Mâconnais and a reference for the region. This lower-elevation vineyard at mid-slope has delivered ripe apple aromas with rich notes of cream and butter, and accents of acacia and flint. On the palate it feels richer than many this year, with medium body, balanced acidity and a lush, ripe fruit character. It will not disappoint fans of this vineyard.
Domaine de Montille
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières)
2021
94
This thrilling wine shows typical Perrières quality in the best Meursault style, starting with a fairly marked smoky reductive note and lots of lemony fruit on the initial attack with an underpinning of mineral and floral notes. The texture has lots of tension and freshness but enough plump density to prevent it from seeming shrill. It was made from the parcel of nearly a half-hectare at the top of Perrières acquired with the Château de Puligny-Montrachet.
Domaine de Montille
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets)
2021
94
This wine was among my favorites in the de Montille tasting, with piercingly lovely aromas of lemon peel, flint, spice on the initial attack, impressive concentration, and a delicate balance between tension and density on the palate that lead to a lingering finish. The protected location of the 0.85-hectare de Montille parcel touching Montrachet ensured that there was comparatively little damage from the frost here, and the quality comes through in the glass.
Henri Boillot
Meursault (1er Cru Clos Richemont)
2021
94
The 2021 vintage represents continued strong performance for Boillot with his recently-acquired clos within premier cru Les Cras. The wine shows ripe green apple and lemon peel aromas with intense minerality and hints of acacia and marzipan. The texture is lively and fresh, but there is enough extract to ensure a lingering finish. The grapes come from sixty-year-old vines purchased in 2019 from Henri Darnat that are planted in this southeast-facing vineyard between Les Plures (thus Volnay Santenots) and the village of Monthélie.
Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent
Puligny-Montrachet
2021
94
I pick very late here, and it gives grapes with great phenolic maturity – almost like a red' according to Jean-Marc Vincent. The result in 2021 was exquisite, with aromas of quince and ripe, almost honeyed apricots. The texture was broad and supple, balanced acidity and a long finish. This wine should open with time to become even more expressive. This interesting wine is produced from a quarter-hectare at the base of the slope just over the border from Meursault.
Domaine Jean-Marc Vincent
Santenay
2021
94
This wine shows a bit less concentration than some of the Vincent offerings but exhibits lovely aromas of lemon peel and apricot. There is balanced acidity, moderate extract, and admirable balance and length on the palate. The 0.27 hectares of young Chardonnay vines are planted up-slope from the Pinot Noir and were replanted at high density eleven years ago to the best available clones (548, 1067 and 1066). The result is a wine of elegance and impressive length.
Lamy-Caillat
Bourgogne
2021
94
Riveting wine, this starts with aromas of ripe peach, apple, and floral notes and opens gradually on the palate to reveal notes of hay and beeswax. The wine has a lively, fresh acidity, but the ample extract completely balances it. The fruit comes from a regional-level vineyard called Les Grands Corvées. The grapes are crushed, given a hard press in an old mechanical Vaslin press, and fermented on native yeasts - a Bourgogne of exciting proportions.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
St-Aubin (1er Cru En Remilly)
2021
94
This enchanting wine display a lovely ripe apple fruit with an almost tropical edge and notes of butter, spice, and gentle white flowers. The texture is round and supple, almost plump, yet there is enough freshness to keep everything balanced and draw this into a silken finish. It is crafted from three parcels, each bringing a different character: young vines at the top of the hill; older vines at mid-slope, all fermented in cask, about 30% new.
Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Bourgogne (Aligoté)
2021
94
Clos du Roy is another outstanding terroir in Chenôve that Pataille farms. He has a small 0.18-hectare site that was planted to Aligoté Doré between 1932 – 1948 in thin, gravelly limestone soils. He weaves the vine tips together (‘tressage') and farms with a horse. The resulting wine has incredible complexity and depth of flavour, with notes of gooseberry, tarragon, mineral, and hay and a million exotic flavours that reveal themselves on the palate. Truly a delight.
Maison Verget
Mâconnais (Pouilly-Fuissé)
2021
94
This top Pouilly Fuisse is eminently worth seeking out. It is produced from seventy-year-old vines in Pouilly-Solutré planted at high elevation in a parcel with both north-facing and south-facing locations that were picked separately to ensure optimal ripeness that have delivered ripe apple and pear fruit aromas touched with honey and hay. The texture is supple and silky, yet there is still enough acidity to balance the richness and lead to an incredible finish.
