2018
Champagne Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2018
"The 2018 Brut Vintage, with a dosage of seven grams per liter, exhibits a delicate bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, pineapple, peach, sweet spices and pastry, followed by a full-bodied, rich and elegantly creamy mid-palate that segues into a fleshy core of fruit with a penetrating, long and saline finish. Admirers of Pol Roger’s style will love it." - Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate
Domaine Lafarge-Vial Fleurie 2018
Domaine Lafarge-Vial Fleurie 2018 "A slightly more elegant is otherwise similar aromatic profile introduces punchy, well-detailed and lightly mineral-inflected flavors that also deliver excellent length and depth on the slightly more firmly structured finale. This too is worth your interest." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine du Bel Air Bourgueil “les Marsaules” 2018
"The wine reveals its intense red colour. The nose is distinguished by aromas of crushed black berries or wild strawberries with slightly earthy and smoky notes. The palate is rich in tasty fruit but also firm and balanced. The wine lingers on the palate on a thread of freshness and spices. An impression of gluttony continues during the tasting. No greenness, but a pure and elegant fruit that lingers in the mouth." - Winemaker's notes
Alain Voge Saint-Péray Les Bulles d’Alain 2018 Méthode Traditionnelle
Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve 2018
"This cuvée has a residual sugar of 130 g/l, with an acidity of 4.5 g/l, and it was bottled just one month before tasting. Youthful purity on the nose, an aromatic profile which suggests finesse, with notes of white peach, freshly crushed pear and crisp white apple flesh. The palate carries a delicious intensity, showing the same pure and finessed style, as well as wonderful complexities redolent of vanilla, wild red fruits, mango and peach too. This is delicious. A pretty amazing wine with astonishing potential." -Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor
Domaine du Pelican Arbois Poulsard 2018
"I like the purity and profile of the 2018 Arbois Poulsard, which, like the sample I tasted before, is quite expressive and agreeable, bright and lively, aromatic and open, quite elegant, with some tannins. It's not as funky as many examples of the grape can be. They picked a little early, and the wine is somewhat herbaceous (in a positive way) and only 11.5% alcohol." - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate
Domaine de Montille Pommard Premier Cru “Les Rugiens-Bas” 2018
"Once again, the wood influence is subtle though not imperceptible on the slightly cooler aromas of lavender, violet, rose petal, red and dark cherry and a whiff of plum liqueur. There is excellent volume to the solidly concentrated and intensely mineral-driven flavors that possess evident muscle and power on the firm, serious and complex finale that is also clearly built-to-age. In a word, impressive." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine de Montille Volnay Premier Cru “Les Taillepieds” 2018
"A notably ripe yet attractively fresh nose is comprised by notes of exuberantly floral, spice, plum liqueur and relatively prominent menthol influences. The wonderfully sleek, concentrated and intensely mineral-laden flavors possess the hallmark refinement of a fine Taillepieds, all wrapped in a very firmly structured but not really austere finale. With that said, this is a 'buy and forget you own it' wine for at least 10 years and it should ultimately need 20 to 25 years to fully mature." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine de Montille Volnay Premier Cru “En Champans” 2018
Volnay Premier Cru “En Champans” 2018, "Once again there is liqueur-like character to the aromas of red cherry, passion fruit, spice and pretty floral elements. There is excellent volume to the caressing and palate coating flavors that are refined yet powerful on the very serious, structured and built-to-age finale. This is excellent but patience strongly recommended." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin “Ostrea” 2018
"The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea is showing beautifully, unwinding in the glass with a deeper-pitched bouquet of cassis, dark berry fruit, baking chocolate, rich soil tones and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and mineral, this has a more structured, tensile profile than the Domaine's regular Gevrey, as well as greater reserves of tightly wound fruit. As readers will remember, this cuvée derives from old vines in the commune of Brochon."- William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Capita 2018
"Aromas of dark berry fruit, rich soil tones, spices and raw cocoa introduce Trapet's 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Capita, a blend of fruit from the premiers crus En Ergot, Corbeaux and Combottes, supplemented by a visual selection of small-berried clusters from Petite Chapelle and Clos Prieur that are not destemmed. Deep and layered on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a lovely sense of energy, powdery structuring tannins and a long, precise finish." - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 2018
"This is aromatically similar to the Latricières but perhaps even a bit cooler and with more earth and sauvage elements. There is a really lovely purity to the sleek, dense, intense and markedly powerful large-scaled flavors that exude an almost pungent minerality on the austere, serious and wonderfully persistent and very firmly structured finale. As the Trapet Chambertin often is, this is not a monster of concentration or structure but rather one of refinement and grace." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2018
" A slightly fresher and higher-toned nose speaks of red currant, raspberry, violet and soft wisps of spice and earth. The sleek, vibrant and seductively delicious middle weight flavors possess better precision if not quite the same density and power, all wrapped in a balanced and lingering finish. This too is a quality Gevrey villages built around finesse." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Grand Cru “Chambertin-Clos de Bèze” 2018
"This too is notably ripe though the spicier and more floral-inflected dark berry fruit aromas are not jammy. While there isn't quite the same concentration there is markedly better vibrancy to the broad-shouldered flavors that possess a highly succulent mid-palate, all wrapped in a discreetly stony and sneaky long finish. The compact and built-to-age finish makes clear that plenty of patience will be beneficial." - Allen Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru “Les Pruliers” 2018
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges “Clos Fontaine Jacquinot” 2018
This is a special cuvée introduced last year. It comes from the bottom of the village sector of Les Crots which always has miniature yields and a different style. To reinforce this, the wine is vinified with 50% whole bunches, contrary to the usual Gouges technique. And it shows they can do it if they want to. Lighter color and a more lifted nose with some crushed strawberry. It is very pretty if you like the style, which I do, with a lush ripe finish -Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Village 2018
"A very ripe nose blends notes of poached plum, dark currant and plenty of sauvage character. There is slightly better volume and mid-palate density to the velvety and round flavors that also terminate in a mildly warm finish that is sufficiently chewy and rustic to cut the finish somewhat short." - Allen Meadows, Burghound