Côte de Beaune 2020 en primeur score table
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After tasting more than 1,200 Burgundy 2020 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 93 Côte de Beaune wines that scored 95 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
Producer | Appellation | Score | Notes | Header Cell - Column 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 99 | Row 0 - Cell 4 | Abundant aromas of ripe apple fruit, with a full complement of butter and spice underpinned with a pronounced minerality, but there is no excess here. The wine is powerful and dense but not heavy, and the balance and definition are sublime. A towering achievement. Lafon remarked that the Montrachet took its time to ripen, yet there was enough water to sustain the vines. Indeed, the wine fermented out to just 13% alcohol instead of many vineyards which were at or above 14%. Fermentation was in 45% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 98 | Row 1 - Cell 4 | This beautifully delineated wine has a lush nose of peach pit, apricot, ripe apple and and touches of quince. Still, all of this ripe yellow fruit is tempered by a citrusy freshness, mineral notes and a subdued baking spice from the élevage. On the palate, the wine has the richness of Bâtard but more structure and a dynamic sense that is not as apparent in the wines further down the slope. The domaine works 0.11ha of rented vines in Chevalier to produce this, one of the most expressive wines from Chevalier-Montrachet. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 98 | Row 2 - Cell 4 | This wine has everything. Bouchard farms 0.89ha of well-positioned vines in Montrachet – south of Ramonet on the Puligny side (and north of the first DRC block in Chassagne). The grapes are pressed slowly as whole clusters before fermentation in cask (only 15% new) to accent the purity of fruit. The exquisite aromas range from citrus and green apple, to riper apple, apricot and peach, with hints of chamomile, cream and bitter underpinned with a firm minerality. This vintage truly has an impressive depth of flavour and persistence on the palate. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 98 | Row 3 - Cell 4 | The aromas begin with ripe apple and pear, then there are shades of citrus and tropical fruit that range from passionfruit to pomelo. On the palate, the aromatic profile expands to include hazelnut and butter suffused with a firm saline minerality - lovely balance overall, with more freshness than Bâtard and a stunning finish. This wine is an elegant, sophisticated version of Montrachet that avoids all excess while expressing the full range of aromas and flavours of Montrachet. Drinking Window: 2022-2040. | |
Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 98 | Row 4 - Cell 4 | Extraordinary precision and concentration. The aromas begin with ripe pear, apple, acacia flower and chamomile, and with time expand to include hazelnut, struck flint and beeswax. There is an alluring convergence of mouthwatering acidity and dense, compact extract that make this a wine which will age for decades. As attractive as it is in its youth, the wise will wait until this opens to show all its potential. This is produced from grapes purchased from a parcel on the Puligny side, crushed and pressed in the basket press prior to fermentation and ageing in cask. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 97 | Row 5 - Cell 4 | There is an elemental freshness here that is truly lovely, with ripe William pear and floral notes, plus a suggestion of citrus and silk; there is incredible balance here for a Bâtard. Bravo! Above the Bienvenues on the Puligny side, this is located just down the slope from the Montrachet of the Marquis de Laguiche. It faces southeast and Riffault insists: 'this isn't south-facing'. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 97 | Row 6 - Cell 4 | Bienvenues is poorly understood: this is great wine. It lacks the power of Bâtard, the structure of Chevalier (and the 'everything' of Montrachet), yet it is a wine of exquisite elegance, with a marvellous nose of quince and ripe pears, touched with just a hint of spice, mineral and floral notes. The texture is subtle and silky - it is truly classic and eminently worthy of its grand cru neighbours. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 97 | Row 7 - Cell 4 | This is always among my favourite Chevaliers, with its super-concentrated style. The aromas tend more toward fresh apricot than apple, with ample shading of saline mineral notes, floral aromas, a bit of spice (from the 40% new casks used for maturation), and a touch of cream and butter. The texture is powerful, dense and long. Not to be missed! Drinking Window: 2022-2050. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Romanée) | 2020 | 97 | Row 8 - Cell 4 | A monumental wine. Great concentration and purity, featuring aromas of lemon peel, pear and gooseberry, touched with mineral and smoke. There is a perfect balance between the tension and richness on the palate that should thrill for years to come. This parcel of nearly a half-hectare is located at the top of La Romanée, and the vines were planted by Thierry Pillot’s grandfather in 1950. Fermented, like all Pillot’s premier crus, in large casks (only about 10% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru | 2020 | 97 | Row 9 - Cell 4 | For me, this is the most complete of the Cortons from the domaine. The plum and cherry fruit is forward but discreet, with subtle, earthy nuance and well-integrated oak spice. The texture is silky and elegant yet not lacking at all in structure - an outstanding effort. This Corton is produced from 0.64ha in the centre of the slope between DRC and de Montille. Half of the grapes are vinified as whole clusters after a brief maceration and the wine ages 18 months in cask (40% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Genevrières) | 2020 | 97 | Row 10 - Cell 4 | Almost ethereal, impressively complex and long, showing a real presence in the spicy aromas and ripe orchard fruit. In the end, it is the elegance that is truly stunning. This wine is from Lafon's holding of more than a half-hectare in Genevrières Dessus. Three-quarters of the vines were planted in the 1940s, the balance was replanted in the 1990s. The fruit is pressed as whole clusters and run into mostly older casks - with a large proportion of lees - for fermentation. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières) | 2020 | 97 | Row 11 - Cell 4 | Profuse aromas of ripe apple, marzipan, acacia flowers and smoke, with a suggestion of butter and cream. The texture on the palate is dense, long and powerful, with a complex array of flavours that linger on the endless finish. Lafon enjoys nearly one hectare of vines in this preeminent premier cru of Meursault. His holding is in Perrières Dessus and much of it is more than fifty years of age. In 2020 it was picked at just 12.5% potential alcohol. The grapes were lightly crushed and run into cask (20% new) for fermentation and ageing. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières) | 2020 | 97 | Row 12 - Cell 4 | This is assuredly the grand cru of Meursault in all but name. The wine is spicy and rich, with a complex nose that combines lemon peel and green apple, with notes of mint, herb and mown grass, along with beeswax and a suggestion of honey. The palate is equally complex, with a waxy texture and great richness, but also a truly astonishing, lively and fresh acidity that carries this to a tremendous finish. The difference between this climat and the rest of the village is really apparent here. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Clos des Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru Monopole | 2020 | 97 | Row 13 - Cell 4 | The grapes are vinified partly as whole clusters and punched down each day before ageing for 18 months in cask (half new). Despite the fairly aggressive vinification, the wine has an enchantingly lovely, forward fruit character and a delightful, silky approachability. From my experience, this will continue to improve for decades. The Clos des Cortons Faiveley has been a monopole of the house since 1874. They have 2.77ha planted to Pinot Noir here, north of Renardes in this distinctly separate climat of the lieu-dit Le Rognet. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru | 2020 | 97 | Row 14 - Cell 4 | This spectacular, showy wine comes from young vines planted high on the slope (380m) in stony soils. The 2020 vintage has a lovely lemony fruit shot through with notes of smoke and flint. The texture is dense, almost chewy, but it should age gracefully for decades. Millemann believes in a vigorous crushing of the grapes and maceration on the skins, before a firm pressing. The must is barrelled down in 500-litre casks with most of the lees to extract an almost tannic texture from the Chardonnay, assuring a marked reduction in the wine that disappears only with time. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu) | 2020 | 97 | Row 15 - Cell 4 | A monumental wine, with super-ripe black cherry and currant fruit accented with rose petals, liquorice, smoke and minerals. Dense and full-bodied in texture, yet vibrantly fresh and superbly long- a marvel. Anyone who thinks Lafon is only about white wine is missing this epic experience. Volnay Santenots is arguably among the top red wines of the Côte de Beaune, and Santenots-du-Milieu is the best portion of it (Lafon owns nearly half of this appellation). He destems the fruit, does a cold soak and punches down regularly before ageing in cask (one-third new). Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs) | 2020 | 97 | Row 16 - Cell 4 | Surpassingly elegant mulberry and black cherry fruit, with notes of spice, smoke and a saline mineral firmness. Lovely concentration and plenty of tannic grip, yet it is very subtle at the end. This half-hectare clos is a monopole of the domaine, located right in the village of Volnay. Certified biodynamic, it is a wine that consistently unites elegance and power. Frédéric Lafarge destems the fruit and ferments on native yeasts before ageing in older casks (only 15% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 17 - Cell 4 | This is truly a classic of the house, which owns a total of 2.3ha spread over all four terraces of Chevalier. Each parcel is vinified individually to produce this magnificent wine that shows lemon peel and mineral notes on the initial attack, but continues to open up aromatically on the nose and on the palate, revealing rich flavours of marzipan, butter and beeswax. This is richer than the producer's Corton-Charlemagne, and lingers delightfully on the very impressive finish. Superb wine, not to be missed. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 18 - Cell 4 | This Chevalier-Montrachet is an impressive monument of a wine, with aromas that range from lemon peel to passionfruit. The texture is creamy, round and dense, yet balanced by fresh acidity to produce a powerful impression and a lingering finish. Although produced from purchased must, Benoît Riffault has the input necessary in the vineyard to ensure top quality and it shows. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 19 - Cell 4 | Complex nose, with classic Bâtard aromas such as ripe apple, butter, spice and cream, but there is also a slightly resinous quality that adds complexity. The texture is ripe and lush, amply demonstrating the effect of the warm year. There are four separate parcels in Bâtard that total 0.4ha, all on the Chassagne side. The grapes are lightly crushed and fermented in cask with most of their lees. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 20 - Cell 4 | This is produced from a 0.32ha parcel that lies right on the border between Puligny and Chassagne. The wine also seems to be a balance between the two, with a bit of the power and depth of the Chassagne side, opposite some of the silky finesse and elegance of Puligny. Fermented and aged in 50% new wood, this is a wine that has a seamless integration of citrus and orchard fruit, floral notes, and a richer, creamy, buttery side that will age spectacularly well over time. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 21 - Cell 4 | An exquisite wine, the nose is almost delicate, with ripe apple and floral notes, and the texture of the wine is astonishingly crisp and fine. There is nothing heavy here and the finish lingers seductively. Rich, typical Bâtard, but with uncommon elegance. Picked on the 24th of August, and the early picking date worked well here. The grapes were lightly crushed and then fermented in cask (40% new). Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 22 - Cell 4 | The pebbles of Bienvenues leaven the soil somewhat, introducing elements of minerality and a bit more freshness into the wine. It is certainly still a ripe year, with aromas of apples, spice and a hint of butter, but it never tips over into heaviness. The texture is very creamy, yet there is plenty of finesse and elegance. This parcel of vines was acquired from Jean-Pierre Monnot in 2008. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos de la Truffière Les Chaumées) | 2020 | 96 | Row 23 - Cell 4 | Complex nose of lime peel, green apple, mineral and flint. The texture is intensely fresh, but there is a marvellous old-vine richness as well that lends density and length. Definitely near grand cru quality. Niellon has a half-hectare of century-old vines here at the top of the slope just before St-Aubin. In the words of winemaker Lucie Coutoux, these old vines can give you some very good surprises. She crushes the grapes lightly before pressing them slowly, then starting the fermentation in tank before running them into cask to finish. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru La Grande Montagne) | 2020 | 96 | Row 24 - Cell 4 | Both sections of Grande Montagne are among the highest elevation premier crus in Chassagne. The altitude means the wines are almost more Puligny in style, with plenty of tension and what Thierry Pillot rightly describes as 'peps', winemaker-speak for a peppy, lemony tang that is perfect for the purity of the Pillot style. There is still majestic richness to this wine, with a concentration on the palate that testifies to the wine's ability to age for decades. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Grandes Ruchottes) | 2020 | 96 | Row 25 - Cell 4 | With its ripe apple citrus fruit and hints of beeswax, marzipan and smoke, this is an elegant wine with great finesse. However, it is not one lacking in tension or structure. The use of large old casks and the long ageing ensure the purity of the fruit, while the careful reductive fermentation and ageing give us the substance to guarantee a lovely balance and length. This 0.2ha parcel from the top of the slope near Grande Montagne has produced a wine of uncommon richness for this site. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 26 - Cell 4 | Exquisite, with notes of fresh flowers, ripe pear, spice and butter. The texture is rich but not overly so, and there is plenty of crisp acidity to bring it into balance, and ensure that the finish is long. The domaine owns 0.08ha in the very centre of Bâtard, on the Chassagne side but on the border with Puligny. The grapes are lightly crushed and gently pressed before fermenting in a proportion of large casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 27 - Cell 4 | Wonderful, with a rich apple fruit, beeswax, butter and hazelnut notes. There is admirable freshness on the palate, and the wine lingers elegantly without heaviness. From Leroux’s 0.16ha parcel on the Chassagne side between Domaine de la Vougeraie and the Hospices de Beaune. The fruit is pressed gently as whole clusters and fermented in cask (just the two of them). Since 2016 it is bottled only in magnum. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Rugiens) | 2020 | 96 | Row 28 - Cell 4 | After his years at Comte Armand, Leroux is something of an expert on Pommard, and this Rugiens does not disappoint. This is from Rugiens Haut, which is not considered as good as Rugiens Bas. This version, however, succeeds completely, with a bright, forward cherry fruit, touched with notes of mineral, earth and leather. There is abundant freshness, firm tannins and plenty of concentration on the palate. The grapes were picked on the 20th of August, partially destemmed and fermented in open-top fermenters. Classic Pommard: earthy and elegant. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 29 - Cell 4 | Baron Thénard is the second-largest proprietor of Montrachet after the Marquis de Laguiche. To taste through in advance of blending, it is necessary to taste all eight barrels in the cellar. These run the gamut from buttery and rich (but not heavy), in a cask from Seguin Moreau; to the Rousseau barrel, more maked by the wood, to the Chassin barrel, which is spicy, rich and lovely, to the Cadus, which is almost tropical, with exotic coconut aromas. The final assemblage will no doubt contain all of these. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. | |
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 30 - Cell 4 | This is marvellous. Blain crushes the grapes lightly and avoids sulphur until after malo. His way of working produces this subtle, elegant wine with notes of ripe pear touched with acacia blossom, a touch of smoke and his trademark minerality. The texture is dense but never heavy, and the wine lingers elegantly on the finish. Blain explains the difference between Bâtard and Criot, just across the street: Bâtard has deep clay, while Criots has a stonier soil and one always senses the minerality. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Clos des Épeneaux) | 2020 | 96 | Row 31 - Cell 4 | The final blend of this is superb, including both the energy of the young vines and the density of the old. They deliver a lush, spicy fruit with a strong mineral underpinning, a dense texture, firm but supple tannins and an infinitely rewarding finish. The Clos des Epeneaux is produced from a monopole of 5.23ha located at the juncture of Grands Epenots (20%) and Petits Epenots (80%). The clos is divided by regisseur Paul Zinetti into four main subdivisions by age of vine and underlying soils which are farmed and vinified separately. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Corton Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 32 - Cell 4 | The proximity of Corton Perrières brings a minerality to the wine, which shows a ripe currant and plum fruit, plus an edge of spice and smoke. The tannins are firm, almost strict, but there is density, finesse and enough fruit to ensure that this will drink well with a bit of time. The 1.64ha Clos des Meix is the iconic monopole of Comte Senard. It is mostly in Les Meix, with a bit of Le Meix Lallemand. 0.4ha are planted to white grapes and some of the vines are over 70 years of age. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Corton Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 33 - Cell 4 | Lovely density and richness, with a nose showing ripe apricots, a hint of lemon peel and just a bit of butter. The texture is creamy and dense but not lacking in tension. Regal, substantial, but always elegant. This is made with the white grapes from the Senard monopole of the Clos des Meix, now biodynamically farmed. It is a blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Beurrot (Pinot Gris). The wine is rather quickly pressed and vinified without sulphur until the malolactic fermentation is complete. Ageing is in 350-litre casks (half new). Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 34 - Cell 4 | Super-ripe blackberry and plum fruit touched with leather, spice and smoke. The texture is impressively dense and concentrated, yet the wine never loses its silky elegance which lingers invitingly on the long finish. This is a really impressive Corton Clos du Roi. The domaine owns a parcel of 0.83ha in the centre of the vineyard at midslope. The organic-certified vines are fermented with a substantial proportion of whole clusters and aged in 30% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Rugiens) | 2020 | 96 | Row 35 - Cell 4 | This is a superb wine, among the best of the appellation, with a pronounced plummy fruit touched with aromas of smoke, spice and floral notes, plus a texture that is firm, dense and tannic but in no way hard or astringent. Lovely. Rugiens-Bas is considered the best part of the vineyard and the domaine has a hectare here, just north of the Hospices, low on the slope in the heart of the iron band. The 50-year-old vines produced a lovely, ripe harvest in 2020, and the grapes were fermented entirely as whole clusters and aged in 40% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 36 - Cell 4 | Aromas of ripe pear and quince, with a strong mineral component. The buttery, pleasantly plump side comes out on the palate, but there is no heaviness and the wine stays silky and very fine. The grapes are gently pressed and fermented in cask (half new) with a large percentage of the lees. There is plenty of fruit to support this maturation, however. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 37 - Cell 4 | The gentle handling and reductive ageing of the wines here gives an easy-to-love result, with clean aromas of ripe pear, butter and spice, plus a supple yet elegant feel on the palate that is less powerful but more elegant that its neighbour, Bâtard. Céline Fontaine farms this 0.33ha Criots parcel under the influence of the combe that leads to St-Aubin. Although the climat is next to Bâtard it is very different, with red marl and more limestone pebbles than one finds there, giving this wine lovely minerality. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 38 - Cell 4 | A wine with lush, dense cassis fruit and undercurrents of mineral, earth, smoke and spice. There is plenty of aromatic depth here and no lack of substance on the palate, yet the tannins are very finely grained, and the wine is velvety soft yet quite substantial. This is the second vintage for this wine from rented vines in Corton Clos du Roi. The fermentation is entirely done with whole clusters and aged with a modest amount of new wood. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Clos de Derrière-St-Jean) | 2020 | 96 | Row 39 - Cell 4 | Exquisitely silky, with a lush, spicy black fruit character that is immediately approachable – quite the opposite of the standard conception of Pommard. Marvellous. This 0.09ha clos is behind the winery, next to the swimming pool. It is planted to vines trained high on stakes ('en echalas') and woven ('tressage') instead of hedged. It produces 400-500 bottles of incredibly seductive wine each year. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Corton Le Rognet Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 40 - Cell 4 | Lush blackberry fruit shines through, with limpid floral notes and a firm mineral underpinning. The texture is silky and dense, the tannins substantial but finely-grained; a delightful wine. Mallard is the largest owner here, with several parcels totaling 1.27ha exposed mainly to the southeast in the centre of the slope. Extraction is meticulous and the grapes are vinified without sulphur until bottling. Nearly three-quarters of the fruit is vinified as whole clusters before ageing in cask (70% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Corton Les Renardes Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 41 - Cell 4 | The wine is a bit closed, but shows serious potential as it opens. Marked by the wood at this stage, there are ripe black plum and cherry fruit aromas, with shadings of earth, mineral and menthol. The wine is tannic and tightly wound, but with a bit of time in the bottle this will no doubt shine. Mallard has three parcels of old vines here that total 0.65ha. He ferments three-quarters of the fruit as whole clusters before ageing in 70% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Clos des Bouchères) | 2020 | 96 | Row 42 - Cell 4 | As with neighbouring Gouttes d'Or, the Clos de Bouchères - a 1.37ha monopole acquired in 2011 - is a precocious, early-ripening site, picked earlier in 2020 than its neighbours, with more potential alcohol (13.65%) and less acidity. Despite the richness, there is a lively character here that makes the wine perhaps more dynamic than its neighbour, even if it doesn't quite reach the depth of Perrières. Roulot vinifies with moderate use of new wood - and his habitual winemaking savvy - to yield an unforgettable wine of charm and distinction. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Corton Les Renardes Grand Cru | 2020 | 96 | Row 43 - Cell 4 | This is assuredly the grand cru of Meursault in all but name. The wine is spicy and rich, with a complex nose that combines lemon peel and green apple, with notes of mint, herb and mown grass, along with beeswax and a suggestion of honey. The palate is equally complex, with a waxy texture and great richness, but also a truly astonishingly lively and fresh acidity that carries this to a tremendous finish. The difference between this climat and the rest of the village is really apparent here. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère) | 2020 | 96 | Row 44 - Cell 4 | The primacy of the citrus and green apple fruit is dramatic, but there is depth and nuance here as well, not to mention fresh acidity and enough extract to make the finish linger enticingly on the palate. Boillot’s Clos de la Mouchère is a monopole of nearly 4ha in the lieu-dit Les Perrières. The vines are more than 80 years of age, and each section is vinified and matured separately in cask (70% new). This wine has surprising volume, concentration and length – assuredly close to grand cru in quality. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières) | 2020 | 96 | Row 45 - Cell 4 | The wine is super-rich and concentrated, with pronounced aromas that range from lemon peel to passionfruit. It is an impressively powerful wine, but there is a creamy, delicate side to it as well. Marvellous. The domaine completes the work in the vineyard for this 0.25ha parcel of vines, although in the end Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey purchases must, not grapes. Despite this difficulty, it manages each year to produce an exemplary Perrières. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Folatières) | 2020 | 96 | Row 46 - Cell 4 | This has a piercing purity of citrus peel and passionfruit, with a lovely saline and mineral edge on the attack, followed by impressive richness but almost without weight - a truly perfect balance. En la Richarde is technically a part of Les Folatières. There are only four producers: Jadot and d'Auvenay in the section classed as village; Arnaud Ente and Sauzet in the section classed as premier cru. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Santenay (1er Cru Les Gravières) | 2020 | 96 | Row 47 - Cell 4 | Ripe black plum fruit, with engagingly earthy notes on the nose and a pleasantly brambly edge. There is impressive richness and depth here, with firm tannins and plenty of extract - no one in search of value should overlook this serious wine. Jessiaume owns 5.5ha of Gravières, one of the best premier crus in Santenay. From the 2020 vintage, they are making an old-vine selection of 80-year-old vines done exclusively with vines planted using massale selectionDrinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Clos des Ducs) | 2020 | 96 | Row 48 - Cell 4 | One-quarter of the harvest is whole-cluster fermented and ages in entirely used casks, producing a wine of lovely density and a dark plummy fruit, with a pleasant floral perfume, silky tannins and great finesse. This is from a super 0.18ha parcel at the foot of Bonnes-Mares planted in 1960, where the rows run north-south, perpendicular to the slope. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Clos des Chênes) | 2020 | 96 | Row 49 - Cell 4 | The wine has a voluptuous, dark blackberry fruit, with exotic spice notes and a dense, velvety texture. Notably rich in extract and length, this 2020 is a standout, even for what is a consistently impressive wine. The domaine parcel of nearly a hectare is at the northeast corner of this premier cru, next to Taillepieds and just across the street from the intersection of Champans and Cailleret - Frédéric Lafarge maintains it partakes of all these characters. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Beaune (1er Cru Grèves) | 2020 | 95 | Row 50 - Cell 4 | Bouchard has nearly four hectares of this, perhaps the greatest site in the Beaune appellation. On a modest slope with east-southeast exposure in the heart of the terroir, this has produced a sophisticated, elegant wine in 2020, fermenting out to barely 13.5% alcohol with a pH between 3.5–3.6. The fruit is supremely luxurious and lush, yet underscored with plenty of nuance of spice, smoke, earth, and leather. The texture is dense and powerful yet superbly elegant — a triumph. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 51 - Cell 4 | Round, complete and marvellous, yet does not lack the pleasant tension that carries it to the next level. The nose features a combination of citrus and tropical fruit that reflects the nature of Caillerets as a 'millefeuille de calcaire' in the words of Jean-Marc Blain. The parcel in Caillerets stretches all along the lieu-dit, from the white marls at the top of the slop to the darker terres rouges near Boudriotte. The holding totals 0.56ha. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 52 - Cell 4 | A lovely, balanced and rich effort. Although the nose is a bit closed, the wine opens up nicely on the palate, with a very buttery and rich fruit character that is totally typical of Bâtard. From nearly a half-hectare of old vines aged between 50-70 years in three separate parcels in Bâtard. One of these has been recently replanted, and in general the estate does not want all old vines. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 53 - Cell 4 | A wine of great finesse, showing bright lemony fruit, with hints of acacia flowers and marzipan on the nose. On the palate, the wine retains admirable acidity and an effortless lightness on the finish. Caillerets is actually an umbrella for grapes from En Caillerets, Combards, Chassagne and Vigne Derrière; Jean-Noël Gagnard is in the first two lieux-dits. Caroline Lestimé remarked that the vines suffered incredibly from the heat in 2020 and ripening was blocked for a time, although she considers this a 'top-level' premier cru. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Beaune (1er Cru Clos des Mouches) | 2020 | 95 | Row 54 - Cell 4 | The wine has a lovely, ripe dark plum and cassis fruit, and a firm, tannic texture. The finish sports what the French are calling 'beaux amers’ (beautiful bitterness) which adds complexity. This should age well. With Thierry’s son Joannès taking over the winemaking, this Clos des Mouches is now 100% whole-cluster, punched down twice daily. The wine is aged with a moderate amount of new oak to produce this Beaune with guts. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 55 - Cell 4 | The aromas of ripe apple, butter and honey all stem from the natural richness of Bâtard in conjunction with the heat of the year. Abandon yourself to hedonism and enjoy. Picked on the 20th of August, this 0.35ha plot at the northern (Puligny) end of Bâtard was acquired in 2008 from Jean-Pierre Monnot. Faiveley used all its knowledge of canopy management to avoid over-ripeness. The wine is certainly rich, but many will appreciate this. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet | 2020 | 95 | Row 56 - Cell 4 | Ripe pear and quince aromas, a hint of smoke and mineral, plus an understated buttery aroma. On the palate there is a rich, creamy texture balanced by fresh acidity and tension that leads to a lingering finish. This village-level lieu-dit lies in the centre of the appellation just south of the village, on the other side of the road from Les Champs Gain. The fruit was picked early in 2020 to ensure proper balance, and the grapes were gently pressed and fermented in large used casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Chassagne-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 57 - Cell 4 | From a parcel of 0.17ha at the very top of the slope in thin chalky soils over the mother rock. The location brings ripeness while ensuring the grapes retain a lively acidity, and the result opens with lemon peel and ripe apricot aromas, complemented by saline mineral notes. There is tension and structure on the palate, but a supple ripeness as well. Lovely. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Blagny (1er Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois) | 2020 | 95 | Row 58 - Cell 4 | Benjamin Leroux works nearly 2ha in Blagny, the upper part planted to Chardonnay, and the lower portion to Pinot Noir in thin clay and limestone soils. In a hot year such as 2020, the result is even better than usual, with a lovely, rich plummy fruit, floral notes and a hint of mineral to give depth, along with a texture that is ripe and supple, but still vibrantly fresh. The grapes are destemmed and carefully fermented before ageing in used casks. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. | |
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 59 - Cell 4 | A wine of impressive tension and length. The aromas begin with lemon peel and a saline minerality, before growing in richness to include fresh quince and ripe apricots. The best whites in 2020 - such as this one - balance acidity with richness and are a treat. This plot of Chevalier, just a bit over a half-hectare, was upgraded to grand cru from premier cru Caillerets. In times of global warming, this location at the top of the slope is perfect for Chardonnay. Drinking Window: 2023-2040. | |
Beaune (1er Cru Clos des Ursules) | 2020 | 95 | Row 60 - Cell 4 | The Domaine des Héritiers Jadot owns the iconic 2.15ha monopole of the Clos des Ursules. It faces east in stony soils and is found at midslope between Vignes Franches and Aigrots. This produces a wine that is always a bit richer, with lovely red cherry and cassis fruit, a mineral edge and hints of smoke and spice. The texture is structured and firm, but there is no astringency and it should open up marvellously well with time. A lovely wine. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 61 - Cell 4 | A wine with subtle ripe pear and floral notes that are refreshingly not overly marked by the wood. The texture is silky and fine, and despite the warmth of the year there is very pleasant tension and balance. Well done. Made from purchased grapes picked on the 24th of August. The grapes were gently pressed and briefly settled before fermentation in used casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 62 - Cell 4 | At the very top of the hill planted on white marl, this four-hectare parcel is typically the last one to be picked - there is the elevation but also a wind that is always blowing here. The nose has a pronounced lemon peel and green apple fruit with a delightful, saline minerality. There is not a lot of oak spice or malo notes - only 20% new wood is used for the fermentation. On the palate, there is a laser focus and impressive finesse. With time it opens to show a lovely depth and complexity. Really top. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Corton Grand Cru | 2020 | 95 | Row 63 - Cell 4 | Enchantingly aromatic, with notes of strawberry, currant and pomegranate. The texture is fresh, and although lighter than some it does not lack richness. Bonneau's Corton is made from the one hectare of Pinot owned by the estate in the Aloxe lieu-dit of Le Charlemagne, facing mainly southwest. The red has made considerable progress over the years and the 2020 vintage is delicious. Thibault Jacquet related that they have changed the recipe a bit: they are picking later, and a portion is destemmed by hand and vinified in amphora while another 5% is vinified as whole clusters. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Perrières) | 2020 | 95 | Row 64 - Cell 4 | Opens with a focused laser beam of lemony fruit, with saline mineral notes, a bit of smoke and spice. There is plenty of tension and freshness on the palate, but there is also no lack of the typical Meursault richness and depth. Very impressive. From the 0.45ha parcel in upper Perrières formerly farmed by the Château de Puligny-Montrachet. After pressing, the wines are fermented in a combination of large and small casks (30% new). Drinking Window: 2023-2050. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Les Charmes) | 2020 | 95 | Row 65 - Cell 4 | Rich and powerful, with aromas of ripe apple, butter and toast. The wine is certainly dense, yet there is no lack of balancing acidity and the wine remains vibrant and fresh, even in a hot year like 2020. This is from a magnificent holding of 1.71ha on the southern (Puligny) end, next to the Combettes of Sauzet. The grapes are lightly crushed and gently pressed prior to fermentation in cask (one-quarter new). Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Les Porusots) | 2020 | 95 | Row 66 - Cell 4 | Lovely purity of fruit, with ripe apple, apricot and quince aromas, then hints of white flowers, citrus peel and spice. The texture is rich, waxy, and long; a superb wine. Lafon has nearly a hectare in Porusots, acquired from René Manuel in a métayage agreement in 2010. In 2020 the grapes were picked at 13.5% potential alcohol and lightly crushed prior to being run into cask (25% new) for fermentation and ageing. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Épenots) | 2020 | 95 | Row 67 - Cell 4 | The wine has an intensely ripe, inky, black plum fruit, with notes of spice and an element of ground coffee. The texture is firm, with plenty of tannic grip, but there is generosity and silkiness as well. Lovely and very well done; among the top wines in the cellar. The domaine has 0.25ha of 70-year-old vines in Les Petits Epenots, although it is labeled simply Epenots (as many do). This is fermented entirely as whole clusters after a cold soak and aged in 45% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Platière) | 2020 | 95 | Row 68 - Cell 4 | Shows a ripe raspberry fruit, with a menthol edge, firm tannins, fresh acidity and plenty of extract. This should drink within a few years and make a wonderful wine for mid-term cellaring. This south-facing parcel of 0.7ha was originally planted in 1936 although 20% was replanted in 1982. Despite the aspect it is fairly late-ripening. 60% of the grapes were fermented as whole clusters and the wine is aged in 45% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Rugiens) | 2020 | 95 | Row 69 - Cell 4 | Deeply coloured and full of plummy fruit, with a mineral undercurrent on the nose, while the texture has a lovely density and a fleshy feel to it, before an expressive finish. This wine will drink young, but it certainly has the substance for ageing as well. Comes from a 0.45ha parcel of old vines in Rugiens Hauts, now entirely fermented as whole bunches. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Aloxe-Corton (1er Cru Les Maréchaudes) | 2020 | 95 | Row 70 - Cell 4 | Despite the somewhat sandy soils (Maréchaudes comes from the word for ‘marshy’), this is surprisingly structured and dense, with spicy, ripe mulberry fruit. This wine is among my favourites from this section of Corton, and Mallard has 0.3ha in the grand cru section of Maréchaudes (and some premier cru). The top of the slope here has yielded three barrels (of which two are new this year) and the wine is vinified as 70% whole clusters. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Pommard (1er Cru Rugiens) | 2020 | 95 | Row 71 - Cell 4 | This is among the most concentrated wines, but it is very well-managed, showing notes of ripe, velvety plum fruit and a hint of saline minerality; there is great purity and nothing rustic. Only one pigeage was done during the entire cuvaison, and while the wine is tannic and firm, it also remains supple and accessible at the same time. Well done. The domaine farms 0.9ha, fermenting the grapes as 20% whole-cluster and ageing in 30% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Champ Gain) | 2020 | 95 | Row 72 - Cell 4 | This has a lovely buttery nose and a ripe pear fruit, with a lovely minerality that comes through. The texture is compact, tightly wound, but not overweight at all. A lovely effort. High on the slope, Sauzet farms 0.28ha at the same elevation as Blagny. Yet, this is an early-ripening site that was picked at 13.5% potential alcohol in 2020. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Champ-Canet) | 2020 | 95 | Row 73 - Cell 4 | There is ripe apple fruit, a bit of honey and some walnut on the nose. The texture shows a bit more richness and warmth, yet it retains an essential elegance and balance that carry it to impressive length. Well done. Emilie Boudot and Benoît Riffault farm a hectare here, near the border with Meursault. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Meursault (1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or) | 2020 | 95 | Row 74 - Cell 4 | The slightly reductive winemaking has kept a bright, lemony freshness to the wine, yet it is not at all lacking mineral depth. Recent years have seen much less new wood - this is about 25% - and the wine has a compelling purity. Still, there is traditional Meursault richness here, and some hazelnut and butter on the finish. Very well done. From a domaine-owned parcel of 4 ouvrées (0.12ha), this is among the most impressive Gouttes d'Or that I have tasted this trip. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet | 2020 | 95 | Row 75 - Cell 4 | Lovely, smoky mineral and citrus peel notes on the nose, then a lively, vibrant tension on the palate, even in a hot year like 2020. Well done. It's a particularly good village-level wine produced from the 1.18ha of domaine-owned vines in Puligny that are spread across Les Enseignères, Les Charmes and Les Houillères. The grapes are gently crushed and pressed before being run into cask with much of the lees for fermentation and ageing. Drinking Window: 2023-2035. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Clos de la Garenne) | 2020 | 95 | Row 76 - Cell 4 | Clos de la Garenne is located within Champ Canet, above Clos de la Mouchère, where Domaine Duc de Magenta has 0.84ha of 80-year-old vines that Jadot rents. Lightly crushed and fermented in cask (25% new), this gives a powerful wine, citrusty and crisp, with immense concentration and a very lively balance, even in the heat of 2020. A marvellous wine and something to seek out. Drinking Window: 2022-2035. | |
Vin de France | 2020 | 95 | Row 77 - Cell 4 | According to the research of Edouard Labet, there is potential for white wines in the Clos de Vougeot. He has planted a small amount of Pinot Beurot [aka Pinot Gris], which he will commercialise as a Vin de France. The aromas are exotic, spicy, and dense, with a nose of ripe pear and almost a bit of the velvety feel of Alsace to it. The wine is matured for 18 months in cask (30% new) to produce this delightful and refreshing result that should also age well. Drinking Window: 2023-2030. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 78 - Cell 4 | The stony soils here have produced a wine of admirable substance and depth, yet also of extraordinary balance. Citrus fruits and just a suggestion of honey on the nose, a bit of creamy richness from the maturation in 30% new casks, and impressive, minerally salinity, with a marvellous, lingering finish. The domaine owns a 0.85ha parcel here that touches Montrachet, just up the slope from Les Pucelles. Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Folatières) | 2020 | 95 | Row 79 - Cell 4 | Displays lovely concentration of bright passionfruit and lemon peel, with a hint of spice and plenty of salty mineral notes. There is abundant tension on the palate between the crisp acidity and the admirable breadth that leads to an impressive finish. The half-hectare in Folatières is sandwiched at midslope between the holdings of Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Leroy in clay and limestone soils, just behind the small patch of trees here. The fruit is lightly crushed before pressing and is fermented and aged in cask, 30% new (all from the Damy cooperage). Drinking Window: 2025-2050. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru La Garenne) | 2020 | 95 | Row 80 - Cell 4 | A wine with a lovely mineral freshness and plentiful citrus aromas. The is very crisp and refreshing. Delightful. One of two wines in the cellar (with the Chevalier) that are from purchased fruit. The total surface represents 1.1ha, located high on the hill. Despite the altitude, the fruit ripened to 13.5% alcohol, and the grapes were lightly pressed and fermented in cask (20% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru La Truffière) | 2020 | 95 | Row 81 - Cell 4 | This domaine-owned parcel stands slightly apart from the rest of the cellar. It seems much more focused on delicate floral aromas, with an almost iris or lilac note on the nose, although there are still elements of citrus, smoke and mineral that come through. It is priced somewhat higher than the other premiers crus (except Combettes) and is an intermediate stage before the grands crus. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Combettes) | 2020 | 95 | Row 82 - Cell 4 | This wine is decidedly a bit more tropical than many of the others in the cellar, with notes of passionfruit and almost coconut on the initial attack. The parcel is located at an altitude between that of Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet. There is still impressive depth and complexity here, and a supple, balanced feel on the palate which avoids the trap of heaviness. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Perrières) | 2020 | 95 | Row 83 - Cell 4 | A buttery, ripe apple fruit, with a hint of mineral and a suggestion of beeswax. The palate is rich and hedonistic, although it lacks a bit of the lemony freshness some will love. Sauzet farms 0.6ha in Perrières at the bottom of the premier cru band that gives a rich, dense result. The grapes are lightly pressed and fermented in cask (20% new) before ageing two winters. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Puligny-Montrachet (1er Cru Les Referts) | 2020 | 95 | Row 84 - Cell 4 | Here at the base of the slope, Sauzet farms 0.7ha in fairly dense clay soils. The result is a wine that is rich indeed, with ripe apple fruit, an element of honey and roasted hazelnut. The palate is massive, almost fat, although it is not flabby - there is still acidity here, yet it is rich. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
St-Aubin (1er Cru Chatenière) | 2020 | 95 | Row 85 - Cell 4 | Aromas of ripe pears and acacia blossom. There is a rich, waxy buttery quality on the palate and plenty of depth. This wine has the concentration and charm of Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey's more famous crus at a much more accessible price. The south-facing slopes that line the left side of the road to Chagny provide a climate that ripens fruit well – this is essentially a continuation of En Remilly. In 2020, the ripeness was perfectly correct, with an alcohol of approximately 12.5%. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Les Taillepieds) | 2020 | 95 | Row 86 - Cell 4 | This has a ripe plummy fruit, with lots of depth from the notes of spice and smoke, and a firm core, yet absolutely no rough edges at all, just a polished elegance that lingers interminably on the palate. The de Montille family is from Volnay and this holding is among the central, historic parcels of the domaine. There are two parcels: the upper part, which is partly destemmed, and the lower section with more limestone gravel in the soil, where the oldest vines are found. This latter fruit is always fermented as 100% whole-cluster. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Volnay (1er Cru En Champans) | 2020 | 95 | Row 87 - Cell 4 | Deep, ripe mulberry fruit redolent of spices and minerals. On the palate the wine makes an important statement, with plenty of substance, density and grip, leading to a satisfyingly long finish. Lafon's half-hectare parcel in Champans is among the last to ripen, yet in 2020 the results were impressive. The grapes were picked at 14% potential alcohol, but with plenty of acidity to balance. The grapes were destemmed and fermented slowly, with a gentle extraction. Drinking Window: 2025-2060. | |
Santenay (1er Cru Les Gravières) | 2020 | 95 | Row 88 - Cell 4 | The wine has impressive ripeness, with a rich plum fruit and an earthy edge. There is a lovely intensity on the palate, which shows a concentrated extract, fresh acidity and firmish tannins, giving the wine good complexity and lead to a lingering finish. Jessiaume has almost a quarter of the vines in this preeminent premier cru of Santenay, right under the iconic windmill. Just over 4ha are planted to Pinot on the oolitic limestone soils. Picking started on the 23rd of August, the grapes were destemmed and fermented on native yeasts before ageing in cask (20% new). Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Les Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 89 - Cell 4 | The 0.28ha plot in Caillerets has produced a wine that is more red fruit than black, with aromas of raspberry, spice and a firm mineral underpinning. The texture is fresh and racy, with firm tannins and impressive length. This wine is surprising chiselled for a 2020. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Savigny-lès-Beaune (1er Cru Aux Guettes) | 2020 | 95 | Row 90 - Cell 4 | This is an impressively concentrated wine. It is somewhat closed on the nose, but opens on the palate to reveal bramble and plum, with a strong suggestion of earth and mineral. The half-hectare, mid-slope parcel was planted in 1965 and the vines had slowly been infected with court-noué, a type of virus, limiting yield. After the harvest the vines were pulled up, making this the final vintage. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Clos du Verseuil) | 2020 | 95 | Row 91 - Cell 4 | A delicious wine, with a lovely, bright black cherry fruit garnished with floral accents, a hint of spice and a note of smoke from the cask. The texture is medium-bodied and rich, but not heavy or astringent. A lovely, approachable wine. This tiny premier cru is located just below the winery of La Pousse d'Or in well-drained soils with lots of limestone pebbles, just north of Taillepieds. The fruit is completely destemmed, gently fermented and is ageing in 30% new casks. Drinking Window: 2025-2040. | |
Volnay (1er Cru Les Caillerets) | 2020 | 95 | Row 92 - Cell 4 | A wine of impressive concentration, with a lush black plum fruit, abundant mineral and rose petal notes. Everything is here, making for a voluptuous, complete wine that lacks neither aromatic depth nor structure on the palate. This wine is produced from 0.42ha of 90-year-old vines that yield no more than 10-15 hl/ha. The fruit is completely destemmed and gently fermented before ageing in cask (25% new). Drinking Window: 2022-2035. |