Pre Arrival D: The French Delegation
I decided to give our Piedmontese friends the honour of a few uncontested days before releasing the rest of the shipment.
Champagne Guiborat is one of the most sought after producers in Champagne today. They produce some of the most electric and mineral wines in the region and are a must for lovers of ultra lively wines, whether they have bubbles or not. While Antonio mentions Tethys as the pick from this release, my heart lies with Prisme.
Domaine de la Bongran is one of the most polarising producers we import. The press surrounding this domaine shouts as loudly as it does for the greatest producers in Burgundy, if not more. One of Burgundy’s great wines, the 1994 Cuvée Botrytis, is in this offer. Gautier was generous in offering us a few cases, though not without a tariff to match. We also see the release of the 2010 Cuvée Botrytis. It is worth noting that Cuvée Botrytis remains one of Burgundy’s rarest wines.
It would be a mistake to keep Cuvée Thévenet in the former wine’s shadow. It is off-dry and, while rich, its minerality is extraordinary.
The sheer range of flavour found in the de la Bongran wines is mesmerising and, quite frankly, astonishing. Wines with this level of complexity rarely carry their weight with such drinkability.
Last but certainly not least, an old FWC staple, Domaine Bart from Marsannay. In our previous shipment we ordered eleven different Marsannay lieu dit bottlings. The inner wine nerd in me was initially excited, but reality set in when I realised just how complex I had made it for everyone. We have tightened the offering this year to four Marsannay bottlings, plus one outrageously good Marsannay Blanc, Les Étalles. It is a must. Note there are still thirteen different wines available.
Enjoy!
Champagne Guiborat
Cramant, Côte des Blancs
This is a stellar set of new releases from Guiborat. The wines sizzle with tension. A focus on organic farming, freshness in the wines and low dosage yields Champagnes of notable precision and site character. The wines are mostly done in tank with no malolactic fermentation, except for the entry-level Téthys, which does undergo malolactic fermentation. The 100% Meunier Prohibition is the sole wine in the range that sees a touch of barrel in vinification and aging. As good as the top wines are, the Téthys is one of the finest wines in its price range. It has become one of my favorite entry-level wines in top grower Champagne.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com
November 2025
Champagne Guiborat Tethys.22 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
Pre Arrival $99
Tethys is named after the Greek goddess of water and nursing, and the ancient sea in the Mesozic era that covered what is now known as Champagne. 100% Chardonnay. From four parcels. The young vines from ‘Les Caures’ predominantly make up the cuvée with the first three presses from the 2005 planting. The remainder is made from the ‘Taille’ of older vines from the vineyards below.
Cramant – Les Bergieres – 1984
Chouilly – Le Mont Aigu – 1970/1979
Chouilly – Les Caures – 1946/2005 (Most of the cuvée is made from this planting)
Oiry – Les Briquettes – 1969
Soils are predominantly homogenous chalk. The difference between the plots is the thickness of the chalk and the depth of the topsoil.
The NV (2022) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Téthys Grand Cru is wiry and tightly wound. Brisk, piercing acids are something of a surprise, but that works so well here. Dried pear, white flowers, chalk, mint and dried lemon peel sizzle across the palate. This taut, vibrant Champagne has a lot to offer. I especially admire how it fleshes out with a bit of time in the glass. The Tethys is a blend of four sites in the Côte des Blancs, vinified and aged in tank, with full malolactic fermentation. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter.
Disgorged: January 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.
91 points
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: November 2025
Champagne Guiborat Prisme.20 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
Pre Arrival $140
Prism [noun] “A transparent glass or plastic object that separates white light that passes through it into different colours.” Cambridge Dictionary. Never has a name of a wine been truer. 100% Chardonnay. Again from four parcels throughout the Côte des Blancs, as follows:
34% - Cramant - Les Bergieres - 1984 - Moyen - 2001
42% - Chouilly - Les Caures - 1946/1988
24% - Oiry - Les Briquettes - 1969
Guiborat’s NV (2020) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Prisme Grand Cru is broad and creamy in the glass. Candied apricot, white flowers, mint, tangerine peel and passion fruit convey exotic beauty. Soft and resonant, with terrific palace presence, the Prisme is so showy today. There’s gorgeous textural presence and body here. The Prisme is a blend of three Grand Cru sites in the Côte des Blancs. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter.
Disgorged: November 2024; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.
93 points
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: November 2025
Champagne Guiborat Prisme.15 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru MAGNUM
Pre Arrival $348
*a note the below were written on the earlier disgorged 750ml bottles. These magnums have extended time on lees.
Prism [noun] “A transparent glass or plastic object that separates white light that passes through it into different colours.” Cambridge Dictionary. Never has a name of a wine been truer. 100% Chardonnay. Again from four parcels throughout the Côte des Blancs, as follows:
34% - Cramant – Les Bergieres – 1984 – Moyen – 2001
42% - Chouilly – Les Caures – 1946/1988
24% - Oiry – Les Briquettes – 1969
From plots within the vineyards with particularly pure limestone and chalk, and thin topsoil. Winemaking: 84% from the 2015 vintage and the remaining 14% from 2014. Only the cuvée (first 3 presses) is used. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. Seven months on lees in 96% stainless steel (4% is large oak barrels.. Dosage: 1.5g/l
Based on the domaine's holdings in prime lieu-dit Le Mont Aigu, supplemented by another parcel in Chouilly and one in Cramant, Guiborat's NV Extra-Brut Prisme . 15 was disgorged in October 2020 with 1.5 grams per liter dosage. Exhibiting notions of citrus fruit, Anjou pear, pastry cream and nougat, it's full-bodied, layered and elegantly muscular, with a concentrated, chiseled core and an enlivening pinpoint mousse. Complete and penetrating, this is a terrific cuvée.
94+ points
William kelley, The Wine Advocate
Champagne Guiborat De Caurés à Mont Aigu Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millésime 2018
Pre Arrival $199
A blend of two lieux-dits in Chouilly, the 2018 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs de Caurès à Mont Aigu Grand Cru is impressive. Bright citrus and mineral notes lead in this racy, expressive Champagne. There’s terrific tension and energy here. This really sizzles on the mid-palate and finish, where strong mineral underpinnings take on notable presence. Dosage is 1.5 grams per liter.
Disgorged: December 2024; multiple disgorgements throughout the year.
94 points
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: November 2025
Domaine de la Bongran
Viré-Clessé, Mâconnais
Producer note: Jean Thévenet directs this 15 ha Domaine that is undoubtedly one of the Mâcon's top two or three estates. To be sure, it's true that the style is not what instantly comes to mind when one thinks of classic Mâconnais wines but the quality of what is produced here is simply mind boggling. Late harvest Chardonnay is a particular animal but when it's right, it can rank with all but the very finest TBA's and Sauternes. Thévenet thumbs his nose at most of the modern developments in wine making, succinctly observing that if growers were to worry more about what was in their vineyards and less about what was in their cuvéries, most of them would make better wine. He harvests very late (November is not uncommon), only by hand, ferments only with natural yeasts and in a mix of barrels and stainless. The élevage lasts from 6 to 18 months, depending on the wine and there is "never" any fining or filtration. Thévenet originally had a financial partner and thus he has two labels as the partner is only involved in the Emilian Gillet side of the house. If your taste runs to late harvest, intensely sweet but wonderfully complex wines, then the Bongran wines are not to be missed as they are nothing short of stunning.
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
I remember my first encounters with the wines from Domaine de Bongran. I just didn't get it. Mâconnais? That is not supposed to be sweet. Where has all this residual sugar come from? Of course, I did not understand at the time that this is the signature style of the domaine and quickly learned to love the wines, especially after spending a memorable afternoon with Jean Thévenet touring the vines and the winery. Of course, they use different names across not the biggest portfolio of all time: Domaine de Bongran, Domaine de Roally and Gillet—readers should refer to U.S. importer Louis Dressner's website that has some useful information on how this came to be. On this occasion, I tasted through the wines with his son Gautier, although Jean dropped by to say hello. Gautier told me how they continue to ferment at low temperatures over ten to 12 months to finish the fermentation that naturally comes to a halt. These wines are complex and fascinating, as age-worthy as many white Burgundy wines, perhaps even more so. Their high residual sugar levels are part of Thévenet's DNA, something that Jean believes is intrinsically related to terroir expression; on more than one visit he reminded me that historically wines from this region contained similar levels of sweetness. Prices remain a fraction of what you would have to pay for a top Côte de Beaune, and I cannot recommend these highly enough. A few days after my visit I brought a bottle of the 1994 Cuvée Botrytis to a table of Burgundy lovers back in London. Needless to say, they were totally smitten by these wonderful wines.
Neil Martin, Vinous.com
2021 Domaine de la Bongran Viré-Clessé
Pre Arrival $95
2020 Domaine de la Bongran Viré-Clessé
Pre Arrival $95
The 2020 Viré-Clessé Quintainé Cuvée E.J. Thevenet was matured in epoxy-lined vats to regulate the temperate and oxygen ingress. The alcoholic fermentation finished around the beginning of summer. What a beautiful nose: dried honey, dandelion and a touch of lanolin coming through with time. This is very pure. The palate is slightly viscous on the entry, with admirable weight, a little waxiness and touches of ginger and curry leaf towards the complex finish. Recommended.
92 points
Neil Martin, Vinous.com
2010 Domaine de la Bongran Viré-Clessé – Cuvée Botrytis
Pre Arrival $339
A wine with a pungent perfume and exotic, fully tropical fruit of ripe mango and passionfruit with an edge of saffron and spice; as with all the Bongran wines, however, there is no oak, just a very long, slow maturation in tank and bottle. An exceptional, rare wine. Occasionally botrytis will develop in a small section of the northern portion of this vineyard in Quintaine. This tiny portion of the vineyard holds enough moisture for botrytis to develop fully, necessitating picking grape by grape, with yields of around seven to nine hl/ha.
96 points
Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
1994 Domaine de la Bongran Viré-Clessé Cuvée Botrytis
Pre Arrival $492
This would be on my very short list as one of the greatest Chardonnay-based late harvest wines I have ever had the privilege of trying as the balance and harmony of this wine defy description. Intense, rich, explosive and magnificently complex, this combines knockout satin-textured flavors and a superbly long finish this quite simply ravishes the palate yet everything remains balanced and in perfect harmony. A bit lower in acidity than either the 2000 or the '95 and this is approaching its apogee.
95 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
The 1994 Vire Clesse Cuvee Botrytise comes from 300gm/L residual sugar and underwent a 17-month fermentation. I have tasted this amazing sweet wine several times and it never ceases to amaze (in fact, I purchased a bottle to share with friends before departing the domaine). It is still so rich and honeyed on the nose with lemon curd and acacia, a touch of fennel, later frangipane and even peaches and cream. The palate is viscous, beautifully balanced with mandarin, Manuka honey and orange zest, perhaps showing more mulberry notes than I remember on the finish. It is just a brilliant wine that is aging blithely at a glacial rate of knots. Tasted May 2017.
95 points
Neil Martin, Vinous.com
Domaine Bart
Marsannay, Côte de Nuits
2023 Domaine Bart Cremant de Bourgogne
Pre Arrival $49
2023 Domaine Bart Bourgogne Aligote
Pre Arrival $39
80 year old vines.
Lemon sherbet, while florals, lemon rind, grapefruit & overall very tight & high toned.
The palate is extremely precise & pure with a lemon & lime pith phenolic grip which is tight in nature. Lovely length.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
2023 Domaine Bart Marsannay 'Les Etalles'
Pre Arrival $78
A suave wood frame with beautifully high toned, crushed chalk, crushed thick rind lemon with mountain herbs & white florals.
The palate is inward & woven with fine, tight grained minerality. Long, mineral & very fine.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
2022 Domaine Bart Bourgogne Rouge
Pre Arrival $48
2022 Domaine Bart Marsannay Les Finottes
Pre Arrival $66
Ripens early, lots of millerandage. A monopole of Domaine Bart since 2007 when the last piece of vineyard was secured. The vines were planted in 1926 and 1952, on sandy alluvial soil that produce a fruit forward style of Marsannay. 100% destemmed, 10% new wood (1/3 in tank, 1/3 in barrel and 1/3 in demi muids).
Note: Finottes is a monopole of the domaine but up to and including 2018, it has not been indicated as such on the label; however, it is now declared as a monopole
This is also agreeably fresh and bright with its aromas of violet, earth and wild red currant nuances. There is a bit more volume and more evident minerality on the equally vibrant medium weight flavors that also conclude in a dusty, youthfully austere and slightly more complex finish.
87-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Marsannay Les Longeroies
Pre Arrival $78
Les Longeroies vineyard is in the top tier of Marsannay, to be elevated to premier cru status. The vineyards itself can be divided into an upper and lower section; Dessus des Longeroies and Bas des Longeroies respectively. The upper is made up of limestone slabs and the lower is comprised of thick reddish marl. Domaine Bart has one third situated in the upper portion and two thirds in the lower portion.
Note: from both Haut and Bas in a respective proportion of one-third and two-thirds
Moderately firm reduction dominates the nose though there is a lovely sense of energy to the relatively refined and succulent middleweight flavors that reflect a touch of minerality on the nicely lingering if youthfully austere finish where a similar hint of bitter cherry pit arises. At least some patience should help as this too could use better depth.
88-91 points
Allen Meadows, The burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Marsannay Es Chezots
Pre Arrival $84
A cooler terroir that is further up in the upper Combe of Marsannay; The cooling winds from the Hautes Cotes blow down and delay ripening. This is the last parcel to be picked! Sometimes by ten days. The cooling winds also minimise rot. The soil is shallow with many small marine fossils (Ostrea acuminate) and the wine is aged in demi muids to preserve fruit and minerality.
Reduction again masks the underlying fruit. By contrast, there is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the succulent yet nicely delineated middleweight flavors that flash a more discreet minerality on the mildly austere but not rustic finale that exhibits sneaky good persistence.
89-91 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Marsannay Les Champs Salomon
Pre Arrival $109
Shows qualities of its southern neighbour Gevrey Chambertin: power, elegance and longevity. Mid slope with soils of calcaire a entroques (limestone).
Discreet wood sets off an exuberantly fresh nose that features notes of ripe plum, black currant, spice and a floral wisp. The rich and relatively full-bodied flavors possess an appealingly textured mouthfeel due to the abundant sap that also buffers the moderately firm tannins shaping the linear, compact and youthfully austere finish. Once again, at least some patience would be a good idea here and this is also very good.
90-92 points
Outstanding- Top Value
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Santenay en Bievau
Pre Arrival $69
Santenay produce rustic reds that are similar to that of Chassagne Montrachet reds. Domaine Bart own 1.2 hectares of En Bievau with an average vine age of 65 years. It’s a south east facing aspect with a gentle slope and clay limestone mixed with shale, situated above 1er Cru La Maladiere. 100% destemming, cold maceration, slow natural fermentation and gentle pressing, produces a finer wine than the region usually allows.
2022 Domaine Bart Fixin
Pre Arrival $105
Fixin as a village sits further south below Marsannay and shares many similarities with its neighbour to the south, Gevrey-Chambertin. The wines are ‘sauvage’ with considerable size and tannins. Bart’s Fixin is made up of two parcels; Le Clos and Champenbots.
Note: mostly from Les Clos with a small amount of Champs Pennebaut
Here too the nose is super-fresh with its notes of plum, dark pinot fruit and a whiff of the sauvage. The palate impression of the middleweight flavors is also decidedly rich and quite generous which contrasts with the rustic, austere and compact finale. This also needs time in bottle.
88-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Fixin 1er Cru Les Hervelets
Pre Arrival $155
The premier cru vineyards Les Arvelet and Les Hervelets can both be named Les Hervelets in a catchall. Bart has parcels in both. While Fixin is masculine, rustic and on a larger scale, Les Hervelets is renowned for being feminine and fragrant. They are often compared to Chambolle Musigny.
Note: from both Les Arvelets and Les Hervelets where <60% derives from the latter
This was hit by hail in 2022 and not surprisingly, there is a touch of green tea character present on the cool and exceptionally fresh if distinctly somber nose of mostly black cherry, just turned earth and a background floral wisp. The sleek, vibrant and supple medium weight flavors conclude in a slightly sweet, warm and austere finale. As the description suggests, this is moderately awkward and while it may come together, I suspect that the effects of the hail may not ever completely dissipate.
86-89 points**
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
**It is worth noting that Jasper Morris writes (scores) more positively about Les Hervelets. Note below, it also shows why I much prefer Burghounds writing…
Mid crimson purple. Immediately there is a sense of much great depth and concentration here compared to the village wine. Raspberry seedless, pushes down to a much greater depth than the straight Fixin, and fills the mouth. An excellent aftertaste. Tasted Nov 2023.
90-92 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
2022 Domaine Bart Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
Pre Arrival $655
Bonnes Mares is an extremely sought after grand cru. It sits at the belly of slope in Chambolle Musigny (1.5 hectares in Morey St Denis). The incline is gentle and can be divided into two parts: the upper section with Terres Blanches and the lower with Terres Rouges. Bonnes Mares produces wines with depth and colour. The nose is complex, potent, opulent and substantial. The palate however can show mineral austerity when young. This austerity turns to suavity and refined elegance with age.
In 1985 when Domaine Clair-Dau was divided between family, Domaine Bart inherited a huge one hectare plot within Bonnes Mares. Their parcel lies alongside Domaine de Vogues’ parcel. At less than one third of Vogues price, this could be the best value Bonnes Mares available. Half of Bart’s vines were planted in 1926/1927 and have a lot of millerandage. Both of these factors result in an incredibly magical wine. Fourteen barrels are made.
Note: from a 1 ha holding that is comprised of two large parcels that sit just above those of Domaine Comte de Vogüé
An attractively layered and fresh nose merges aromas of red and dark berries with those of earth, leather and a whiff of spice, all of which is trimmed in enough wood to notice. There is excellent richness to the large-scaled flavors that possess solid mid-palate density before terminating in a youthfully austere and sneaky long finish that is very firmly structured. This presently lacks a bit of verve, but I suspect that it will return to form once its racked and my predicted range offers the benefit of the doubt.
91-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2022 Domaine Bart Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru
Pre Arrival $750
Chambertin Clos de Beze is one of Burgundy’s finest vineyards. The king of wines and the wine of kings! Clos de Beze has an easterly slope that is steeper than Chambertin, ensuring perfect drainage and mid slope positioning. The upper portion has white marly soil while the lower is brown and chalky. Both are rich in mineral salts and calcareous debris. Chambertin Clos de Beze produces wines with balance between finesse and power, however the shape of the wine is absolutely round. 0.41 hectares from the Clair Dau divide in 1985. Originally planted in 1904 with considerable replanting since, it has an incredibly high vine density of 14,000 vines per hectare.
An exuberantly spicy nose offers up notes of ripe red and black raspberry, anise, tea and plenty of floral elements that are also trimmed in just enough wood to notice. The medium-bodied flavors are round and very rich with evident power, all wrapped in a tightly wound and more energetic finish where a touch of salinity arises. This youthfully austere effort could also use better depth, but the underlying material would appear to be more than sufficient for that to occur over time. Excellent development potential here.
92-94 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound