READ OFFER - PRE ARRIVAL F
Pre Arrival F
These wines are offered pre arrival and are due to land September 2026
Champagne J.L. Vergnon, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Côte des Blancs
Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet, Meursault
Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot (CLF), Flagey-Échezeaux
Domaine Michel Gros, Vosne-Romanée
Champagne J.L. Vergnon, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Run by Didier Vergnon and son, Clement (4th and 5th generation respectively), and founded in 1950, this domaine is one of the finest in the Côte des Blancs. With predominantly grand cru sites and a good portion within the infamous ‘Les Chetillons’ vineyard and surrounds, JL Vergnon produces intensely powerful and taut Blanc de Blancs. It was Didier’s father who believed that mature, clean and ripe fruit was the key to fine Champagne. It enabled them to chaptilize less and use less dosage. They also found it helped translate the terroir of the incredibly white soils of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the wine.
“This is one of the top estates in the Côte des Blancs today.” - Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net.
NV Champagne JL VERGNON Murmure Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature
Chardonnay from premier cru parcels throughout Vertus and Villeneuve. Zero dosage. Raised in 50% stainless steel and 50% 400L oak barrels. Two years on lees. 6,000 bottles produced.
Beautiful crystalline purity. Defined, lifted floral notes with fresh lemon pith. The palate has a fine line of minerality that does not overwhelm but effortlessly carries the detailed fresh citrus and Granny Smith fruit flavours.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
The NV Brut Nature Murmure Premier Cru is laced with citrus, sage, mint, dried herbs and slate. Taut and nervy, the shows fine balance to match its driving, mid-weight personality. Zero dosage. Disgorged: December 12, 2023.
Vinous.com - Antonio Galloni
NV Champagne JL VERGNON Éloquence Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Chardonnay from grand cru parcels throughout Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Avize. Comprising 20% reserve wine aged for three months in oak, with the remaining 80% from a single vintage raised in stainless steel. Three years on lees. 3 g/L dosage. 15,000 bottles produced.
White of almond, white floral notes, quite subdued and restrained. There is a whisp of delicate mountain herbs and fresh breeze. The palate is very energetic, pure, mineral, saline and long.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Eloquence Grand Cru opens with equal notions of chalk, lemon and creaminess, all carried on an ozone breeze. The sprightly mousse is frothy but pliable, lending an extra sense of airiness and lightness to the slender palate. It is absolutely strait-laced and linear in the taut brisk house style, yet harmonious and deliciously bracing and fresh with lovely lemony length. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: November 2023.
91 points
Vinous.com - Anne Krebiehl MW
NV Champagne JL VERGNON Rosémotion Grand Cru Extra Brut
92% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger and Avize. 8% Pinot Noir from Mailly Grand Cru. 20% reserve wine aged for three months in barrel, with the remaining 80% from a single vintage raised in stainless steel. 3 g/L dosage. Three years on lees. 2,000 bottles produced.
2014 Champagne JL VERGNON Hautes Mottes Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature
Chardonnay from Les Hautes Mottes, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Zero dosage. Vinified and raised in barrel. Seven years on lees. 3,200 bottles produced.
The 2014 Brut Nature Hautes Mottes Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, harvested in the eponymous parcel in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and vinified in 300-liter barrels, shimmers with an unusually golden tone. Its vinous nose is rich with baked apple, whipped double cream and crumbly shortcrust pastry, with a slight overtone of nuttiness. The palate is all saltiness, adding a touch of wet walnut skin funk to its exquisitely pure, salty, chalky depth while fine foam washes around like a roaring surf. This wine offers a wonderful juxtaposition of richness and bracing purity with a gorgeously visceral umami finish. Fine, long, unusual and so long. Dosage is zero. Disgorged: 23 November 2023.
95 points
Vinous.com - Anne Krebiehl MW
2014 Champagne JL VERGNON MSNL Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Chardonnay from Les Chétillons (Le Montrachet of Champagne) and Mussettes. Vinified in stainless steel. Nine years on lees. 1 g/L dosage. 3,448 bottles produced.
Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet, Meursault
Stylistically, these wines sit between Arnaud Ente and Roulot. In terms of quality, they are considered on equal footing with Arnaud Ente across equivalent parcels, yet priced at a fraction of the cost, roughly 1/14th to 1/20th.
Two producers are consistently spoken of in the top tier of Meursault yet have remained both under the radar and underpriced: Michel Bouzereau and Jean-Philippe Fichet.
Please trust me when I say these are outrageously good regardless of price. The pricing simply makes it possible to cellar them in meaningful quantities, where they will truly excel.
"(This is) real Meursault, if so unlike the buttery cliché that I and my contemporaries were brought up to expect."
Jancis Robinson
"As I have said repeatedly, the Fichet wines are among the very best and purest in Burgundy."
A. Meadows, Burghound
“…they are lovely wines that burst with energy and linearity.”
Eric Asimov, The New York Times
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Aligoté - $45
Six Pack - $39 per bottle
A slightly riper rendition but not without a typical energetic Fichet signature. White florals & a plethora of pretty, high toned detailed citrus acidity. A little apple skin dry extract.
The palate is muted before showing considerable drive of fine grained minerality. salivating & straight but not without detail.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
A spicy, ripe and fresh nose combines notes of mostly citrus and apple. There is both good richness and volume to the delicious and fleshy flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. To enjoy young for its fruit.
86 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc -$56
More pure & limpid. A little seaspray salinity & pure lemon lime juice with a little waxy grapefruit.
The palate is muted before showing the most electric of the regional cuvees. So long and pure with fine minerality.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Cool and airy aromas are comprised by notes of Granny Smith apple, mineral reduction and more prominent citrus wisps. The lighter weight flavors don't possess nearly the same density though they are finer and stonier with solid cut and persistence if limited depth on the otherwise balanced, clean and dry finale.
86-88 Points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc -$55
A high toned, floral infused nose with thick skinned lemon, lanolin, honeysuckle, lime & a little pretty acid.
The palate is highly energetic, pure & stony with an emphasis on very pretty, pure & exotic acids rather than severe minerality.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from Meursault vines planted in high clay content soil.
A slightly riper nose reflects notes of petrol, white orchard fruit and plenty of citrus zest. The sleek, delicious and generous middle weight flavors that possess good if not special delineation on the clean, dry and linger finish that is supported by lemon-tinged acidity. This offers solid quality for its level.
OUTSTANDING
86-89 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc VV -$65
More tensile & mineral. More restained with exotic lime & lime oil that lifts.
The palate is tightly wound with for more aggressive minerality while wrapped in puppy fat. A wine for the long haul.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: also from Meursault vines but from soil with more gravel and rock content.
This is similar to the Bourgogne chardonnay but with noticeably better aromatic layering. The old vines are in evidence on the palate of the medium weight flavors as there is markedly better density as well as surprisingly good power, at least in the context of what is considered typical for the genre, all wrapped in a lingering, sappy and balanced finale. This is excellent for what it is and recommended.
OUTSTANDING - TOP VALUE
87-89 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault - $129
Again, maintaining a tighter high toned frame of mind with detailed pretty acid.
The palate is straight & long but wrapped with the most puppy fat we have seen thus far.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from 7 different lieux-dits
Strong renders the nose unreadable. By contrast, there is excellent vibrancy and very good volume as well to the attractively textured middle weight flavors that are generous while displaying very good depth and persistence on the balanced finale that is shaped by citrus-tinged acidity. One to consider.
OUTSTANDING
89-91 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault 'Meix sous le Château' - $136
High toned, showing more of its bones, white floral & citrus profile with a waxy nature.
The palate is bony and waxy with driven & fine minerality. A little puppy fat & a little glycerol.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
An appealingly fresh nose proffers its nose of pear and apple compote, acacia bloom and soft wood influence. The vibrant, delicious and seductive medium weight flavors also possess a relatively sleek mouthfeel before terminating in a lingering finale where a touch of sweetness appears. This could use better depth so a few years of keeping are in order.
88-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault 'Les Gruyaches' - $159
Higher toned again, tighter, more citrus, more floral.
The palate has beautifully fresh, granular pear skin, mineral, long but not overtly aggressive & maintains a caressing nature.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a .28 ha parcel of vines planted in 1918 that directly abut Charmes and are the domaine's oldest
Slightly riper aromas include those of citrus confit, white orchard fruit compote and a floral top note. The succulent, round and very generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors possess a highly seductive mouthfeel that is lilting but punchy on the bitter lemon-tinged finale. This is excellent for its level and recommended.
OUTSTANDING-TOP VALUE
89-92 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault 'Les Chevalières' - $169
SIX PACK - $149 per bottle
More lime, a little saline tidal pool, crushed while florals and crushed chalk.
Mutes for 3 seconds before releasing a line of rock salt, lime, lime stone & chalk. A little pleasing grape fruit bitterness on the long persistant finish.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from extremely stony ground with very little topsoil
A cooler and airier nose is comprised by notes of mineral reduction, just sliced citrus, acacia blossom and green apple. The middle weight flavors don't offer the same richness and volume but they're finer still and definitely stonier, which adds a sense of vibrancy to the impressively long, balanced and youthfully austere finale. This too is excellent for its level and recommended.
OUTSTANDING - TOP VALUE
90-92 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Meursault 'Les Tessons' - $183
Olfactory filling grapefruit pith, pear skin, white florals, white pepper & rocksalt. Incredibly pretty, incredibly detailed & ever changing.
The palate is chalk like with extremely fine grained minerality with a little puppy fat covering the underlying aggression.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Here the inexpressive nose only grudgingly reveals its notes of acacia blossom and mineral reduction and, for the moment at least, not much else. There is outstanding volume to the beautifully textured and succulent larger-bodied flavors that possess strikingly good length on the balanced, compact and moderately austere finale. This is clearly built-to-age and a wine that's going to need at least some patience. Once again, this lovely and impeccably well-balanced effort is seriously good for its level and warmly recommended.
OUTSTANDING - TOP VALUE
90-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Les Referts' - $236
A little more depth, a little more savory with a beautiful cloud like steely tensile line.
The palate has scale that seems to be suspended showing no lagging weight. Fine grained but mouth coating minerality.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
A more expressive nose is exuberantly floral in character with notes of acacia, carnation and lilac adding elegance to the aromas of pear, apple and anise. The rich, concentrated and solidly energetic medium-bodied flavors possess an abundance of mouth coating sappy dry extract, all wrapped in a long, firm and compact finish. I very much like the balance and this too should age gracefully.
OUTSTANDING
91-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Bourgogne Rouge - $55 SOLD OUT
Extremely pretty, overly so. A serious 'wow' perfume of detailed and weightless strawberry.
The palate is extremely fine & detailed with the smallest, nicest raspberry flavour one has ever seen without a single gram of weight. Seemless & ever so moreish.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Auxey-Duresses Rouge - $72
More depth, glazed cherry and a plethora of wild berry fruits.
The palate has a little more stature with more underlying darker fruits.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
2023 Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet Monthélie 1er Cru Rouge - $95
A little rounder in style but still with the house pinot noir style of weightlessness, detail and extreme purity of fruits.
We started having a conversation about just how good the reds were so my note cut short...
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Domaine Coquard Loison Fleurot, Flagey-Echezeaux
Neal Martin, Vinous.com “Coquard Loison Fleurot is your new favorite domaine. I know, I know. It’s a bit of a mouthful. Writing this I keep having to check the correct spelling. It was the “surprise package” of over 100 visits tasting 2016s. It was the visit that sent tingles down my spine. It was the visit where I had to maintain my Lady Gaga-approved poker face in order to disguise the thrill. Let’s rewind a bit. C.L.F (please accept the acronym) had been on my radar for two or three years. In fact, I reviewed some of their 2013s at a London tasting organized by Robert Rolls, who distributes their wines to restaurants here in the UK. Their 2013 Clos de la Roche received 95 points, hefty praise, and in the producer blurb my avow to visit the domaine. Fast forward three years and I am sitting in Dilettante restaurant in Beaune. Serendipitously, behind me sit two chaps from Latimer Vintners who distribute C.L.F’s wines to private clients and the trade in the UK and inquire if I could join their visit to C.L.F the following day at 1 p.m. And what do you know, against all the odds, I have a rare “window” in my schedule at 1 p.m. the following day. Fate? Divine intervention? What I did not anticipate was being blown away by the quality of their 2016s in barrel. It is these unscripted episodes that I love the most. Winemaker Thomas Callodot, together with Claire Fleurot, have hit the ball out of the park with wines that will hopefully put this name on the map. For many years the crop was sold to négoçiants, and it was only around 2009 or 2010, when contracts started coming to an end, that they began bottling under their own name in their capacious winery in the heart of Flagey-Echézeaux. What is remarkable about this domaine is their holdings. Rather than the usual pyramid of holdings that might be crowned by a barrel or two of grand cru, C.L.F has no less than six grand crus to their name. Moreover, these are parcels of good vine age and considerable size, thereby giving Thomas more to play with if one or two barrels seem to be lagging behind. This includes three barrels of Grands Echézeaux from 0.18 hectares of vine, though sadly reduced to a single barrel in 2016 because of frost, as well as 1.29 hectares in Echézeaux. Oddly, their range skips over premier crus (even their sole Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru includes some declassified Echézeaux, though frankly, I would be bottling the Beaumonts under its own label!), but even their village crus are located in some of the more reputed vineyards at that level. Winemaking is classic and hands-off, and the 2016s are completely destemmed except for the Grands Echézeaux due to limited quantity. I found the oak here prudently used, whereas perhaps in previous vintages it came across a little heavier, allowing the terroirs to really shine in a vintage that permitted that. Stylistically, I was thinking of Mugneret-Gibourg or his nearby neighbor Emmanuel Rouget, wines brimming full of crystalline red fruit and tension with satin textures and spine-tingling tension. Thomas himself, a good friend of Sebastien Cathiard, seemed to be a chilled out and relaxed fellow who, perhaps out of the limelight, has been allowed to refine his craft. It is rare that you ever stumble across a domaine that owns their own vines, boasts enviable holdings of grand crus and, yet, seems to have flown under the radar with the exception of one or two eagle-eyed importers. If the wines are as brilliant as these 2016s, that will not be the case for much longer.”
Allen Meadows, The Burghound “This was a wonderful set of 2019s from the domaine that most people refer to as “CLF”. They have really come out of nowhere in the last three or four years, propelled by an enviable array of holdings in decent size, thereby gifting Collardot flexibility in terms of deselecting anything that does not come up to scratch and not forgetting the talent of Collardot himself. The Clos Saint-Denis knocks the ball out of the park, one of the highlights out of over 2,000 wines tasted and demonstrating just why this Grand Cru deserves to be seen as an equal to Clos de la Roche. Generally the wines are harmonious knitted together with fine-boned tannins, displays purity of fruit with impressive persistence on the finish. If you have not discovered “CLF” yet, then now is the time to do so.”
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Bourgogne Rouge - $69
High toned & fruitful with ripe strawberry and raspberry lifting from the glass with beautiful transparency & purity.
The palate is light on its feet with a line of minerality and freshness wrapped in sweet fruit.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Bright aromas of red pinot fruit and earth lead to delicious lighter weight flavors that are at once sleek and seductive while concluding in a refreshing and mildly austere finale. To enjoy upon release.
86-88 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Chambolle-Musigny - $159
Violets & restrained ripe raspberry dominate the nose initially but with coaxing begins to reveal more detail & nuance.
The palate is light on its feet with fine ripe tannins, lacy florals & delicate, olfactory filling sweet fruit.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from Les Gamaires
A deft but not imperceptible application of wood sets off more elegant and more layered aromas of red cherry, raspberry and a violet top note. The super-sleek, refined and punchy flavors possess an almost delicate mouthfeel that carries over to the markedly stony and youthfully austere finale. This could use better depth so a few years of cellaring should be helpful.
88-91 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Morey-Saint-Denis - $136
A slightly darker fruit component on the introduction with wild black fruits, darker protile florals, violet and all with jaw clenching tension.
The palate is firm, structured and overtly mineral. Beautiful presence with ample ripe, present & firm tannins wrapped in black plum & spice.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from Les Crais Gillon, Clos Solon, En Seuvrey and Corvée Creunille
High-toned aromas of the essence of red currant are cut with subtle floral and spice wisps, in particular anise. The punchy medium-bodied flavors possess a beguiling mouthfeel along with more power, if less evident minerality, on the balanced, sneaky long and slightly more complex finale. Lovely and worth a look.
89-91 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Gevrey-Chambertin - $143
A slight sweet spice wood framing backed up with intense rasberry & strawberry jam that is lifted with detailed violets all with an underlying wet rock & moss tension.
The palate is salivating & mineral, again with wet rock and moss but with the most delicious ripe red fruit coating the palate. An incredibly powerful line of energy drives the entire sensation.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from Champerrier Bas plus parcels in En Songe and Vignes Belles
This is the first wine to display any appreciable reduction and here it's enough to overshadow the fruit. By contrast, there is a lovely sense of vibrancy to the supple, delicious and caressing medium weight flavors that possess fine length on the youthfully austere finale. This could however use better depth so a few years of proper cellaring are advised.
89-91 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Vosne-Romanée - $159
A little more haunting, transparent & lifted with subtle but perfectly ripe red cherry & raspberry. A little line of lime & crushed chalk keep the nose focused.
Delicate & woven that mutes for moment before slowly releasing its power and length, although never overwhelmingly so. Certainly long, lifted & present.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from Les Chalandins, Quartiers de Nuits, Les Violettes and Basses Maizières
An ultra-fresh and exuberantly spicy nose features note of plum, red cherry, tea and a whiff of violet. The rich, delicious and beautifully textured medium-bodied flavors deliver both fine length and depth on the balanced, firm and sleek finish. This is an excellent Vosne villages and worth your interest.
89-92 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Nuits-Saint-Georges - $136
Higher toned, more tensile with slight reduction that blows off to reveal very pretty violets & ripe red cherry. A little crushed limestone.
The palate has a more delicate stance than your usual NSG very pretty.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a .25 ha parcel in Les Athées
A completely different, and distinctly brooding, nose grudgingly reveals its aromas of red and dark currant, the sauvage and a whiff of forest floor character. The lighter weight flavors are very supple, indeed one could say forward, before tightening up on the dusty and lingering finish where a touch of asperity eventually surfaces. This is pretty enough but the balance isn't perfect.
87-89 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru - $330
As above but with an additional layer of dense fruit & hinting to a sweet spice wood frame. A little more closed, also.
The palate mutes before releasing supreme power & density. Very closed but the quality, concentration and class is apparent. long.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: 75% from Les Beaux Monts and 25% from the Echézeaux climat of Les Beaumonts Bas, which is the same parcel as the two adjoin
Here too there is enough reduction to suppress the fruit but not the spice nuances. The succulent and slightly richer middle weight flavors also possess a seductive mouthfeel before concluding in a youthfully austere, balanced and focused finale. While this could use better depth, a little patience should be sufficient to address that.
90-93 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru - $442
Beautifully poised with transparent, pure fruit that is olfactory filling, light on its feet but with ample fruit and flesh.
The palate is fine with crushed white florals and crushed chalk wrapped in bright raspberry with a squeeze of lime.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a .66 ha parcel that runs from Baudes Basses to Grand Maupertui
An exuberantly fresh and bright nose speaks of the essence of red pinot fruit, newly turned earth and a discreet application of wood. There is good punch and precision, if only average density, to the appealingly textured medium weight flavors that are supported by relatively fine-grained tannins on the youthfully austere and sneaky long finale.
91-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru - $442
Fruitful & welcoming with ripe cherry & plum which is velvety and caressing. An underlying darker fruit generosity, also.
As the nose suggests the palate is round, silky & fruitful with velvet like structure which is present but not overwhelming.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a .35 ha holding near the bottom of Mazoyères
Firm reduction blocks an evaluation of the nose though there is again good punch and precision to the lilting and refined medium-bodied flavors that also conclude in a moderately austere, balanced and persistent finale that is already displaying fine complexity.
91-94 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Échezeaux Grand Cru - $492
A slight wood frame and with the same poised weightless fruit that still exudes power. The introduction of a lavender floral lift from the glass.
The palate is firm, structured & present wrapped in stupendously pretty, present but not overwhelming fruit thats power is seemingly endlessly.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
from a large 1.33 ha holding in Les Treux, En Orveau and Les Poulaillères
Once again the nose is firmly reduced and revealing nothing. In the same vein as several wines in the range, there is both excellent freshness and a super-sleek mouthfeel to the utterly delicious, if not especially dense flavors that possess a beguiling inner mouth perfumed, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and beautifully balanced finale. Lovely.
92-94 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru - $475
Poised fruit with an underlying black forest fruit depth with wetrock & moss minerality. Quite transparent & with coaxing becomes olfactory filling & offers more detail.
Mutes for a moment before releasing absolute power of fruit, minerality an a nice saline touch. Very long. Very mineral.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a large 1.16 ha holding in Chabiots and Mochamps
This is also very firmly reduced and unreadable today. The delicious and intense middle weight flavors that do possess an appealing mouthfeel despite not being particularly concentrated that continues onto the lingering finale. At present this is pretty but not especially deep so at least some patience is in order.
90-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru - $696
The most concentrated but also the most muted. Incredible power lays underneath only giving hints, glimpes of its future.
The palate is so incredibly dense yet effortlessy light. It oozes class, refinement & lasts forever. The true genius is yet to come.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: from a .16 ha holding in CSD proper
A perfumed and elegant nose combines notes of various red berries with a lovely array of spice and floral nuances plus a hint of earth. Once again the mouthfeel of the medium weight flavors is super-sleek thanks to the fine-grained tannins supporting the youthfully austere, long and balanced finale. This lilting and classy effort does need better depth but that should only be a matter of exercising some patience.
91-94 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Coquard Loison-Fleurot Grands-Échezeaux Grand Cru - $842
Poised and weightless with absolute interest & detail before being muted for a moment before rereleasing interest. This same pattern follows again & again.
Weightless, woven, high toned & so incredibly olfactory filling. Long. Just wow.
-Jono Hersey, FWC
Note: also from a .16 ha holding
A wonderfully spicy and ultra-fresh floral-suffused nose also derives mostly from the red side of the fruit spectrum. The intense, detailed and powerful larger-scaled flavors coat the palate with dry extract while displaying superb length on the dusty, firmly austere and balanced finale. The prior wines are have their attributes but this is the clear class of the range in 2023.
93-95 points - Don't miss!
Allen meadows, The Burghound
Domaine Michel Gros, Vosne-Romanée
The Gros family were one of, if not the first, to 'domaine bottle' in Burgundy. The history and entwined structure of the extended family is a great way to spend an evening and I encourage those interested to do so with a bottle of their Monopole, 'Clos des Réas'!
The wines are 100% destemmed and have a long maceration. They are elegant yet fruitful, very pretty and have fantastic ageing capacity.
In particular, the Hautes-Côtes wines have an incredibly high-toned, nervous, jaw-clenching energy
Producer note: Michel Gros' son Pierre is progressively taking over the domaine and briefly noted that 2023 "was moderately hot but not baking and not as dry as the 2022 growing season. As such, there was neither much hydric stress nor disease pressure in the vines save for a bit of oidium. It was clear early on that yields would be on the higher side and as a consequence we did drop some fruit. There was though a sort of mini-heat wave just before the harvest that caused maturities to spike. We chose to begin picking on the 12th of September and the fruit was clean though it was necessary to sort for underripe bunches. Potential alcohols averaged right at 13% with one wine that hit 13.5%. We had no trouble with the vinifications and overall, 2023 is a vintage of both quantity and quality. Stylistically, it reminds me quite a bit of our 2017s and as such, they should age well yet be appealing young." I repeat for the benefit of Burghound readers who may have missed it, the domaine added two new wines to the portfolio: a .41 ha parcel of Richebourg and a .38 ha parcel of Echézeaux in the climat of Les Loächausses. (Winebow, Inc., www.winebow.com, NJ, Bertrand's Wines, www.bertrandswines.com, TX, Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, www.chamberswines.com, CA, Stacole Wines, www.stacolewines.com, FL, all USA; La Réserve, Uncorked Ltd, www.uncorked.co.uk, Farthinghoe Fine Wine, www.farthinghoefinewine.com, Private Cellar Ltd., www.privatecellar.co.uk and Thorman Hunt & Co., www.thormanhunt.co.uk, Lay & Wheeler, www.laywheeler.com, Wimbledon Wine Cellar, https://www.wimbledonwinecellar.com, UK; French Wine Centre, https://frenchwinecentre.com, Australia).
-Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge - $64
Tasting note: A perceptible dollop of wood frames ripe aromas of cherry, raspberry and a hint of kirsch. There is both good volume and vibrancy to the delicious middle weight flavors that conclude in a bitter pit fruit and mildly warm finale. To enjoy on the younger side.
86-89 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
A perfumed and very pretty nose reflects notes of both red and dark berries that are nuanced by floral and discreet spice wisps. The sleek, delicious and refined flavors exude evident minerality on the dusty, youthfully austere and slightly drying finale. It's hard to say if this will better harmonize but for the moment it's less well-balanced.
86-88 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge 'Au Vallon' - $66
Tasting note: This is aromatically similar to the straight Hautes Côtes with perhaps just a bit more spice influence. There is clearly more volume on the punchy and delicious medium weight flavors that conclude in a more structured if slightly less refined finale that offers slightly better depth. Worth checking out.
86-89 points - Outstanding
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge 'Fontaine Saint-Martin' - $68
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Nuits-Saint-Georges 'Les Chaliots' - $145
Just north of ‘Les Saint Georges’ and east of ‘Les Poirets’. According to Michel, the vineyard produces wines with an incredible finely detailed mineral character while maintaining an abundance of fruit.
Tasting note: A slightly more elegant nose freely offers up its blend of plum, crushed anise and a similar touch of humus-tinged earth. The lilting, precise and even finer middle weight flavors possess a beguiling texture that carries over to the moderately austere but not really rustic finale that is shaped by firm but relatively fine tannins. This should repay mid-term keeping of up to a year yet be approachable after only 4 to 6 years.
87-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Gevrey-Chambertin 'La Platière' - $145
Tasting note: Here too there is a 'wild' character to the raspberry, cherry, earth and sauvage-inflected nose. The sleek and delicious, if not especially dense, middle weight flavors possess slightly better length on the dusty and youthfully austere finale.
87-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Morey-Saint-Denis 'En la Rue de Vergy' - $159
A vineyard that sits directly above Clos de tart Grand Cru. With thin topsoil, the resultant wines are mineral and light on their feet as well as having oodles of complexity.
Tasting note: Ripe, cool and airy aromas are comprised by notes of wild cherry, raspberry and subtle spice nuances. The refined and highly energetic flavors exhibit both good detail and minerality on the dusty and moderately austere finish that presently comes up a bit short. Like several of the wines in the range, it's difficult to predict whether better persistence will eventually appear.
87-90 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru - $229
A blend of Aux Murgers and Vignerondes that connect, Vignerondes is to the south. Both have lighter soils with Murgers having more sand and gravel and Vignerondes with more Comblanchien limestone. The result is a wine with brooding fruit of Nuits Saint Georges but a little more finesse like Vosne Romanée.
Note: from old vines in Murgers and Vignerondes
Tasting note: An exuberant nose of freshly crushed cherry layered with earth, floral and spice wisps gives way to vibrant and delicious if not especially concentrated middle weight flavors that also terminate in a bitter pit fruit-inflected finish where a similar touch of asperity makes itself known.
88-91 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru 'Les Brûlées' - $349
Situated in the Combe de Conceour and as any Combe throughout the Côte, is on varied soil. This combined with varying aspects makes it particularly hard to pinpoint the style of the wine produced by Les Brulees. The name would suggest a very warm site however this is not necessarily the case and there are north facing aspects as well as the cool breeze that comes down from the Hautes Côte, through the Combe de Conceour. It is often said, including by Allen Meadows, that if Les Brulees was in any other village than Vosne Romanée, it would almost definitely be a grand cru.
Note: 35+ year old vines that abut their parcel of Richebourg in Verroilles
Tasting note: Top notes of kirsch and jasmine tea adds interest to the ripe aromas of mostly poached plum scents. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the acceptably concentrated medium weight flavors that flash good minerality on the youthfully austere, dusty and sneaky long finish where a more subtle hint of asperity appears.
89-91 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
50% new wood is used for the 1er Cru vineyards. Glowing ruby purple with a heavenly perfume like the village but more intense. Darker fruit behind, some wood tannins again, and very good length. One change in vinification at this domaine is no longer to heat the tanks during post-fermentation maceration, thus improving purity and precision. Drink from 2029-2035. Tasted Mar 2025.
92-95 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru 'Clos des Réas' - $349
Clos des Reas is the only premier cru monopole in Vosne Romanée. The current walls that encompass the vineyard were built between 1800 and 1810, the Gros family purchasing the 2.12 hectare vineyard in 1860. The high walls and buildings to the east protect the vineyard from the harsh cool winds from the north and east. In regard to soil, it is a little different, and in turn results in a supremely elegant wine - the top 50 centimetres is red soil with limestone, the subsoil is oligence marlwith salmon veins and large limestone blocks. The result is a wine with finesse and suppleness.
Note: a 2.12 ha monopole with vines averaging 40+ years of age
Tasting note: Here too there are top notes of kirsch and exotic tea to the airier and more elegant aromas of the essence of red and black pinot fruit. The lilting, vibrant and succulent medium-bodied flavors possess a generous mouthfeel while displaying solid length on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finale that is firm enough will need most of a decade to resolve the supporting tannins.
89-92 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
A sound and solid crimson purple. Different in shape, much rounder through the middle, more dark fruit at the back, easily covering the tannins, and exceptional length. This is extremely impressive. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Mar 2025.
94-96 points (red five star wine)
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Clos Vougeot 'Grand Maupertuis' Grand Cru - $550
Note: from .20 ha parcel; note that Gros uses the atypical spelling of Maupertuis, e.g., with an "s"
Tasting note: An unusually perfumed nose, at least for Clos de Vougeot, reflects notes of red cherry, dark raspberry and newly turned humus-tinged earth. Like the Clos des Réas, the mouthfeel of the middle weight flavors is decidedly generous if not especially dense, all wrapped in a punchy, detailed and youthfully austere finale that is slightly firmer.
90-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Échezeaux 'Les Loachausses' Grand Cru - $575
Note: from a .38 ha holding
Tasting note: The spicy essence of various red berries and poached plum enjoys additional nuances by hints of tea, violet and a whiff of oak toast. The seductively textured, round, rich and plush medium weight flavors flash solid power on the sappy, balanced and sneaky long finish that also exhibits just a touch of youthful austerity.
90-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
The domaine uses 100% new wood for their top wines such as the Grands Crus, which came in at 14.5% alcohol. A deep purple. Quite different. Greater intensity with less of a Michel Gros vinification style. There is perhaps just something a little bit earthy at the back. Drink from 2031-2036. Tasted Mar 2025.
92-95 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
2023 Domaine Michel Gros Richebourg Grand Cru - $1430
Note: from a .41 ha holding in the climat of Les Verroilles
This possesses the spiciest nose in the range with a wonderfully broad-ranging array of red and dark cherry, exotic Asian-style tea and a similar whiff of oak toast. The rich, powerful and quite serious larger-bodied flavors exude evident minerality on the powerful, muscular and lingering finale where touches of acid tang and warmth appear. I suspect that the acid tang will eventually dissipate as the high level of gas is regulated when the wine is racked for the bottling.
91-93 points
Allen Meadows, The Burghound
An even bright ruby purple. In its youth, the 100% new oak shows a little, though well married with the fruit. There is darker fruit in the mouth, unexpectedly and perhaps a higher octane feel at 14.5%, with plums as well as berries in the fruit profile. There is definitely potential for further positive development here. Drink from 2033-2040. Tasted Mar 2025.
94-96 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy