Chevillon, Robert
Nuits St.-Georges “Les Chaignots”: from a 1.5 ha parcel that blends 40+ and 60+ year old vines
A spicy and wonderfully complex nose of red berry liqueur, violets and earth notes, the latter of which continues onto the pure, refined and poised middle weight flavors that possess outstanding balance and excellent length. This is really quite lovely if entirely serious and I admire how fine the tannins are. Note that this will require at least a decade to be at its best. 91/100, drink from 2018+
12 x 75cl - £365/case in bond
Clair, Bruno
Savigny-lès-Beaune “La Dominode: from vines planted in 1902
A ripe and dense nose of high-toned red pinot fruit cut with ample amounts of plum, violets and Savigny-style earth that are very much in keeping with the rich, full, delicious and serious medium weight flavors that finish with fine intensity and plenty of sappy extract. The old vines and low yields are very much in evidence because in addition to the impressive intensity and sap, there is very good phenolic ripeness. 91/100, drink from 2016+
12 x 75cl - £360/case in bond
Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers”: from 40+ year old vines
A classic Gevrey nose of superb complexity displays distinctly sauvage notes on the intensely earthy and underbrush-suffused red berry fruit aromas that also show a hint of crushed leaf character merge seamlessly into very rich and full-bodied flavors where the tannic spine is prominent and firm on the strikingly long finish. Though patience will certainly be required, there is enough extract present that this should not be unduly austere once it begins to mature though note that it is very austere and backward at present. 92/100, drink from 2020+
12 x 75cl - £645/case in bond
Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos St. Jacques”: from a 1 ha parcel of 40+ year old vines
An ultra elegant, cool, refined and layered nose of stone-infused red pinot fruit from crushed leaf aromas complements to perfection the textured, gorgeously detailed and driving middle weight flavors where the wonderfully persistent though presently austere and linear finish seems to be constructed over a firm base of minerality. Terrific. 93/100, drink from 2020+
12 x 75cl - £785/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £810/case in bond
Chambertin – Clos de Bèze: two-thirds of the vines were planted in 1912 and the remainder in 1973
Discreet wood influence surrounds the intensely spicy and earthy nose that is at once elegant yet animale and this sauvage character extends to the very rich, powerful and well-muscled flavors that possess a seductively textured yet firm finish of imposing length. This is a big but focused Bèze that has already begun to shut down. Patience will be required. 94/100, drink from 2023+
12 x 75cl - £1095/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £1120/case in bond
Gouges, Henri
Nuits St.-Georges “Les St.-Georges”: 55+ year old vines
A more elegant but cool and reserved nose of exceptionally pure red berry and plum aromas also possesses notes of earth and underbrush that transfer seamlessly over to the rich, full and focused medium weight plus flavors that are actually quite supple and round but where this really distinguishes itself from the Vaucrains is the seriously impressive depth on the moderately austere and mildly herbal but hugely long finish. Like the Vaucrains, this will need plenty of time. 92/100, drink from 2018+
12 x 75cl - £695/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £710/case in bond
Grivot, Jean
Nuits St.-Georges “Les Boudots”: from 70+ year old vines
This is a classic Boudots with its half Vosne from half Nuits personality as the aromatic profile is both ripe and spicy, offering an herb-infused mix of red pinot and plum fruit notes that complement the rich, powerful and serious full-bodied flavors that possess solid dry extract level that confers a textured mouth feel by virtue of buffering the very firm and mouth coating tannins. This will require patience. 91/100, drink from 2018+
12 x 75cl - £625/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £645/case in bond
Clos de Vougeot: 50+ year old vines
A discreet touch of wood frames strikingly complex, ripe, fresh and quite densely fruited earth suffused red pinot aromas that lead to rich, full-bodied and textured flavors that exude an overt muscularity on the equally explosive finish where the integrated tannins confer a dusty mouth feel to the moderately austere finale. This is an extremely impressive effort but note that even more patience will be required. 94/100, drink from 2023+
12 x 75cl - £750/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £770/case in bond
Clos des Lambrays
Clos des Lambrays: produced from two large parcels of differing vine age - one that is approximately two-thirds of the blend and is now 45 years of age and a second, smaller group of vines that is approximately 20+ years of age)
The deeply pitched nose evidences obvious earth and floral influences on the mostly ripe red pinot fruit aromas that complement the rich, pure and detailed medium weight flavors that culminate in a dusty and mouth coating finish where the supporting tannins display a clear stem influence. This is an excellent wine though it may not be to everyone’s taste due to the obvious stem character. 93/100, drink from 2020+
12 x 75cl - £770/case in bond
Mortet, Denis
Gevrey-Chambertin “Lavaut St. Jacques”
An expressive nose of herbal, plum and wet stone merges seamlessly into fresh and pure flavors that are really quite fine detailed and supported by equally fine tannins on the classy, tension-filled and moderately austere finish. I quite like this but there is enough austerity present that it won’t be for everyone. 91/100, drink from 2016+
12 x 75cl - £810/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £830/case in bond
Clos de Vougeot: from a .32 ha parcel of vines just below those of Château de la Tour in the lower middle of the slope
This is the ripest of this group of ‘08s with a very earthy nose of plum, cassis and mocha hints that lead to reserved big-bodied flavors that enjoy excellent mid-palate concentration as there is ample extract that buffers the firmly tannic spine on the powerful and long finish. 92/100, drink from 2018+
6 x 150cl - £1670/case in bond
Mugnier, Jacques Frederic
Nuits St. Georges “Clos de la Maréchale”
A distinctly earthy and anise-infused mix of sour cherry and blue berry fruit that displays whiffs of crushed herbs and pepper merges into detailed, pure and almost delicate middle weight flavors that possess a sophisticated mouth feel and fine length. I should point out though that while there is no rusticity present, the very firm tannins are not as refined as those of the Fuées. 90/100, drink from 2016+
12 x 75cl - £410/case in bond 6 x 150cl - £420/case in bond
All notes are taken from Burghound issue 41 (2011).
It’s very nearly that time of year again – this weekend we’ll be packing our cords and Sensodyne and heading south to taste the latest barrel samples from Bordeaux. There are a few changes to the program: sadly, our annual cricket match against the Bordeaux XI has been cancelled, and following a request/demand from our Chairman – we will be turning our schedule on its head. We will be taking on the Right Bank first, followed by the Medoc. Hopefully the rest of the trade will stick to the conventional slog through the Left Bank on Monday and Tuesday and leave us to taste Pomerol and St Emilion in relative tranquillity... 
