“This is pure and refined, with aromas of bright white peach, ripe lemon rind, gun smoke, and hints of toasted nuts and butter. It has a bright, nicely ripe, exuberant palate – almost exotic, with mandarin fruit – that is surprisingly open and generous. This is delicate but with real power, depth and concentration underneath. There is clear expertise in the winemaking here, gentle extraction and well-integrated oak adding controlled weight, density and texture, but not to the detriment of the terroir. It’s got a racy freshness, with a mineral, saline character that becomes evident after a few hours in the glass. This is classic, in the style of the vineyard, but really showcases what is special about the greatest whites in 2019 – concentration, real freshness and harmony. In terms of sheer length, this edges the Chevalier, but only just. It feels like this will last forever. Outstanding. Only a single barrel was made.”

FINE+RARE

“The Chevalier has a more delicate and reserved nose than Le Montrachet, quite reticent initially and less expressive, but everything is there. With some coaxing, there are hints of lemon peel, nuts and honeysuckle. There is a precision and focus here found only in the best Grands Crus, with an effortlessness razor-sharp, flinty freshness on the palate, very saline and bright. There is undeniable power and concentration lying beneath the prominent fresh acid and brightness that characterises the palate. If there was any doubt given the embryonic stage of the wine’s life, the finish reminds me that this is surely one of the stand-out whites of the vintage. Long, precise and complex, all nuts and minerality, this is a must in 2019 for white Burgundy collectors. Superb.”

FINE+RARE

“The Bâtard is certainly the most expressive in its youth of the Grands Crus tasted alongside each other. It is the most opulent too. Delicate yet rich aromas of toffee, cream, vanilla and brioche exude from the glass, matched by a palate that is fat and unctuous, yet bristling with mouth-watering freshness. There’s a spectrum of apple fruit on the palate, from freshly cut green through to ripe yellow and toffee apple along with sweet sultana notes. This is hugely expansive and mouth-filling. A full-bodied wine with wonderful energy, it’s extravagant, intense but balanced and shows the quality and exuberance of the vintage beautifully. Drink from 2025.”

FINE+RARE

“The complex nose ebbs and flows, flitting between a meadow of lavender, white floral notes and more earthy truffle aromas, to wafts of fresh pastry and vanilla. The palate is expansive, mouth-filling and dripping with white peach and succulent mirabelle plum fruit. This is full-bodied, opulent, and beautifully layered. Clay levels in the soil are around 30% which brings an added elegance and silkiness to the wine. It is so juicy on the mid-palate, rich with pulsating acidity that makes the mouth water. Like its neighbouring Montrachet Grands Crus, it contains a lot of stony terrain, providing the all-important mineral tension which comes through in spades on the persistent finish. The intensity, concentration and balance of the wine will see this age beautifully. Approach from 2028.”

FINE+RARE

“When compared to Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, the Bienvenues is shyer on the nose, with much less opulent fruit character, instead more compact citrus fruit, and distinct mineral inflections. It is also a complete contrast in the palate, if Bâtard-Montrachet is a “horizontal” wine then Bienvenues is “vertical”. The texture is crisp with chiselled, crunchy, limestone minerality that provides great structure. The fruit remains very pure, baked lemon and lime, and dried honeycomb. With time in the glass it starts to reveal its aromatic complexity, and with serious time in bottle will no doubt fatten on the palate. This is the most serious, compacted, and longest ageing of the three Grands Crus. Approach in 2030.”

FINE+RARE