The Domaine Camille Lucienne Macon-Villages 2022 was a triumph. The 2022 vintage was splendid and the team overcame the year’s challenges to produce a top-flight affordable white Burgundy. In a year that kept all Burgundy’s vignerons on their toes, Domaine Camille Lucienne had the added complication of having their vines in the process of converting to organic certification. By utilising a combination of traditional, natural methods in the vineyard alongside state-of-the art winemaking technique

Château Vitallis only made a tiny amount of wine in 2021, but they are ones lovers of white Burgundy should have. The Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Les Vignes du Château’ 2021 is a blend of grapes from Château Vitallis’ historic 13th-century plots. The vines, with an average age of 35 years, are planted on clay-limestone Jurassic soils, and bring richness to their wines. In line with owners Denis and Maxime Dutron’s winemaking philosophy, great care and attention are lavished on the vineyards using organic me

Clos-La-Gaffelière is the second wine of Château La Gaffelière, one of the oldest family-owned estates in Saint Emilion. It is also one of the most prestigious having been ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classe in the original 1955 Saint Emilion Classification. It lies to the south of the town of Saint Emilion on the Saint Emilion plateau neighbouring Chateau Ausone and Chateau Pavie. The vineyards are predominantly Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc. There’s a noticeable elegance to it, though i

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast. Chateau Petit Bocq made the most of its scattered Saint Estèphe plots and selected only the finest fruit for its Grand Vin in 2017. This Cru Bourgeois Supérieur is made up of 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot from vineyards that border the likes of Cos d’Estournel and Montrose.  Known as one of the best value wines in all of Saint Estèphe, it’s been described as a ‘…seriously structured wine. It also has density and solid black fruits that are r

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast. Château Fonroque produced an excellent wine in 2017. The 2017 vintage was unusual and not without its challenges. A hard (-6°C) frost on the 28th of April reduced the potential crop significantly as did a lack of rain in the spring. Happily a dry summer and sunny autumn allowed Fonroque to bring in a relatively small, but healthy harvest. The grand vin is a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, a mix that played to the vintage’s strengths. Typically powerful and

A wonderfully complex Blanc de Blancs champagne from the outstanding 2015 vintage. Michel Genet and his team are 'manufacteurs de Grands Crus' and their MG BB Vintage offers aromas of pastries with fragrances of fresh nuts and candied fruits, followed by tobacco, menthol anise and eucalyptus. This has a rich aromatic palette and powerful finish. About the Producer “Manufacteurs de Grands Crus”. Michel Genet like to call themselves “manufacteurs” (“artisans”) from the word’s Latin origins in manu

This Chardonnay presents a wonderful contrast between liveliness and roundness, comfort and freshness. Situated on the heights of Savigny-lès-Beaune, the plot called "Les Champlains" is characterized by a poor and very stony soil. One can indeed see numerous "meurgers," these high piles of flat stones extracted from the vineyards over the centuries and piled into walls bordering the plots. The particularly generous sunlight of the plot benefits the grapes, which ripen well, resulting in a dense

97 Points - Falstaff. The 'Grand Siècle' is a name for the prosperous 17th century in France, known for human creativity surpassing nature. Louis XIV, the 'Sun King,' created the Château de Versailles, symbolising harmony and perfection. In Champagne, the term "vintage" typically signifies excellence in Prestige Cuvées. However, Laurent-Perrier believes that only blending can achieve perfection beyond nature's offerings, resulting in a champagne with long ageing potential, evolving depth, intens

Halliday 5 Red Star Winery. The Squire Vineyard was the original name of Briar Ridge's estate in Mount View, Hunter Valley. Chardonnay was the first planted white variety on the grounds, and this wine pays homage to the crucial role that this grape has in Briar Ridge's history, as well as the history of the region.A traditional style Chardonnay, rich & opulent packed with notes of peach & melon. Subtle influence of oak provides structure & spice notes, with a natural nectarine like a

95 points - Decanter World Wine Awards. The Tapanappa Tiers 2018 Chardonnay is a wonderful example of the new wave of cool-climate Australian wines. Produced in the Tiers vineyard in the south of the Piccadilly Valley, a sub-region of Adelaide Hills, it’s made from old vines that enjoy a long, slow ripening period on poor, rain-leached sandy loam soils. Once ripe the grapes were harvested by hand and chilled to 2oC before pressing to preserve the aromas and freshness. Using innovative air-bag pr

92 points - Falstaff. The Tapanappa Piccadilly Valley 2020 Chardonnay is a wonderful example of the new wave of cool-climate Australian wines. Produced in the Piccadilly Valley, a sub-region of Adelaide Hills, it’s made from thirty-year-old vines that enjoy a long, slow ripening period on poor, rain-leached sandy loam soils. Once ripe the grapes were harvested by hand and chilled to 2oC before pressing to preserve the aromas and freshness. Using innovative air-bag presses, the juice was fermente

The tiny amount of Domaine Vincent Prunier Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Garennes 2022 that was produced is a wine no lover of fine white Burgundy should be without. This challenging year tested the nerves of the winemakers, but as he has proved time after time, no challenge is too great for Vincent. Les Garennes is one of the lesser known, best value Puligny Montrachet Premier Crus, and Vincent’s is full of ripe fruit and power but has a steely backbone and refinement that are the finest Pulig

Domaine Vincent Prunier Chassagne Montrachet Blanc 2022 is a fine example of this micro-domaines wines. Produced in the challenging, but brilliant 2022 vintage, Vincent’s well-placed old vines performed exceptionally well and produced a small crop of beautifully balanced, ripe grapes that careful vinification turned into yet another high-scoring wine. Hand harvested, hand sorted, and handmade, this is a classic Chassagne Montrachet that offers ample fruit, an elegant structure, and fine acidity.