Sarah Marsh MW
MAISON CHAMPY White Pernand-Vergelesses
From village parcels around the hill of Frétille with different exposures. This cuvée now includes Belles Filles, but is largely Combottes. Straight-up, salty, and citrus on both nose and palate. Zesty lemon peel; direct and a touch bitter, in a good way. Plenty of energy and salinity to wrap up. A village wine with quite good length and spot-on typicité. Very snappy. I like it a lot. 2023–26. | 87
Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru En Caradeux
This climat is on the hill of Noël, opposite En Charlemagne on the hill of Corton. Lightly spicy (oak) on the aroma and attack, with hints of melon and ginger. Just a touch tropical on the palate, which is quite soft, broad, nutty/toffee, and maybe lacks intensity for a premier cru, although it rallies on the savory finish. 2023–26. | 87–88
Red
Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de Bully On marl limestone in a cool situation. Fullish, earthy, village wine, somewhat robust, with a loose texture. Light, grainy tannin on the finish. Slapping, juicy, honest, and easy-going. 2023–27. | 85
Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Île des Vergelesses
Hedgerow-fruit aroma. On the palate, sweet and juicy fruit, cut with icy acidity. Slices keenly to an attractive, bitter, morello-cherry finish. Light and just slightly grippy tannin. Straight, energetic, and piquant. A slim, stylish, and elegant wine, showing good typicité. For 2021 Pernand, this is as good as it gets. I like it a lot. 2025–30. | 92
DOMAINE CHANSON Managing Director Vincent Avenel is ably assisted by two young women, vineyard manager Justine Savoye and Cellar Master Lucy Auger. It’s Chanson’s first year of official organic conversion. Together they visited the domaine’s 107 acres (43ha) before harvest began on September 15, assessing ripeness, particularly the stems. Whole-bunch is a feature of the approach at Chanson, but since Avenel’s arrival, is no longer applied systematically, and in a dramatic departure from tradition they destemmed 70% in 2021, and reduced the cold-maceration, previously lasting between 8 and 10 days, another quite distinctive approach, to between 4 and 8 days. “The general idea was to be delicate in order to have a more gentle extraction, allowing us to have a bright fruit with pure terroir expression,” explained Avenel. They also did a thorough sorting. Avenel remarked that the reds have exceeded their initial expectations. “They are delicate, lacy, with great terroir transparency. For whites, we were already more confident at the beginning. This vintage has obviously not the concentration, power, voluptuousness, or structure of its recent predecessors, but perhaps it shows more terroir
diversity.” I tasted the six red Beaune premiers crus blind, and include my favorites here. Teurons is the lightest, brightest, and most elegant of the six. I prefer it to Clos des Mouches and Grèves. Clos du Roi, which is ponderous in a hot year, is supple and attractive; and Fèves hit the mark. The reds have herbal crunch and light chew.
Whites Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Mouches
Subtly spicy aroma with a whisper of ground coriander. A rather sumptuous, full-bodied palate with creamy richness and just a hint of ripe mango fruit. It stops short of voluptuous with just enough acidity to balance. There is weight here and some spice—a touch of ground ginger which carries on the finish. Maybe it could show persistence more on that finish, but it’s very more-ish. Give it time to settle and focus. 2026–32. | 92–93
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chenevottes
A gregarious Chenevottes with plentiful fruit; the rounded and somewhat chunky palate is underscored with lively freshness and finishes on a bright, lemon-peel note. Good typicity. Easy and engaging. 2024–30. | 92–93
Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Les Caradeux
Ripe and glossy citrus attack with breadth and weight mid-palate. Savory and richly textured. Sapidity provides balance and the decent finish has a light meso note. 2025–32. | 91–92
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières
Rather hidden behind oak, which gives it sweet creaminess upfront, but give it time and that peels away to reveal the more interesting taut structure, a touch of tannic bitterness and savory profile. There’s some push through on the sapid finish. 2026–30+. | 93
Corton-Vergennes Grand Cru
Certainty rich and exuberant, but not fruity; this has savory generosity. It’s full-bodied, with a luscious texture and plenty of depth. Persistent, polished, limestone finish. One to age. 2026–32+. | 95
Red Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Fèves (Monopole)
Aroma of ripe, soft, summer fruits, white pepper, and touch of luscious oak. Energetic attack, with plenty of gloss. It combines ripe fruit with herbaceous greener notes. Quite closely knit and zesty, with sappy tannin, which gives a fresh and lively kick on the decent finish. 2025–32. | 93
Beaune Premier Cru Clos du Roi
Somewhat spiky, herbaceous nose, but a supple, ripely rounded, and juicy palate, with some new
From vines in Languettes. High-toned and reserved. Plenty of tension and a bright twang of energy to finish. It carries very well on the salty and juicy finish. 2026–35. | 96
Red Beaune Premier Cru Les Cras
Super-ripe on the nose and attack. Nice concentration, with a cold mineral cut under the palate. A wine of contrast and juxtaposition. Sweet and savory. 2025–30. | 91–92
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 191
oak apparent. Decent energy. The ripe forest fruits are laced with fresh acidity and it sweeps into a slightly licorice finish. I am often a bit sniffy about Clos du Roi, but this is rather good. Well-balanced. 2025–30. | 92–93
Beaune Premier Cru Teurons
Lightly exotic perfume, with a hint of anise. A smooth and straight glide into the palate. Silky texture, with warm red fruits and toasted five-spice notes giving a slight bitterness. Slim and light, with a lively and fresh, sapid tang on the finish. Becomes quite snappy in a good way. 2025–30. | 93
JOSEPH DROUHIN “I summarize [the vintage] in two words,” said Frédéric Drouhin. “Seductive and unique. Seductive, for its balance, finesse, precision, and charm. Unique because of the frost. We lit 500 candles per hectare and it took eight people to do this. You run like a rabbit. I was in the Montrachet. Beautiful to see… but you are scared!” Of the whites, he said: “The lees were very important, not for bâtonnage, but essential to bring flavor and to keep freshness and balance.” Drouhin used plenty of whole-bunch for reds, but Frédéric remarked, “There was high malic acidity, so we had to be careful with the tannins to manage the balance. We used less pigeage and remontage.” He added, "The wines will be appealing very young. It’s not a vintage to keep 15 years, for red or white, as it’s on the lighter side. So, drink the 2021s before the 2020s.”
White Puligny-Montrachet
20% of crop. “The village that suffered the most” says Frédéric Douhin. Delicate, fine, and floral with a well-sustained perfumed finish. 2025–30. | 88–89
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot
Rich butterscotch aroma. The chubby palate is most appealing for its energy and succulent, juicy acidity. It has youthful exuberance. 2025–32. | 94
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros
From a steep slope, so it is plowed by horse. Vinified in 500-liter barrels and cask, but no new oak. Quite broad up-front and lightly sumptuous, with a fullish and rounded palate. An attractive touch of bitterness to finish. 2025–32+. | 93
2021 BURGUNDY: CÔTE DE BEAUNE
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