Sarah Marsh MW
Beaune Premier Cru Grèves
From quite a steep parcel two thirds up this large climat. Perfumed. Satin texture, with enveloping ripeness and depth and a soft, salt minerality on the fluid, elegantly stretched finish. 2026–30+. | 94–95
Volnay
Pure, singing, red-cherry aroma. A silky, vivid, and lively Volnay, with delicate texture, lovely intensity, and a racy finish. It sings. 2024–29. | 90
Volnay Premier Cru
Frédéric commented, “The premiers crus are complementary, and I feel that if you make one of them in a very tiny quantity, you do not represent the terroir. It was a very good experience to do this. It is a unique experience.” He clearly hopes, however, that it will be a one-off! Gorgeously scented, with rose petals and ripe red fruit. Sumptuous glide onto the palate. It purrs with deep, satin generosity, yet there is firm, underlying structure and tannin, probably from the Clos des Chênes. It has depth and density (the Clos du Château des Ducs). The finish has drive, yet is swathed in fragrance. Both firmly structured and elegant. Very complete wine. 2026–35. | 96
DOMAINE DE MONTILLE I was shown only a selection. Winemaker Brian Sieve said, “It was a little like 2013 for whites, but now I think 2021 is above that. The sharpness and crispness of 2017, and a bit of 2019, but the growing season was more like 2013, and the volume, too, which is why I go back to this.” Plenty of whole- bunch for reds, if a little less than usual, often to get the volume in the wooden cuve to maintain the temperature for sufficient extraction.
White Meursault Premier Cru Perrières
Racy and focused. Almond bitterness and freshness. Fine, powdery stone character. Quite persistent and notably energetic. 2026–32. | 93
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Caillerets
A more delicate expression of Caillerets than others in 2021. Soft up-front but gathers intensity. I like the salinity on the finish, which carries quite well, but a little disappointing overall. 2026–32. | 92–93
Red
Pommard Premier Cru Rugiens Light oregano notes, pure, fresh, and lively, with crunchiness and refinement. The mid-palate has good intensity. A green aspect, crisp bite, and a certain delicacy for Rugiens-Bas. 2026–35. | 94–95
Volnay Premier Cru Taillepieds
Delicate, finely textured, and rather perfumed Taillepieds, showing unexpected charm. Maybe the whole-bunch, by increasing the pH, has toned down the austerity. 2026–30+. | 94
DOMAINE DE LA POUSSE D’OR In 2018, the domaine was certified biodynamic by Demeter and certified organic, but it has been working this way since 1997. Everything is destemmed and goes through an optical sorting machine. Pousse d’Or favors whole berries, with a cold-maceration of seven days, but longer in 2021, since it was slower to release color. 20% new oak in general. Intriguingly, after fermentation, three cuvées were matured separately in barrique and in 800-liter amphora. The amphorae give a pure, fruity, and elegant expression of the terroir. In addition to the Côte de Beaune vineyards, which includes three monopoles in Volnay, the domaine has some pretty impressive climats in the Côte de Nuits. Of the 42 acres (17.2ha), 30 acres (12ha) are in the Côte de Beaune. I liked the Chambolle Amoureuses and, especially, the Clos de la Roche, which showed excellent vigor and cold sapidity. The various Caillerets were the best I tasted in 2021.
Volnay Premier Cru En Caillerets Clos des 60 Ouvrées (Monopole) Cuvée Amphore
Floral, with a light note of raspberry. Keen, lean, and bright, with a lively, spirited, and airy feel. Gossamer texture. Intense fruit and balletic. It just pirouettes onto the finish. So refined. 2026–35. | 95
Volnay Premier Cru Le Caillerets
Warm, strawberry-field aroma, with white flowers, even white pepper. Airy and rounded, it has a light bite and crunch. Some grip and spice, with a chalky- dry, mineral freshness to finish. 2025–30+. | 94
Volnay Premier Cru Le Caillerets Cuvée Amphore
High-toned red fruit. Bright, slim-textured, with light, refined tannins. Focuses on minerality. It is precise, trim, and just shimmers on the finish. 2026–35. | 94
Volnay Premier Cru Clos d’Audignac (Monopole)
From a north-northeast slope, with north-south facing rows. A cooler exposition but sheltered by the walls and the house. It misses the sunshine in the evening. Probably a good vineyard with climate change, but I found it showed well in this cooler vintage. Good concentration of sweet- cherry fruit, while so fresh and concentrated. Very lively but contained. I like the sweet/fresh cut to this wine. Energetic, with a good follow-through. 2206–34. | 94
Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
On the red soil. A rich, full, and dense palate. Lightly muscular, with dark fruit and a chocolate richness. Follows though very nicely, with a seductive, smooth, and well-sustained finish. 2027–35. | 97
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Much more restrained and austere. Compact and tight. Layered. Long and cold finish. Savory sapidity. Such a cool, mineral feel. You really seem to taste the soil. 2027–40. | 97–98
Quite some ripeness on the nose, and a broad, succulent palate. Juicy, even extravagant, with plentiful, spicy tannins and a good, punchy flow- through. It has some heft for a Volnay in 2021. 2026–35. | 93–94
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 195
AUXEY-DURESSES
DOMAINE DES TERRES DE VELLE Fabrice and Sophie Laronze make the wine in their modern winery at the entrance to the village. I have been tasting here for some years now. Unlike the owners of the other domaines I have included in this report, they are not locals and established their business with outside investors. This hard-working couple are very focused on their vineyards, and the wines are precise and very well made. “The word I would use for this vintage is ‘pressure.’ It was tough,” said Sophie. “Right until the end, we didn’t know what we would get. The growing season was exhausting—twice as much work, yet we knew we would have so little, so it was mentally exhausting.” Explaining their approach in the winery, she continued, “In 2020, we stopped adding sulfur to the whites during the vinifiaction. In 2021, we were not sure, but we took our time with the pressing and the débourbage, which is always done very carefully, and we continued to work with no sulfites.”
White Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés
A village lieu-dit with old vines. Only one and a half barrels this year. Almost crunchy ripe and zesty. It captures so much succulence, underscored with freshness. Top-notch Auxey. 2024–28. | 85–86
Puligny-Montrachet
From Les Noyers (75%) and Levrons (25%), the fruit being pressed together, as it was all from 60-year-old vines in the same area and with a similar profile. Flowery and soft, cloaked in nicely ripe fruit. More delicate up-front. Saltiness to follow. A longer finish than the Chassagne. 2025–30. | 88–89
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
From two parcels, one in Le Charlemagne, the other En-Charlemagne. Five barrels. Straight and citrus and pure. Tension, intensity, and a frisson of cold, stony minerality on the well-sustained finish. Very good. 2029–35+. | 95–96
Red Monthelie Premier Cru Les Duresses
This was saved from the frost because the vines are cordon-trained and were less far into their growing cycle. Soft summer fruits. This is structured, of course, but they have coaxed the very best of the fruit from the grapes and the terroir is still present. Very lightly done. A refined version, which is not easy to achieve, and the best expression of this site that I tasted this vintage. 2025–29. | 85
Volnay Premier Cru Le Roncerets
2021 BURGUNDY: CÔTE DE BEAUNE
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