tasting / laying down / 2023 Burgundy
DOMAINE DES COMTES LAFON Pierre Lafon is now using more 500-liter barrels. For the reds, there was no whole-bunch in 2023. “We consider it a cold year, and the alcohol was not high, so it didn’t make sense to do whole-bunch. We are looking to keep on the fresh-fruit side in 2023 for the reds.” I think they have achieved this very successfully. The reds are light and bright.
Meursault Désirée
From vines almost 30 years old now, in premier cru Les Plures. “In general, we keep a lot of lees,” explained Pierre, and they are helping here. Spicy and rich, with a slight bite, which adds freshness and tension and a good bitterness. 2026–32. | 92
Meursault Premier Cru Bouchères
This was picked on the second day of the harvest. Airy and lightly creamy, with a fine texture; light, fresh, and lacy, with refreshing acidity to finish. Great terroir expression. Spot-on. 2027–35. | 94–95
Meursault Premier Cru Charmes
Pure and super-silky, this ripples in a straight and very elegant line. Refined and stretched on the finish. 2027–35+. | 95
Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières
Fermented in 228-liter barrels and finished in 500-liter barrels. A spicy aroma, with purple notes. A fragrant and finely textured palate, with a shimmering, sparkly finish. What a delight. 2027–35. | 95
Meursault Premier Cru Perrières
Much denser and richer than the Charmes, with stony intensity. Powerful and persistent. It’s cold where the Charmes is warm. Austere. Excellent finish. 2028–35+. | 96
Le Montrachet Grand Cru
A bumper crop: seven barrels. Rich, ripe, and savory. Dense, powerful, and persistent. Battened down. Really very long. It is the length we are judging… and it goes on and on. 2028–40. | 98
Reds Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes
Raspberry fruit aroma, with a fresh and juicy palate. Light-bodied, with a crisp, chalky edge which carries into the finish. 2027–38. | 95
Volnay Premier Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu
Lovely concentration of red cherry fruit. Richness and freshness, for there is also a crunchy note. Fine- grained tannin. Shows some tension on the finish. For the vintage, this seems quite a light Santenots, but it is elegant and pleasing. 2027–35. | 94
DOMAINE JACQUES PRIEUR Winemaker Nadine Gublin said, “A green-harvest was obligatory for the success of Pinot Noir. It is a
192 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025
very long time since we last did this. I used fewer whole bunches in 2023 [30–40%] than in most other vintages—I didn’t like the stems.”
Chambertin Grand Cru
From four small parcels (total 0.84ha [2 acres]), well distributed within Chambertin, and 50-year- old vines. All destemmed. 13.5% ABV. Elegant and straight. Lovely tannins. It’s refined and very long. Quiet and precise. 2027–35+. | 96–97
Echézeaux Grand Cru
From 0.35ha (0.9 acre) of 70-year-old vines in Champs Traversins. “The Combe d’Orveau brings the fresh breeze here, and for the ripeness it is really perfect—we never have a problem with overripeness.” Even in 2023, this had small berries. Destemmed. 13.5% ABV. It is a fresh and almost herbal Echézeaux. Bright, zesty, and energetic. It’s piquant and defies the vintage, being super-lively and long to finish. Plenty of energy. 2027–35+. | 96
Musigny Grand Cru
From a 0.75ha (1.85-acre) parcel of 60-year-old vines. All destemmed. 13.8% ABV. Intense red fruit, underscored by a pure and chalky freshness. Lively, bright, and zesty. Very fine, taffeta tannins. The finish is precise, saline, and very persistent. Intense but very delicate. 2027–35+. | 97
VINCENT GIRARDIN The domaine vineyards are now certified organic. No green-harvest was necessary for the whites, as they are sorted in the field. Quite high alcohol levels for the whites, averaging 13.7% or so, with higher than usual pHs pre-malolactic of up to 3.3, but head winemaker Eric Germain didn’t acidify. He presses up to 2 bar, and takes plenty of lees: “I want a high level of turbidity: 600–700 NTUs.” Spontaneous fermentation and malolactic. No racking for 15 months, then two months in tank. 15% new oak on the whites. “I am not a fan of new oak,” says Eric. He likes to fine the whites, which are also lightly filtered. He finds that the acidity in the whites tastes fresher than the figures suggest. “The vintage has yellow fruits but the tension is good.” There was a green-harvest for the reds, with yields around 48–50hl/ha. Alcohol levels for the reds were 13.5–14.3%. No issues with VA. In 2023, Eric used more whole-bunch, and an optical sorting machine for destemmed berries. Gentle extraction. Eric has done a good job. The whites are rich but fresh and energetic. The reds have fine-textured tannins.
White
Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes-Dessus
Straight and pure, this is streamed with silky minerality. Good intensity and vibrancy. Citrus, pure, and tight to finish. Elegant. 2026–36. | 94
Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrières
Quite powerful and concentrated. Rich, a touch of ripe greengage, but it punches into a well-sustained finish with glossy minerality, sweet and salty. 2027–35. | 94–95
Red Volnay Premier Cru Champans
“From the North part of the climat and long rows from the top to the bottom,” explained Eric. “I destem because it is an old parcel with good energy. Whole-bunch could make it too strong, and I prefer the energy like this.” Soft red fruits, generous, charming, and rounded. Supple tannins and slightly sweet on the finish. 2026–34. | 92–93
Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes
Only two barrels. 50% whole-bunch. “Here I need the freshness from the whole-bunch,” said Eric. Ripe red fruit, but elegant and pure. Fine tannins, lightly chalky and pure, with a thread of salinity and a fresh, salty finish. Chênes can be austere, but this one is sweetly fruity, fine, and salty. Delightful. 2026–35. | 94
Volnay Premier Cru Les Pitures
Eric told me that this vineyard has been run on organic lines ever since 1975, which would make it extraordinary for that era. Ripe red fruit, but with an attractive, piquant, and crunchy feel. I like this tight and lively wine, which belies the 13.5% ABV. It feels lighter, which is a good thing. 2026–34. | 93
Volnay Premier Cru Les Santenots
From lieu-dit Les Plures. 30% whole-bunch. Punchy aroma. Spicy, rich, and opulent. The whole-bunch helps boost the full, soft tannins, providing structure and freshness and some energy to this rich wine. The high alcohol needs the sappy freshness and menthol notes. 2026–34. | 93
DOMAINE GUY ROULOT The Roulot domaine, which is certified organic, has expanded to 17.5ha (43 acres), and 10% of the production is now red There are new cuvées from Meursault Les Clous and Casse-Têtes, but the Roulots are holding back Meursault Perrières
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot
From the north side of Fairendes, and vines that are managed by the domaine. Rich aroma, with apricot fruit. Generous and ripe, full and opulent, but nicely undercut with fresh acidity, and it is quite sapid on the finish. 2026–35. | 94
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Combettes
Picked on September 1. Combettes can be quite rich in 2023, but this one is tightly contained and has good tension. It is tight, layered, citrus, and stony, with good sapidity and energy to finish. An excellent example and spot-on for typicité. 2026–34. | 94–95
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Compact and rich, dense and punchy. It is broad and powers into a straight, assertive, and persistent finish. 2028–36. | 96
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