TOP QUALITY WHITE ChassagneMontrachet Other Côte de Beaune
TOP QUALITY WHITE
ripe apple fruit with a full complement of butter and spice underpinned with a pronounced minerality, but there is no excess here. It’s powerful and dense but not heavy, and the balance and definition are sublime. Drink 2025-2060
Fontaine Gagnard, Montrachet Grand Cru
An elegant, sophisticated version of Montrachet that avoids all excess while expressing the full range of aromas and flavours. The nose initially reveals ripe apple and pear, and there are shades of citrus and tropical fruit that ranges from passion fruit to pomelo. On the palate, the aroma characters expand to include hazelnut and butter suffused with a firm saline minerality. Lovely balance overall, more freshness than the Bâtard and a stunning finish. 2025-2060
TOP QUALITY WHITE Etienne Sauzet, Bienvenues-BâtardMontrachet Grand Cru
14
Drink
Sauzet’s 0.12ha in this grand cru have produced a subtle, silky wine, the epitome of elegance. There are ripe pear and marzipan notes on the nose, a hint of butter and a firmly mineral underpinning. Great elegance and style. 2023-2035
Drink Michel Niellon, ChevalierMontrachet Grand Cru
This is always among my favourite Chevaliers, with a super-concentrated style. The aromas tend more toward fresh apricot than apple, with ample shading of saline and mineral notes, florals, a bit of spice and a touch of cream and butter. The texture is
Domaine Jessiaume
powerful, dense and long. One not to be missed! 2023-2050
Domaine Blain-Gagnard, Criots-BâtardMontrachet Grand Cru
Bâtard has deep clay, while Criots has a stonier soil where the minerality is evident. Gagnard crushes the grapes lightly and avoids sulphur additions until after malolactic fermentation. He produces this subtle, elegant wine with notes of ripe pear, acacia blossom, a hint of smoke and his trademark minerality. The texture is dense but never heavy, and it lingers elegantly on the finish. Marvellous. 2023-2035
Drink TOP QUALITY WHITE Paul Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Grand Montagne
Both sections of Grande Montagne are among the highest elevation premiers crus in Chassagne – the wines are almost more Puligny in style, with plenty of tension and a peppy, lemony tang, which is a perfect description for the purity of the Pillot style. Majestic richness, with a concentration on the palate that testifies to the wine’s ability to age for decades. 2023-2035
TOP VALUE WHITE Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, St-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière
15
Drink Drink
These south-facing slopes are essentially a continuation of premier cru En Remilly.
BYounger-generation Franck and Frédérick Buisson are doing magical things with their east-facing, organic-certified vineyard Sous la Velle, working with oenologist Pierre Millemann. Fermented in large, older oak to produce a concentrated, dense wine with aromas of lemon peel and ripe apricot, accented with minerals and a slightly smoky reduction. Elegant yet also very structured and long. 2023-2040
TOP QUALITY WHITE Lucien Jacob, Savigny-Vergelesses 1er Cru Blanc
From a prime parcel of Savigny premier cru, at the top of the hill, the fruit ripens well despite the altitude, showing rich apricot with wax and mineral tones. The grapes start in tank and are then barrelled down with about 10% new casks. There is a great purity of fruit. According to Jacob, ‘above all, one must not have any aggressiveness’. Delightful. 2022-2035
TOP QUALITY WHITE Maison Benjamin Leroux, Auxey-Duresses Blanc
Blended from parcels all along the border of Meursault. Plenty of lovely lemony fruit, but more richness than one might typically find in Auxey-Duresses. Exquisite balance, thrilling freshness and that singing lemony fruit. 2022-2035
Drink Drink Drink Domaine Jessiaume, Sélection, Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières
Jessiaume owns 5.5ha of Gravières, one of the best premiers crus in Santenay. The wine has ripe black plum fruit with engagingly earthy notes on the nose and a pleasantly brambly edge. Impressive richness and depth, with firm tannins and plenty of extract. 2025-2050
Drink UNDER THE RADAR Domaine des Croix, Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves
David Croix has a 0.3ha parcel in Beaune Grèves. Half the fruit is vinified as whole
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For full tasting notes on the 60 wines here, plus notes and scores for 590 more 2020 Burgundy wines, tasted for Decanter by Charles Curtis MW – along with analysis of the 2020 vintage by commune across Burgundy – go to decanter. com/premium