Côte de Nuits 2018

Taken from 0.31 hectare of the vineyard, with 50 year old vines. Spectacular nose. Towering, floral, mineral, deep fruits. Palate is silky and defined. Creeps up on you with power and delicacy. Here's such a sense of vibrancy and silky fruit. Remarkable.

There’s plenty of delicacy on this beautiful Chambolle, which balances ripeness of fruit with cool energy. Very floral with incredible fragrance and purity. Very complex indeed.

A mix of three plots: 0.7 hectare in Echézeaux Du Dessus, 0.15 hectare in Poulaillères and 0.15 hectare Clos Saint Denis. Incredibly silky and saline, with finesse and purity. There’s grip here, and also opulence to the fruit. A touch of wild flowers on the finish keeps it lifted and pure.

The plot in Suchots is next door to Sébastien Cathiard. In 2018 Alix’s Suchots is one of the picks from this vineyard. It remains fresh and lifted, as well as real power and weight of fruit. Wonderful balance.

Powerful, focussed, intense and pure. This is wonderful. It’s a shame there’s so little.

This single vineyard Côtes de Nuits village wine is a Lay & Wheeler favourite. This is super energetic this year, with salinity and length and finesse. Sadly it was hailed on the day of the football world cup final, so quantities are well down.

Clos de Vougeot is a huge vineyard, so it matters where you’re placed. Jean-Marc’s plot is in Grand Maupertui, which borders the Grands-Echézeaux, often considered the finest plot. This is a lifted, ethereal Clos de Vougeot. So driven and floral, with wild cherries and fresh raspberries, and loads of finesse. Very good indeed.

From two different sites in Vosne, one bordering Suchots and the other Clos Vougeot. Very intense and long, with notes of violet and spice. There’s plenty of texture here, and lots of refinement.

Four hectares, owned entirely by Michel since 2014. East facing, steep slopes with soils that resemble those of Grand Cru Corton. Wild and saline, this punches well above its weight.

This is a blend of four parcels across the northern sector of the commune, as it borders with Vosne-Romanée. Robust yet juicy.

A premier cru neighbouring Richebourg. You feel the limestone here. Spicy and smoky, with wonderful concentration and energy. There’s a really long, saline finish. This is hauntingly beautiful: a wonderful wine.

From three plots: La Colombière, Au Réas, Au Dessus de la Rivière. Spicy and intense, there’s real power to the fruit here. Yet Michel has reined in this intensity beautifully, making a poised Vosne.

A monopole of the estate (and the only premier cru monopole in Vosne), this has been in the hands of the family since 1860. Deep, dark and silky, there’s notes of lavender and spearmint, and glossy cherry fruit. Long and opulent.

From a vineyard above Vosne, at 437 metres in altitude. Very fresh, saline, with lots of pithy fruit and grip on the palate. This has a real texture, and an impressive finish.

From the mid-slope, this is one of the finest of Corton’s vineyards. This is intense and floral, with lovely dark, wild, hedgerow fruit. This is silky and complex, and beautifully balanced.

Fixin, immediately north of Gevrey-Chambertin, is certainly a village which doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Indeed, this vineyard is next door to the Clos de la Perrière, which was touted in the 19th century as equal to Chambertin. This is floral and delicate, with plenty of energy.

Really pure and energetic fruit from Marsannay this year, with the warmth of the year adding roundness and richness to what could be a rustic wine. This is outstanding.

Just south of La Tâche. The 2018 Chaumes shows plenty of energy and silky fruit, with a sense of purity too. There’s an opulence to the spice on the finish: this is very Vosne.

There’s a wonderfully cool and mineral fragrance that swirls from the glass here: wild berries and lavender and thyme. There’s dark minerals and crunchy berries. This is complex and unfurling.

Fruit sourced from a single parcel in Gevrey-Chambertin makes one of the best Bourgognes we know. Beautifully fresh fruit, with loads of energy and drive, and a beautifully silky, refined finish.

Amazing nose. Wild and opulent. Spiced with excellent energy. So complex and so long, this will be epic. A remarkable Grand Cru.

The clay soils of this well-placed parcel produce a wine of depth and roundness. Dark fruit, with mulberries, liquorice, and even blood oranges soaring from the glass. This is very Pinot, with beautiful texture and wonderful finesse.

From ten different parcels in the village. Average 65 year old vines craft a lovely wine, that’s one to buy every year. A lovely balance of opulent fruit and grippy, savoury, salty tannins. This is so delicious now.

Nicolas and David’s vines are at the top of Les Teurons, in the vineyard’s sweet spot between Aux Cras and Les Grèves. Really nice strawberry fruit here, with a grippy whole bunch character. Lovely density here, and it remains fresh and ethereal. A beautiful Beaune.

The first vineyard you arrive at in Chambolle coming from Morey, and immediately down from Bonnes Mares on the hill. A quarter of the vines date to 1902, a quarter to 1980, and the rest were planted between 1950 and 1960. This is sweet and juicy, with lovely crunchy berries. So long, nervous, and balanced.

One of the best terroirs among Morey’s premiers crus, this comes from 40-50 year old vines. Wild and stony, there are notes of almond kernels and fresh berries. There is such focus here, and a long and savoury finish. Brilliant, and so well priced.

From two different plots, both 55 years old. This is deep and dark, with wonderfully intense fruit, silky tannins, and a very long finish. Such a brilliant wine for the price.

A 65 year old vineyard in the heart of the old Clos Saint-Denis, Stéphane only has around a third of an acre. Unfurling notes of wild berry fruit. Plenty of floral character but also depth, and such finesse, wonderful purity on the finish. This is gorgeous and long: such a good Grand Cru.

From five parcels in four different sites, this Vosne is spicy, fragrant, and incredibly long. Beautiful energy on the finish.

40% Gamay with the rest Pinot Noir, from a 38 year old vineyard. This has excellent density in 2018, with crunchy berries, enjoyable grip, and an enjoyably long and fine finish. Very well made.

Aux Murgers is close to the border with Vosne, and has some of that appellation’s signature elegance. Half the vines are 70 years old, the other half 50+. Dark berries and tons of salinity here, this is a mineral, dark yet expressive Nuits. Silky tannins define the finish. Beautiful.

So delicate and perfumed on the nose, this is a beautiful Bourgogne. Notes of wild flowers and plenty of wild berries. Delicious.

It comes from a plot a mere 20m from echezeaux.This is silky and spicy, with such precision and freshness alongside the richness you’d expect from Suchots. The best Suchots this year?

Complex, powerful, yet with unfurling complexity and a grippy texture, Les Malconsorts is a simply beautiful wine. Everything you’d hope from.

The Reignots vineyard is high on the hill. 21 year old vines. Such fragrance on this Reignots: you really feel the altitude of the vineyard. Nervy acidity and fragrance on the finish.

70 year old vines here. There’s coolness to this, as well as power and intensity. This is so well balanced, and incredibly long. A lovely example of a rarely seen premier cru.

Delicate and fine with lovely tannins. Fresh, with intense yet pure fruit, and soaring aromatics. Salinity brings back that opulence. Balance is stunning.

This premier cru has an enviable exposure, similar to Clos St Jacques in Gevrey. 65 year old vines, that were planted by Sébastien’s great grandfather when he was working for Moillard. This has amazing coolness as well as ripe and intense fruit: that interplay makes it a charming wine.

Wow. Unfurling and textured, this is still tightly coiled, but with such impressive potential. In ten-plus years, this will be incredible.

Mazoyères is part of the Charmes vineyard, so this could go into Romain’s Charmes. But it’s hugely different from the Charmes cuvée. Wildness and coolness, with incredibly refined, silky tannins. Bravo.

From a vineyard high up the slope, this balances wild and opulent fruit, and also loads of citrus elements. This is complex, fragrant, and very long and intense. Very Chambolle, and very good indeed.

From the only premier cru that borders Chambertin or Clos de Bèze, this is beautifully balanced in 2018.This has dark berries and cool mineral notes, and also a touch of opulent spice on the finish. Silky and suave, and pleasingly cool.

From a plot close to the celebrated Clos de Cortons Faiveley. Corton is a huge success in 2018, with notes of wild berries, a herbal edge, and loads of finesse and length on the finish. Brilliant.

Les Poireaux, Les Crais, and En Sevrey are the three plots in this. This is savoury and pure, with wild berries and loads of texture. Very savoury and restrained, a nice vintage for Morey.

Romain has two parcels of village Chambolle, both high up the hill, giving the wine energy and elegance to complement its richness. This is intense and powerful in 2018, but with a floral note, and a hint of blood oranges.

Romain is one of only two producers to separate holdings in Mazoyères and Charmes Chambertin. This is silky and intense, with a lovely juicy element on the finish. This has a long and focussed finish.

A cuvée that comes from two vineyards, Les Duresses and Grands Champs. From vines planted just after the war. This is juicy and fresh, but with a bit more intensity and concentration than usual: a really charming premier cru.

This plot of just over half a hectare is planted with 60+ year old vines. Complex with notes of baked earth and violets, and tons of lifted dark fruit. This is beautifully balanced, and very long indeed.

Rognet and Hautes Mourottes. Beautiful nose, elegant, and fine, and beautiful creamy palate. Fresh and elegant, saline and nervous, wonderful energy here. This is really, really good. A bargain.

Tawse’s Mazis has become their signature, and this clearly shows why. Really mineral on the nose, with notes of wild berries and such nervous energy. This is transparent and detailed. Beautiful.

Lovely creamy nose, notes of baked earth and a touch of pepper. Nice liquorice character, with plenty of spice on the finish. Very good energy, with zip and mineral tang on the finish.

60 year old and 25 year old vines. Nice touch of reduction. There’s almost a Nebbiolo character here, lovely tannins, pure red fruit and plenty of citrus, lovely depth and life. Very pure and long, and beautiful focus. This is one for the cellar. Lovely balance.

Treux & Rouges du Bas. 100% new oak. This is very pure and mineral, opulent and lovely texture. Really good length, lovely texture and finesse. Very pure fruit: this is a gorgeous Echézeaux again.

Only two barrels made, one of them new, from 65 year old vines, right in the heart of the vineyard. Really wild and energetic, lovely silky tannins. There’s a glossy palate, with tons of vibrancy and length. Saline and fresh, and a beautifully focussed finish.

This comes from a parcel just below Clos St Denis, bordering the road. Creamy nose, deep and dark and brooding. Plenty of wild blackberries, and hint of burnt brambles, too. There’s plenty of power here, with a fine thread of acidity holding it together.

Two parcels, one in Couchey and one in Marsannay. Good texture, the tannins are nicely ripe, and there’s a fine line of salinity here. This is getting better and better, with excellent texture and a mouthwatering finish.

Really perfumed nose, beautiful energy and tons of fragrance. This is so beautiful, wonderful length and unfurling fruit. Delicate and fine, there’s a leafy character, wild flowers, and very long.

50% new oak and 25% whole bunch. Nice citrus character on the nose. Blood orange and pink grapefruit. Rose petal, lovely depth on the palate, too. Very fine and long, with plenty of focus on the palate, but a bit of added richness.

Mark loves this vineyard. Remote and high up the hill, it’s one of the Côte de Nuits’ most peaceful spots - you can’t hear the road, and some parts can’t even be reached by tractor. Mineral with beautiful purity. Savoury, and fine, plenty of herbal notes, crunchy fruit, texture and energy.

From a village vineyard, bordered on either side by two premiers crus. Fine-boned with energy, and plenty of savoury notes on the finish. Complex and detailed.

Three barrels, 900 bottles. Clarity on the nose, pure berries and plenty of wild flowers. Couldn’t be more different. More sweetness of fruit on the palate, very floral and there’s a citrus character again, too. Nice length.

90% Côte de Nuits – a lot from around Nuits. First year with this as the appellation. Nice on the nose, rose petal, cherry blossom. Nice fruit, quite dark berries with plenty of freshness on the finish.

Feel the whole bunch on the nose, very lifted and pure, and incredibly fresh, lovely silky fruit, spicy and very Vosne. Really nice freshness and purity on the palate, with that spicy, lifted fruit, and excellent volume. Among the first to harvest: a great decision.

This vineyard spans the entirety of the hillside, from bottom to top. Quite dark and balsamic, with plenty of small berry fruit: mulberries and dark cherries, and then a very fine and pure palate. Really good acidity on the finish, with violets and just a hint of cured meat. Very complex: this is an outstanding Clos des Forêts.

This vineyard spans the entirety of the hillside, from bottom to top. Quite dark and balsamic, with plenty of small berry fruit: mulberries and dark cherries, and then a very fine and pure palate. Really good acidity on the finish, with violets and just a hint of cured meat. Very complex: this is an outstanding Clos des Forêts.

This cuvée uses the fruit from the younger vines in the Clos de l’Arlot premier cru, from the southern side of the vineyard. There’s spice on the nose, with red apples and little white flowers. On the palate notes of pear and sea spray, with plenty of ginger too. Complex and focussed.

While Nuits isn’t known for its whites, this is the best in the commune, and superb for the whole region. Very pretty nose of orchard fruit and pear blossom. There’s a salinity to the palate that makes the mouth water, and wonderful lift on the finish. Excellent whites here this year.

Very fresh in 2018, the Mont des Oiseaux has crunchy strawberry fruit and silky tannins on the finish. There’s a creaminess which adds to the approachability.

Very discreet on the nose, very good purity and finesse. The palate grows with time, excellent fruit definition, and there’s rippling power here, but it will all need time to come together. All the key parts are together – tannin, acidity and depth of flavour.

A cuvée which blends fruit from Clos des Lambrays’ young vines and the premiers crus Clos Sorbé, La Riotte, and Le Village. This is wild and spiced, with notes of violet and rose petal, and plenty of spice and wild berries.

The 2018 Clos des Lambrays is a tour de force. Notes of wild berries and spice, and a silky, grippy palate. This is so long, complex, and vibrant. Such a baby, this will be a truly great wine.