2014  Pre Berceau

Pre Berceau - "The wines of Domaine Lorenzon make you rethink Mercurey. They convey a sense of terroir that is seldom shown so vividly in this realm of Burgundy. A third-generation winegrower of his family's estate in the old part of Mercurey (before the expansion of the AOC), Bruno Lorenzon took over the reins in 1997. In an often-overlooked region and a village that lacks any Grand Cru vineyards, 90% of his 11 acres are 1er Cru, including seven acres of the top 1er Cru vineyard, Champs Martin. All his vineyards have southern exposures and are riddled with the familiar limestone and clay of the Côte. Quite simply, Domaine Lorenzon transcends its terroir. The focused, intense Bruno produces focused, intense wines, tending to his farm as though he is manicuring a garden. Miniscule yields, organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar are the norm here. Bruno's experience working for the Tonnellerie de Mercurey allows him to select and age his own wood, then build and toast his own barrels based on the characteristics of each cuvée and each vintage. His philosophy is that the oak, or any other component, should never stand out in the wine. The results are extremely elegant wines, with intensity and personality, light in color, yet rich with dry extract. The reds have silky tannins and bright, fresh fruit flavors mingling with savory character, while the whites have astonishing mineral length. Bruno's exacting attention to detail and excellence earned him a Winemaker of the Year Award in Burgundy from the highly respected Bourgogne Aujourd'hui."

2020  Bougogne Blanc Hautes Coutures

Bougogne Blanc Hautes Coutures ---- "Smoky aromas of poached pear, apple and citrus rind are complemented by the rich, delicious and opulent flavors that also conclude in a bitter lemon rind-inflected finish that delivers better than average depth and persistence in the context of what is typical for the genre." - Outstanding, Burghound

2020  Chassagne-Montrachet

Chassagne-Montrachet from a selection of 1er Crus. Grapes are pneumatically pressed, static settled, and aged in demi-muid barrels, 20% new. ---- "Notes of green apple, citrus confit and a hint of resin lead to rich, delicious and generously proportioned flavors that are shaped by lemon-tinged acidity on the lingering and saliva-inducing if slightly warm finale." - 90-92pts, Burghound

2019  Meursault

"Soft wood sets off pretty and nicely layered aromas of poached pear and citrus. Once again there is a borderline painful intensity to the mineral-driven and refined flavors that display outstanding length, and in particular for a villages level wine, on the balanced and youthfully austere finish where the only reproach is a touch of warmth. This is first rate and highly recommended." - 90-93/Outstanding Top Value, Burghound

2020  Meursault

"An exuberantly floral-suffused nose is more elegant still with its aromas of poached pear, spiced apple and citrus confit. There is excellent punch to the beautifully delineated medium-bodied flavors that display outstanding length on the sneaky long finish that is both stylish and very classy. Meursault villages wines rarely get much better than this and it too is strongly recommended." - 91-93/Outstanding Top Value, Burghound

2020  

From Les Pellans, just below Charmes 1er Cru and adjacent to Puligny-Montrachet. Vines planted in 1945. This has been a separate bottling from the VV cuvée since the 2015 vintage. Gentle pressing. Aged 18 months in neutral barrels. ---- "This is at once slightly fresher and a bit more elegant as well with its floral and citrus-suffused nose that display background nuances of browned butter. There is excellent density and better precision to the middle weight flavors that culminate in a youthfully austere and lemony finish that is balanced, long and more complex. This is also an excellent villages and heartily recommended." - Outstanding, Top Value Burghound

2020  Les Charmes

Les Charmes ---- From a small (0.17 hectare) parcel located towards upper climat, close to Genevrières, right beneath Grande Perrières. Vines are trained 1/3 Cordon de Royat and 2/3 Guyot. Aged in barrels (25% to 30% new).

2019  

"Moderate reduction pushes the ripe fruit aromas to the background. The very rich full-bodied flavors possess impressive intensity while displaying excellent length on the linear, youthfully austere and very serious finish. This is a very fine Meursault villages and worth checking out." - 89-92/Outstanding Top Value, Burghound

2020  

"Ripe aromas of hazelnut, white flowers and essence of pear are trimmed in just a suggestion of wood. Here too the medium-bodied flavors possess a lovely texture that is opulent yet focused along with an abundance of dry extract that buffers the lingering and saline finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. Even so, this is a very good Meursault villages that is worth considering." - Outstanding, Burghound

2011  Les Echezeaux

2000  

"Bright, deep ruby-red. Crystallized black raspberry, black cherry, flowers, espresso and bitter chocolate on the nose. Lush and silky, with compelling sweetness leavened by the wine's powerful underlying structure. This is actually a bit unforthcoming today, which I take as a positive sign for its evolution in bottle. Best right now on the remarkably long aftertaste, which features lush tannins and a strong flavor of bitter chocolate. Great wine." - 95pts Vinous

2020  

One of my most exciting discoveries in Chablis and the Auxerrois was fledgling Domaine Clément Lavallée. Clement's father is the proprietor of a substantial, modern and mechanized domaine in Saint-Bris, but Clément's aspirations were more artisanal. He started his own label in 2019, with just 3.5 hectares supplemented by purchased fruit—a surface that's grown to 5.5 hectares today. Eschewing herbicides, he cultivates the soils with lightweight tractors and keeps chemical treatments to the minimum. Working with a variety of sites and cépages, harvest lasts a full month. In the cellar, whites see a long pressing, with Clément selling in bulk any juice that doesn't please him, and reds see long macerations with a percentage of whole bunches. Élevage takes place in used wood on the lees, and the wines are never pumped. What I tasted on this first visit indicates that Lavallée hit the ground running with his very first vintage. Textural but incisive, pure and penetrating, I was immensely impressed by these young wines - from pungently mineral Chablis, to perfumed and intense reds, to Saint-Bris that's more Auxerrois than it is Sauvignon, everything here comes warmly recommended, and I encourage importers to beat a path to this new domaine's door. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate