2020  Les Copains d'Abord

Les Copains d'Abord ---- The 2020 Saint-Bris Les Copains d'Abord is lovely, exhibiting aromas of gooseberry, pear, orange oil, mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and precise, with chalky grip and a penetrating finish, it transcends its cépage." - 90-92pts William Kelley, Wine Advocate ---- 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.

2019  Savigny-les-Beaune

"The 2019 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Lavières 1er Cru, grown on 30–50cm of alluvial soil over stratified hard limestone subsoil and matured in around 35% new oak, is blessed with an engaging, pure bouquet of red currant and cranberry jus, a palpable sense of minerality coming through. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and vibrant red berry fruit, the 60-year-old vines imparting wonderful complexity on the finish. An outstanding Les Lavières that comes highly recommended." - 92-94pts Vinous

2019  Savigny-les-Beaune

"A markedly more expressive nose freely offers up plenty of floral nuances on the red and dark cherry, plum and soft spice-inflected aromas. There is perfectly good if not exceptionally density to the middle weight flavors that possess a caressing but punchy palate impression, all wrapped in a lingering and balanced finish. This is sufficiently structured to reward up to a decade of cellar time and this is worth considering." - 91pts/Outstanding Burghound

2017  Nuits-St-Georges

"The 2017 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 1er Cru, which is matured in 55% new oak, has a very detailed bouquet of tensile black cherry and light cassis fruit, the mineral component becoming more expressive with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with broody black cherry and boysenberry fruit, a strong saline influence here and an oyster-shell-tinged finish. It will need several years bottle age but will be worth the wait." - 91-93pts Vinous

2019  Pouilly-Fuisse

"Elegant, cool and pretty aromas speak of discreet but not imperceptible wood, lemon zest, spice and plenty of floral elements. The racy, intense and beautifully well-delineated flavors possess good minerality and detail as well as very good power on the overtly saline-inflected finish. As is often the case, this appears to be the most complete wine in the range in 2019 and definitely one to consider." - 91-94/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

2019  Pouilly-Fuisse

The fruit comes from 20 to 30-year-old vines situated in a variety of terroirs and is aged in 40% oak and 60% stainless. -- "Moderate wood frames the citrusy and smoky aromas of white flowers, pear and more discreet citrus nuances. There is better volume to the energetic and equally rich medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a youthfully austere, bone dry and sneaky long finish. This is very good and is also worth considering." - 91-93/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

2019  Monthelie Blanc 'Les Sous Roches'

Monthelie Blanc 'Les Sous Roches'

2010  Beaune 1er Rouge

91pts/Outstanding Burghound - "Moderate reduction fights somewhat with the floral and apple aromas that complement the juicy but detailed, intense and driving middle weight flavors that possess good mid-palate concentration. There is a lovely sense of harmony and balance to the long and mouth coating finish. Despite the reduction that suppresses the nose, this is excellent."

2015  Grand Cru

Grand Cru

2019  Les Corvees

"Fresh, cool and airy aromas are comprised by notes of plum, black raspberry and earth. There is both better volume and mid-palate density to the delicious medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a lingering and more complex finish where the only nit is a touch of warmth." - 89-91pts BH

2003  1er Cru, Les Perrieres

1er Cru, Les Perrieres

2012