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

2021  Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru

"Moderately generous wood sets off equally cool, pure and airy aromas of both red and dark pinot fruit that are much more floral in character. While not quite as mineral-driven, the seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess even better depth and persistence. Note that this firmly structured effort will need at least a few years to better integrate the oak treatment. Good stuff and worth considering." - 92/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

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

2021  Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru

"Once again there is enough wood to notice though here it is somewhat more subtle on the cool if reserved aromas of mostly dark cherry, floral and a hint of crushed fennel. There is a seductive, even generous, texture to the rich medium-bodied flavors that offer good if not driving minerality on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finale that is firm enough to repay up to a decade of keeping." - Outstanding, Burghound

2021  Savigny-les-Beaune Vieilles Vignes

"As it usually is, the nose is quite spicy with a deft application of wood framing notes of plum, black cherry, violet and a whiff of the sauvage. There is again excellent volume to the quite finely textured middleweight flavors that possess slightly better depth on the cool and impressively long finale. This is a first-rate Savigny villages and worth your interest." - Outstanding, Top Value, Burghound

2022  Vosne-Romanee

2005  

1988  1er Cru Clos des Loyères

1er Cru Clos des Loyères

2002  

95 JM

1988  

2020  Pouilly-Fuisse

"The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Tête de Cuvée, a blend of the various soils from 40 parcels mainly around Fuissé is aged 60% in oak and 40% stainless steel, bottled during spring 2022. The less clayey soils and younger vines are those that are aged in stainless steel. It has a well-defined bouquet with touches of grilled walnut and honeysuckle, hints of white chocolate in the background. The palate is well balanced with a hints of dried honey and slate-like notes. Fine acidity, very well balanced with good substance, there is a lovely touch of spice towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Try and keep a few of these in the cellar." - 92pts Vinous ---- "A restrained nose is ripe but cool with its fresh aromas of white peach, apple, tangerine and lemon-lime nuances. There is very good richness to the rich and generous medium-bodied flavors that deliver solid length on the saline-inflected, clean and dry finish. This delicious effort will need to develop better depth but historically this cuvée has done just that if given a chance." - 91pts/Outstanding Burghound