Wines

The vineyard is located on terraces of galets roules, 60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Clairette.

91-93+ Points! Deeply hued, the 2022 Rasteau offers blueberries, peppery herbs, and violets in a beautifully concentrated, round, open, and expressive style with impressive mid-palate depth. Drink over the coming 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

Exciting find! An extremely polished, gulpable Madiran from south-facing 60+ year-old vines on clay limestone and gravel. Very refined tannins for the genre...

50% Petit Manseng, 50% Gros Manseng, south-facing exposure. 15-year-old vines at a density of 4000 vines/hectare. No chemical products and natural grass cover for every other row. Guyot simple pruning.

François has two impressive plots in the renowned 1er Cru Les Vergers, one which was planted in 1987, and the other was planted in the 1950s. Both plots are located in the northwest corner of the Cru, totaling 0.46 ha, and border the 1er Cru sites of “Les Chaumées” and “Clos Saint-Jean.” Lequin’s Vergers is his most taut, vertical wine in the Premier Cru range; marked more by structure and acidity than fullness and creaminess. The Domaine Lequin Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers 2023 was aged for 12 months in French oak (20% new) followed by 3 months in stainless steel to harmonize.

There are 19 climats which make up Morgeot and François’ rows are in “Tête du Clos” and “Les Grands Clos,” directly in the mid-slope and center of Morgeot. His rows in “Les Grands Clos” are directly opposite the Abbey ruins, across the small vineyard street, in the climat “Morgeot.” The vines in “Tête du Clos” were planted in 1971 and the vines in “Les Grands Clos” were planted in 1987. The Domaine Lequin Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2023 is spicier than Lequin’s Vergers and it has a broader palate as well. It displays a velvety texture and impressive length. This wine was aged 12 months in French oak (10% new) also followed by 3 months in stainless steel prior to bottling.

92-94 Points! Youthful purple. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, star anise, olive, violet and tobacco. A smoky mineral accent builds steadily in the glass and energizes the spice-laced, dark berry liqueur, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are underscored by a vein of juicy acidity. Clings with strong tenacity on the youthfully tannic finish, leaving behind sappy blue fruit, cracked pepper and mineral notes. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

92-95 Points! Fresh pale lemon. Loads of energy here on the nose, but all perfectly balanced. Maximum minerals in this wine which Elsa thinks will be suppressed by longer oak ageing. More flesh than usual in the middle, with a fine persistence. - Jasper Morris

Michel Goubard’s family has grown wine in the village of Saint-Désert and Mont-Avril since the 17th century, and his sons, Pierre-François and Vincent, proudly continue the tradition of quality at this venerated Côte Chalonnaise domaine situated on Mont-Avril. Mont-Avril is the named Lieu Dits for the estate, originally planted in the early 1900s. Restored and replanted in 1990.

40% Chardonnay, 40% Poulsard and 20% Savagnin co-planted in the Val de Vallière gorge, on a slope facing the village of Montaigu. Vineyard tended biodynamically, Demeter inspection and certification since 2003: applications of horn manure, silica and herbal teas. Hand-harvested with sorting in the vineyard. The three varieties are slowly pressed together. Fermentation and ageing in oak barrels without any added SO2, with regular topping-up. No addition of yeast, sugar, or any other additives. Aged 7 months in barrel over winter, bottling takes according to the the lunar calendar, still without the addition of any SO2.

Coming from three different parcels near the northern Rhône (as well as some declassified Côte Rôtie), the 2021 Collines Rhodaniennes Les Lezardes shows the fresher, cooler style of the vintage yet still brings lots of character. Red and black fruits, peppery herbs, flowers, and a touch of game all define the nose, and it's medium-bodied, crisp, and balanced on the palate. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! Rising aerial freshness, this gently hovers out of the glass, with a petrichor note on the nose. Light-bodied, but no lack of impact or intensity. Deeply textural, with a mass of ripe tannin, it finishes dry and saline. Great freshness and energy. Whole-bunch fermented with natural yeasts, followed by 16 months élevage in old barrels. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! The 2016 Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée aged 14 months in 44% new French oak. It has a medium ruby-purple color and explosive aromas of warm cranberry sauce, cinnamon stick, clove, forest floor and tar notes with red currants, black cherries, crushed blackberries, tree bark and dried flowers plus an orange peel hint. Medium-bodied and silky, it explodes with ripe fruits, earthy nuances and spices, softly framed and fresh with a long, layered finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com