Fourrier's 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes offers up aromas of sweet, jammy cherries, berries and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent palate with an ample core of pure, sun-kissed fruit.

Fourrier's 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes offers up aromas of sweet, jammy cherries, berries and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and succulent palate with an ample core of pure, sun-kissed fruit.

Bursting with aromas of blackberries, orange zest, peonies and spices, Fourrier's 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a succulent core of fruit, polished tannins and an expansive finish.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village comes from three parcels around the appellation. Its delicate nose unfolds raspberry and wild strawberry hints in the glass, gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is quite edgy and poised, framed by fine tannins. It has good terroir expression and impressive length. This comes recommended—it's better than the 2022.

Bursting with aromas of blackberries, orange zest, peonies and spices, Fourrier's 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with a succulent core of fruit, polished tannins and an expansive finish.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village comes from three parcels around the appellation. Its delicate nose unfolds raspberry and wild strawberry hints in the glass, gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is quite edgy and poised, framed by fine tannins. It has good terroir expression and impressive length. This comes recommended—it's better than the 2022.

The 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon has long been one of Jean-Marie Fourrier's strongest cards, and this vintage is no different: the wonderful, quite complex nose offers blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois, and light tobacco scents. Very engaging. The medium-bodied palate is excellent, balanced with fine tannins and a sense of elegance towards the finish, demonstrating very assiduous winemaking. Excellent.

Aromas of sweet cassis, cherries and berries introduce the 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon, a medium-bodied, succulent and flavorful red with a sweet core of fruit and soft, melting tannins.

The 2023 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon has a gorgeous bouquet with lively red cherry and crushed strawberry scents intermixed with forest floor and a light ceps aroma. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and crisp, with fine delineation, a pleasing edginess and a tensile finish. This is a strong follow-up to the 2022.

The 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Village is a little more fulsome than the Gevrey Village, with greater fruit concentration: raspberry and wild strawberry to the fore, all quite sensual. The medium-bodied palate has pliant tannins and a little grainy texture yet finishes with more substance than the Gevrey Village. Enjoy this over the next ten years.

The 2023 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes bursts with aromas of dark berries mingled with orange zest and petals. Medium to full-bodied, ample and charming, it's suave and polished, with a succulent core of fruit and melting tannins.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux 1er Cru has impressive transparency on the nose, crushed stone infusing red berry fruit, and touches of pressed rose petals. The palate is refined and elegant, a bit (dare I say) in the mold of Rousseau. It is quite linear toward the finish that lingers in the mouth. It just needs a bit more sustain on the finish; otherwise, it's very fine.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux has turned out especially well this year, bursting with aromas of mulberries, sweet spices, confit orange and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's suave and seamless, with fine tannins and a perfumed finish.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echézeaux 1er Cru has a slightly richer bouquet on the nose that may not quite have the delineation of Fourrier's other cuvées. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet, lightly spiced entry and a creamy texture toward the finish. Fine, but just off the pace from the other Premiers.

Healthy dark red. Blackberry, violet, rose petal and licorice on the nose; more Clos Vougeot than Chambolle-Musigny in character (this climat lies between Clos Vougeot and Chambolle Amoureuses). Concentrated and dense but with a light touch. Quite youthfully bound up today, showing a faint saline quality. A black-fruit style of this wine, with serious tannins. Classy juice.

The 2022 Vougeot Petit Vougeot has an attractive iris flower and violet-scented bouquet that unfurls in the glass, with touches of blue fruit developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and smooth in texture. Fresh, if needing a little more grip towards the finish. It's probably early drinking, but it will be thoroughly enjoyable.

Bright, moderately saturated medium red. Rather wild scents of crushed cherry stomp, flowers, medicinal herbs and minerals. Offers a lovely fine-grained texture and sweetness of fruit but still in a juicy style for all its ripeness. Very good for this cuvée but there are just three barrels of this juice from 0.34 hectare--or not much above 20 hectoliters per hectare. Savory and long on the aftertaste, with plenty of tannic support.

The 2023 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange zest, rose petals, spices and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, ample and perfumed, it's pure and sensual, concluding with a mineral finish. This is especially strong this year.

The 2023 Vougeot Petit Vougeot has a crisp, earthy bouquet with hints of bell pepper infusing the red fruit and a light potpourri aroma that emerges with time. The palate offers mineral-rich black fruit with excellent sapidity. Its finish gets the saliva flowing with a long tail of white pepper. This is very fine.

The 2023 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Petits Vougeot is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange zest, rose petals, spices and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, ample and perfumed, it's pure and sensual, concluding with a mineral finish. This is especially strong this year.

The 2023 Vougeot Petit Vougeot has a crisp, earthy bouquet with hints of bell pepper infusing the red fruit and a light potpourri aroma that emerges with time. The palate offers mineral-rich black fruit with excellent sapidity. Its finish gets the saliva flowing with a long tail of white pepper. This is very fine.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots is nicely balanced, unfurling in the glass with scents of strawberries and cherries mingled with licorice and peony. Medium to full-bodied, lively and seamless, with powdery tannins and a mineral finish, it's a success.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots 1er Cru has a pastille-like bouquet with red cherries, blood orange and potpourri scents - not immediate and complex. The medium-bodied palate has fine grip, chalky tannins, and very good tension with a persistent, mineral-rich finish just oozing class. What an outstanding Gevrey-Chambertin this will become.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots is one of the most mineral wines in the range, offering up notes of cherries, raspberries, orange zest and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny palate that's bright and saline.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots 1er Cru offers incense and rose petal notes on the nose. It features mainly red fruit but has very good mineralité and a subtle touch of cassis in the background. The palate is medium-bodied and nicely poised, with fine delineation and ebullient red berries mixed with soy and light tobacco notes. Very persistent on the finish, this is a well-crafted and characterful Gevrey.

A 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux is the most forward and flattering wine in Fourrier’s cellar, yet still, I suspect, an excellent candidate for 10-15 years of aging. “Well, you don’t have to be clever to make good Champeaux,” jokes Fourrier. While less than a hundred yards separate this site from what he terms the more challenging terroir of Les Goulots, their inherent personalities are dramatically different. (Fourrier’s father routinely blended the two.) Aromas of black tea, brown spices, cherry and cranberry suggest sweetness and obvious advanced ripeness. A silky-smooth palate with refined spice and mineral nuances and generous fruit leads to a satisfying, and for 2005 and this cellar, surprisingly soft finish. The articulate and opinionated Jean-Marie Fourrier staunchly believes in the inclusion of uncrushed fruit (to among other things prolong fermentation and, he claims, diminish the efficiency of alcoholic conversion); leaving the young wines on their lees (with high CO2 retention) eighteen months before bottling; employing a mere 20% of new barrels for all wines; and applying only minimal doses of sulfur. That the property from which he sources is all owned outright, and is largely in vines of over fifty years age planted by his father or grandfather before the days of clones certainly helps explain the consistently excellent quality at this address.

Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark raspberry, blackberry, mocha and minerals on the nose. Sweet and rich but fresh, with terrific sappy intensity to the dark fruit flavors. Wonderfully supple and smooth on the back end, finishing with ripe, broad tannins. Today the wine's volume completely hides its underlying spine.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux 1er Cru has a floral bouquet: wilted rose petals infusing the delineated red fruit, another cuvée with impressive transparency. The medium-bodied palate has fine tannins and a little more weight and grip than the Cherbaudes. The second winter will fill this out sufficiently. Very fine.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux is lovely, bursting with notes of orange zest, rose petals, exotic spices and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a mineral finish, it's a strong performance for these shallow soils.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux 1er Cru has a floral bouquet featuring white flowers borrowed from the Cherbaudes mingling with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit notes. Hints of black fruit emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh opening. It's very elegant, quite Rousseau-like and fleshy toward the caressing finish. This is one of the best wines from Fourrier this year.

Fourrier's 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes reveals aromas of cherry preserve and ripe red plums, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and front-loaded palate that's laden with sweet, sun-kissed fruit.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes 1er Cru has an understated bouquet that gradually unfurls in the glass with mainly red fruit, briar and light gravel-like scents. Not powerful, but nicely detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with Morello cherry and crushed strawberry, silky-smooth, with a crisp line of acidity and a piquant finish.

Rich and dramatic, the 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes bursts with aromas of ripe cherries, dark chocolate, plums and cassis, complemented by hints of rose petals and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, this is nicely balanced in its gourmand, fleshy style.

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes 1er Cru feels a little reduced on the nose at first, but eventually black cherries, iodine and violet aromas begin to make their presence felt. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, strict and linear and perhaps not quite "kicking on" toward the finish, leaving you wanting more. Has it got something up its sleeve?

Aromas of orange zest, rose petals, plums and spices introduce the 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's supple, seamless and floral, with an elegant, harmonious profile.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes 1er Cru has a perfumed, quite floral nose, with wilted white flower and light peppery scents filtering through its expressive red fruit. It is quite classic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and red fruit laced with brown spices with just a touch of earthiness on the finish. This is recommended.

One of the more overtly sun-kissed wines in the range is the 2022 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers, a medium to full-bodied, ample and demonstrative wine redolent of raspberry preserve, cherries and strawberries.

The 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru has a pastille-like purity on the nose: vibrant red berry fruit, raspberry and cranberry commingle with pressed rose petals and iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant, supple tannins framing the pure, citrus-fresh red fruit laced with orange sorbet. Long and tender on the finish, this very winsome Chambolle is exquisitely crafted.

One of the more overtly sun-kissed wines in the range is the 2022 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers, a medium to full-bodied, ample and demonstrative wine redolent of raspberry preserve, cherries and strawberries.

The 2022 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru has a pastille-like purity on the nose: vibrant red berry fruit, raspberry and cranberry commingle with pressed rose petals and iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant, supple tannins framing the pure, citrus-fresh red fruit laced with orange sorbet. Long and tender on the finish, this very winsome Chambolle is exquisitely crafted.

Delicate and ethereal, Fourrier's 2023 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers delivers aromas of raspberries, blood orange and incense, followed by a medium-bodied, bright and racy palate framed by fine, chalky tannins.

The 2023 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru has a refined bouquet with red cherry and light strawberry fruit scents. It's quite perfumed and floral. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, ripe red fruit and a touch of soy mixed with black pepper toward the open, malleable finish. Fine.

Delicate and ethereal, Fourrier's 2023 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Gruenchers delivers aromas of raspberries, blood orange and incense, followed by a medium-bodied, bright and racy palate framed by fine, chalky tannins.

The 2023 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er Cru has a refined bouquet with red cherry and light strawberry fruit scents. It's quite perfumed and floral. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, ripe red fruit and a touch of soy mixed with black pepper toward the open, malleable finish. Fine.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines is also very nicely balanced, delivering aromas of ripe plums, red berries, cherries and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy palate with good depth at the core and bright balancing acids.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Combe Aux Moines 1er Cru is perhaps in the shade of the Goulots at the moment, with touches of graphite seeping through the dark berry fruit and a hint of black tea. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black and citrus fruit but tightly wound with an orange rind twist towards the finish. It just needs a little more persistence.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines reveals aromas of dark berries, vine smoke, rose petals and orange zest, followed by a medium to full-bodied, bright and pillowy palate. For a wine that can sometimes be one of the domaine's more structured cuvées, this is very charming out of the gates.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Combe Aux Moines 1er Cru has a nicely detailed bouquet with a mixture of finely delineated raspberry, wild strawberry, blackcurrant, damp loam and light tobacco scents. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins. It's perhaps the fleshiest of Fourrier's Premier Crus with a dash of white pepper on the finish. I actually prefer this to the 2022 tasted last year.

Bright, dark red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, cherry, crushed stone and rose petal. Wonderfully sweet, silky and seamless, but with harmonious acidity energizing the mid-palate and keeping the wine's flavors under wraps today. Finishes with penetrating minerality, outstanding verve and a whiplash of red fruits. A beauty in the making, but lay it down.

Good bright red. Complex, soil-inflected aromas of raspberry, espresso, minerals, smoke, flowers, mocha and roasted herbs. Silky-sweet in the way of the best examples from this outstanding premier cru, with sappy flavors of red fruits, flowers, spices and minerals. Finishes very long and sweet, with ineffable complexity. A lovely example of the cru.

(a blend from the entire vineyard): Good bright dark red. Vibrant, high-pitched aromas of black raspberry, wild herbs, minerals and flowers. At once seamless and electric in the mouth, with terrific energy to the dark berry and crushed rock flavors. Offers uncanny palate-saturating thickness yet somehow comes across as weightless. Finishes with outstanding back-end lift and length.

The 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques has a gorgeous, heart-warming bouquet of cranberry leaf, wilted rose petals and subtle tertiary scents that are very delineated and focused. The pedigree of the vineyard comes through here. The palate is medium-bodied with a vibrant, vivacious entry, smooth in texture, quite succulent for a Clos Saint-Jacques with candied orange peel on the youthful and stylish finish. While it is not the greatest wine that Jean-Marie has ever overseen, this 2006 is doling out so much drinking pleasure, even if I would be inclined to afford it another couple of years in bottle. Tasted June 2016.

Good deep red. Highly perfumed nose features crushed blueberry, raspberry and violet; it's hard even to imagine a scent like this from pinot noir made outside Burgundy. Densely packed but magically light on its feet, with superb finesse and definition to its raspberry and floral flavors. Wonderfully pure, vibrant wine that finishes with extremely suave tannins, an almost electric impression of lift and great lingering floral perfume. Give this at least six or seven years of bottle aging.

Deep red. A bit reduced on the nose, hinting at blackberry, violet and minerals. Then big, broad and seamless in the mouth, with highly concentrated black fruit and spice flavors. Shows more texture than sweetness today, but the bound-up CO2 is currently making this very dense wine difficult to taste. This will require considerable aging and should be outstanding.

The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is a seamless beauty laced with hard candy, perfumed cherries, kirsch and spices. The sweetest and silkiest of tannins caress the palate from start to finish as this sublime Burgundy conquers all of the senses. The laser-like, pure finish is breathtaking. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034. Count me among the Burgundy fans who are thrilled Jean-Marie Fourrier chose not to pursue the career as a commercial airline pilot for which he studied. Fourrier began picking on September 17. In 2009 the fruit was destemmed. Cuvaison lasted around 14 days but Fourrier commented that he had an unusually high (50%) amount of shot berries, which had the effect of extending the fermentations for another week or so. The malos started and ended early, hence Fourrier decided to bottle early as well. Per his usual practice, Fourrier left the wines on the lees with no racking until the wines were prepared for bottling. On average the wines saw 20% new oak. I tasted all of the 2009s from bottle.

Good bright medium red. Wild, musky aromas of strawberry, raspberry, minerals and game; quite explosive on the nose. Sweet, fat and savory, with the musky quality carrying through on the palate. Not particularly high-pitched or floral but offers terrific intensity of red berry and soil flavors. Fourrier believes that following three vintages with lower levels of phenolic maturity, many growers overextracted in 2009. Incidentally, he's now confident about his labor-intensive system for sealing his bottles with wax and believes that a wine like this Clos Saint-Jacques should have no trouble aging for 20 years.

Good full red. Reticent but ripe nose is a bit more animal and less floral than usual for this vineyard. Then denser and sweeter on the palate than the nose suggests, with a chewy texture and impressive palate coverage. Very sappy, concentrated and suave, with dark cherry and mineral flavors currently in the deep background. But this offers terrific breadth for the vintage, and the tannins are fine.

The 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques engages all of the senses with its cool, mineral-laced fruit and expressive bouquet. This shows marvelous tension and energy, not to mention fabulous overall balance. It could not be more different in style than the 2009 tasted alongside it. Both are fabulous, though. The 2008 is one of the more backward wines of the vintage and will require considerable patience. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2033. Count me among the Burgundy fans who are thrilled Jean-Marie Fourrier chose not to pursue the career as a commercial airline pilot for which he studied. Fourrier began picking on September 17. In 2009 the fruit was destemmed. Cuvaison lasted around 14 days but Fourrier commented that he had an unusually high (50%) amount of shot berries, which had the effect of extending the fermentations for another week or so. The malos started and ended early, hence Fourrier decided to bottle early as well. Per his usual practice, Fourrier left the wines on the lees with no racking until the wines were prepared for bottling. On average the wines saw 20% new oak. I tasted all of the 2009s from bottle.

Medium red. High-pitched aromas of red cherry, raspberry, rose petal, white pepper and crushed stone. Dense and silky in texture but with great juiciness, clarity and lift thanks to piquant acidity and stony minerality. This saturates the palate with fruits and flowers yet comes off as virtually weightless. An explosive hint of pepper accentuates the impression of lift, but there's nothing green about this beauty. My style of Burgundy.

Fourrier’s 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques reveals a gorgeous aroma of black fruits, rose, truffle, tea and musk, a marrowy, creamy richness of texture, and a riveting finishing complexity of fruit, meat, flowers, pungent spices and minerals. If this is not a case of progression into the territory of grand cru quality, I don’t know what is. I would plan to start following this from ten years out and anticipate at least a second decade of improvement. (With a vintage-typical, yet in this instance, somehow not disruptive contrast of milky texture with tart fresh fruit, and displaying strikingly overt minerality, the 2004 rendition of this wine is also well worth a decade of cellaring.) The articulate and opinionated Jean-Marie Fourrier staunchly believes in the inclusion of uncrushed fruit (to among other things prolong fermentation and, he claims, diminish the efficiency of alcoholic conversion); leaving the young wines on their lees (with high CO2 retention) eighteen months before bottling; employing a mere 20% of new barrels for all wines; and applying only minimal doses of sulfur. That the property from which he sources is all owned outright, and is largely in vines of over fifty years age planted by his father or grandfather before the days of clones certainly helps explain the consistently excellent quality at this address.

Good deep red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, mocha, roast coffee, game and minerals, accented by mint and oak spice. The palate offers a lush wall of thick fruit that saturates the entire palate without leaving any impression of weight. This densely packed beauty finishes extremely long and smooth, with utterly suave tannins and superb aromatic lift.

Aromas of plums, sweet red berries, peonies, orange zest and creamy spices preface Fourrier's 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques, a medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety wine with an unctuous core of fruit, lively acids and melting tannins. This will offer an especially broad drinking window.

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a very classy bouquet, as you would expect from this propitious vineyard, though it is understated at first pour, biding its time. It is the most marine-influenced of the Premier Crus, oyster shells infusing the red berry fruit. The medium-bodied palate has finely chiseled tannins, very poised and mineral-driven, pixelated on the long lingering finish. A Clos Saint-Jacques from the very top drawer.

Sensual and perfumed, the 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques is a beauty, bursting with notes of sweet wild berries mingled with orange zest, rose petals, peonies, cinnamon and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, it's satiny and layered, with a deep core of fruit and a long, saline finish.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has an open-knit bouquet with brambly red fruit, certainly without the intensity of the 2022. It's stubborn compared to the other Premier Crus. The palate is medium-bodied and very refined. It is quite understated for a Clos Saint-Jacques, with beautifully balanced filigree tannins and a silky finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is a tender CSJ.

Good deep red. More reticent on the nose than the Clos Saint-Jacques, as with the same wines in 2006: blueberry, black raspberry and musky animal nuances. Silky in texture but currently showing much less sweetness than the Clos Saint-Jacques. In fact, this is downright inscrutable today. Amazingly, my recorked bottle was still full of life eight days later, showing sweet tannins and a redder quality to its fruit. This one will need a good decade in the cellar.

The 2010 Griotte-Chambertin shows the more elusive, intellectual side of Burgundy at its finest. Silky tannins support a highly expressive, sensual core of sweet red cherries, freshly cut flowers and tobacco. Although somewhat elusive, there is plenty of depth, mid-palate richness and structure for this to drink well for many, many years.

Interestingly, the 2008 Griotte-Chambertin is less marked by the vintage than the Clos St. Jacques; rather here it is the signature of the vineyard that reigns supreme. Readers will find a wine of exquisite textural elegance and finesse. Silky tannins frame the fragrant, sweet fruit through to the generous, inviting finish. This is another superb wine from Jean-Marie Fourrier. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033. Count me among the Burgundy fans who are thrilled Jean-Marie Fourrier chose not to pursue the career as a commercial airline pilot for which he studied. Fourrier began picking on September 17. The fruit was destemmed. Cuvaison lasted around 14 days but Fourrier commented that he had an unusually high (50%) amount of shot berries, which had the effect of extending the fermentations for another week or so. The malos started and ended early, hence Fourrier decided to bottle early as well. Per his usual practice, Fourrier left the wines on the lees with no racking until the wines were prepared for bottling. On average the wines saw 20% new oak. I tasted all of the 2009s from bottle.

Medium red. Ripe, refined aromas of raspberry, crushed stone and white pepper. Wonderfully sweet in the mouth; larger-scaled than the Clos Saint-Jacques but a bit less detailed and perfumed today. Still, this grand cru boasts terrific verve thanks to strong acid cut. Finishes quite powerful, with substantial dusty tannins. Will this eventually surpass the Clos Saint-Jacques?

The 2009 Griotte-Chambertin is a relatively delicate, ethereal wine with expressive aromatics and understated fruit. Deceptively medium in body, the Griotte needs time to flesh out a bit, but it is a stunner. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Count me among the Burgundy fans who are thrilled Jean-Marie Fourrier chose not to pursue the career as a commercial airline pilot for which he studied. Fourrier began picking on September 17. The fruit was destemmed. Cuvaison lasted around 14 days but Fourrier commented that he had an unusually high (50%) amount of shot berries, which had the effect of extending the fermentations for another week or so. The malos started and ended early, hence Fourrier decided to bottle early as well. Per his usual practice, Fourrier left the wines on the lees with no racking until the wines were prepared for bottling. On average the wines saw 20% new oak. I tasted all of the 2009s from bottle.

Medium red. Slightly high-toned aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, violet and licorice. The high-toned quality carries through in the mouth, where the sappy-sweet black and blue fruit flavors are complicated by saline soil tones. Less creamy than some of Fourrier's 2009 premier crus, this very firmly structured, long wine will demand patience. The lovely lift on the back end suggests that it has the energy for a long evolution. Fourrier now gets all his corks from a single supplier in Corsica, who simply steams them and does not use a peroxide solution.

The 2011 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru is blessed with a sublime bouquet of intense red currant, fresh strawberry and rose petal aromas that display exquisite delineation and positively blossoms in the glass. The palate has a satin-like entry underpinned by filigree tannins that render this Griotte feminine, elegant and graceful with fabulous focus. This is simply exquisite. Drink 2014-2030. I remember first meeting Jean-Marie Fourrier in London back at a time when he was establishing a presence in the UK market. Back then, his wines enjoyed more cultish popularity, that being at a time when Burgundy was the preserve of aficionados. Things have changed. Fourrier is now one of the most respected names in Gevrey, even if, perversely, he remains relatively unknown in his homeland. And Jean-Marie has not changed in all the years that I have known him. He is passionate, candid, principled, witty and born with a convenient knack of creating elegant Pinot Noirs that in 2011 have been augmented by two negociant offerings. Jean-Marie was at pains to explain that this expansion is simply because it is too expensive to buy vineyard nowadays and it does not represent a change in direction. His wines bear a whiff of semblance of Henri Jayer for whom Jean-Marie did a stage back in 1988, the fruit almost entirely de-stemmed and aged prudently in a modest percentage of new oak. With respect to the 2011s, I questioned him about the ripeness level and whether he felt there were incidences of greenness. He explained that there was the constant pressure of mildew, but that those with adequate, healthy green foliage were able to exploit the final three weeks of warm weather at the end of what had been a cool summer, offering the step to phenolic maturity. As previously mentioned, there are two negociant wines to finish off. Jean-Marie’s team goes into the vineyard to undertake the picking and he emphasized: “I buy grapes, not wine” and only from those who bottle themselves and want to reduce their quantity.

Bright, dark red. Very ripe aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and spices, complicated by soil-driven notes of porcini and truffle. At once silky and energetic, with youthfully imploded flavors of blackberry and cassis. Distinctly darker and tighter than the Clos Saint-Jacques and much more backward and less perfumed on the aftertaste. This will need longer in bottle to reveal itself.

Red-ruby. Deeply fruity aromas of blackberry, raspberry, violet and bitter chocolate. Wonderfully precise and penetrating, with uncanny definition and detail for a 2003. The black fruit and violet flavors are lifted by a minty, medicinal element on the back end. Impressively concentrated, vibrant wine, finishing with noble tannins and outstanding persistence.

The 2022 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru is richer and broader than the cooler and more elegant Clos Saint-Jacques this year. Exhibiting notes of cherries, sweet plums and red berry compote mingled with licorice, petals and spices, it's full-bodied, fleshy and unctuous, with a sweet, sun-kissed core of fruit framed by powdery tannins.

The 2022 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very fine, minerally bouquet that takes time to open in the glass, a mixture of red and black fruit leaning more toward the latter. Sous-bois and hints of crushed violet percolate through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with an intense, beautifully defined entry and layers of black cherries, blueberry and white pepper. It exerts an insistent grip towards the close whilst maintaining freshness from start to finish. Outstanding.

The 2022 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru is richer and broader than the cooler and more elegant Clos Saint-Jacques this year. Exhibiting notes of cherries, sweet plums and red berry compote mingled with licorice, petals and spices, it's full-bodied, fleshy and unctuous, with a sweet, sun-kissed core of fruit framed by powdery tannins.

The 2022 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very fine, minerally bouquet that takes time to open in the glass, a mixture of red and black fruit leaning more toward the latter. Sous-bois and hints of crushed violet percolate through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with an intense, beautifully defined entry and layers of black cherries, blueberry and white pepper. It exerts an insistent grip towards the close whilst maintaining freshness from start to finish. Outstanding.

The 2023 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru was also showing beautifully when I visited, bursting with aromas of cherries, raspberries, rose petals, incense and blood orange. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's lavish but controlled, with an enveloping core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a saline finish.

The 2023 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a perfumed bouquet with hints of dark chocolate infusing the red berry fruit that later turns to blue fruit, hints of wild heather and incense. The palate is medium-bodied with a gorgeous fleshy texture. This is a sumptuous Griotte, more open than the 2022, with impressive depth toward the finish and hints of white pepper on the aftertaste. It's wonderful.