2019 Barolo is a puzzler. Without doubt it is a highly successful vintage – that part isn’t at all puzzling. Tasting widely across the region last October quickly confirmed that impression. What is puzzling is the nature of the wines in the glass relative to climatic conditions – in simple terms, the wines reveal a much more classic profile than many growers expected, they don’t reveal the character traits associated with wines produced from a vintage with a notably hot summer.
On paper, 2019 shouldn’t necessarily reveal this classical, cool profile. The 2019s belie the fact that they are the product of a warmer year. Budbreak took place in early spring only to be followed by a wet April and May. By June, the weather pattern shifted dramatically with growers recounting that temperatures shot up to the high 30s. July had some significant rainfall, but remained hot. The pattern changed again in August when a period of more settled warm and dry weather kicked off, leading to a more optimistic outlook on the vintage as we entered September. The diurnal shift is really important to the ripeness of Nebbiolo – cool nights and warm days are ideal for the final phase of ripening, ensuring aromatics and freshness are retained along with fully ripe tannins. When we discuss Barolo vintages, words like ‘classic’ are often employed to indicate a later harvest – the implication being that it was cooler year, though as 2019 shows, the weather pattern can be more complex than that. The weather eased back from the extreme to permit a harvest towards mid-October, but to term 2019 a cool vintage seems erroneous.
Elements of the 2019s reminded me of 2010 and 2013, both vintages that showed freshness but a more evident tannic structure than some Barolo vintages, but neither comparison clicked completely. Asking growers for insight into vintage comparisons did not prove particularly fruitful either, as climate change has led to the impression that Barolo has entered a new era. This point is hard to stress enough – in the 1990s, growers were leaf-plucking to expose the fruit as they struggled to attain full ripeness, nowadays growers are training neighbouring rows higher to provide additional shade to the fruit. Volte-face hardly covers the extent of the change in approach. A recent fine run of vintages ranging from very good to exceptional has also coincided with the emergence of a vast array of talented winemakers, who have adapted to the new conditions encountered to the great benefit of the region as a whole. The skill exhibited in winemaking is remarkably high in Piemonte and we have entered an era where many growers have sufficient experience of modern conditions to know how to react to them and how to handle the fruit post-harvest.
The resultant wines are hugely impressive, they possess a wealth of fruit, underscored by freshness and with a tannic frame that is reassuringly assertive in these young wines. There is terrific concentration in the main and the sense is that these wines will need patient cellarage to reveal their best. I think there is great potential in 2019s, but it will take a bit of time for everything to come together. In contrast, 2016 was an easy vintage to appreciate at the same stage of evolution – the wines were more expressive and less brooding at the outset, with an outstanding, uncommon sense of harmony. In general, 2019 reminds me of some of my tasting experiences in the region in the 2000s, where you needed to assess the components and envisage how they would come together. I would not be surprised to see early views of specific wines elevated over time – some of the 2019s may not be placed on the pedestal immediately, but I think they will take a couple of steps up to it in time. I am not sure it is a vintage that lends itself to definitive judgements at this stage.
I have been visiting and tasting Barolo for many years and it remains one of the regions that fascinates me most. I am certain that we have never seen such consistently fine wines emanating from this region as we are witnessing today. Since 2010, there have been so many successes, even in the less homogenous vintages, with an incredible array of truly outstanding wines made in 2010, 2013 and of course, 2016. I would also argue that, while successes in vintages like 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 may not number as greatly as in the aforementioned trio, there are still some stunning wines – all of which were released at non-bank breaking prices.
Having had the chance to taste both 2020s and 2021s in growers’ cellars, it is clear that we have three different yet successful Barolo vintages on the cards. Interestingly, various growers I asked praised one or other of the vintages over the others; there was no dramatic consensus, aside from suggesting that the ability to compare and contrast three such vintages in time will prove a fascinating exercise. 2020 promises to be a more accessible vintage, still remarkably fine – it is quite an unusual vintage in a way, as the wines show striking harmony and poise at the outset with the tannins beautifully ripe but veiled by fruit. Such a vintage highlights how growers have adapted to deal with the challenges of climate change. And the 2021s seem, even at this early stage, to exude finesse and refinement allied to a classical structure. With such a run of vintages, it is hard to think that Barolo will not draw greater interest from drinkers and undoubtedly speculators. It is inevitable, as where else in the fine wine world can you find such complexity and quality at such favourable prices? A wine from a top Cru and a great vintage for around £300-£400 for a six-bottle case in bond? Such an opportunity is becoming increasingly rare in the wine world.
At Atlas, we enjoy a number of significant direct allocations from leading Barolo producers. We also add to this range by sourcing wines from other estates via our connections in the market.As Barolo releases do not follow a set pattern, with producers releasing at different stages of the year, I thought it would be helpful to show the estates whose wines we can access below. We will release wines from estates as and when we receive our allocations over the coming months. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to respond to offers as they are received.
The unfolding (unravelling?) 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur campaignSimon Larkin, 16th May 2025I have read many ‘calls to action’ telling clients this wine or that wine is a ‘must buy’ and, at this release price, they should ‘back up the truck’. I have also read numerous notes from merchants as well as certain critics that seem to suggest this is a vintage of notable calibre. In fact, looking at critics’ scores this vintage is a minefield, as there are comparatively few wines with any form of consensus aside from a notable success like Les Carmes Haut-Brion or Château Lafleur. To me, some scores look very high – and anyway, most consumers are confused as to whether the scoring system relates to all wines ever scored, all wines from a specific region ever scored or indeed, whether they relate solely to perceived quality within a vintage context, i.e. 2024.There simply is not much interest in a modest vintage (of course there are some exceptions) for future consumption. Clients are being cautious, having followed Bordeaux in recent years and seen the recent market turbulence that has led to much lower prices, even on excellent vintages like 2019, 2020 and 2022. Other clients are viewing the heavily discounted 2021 vintage favourably in comparison to the 2024s – asking themselves, are there better buys in 2021 and was it a finer vintage? Both of which are pertinent questions. Despite the lack of consumer interest, the Bordeaux Château owners are doing the right thing (in the main) in reducing release prices considerably. Some Châteaux haven’t quite understood the necessity of reducing price meaningfully – there are always slow learners – but many have understood that the 2024s needed to be cheaper than the market price of any previous vintage. To my mind, the problems run deeper than could be fixed by simply discounting prices. There is too much unsold stock queuing up in the market that will take several years to clear down, and that isn’t just in Bordeaux, but in export markets all round the world. One issues is that younger drinkers and collectors, who could easily have been drawn to Bordeaux, view it as expensive and have been priced out of the market, rather than encouraged to take their first steps into it. A case bought En Primeur at £300 per 6 bottle case and stored for 7 years will come in at around £80 per bottle on the table at the point of consumption. Given the competition in terms of value from so many other regions around the world, it is easy to see why Bordeaux may not prove a target for someone new to collecting wine. And if they were specifically interested in Bordeaux, wouldn’t they be better off picking off discounted wines from back vintages where another collector had paid the storage for the last seven or eight years and then sold the case on?The crucial point is that what makes Bordeaux attractive isn’t just price. In 2024, the quality isn’t there to warrant purchasing, in the main, and the wines will be available in several years’ time. For an En Primeur release to succeed, the compulsion to purchase which is built on fear of missing out, and an opportunity to buy a wine at an advantageous price need to be there. The Bordelais had hoped that buyers would buy their ‘brand’ each and every year almost automatically. This idea of brand loyal purchasing almost irrespective of price is so out of kilter with the market reality, and it may be a hard lesson for Châteaux to learn that clients aren’t as easily led as they believed they were. In short, the problems in the Bordeaux market will still be there next year, and I very much doubt, even if 2025 were to prove to be a very fine vintage, that the market would stomach any increase over and above the 2024 releases. 2024 is quite simply the wrong vintage and the wrong time. 2025, if a higher quality vintage and much the same price, could lead to the engagement required to rekindle some greater interest in En Primeur, but that remains a whole year away. In the meantime, back vintages with a degree of maturity are drawing some of the attention that may otherwise have been caught up in En Primeur releases. Bordeaux 2024 – the wrong vintage at the wrong time?Simon Larkin, 23rd April 2025 Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur is now upon us and it comes as the fine wine market looks to settle after a period of considerable instability. The timing is awkward given where the market is right now, and the calibre of the vintage is far from attention-grabbing. Given how the prices of various far superior Bordeaux vintages have tumbled and how many superior wines are available in the market at corrected prices, is 2024 a vintage that anyone needs to purchase?
2024 isn’t a great vintage. Rain in and around harvest always makes for tricky conditions – it comes down to a decision as to whether you wait and see if conditions improve or whether you bite the bullet and harvest in advance of rain. You risk under ripeness if you harvest too early and dilution if the inclement weather doesn’t ease, if you elect to wait. In a bygone age such decisions would be more fraught, today with all the analyses that leading Châteaux have to hand, it is easier to navigate such conditions to make a decent wine. That said, wine is made in the vineyard and if the raw material is lacking in some way, you can’t make up for it in the winery. In 2024, cool conditions in the run up to harvest did little to help push on ripeness so 2024 has delivered lighter wines, with lower alcohol and higher acidity – the heat required to build sugar in the berries and reduce acidity did not materialise. And the resultant ripeness is such that almost all estates will take care in extraction not to work the skins too much for fear of extracting anything unripe. Consequently, the sorting of fruit was critical in 2024, and yields will be relatively low as estates discarded fruit that was nowhere near the required ripeness.
2024 was a wet year for Bordeaux – allegedly the wettest since 2000. Spring was warm which led to an early budburst, bringing with it the risk of frost. Mildew remained a risk on account of the dampness and warmer than usual temperatures. Flowering was relatively unproblematic, but April temperatures were already cooler than usual, and this pattern extended into July with regular rain. Fruitset was disrupted and mildew remained a constant threat throughout the majority of the summer. Mid-July signalled a greater sense of hope with finer, warmer weather bringing some degree of hydric stress to most vineyards across the region. After a period of instability, it looked like things might finally be settling down - the skins of the berries started to ripen in the final two weeks of July, which were hotter than the norm. Veraison (when the berries change colour) was completed by midway through August – a month which was characterised by noticeably cool evenings. This meant that the tannins developed, but sugar accumulation in the berries was very slow. This slower than normal ripening cycle continued into September, and it started to become clear that for quality to blossom, fine late season conditions would be needed to see the fruit through to full ripeness. Around the 20th September the rains returned. Most estates harvested their Merlot just before the rain, with Cabernet harvest commencing around the 30th September. Those terroirs that benefitted from free draining soils were able to hold off that bit longer. As simplistic and generalised as this brief summary is, it all adds up to there being significant variation between communes and estates. Châteaux were largely unable to wait for their Merlot or Cabernet to achieve full ripeness at point of harvest. In short, 2024 is a year that got going quicky in warm conditions, slowed considerably due to cool, wet conditions, perked up again off the back of several hot weeks, but didn’t have the dry, warm run in to harvest to bring about full ripeness as inclement weather returned.
I have already read marketing missives from merchants desperately trying to focus on some positives, and understandably so. You will no doubt read plenty of commentary talking about the welcome reduction in alcohol and the brightness of acidities, but you have to remember that these come as a consequence of modest rather than complete ripeness, and a number of wines consequently show touches of green, unripe fruit. You will hear plenty about the fact that there is no such thing as a poor vintage in Bordeaux these days, and certainly the disasters of yesteryear can be navigated more easily, but despite all the modern advances you cannot improve on the raw material. Yes, an estate could shade things in their favour during the growing season, if they were quick to react to mildew pressure, or by retaining cover crops between rows to deal with excessive moisture, or even by leaf-plucking to expose the fruit to gain a modicum of extra ripeness. But these steps cannot compensate for the difficult conditions encountered, they are very small percentage gains.
For the campaign to work in any shape or form, pricing has to come down sufficiently to make 2024 a cheap vintage as neither the vintage quality nor the economic backdrop will permit anything else. You look at negociant lists and you see how much unsold young Bordeaux is stuck in the system and it is considerable. The negociants are obliged to accept allocations and yet they are paying interest to fund their stocks in a falling market. Their appetite or ability to take on inventory from the 2024 vintage isn’t there – they need this vintage to sell through and not queue up on their books. China has not been active in en primeur for some time, at least not significantly, and the US is struggling with the tariff situation, so neither of these markets is likely to be particularly active in this year’s en primeur campaign. For Atlas, Bordeaux En Primeur has almost always centred on no more than 20 successful wines. We see many other merchants have come to the same conclusion in recent years.
There has been plenty of chat in the trade about prices returning to 2014 levels. To put that into perspective, that would mean Château Lynch-Bages releasing at 50 euros (in 2023 it released at 60 euros, down from 88 euros in 2022). I am not singling out Lynch-Bages for any particular reason, just using it as a recognisable example. At today’s exchange rates this would equate to around £300 per 6 bottle case in bond as an offer price. At this level, it could probably be considered about fair, when you consider the superior quality 2021 is available in the market at £390 per 6 in bond as is the superior 2017. However, we know there is an oversupply of vintages like 2021 in the market, and such prices could soften further. Equally, 2021 is a superior vintage with more staying power too. Would you not do better to pick off stocks of corrected vintages in the market? So, if price reductions match 2014 release prices it could be argued that they will be considered fair, but even with fair pricing, are they worth buying now? Unfortunately, probably not, as it is the wrong vintage at the wrong time with available stock of more attractive vintages at favourable prices, although there may potentially be the odd exception. If they are ahead of 2014 levels, then I think the Bordelais will have a real problem on their hands. Obviously, not all Châteaux have the ability to drop prices by a set percentage – those lower down the pyramid do not have the scope for 50% reductions, hence looking back to 2014 releases levels may well act as a fair barometer.
I cannot conclude this piece without returning to the actual reasons for purchasing en primeur. The following questions are crucial to its appeal: Does this price represent the best price at which the wine will be offered? Is there a financial advantage to buying now? Will the wine sell out and therefore not be available in the market when it is drinking in say 5/6 years’ time? Of course there are other minor reasons to buy en primeur, but if these key questions aren’t satisfied, then there is no compulsion to act early. And in a market that has seen values of great vintages fall, the gulf between the price of a great year like 2019 and an average year like 2024 has narrowed considerably. Sticking with Lynch-Bages as an example, the 2019 is available for £435 per 6 bottle case in bond in the market.
In summary, 2024 is releasing at a very awkward moment – the consumer or collector has access to innumerable opportunities to buy back vintages at favourable prices and a tough vintage, even if released at a fair price, is unlikely to be much of a call to action with such a backdrop. An exciting vintage with the current pressure to drop prices might have been a completely different story. To me, 2024 appears to be the wrong vintage entering the market at the wrong time.
Simon Larkin MW23rd April 2025
2023 Burgundy: The Nuits-St Georges of Domaine Lécheneaut
The domaine has, yet again, produced some excellent wines and I have never quite understood why they don't sell for more than they do given the fine quality.
Allen Meadows, burghound.com, January 2025
Could these be the most appealing wines yet from Domaine Lécheneaut? Allen Meadows tastes a serious quantity of Burgundy every year (and for many years) and even he observes, commenting on the 2023s, I have never quite understood why they don't sell for more than they do given the fine quality. Domaine Lécheneaut continues to offer astonishing value. We have long championed the wines of Vincent and Philippe Lécheneaut for this very reason. You get a lot of Burgundy for your money at this address. No fevered fadish fanaticism driving prices to 'impressive' heights. Instead just quiet, under the radar appreciation of vines well-tended and wines carefully crafted. Across the entire range, from Hautes Côtes de Nuits to Clos de la Roche, the wines show tremendous typicity, whether between the different villages or between Premiers Crus. Ever since we began offering these wines, we have marvelled at the incredible balance and harmony that the Lécheneaut family achieve, year-in-year-out in their wines. They have richness but also grace. They have power yet poise.The Lécheneauts are thoughtful, sensitive, attentive wine producers. They adapt to the vintage and remain highly attuned to their vineyards and their vines. As we have written on numerous previous occasions, we were directed to them on account of their meticulous viticulture. It has only become more meticulous with time as vintages continue to present new challenges in ways that could not have been envisaged by their forefathers.The 2023 season was labour-intensive, if you wanted to avoid enormous yields. The Lécheneauts remove buds very early in the cycle as standard practice in order to control yield. In 2023 they also had to drastically green harvest, removing bunches, at later points. They harvested from 8th September but, due to the heat, they only picked in the mornings and then held the fruit in cold rooms to bring the temperature down to 5 degrees Celsius before allowing fermentations to begin. The fruit itself was clean, healthy and ripe, something that comes across noticeably in the wines. There is also noticeable depth of colour; there was no whole bunch in 2023, instead 100% of the fruit was destemmed, as this was what they felt the vintage dictated. Indeed Jasper Morris comments on this, highlighting also the balance, elegance and harmony of this set of wines, writing: Such deep powerful colours, but in the end wines which consistently come across as much more refined on the palate.In the words of Vincent himself: As to the wines, it's interesting as they seem to have become more interesting month by month. As such, I hesitate to put them in a box but at this point in their evolution, I would describe them as resembling our 2017s but with more underling material. But also like 2017, the '23s should be approachable young but have no difficulty aging.I think I would have to agree, there is an appealing approachability to the 2023s yet they do not lack a core of beautifully ripe, fresh fruit allied to fine structure and that beguiling harmony. They will certainly drink well early, much like the 2017s, but they will age gracefully too. And all without breaking the bank.Domaine Lécheneaut, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2023£120 per 6 bottle case in bondNow 100% aged in 450 litre barrels. Really fresh and flowing red fruit with a gentle mineral touch. Good balance and elegantly weighted palate. Lovely fruit and drinkability. Drink 2026-2030 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Côte de Nuits-Villages, Clos de Magny 2023£150 per 6 bottle case in bondFrom a parcel of 70–80-year-old vines. There is a pure core of dark cherry fruit on the nose. The palate shows a lovely sense of precision and freshness together with a balancing mineral energy. Good fruit intensity at its core and a white stone drive at the end. Drink 2026-2033 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Morey-St Denis 2023£210 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a notable and characteristic spicy touch on the nose, blue fruit and a touch of pepper. Excellent purity and harmony through the palate. This is consistently such a beautifully balanced and well-expressed Morey villages from the Lécheneaut family. It always retains a sense of energy and persistence due to the vineyard position high up the slope above the Grands Crus. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Chambolle-Musigny 2023£250 per 6 bottle case in bondInitially quite closed but opening to a core of scented, floral red cherry fruit. The palate replicates the fruit of the nose, all carried on a palate of silky poise. Fresh, flowing, elegant, and with a perfectly judged chalky grip towards the finish. The tannins show finesse and there is a fine sense of harmony. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 2023£210 per 6 bottle case in bondShowing really well again in 2023, the Nuits-St Georges villages displays a pristine fruit purity of dark cherry and raspberry fruit. There is a seamless quality here with fine-grained tannins framing a classically styled Nuits of underlying presence and over-riding harmony, with most of the fruit being form the northern, Vosne side, of Nuits. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges, Au Chouillet 2023£240 per 6 bottle case in bondTighter, more closed but also more concentrated than the straight Nuits-St Georges, the Chouillet is pure and intensely concentrated in its red fruit profile. There is a fluidity and a gracefulness through the palate, on which the tannins present themselves with great finesse. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Les Damodes 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondBeautifully pure ripe fruit leads into a palate that has an elegant flow and sense of balance, the tannins are fine and ripe, giving a framing structure but not asserting. Instead, this remains fresh, elegant and gourmand. Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Aux Argillas 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a noticeably deeper colour in the Argillas, which Jules Lecheneaut explains is due to the high susceptibility to millerandage, giving a proportion of particularly small grapes within a bunch. The resultant concentration of fruit is complemented by spice notes. This is intense and rich in fruit but perfectly counterbalanced by its poised structure. “Best ever” as some might say… Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits- St Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondOn the day of tasting, Les Pruliers was particularly reticent and difficult to taste, like Les Pruliers of old. Underneath there was fine red fruit and the benchmark Pruliers mineral power and energy. This will be very good but needs time. Drink 2030-2040 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Borniques 2023£480 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a good depth of colour, again due to a susceptibility to millerandage. Lovely scented sweet dark cherry fruit. Balanced volume and a silky freshness to the palate, which shows fine mineral length and presence. Fine poise. Really good. Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2023£600 per 3 bottle case in bondFine concentration of blue fruit and spice. This is subtly powerful and spreads across the palate with beautifully expressed, concentrated fruit. The tannins are very, very fine and give structure while mineral direction gives length. Gently mouthwatering at the end but also very mineral and saline. Finishes with incredible persistence. Drink 2028-2040 (ROM)
Another joyously successful set of wines from Domaine Lécheneaut and ones that will give great drinking pleasure within a few short years even if they will keep for many years too.Please let us know of your interest.Richard O'Mahony, January 2025richard.omahony@atlasfinewines.com
2023 Burgundy: The Chassagne-Montrachet of Domaine Morey-Coffinet
2023 Burgundy: The Chassagne-Montrachet of Domaine Morey-CoffinetThe Morey-Coffinet style is for relatively fine-boned white wines.Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com, December 2024
There is a lot of noise at this time of year, when the new Burgundy releases come onto the market. It can be hard to pick your way through the numerous offers. At Atlas, we focus on a tight group of domaines that have impressed, and continue to impress, us with the quality of their wines and the value they offer.Historically, we have felt obliged to drop estates whose prices have shot up out of kilter with reality, or where quality has proved to be less than consistent. It is our aim to ensure the Burgundian domaines that we represent deliver quality and value for our clients.Domaine Morey-Coffinet may not be a familiar name to many, but the following is growing and rightly so. We have been increasingly impressed by Thibault Morey's wines over the last four or five years; he is one grower who has adapted his viticultural and winemaking approaches to retain elegance and poise in his wines in the face of more challenging conditions in modern day Burgundy. We predict a bright future for this Chassagne-Montrachet domaine and would encourage our clients to benefit from buying these wines as soon as possible, before demand starts to influence price.Thibault Morey is possessed of a calmness and serenity that seem to infuse his beautiful range of Chassagne-Montrachet, which show such a strong sense of harmony and a pristine purity. As Jasper Morris writes above, these are fine-boned white wines. I would agree. There is something magically refined and elegant about the Morey-Coffinet wines, an ability to retain a purity and precision that flies in the face of the warmer vintages we are seeing. In his crypt-like cellars, I tasted a 2019 and a 2017 En Caillerets; both warm vintages, both wines that showed near piercing purity and mineral energy, with all of that already-mentioned harmony.Domaine Morey-Coffinet was established in 1980 by Thibault's father Michel, who was married to Fabienne Coffinet. She herself was from the combined winemaking families of Cecile Pillot and Fernand Coffinet. Some combined heritage then! The estate now covers 9 hectares almost exclusively within Chassagne-Montrachet itself. Under Thibault, viticulture has become increasingly respectful and sensitive, with organic certification granted in 2018 and biodynamic principles espoused since 2015. Much of the ploughing is done by horse - or by electric tractor. Sheep roam the vineyards after harvest in the autumn. In terms of wine-making, the fruit undergoes a long, slow pressing with minimal sulphur use before fermentation and ageing in generally larger oak vessels and in amphorae. Everything is done to maintain fruit purity, to maximise vineyard expression and to retain elegance and tension.The reds too should not be underestimated. Les Chaumes comes from two parcels of 50 year old vines while the Clos Saint Jean is from a 0.2 hectare plot behind the family home at the top of the village. The latter was originally an orchard but was planted with Pinot Noir in the 1970s. In the words of Jasper Morris: Great choice! The fruit is attractively pure with a sensual finesse and unobtrusive tannins.Morey-Coffinet continues to impress with its crystalline whites and its flowing, beautifully balanced reds all of which express their vineyards with an effortless grace.Behind that calmness and serenity there is unmistakeable passion and an obsessive drive to produce wines that reflect and communicate a land respected. These are exceptional wines and continue to offer exceptional value for Burgundy of this quality.Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge, Les Chaumes 2023£180 per 6 bottle case in bondScented pure red fruit. Aromatic. Healthy. Mineral palate – focused, tensile. Good red fruit and white stone finish. Fresh and finessed with good vibrancy and energy. A value pick. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Rouge, Clos St Jean 2023£300 per 6 bottle case in bondElegant cherry fruit nose. Really pure. Mouthwatering palate with a clean mineral presence. Structured elegance. Soft-skinned fruit quality on late palate – cushioned, layered, silky – yet still with a stony grip on the finish. Very good. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 2023£245 per 6 bottle case in bondLovely ripe, white stone fruit and citrus notes. This is all about harmony and drinkability but with tension and direction. Excellent, as we have come to expect from Thibault Morey. Tremendous freshness and energy at the end. (ROM) Drink 2026-2032Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Houillères 2023£300 per 6 bottle case in bondThe nose seems to promise a certain mineral tension. Ripe, fresh citrus and peach notes are supported by a subtle creamy touch also. The palate is fruit-filled and mouth-watering with an appealing grip towards the end. Gentle but persistent mineral length, as promised. Showing the quality derived of 60 to 70-year-old vines. (ROM) Drink 2026-2032Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, En Cailleret 2023£390 per 6 bottle case in bondTight and closed. Creamy peach and pear notes emerge. Soft, ripe, fresh orchard fruit. Pure fruit and energy. The palate shows a touch of citrus as well as the same soft white stone fruit notes. Lovely tension at the end but with a richness of juicy fruit and a pithy grip. On the long finish there is poise and restraint allied to a focused purity. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, La Romanée 2023£435 per 6 bottle case in bondFrom a single parcel just below the forests at the top of the hill above Chassagne and vines planted in 1957. Currently more expressive on the nose than the Cailleret. Yellow citrus and peach. Subtlety and dynamism. The palate is taut and tensile through the middle. Very fine and focussed. Great persistence with a touch of promising youthful austerity. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Pucelles 2023£660 per 6 bottle case in bondVery pure, very classic white flower aromatics together with yellow and green citrus. Lovely sense of tension beneath the ripe, fresh fruit. Beautifully focused and linear in a very positive sense. Excellent energy with mineral presence emerging towards the end. Great persistence and energy, typical of this leading premier cru that adjoins Batard-Montrachet. (ROM) Drink 2028-2038SOLD OUTDomaine Morey-Coffinet, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023£990 per 3 bottle case in bond (very limited availability)Gentle toast notes. Creamy fruit but quite withdrawn at the moment on the nose. The palate is tight and focused with the fruit fanning out on the mid-palate with the finish showing all the quality of a Grand Cru with astonishing persistence. (ROM) Drink 2028-2038Another very fine set of wines from Thibault Morey and Domaine Morey-Coffinet. Looking forward to hearing from you at richard.omahony@atlasfinewines.com
Richard O'Mahony, January 2025
