Burgundy 2015 – S–Z

Simple, neutral style. Would serve very well to wash down a light supper. (RH)

Attractive perfume and zesty apple fruit. Much more personality than their Mâcon-Villages, with a ginger and apricot character that is really enjoyable. GV (RH)

Sweet tropical fruit and creamy oak – this is really charming, and actually reminds me of Aussie Chardonnay from the 90s – but in a good way! Ripe, balanced and satisfying, with fairly full body and good persistence. What’s not to like? (RH)

More precise and acidic than their Mâcon-Vergisson. Zingy, green, vivid. Needs pairing with a creamy, rich sauce. (RH)

Creamy palate but the fruit does not have the definition and interest of some of their less expensive cuvées. There’s a slight saline minerality on the finish, but otherwise this seems rather closed. (RH)

Ripe apple, lemon zest, creamy texture and a cereal note to finish. Good core concentration on the length – worth giving a few more years. (RH)

Elaborate stone fruit aromas with lots of apple freshness too. Creamy, smooth, fine-grained palate. Good spicy length. (RH)

Bright, limey citrus aroma. Tight and zesty with an attractively dry texture. (JH)

Spicy sweet nose. Correct without being exciting. (JR)

Correct and quite tense. Good green fruit aromas. (JR)

Delicate, stony citrus with a creamy complexity. Lovely, restrained aroma. More power and drive on the palate. A sour-citrus freshness on the finish. I think the Referts is better value even though it is more expensive. (JH)

Ripe apricot fruit, sleek texture and generously fruited on the palate. Extremely polished, but doesn't seem to have the range of flavour you'd hope for – especially at this price. (RH)

Floral open nose. Good tension but quite rich overall. And then it falls away a bit. (JR)

Classic white-burgundy nose: citrus fruit, plus oatmeal and creaminess from oak and lees. Complex and inviting. Broad on the palate, soft but persistent. Lacks a little freshness at the very end but there’s spice on the finish to give it some lift. (JH)

More buttery and fleshy than their Garenne, with a punchy acidic grip and a long, stately persistence. Loads of complexity and elegance on the palate. (RH)

More intense and complex on the nose than the Tufera (tasted immediately before this), the oak more in evidence in a cedary quality. Firm, intensely fresh and focused. Impressively persistent. (JH)

Very cool and low key. Correct without being exciting. (JR)

Quite dark crimson. Much more intense and vigorous than the average Chalonnaise red. Taffeta texture and good fruit in the middle. Well done! (JR)

Cask sample. Bright crimson. Super-rich and appealing on the nose. Total charmpot for those who don’t mind a suggestion of oak. Cool finish. Quite a contrast between the seductive nose and the relatively fresh finish. (JR)

Cask sample. Quite a seductive nose. Fresh and nicely balanced. Not that intense, with a hint of cough medicine, but there is lots of solid chew here. (JR)

Cask sample. Light crimson. Just a tad agricultural on the nose. Sweet cherry-flavoured hard-candy/boiled-sweet impression. Lots of tannin but all in a relatively light register. Seems a bit expensive. (JR)

Cask sample. Transparent cherry red. Some raciness and lots of interesting fruit. Transparent with good energy. Crunchy, chalky, very textured wine but with good fruit ripeness and no excess of tannins. (JR)

Cask sample. Transparent ruby. Slightly sour fruit. Not the most charming Charmes in fact. Just a bit sour and severe. Tannins are a tad bitter. (JR)

Lemon juice, crème fraîche, and perhaps just a hint of oak on the finish, giving a slight caramel note. Dry, layered, fibrous texture. I’d keep this for a few years to let it open up more. (RH)

Light red cherry aromas and quite tight and tense. Could do with a little more relaxation… (JR)

Solid and chestnutty. Something alpine and woody about this somehow. Though there is fruit too. Serious. (JR)

Heady and round and charming. Really rather gorgeous. (JR)

Mushroomy nose and very jagged structure. Hard work! (JR)

Racy and jewelly. Open and round and exciting. Dry finish. (JR)

Bright, transparent crimson. Sweet start and then bitter finish. Rather exciting with lots of drive. Hint of candied walnuts. (JR)

Very sweet start and then many-layered palate. Very appetising even if there's a bitter note on the end. Well done! (JR)

Quite a powerful crimson. Cordite nose. Round and super-fruity but not simple. Very succulent and appetising. Great balance. Vibrant. GV (JR)

Very bright colour again. Muted nose. Sweet fruit underneath but masses of structure and perhaps not quite enough energy – though some Morey signature is evident. (JR)

Bright crimson. Pure, direct nose. Very sweet start. Maybe almost too sweet? Lots to chew on. Very youthful. (JR)

Simple palate with soft texture and short finish. It has basic Chablis characteristics but precious little complexity for the asking price. (RH)

Tank sample. Baked apple fruit, pithy texture. Dry and reasonably lengthy on the finish. Unexciting, but recognisable as Chablis, at least. (RH)

More herby character than their Vaillons and Montmains, and a good dose of fresh apple fruit. Verging on the full-bodied side. The best of their premiers crus in 2015. (RH)

Basic apple fruit, chewy texture, seems to lack acidic flair. (RH)

Salt and chalk on the nose – proper Chablis terroir coming through here. Tart apple fruit, integrated acid, fairly short finish. (RH)

Generous tropical fruit character here. Rather too weighty on the palate for Chablis, even if it is premier cru. Comes across as rather heavy-footed. (RH)

Cask sample.
On the palate, the oak comes through far too strongly – which is unusual because the nose doesn’t betray this at all. There is savoury, mineral flavour here too but it is unbalanced and clumsy overall. Perhaps it will grow into itself? (RH)

Cask sample. Strong herby note. Not typically Chablis at all – this could almost be an oaked Sauvignon Blanc, in fact. Doesn’t exactly suffer from excessive oak, but doesn’t reflect the appellation with enough authenticity for me. (RH)

Tank sample – still on the lees. Almost raw-apple-skin nose. Verging on natural! Masses of energy. A different take and none the worse for it. Bravo! Exotic and clean. Rich finish. Some slight bitterness. Lots to say about this wine! (JR)

Cask sample. 40- to 80-year-old vines on pebbles.
Much more mainstream than the Longeays. Ticks the boxes in a rather sophisticated way. Chalky finish. (JR)

Mid crimson. Fresh raspberry fruit on the nose and then a touch herbal on the palate. Texture is dry and fine. Just enough fruit for the framework, giving refinement rather than intensity. (JH)

Mid to deep cherry red. Herbal, dark-red fruit. Deliciously savoury and rocky/dusty on the palate. Restrained and refined, the fruit all tucked in at the moment, tucked in to the dry texture. (JH)

Mid cherry. Subtle dark-red fruits. Seems a bit tough at the moment, highly structured by the dry but fine tannins. Fresh but rather shy fruit. Chewy finish. (JH)