2022 Beaune “Les Reversées” Blanc- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The 2022 Beaune “Les Reversées” Blanc from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is a lovely wine. The vines in this parcel have now reached twenty-five years of age, or as the Burgundians would say “une bonne age”. The wine comes in at a very civilized thirteen percent octane in this vintage and shows off lovely purity in its slightly reductive bouquet of apple, pear, iodine, hazelnut, chalky soil tones, fruit blossoms and a keen touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and quite elegant in personality, with lovely depth of fruit at the core, good soil undertow, zesty acids and lovely focus on the long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is certainly easy to drink today, but it is still a young wine and two or three years of cellaring will allow it to further blossom and show an additional layer of complexity. Fine juice. 2027-2045. 91.
2022 Meursault “Cuvée Confluence”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The new Cuvée Confluence bottling of Meursault from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is made from a blend of fruit from the climats of En Marcausse (which lies just below les Petits Charrons on the slope) and Les Vignes Blanches. The former has more clay in the soil and the latter is a chalky terroir. The wine tips the scales at thirteen percent alcohol in this vintage, but shows a lovely sense of ripeness in its bouquet of pear, passion fruit, hazelnuts, orange zest, a fine base of soil and buttery oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and succulent in personality, with a lovely core of fruit, good soil transparency, a fine spine of acidity and a long, complex and wide open and very well balanced finish. There is no need to defer gratification with the Cuvée Confluence bottling in 2022, as this is one Meursault that is already generous and extremely tasty. 2024-2045. 90+.
2022 Meursault “Les Vignes Blanches”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The new Les Vignes Blanches bottling from Clos de la Chapelle hails from a forty-one ares parcel of old vines, planted back in 1948 in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. This lieu à dit lies below Santenots du Milieu on the slope, just south of the premier cru of Meursault “Santenots”. The wine is lovely in its debut vintage of 2022, offering up a pure and classic Meursault nose of pear, hazelnut, lovely minerality, a touch of passion fruit, gentle notes of iodine, white flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and quite elegant, with a lovely core of fruit, fine mineral undertow, zesty acids and excellent focus and grip on the long, well balanced and complex finish. The wine comes in at an even thirteen percent octane in this vintage. This is first class Meursault villages! 2024-2045. 91.
2022 Meursault “Charmes”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Meursault “Charmes” is another new cuvée from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle in this vintage. Mark O’Connell has obtained a small, 12.5 ares parcel of old vines in Charmes Dessous, which were planted in 1948! The wine is outstanding in 2022, offering up a classically elegant and refined bouquet of pear, passion fruit, hazelnut, complex, chalky soil tones, orange blossoms, a touch of geranium and an elegant framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, complex and full-bodied, with a lovely core of fruit, gorgeous mineral drive and cut, a fine spine of acidity and a long, poised and impeccably balanced finish. There are three barrels of the Meursault “Charmes” in the cellar this year, with one of the casks having been new for this inaugural vintage. This is a great new addition to the domaine’s lineup! 2024-2060. 94.
2022 Pernand-Vergelesses “Sous Frétille”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
As I have mentioned frequently in the past, Sous Frétille is one of the undiscovered premier cru gems in the Côte de Beaune and Mark O’Connell makes one of the finest examples. This is crafted from only thirteen ares of thirty year-old vines, so this is one of the domaine’s most limited bottlings. It comes in at an even thirteen percent octane in 2022 and offers up a superb aromatic constellation of pear, tangerine, chalky minerality, a touch of iodine, almond, citrus zest and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and nascently complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil transparency, zesty acids and lovely balance on the long and very classy finish. This was bottled a touch more reductively than previous vintages, which augurs very well for its ability to age, but which will mean the wine could do with a few years in the cellar to properly blossom. 2026-2050. 93.
2022 Corton-Charlemagne- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The 2022 Corton-Charlemagne from Mark O’Connell is a gorgeous young wine. The bouquet is precise and already beautifully transparent, offering up scents of apple, pear, almond, a touch of iodine, a superb base of stony soil tones, white lilies and a discreet framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a rock solid core of lovely fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, zesty acids, impeccable balance and a long, complex and vibrant young finish. This is going to be stellar, but give it some bottle age to let it blossom completely! 2030-2065. 94.
2021 Corton-Charlemagne “Cuvée Exceptionelle”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The new Corton-Charlemagne “Cuvée Exceptionelle” from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is an excellent wine. As I mentioned above, one barrel of the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne was given an additional year of aging in an older cask prior to bottling up and is being released with the 2022s. It is a fascinating experiment and I would love to taste this wine alongside the earlier bottled version some day down the road, just to compare and contrast them, as they are both exceptional. The wine is certainly a touch more marked by its oak component than was the regular bottling a year ago, but in a beautifully understated manner, as the wine offers up a complex bouquet of apple, pear, hazelnut, a touch of browned butter, beautiful, chalky soil tones, white lilies and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and impeccably balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil undertow, bright acids and lovely focus and grip on the long, classy and gorgeous finish. This certainly seems to be more ready to drink than the regular bottling was a year ago, which is probably a function of both it being one year further out from the vintage and its extended time in cask. That said, it certainly will have no trouble aging long and gracefully in its own right, but is probably more at risk of its owner opening it sooner, given how delicious it drinks already! 2024-2055. 94.
Vins Rouges
2022 Beaune “Champs Pimont”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The 2022 Beaune “Champs Pimont” from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is a fairly ripe wine this year, coming in at an even fourteen percent octane. Aromatically, the wine is deep and sappy, offering up scents of plums, red and black cherries, dark chocolate, lovely soil tones, woodsmoke, a touch of new oak and a lovely floral topnote redolent of violets. On the palate the wine is bright, ripe and full-bodied, with lovely broad shoulders, a good core of fruit, fine soil transparency and grip, ripe tannins and a long, focused and well balanced young finish. This will demand some cellaring time to blossom, but will be a fine bottle in due course. 2032-2085. 91.
2022 Beaune “les Teurons”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Mark O’Connell’s 2022 les Teurons is a touch less ripe than the Champs Pimont this year, coming in at 13.5 percent alcohol. The wine is beautifully pure and black fruity on the nose, wafting from the glass in a refined mix of sweet dark berries, black cherries, raw cocoa, a touch of grilled meats, raw cocoa, bonfire, dark soil tones, a lovely array of gentle spice tones and a deft framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and rock solid at the core, with ripe, fine-grained tannins, lovely balance and grip and a long, complex and very promising finish. I like the tight-knit structure of this wine, which marries the pure and sappy fruit beautifully to its underlying soil signature. Fine juice. 92.
2022 Volnay “Premier Cru”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The Volnay “Premier Cru” bottling from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle made its debut in the 2020 vintage, being made from a younger vine parcel of Taillepieds in that vintage. The 2022 is another beautiful wine, showing stunning purity in its sappy, black fruity bouquet of black cherries and sweet dark berries, raw cocoa, pigeon, woodsmoke, dark soil tones, just a hint of fresh thyme, brown spices, violets and a touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and very refined, with a sappy core of fruit, lovely soil inflection and grip, fine-grained, moderate tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and vibrant finish. This is simply gorgeous and will drink splendidly from a fairly youthful age. 2030-2065+. 92+.
2022 Volnay “En Carelle”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The 2022 Volnay “En Carelle” from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is excellent, as these forty-five year-old vines have excelled in this vintage. This vineyard lies just below the monopole premier cru of Clos de la Chapelle from which the domaine takes its name, as well as the Lafarge family’s monopole of the Clos du Château des Ducs. Aromatically, the wine is gorgeous, as its black fruity constellation wafts from the glass in a mix of sweet dark berries, cassis, smoked meats, anise, a superb base of dark soil, peonies, a touch of Caillerets-like spice tones and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and beautifully transparent down to its foundation of soil, with a fine core of dark fruit, ripe, buried tannins and excellent focus and grip on the long, balanced and complex finish. This is going to be excellent. 2035-2075+. 92+.
2022 Volnay “Santenots du Milieu”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The new Volnay “Santenots du Milieu” bottling is a stellar addition to the lineup at Domaine Clos de la Chapelle. In its debut vintage of 2022, the wine comes in at a nicely measured 13.5 percent octane and offers up a vibrant and sappy bouquet of sweet dark berries, black plums, gamebird, bitter chocolate, a complex base of dark soil tones, woodsmoke and a deft framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, complex and full-bodied, with a lovely core of black fruit, fine soil inflection and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and outstanding length and grip on the focused and impeccably balanced finish. A fine, fine bottle of Volnay! 2032-2075+. 93.
2022 Volnay “Taillepieds” Vieilles Vignes- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
2013 was the debut vintage for the Volnay “Taillepieds” bottling at Domaine Clos de la Chapelle and the wine has become the reference point example of this great premier cru over the course of its first decade in the lineup of the estate. These vines are now fifty to sixty years of age and really starting to show some extra old vine depth. The bouquet is simply brilliant in 2022, soaring from the glass in a complex constellation of cassis, black cherries, a hint of black raspberry, spit-roasted pigeon, coffee bean, woodsmoke, a glorious foundation of dark soil tones and a nice touch of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a tightly-knit structure, excellent focus and grip, a sappy core of black fruit, fine transparency and a long, seamlessly balanced and complex finish. This is one of the lower octane wines in the range this year, tipping the scales at an even thirteen percent and is a bit more reticent on the palate out of the blocks as a result. This simply means it will need a couple years longer in the cellar to blossom properly, but once it is ready to drink, it is going to be a magnificent bottle of Volnay! 2035-2085. 95.
2022 Volnay “Clos de la Chapelle”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Mark O’Connell’s flagship monopole bottling of Clos de la Chapelle has consistently been one of the very best examples of Volnay to be found in Burgundy for several vintages now, and the 2022 may well be the finest Mark has yet crafted at the domaine! The wine comes in at a svelte thirteen percent alcohol and offers up stunning purity and precision on the nose, delivering scents of red plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, a hint of pomegranate, a beautifully complex base of soil tones, violets, peonies, woodsmoke, gamebird and a nice touch of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a sappy core of fruit, beautiful soil signature, ripe, buried tannins and a long, complex and seamlessly structured, young finish. This too will demand some cellaring time to open up, but once it is ready to drink, it will be a magnificent and very elegant example of Volnay. 2035-2085. 95.
2022 Pommard “Rue au Port” Vignes Centenaires- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle’s new bottling of Pommard “Rue au Port” is made from vines that are in excess of one hundred years of age! It tips the scales at 13.5 percent octane in its debut vintage of 2022 and delivers a beautifully refined aromatic constellation of red plums, pomegranate, gamebird, a refined base of soil, peonies, woodsmoke, a touch of cocoa powder, lovely spice tones and a discreet framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, nascently complex and rock solid at the core, with fine soil undertow, ripe tannins and lovely focus and balance on the long, very promising finish. This is quite elegant in profile for young Pommard villages and will be a superb bottle once it has a chance to soften up its tannins with some time in the cellar. Very impressive. 2034-2080. 91.
2022 Pommard “Les Grands Épenots”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
I have been a fan of Grands Épenots since the very first Burgundy vintage I commercialized, which was the 1985. In that year, I offered this wine from both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine du Courcel and both wines were fantastic. I kind of wish I still had some of those bottles in my cellar! In any case, these days, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle makes one of the finest example of this premier cru that I am aware of and the 2022 version is a stellar young wine. It offers up a beautifully precise bouquet that perfectly captures the inherent elegance of this terroir, wafting from the glass in a mix of red and black cherries, pomegranate, raw cocoa, gamebird, a lovely base of soil, just a hint of fresh thyme, cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, focused and seamlessly structured out of the blocks, with a full-bodied and nicely soil-driven format, a lovely core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long, complex and very promising finish. Simply add some cellaring time and voila, great Grands Épenots for the next fifty years! 2037-2085. 93+.
2022 Pommard “Chanlins” Trés Vieilles Vignes- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
The 2022 Pommard “Chanlins” Trés Vieilles Vignes from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is gorgeous in this vintage. The wine comes in at 13.5 percent octane and offers up a pure and sappy bouquet of red plums, black cherries, a touch of pomegranate, woodsmoke, coffee bean, pigeon, a nice touch of whole cluster spice tones, woodsmoke, fresh thyme, peonies and a deft framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and tightly-knit, with a lovely core of fruit, superb soil transparency, ripe, buried tannins and a long, well balanced and complex finish. This will be great in due course, but it is a proper young Pommard and will demand some hibernation time before it starts to drink with generosity. 2037-2085. 94.
2022 Corton “Bressandes”- Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle’s vines in Corton “Bressandes” are now more than fifty years of age and truly at the peak of their powers. The 2022 version is a stunning young Corton, offering up a refined aromatic constellation of red and black cherries, grilled venison, stony soil tones, a gentle touch of whole clusters, bonfire, Corton spice tones and cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and impeccably balanced, with a great core of fruit, superb soil signature, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long, focused and extremely promising finish. This is a properly structured young Corton and will demand its time alone in a cool corner of the cellar, but it will be a beauty once it is ready to drink. 2039-2090+. 95.