Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2017 Pouilly-Fuissé Clos des Quarts opens in the glass with a promising bouquet of delicately buttered orchard fruit, honeycomb and blanched almonds that's discretely framed by a deft touch of new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular, with a tight-knit, concentrated profile and tangy acidity that's not entirely integrated into the wine's structural profile at the time of writing. The raw materials are promising, but a little patience will be required.  (WK)

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Bouchères reveals notes of citrus zest, peach, white flowers and almond paste on the nose, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny palate that's more tensile and incisive than last year's rendition, concluding with a saline finish. (WK)

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes confirms its brilliant showing from barrel, offering up a lovely bouquet of fresh pear, mandarin, buttered apples, white flowers and fresh pastry, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional palate that's muscular, structured and concentrated, with fine cut and a long, chalky finish. As is quite often the case, I have a preference for this Charmes over Lafon's Perrières this year, though it will be interesting to put that contention to the test a decade from now. (WK)

Offering up aromas of buttered apples, pear, praline and beeswax, the 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d'Or is medium to full-bodied, broad-shouldered and reserved, with impressive power and chalky extract, balanced by succulent acids. It's one of the more backward wines in the Lafon cellar this year. (WK)

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, ripe lemons, wheat toast, hazelnut and white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and succulent, with lovely purity and balance, a deep, tensile core and a reserved profile that will demand some bottle age.

The 2017 Meursault Clos de la Barre has turned out very well, opening in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of citrus oil, clear honey, green orchard fruit and almond paste that's actually less forthcoming than the Perrières at this very early stage. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and satiny, with tangy acids, good concentration and a lively, saline finish. While this will be approachable young, expect real complexity to emerge with a decade's bottle age. (WK)

The 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu confirms its strong showing from barrel, soaring from the glass with scents of ripe cherries, red berries, rose petals, orange rind and a deft touch of toasty new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with melting tannins, succulent acids and a charming, supple profile that makes it hard to resist. (WK)

All of Christophe’s 2006 were stunners, and the 2006 Syrah Bionic Frog excels for its massive core of fruit, smoked herbs, chocolate, licorice and meaty aromatics. Brooding, backward, meaty and a little bloody, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and big structure, yet always stays balanced, pure and layered. It’s a joy to drink today, but will cruise for another 10-15 years. (JD)

This wine was first made in 1983, and back then, no malolactic fermentation occurred. Jump forward in time to the 2017 Langhe Gaia & Rey, and this is another vintage in which malo did not start. (Partial malolactic returns in 2018). Since those first years of production, the oak usage has also been tweaked, now with less barrique in favor of more botte grande. Thanks to these changes, the aromatic profile of this wine veers toward citrus and rich tropical fruit, especially in a warm vintage such as this.

The 2004 d’Yquem is initially a little disjointed on the nose. It does meld together with aeration, but it never attains the complexity or nuance of a top-flight Yquem. Hints of white chocolate and clear honey emerge with time however; it needs to demonstrate more hubris and ambition. The palate is nicely balanced with a fine line of acidity with a noticeable citric edge. Perhaps this Yquem is amidst a broody spell, for here the likes of de Fargues and Suduiraut appear to offer more spark and more pizzazz. It would not surprise me if this has more to offer in several years’ time.