Robert Parker Wine Advocate Notes

Aromas of honeyed pears and white flowers introduce the 2019 Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre, a medium-bodied, fleshy and precise wine that's layered and chalky. It may be a modest appellation, but it's a wine of real interest.

The 2019 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots opens in the glass with notes of orange oil, apricot, pastry cream, white flowers and iodine. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and fine length on the finish, it's a muscular and gourmand wine that will offer a broad drinking window.

Disarmingly frank and at the peak of his winemaking powers, Quebecois Patrick Piuze's négociant operation continues to thrive—as do rumors that it may be augmented by a domaine component in the near future. The 2019 vintage has turned out brilliantly—"it's ripe and concentrated but still tastes like Chablis," Piuze summarizes—and this address has produced some of its best exemplars. Readers will remember the rudiments of Piuze's approach: hand-harvested grapes are pressed firmly in old Vaslin presses, their juice fermented in used barrels and stainless steel, with sur lie élevage of comparatively short duration, because Piuze wishes to capture the maximum of freshness and energy by early bottling. The resulting wines are elegantly textural but incisive, clearly differentiated by site. This is also the best address to explore the Chablis AOC, as Piuze produces a number of cuvées and lieu-dit bottlings designed to highlight the diversity that this large appellation encompasses.

93 Points, William Kelley (Robert Parker Wine Advocate)

The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent wafts from the glass with aromas of citrus zest, green apple, warm bread and iodine. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, it's lively and enveloping, with terrific mid-palate amplitude and a long, saline finish.

Disarmingly frank and at the peak of his winemaking powers, Quebecois Patrick Piuze's négociant operation continues to thrive—as do rumors that it may be augmented by a domaine component in the near future. The 2019 vintage has turned out brilliantly—"it's ripe and concentrated but still tastes like Chablis," Piuze summarizes—and this address has produced some of its best exemplars. Readers will remember the rudiments of Piuze's approach: hand-harvested grapes are pressed firmly in old Vaslin presses, their juice fermented in used barrels and stainless steel, with sur lie élevage of comparatively short duration, because Piuze wishes to capture the maximum of freshness and energy by early bottling. The resulting wines are elegantly textural but incisive, clearly differentiated by site. This is also the best address to explore the Chablis AOC, as Piuze produces a number of cuvées and lieu-dit bottlings designed to highlight the diversity that this large appellation encompasses.

The 35-year-old vines for this Bourgogne Tonnerre come from a single vineyard named "Les Boutots", located in the village of Vaulicheres, just east of the village of Chablis. The soils are typical of the region, featuring Kimmeridgian limestone. 

This wine is incredibly expressive, with layers of exotic citrus and orchard fruits. On the palate, it's refreshing, vibrant and feels effortless.