For the rest of these alphabetically grouped tasting articles, and more general articles on Burgundy 2018, see our guide. This photo of Sylvain Pataille in Marsannay was taken by Jon Wyand.
The wines are grouped alphabetically by producer (sur)name and within those groups are ordered whites before reds, ascending from generic through village, premiers and grands crus. You can change the order as you prefer using the menu below.
Philippe Pacalet (Beaune)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Ladoix
First vintage of this wine – froze in 2016 and had to get the vines back on their feet in 2017. Bottled.
Pure, fragrant and lemony and yet there is an attractive steeliness suggesting a backbone. Tight, mouth-watering, super-pure. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Meursault
Bottled. Gently smoky citrus – very slightly and nicely reductive in a way that adds complexity rather than overwhelming the fruit. Open and inviting and still has tension. The length is particularly notable as is the balance. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet
Bottled. Limey citrus nose with ripe fruit and also a herbal freshness. Unexpectedly ripe-fruited and rich on the palate. Tightly fresh and yet spreads across the palate. Creamy texture. Deep and fresh at the same time. Really persistent. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Puligny-Montrachet
Bottled. Citrus and rock dust with a delicate and attractive smokiness, perhaps a little more noticeable than on the Meursault. A touch sweaty on the palate at this stage and with promise for the future. Lightly creamy in texture. Elegant and long. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Moulin-à-Vent
Aged in older foudres.
Deep cherry red. Intense, sweet cherry fruit on the nose. Rich and really firm on the palate. Meaty in its savoury character. Firm, almost thick tannins. Chewy, deep and while it is generous in fruit it is built for the long term. GV (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Ladoix
100% whole bunch. Bottled. Second vintage only.
Mid cherry red. Wonderfully inviting dark-red fruit, with the perfume of Chambolle and the more savoury side of Gevrey and a light stone-dusty note that is very attractive. Firm, upright tannic structure with lovely open fruit on the mid palate. Refined, youthful and delicious if quite light on the mid palate. GV in the context of Burgundy. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin
100% whole bunch. Bottled.
Mid cherry red. Darker fruited than the Chambolle and a little more savoury, not quite spicy. Firm, chewy but fine-boned tannins. Lots of pure, bright fruit without unwanted sweetness. Very good. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Pommard
100% whole bunch. Not yet racked but about to be and will be bottled in March/April, mostly 2- to 3-year old barrels.
Mid crimson. Lovely open aroma of dark-red fresh fruits. So scented and open for the appellation. Firm and attractively dry-textured on the palate. More tongue-tied on the palate than the nose predicted. Fine Pommard. Shows the 100% whole-bunch a little bit on the finish but in a good, refreshing way. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet 2018 Nuits-St-Georges
100% whole bunch. Not yet racked but about to be and will be bottled in March/April, mostly 2- to 3-year old barrels.
Mid cherry red. First impression for the aroma is riper-fruited than the Ladoix and Gevrey but also showing a slight stemmy herbal note that pulls the wine back into balance. Tight and mouth-watering, pure and juicy but should age well even though it seems so approachable now. Really moreish. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet, Premier Cru 2018 Chambolle-Musigny
100% whole bunch. Bottled.
Mid cherry red. Pretty red-cherry fruit and a nice touch of stone dust. Succulent, pure and lovely freshness. Excellent balance and length. Tannins are fine but definite. Dry and juicy at the same time with a light stemmy freshness on the finish. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet, Grand Cru 2018 Corton-Les Bressandes
100% whole bunch. Not yet racked but about to be and will be bottled in March/April, mostly 2- to 3-year old barrels.
Mid cherry red. Deeply fruited, ripe cherry, and inviting on the nose and gorgeous on the palate: well structured by the tannins and the whole-bunch, tight and fresh and yet the generosity shows. Philippe Pacalet says it is time to rack this wine. Long, nicely dry finish. The fruit sings because the oak is so discreet. (JH)
Philippe Pacalet, Grand Cru 2018 Échezeaux
100% whole bunch. Not yet racked but about to be and will be bottled in March/April, mostly 2- to 3-year old barrels.
Mid to deep crimson. Stunning aroma – so fragrant and scented and still with the depth of dark-red fruit. Delicate herbal freshness of stems is so well integrated. Lively, scented and elegant. Lovely wine and seems so approachable but will surely age well. Long, mouth-watering freshness. (JH)
Domaine Agnès Paquet (Auxy-Duresses)
Dom Agnès Paquet Chardonnay 2018 Bourgogne
Really creamy on the nose, rather spicy too. Deep, chewy and rich, full in the mouth, quite a powerful Bourgogne, the spice giving freshness on the finish. (JH)
Dom Agnès Paquet 2018 Auxey-Duresses
Lemon fruit and something almost nutty on the nose – from the oak, I think. Good depth of fruit here to fill out the heart of the wine. Both creamy and fresh on the finish. Long and the ripeness gives a sweetness on the finish. (JH)
Dom Agnès Paquet Pinot Noir 2018 Bourgogne
Bottled. Lightish cherry red. Gorgeously invited sweet, ripe and fresh red fruits. Smells so pure. Lovely on the palate too, caressing tannins. Softish and not notable fresh but the fruit is so bright it seems lively and the tannins freshen the finish. (JH)
Dom Agnès Paquet 2018 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
Bottled. Mid crimson. Dark-red fruit with an attractive hint of stone dust. Juicy with light, dry tannins. Light-bodied and harmonious, finishing with sour-cherry fresh flavours. Not sure it is worth the premium over the Bourgogne though it is more persistent. (JH)
Dom Agnès Paquet 2018 Auxey-Duresses
Bottled. Riper and darker than the Bourgogne though with air there’s inviting dark-cherry fruit. More oaky, a bit spicy, firm and dry, the tannins providing the freshness. Needs more time than the Bourgogne but less charming. (JH)
Dom Agnès Paquet, Les Combes 2018 Pommard
Mid crimson. Peppery and bright on the nose. Seems to have a gentle stemmy freshness. More obviously stemmy on the palate in the nicely dry tannins. Scented on the mid palate, the dark-red fruit framed by firm, almost chalky tannins. Refined, dry texture. Sinewy and fresh. (JH)
Domaine Pauline Passot (Chiroubles)
Pauline Passot, Grille-Midi 2018 Chiroubles
Bottled. Semi-carbonic maceration – remontage after a few days. Aged in half in tank and half in demi-muids.
The different ageing here compared with Pauline Passot’s Domaine de la Grosse Pierre wines shows in a little more spice/pepper and darker fruit. Much more savoury on the palate, rocky, dry-textured finesse. (JH)
Laurent Pataille (Marsannay)
Laurent Pataille 2018 Bourgogne Aligoté
Marsannay fruit, two parcels close together. Village appellations close to Champ Forey but more marl, which often gives a reductive character, thinks Laurent Pataille. No oak; bottled before 2019 harvest.
Buttery nose but not from the malo because there was almost no malic in 2018. Light in body but with a definite mineral character. Stony, cedary, lean and tense. Mouth-watering with just enough body to balance. A little bit severe and would be great at the table, I think. (JH)
Laurent Pataille, Vin Mille 2018 Marsannay
Planted 2015 in Les Echezots terroir. 20,000 vines per ha. Racked in September 2019 but fermented in barrel. 40% new oak. Warm site gives richness, especially in 2018.
Rich and toasty on the nose. Ripe, creamy citrus. Full and creamy in the mouth but balanced by a light tannic structure. Powerful, broad but fresh. Sweetness of toasty oak though not at all charry. Almost sour in its freshness on the finish. (JH)
Laurent Pataille, Es Chezots 2018 Marsannay
No longer allowed to use Les Echezeaux on the label. Cool sites – two little valleys with cool air and humidity and not much clay and lots of stones, giving floral wines. 60% whole bunch. Racked to tank 2 weeks ago. Just 1 g/hl SO2 at racking. Tank sample.
Sweet nose of crushed strawberries. Juicy sweetness on the palate too. Super-fresh (sample very cold because Laurent was not expecting me to taste his wines). Fine-grained and definite tannins, full of energy and it just wants to engage. Wants your attention. But there’s depth of fruit too and the fruit lasts beyond the tannins. Lovely sweetness on the mid palate. (JH)
Laurent Pataille 2018 Fixin
Vines rented since 2010. Biodynamic practices have given strength to the vines. Not much clay, well drained, and some marl. Court-noué (fanleaf degeneration) means he gets a wall of flowers but terrible coulure, long bunches with lots of millerandage, so very concentrated berries. Concentrated but not tannic. 60–70% whole bunch. Tank sample.
Sweet red-cherry fruit, almost a touch of orange. Lovely fruit sweetness and silky gentle tannins. Gorgeous pure fruit. Juicy, fresh but structured with chalky texture. Long, fresh finish. Harmony between fruit sweetness and bright freshness. Deep in fruit. Delicious. Juicy, sweet and vibrant. (JH)
Domaine Sylvain Pataille (Marsannay-la-Côte)
Sylvain Pataille's wines were presented to Julia this year...