1 | Wine | White, $50 to $100, 86 or higher

"Combines richness with elegance and finesse, offering intense, focused citrus-laced pear, honeysuckle and melon notes that expand on the lingering, flavorful finish."

"Textbook viognier aromas of nectarine, candied lemon, violet and spices. Lush but energetic, offering sappy pit fruit flavors that are energized by zesty citrus pith and white pepper notes. Finishes silky and quite long, with the nectarine and spice notes repeating."

"Aromas of apple, lime and ginger. A step up in intensity and minerality from the premier crus; quite ripe and pliant but rather unforthcoming. Best today on the subtle, rising whiplash of a finish, which coats the palate with powdered stone. Very long and gripping wine: am I underestimating it today?"-Stephen Tanzer

"A tour de force, with layers of rich, smoky oak, fig, honeydew melon and baked, glazed apple, this weaves together a broad range of flavors, yet for all its size remains elegant and delicate. A roasted marshmallow aftertaste marks the finish."

"Light, green-tinged yellow. Exotic, heady aromas of poached pear, white flowers, iodine and clove, with a smoky mineral topnote. Juicy, sharply focused orchard and citrus fruit flavors are complemented by a touch of sweet butter and pick up anise and spice nuances with air. Finishes sappy, stony and very long, with lingering smokiness and florality."

"Bright, pale green. Subtle, delicate aromas of white peach, mint, crushed stone and chlorophyll. Less complex today than the Preuses but this is still an infant. All about white peach lifted by white pepper. Fine-grained, silky and utterly vibrant wine, delivering outstanding density and fullness without weight. Great slowly mounting finish promises much more to come."
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar - 95 pts

"The 2010 Chablis Les Clos is all about understatement and balance. White floral notes meld into white stone fruit in this utterly gracious Chablis. Clos can at times be fleeting and elusive, and there is certainly some of that in the 2010. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s textural finesse and sheer overall balance. I will not be surprised if the 2010 continues to get better in bottle."

"Tiny berry- and desiccated concentration rather than botrytis characterize even the 2009 Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er Trie. This evinces an as yet unresolved tension between fresh citrus, chalk, and alkali on the one hand, and honey, caramel, and nut paste on the other. For all of its ripeness, there is a sense of textural firmness underlying the palate impression here. Marzipan, singed vanilla cookies, and suggestions of both peach and strawberry preserves enhance the wine’s confectionary aura, and despite its manifestly good strong acidity by vintage standards, the nearly 100 grams of residual sugar present here certainly result in a dominating youthful sweetness in its formidably long finish. If you want this to balance on its own (i.e. not in a dessert wine capacity) then I would be prepared to wait more than a decade, and the wine no doubt has at least three in it. Pinguet says this reminds him of the 1989 1er trie bottlings at the same stage."

"Rich tropical fruit, nectarine, orange blossom, spices and French oak burst from 2010 Chablis Bouguerots. Once again, the Bouguerots comes across as big and broad shouldered, with considerable intensity, richness and depth. This is a decidedly powerful, ripe wine that also shows significant oak influence from the 100% vinification and aging in oak."

"Peach, flowers and hazelnut on classic Puligny nose. Then sweet and fruity in the mouth, with very ripe stone fruit flavors complicated by hints of honey and menthol. The dusty, slightly aggressive finish displays excellent density and an intriguing flinty character. Boasts impressive volume for village wine." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"The 2009 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard impresses for its focus and nuance. Layers of chiseled, beautifully delineated fruit emerge from this sculpted Chardonnay. The Hudson is about subtlety first and foremost. Ripe apricots, freshly cut flowers, pastry, lemon, crushed rocks and French oak inform the pure, creamy finish."