Allen Meadows - Score: 96 (2017 Jan.)

A discreet but not invisible touch of wood sets off a more deeply pitched and intensely floral nose that in particular displays notes of violet and lavender along with plum, black cherry, spice and gentle earth scents. There is again excellent volume to the sleek but powerful and concentrated middle weight plus flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality on the moderately austere finish that delivers flat out superb persistence. While this gorgeously classy effort will also require extended keeping to reach its apogee, it contrasts with the grands crus in that it should be approachable after only 6 to 8 years of bottle age.

Vinous - Score: 94+ (2017 Mar.)

Bright red. Knockout nose offers scents of black raspberry, cherry, rose petal, smoky minerality and sexy sweet oak. Tactile, ripe and spicy, with pepper and spice high notes accentuating the wine's sharp definition. Redder its in fruit character than the Clos des Ruchottes, and even finer-grained in the middle palate, but also more tannic on the back end owing to the wine's much higher percentage of new oak (80%). Most impressive today on the extremely long, classy, vibrant aftertaste, which leaves the salivary glands humming.