Vinous (98)

The 2016 Sancerre Clos La Néore is almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place. Don't expect a seductive Sancerre, this is dry and steely with an appealing bitterness making for a very grown up white wine. It's starting to show early signs of development in its light almond/lanolin character alongside lemon tea. It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on. If you have any in your cellar, I can make myself available for dinner.

Crafted by esteemed winemaker Edmond Vatan, the Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a fine example of terroir-driven vinification. Produced in the heart of France's Loire valley, it's one of the last remaining single plots of Sancerre, offering unrivalled purity and typicity of the region.

The Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 demonstrates an exquisite balance of ripe fruit, minerality, and palate-gripping acidity. Hand-harvested from vines averaging 50-years-old on Kimmeridgian marl soils, this prestigious Sauvignon Blanc ferments naturally in old wooden foudres to enhance its inherent complexity.

With a limited production, the wine reveals a striking, crystal-clear golden hue alongside an aromatic profile of citrus zest, ripe apple, and flinty undertones. It's exceptionally layered, showing vibrant fruit, precise acid, and a lingering finish. Best consumed after carefully decanting, Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2017 is a sought-after vintage deserving of a place in the cellars of discerning neophytes and seasoned collectors alike.

Vinous (96)

Clarity is a term that accurately describes the 2018 Sancerre Clos La Néore. It has a pure and intense core of fruit. But it's not fruity. It's a sophisticated style with a distinctive aromatic profile - chamomile tea, lemon, honey and almond meal and an almost tonic-like edge. While showing the ripeness of the 2018 season, it retains its shape with a corset of acidity and phenolics that guide the wine on and on.

Vinous (96)

Clarity is a term that accurately describes the 2018 Sancerre Clos La Néore. It has a pure and intense core of fruit. But it's not fruity. It's a sophisticated style with a distinctive aromatic profile - chamomile tea, lemon, honey and almond meal and an almost tonic-like edge. While showing the ripeness of the 2018 season, it retains its shape with a corset of acidity and phenolics that guide the wine on and on.

The Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2019 is a standout representation of premium Sancerre wines. This exquisite bottle hails from the reputable Vatan family winery, known for their meticulous cultivation of the Sauvignon Blanc grape in France's Loire Valley region. Handpicked grapes from 60-year-old vines and traditional vinification in old oak barrels enhance the natural essence of this wine.

Subtle expressions of lime, flint, and green apple define the bouquet of the Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2019, with a minerality that encapsulates the terroir of Sancerre. The wine exhibits an excellent balance between crisp acidity and lucid fruitiness. A remarkable dry finish alludes to the uncultivated nature of the original vineyard, symbolising its authenticity and nobility.

With Vatan's undisputed experitise in winemaking, every sip of Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos La Neore 2019 is an indulgence, conferring individualism, elegance and unparalleled depth of flavour.

Decanter (93)

This wine features a lovely bright raspberry fruit aroma with a bit of menthol and a suggestion of peony. The tannins are substantial, and there is plenty of acidity to draw the wine to a lovely conclusion. The grapes come from 60 – 65 year old vines in the lower part of Grèves where the soils are a bit deeper. The wine shows a true Grèves character in its restraint, elegance, and balance.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-97)

Six barrels, two from Petit Musigni and four from Les 10 Journaux which is in whole bunch vinification. Two new barrels. A deepish crimson purple. The stems give an exciting lift to the wine to escape from the more muscular side. Significantly rich raspberry and cherry fruit with an excellent suavity of texture. Really well done, I am impressed. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted Nov 2024.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-94)

80 year old vines in deeper soil just below Rugiens, with deep roots which make it consistent each year. Avoided the frost. 30% whole bunch, three new barrels out of ten. A fine mid purple with some depth of fruit. The stems have done their job of lifting the bouquet, this is rather delightful, too much fruit to be called floral but there are some roses in the background too. A little firmer on the palate, and a fresh acidity to finish. Promising. Drink from 2027-2034.

James Suckling (94)

Fresh flowers flow out of the glass with honeysuckle and jasmine as well as strawberries and spices. Medium- to full-bodied with lots of fruit and a long, long finish. So many lemons and green apples. 70% chardonnay, 15% pinot noir and 15% pinot meunier. Three years on the lees. Dosage 3 g/L. Drink now.

Wine Advocate (98)

Year after year, Egly’s NV Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Les Crayères remains one of the most compelling and reliable wines from the Montagne de Reims. Sourced from a south-facing lieu-dit in Ambonnay that was planted between 1946 and 1947 on shallow chalk soils with just 30 centimeters of topsoil, it was disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter. This release blends the richer 2017 vintage with the taut, incisive character of 2016. Notably, prior to 2000, Francis Egly produced this cuvée as a single-vintage expression, only later opting for a two-vintage blend to buffer against the variability of any given season. The wine ascends from the glass with a bouquet of remarkable complexity—aromas of acacia, ripe pear, orange zest, toasted nuts and patisserie elements unfurl. Full-bodied, concentrated and layered, with ample chalky structuring extract and mouthwatering acidity, it concludes with a long, saline finish. While I often vacillate between Les Crayères and the Millésime as to which I favor, this year, Les Crayères stands as the most captivating wine in the cellar. It offers immense youthful appeal yet promises to evolve beautifully with age. Readers would be wise not to hesitate—it fully lives up to its reputation, and I’d gladly secure bottles for my own cellar.

Vinous (93)

The 2004 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is precise and delineated in the glass, with plenty of cut and overall verve. Crushed flowers, candied lemon, white flowers, almonds, mint and anise are all finely-knit in this chiseled, crystalline Champagne. A precise, saline finish rounds things out nicely. The mid-weight, linear style is very much in keeping with the personality of the year. Disgorged July 2014.

Vinous (94)

The 2006 Millésime Grand Cru is sourced from old vines in Ambonnay. Vinification and aging in oak shape the wine to a considerable degree, but Ambonnay has the natural breadth and shoulders to handle the oak. Brioche, spice, vanillin, dried orchard fruit and herbs all develop nicely in the glass. The 2006 is rich and resonant to the core, yet also impeccable in its overall balance. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2015.

Vinous (94)

The 2006 Millésime Grand Cru is sourced from old vines in Ambonnay. Vinification and aging in oak shape the wine to a considerable degree, but Ambonnay has the natural breadth and shoulders to handle the oak. Brioche, spice, vanillin, dried orchard fruit and herbs all develop nicely in the glass. The 2006 is rich and resonant to the core, yet also impeccable in its overall balance. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: July 2015.

Wine Spectator (94)

A vinous version, featuring a delicate mousse and mouthwatering acidity, this is reminiscent of aged white Burgundy, with hints of toasted hazelnut, coffee liqueur and straw accenting baked cherry, mineral and crystalized honey flavors. Smoke and saline notes linger on the finish. Disgorged October 2017. Drink now through 2027. 100 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (100)

Francis Egly and I tasted a bottle trial disgorgement of the 2008 Brut Grand Cru Millésime that saw six grams per liter dosage, and the wine surpassed even my high expectations. Wafting from the glass with scents of crisp orchard fruit, Meyer lemon, praline, warm bread and walnuts, it's full-bodied, deep and multi-dimensional, with an immensely layered, concentrated core that cloaks its racy but ripe spine of acidity, abundant but refined structuring dry extract and an incredibly long, precise and sapid finish. It represents the confluence of a great vigneron at the peak of his powers with a historic vintage, and it's unquestionably the finest 2008 Champagne that I've tasted to date. Egly and I agreed that it might be even better with only five grams per liter dosage, but we'll see what he finally decides when he disgorges the wine later this year. What is clear is that the the 2008 Brut Grand Cru Millésime will be worth any and every effort to seek out once it arrives on the market.