2020  

"Taking its name from the vineyard's inclination, Lavallée's 2020 Chablis 45° reveals scents of citrus zest, white flowers, Anjou pear and fresh pastry. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and concentrated, it's elegant and penetrating, with a satiny attack and an electric finish. It's full of promise." - 92pts WA

2020  Chablis

"The 2020 Chablis Les Ardillers confirms the promise it revealed in barrel. Offering up notes of citrus oil, green apple, white flowers and wet stones, framed by a hint of smoky reduction, it's medium to full-bodied, with a satiny attack and a racy spine of acidity, concluding with a saline finish. This chiseled wine is fleshier and more textural than the Chablis 45°." - 91pts WA

2020  Les Copains d'Abord

Les Copains d'Abord ---- The 2020 Saint-Bris Les Copains d'Abord is lovely, exhibiting aromas of gooseberry, pear, orange oil, mint and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and precise, with chalky grip and a penetrating finish, it transcends its cépage." - 90-92pts William Kelley, Wine Advocate ---- One of my most exciting discoveries in Chablis and the Auxerrois was fledgling Domaine Clément Lavallée. Clement's father is the proprietor of a substantial, modern and mechanized domaine in Saint-Bris, but Clément's aspirations were more artisanal. He started his own label in 2019, with just 3.5 hectares supplemented by purchased fruit - a surface that's grown to 5.5 hectares today. Eschewing herbicides, he cultivates the soils with lightweight tractors and keeps chemical treatments to the minimum. Working with a variety of sites and cépages, harvest lasts a full month. In the cellar, whites see a long pressing, with Clément selling in bulk any juice that doesn't please him, and reds see long macerations with a percentage of whole bunches. Élevage takes place in used wood on the lees, and the wines are never pumped. What I tasted on this first visit indicates that Lavallée hit the ground running with his very first vintage. Textural but incisive, pure and penetrating, I was immensely impressed by these young wines - from pungently mineral Chablis, to perfumed and intense reds, to Saint-Bris that's more Auxerrois than it is Sauvignon, everything here comes warmly recommended, and I encourage importers to beat a path to this new domaine's door.

1996  Napa Valley

2020  Pouilly-Fuisse

"The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Tête de Cuvée, a blend of the various soils from 40 parcels mainly around Fuissé is aged 60% in oak and 40% stainless steel, bottled during spring 2022. The less clayey soils and younger vines are those that are aged in stainless steel. It has a well-defined bouquet with touches of grilled walnut and honeysuckle, hints of white chocolate in the background. The palate is well balanced with a hints of dried honey and slate-like notes. Fine acidity, very well balanced with good substance, there is a lovely touch of spice towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Try and keep a few of these in the cellar." - 92pts Vinous ---- "A restrained nose is ripe but cool with its fresh aromas of white peach, apple, tangerine and lemon-lime nuances. There is very good richness to the rich and generous medium-bodied flavors that deliver solid length on the saline-inflected, clean and dry finish. This delicious effort will need to develop better depth but historically this cuvée has done just that if given a chance." - 91pts/Outstanding Burghound

2020  Pouilly-Fuisse 1er Cru

"More subtle though not invisible wood with the same hint of vanilla frames the lemon and floral aromas of essence of green apple. The sleek, intense and overtly mineral-driven flavors terminate in a bitter lemon-inflected finish that is clean dry and sneaky long. This gorgeously textured but seriously powerful effort is more refined and a wine that should amply repay mid-term cellaring. Excellent." - 93pts/Outstanding, Bughound ---- "The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos 1er Cru which comes from the walled vineyard, the only officially-recognised Premier Cru monopole of 2.68ha, the vines east-facing on three soils - clay at the bottom, marl in the middle and limestone at the top. It was picked on 30 August. The nose is quite reticent at first, so leaving the wine in my glass for 10 minutes, it really opens and shows its complexity thanks to the mélange of soils, honeysuckle and dried honey, lime and faint hints of liquorice. The palate is very well balanced with good depth, real weight and presence here, texturally-satisfying with impressive persistence on the finish. Excellent, but wise owls will cellar this for several years before broaching." - 94pts Vinous

2019  Pouilly-Fuisse

"Elegant, cool and pretty aromas speak of discreet but not imperceptible wood, lemon zest, spice and plenty of floral elements. The racy, intense and beautifully well-delineated flavors possess good minerality and detail as well as very good power on the overtly saline-inflected finish. As is often the case, this appears to be the most complete wine in the range in 2019 and definitely one to consider." - 91-94/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

2019  Pouilly-Fuisse

The fruit comes from 20 to 30-year-old vines situated in a variety of terroirs and is aged in 40% oak and 60% stainless. -- "Moderate wood frames the citrusy and smoky aromas of white flowers, pear and more discreet citrus nuances. There is better volume to the energetic and equally rich medium-bodied flavors that culminate in a youthfully austere, bone dry and sneaky long finish. This is very good and is also worth considering." - 91-93/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

2021  Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé ---- 93pts Tim Atkin MW

2019  Monthelie Blanc 'Les Sous Roches'

Monthelie Blanc 'Les Sous Roches' Soil: Oxford white marl. The extremely draining nature of the soil, combined with the repeated climatic incidents that this area has experienced for several years has made the production of this wine long and complicated. Exposition: East. The vines are planted on a very steep slope beneath a rock bank (“Les Sous Roches”). This dominant position offers a magnificent view of the vineyards of Monthélie, Meursault, and the Bresse plain. First Planting: In 2012 from massive selections of Chardonnays and qualitative clones. Plant Density: 11,000 vines/ha Harvest: Very small first harvest in 2017 (10 hl / ha), 6 years after planting. Vinification: Pneumatic pressing of the whole harvest. Natural yeasts. Alcoholic (11 months) and malolactic fermentation in barrels (30% new). Light fining and filtration on pure cellulose plates. Tasting Notes: Pure with little sulfur. Dry, clear, & precise character. Subtle fruit, prominent mineral flavors, and firm acidity.

2018  Pouilly-Fuisse

"Here too generous wood stops just short of fighting with the ripe but fresh nose that is composed by softly exotic notes of white peach, floral and mineral reduction. There is evident power and impressive richness to the full-bodied and palate coating big-bodied flavors that deliver excellent length on the sappy and slightly warm finish. This typically ages very well and should age in 2018." - 90-93/Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound

2014  Pouilly-Fuisse

Les Brules -- "Generous but not dominant wood frames a broad-ranging nose of citrus, pear, white peach, apple and floral scents. The delicious and punchy middle weight flavors possess slightly better depth and length on the balanced finale. As usual this is an extremely rich and generously proportioned effort but one where the bright and moderately firm acidity serve to maintain the balance. As such this should be more than capable of repaying 4 to 6 years of cellar time." - 91pts/Outstanding Burghound