Barrel tasting at the domaine. A fairly recent new wine for Drouhin. Red and black cherry comes across as both bright and dense with charming textures, then a very rich finish also showing plenty of acidity. 89-91 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Very big, nearly fat and rich. Powerful with a very impressive finish. 91-92 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. More black vs red fruit comes across as larger scaled than typical for this wine. Very fleshy and rich, both for better and worse, so not quite a s typically Chambolle as usual. Give this time.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. A big step up from Chambolle AC. Bright red cherry and berry is clearly ripe, but texturally bright and refined. So much fruit supplemented with minerality, silky tannins and savory spice. Very balanced, very elegant. From several small holding across the village (I think Noirots, Hauts Doix, Borniques, Plantes, Combottes) that always combine for a very complex wine and usually a personal favorite from the lineup. 92-93 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Good weight and material, but very reduced right now so impossible to assess.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. A wine Drouhin has only recently started bottling separately. Pure red fruit with both sweet and savory spice. Slightly delicate for the vintage with charm and grace, moderate weight. 89-91 point potential, base don how much weight this puts on.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. I always like this wine, but the 2018 might turn into a knockout. Red and black cherry with so much spice. Starts off powerful with near Grand Cru density, then quickly seems to become more graceful. Very long, finessed finish. 93-94 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Complex array of red and black cherry and berry, clearly ripe but so savory. Both savory and sweet spice gives this an even more complex character. Glorious already with brilliant, minerally textures and weightlessness that almost only comes from great Amoureuses. So long and engaging. 95-97 point potential. Better than Musigny?

Barrel tasting at the domaine. We tasted from two barrels - first from a neutral barrel (like almost all the other cuvees tasted), then from a new barrel. I was not able to create an assemblage of the two.

Neutral barrel tasting started out lighter and brighter than Aaoureuses, but finished bigger and more dense, but also surprisingly more accessible. Already layered with textures and unfolding flavors. More black fruits than red. New barrel was sweeter, more spicy and accentuated the wine's ripeness. Simpler but a charming ingredient. Another great vintage, 95-96 point potential, but I think I prefer the complexity of the Amoureuses this year.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Only tasted from a new barrel, so that mildly distorts my perspective, enhancing the sweetness and ripeness, but hiding nuance and textures. Still, this is so tasty and rich with lots of density. Typically one of my four favorite reds from Drouhin, I think this will live up to that standard.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. More red vs black cherry on nose and palate with spice hints throughout. Texturally so exciting with minerality and energy that is just so bright and vibrant, unlike most 2018s. Good+ weight and length, but this is a textural superstar. 93-95 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Big black fruit, clearly very dense, ripe and powerful. Finishes with a sense of sweetness that I found interesting but a little confusing, then once again interesting. I liked this a lot, thinking it has 92-94 point potential, but others liked it much more today.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Unfair to assess because so much wine was produced, with three (?) different harvest dates and we only tasted the earliest harvest section (oldest vines?). Lots of bright lemon coming through to start, with a clearly fatter middle and finish. This seemed like it would be a fun wine, but less complex than typical for this wine, and somehow less complete. Judgment completely reserved.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. From both parcels. Lemon and green apple with good density and dancing textures I truly enjoyed. Lively and long finish. 90-91 point potential.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Clearly on the ripe and fleshy side of the 2018 vintage, yet with good spice hints. Good weight and length, but I'd think this a 2018 best to enjoy on the younger, fresher side. 88-90 point potential.

Tasting, brief note. From the Aloxe-Corton side. Also showing 2018's rich and fat character. Good density, this is already fun and balanced. Another wine I'd think best to enjoy young, probably 2022-2028.

Barrel tasting at the domaine. Vero went above and beyond the call of duty here, assembling a taste from all four parcels that will compose the final assemblage. Some bâtonnage had been conducted on two of the barrels recently, so the wine was ever-so-slightly yeasty/ cloudy. That aside, this wine showed ripe apple and candied lemon with very exciting structure for this vintage. Excellent power and weight with wonderful balance. Absolutely standout, with 94-95 point potential.