Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot 'Aux Guettes' 1er Cru 2023

"The 2023 aux Guettes is every bit as lovely as the domaine’s les Peuillets this year. The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, offering up scents of red and black cherries, a touch of Savigny’s red currants, raw cocoa, gamebird, a lovely base of dark soil tones, a touch of pain épice, bonfire and spicy oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, precise and elegant, with fine mid-palate depth, lovely soil inflection, fine-grained tannins and a long, poised and impeccably balanced finish. An excellent wine. 2037-2080. (Jan/Feb 2025)"

" (from a large 1.5 ha holding). This is distinctly earth as the soil tones are readily apparent on the similar nose of poached plum and black cherry. The succulent but solidly punchy mineral-driven flavors possess fine volume and excellent length on the noticeably firmer, balanced and built-to-age finale. This is very good but like all competent examples of Guettes, it's going to need at least moderate patience. Drink: 2033+. (Apr 2025)"

"Some still in barrel. Rich purple in colour, with a promising density of velvety fruit on the palate. Good fresh fruit further back on the palate with fine acidity, this finished on a crunchy feel, despite the more than adequate ripeness of the fruit first up. (Dec 2024)"