2022 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Corton Blanc Grand Cru, Burgundy

The 2022 Corton Grand Cru comes from the southerly exposed lieu-dit of Les Chaumes and matured in used barrels (just one and a half, to be exact.) This has real presence on the nose: plenty of light honey scents, yellow plum, dried white flowers, and chamomile aromas. The palate is very wellbalanced, with Satsuma and lime on the entry. It is not the most complex Corton, but there is engaging balance and real depth, growing almost playful towards the finish with candied orange peel lingering in the mouth. Give this two or three years in bottle. Drink: 2025 - 2035.

92-94 points Neal Martin for Vinous Nov 2023

Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot is one of Savigny-lès-Beaune's most respected family estates, renowned for wines that express Burgundy's great terroirs with honesty and precision. Produced in tiny quantities, the Corton Blanc Grand Cru is the jewel of the domaine's white wine portfolio, sourced from one of the Côte de Beaune's most prestigious Grand Cru vineyards. It is a wine of remarkable depth, mineral precision and outstanding ageing potential.

The 2022 vintage delivered beautifully concentrated fruit while retaining exceptional freshness and balance. The limestone rich slopes of Corton impart power, tension and remarkable complexity, while careful barrel maturation enhances texture without masking the vineyard's distinctive identity.

Brilliant pale gold in colour, the bouquet is layered with lemon curd, white peach and ripe pear, intertwined with white flowers, toasted hazelnut and flinty minerality. As the wine unfolds, notes of citrus blossom, wet stone and subtle brioche emerge, adding further complexity. The palate is rich yet beautifully focused, combining vibrant citrus and stone fruit with creamy texture, lively acidity and a finely etched mineral backbone. Long, powerful and effortlessly refined, the finish lingers with saline freshness and exceptional persistence.

A magnificent partner for lobster with beurre blanc, turbot, roast chicken with morels, scallops or aged Comté. Produced in very limited quantities, this outstanding Grand Cru will reward patient cellaring and delight lovers of the world's greatest Chardonnay.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2042.