LE MOINE RED 2024 BY BURGHOUND

Mounir and Rotem Saouma established their two-person micro-négoce in 1999 that focuses almost exclusively on the very best 1ers and grand crus in both red and white. With respect to 2024, Mounir dramatically told me that “it is a vintage of fear, where everything was magnified in intensity as just so many things went wrong. Yet in the end, despite all of the difficulties, which were considerable, the wines are wonderful. They are classic in every respect and ironically, if we were to somehow magically go back in time and put this vintage say in the 1970s, people back then would have thought that it was a great year. I personally love this vintage as it has everything that I look for in good red Burgundy and, remarkably enough, it’s even better in white.” I have to agree with Saouma that he has made some very fine to excellent 2024s and a number of them are indeed recommended.

2024 Givry “1er”: A fresh, bright and earthy nose is composed of notes of mostly red berries and soft spice wisps. I very much like the texture of the lighter weight flavors that possess good punch that carries over to the bitter pit fruit-inflected finale. This is already showing very well and is a wine that should both drink well early and repay mid-term keeping. (89-91)/2030+

2024 Beaune “Bressandes”: Subtle but not invisible wood sets off a somber mix of red and dark fruit, plum and more evident earth influence. The caressing, delicious and vibrant middle weight flavors possess a relatively sleek mouthfeel before terminating in a firm, dusty, lightly austere and sneaky long finish that is just a bit firmer. (89-91)/2031+

2024 Morgon: A distinctly peppery nose of dark gamay fruit leads to the delicious and notably energetic flavors that possess a succulent and rounded mouthfeel, all wrapped in a rustic, powerful and solidly complex finale that is built-to-age. (88-91)/2030+

2024 Volnay “Santenots”: Pungent aromas of reduction and wood dominate the nose today. More interesting are the rich and solidly voluminous flavors that possess better mid-palate density while exhibiting good power on the serious, compact and lingering finale. More depth would be helpful but that should just be a question of sufficient cellaring. (90-92)/2032+

2024 Volnay “Les Caillerets”: The lightly oaked nose is also reduced but with that curious type of reduction the Burgundians call bourgeon de cassis, or cassis blossom. Otherwise, the mouthfeel of the middle weight flavors is both sleeker and more minerality, if less concentrated and powerful, while delivering fine length on the bitter pit fruit-inflected finale. (89-92)/2031+

2024 Pommard “La Chanière”: An elegant and very pretty, even perfumed, nose freely offers up its aromas of the essence of red cherry, spice and a hint of herbal tea. The succulent, caressing and highly seductive medium weight flavors also flash evident minerality that adds a sense of lift to the lightly austere, long and firm finale. One to consider. (90-93)/2032+

2024 Pommard “Rugiens”: (from both Hauts and Bas). This is also attractively elegant with its aromas of cool red currant, anise, earth and a broader range of spice wisps. There is both fine volume and punch to the fleshy yet powerful flavors that also exude apparent minerality on the balanced, built-to-age and youthfully austere finale. This too is worth considering. (91-93)/2034+

2024 Pommard “Les Grands Epenots”: Moderate wood frames aromas of plum, cherry, violet and a more pronounced earthiness. The lacy and refined, though not especially dense, flavors deliver fine length on the firm but not particularly austere finale. This needs to develop better depth so a few years of keeping are suggested. (90-92)/2032+

2024 Corton-Perrières: Moderate reduction masks everything but hints of earth and oak. The succulent, round and fleshy flavors are not particularly dense though they do offer both solid volume and focused power that seems to build on the firm, youthfully austere and overtly stony finale. Here too patience is your friend. (90-92)/2034+

2024 Nuits St. Georges “Les Vaucrains”: An airy blend of both sides of the fruit spectrum is laced with hints of earth, spice and a whiff of the sauvage. There is both an attractive sense of vibrancy and delineation to the acceptably dense flavors that still manage to display very good power on the stony, compact, moderately austere and built-to-age finale. Like any competent example of Vaucrains, this will need at least a decade of cellaring to arrive at its peak. Lovely. (91-93)/2034+

2024 Nuits St. Georges “Les St. Georges”: Much like the Volnay “Caillerets”, the lightly oaked nose is also reduced but with that curious type of reduction the Burgundians call bourgeon de cassis, or cassis blossom. Otherwise, there is excellent mid-palate density in the context of the vintage to the solidly powerful medium weight flavors that flash equally good minerality on the austere, firm and built-to-age finale. This isn’t quite as refined as the Vaucrains but it doesn’t lack for muscle. (90-93)/2034+

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin “Combe Aux Moines”: Moderate wood stops short of masking the distinctly cool and airy aromas of red berry fruit, the sauvage and an interesting hint of leather character. The velvety and rich, indeed almost opulent flavors, which is unusual for the 2024 vintage, flash evident minerality on the youthfully austere finish that tightens up noticeably. Fine development potential here in a CAM that is slightly less austere than usual. (91-93)/2034+

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin “Lavaut St. Jacques”: An attractively floral-suffused nose reflects plenty of sauvage character along with newly turned earth, forest floor and wild dark berries. There is fine volume, power, muscle and minerality to the broad-shouldered flavors that possess a moderately refined texture before concluding in a markedly firm and built-to-age finale. Excellent and well-worth considering. (91-94)/2034+

2024 Gevrey-Chambertin “Cazetiers”: Pretty and notably spicier aromas of kirsch, plum and cool black cherries are again trimmed in just enough wood to notice. Exuberantly energetic middle weight flavors exude an almost palpable minerality on the firm, precise and balanced finish. This mildly austere effort isn’t super-dense but I very much like the delivery though I would add that it does need to develop better depth. (90-92)/2032+

2024 Chambolle-Musigny “Les Sentiers”: Once again a discreet dollop of wood sets off the elegant and super-fresh nose that freely reveals its aromas of the essence of various red berries, soft spice, earth and a floral top note. The wonderfully refined and polished yet decidedly tension-filled flavors exude evident minerality on the focused, long and moderately austere finale. This is compact and very tightly wound at present but it offers excellent development potential. One to consider. (91-94)/2034+

2024 Chambolle-Musigny “Haut Doix”: A hint of herbal tea lurks in the background of the agreeably fresh aromas of various red berries that are liberally laced with spice and violet nuances. There is again fine underlying tension to the nicely detailed medium weight flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere, moderately stony and bitter pit fruit-inflected finale. Somewhat counterintuitively, I like the depth but the overall impression is less refined than that of the Sentiers. (90-93)/2032+

2024 Chambolle-Musigny “Les Amoureuses”: This is also cool, restrained and airy with perhaps the most floral-inflected nose is the range along with its aromas of the perfumed essence of red cherry, currant and spiced Asian-style tea. There is terrific punch to the sophisticated middle weight flavors that deliver outstanding length on the chiseled, youthfully austere and very firm finale. This is very classy juice and the mouthfeel is like rolling rocks around your palate. (92-94)/2034+

2024 Vosne-Romanée “Les Suchots”: There is just a bit more ripeness to the spicier aromas of plum, dark currant and discreet jasmine tea wisps. The bigger-bodied and richer medium weight flavors display focused power that continues onto the beautifully detailed and more discreetly mineral-driven finish that is firm, serious and powerful. This is a wine of contrasts as the mid-palate is generous, even succulent, while the finish is compact and robust. Patience strongly recommended. (91-94)/2034+

2024 Vosne-Romanée “Aux Brûlées”: Generous wood fights a bit with the perfumed and wonderfully spicy nose that displays more deeply pitched aromas of lilac, plum, violet and a similar hint of jasmine tea. There is excellent volume to the muscular and powerful medium-bodied flavors that deliver excellent length on the velvety, sappy, complex and impeccably well-balanced finish. This is very Brûlées in character and very much built-to-age. (91-94)/2034+

2024 Vosne-Romanée “Au Dessus de Malconsorts”: Once again there is ample floral influence on the spicy blend of mostly red and dark berries with a similar hint of Asian tea. The super-sleek, intense and detailed middle weight flavors possess a mouthfeel that is akin to that of the Amoureuses with its borderline aggressive minerality, all wrapped in a youthfully austere finale that displays impressive length. This does need more depth but patience and a cool cellar should address that. (90-93)/2034+

2024 Clos de la Roche: Firm reduction overshadows the fruit today. Otherwise, the super-sleek, intense and powerful larger-bodied flavors possess evident minerality while channeling the power on the impressively long, balanced and decidedly compact youthfully austere finale. This is potentially outstanding but it’s definitely a wine to buy and forget you own it. (92-94)2036+

2024 Clos St. Denis: (from 90+ year old vines). Discreet wood lurks in the background of the spicy and elegant aromas of mostly red berry, violet and soft earth wisps. The finer, if noticeably less powerful, flavors possess a more sophisticated texture that is succulent, even caressing, while delivering excellent length on the balanced finish where a touch of wood resurfaces. This is really quite classy and worth considering. (92-94)/2034+

2024 Mazis-Chambertin: (from both Mazis-Haut and Bas). All but invisible wood easily allows the more sauvage-inflected aromas of wild currant, newly turned earth and a suggestion of forest floor to shine. The rich, sappy and palate coating flavors display excellent power that really seems to build on the balanced, youthfully austere and very firmly structured finale. This is, in a word, impressive. (92-95)/2036+

2024 Chambertin: An exceptionally pretty, if much more restrained, nose reluctantly reveals its aromas of the perfumed essence of plum, dark currant and cool spice whiffs. The super-sleek, refined and intense flavors are not especially big, indeed both the Mazis and the Clos de la Roche possess more size and weight, yet they deliver seriously good power and an borderline aggressive minerality on the compact, youthfully austere and beautifully persistent finale. Excellent potential. (92-95)/2036+

2024 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: The expressive, ultra-fresh and strikingly layered nose of exotic tea and dark berries is even spicier. The refined, rich and discreetly mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that possess a Zen-like poise on the complex and equally persistent finish. This is a seriously lovely wine and while it’s not especially imposing or powerful, it does have that hard-to-define element of class and grace. In sum, this is terrific and a Bèze of understatement. (93-95)/2036+

2024 Clos de Vougeot: A brooding but equally fresh nose reluctantly offers up is cool aromas of essence of red currant, forest floor and humus-inflected earth. The sleek, intense and beautifully detailed medium-bodied flavors display good richness and focused power on the overtly austere, firm and complex finish. This is also quite compact, which is just as well as it does need to develop better depth so at least moderate patience should be helpful. (91-93)/2036+

2024 Echézeaux: (from En Orveaux). A distinctly spicy and attractively floral-suffused nose displays an array of anise, clove, herb and sandalwood-tinged red and dark raspberry scents. The delicious, round and quite generously proportioned flavors possess an almost easy-going mouthfeel that contrasts with youthfully austere and almost robust finale. This also could use better depth so at least mid-term keeping is recommended. (90-93)/2034+

2024 Bonnes Mares: (from both Chambolle and Morey). A pungent nose is composed of wood toast and reduction. More interesting are the seductively textured yet impressively powerful flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the firm tannic spine shaping the compact, robust and serious finale that delivers first-rate length. Like the Clos de la Roche, this is a wine to buy and forget you own it for at least a decade. (93-95)/2036+

2024 Musigny: (for the first time in 15 years, the Musigny will be sold retail and all proceeds given to charities fighting cancer). Here the restrained nose is cool but ripe with its beautifully fresh aromas of rose petal, spiced tea and a broad array of mostly red berry scents. The very rich, full-bodied and velvet-textured larger-bodied flavors exude both evident minerality and excellent power before concluding in a compact, youthfully austere and strikingly long finish that just goes on and on. Like several wines in the range, this is very much built for the long-term and if you’re lucky enough to obtain a bottle, it would be a shame to open it before at least 10 years have passed. Classy juice. (93-95)/2036+