Both the Wine Spectator magazine and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, concur that 2014 marks the best-ever white wines from Burgundy. Today, I’m taking a break from our regularly-scheduled musings on California’s finest to shed the spotlight on another wine obsession: White Burgundy. My profession allows me the opportunity to sample hundreds of top tier Burgundy annually. The most recent vintages (2011 – 2013) have all offered many stand-out bottlings worthy of 95 – 97 point ratings but the quality has been inconsistent across the region.

While I’ve judged many recent Burgundy that command more than $300 per bottle, I have not personally rated any recent releases higher than 98 points. This trend came to a delightful halt when I visited the hallowed grounds of Burgundy last Summer to sample the 2014 bottlings and the 2015 vintage in barrel. I sampled hundreds of Premier Cru and Grand Cru offerings and judged most of them quite favorable. See below for my list of the Top 5 new arrivals sampled with the CWA team here as well as during my trip to Burgundy last year.

This includes two selections from my #1 favorite boutique vigneron from Chassagne Montrachet: Domaine Morey Coffinet. Good news is as we continue to sample the 2014 white Burgundy the quality level is noticeably superior to the last three vintages across the board. These new arrivals are both exuberant and elegant, featuring a cornucopia of complex flavors balanced to thrill now (decanting recommended) through 2025 – 2030. Savvy Burgundy buyers know to jump aboard swiftly when the best-of-the-best vintages arrive and I highly recommend you join the party for 2014! P.S. my Burgundy importer friends tell me that the 2014 acclaim is disseminating swiftly so prices are soaring and allocations are disappearing. Hence, don’t delay when given the opportunity to add these to your collection.

TOP 5 White Burgundy 2014 New Arrivals (Part 1 – Under $300)

Domaine Morey Coffinet Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2014
$275 | I rated 99 points. Early candidate for ‘wine of vintage (under $500)’

Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2014
$175 | I vote ‘best-ever’ from this iconic producer! “Classic 98” points.

Domaine Morey Coffinet Meursault 1er Perrieres 2014
$125 | A gem from this famous vineyard (Coche Dury sells for $900!)

Domaine Henri Germain Chassagne Montrachet 1er Morgeot 2014
$99 | Exquisite ‘bargain’ from my #1 favorite vineyard under $100

Domaine Boyer-Martenot Meursault En l’Ormeau 2014
$72.99 | A delightful ‘bargain’ with gorgeous fruit