A deft application of wood sets off fresh and surprisingly elegant aromas that include the essence of red cherry, earth and a whiff of newly turned earth. The supple and rounded medium-bodied flavors are not especially dense but I like the vibrancy and texture while the impressively long bitter cherry pit-tinged finish tightens up substantially. Very good quality here as well.

Score: 90-93 Allen Meadow (AM), Bourghound (BH), January 2020

The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru has a clean, delineated bouquet of dark cherry, raspberry and light bergamot aromas, all understated. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins, fine acidity, a slightly creamy texture, moderate depth and a rather conservative finish.

Jean-Nicolas Méo guided me through his 2018s in his cellars in Vosne-Romanée. "We started the harvest on 29 August in Corton for one day, resuming on 1 September and we finished around seven days later," he explained. "It was an uncomplicated harvest that followed a natural order. The yields were good this year and nearly all the wines are under 14% alcohol. I can see them following the 2009s and tightening up after being open in their youth or they could be the 1985 that might seems to fade after a few years but actually reach a plateau where they remain upon for many years." With parcels scattered in such enviable premier and grand crus as theses, you inevitably find some absolute gems and the Cros-Parantoux and Richebourg one-two finish is a fabulous way to finish a tasting. What I really like here was Méo´s outstanding Vosne-Romanée Aux Brûlées and some enticing offerings at entry-level, such as the négociant bottled Ladoix Blanc.

Score: 89-91 Neal Martin (NM), Vinous Media (VM), November 2021

The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers is showing especially well, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet wild berries, plums, sweet soil tones and smoked meats. On the palate, it´s medium to full-bodied, textural and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Like many of Méo´s 2018s, I suspect it will offer a broad drinking window.
The 2018 vintage has turned out brilliantly at Domaine Méo-Camuzet, delivering exquisitely balanced wines that were strikingly expressive, even demonstrative, when I visited in late November. Méo´s wines see quite a long élevage, and they can often be a little structural and introverted in the fall following the vintage, but these 2018s were simply singing. Méo began his harvest on August 29, and like a number of his peers, he observes that his parcels didn´t necessarily ripen in the usual order in 2018, with his holdings in Corton in particular accumulating sugar very rapidly. But careful attention to the date of harvest meant that most wines in the cellar are around 13.5% alcohol this year, with only a couple hitting 14%. Beautifully balanced and structurally refined, the Méo-Camuzet wines will enjoy very long lives this year, and they come warmly recommended.

Score: 92-94 William Kelley (WK), The Wine Advocate (WA), January 2020