Macon Pierreclos Juliette et Les Vieilles de Chavigne, Domaine Guffens-Heynen 2022

The 2022 Mâcon-Pierreclos Juliette et les Vieilles de Chavigne is one of the high points of the range, unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of pear and waxy citrus framed by notions of iodine and smoky reduction. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's muscular and concentrated, with a racy spine, terrific depth at the core and a long, pure finish. Readers will have fun deciding which rendition of this cuvée is their favorite, but what is certain is that anyone who loves profound white Burgundy will want to own them all. 2025 - 2050

A personal favourite, the Juliette et les Vieilles comprises old vines from Pierreclos and plantings that were young in 2003 and stunted by the heat of the summer - they now produce concentrated berries that are equally high in acidity. Pale lemon in the glass, the nose is tight and lightly flinty on pouring, but quickly starts to show its class as it warms up in the glass. Focused ripe citrus, riper orchard fruits and savoury kernels of fresh nut all come through. The palte is tensile on entry, with high purity and density of fruit. Remarkable acidity matches great concentration, all tightly wound with hints of gun smoke and savoury, creamy tones. The palate builds with time in the glass and is at its most intense at the finish, expanding and building on so much promise. This needs a few years in bottle but there is remarkable potential here.

The 2022 Mâcon-Pierreclos Juliette et les Vieilles de Chavigne is a worthy new entry in the series 2016, 2018 and 2022, though where exactly it will sit among those titans will be easier to assess in bottle than it is in barrel. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of white flowers, citrus zest, Asian pear, peach, nutmeg and bread dough, it's full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with huge levels of concentration, racy acids and a long, saline finish.