2020 Louis Latour Les Champs Pouilly-Vinzelles Burgundy 750 ml

“The 2020 white Burgundies clearly number among the very best produced in the last two decades.”

Wine Advocate’s Burgundy expert, William Kelley—a man who lives in Beaune and knows more about the region than just about anyone—was clear: You ought to be going as deep as you can with the vintage.

The place we’d start is Louis Latour’s Les Champs, from the hidden gem of Pouilly-Vinzelles in the Mâconnais. (Don’t confuse this wine with the more common “En Paradis” bottling.) It’s always among our most beloved bottles of white Burgundy—the last vintage we offered merited a 4.3-star member-rating, placing it above Premier and Grand Crus from storied producers—because it offers exceptional class at a price that’s rare for a wine of its quality.

Decanter’s Charles Curtis MW said, “The unique conditions…of 2020 mean it is an exceptional Burgundy vintage,” and rated it a stellar 4.5 out of five stars. A beautiful spring kicked things off early, with perfect weather for flowering and healthy vines bolting into the summer. By the time July cranked up the heat, growers around the region were bracing for an exceptionally early harvest—but then a series of August showers helped refresh the vines and extend the grapes’ hang time. In the end, winemakers had the rare luxury of picking at perfect ripeness. 

Leave it to Louis Latour winemaker Jean-Charles Thomas to nail it. The same care he gave to the house’s Grand Cru holdings in Corton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet is on full display here: a beautifully balanced Chardonnay that mirrors many pricier bottles in every way.