96pts Decanter

The 2022 Baby Jesus is a wine of gorgeous intensity, with alluringly ripe aromas of blackberry and plum with notes of peony and spice. The forward fruits continue on the palate as intensely sweet and silky, with a density and grip that are only apparent with time. The grapes are from nearly four hectares of vines, although only the oldest vines and most concentrated fruit are used for this bottling, with some declassified into Beaune du Château. This wine will open in five to seven years and should easily drink for 30 more after the harvest.

96pts James Suckling

Often consumers expect a great Burgundy to be a dramatic and showy wine. This is an ideal example of how Burgundian greatness often expresses itself more gently. The harmony of red-fruit character with superfine tannins, plus excellent concentration and really silky tannins on the medium-bodied palate marks this out as a truly exceptional wine for the appellation. Delicious though it is now, try to give it some time in the glass to reveal its delicately spicy mystery. From a 3.9 hectare parcel in the middle of the slope of the 1er Cru Greves, where there's never any hydric stress. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

95pts Jasper Morris

More crimson than purple, with notably more presence than the other Beaunes. A range of fruits finishing with some black cherry after the dark red berries, a heightened intensity of fruit, with an excellent balance between tannin and acidity, and notable length. Not racked but has retained purity.

94pts Wine Advocate

The 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, spices, violets and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a fleshy attack that segues into a refined, mineral palate and a saline finish, it's a benchmark for the appellation. The 2022 vintage is another tour de force for Bouchard, as the accompanying tasting notes reflect. Technical director Frédéric Weber reported little in the way of hydric stress, with rapid ripening at the end of the season that saw some parcels accumulate 1.5% potential alcohol in as little as three days. Fortunately, the team hadn't performed any deleafing and were able to apply protective kaolin clay as sunblock for the leaves and fruit to ride out the heat wave. Harvest began on August 26, with anything picked after 11 a.m. left overnight in a cold room for processing the following day, and the harvesters stopping work at 2 p.m.