The tariff merry-go-round (or roller coaster?) continues to run, complicating the lives of everyone who loves unique products from elsewhere in the world, be it great Burgundy, real Parmigiano Reggiano, or black truffles. We know it is only a month since we came to you with a batch of advance-order wines at discounted prices, but until July we are in a window of relative certainty, and by sharpening our pencils we have an opportunity to offer our clients another chance to stock up against the resumed vagaries of whim or wisdom, depending on your point of view. These prices reflect tariffs at the current level, and we aim to have the wines arrive before we’re re-liberated (unliberated?) in July. If delays or new tariffs cause our costs to change dramatically we’ll get in touch and offer options. A wine dinner in Brookline last month reminded us of the sheer pleasure to be had from great French wine. Gautier Roussille, who now leads winemaking at the Domaine Guillemot-Michel (aka Forces Telluriques) in Quintaine, led a group of our clients through a vertical tasting of seven vintages dating back to 2010. This is a producer we discovered a quarter-century ago, drawn to the place by English writer Anthony Hanson’s report that the wine “took my breath away.” Since the 1980s, Gautier’s in-laws have lovingly tended fifteen acres of vines that average 60 years of age and include many that have passed the century mark. They turned to organic farming in 1982 and to biodynamics in 1991. Such wine can’t be made anywhere else, and one has only to experience the nuance of a tasting like this one to recognize its uniqueness. May Futures features eight producers – half from Burgundy and half from elsewhere. In Burgundy we cover four sub-subregions: Couvent for Côte de Nuits reds, Thomas Morey for Côte de Beaune whites, Desvignes for Chalonnaise reds, and Giroux for Maconnais whites. Most are from 2023, an outstanding and accessible vintage. Outside Burgundy we head back to our wildly popular Sancerre source, Domaine de la Garenne; Mestre in Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Dumien-Serrette in Cornas, and RH Coutier in Champagne. As always, our goal is to propose wines for every taste and budget, and we hope you’ll find something of interest. If you do, please be sure to submit your orders, in case or half-case lots, by the Order Deadline of Sunday, May 25, 2025. We will place orders for the wine immediately thereafter. JUMP TO PRODUCER
Couvent
Morey
Desvignes
Giroux
Garenne
Mestre
Dumien-Serrette
Coutier
May Futures
Order Deadline: 5/25
Domaine du Couvent
Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy
Philippe Cheron’s Domaine du Couvent is the successor to the Domaine des Varoilles, though Cheron’s family has long held a minority interest in all the Varoilles parcels and he knows them well. Philippe not only brings a gifted winemaking technique developed through decades of experience, he has added superb family parcels to the Domaine’s range. The Bourgogne Côte d’Or is from parcels just below the village of Gevrey-Chambertin and it is very “Gevrey” in character. Its briary structure and density provides a good glimpse of the nature of that famous village’s red wine. Last year the 2022 vintage garnered much enthusiasm from our customers and sold out in Newton very quickly. With a little bit more left at the domaine we are returning to it in this offering (first come, first served). Burghound (Allen Meadows) praised its “racy, delicious and well detailed flavors.” This is as bold and tasty as Bourgogne gets. The village level Gevrey-Chambertin monopole “Meix des Ouches” is excellent in 2023. Burghound awarded it his designation of “particularly outstanding in the appellation,” and Jasper Morris MW praised its “depth of fruit,” finding “rich deep purple, with a generous bouquet of a soft blackberry and red fruit.” We really like its balance and ripeness, and Cheron’s use of whole clusters adds complexity to the palate. This is classic Gevrey-Chambertin: big wine built for the long haul. At the premier cru level, the Gevrey-Chambertin “La Romanée” is a perennial favorite of ours, and we found the 2023 vintage true to form. This vineyard is superbly located — a thin strip of land in the area that is home to Gevrey’s very best premier crus. Its soils are meager and its subsoils close to the surface, which make it perhaps the most elegant premier cru Gevrey to be found. The 2023 is gorgeous: smooth and beautifully balanced, with great finesse. Jasper Morris’s take is like ours: “Serene fruit across the palate, an elegant and indeed intense poised raspberry, fine-grained tannins with excellent length. Stylish, sensual but not sumptuous.” Look for dark violets and spice in the nose, and finely concentrated fruit without an ounce of heaviness. It’s a masterpiece of power and restraint. Among Cheron’s long-held family parcels is a gem in Vosne-Romanée (as Clive Coates put it, “the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth”), a village-level plot called “Les Barreaux.” It is along the highest part of the slope and adjoins Grand Cru Richebourg, Cros Parantoux, and Aux Brûlées below. It shines particularly in hot years, and the 2023 is strikingly good, with just 13% alcohol despite the heat of the vintage. Jasper Morris gave the 2023 five stars and praised its “deep glowing purple, with a pure racy dark cherry fruit.” Overall, he called it “a really fine village Vosne with impeccable length.” Some of you already have the superb 2020 Barreaux (also five Jasper stars) in your cellars. We have learned that there are a few cases left at the domaine from that vintage, so if you would prefer a Barreaux with a few more years under its belt, let us know and we’ll try to get that one for you instead. If there is another village to rival the sheer greatness of the reds from Vosne-Romanée, it is Chambolle-Musigny not far to the north. The wines of Chambolle tend to finesse rather than power, and there is little wine anywhere to rival their elegant balance. Cheron has a wealth of excellent parcels at both the village and premier cru levels. In the 2023 vintage, we were particularly taken with the Chambolle-Musigny Quarante Ouvrées, an assemblage of small plots from around the appellation. (“Ouvrée” is an old-fashioned term measured by the amount of land a worker — an ouvrier — could tend in a day’s work.) Jasper Morris found “lifted cherry and strawberry notes, with a little spicy white pepper,” and praised its energy and long finish. This has the classic silky texture that could only be from Chambolle. We expect it to drink well from the time it arrives, and to stay at a high level for five years or more. If you prefer single-vineyard Chambolle-Musigny to blended parcels, we suggest Chambolle-Musigny Clos de l’Orme from the terrific 2019 vintage. With four more years under its belt, the wine will offer a more complex and nuanced bouquet. Jasper Morris saw it this way: “The 2019 Clos de l’Orme has lifted and lively dark red berry fruit, sweeter in style than the 40 Ouvrées, more briary, dark raspberry, more structure, a little more sombre and maybe a touch of chocolate yet with nicely balanced acidity and tannins. Attractive, balanced and long.” Cheron’s wines add earthy complexity as they age but without losing their fruit – we expect this wine to be singing. Cheron was so taken with the Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru “Les Feusselottes” that he traded a few rows of Grand Cru vines to obtain a parcel. It is indeed special, with more weight and concentration than village-level wines. As Morris described it: “A bright and quite deep purple, with greater density of raspberry, a solid weight of fruit across the palate, with firmer tannins behind.” This is extremely refined this year, with an almost Morey-St-Denis-like detail and lacey elegance – the best vintage of this wine chez Cheron to date. The greater density and intensity calls for more time in the cellar for the wine to reach its peak, but patience will definitely be rewarded with the 2023. For those in search of Grand Cru, the Cheron family has a large parcel in the Clos de Vougeot. Phillipe and his son Paul told us they aim to make an elegant, accessible, friendly Grand Cru with this cuvée – their goal is to “make Clos Vougeot more amiable.” We found the 2023 very smooth and dense, with some grapes destemmed to make the wine facile enough, and some left in whole clusters to assure enough structure and freshness. The result is delicious, a truly cellar-worthy wine that will give great pleasure for many years. Morris projected an ultimate score of 94 to 96. 
COUVENT Bourgogne rouge 2022 : $395 Gevrey-Chambertin “Meix des Ouches” 2023: $995 Vosne-Romanée 2023*: $1,195 Chambolle-Musigny “40 Ouvrées” 2023: $995 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023*: $2,495 NOTE: Wines marked with a * are available by the quarter case
(case prices)
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Romanée” 2023*: $1,295
Vosne-Romanée 2020*: $1,195
Chambolle-Musigny “Clos de l’Orme” 2019: $1,095
Chambolle-Musigny 1er “Fuesselottes” 2023*: $1,395
Thomas Morey
Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy
We have followed the winemaking of Thomas Morey for many years now — more than fifteen since his father Bernard retired and split his properties between his sons. As that long stretch has unfolded, our admiration for his style and the quality of his work has only grown. His wines are always clean and pure, always made with respect for what the vineyard and season offers in each year, and always made to provide pleasure in a wide drinking window. The 2023 vintage — one in which the whites from the Côte de Beaune are particularly good — is a case in point. Across his entire range, from Bourgogne to Bâtard, he has made noteworthy wines that are worth anyone’s attention. We found Jasper Morris MW’s notes on the 2023 Morey white Burgundy particularly insightful, so to help you in picking among them, we will share more of his comments than usual. The Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023 features pure lemony chardonnay fruit, and will drink well from the time it arrives. From Morris: “A light and fine white fruit and plum chardonnay nose, with plenty of fruit concentration in the mouth and a light bitterness at the finish. Should start to be lovely from the summer.” Morey’s village Chassagne-Montrachet comes from nine parcels across the appellation with vines of varying ages, some under 15 years and some very old. The 2023 offers a very refined glass, with a body of medium weight and plenty of complexity and length. From Morris: “[P]leasingly ripe aromatics, white fruit through the middle and an engaging long finish, staying lively all the way through – helped by the good yields from the old vines.” The only thing wrong with this wine is its scarcity. We have been buying the Chassagne premier cru “Embrazees” for more than two decades now, beginning with Bernard Morey before the turn of the millennium. Thomas’s grandfather planted the oldest of the vines in the family parcel during the 1960s, reclaiming a vineyard that had lain fallow since the phylloxera epidemic in the late nineteenth century. Not to say that there are bottles quite that old, but when we visited with a group of clients in 2019, Thomas opened a magnum of the 1985 Embrazées. After more than two decades in the bottle, it was alive with beautiful fruit. As usual, the 2023 offers a fine balance between ripe fruit and freshness. It’s polished and serious with exquisite balance and a long, lithe finish. From Morris: “Mid lemon yellow, just over 13% naturally. An easy yellow fruit, not soft but happily sunny. Good tension once again. Crisp behind, before the weight of fruit returns, the orchard has been picked at a healthy and benign moment.” Another longtime favorite from the Morey family is Morgeot, a premier cru sector near the southern end of Chassagne-Montrachet. The wine from Morgeot is always bigger and rounder than Embrazées, so it’s a good one to consider if your taste falls to that side of the spectrum. Of course this is Thomas Morey, so the wine is worlds away from heavy or buttery. From Morris: “Vibrant lemon and lime. Beautifully scented. White fruit behind, floral, with a fine intensity. Thomas Morey elegance and precision on top of the natural weight of Morgeot, indeed class of upper Morgeot.” Morey’s Chassagne-Montrachet premier cru “Vide Bourse” is a rare gem. It’s a tiny parcel that adjoins the Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet, and its name (old French for “empty purse”) comes from its location at a crossroads frequented by cut-purses and highwaymen in days gone by. Clearly, it borrows some of the intensity and concentration of its famous neighbor. From Morris: “Pale lemon. On the prettier side… Plenty of tension on top of the white fruit, and now the intensity really shows further back on the palate. Wonderful finish to this after a more nervous start.” Puligny-Montrachet develops differently from Chassagne. It usually begins more quietly, a little closed and tight, both in the nose and across the palate. As good Puligny matures it shows beautiful balance and finesse. Morey’s vines are in Truffiere, a premier cru near the top of the slope near La Garenne. These wines typically need a year or more after bottling to show their real character, and the 2023 is likely to tread the same path. It’s chiseled and precise with delicate fruit and mid-acidity. From Morris: “A gorgeous bouquet, fully ripe but with energy, yellow and green fruit once could almost say, ripe limes and mirabelle. 13.3% natural which makes a great balance. This is all very primary but will make a gorgeous bottle, accessible quite early. Fine ripe citrus finish.” Bâtard-Montrachet is part of the Montrachet complex of Grand Crus straddling the line between Chassagne and Puligny. Concentration and intensity is never a problem with this wine, and pouring a bottle a few years out is likely to be an experience you will remember for many years. There’s ripe fruit, good acidity, and aging potential in spades. We were recently treated to a 2019 of this in March that was an early contender for the best wine of any color we’d had this year. This wine is often hard read just after bottling, but this year’s is showy and already remarkable. From Morris: “A mix of discretion and major intensity. Now some peach notes as well, probably good to have gone in early. A fine guardsman-like structure, with a bank of white fruit behind and excellent balancing acidity. A light salinity but the richness of white fruit coursing over the top is more in evidence.” White Burgundy of course is at the heart of the Domaine’s production, but Thomas Morey’s reds are also very worthy of your attention. First, his Santenay premier cru “Grand Clos Rousseau” is from the town that adjoins Chassagne to the south. The slope turns southward there, and the increase in sun makes wine that is more generous and fleshy than the reds of Chassagne. When we tasted the 2023 at the domaine, we found the nose expressive and the fruit dark and ripe. We generally give this wine six months to a year before trying it, and its real character continues to emerge over the course of a few years. Morey’s Beaune premier cru “Grèves” is a horse of a different color. Here the principal virtue is finesse that emerges with time in the bottle and persists on the palate. Particularly in a hot year this is a terrific wine, with Beaune’s stony intensity countering the ripe fruit. Morris aptly called its cherry and raspberry “fine boned” and we agree. This wine seems to get better every year, and we think that the 2023 will evolve the same way. 
MOREY Bourgogne blanc 2023: $450 Chassagne-Montrachet 2023: $895 Puligny-Montrachet 1er “Truffière” 2023*: $1,495 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023: $425 (sold by the bottle) Santenay 1er “Grand Clos Roussot” 2023: $650 NOTE: Wines marked with a * are available by the quarter case
(case prices)
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er “Embrazées” 2023*: $1,095
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er “Morgeot” 2023*: $1,095
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er “Vide Bourse” 2023*: $1,495
Beaune-Grèves 1er cru 2023: $695
Domaine Desvignes
Givry, Burgundy
The wine world has begun to take the Côte Chalonnaise more seriously in the last few decades. The reasons are manifold: demand and supply have pushed red Burgundy prices in the Côte de Nuits higher, and consumers looking for everyday values have landed happily in the Côte Chalonnaise. The wines require neither the patience nor the investment of the famous zip codes further north, and while the terroirs are certainly less impressive than Volnay or Vosne, they provide exceptional value. Another reason is quality – the wines are simply better than they used to be. Warm dry summers have been a boon for Pinot Noir here, and grapes once on the margins of ripeness now arrive at harvest with perfect maturity. The upsurge in quality has also induced a virtuous cycle – better wines command higher prices, which gives winemakers more room to invest in the vineyards and cellars, leading to even better product. In short, it’s an exciting time to be making (and drinking) wine in the Côte Chalonnaise. No one has ridden this wave more deftly than Gautier Desvignes. A humble thirtysomething winemaker with a near limitless attention to detail, Gautier landed at his family’s domaine a decade ago, and has since transformed it into one of the region’s superstars. We find ourselves saying this almost every year, but his 2023s are the best he’s made – ripe and sleek with perfect extraction and maturity, vibrant textures, and elegant, lifting finishes. Gautier called them “digeste” (roughly, “digestible”), which is an excellent characterization. Even with tariffs and rising ex-cellar prices, all six wines come in under $36. Gautier’s 2023 Givry “Champ la Dame” is excellent. The nose shows violets and spruce, with perfectly rounded tannins and a welcoming finish. The tannins are chalky and fine but almost disappear by the end of the palate. Some years this wine finishes a bit rustic for the first month or so; the 2023 will require no patience at all, and will be hard to put down. Serve with chicken from the grill later this summer. Gautier’s three premier crus are terrific as always. The 2023 vintage provided excellent terroir transparency, and the character of each shines through with ease. They’re more distinct than some vintages, but no less delicious. First, Givry 1er Grand Berge, a large premier cru near the south of town. This has a deep floral nose of roses and stones. The mouth is smooth and delicious with fresh strawberry fruit and a smooth dose of sucrocité. The finish is fresh and very clean, without an ounce of heaviness or raspiness – it’s classically Burgundian, a perfect mixture of fruit, stone and earth. At the northern end of town lies the Givry 1er cru “Clos Charlé,” a Givry of a different character. This is finer and more chiseled, with beautiful detail and loads of dark fresh fruit. The tannins are fine grained and seamless, with pretty notes of rose petals and cool berries. It has the weight of a Beaune 1er cru, with a stony freshness amid the perfectly detailed fruit. It drinks best after a few months – the 2022 has been blowing people away recently – and seamlessly matches refined dishes like duck or mushroom risotto. The Givry 1er cru “Clos du Vernoy” is the domaine’s monopole, and it’s beautiful this year. Located just behind the domaine, this is the most serious of Gautier’s cuvées – the most ambitious and probably the most impressive, given time. It is tightly wound with notes of plum, cassis and cool earth: compact and well built, with inky tannins to match the gorgeous fruit. Try this in six months and you’ll be really impressed; try it in 18 months and you might trade in your stock of Gevrey-Chambertin for more of it. Gautier makes two excellent white Burgundies as well. The village level Givry blanc “En Cheneve” is carefree and delicious, with low oak and a vibrant, fresh mouthfeel. It’s more polished than most wine of this level, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Look for notes of white flowers and apple skins. Serve in place of a Bourgogne blanc or a village level Chablis. His Givry 1er cru “Grand Vignes” is more serious and far more impressive – it’s hands down the best vintage of this wine we’ve tried. Gautier raises this entirely in oak, with ⅕ new barrels. The nose is exquisite and detailed, with golden apple fruit and delicate stones. The mouth is floral and long with wonderful length across a bursting and juicy palate that finishes clean and delightful. We’d put this in the same category as a St-Aubin from Thomas Morey or Sophie Bohrmann, and it comes at a serious discount.
Sebastien Giroux
Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy
If the Côte Chalonnaise has become a bastion of red Burgundy value, then the Maconnais is its counterpart in white. At their best the whites of the Maconnais are sunny and fresh, with vibrant acidity woven into ample fleshy fruit. Organic and biodynamic viticulture go a long way towards keeping these wines fresh, and indeed all of our sources here are one or both. Sebastien Giroux is a quiet and careful winemaker making superb wines of understatement and precision. If some Maconnais whites can verge into overripeness in warm years, Sebastien’s are entirely devoid of heaviness. His careful winemaking – low sulfur, minimal oak, extremely long elevage – results in minimalist wines of precision and grace. Think Thomas Morey an hour south. We’ve got four cuvées from Giroux this year, three from Pouilly-Fuissé and one from nearby Pouilly-Loché. The Pouilly-Loché “Au Bucher” is from 2021, a cool vintage that lends itself well to Sebastien’s understated style. This comes from 75 year old vines, and though it’s a less well-known terroir than Pouilly-Fuissé, the old vines and careful oaking mean this well overperforms its appellation. Look for green apples and white flowers, with intensely channeled fruit and a clean stony finish. In Pouilly-Fuissé, we begin with Giroux’s Pouilly-Fuissé “Raidillons” cuvée from 2022. This is always among our favorite bottlings here, and this year it simply shines. The extra ripeness of the vintage is evident, but as always comes with Sebastien’s signature restraint and finesse. The nose is superb, with spice, fruit, and spring flowers all in perfect harmony. The mouth is perfectly integrated with notes of honeysuckle and brioche, and a whisper of oak amid a rich palate. The Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes 2022 is even more impressive. It’s entirely barrel raised, from vines planted mostly in the 1940s. They’re at 250m altitude, so offer intensity from their age but fineness from their elevation. South facing and just next to the premier cru “Vers Cras,” this is a special plot of vines, and so is the wine it produces. The nose is gorgeous and deep, with floral intensity and savory spice. The mouth continues the theme with and adds a dollop of ripe yellow fruit and a burst of acidity. This is a delicious mouthful, and if it said premier cru on the label, nobody would raise an eyebrow. Of course terroir is terroir, and the real deal Premier Cru “Vignes Blanches” from Giroux is even better. Sebastien crafts this magnificent cuvée from a tiny ⅕ hectare plot . The nose is deep and floral with notes of magnolia and gardenia; the mouth is extremely long, with a vigorous attack of rich fleshy fruit and a long, clean, finely channeled finish. We’d put this in a prize fight against lots of far fancier wine from the Côte de Beaune. There’s not much of it, but it’s simply beautiful stuff.
Domaine de la Garenne
Sancerre, Loire Valley
We call the grape “Sauvignon Blanc,” but the French say just “Sauvignon.” Semantic difference aside, there is no disputing that Sancerre is the place where this grape finds its greatest and most celebrated expression. The storybook village, perched since medieval times on a defensible hilltop, has vineyards descending on all sides and climbing out again through small valleys that feature variations of its excellent terroir. Our producer here is the Domaine de la Garenne of the Godon-Reverdys, from a storied Sancerre family that has produced wine in Sancerre for generations. We spent a lovely afternoon with the winemakers in March, sharing a lunch, a tasting, and tour of their vines. They’re certified organic, and in fact use many biodynamic treatments they find useful, as well as a team of sheep to keep grasses down and soil fertilized. Their wines are classic Sancerre, and among the most popular in the store. We have four cuvées to suggest. There are two traditional cuvées from the 2024 vintage, the first of which is now called “Alliance” and is a blend of grapes from many different parcels around the appellation. Alliance ‘24 offers beautiful sauvignon fruit with aromatic overlays of grapefruit and some orchard fruit, perhaps white peach. Alliance is generous for a Sancerre, but in the mouth there’s a spine of freshness that keeps the wine bright enough through the palate. It is classic and delicious. The other traditional cuvée is from the clay-limestone parcel “Bouffants,” a particularly fine slope that runs along a road out of the village toward the hamlet of Chavignol at its northern end. It’s the same slope that is home to the famous “Mont Damnées.” The clay-limestone soil gives “Bouffants” a steely precision that rounds out after a few months in the bottle. The mineral line adds complexity and length, the wine bursts with fruit and tension. Two of the cuvées involve longer elevage than the others, and so become available a year behind the others. The first of these, “Les Villaudes 2023,” is from a parcel that adjoins the house and winery. It is a cousin of sorts to Bouffants, bringing the same clay-limestone character. The difference is in the elevage — Villaudes spends a year in a foudre tronconique (a large oak vat shaped like a truncated cone that delivers micro-oxygenation but not wood flavor). The time in the foudre gives the wine a bit more weight and roundness, and the lees add some notes of spice. The wine is given six months in stainless steel before bottling. There’s plenty of acid amid the softened fruit, and this is dynamic and delicious. The last cuvée made many friends among Ansonia clients under the name “Infidele.” It is now called “Silex” after the many flint nodules that are scattered through its soils. This wine also gets a full year of elevage, which adds volume and gives the wine some richness. Flint adds the signature “gunflint aroma” (imagine the sparks from spinning the wheel of an empty lighter). This mix of complex aromas and roundness makes it the preferred cuvée for many of our customers. The 2023 is terrific, with a dry, stony nose with notes of grapeskin and oyster shell. The mouth is electric and delicious, chiseled and refined with notes of saline and lemon zest. 
Christophe Mestre
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône
Together with his son Remi, Christophe Mestre continues to make delicious, old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape year in and year out. We have trouble keeping this wine in stock – it hits the perfect sweet spot for value, accessibility, food matching ability and crowd-pleasing popularity. At (somehow) still sub-$30/bot via Futures, it has to be among the best value wines we import. Lots of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is built for the long haul, and somewhat inaccessible young – not Mestre’s. It’s middleweight and delicious with gorgeous young fruit and friendly tannins. It ages for 5-8 years with ease, but drinks well from the moment it is in the bottle. The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is terrific – 50% grenache, 25% mourvèdre, 20% syrah, and 5% cinsault. The nose is focused and beautiful, with lovely deep sappy fruit bursting from the glass. Grenache makes up only half this wine, but it’s the star of the show this year – luxurious red fruit of wild cherries, raspberries and hints of provencal thyme combine to make an explosive and seductive palate. At 14.5% this is of average warmth for the region these days, and Christophe’s careful vinification means the alcohol is well hidden behind the fresh fruit, tannin and delicate acidity. Given its exceptional pricing and perfect balance, we’ve decided to offer the 2023 large formats as well – magnums (1.5L) and jeroboams (3L). Big bottles are lots of fun, and slow aging (lower air-to-wine ratio) meaning these will be big hits at special occasions over the next decade. (Note that Jeroboams are only available for pickup either in MA or PA.)
Domaine Dumien-Serrette
Cornas, Northern Rhône
Everything in Cornas is small, but the Domaine Dumien-Serrette is tiny. Today fifth generation winemaker Nicolas Serrette farms just 1.8 hectares (4 acres) of his family’s ancient vines. Simon Field MW of Berry Brothers writes of the Dumien-Serrette wines’ “granitic splendor” and “beguiling floral elegance which sets them apart.” Their old vines produce intense, concentrated Syrah, with extraordinary depth but remarkable freshness. Their primary cuvée is called “Patou,” made from 80+ year old syrah vines – and that’s their “young vine” bottling. The 2023 is terrific, and follows a similar pattern to the 2023 red Burgundies: it bears a strong resemblance to the 2022s, but with more lift and energy. Once upon a time a tasting of young Cornas would be considered work, and you might have to brush your teeth afterwards – but not today. The 2023, in bottle just a few months, is so well balanced it was in fact hard to spit out during our tasting. Vinous’s reviewer found it “gorgeous” with “floral nuance” and “spot-on balance.” It’s sleek, dense, silky Syrah with a gorgeous sweet dark fruited nose and a refined, detailed palate. Serrette used 100% whole clusters this year, and the delicate tannin behind the perfectly ripe fruit is magnificent. In short, fans of this wine will rejoice; those unfamiliar will immediately become converts. Serrette’s top cuvée is “Henri,” drawn from vines planted in 1913, and named for his grandfather, who was born that year. This is made with all whole clusters, and limited to about 50 cases a vintage. It’s got everything the Patou has, but with more depth and more length, and a bit more sweetness of fruit. There’s also more oak, so this will require time in the cellar to melt together – but should handsomely reward patience. We put it in the same class as premier crus from top Burgundy producers, or Left Bank Bordeaux from a top chateau. Don’t let the sub-$70 price fool you.
RH Coutier
Ambonnay, Champagne
RH Coutier’s delicious grower Champagnes have become a hit since we introduced them a year ago – they’re user friendly and extremely well priced. The Coutiers are an old family in Ambonnay (there since 1619), and today produce small-batch Champagnes exclusively from their own organic Grand Cru vineyards. Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls the Coutier wines “gorgeous…all showing the natural richness of Ambonnay,” and writing they “have been favorites of mine for years, because of their quality, personality, and exceedingly fair prices.” Ambonnay, one of the most famous towns in Champagne’s Montagne-de-Reims region, is known as Pinot Noir country – extra clay and warm southern exposure lend themselves well to the red grape. But while Pinot plays a starring role in their blends, the Coutiers have also grown Chardonnay for over 70 years to great success. First, their base Cuvée Tradition – 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay. This is exquisite grower Champagne at a remarkable price. It’s super expressive, exploding from the glass with notes of spring flowers, pear, raspberries, herbs and brioche. At 6g dosage it’s dry but full of fruit, and the texture is at once lush and crisp. This is accessible, downright tasty Champagne – full of character, flavor, and life. At under $42/bot it is priced to enjoy on a weeknight in place of your usual St-Aubin (or, these days, Bourgogne blanc). We’re also offering this in magnums and jeroboams this year – as with Mestre, Jeros are available for pickup only. Last year we imported Coutier’s 2015 vintage champagne, and we were delighted to find it still on the price list. At 3g of dosage it’s technically extra brut, but hardly lacking in depth or texture. A blend of 75/25 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, the wine has spent eight years on the lees, gaining astounding complexity and depth. Galloni found it “bright and sculpted” with “energy and cut,” remarking that “citrus peel, mint white pepper and crushed rocks all race across the palate.” The nose is exquisite and fresh, with layers of papery dry fruit. We loved this wine upon opening, and even more an hour later at the bottom of the bottle. Serve this with something fine and subtle – a soufflé, a fish in beurre blanc, or a quiet Sunday afternoon. Sophistication personified.
_____________________________ We expect these wines in July 2025 If you have any trouble submitting the new order form, you can always email us your order. Or give us a call with questions: 617-249-3657, or tom@ansoniawines.com The deadline to place orders for this issue is: SUNDAY, MAY 25. Questions? Need advice? Call us: (617) 249-3657. OPTIONS FOR GETTING YOUR ORDERS Pick-up near Philadelphia. We’re pleased to restart our PA pickup option. Wines ordered for PA pickup will be available in May/June, depending on temperatures. Email us for more details. Shipping elsewhere. In most states we can arrange for shipping at an additional cost that varies by location ($3.50 per bottle to the addresses west of Chicago; $2.50 per bottle east of Chicago). If shipping interests you, let us know the state and we will figure out if it can be done.
Pick-up in Massachusetts. We store our inventory at our new warehouse in Newton: 12 Hawthorn St, Newton MA 02458. Futures customers can pick up their orders here during Saturday open hours, or by appointment.