Author: Thomas Wilcox

Burgundy is a comparatively small region in size of production, but it covers an enormous range of terroirs. From Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south, Burgundy stretches over 150 miles – from just a few unblended grape varietals, the Burgundians produce an extraordinary range of wine.

Today’s wine will be just about the southernmost Burgundy you’ve ever had. Beaujolais blanc is offered by some but not all winemakers in the region. Dupré-Goujon bought some Chardonnay vines in 2019, and in the last few years has made a beaujolais blanc that is strikingly good. Raised half in tank and half in wood, the Clos des Muriers 2023 has beautiful balance: just a touch of oak, good freshness and an attractive weight.

James Suckling’s reviewer effuses: “Not only is this the first great chardonnay from Beaujolais we’ve encountered, but it is also an incredibly joyful expression of the grape, brimming with stone-fruit, lemon-curd and white-flower aromas. The super-elegant, medium-bodied palate has breathtaking purity and precision. Great energy in the very long, chalky finish.”

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Dupré-Goujon Beaujolais blanc “Clos des Mûriers” 2023
bottle price: $35

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The pricing frenzy that hit Burgundy and Bordeaux in the last decade has largely been absent in the Northern Rhône. We think the wines made here – unblended syrah at the pinnacle of its potential – are suddenly among the best values in our store. We’re delighted to have a healthy selection of Côte Rôties from Bonnefond with a few years in the bottle.

Bonnefond’s style combines dark richness with tremendous tension, achieving balance and subtlety that’s rarely found outside the world of Pinot Noir. Today we’re suggesting his 2019 Côte Rôtie “Collline de Couzou,” a wine that was tasty when it arrived five years ago, but that’s flat out delicious today.

Tasting back in 2022, Vinous’s Josh Raynolds noted the wine’s “sappy red and blue fruit liqueur” with an “Expansive finish, which shows fine definition and velvety, even tannins.” This cuvée matures more quickly than the other two (Rochins and Rozier) and we think it’s just about at peak maturity. Look for notes of cassis, tapenade, violets, and pepper.

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie 2019
bottle price: $59
3-bottle price: $150 (use code SYRAH)

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Sofie Bohrmann is a first generation winemaker from Belgium – hardly a recipe for success in the insular world of Burgundian vignerons where most inherit vines, and people even from the Maconnais (an hour south) are considered out of towners. And yet she’s cracked into the elite world of Côte d’Or winemaking. She’s a real winemaking talent, of course, but we’re betting her charming smile and disarmingly friendly demeanor go a long way.

Her wines are outstanding. Each year they get more refined and more impressive, and her 2023s are full of hidden gems with terrific pricing. Sofie’s domaine is in Meursault, and most of her vines are from the surrounding Côte de Beaune towns. Her style is clear and juicy – the wines are packed with flavor, limited oak, and flat-out delicious textures.

Bohrmann’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or Blanc “Les Belles Goutes” is a core presence in many of our customer’s cellars, priced for regular drinking but showing the fine quality of Chardonnay from the Côte d’Or. The vines are from Meursault, and some of the storied village’s opulence seems to find its way into the glass. With alcohol at 13% in the 2023 vintage, the wine is generous, and its rich lemon curd fruit benefits from just the right amount of oak. It’s an excellent house Bourgogne blanc, and one that matches with everything and nothing.

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Bohrmann Bourgogne Côte d’Or blanc 2023
bottle price: $38

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The Domaine Dupré-Goujon is quietly becoming a leading domaine in the Beaujolais. Winemaker Sebastien Dupré and Guillaume Goujon are crafting outstanding wines that elevate the potential of the gamay grape. We’ve gotten emails from customers with comments like “had no idea Beaujolais could be that good,” and “best Gamay I’ve ever had, by a lot.” Wine writers describe their wines as “hypnotically beautiful” and “astonishing.”

We agree, and often find ourselves reaching for these vibrant organic wines. Part of the Dupré-Goujon recipe is an extended elevage (for their reds) of over two years, first in barrels, and then in tanks. This is nearly unheard-of patience in the Beaujolais, but the results speak for themselves. Their Pavé cuvée is perhaps the best they’ve made. Its interplay of red and black berry fruit, minerals, and earth well justifies the presence of a musical score on its label. The many elements play against each other across a broad, persistent palate.

There is a lacy character to the tannins and a glass of this wine will pair beautifully with many fine dishes. Look for notes of peony, chalk and wild cherries. James Suckling’s reviewer writes: “A hypnotically beautiful Cote-de-Brouilly. Mouth-filling red and black berries are almost perfectly interwoven with concentrated fine tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Expands dramatically in the extremely long finish without losing its delicacy or precision. And even these words don’t quite grasp what makes this wine so great.”

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Dupré-Goujon Côte de Brouilly “Pavé” 2022
bottle price: $39

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Last year we introduced Nicolas Ragot’s terrific Givrys to our portfolio, and they’ve been a real hit. Ragot is a thoughtful winemaker with an innovative streak – he’s constantly refining his techniques, experimenting with amphoras, whole clusters, and even lighter weight bottles. He’s part of an exciting wave of winemakers pushing the limits on what’s possible from once humble appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Ragot’s best wine is his Givry 1er cru Clos Jus, from perhaps the best known vineyard in Givry. The soil here has excellent drainage and unusually high iron oxide content. The resulting wines show a lovely balance of charming aromatics and refined mouthfeels. Ragot’s 2023 Clos Jus is terrific – 85% raised in barrel (40% new) and the rest in amphora, with 25% whole cluster. This recipe makes for a serious red Burgundy, and the wine has the presence and texture of a village-level Gevrey-Chambertin.

The nose is dark and sappy with impressively complex layers of spice, blackberry, cherry and stones. The mouth is rich and dense but with exceptional tension and freshness – it’s a dynamic wine in a way that much sub-$50 red Burgundy is not. Neal Martin of Vinous gave it 91 points, finding a “bouquet of crushed strawberry, cranberry and lightly pressed flower.” In the mouth he noted “fine tannins, well balanced and refined,” concluding “this is another delicious Givry from Nicolas Ragot.”

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Ragot Givry 1er “Clos Jus” 2023
bottle price: $49

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White Burgundy is synonymous with Chardonnay. But in fact one of every ten white vines is Aligoté. This less prestigious varietal generally produces simple, refreshing wines meant for enjoyment rather than contemplation or cellaring. However, with demand for white Burgundy increasing, and warm summers producing riper grapes, growers have been turning out really impressive cuvées from this humble grape.

Today we’re excited to suggest the 2023 Aligoté from Domaine Ravaut. Is it the most profound white Burgundy in our cellar? No. Does it live up to its $25 pricetag? Completely – and more. The Ravaut’s Aligoté is from a particularly well placed plot, just north of the famous Hill of Corton. Winemaker Vincent Ravaut uses malolactic fermentation and a year of aging on lees to add complexity and depth

The 2023 in particular is just lovely. The scorching hot vintage has added a bit of flesh to the refreshing aligoté energy, and the resulting wine is unusually good. Look for soft fruit and a white flower nose, with brisk freshness and notes of lemon pulp and straw in the mouth. It’s a lovely everyday white Burgundy at a very attractive price.

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Ravaut Aligoté 2023
bottle price: $25

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Much of the world’s Merlot is undistinguished. Its default expression is a soft, rounded wine lacking tannin, acidity, and character. “Global” merlot is smooth and easy, but neither distinctive nor particularly interesting. But on Bordeaux’s right bank Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines. The exact combination of limestone and gravel soils produce a version of the grape with balance, definition, and depth.

We’ve long enjoyed the delicious and well-priced St-Emilion from Chateau Montlisse. Made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it’s a rich, velvety blend with a classic combination of dark fruit and spice, but well supported by a solid backbone and lively freshness. We’ve just received the terrific 2019, and it’s as good as ever.

From a magnificent vintage, the 2019 Château Montlisse is everything you want from a sub-$50 Bordeaux: smooth and elegant, with mellow fruit and gorgeous earthy notes, and a solid core of structure and concentration. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets. Neal Martin in Vinous cited “fine grained tannins and well judged acidity,” concluding, “this is a classy offering from Montlisse.” Pour this with a steak salad or this hearty Mushroom Farro.

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Montlisse St-Emilion Grand Cru 2019
bottle price: $42

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Stop us if you’ve heard this before: another year, another flat out delicious wine from Poggerino – and still a bargain. Italian wine represents a tiny corner of our portfolio, but Piero Lanza’s impeccably balanced wines are some of the most popular in our store. They drink well young, age beautifully, and provide exceptional value.

The 2023 growing season in northern Italy was hot and dry just like Burgundy. But Sangiovese, a native of sunny Tuscany, is equipped to handle drought; combine that with well timed late-summer rains, and the 2023 Chiantis are magnificent. Poggerino’s is as good as ever: deep and rich without ever losing its balance. The wine will be part of next Sunday’s February Futures release, but as usual we’re starting the bidding on this one a week early.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls it a “very pretty wine,” finding “dark red cherry, leather, lavender spice and dried herbs…an open-knit, midweight wine that has so much to offer.” He concludes: “pliant and inviting, with tons of nuance, the Chianti Classico is an absolute delight in 2023.” Tasting at the vineyard in October, we also found it delicious – a deep, beautiful wild cherry nose, perfectly ripe fruit and loads of dry extract, but a (welcome) beat less intense than last year. The tannins are silky and lovely, with vibrant freshness amid the gorgeous fruit.

Piero made a bit less of this than usual last year, so we got less than our normal allocation – if it’s a cellar staple at your house like it is at ours, don’t delay.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2023
Ansonia Retail: $348/case
February Futures: $275/case

Email Tom to reserve this wine

AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF-CASE
WINE EXPECTED IN APRIL 2026
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For centuries the Ravaut family has made traditional red and white Burgundies from their small domaine just north of Beaune. Their little-known hamlet of Ladoix sits at the junction between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. It’s one of the corners of Burgundy where winemakers will somewhat sheepishly admit that, aside from frosts and hailstorms (a big aside), climate change has improved their wines in recent years.

Vincent Ravaut and his sons have taken this opportunity and run with it – they’re now certified EU organic, and have softened the extraction in their reds. Their wines used to require extended maceration to draw color and flavor from grapes, but now the crop arrives at harvest with enough concentration to ferment more gently. The resulting wines are smoother, beautifully balanced, and simply delicious young. William Kelly of the Wine Advocate calls them “hearty, characterful wines,” with “plenty to admire.”

The Ravaut humble Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge is gorgeous this year, a useful entry-level wine that provides excellent value. The nose is dark and sappy with notes of plum and wild cherries. The mouth is inky and smooth, and the tannins are perfectly integrated. This will require no patience, and you won’t be able to keep your hands off it anyway. A perfect, easygoing weeknight red Burgundy.

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Ravaut Bourgogne Côte d’Or rouge 2023
bottle price: $35

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It’s a familiar story in Burgundy: a new generation arrives at the family property with ambition, innovation, and renewed energy. It can go wrong – (see: overoaking, overextraction, price hikes) – but more often it goes right. And nowhere has it been more successful than at the Domaine Boursot in Chambolle Musigny.

The Boursot estate has been handed down over 500 years in the tiny town of Chambolle-Musigny. The current winemakers, brothers Romaric and Romuald, have transformed the humble property into an exciting source for well-priced Burgundies. Bill Nanson (Burgundy Report) calls them “delicious, consistently excellent;” Steen Öhman (Winehog) finds them “forward, quite vivid…truly exciting.”

We’ve never offered Boursot’s white before, but this year’s was too good to pass up. From vines in Chambolle near the RN-74, this is beautiful everyday white Burgundy. The oak treatment is extremely light and well integrated, and the wine is mostly a fruit-and-stone play. The nose shows clean lemon fruit with a hint of floral perfume and dry grape skin. The mouth is pretty, fresh, middleweight and pretty. A perfect aperitif white Burgundy.

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Boursot Bourgogne blanc 2023
bottle price: $35

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Stephane Robert of the Domaine du Tunnel is one of the brightest stars in Cornas. He’s humble and quiet in person, but his wines are bold, assertive, and charming. Robert farms an envious collection of old Syrah vines around the tiny appellation, and his wines are well worthy of their hype. Vinous calls Tunnel “among the top producers of Cornas.”

Stephane also produces an excellent cuvée from St-Joseph, a large appellation that stretches from Cornas in the south to Côte Rôtie in the north. This enormous span covers a wide range of terroirs, and makes the character of St-Joseph hard to pin down. Tunnels vines are all in the south, and we think it’s best considered a JV version of his iconic Cornas.

Drawn from 40+ year old vines and clocking in at a cool 13% alcohol, this is vibrant, intense, Syrah with Tunnel’s signature polish and class. There is a pleasant nose of dark fruit supported by exceedingly fine-grained tannins, and also excellent length. Vinous’s reviewer reported that “Vivid red and black cherry, violets and leafy subtleties rise up from the glass….polished and concentrated.”

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Tunnel St-Joseph 2022
bottle price: $59

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The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite recent vintages. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, winemakers managed to craft vibrant and beautifully balanced wines, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. They’re modern in their sunny polish, but traditional in their middleweight, elegant textures. If this is the future of Burgundy, sign us up.

Philippe Cheron’s had some of his 2022 Bourgogne left when we made our purchase from him this year, and we snapped up more of this terrific entry-level wine. This is even better than a year ago, and easily the most impressive Bourgogne rouge we stock. From vines near Gevrey-Chambertin, this wine transcends the genre in a way few other Bourgognes do: humble in appellation, but striking in taste. Cheron used 100% whole clusters, adding definition to the dark fruit.

Don’t think of this like a regional wine – picture an extremely well-priced village level red. The nose is deep and beautiful with intense dark fruit but excellent lift – there’s a stony earthiness behind the plums that’s balanced and enticing. The mouth is clear, long, and nimble, bouncing from wild cherries to anise to black pepper and back to cassis. Burghound praised its “racy, delicious, well detailed flavors.” After a year in the bottle this is flat out delicious.

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Couvent Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2022
bottle price: $45

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We are delighted to identify for you the domaine that produces the wine we have offered under the private label “Forces Telluriques.” It is the Domaine Guillemot-Michel from the hamlet of Quintaine in the Viré-Clessé appellation of the Maconnais — since the 1980’s the project of Pierette and Marc Guillemot-Michel, who have been joined in the last decade by their daughter Sophie and their son-in-law Gautier Roussille. Same tasty wine, just a slightly less funky label.

We’re excited now to quote directly from the extensive critical praise for this domaine: Jasper Morris writes “amazing how such a luxurious style of chardonnay can retain elegance.” Neal Martin (Vinous) writes “these wines are well worth seeking out.” William Kelley (Wine Advocate) writes “these are honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy, and they develop beautifully in the cellar….One of the best producers in the Maconnais.”

But as anyone who has had this wine can tell you – it doesn’t matter what the label says, the contents are extraordinary. The 2023 has just arrived and it’s as good as ever. As winemaker Gautier Roussille put it, 2023 was the rare vintage that delivers both quantity and quality. Despite a stormy summer, the grapes reached optimal maturity while maintaining an excellent level of acidity — a perfect equilibrium that makes for a wine with ripe fruit, minerals and structure at the same time.

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Guillemot-Michel Viré-Clessé Quintaine 2023
bottle price: $45

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Poggerino is often cited as a reference point for Chianti Classico. Vinous writes of their Poggerino’s “remarkable purity and nuance,” and Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.” Their organic vines from Radda-in-Chianti produced exquisitely balanced wines, full of depth and richness but also tension and lift.

Poggerino’s finest wine is their Chianti Classico “Riserva,” a magnificent cvuée we’ve enjoyed both young and with 15+ years in the bottle. Their 2020 Riserva is a masterpiece – bold and rich with power and intensity, but a gorgeous finesse and freshness as well.

Sangiovese in the hands of an inexperienced winemaker can be rough and aggressive. Piero Lanza is masterful in the cellar, extracting just enough for smooth richness, but never too much. Serve this with homemade pizza.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva 2020
bottle price: $45

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Nicolas Paget continues to produce excellent, dry, delicious Chenin Blanc from his organically farmed vineyard in the central Loire Valley. We visited last year, and were reminded of just how lush this region is, deserving of its moniker “Le Jardin de France.” Paget’s wines are similarly lush – round and rich with excellent acidity and beautiful depth.

Our favorite this year was Nicolas’s Chinon Blanc “Passeur du Terroir” from 2022. The warm vintage provided ample ripeness, and this wine is round, luxurious and opulent. Paget raised it in large 500L barrels, and there’s a faint note of spice alongside the yellow pear fruit. A pleasant savory grape-skin minerality joins the lush fruit to give mouthwatering texture almost reminiscent of Chablis.

Fans of rich white Burgundy – think Meursault or Pouilly-Fuissé – will enjoy the depth and friendly mouthfeel here. But Paget achieves richness without sacrificing energy or punchiness – a successful and tasty marriage of both textures. Pair this with wintery dishes – a lobster bisque, a bouillabaisse, a plate of raclette.

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Paget Chinon blanc 2022
bottle price: $35

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