Author: Thomas Wilcox

Arnaud Baillot is a bit of an anomaly in Burgundy – he has no family connection to wine or the region, and has only been making wine for six years. His wife Laure is of a storied Burgundian family (Hudelot-Noëllat), but they have short winemaking experience and few critical reviews. Having tasted several vintages now, however, we’re more certain of our initial impressions: Baillot is a talented, thoughtful winemaker with excellent instincts and impressive resources.

His style is understated and elegant; low oak, plenty of stems, impeccable balance and detail. Over the weekend we opened this 2022 Volnay 1er “Mitans” at the Depot during Tomatofest, and it stopped people in their tracks. Writing about the 2023 Mitans (see November Futures this year), Neal Martin in Vinous writes “this is not a million miles away from d’Angerville in style, so yeah, it’s that good.” New though he is, we’re pretty bullish on Baillot.

Volnay’s high limestone content delivers wines of finesse and grace, and perfectly fits Baillot’s style. The 2022 Mitans is compact and full of finely channel fruit, with beautiful spice elements in the nose (cinnamon, clove) alongside violets and cassis. As with all of Baillot’s wines, the oak is minimal and perfectly integrated. This will age beautifully, but was a real treat after a few hours open on Saturday.

____________________________

Baillot Volnay 1er “Mitans” 2022
bottle price: $135

Add to Cart

 

We thought it might not be possible for Cyril Gautheron to follow his extraordinary 2022s with anything similar – but his 2023s are every bit as good, and in some cases even better. He remains a steadfast defender of classical Chablis, even amid the headwinds of market tastes and a warming climate.

Gautheron’s Chablis premier cru “Vaucoupin” vineyard has always been among our favorites – so complete and balanced is the expression from the soil that Cyril ages it entirely in stainless steel, a rarity for a Chablis Premier Cru these days. The 2023 is a triumph of restraint – beautiful, understated wine that’s friendly and pairs with just about anything.

The mouthfeel is fine and delicate, and the balance is particularly good, with freshness tied into a palate that nonetheless feels round and supple. In the nose, floral notes of acacia join the clean lemon fruit. Jasper Morris found “plenty of tension on the palate, discreet in the middle, a little richer at the finish. . . . Classy yet of medium body.” This is prototypical Chablis, and it wants for nothing.

____________________________

Gautheron Chablis 1er “Vaucoupin” 2023
bottle price: $48

Add to Cart

 

The red wines of the Loire Valley always play second fiddle to the region’s whites. But it’s a mistake to ignore them – they’re well balanced, low-alcohol, usually organic, and often exceptional values. Our favorites these days are the unblended, unoaked Cabernet Francs from the central Loire.

Celine and Didier Sanzay are fifth generation growers in Saumur-Champigny in the central Loire Valley. They craft fresh, pure Cabernet Franc in the modern Loire style — small batch, organic, wild yeasts, no fining or filtering. Their wines are delicious, affordable, and excellent for food pairing.

Their 2023 Saumur-Champigny is exactly what you want Loire Cab Franc to be: pure, joyful, unoaked, and fresh. Clean, juicy fruit bursts from the glass on the nose — think wild cherries and graphite. The mouth is fresh, fruit forward, inky, and intense, with a bold and vibrant attack and a quick clean finish. A perfect autumn red – drink this until the Beaujolais arrives next month.

____________________________

Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2023
bottle price:  $22

Add to Cart

 

Thomas Morey makes the most precise, elegant, understated white Burgundies in our cellar. His style is one of restraint and precision. We think of them as “minimalist” white wines — what’s not there (oak, butter, heaviness) is as important as what is there.

Morey’s 2023 village-level Chassagne-Montrachet is exquisite. It’s a blend from nine parcels across the appellation, including two declassified premier crus. The wine is subtle, elegant and extremely refined – not a hair out of place. Look for golden fruits and delicate citrus tension, ripe lemons with maybe a hint of orange. It pairs beautifully with subtle dishes like sole meuniere or butter-poached scallops.

Master of Wine Jasper Morris writes of this wine: “pleasingly 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.

____________________________

Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 2023
bottle price: $95

Add to Cart

 

Champagne is one of the most dynamic winegrowing regions in France today. Interest has moved away from the unvarying products from the big houses, and towards small grower producers who follow terroir and vintage variations to craft wines of character and complexity. Prices have also risen less steeply than in Burgundy and Bordeaux, and Champagnes today often provide exceptional value.

One of our favorites is Maison Jacques Robin, a tiny family-run grower Champagne house in the Côtes des Bar. This sub region of Champagne, an hour south of the main towns of Reims and Epernay, features soils with a mix of clay and kimmeridgian marl. Pinot Noir dominates the vineyards here, and the clay rich soils produce fuller, more chewy-textured Champagnes – today’s cuvée is 100% Pinot noir.

“Cuvée Kimmerdigienne” is Robin’s finest wine, and we’re currently stocking their terrific 2012 vintage. The nose is a stunner, with notes of almonds, apricots, praline, and chalk. The mouth is delicious and refined, with notes of seashell, lemon zest, kiwi, brioche and vanilla. Having spent a decade on the lees, this shows extraordinary complexity and detail, all across a concentrated , chewy texture. Whether you’re new to Champagne or already have the bug, this will impress just about anyone.

____________________________

Robin Champagne Kimmeridgienne 2012
bottle price: $85

Add to Cart

 

The 2023 Burgundies continue to delight. It’s a terrific vintage in both colors – the reds are characterful and intense with tremendous freshness and lovely fruit; the whites are vibrant and delicious, clear and compelling representations of their terroir.

The world has by now discovered St-Aubin, the once secret town tucked away up a valley between Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. But if it’s less hidden than it once was, its wines are better than ever. At the western edge of the appellation lies a plot named “Murgers des Dents de Chiens.” Perched just up the hill from Montrachet itself, this St. Aubin premier cru is a remarkable value.

Thomas’s “Murgers des Dents de Chien” is terrific this year. The nose offers a touch of oak with the ripe orchard fruit, and in the mouth there is good amplitude across the palate. “Fresh, flavourful and full of fruit,” writes Jancis Robinson. Though this Murgers 2023 is generous in the mouth, it is more than usual a wine of finesse rather than power. This wine will best show its considerable beauty with a subtle flatfish meunière (say Grey or Dover sole).

____________________________

Thomas St-Aubin 1er “Murgers” 2023
bottle price: $58

Add to Cart

 

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: another year, another flat out delicious wine from Poggerino. 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.

The 2022 growing season in northern Italy was hot and dry just like Burgundy. But Sangiovese, a native of sunny Tuscany, is better equipped than Pinot Noir to handle drought, and Poggerino’s 2022 Chianti Classico is deep and rich without ever losing its balance.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous calls it “plush, open-knit” and “ rich,” with “intense dark red fruit” – we find it just delicious, bursting with perfectly ripe fruit and loads of dry extract. The sunny dry vintage delivered more stuffing than usual, and this is smooth, broad, and impressive, particularly for its pricepoint.

This is a terrific choice for a house red – affordable, crowd-pleasing, and seriously delicious.

____________________________

Poggerino Chianti Classico “Annata” 2022
bottle price: $28

Bottle Price: $28

Case Price: $24.58   use code POGG

 

The Domaine Boursot is a story both of Burgundy’s past and present. The estate was founded in 1550 (not a typo) by Guillaume Boursot, and has been handed down over centuries and generations in the tiny town of Chambolle-Musigny. The current winemakers, brothers Romaric and Romuald, are 15th generation vignerons farming an enviable collection of vines around the Côte de Nuits.

The family’s vines range from regional to Grand Cru, and concentrate around their hometown of Chambolle. The brothers’ recent improvements in cellar infrastructure and technology have begun to pay off – their wines get better every year, and no longer fly under the radar of the critics. Bill Nanson (Burgundy Report) calls them “delicious, consistently excellent;” Steen Öhman (Winehog) finds them “forward, quite vivid…truly exciting.” We love Boursot’s style, which combines Chambolle’s graceful essence with a sturdy, characterful core.

We’re excited to offer both of Boursot’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or cuvées, delicious bottlings from regional-level vines in Chambolle-Musigny. Both will provide immediate enjoyment and extraordinary value.

Bourgogne Côte d’Or blanc 2023 ($295/case)
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 lively. It calls for a patio and a warm summer evening rather than a magnificent Sunday feast. Useful, carefree, and a screaming bargain at under $25.

Bourgogne Côte d’Or rouge 2023 ($295/case)
Many readers will already know this cuvée, and for good reason – it’s among our favorite Bourgogne rouge as well. Like its white counterpart, this cuvée doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sure, it’s from vines in Chambolle-Musigny, a town responsible for some of the world’s finest bottles, but Boursot’s is humble, vibrant, and flat out delicious. The wine sees 25% old oak barrels (none new) and shows the faintest touch of earthy wood below the lovely fruit. That subtle Boursot rusticity that draws so many of our customers to this producer is here, but all wrapped up in a friendly, easygoing package. Another winner, and another bargain.

______

Wines part of September Futures, expected December 2025 
Available by the case and half-case
Discounts do not apply, shipping extra

Biodynamic and organic agriculture is everywhere in France these days. Nearly every one of our producers is certified or in conversion, and even few those who aren’t use the lunar calendar to schedule dates for racking and bottling. It’s an encouraging trend: better soils, better environment, and better wines.

But some winemakers have been on the train for decades. The Maconnais domaine that produces Forces Telluriques has been certified biodynamic for over 30 years, and they’re true believers: minimal vineyard intervention in the vines, meticulous and hands-off winemaking. William Kelley calls them “one of the best producers in the Mâconnais“ producing “ honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy.”

The Forces Telluriques vines are between 30 and 100 years old, producing gorgeous, concentrated juice. The wine is raised in enameled vats without any oak. The 2022 vintage is superb, round and full in the mouth yet offering memorable lemony freshness (the alcohol level is just 13%). There is plenty of complexity, as mineral notes join the fruit; and the wine persists on the palate beautifully. Jasper Morris writes: “deliciously floral…amazing how such a luxurious style of chardonnay can retain elegance.”

____________________________

Forces Telluriques Viré-Clessé 2022
bottle price:  $42

Add to Cart

 

The 2022 red Burgundies are shaping up to be an extraordinary vintage. Expectations were high from the start: “beautiful and bountiful… very good wines and plenty of them” wrote Jasper Morris. William Kelley called them on release “succulent, suave and charming.” And everything from the last two years of tasting them has confirmed — this is a flat out terrific year.

The fruit is modern and ripe, the result of a very hot, very dry growing season. And yet the wines show impeccable balance, with low alcohols and excellent freshness. Roger Belland’s 2022 reds are some of the best he’s made, coinciding with a shift in winemaking style: they’ve dialed back the oak, extended elevage, added whole clusters. They’re more serious than a few years ago – more polished, but just as charming.

The Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” 2022 is simply delicious, and just getting started. Tasting just after bottling, Burghound noted “fine richness…suave and succulent flavors…could be enjoyed young but has the stuffing to replay up to a decade of keeping.” Over the past 24 months in the bottle its youthful red fruits have mellowed a tad, and the palate has deepened and softened a beat or two. It’s still youthful and fresh, and we think it’s entering a terrific window.

____________________________

Belland Santenay 1er rouge “Beauregard” 2022
bottle price: $54

Bottle Price: $54

3+ Bottle Price: $49   use code 3BELLAND

6+ Bottle Price: $45  use code 6BELLAND

 

Gautier Desvignes is beloved among our readers for his well-priced, excellent red Burgundies from Givry. In a world where Bourgogne rouge cuvées from the Côte de Nuits are pushing $50/bot, and more than a few are into three digits, Desvignes Givrys are beautifully crafted, sophisticated, and highly affordable. Gautier continues to get better each year, and it’s been a delight to watch his star rise so dramatically over the last decade.

He’s also turned into a serious white Burgundy producer as well. William Kelley describes his chardonnays as “chiseled,” “crisp,” and “vibrant,” and we’ve begun to enjoy them more frequently in recent years. His just-arrived 2023s are accessible, delicious, and under $8/glass. Consider this a more floral Chablis, or a racier Pouilly-Fuissé.

The 2023 Desvignes Givry “En Cheneves” is carefree and delicious, with low oak and a vibrant, fresh mouthfeel. From a north facing vineyard that’s well positioned to weather today’s hot, dry summers, this is an overperforming spot in a town on the rise. 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, and serve with a simple creamy pasta.

____________________________

Desvignes Givry blanc “En Cheneves” 2023
bottle price: $39

Add to Cart

 

Philippe Cheron and his son Paul farm a portfolio of vineyards in Burgundy that would make even the most seasoned vigneron envious. Their Domaine du Couvent includes vines in every town from Nuits-St-Georges to Marsannay, including village, premier cru and grand cru plots. Their style is sleek and modern but with restrained oak, careful but firm extraction, and gorgeous density of fruit.

Chambolle-Musigny is known for its elegance and silky texture, and indeed the Cherons’ cuvées here show exquisite polish. But they trend more than some other producers’ towards deepness and intensity, making them terrific candidates for aging. Today’s wine is from the outstanding 2019 vintage, now six years on from harvest. Chambolle is usually delicious right from the barrel, but it’s only with a few years’ age that the town’s magic really shines through.

Couvent’s Chambolle-Musigny “Clos de l’Orme” is from a village plot bordering the strip of premier crus, a vineyard rich in minerals with excellent drainage. Cheron bottles the rest of his village Chambolle plots together, but holds this one out for its refined intensity. Jasper Morris found the 2019 “attractive, balanced and long,” and Neal Martin writes of its “succulent black cherry and blueberry fruit, smooth and harmonious.”

In short, this is a Burgundy lover’s treat: six-year-old Chambolle-Musigny from an extraordinary vintage, with a two-digit pricetag.

____________________________
Couvent Chambolle-Musigny
“Clos de l’Orme” 2019

bottle price: $115
3+ bottle price (15% off): $97.75      (use code SILK)

Add to Cart

Add 3 to Cart

 

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.

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. This is accessible, popular, cozy wine that will perfectly match the season as fall weather returns.

____________________________

Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023
bottle price: $36

Add to Cart

 

Look up “Thomas Morey” in the proverbial Ansonia winemaker dictionary, and you’ll find words like “deliberate,” “thoughtful,” “minimalist,” “precise.” You won’t find “opulent,” “generous” or “showy.” Morey’s cellar style is as clean and detailed as his wire rimmed glasses and his Zalto stemware. He’ll only agree to tasting appointments in the morning, and our visits are full of long contemplative silences.

Morey’s white Burgundies are quietly extraordinary. They’re concentrated but perfectly channeled, long but refined – immaculate fruit and stones join the merest whisper of oak. Morey makes terrific wine at every level, but today we’re focused on his simplest: Bourgogne blanc.

This cuvée shows all of the meticulous concentration of all of Morey’s wines, but without the site-specific terroir shining through. It’s not about the chiseled stoniness of Puligny, or the shimmering golden energy of Chassagne; this is about winemaker style. And boy, what a style it is.

Morey’s Bourgogne blanc usually evaporates in Futures, but this year we’ve got a bit extra. Open last night alongside a roast chicken and fall weather, this was simply delicious. The nose shows lime zest and white flowers, the mouth shows yellow plum and earth. Burghound called this “lovely,” and we think you will too.

____________________________

Thomas Morey Bourgogne blanc 2023
bottle price: $48

Add to Cart

 

Our newest Champagne source is RH Coutier, and it’s quickly become a reader favorite. 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 is known as Pinot Noir country, where extra clay and warm southern exposure lend themselves well to the red grape.

Courtier’s base “Cuvée Tradition” is simply exquisite grower Champagne at a remarkable price – every time we open it at the Depot it steals the show. It’s super expressive exploding from the glass with notes of spring flowers, pear, raspberries, herbs and brioche. At 6g dosage and a blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% chardonnay it’s dry but full of fruit, and the texture is at once lush and crisp.

This is accessible, affordable, downright tasty Champagne, with seriously good pricing – full of character, flavor, and life.

____________________________

Coutier Champagne “Tradition” NV
bottle price: $54

Add to Cart