Author: Thomas Wilcox

Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests.

Much credit belongs to Léa Bonnefond, Christophe’s twentysomething daughter who has returned to the domaine – she’s brought a penchant for whole cluster fermentation, and gentler extractions, and the results are terrific. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines — it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.

Their 2021, after 5 years in the barrel, is tremendous success – a perfect balance of grace and power. The dark, ripe fruit in the nose is just lovely, with added notes of pepper, minerals, and maybe a touch of iodine. Instead of the depth and teeth-staining concentration of a Cornas, it shows the elegant, sophisticated side of Syrah.

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie “Colline de Couzou” 2021
bottle price: $65

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It is now about a quarter century since we first discovered Poggerino, and we can’t think of a producer with a better decades-long record of consistent, careful winemaking. Antonio Galloni, the founder of Vinous and a renowned critic of Italy’s best wines, calls Poggerino’s wines “some of the purest expressions of the Sangiovese grape in Italy.”

We visited winemaker Piero Lanza last fall, and his winemaking is in top form. All of his most recent crop of wines has arrived and are in stock on the website. Given that Spring is (at least technically) here, we’re suggesting his tasty, low-alcohol (12%), entry-level red.

Labirinto is entirely vat raised (no oak), and the young vines bring a bright freshness and red cherry fruit to every glass. Galloni called Labirinto “a striking combination of red Sangiovese fruit buffered by bright acids and floral notes,” adding that “the purity of the flavors is compelling.” Pour this all summer long.

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Poggerino Labirinto 2024
bottle price: $25

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Dennis Basset is beloved among our readers for his crisp, vibrant Syrahs from the Northern Rhône appellation of Crozes-Hermitage. His careful organic viticulture and light touch in the cellar produce terrific wines with precision and class, not to mention very reasonable price tags. His lone white wine, a Crozes Hermitage blanc, shows the same terrific detail and friendly character.

Basset’s white Crozes-Hermitage “Un Matin” has an enthusiastic following, not only among Ansonia clients but among restaurants in his region. In fact we had to wait a few years before we were allocated any, so popular is the wine among local restaurateurs.

It is easy to see why: “Un Matin” is an aromatic and expressive blend of Marsanne and Roussane that recalls Condrieu in its unctuous texture and exuberant nose. To maintain freshness, Denis planted additional Marsanne about five years ago, and those grapes, raised in stainless steel, are now finding their way into the wine. The Roussanne gets about seven months of aging in oak barrels, which provides the roundness and gras (“fat”) that makes the wine so appealing as an aperitif.

The final blend is a delicious combination of 55% Marsanne and 45% Roussanne. It’s a versatile wine that is perfect to bring out before dinner for a friend who might be tired of the usual suspects.

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Saint Clair Crozes-Hermitage blanc 2024
bottle price: $29

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Perched where the Loire river meets the windswept Atlantic coast, Muscadet has long been a source for a classic, dry white wine. Served by the carafe in the oyster bars of Paris and London for decades, it’s refreshing, abundant, and inexpensive — a perfect glass to wash down a plate of crustaceans.

In the last few decades Muscadet has undergone a reinvention of sorts with the elevation of the region’s best towns to a new “Cru Communal” status. Our source here is Martin-Luneau, a fourth generation family domaine farming old vines on the plains south of Nantes. Combining excellent terroir with extended years on the lees, their wines offer an unusually complex take on a classic.

Martin-Luneau’s Muscadet “Gorges” 2022 is everything you want for warm weather. It’s a marriage of the brisk, refreshing essence of the sea, with the delicate herbal and fruit flavors of western France. The nose is clean and pure, showing dried flowers, melons, and lemon. The mouth is smooth and very dry, with notes of stones, salt air, and apple skins.

Oysters are the longstanding pairing of choice with Muscadet, and the thick savoriness in this wine is an exceptional foil for the fresh brinyness of an oyster. Otherwise moules marinières or goat cheese on crackers will do.

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Martin-Luneau Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine
Sur Lie “Gorges” 2022
bottle price: $25

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The Domaine Guillemot Michel has been a benchmark source for biodynamic white Burgundy from the Maconnais. For years they made just a single wine: an iconic Viré-Clessé from Quintaine. And the wine deserves every bit of its extensive praise. “Honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy, and they develop beautifully in the cellar,” writes William Kelley, “One of the best producers in the Maconnais.”

A few years ago the domaine’s latest generation began experimenting with separate cuvées, and we’ll admit we were skeptical at first. But we should have known better – the founder’s daughter and son in law have taken the reins and maintained the same impeccable quality, adding new ideas and techniques. Our favorite of these new cuvées is “Retour a la Terre.”

The grapes for this cuvée come from a parcel situated on clay soils, and the elevage is 100% in Amphoras — clay vessels — hence the name “Return to the Earth.” Amphoras deliver micro-oxygenation at about the same rate as Burgundy-size barrels, but without oak flavors, and so this wine is a little more generous and longer on the finish. Jasper Morris found “a cashmere texture” to the wine, and we agree this is a stunning, innovative white Burgundy of the highest degree.

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Guillemot-Michel Viré Clessé
“Retour à la Terre” 2023
bottle price: $65

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Our newest Champagne producer, RH Coutier, is a real find. Coutier has been a favorite of Vinous founder Antonio Galloni “for years;” he calls their wines “gorgeous… showing the natural richness of Ambonnay.” The Coutier style is open and accessible – the non-vintage “Traditionnel” is expressive, captivating wine at an exceptional price – today we’re introducing their finest cuvée.

Coutier’s non-vintage cuvée is a terrific bargain and we open it regularly; their 2015 Vintage cuvée is something extraordinary. It’s 75/25 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay, and has spent 96 months on the lees, gaining astounding complexity and depth. At 3g of dosage, this is dry, sophisticated and simply extraordinary.

The nose immediately jumps forth with layer upon layer of dry papery fruit; as it opens it adds almonds, brioche, and white flowers. The mouth is dry but full of texture and concentration, a sleek core perfectly balanced by delicate acidity and detailed minerality. 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.”

Serve with a soufflé, cornish hens, a fish in beurre blanc, or just a quiet Sunday afternoon.

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Coutier Champagne Millesimé 2015
bottle price: $82

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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 Chianti Classico “Annata” is delicious as always (and back in stock soon!) – fresh and lively and bursting with perfectly extracted black cherry fruit. Their “Bugiala” Riserva cuvée is all of that, but moreso – deeper and richer with beautiful texture and a long, chiseled finish.

Vinous’s founder and chief reviewer Antonio Galloni writes that “cherry, incense, leather and spice give this virile Riserva plenty of complexity.” He called it a “dark, powerful wine, . . . impressive, especially in terms of its depth and overall substance.” Now with seven years in the bottle this is magnificent wine – serve with a Sunday afternoon osso buco.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva 2019
bottle price: $45

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Vincent Boyer now works with his sister Sylvie, and together they share the viticulture (mostly her) and winemaking (mostly him). They’ve nearly completed their conversion to organic farming, and their always excellent wines have become even better in recent years.

The Boyers use an extended two-year elevage in oak barrels and then concrete eggs, and the resulting wines are sleek and full, steering well clear of the traps of overoaking and heaviness. Boyer’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or comes from vines near his hometown of Meursault, and even this humble cuvée shows a glimmer of that golden Meursault character.

The resulting wine is the best value Bourgogne blanc in our cellar – and with this year’s pricing it might be the best value too. Burghound found the nose “elegant” and “exuberantly fresh,” with “delicious and equally vibrant flavors” in the mouth. The nose opens with citrus and white flowers, and the mouth is full of concentrated fruit and tension. An exceptionally successful white Burgundy, and at the price, an excellent value.

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Boyer-Martenot Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2023
bottle price: $38

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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 is so well balanced it was hard to spit out even during our barrel 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.

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Dumien-Serrette Cornas “Patou” 2023
bottle price: $58

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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 style is clear and juicy – the wines are packed with flavor, limited oak, and flat-out delicious textures.

One of our favorite sections of Sofie’s extensive portfolio is her collection of plots in St-Aubin. St-Aubin is located up a side valley between Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, and doesn’t carry the same name recognition as the famous towns. But the wines here are astonishingly good, and many rival (or surpass) their famous neighbors. The secret is out on St-Aubin, but the prices here still have yet to catch up.

St-Aubin’s best vineyard is “En Remilly,” a steep, stony, sundrenched slope that almost touches Montrachet. Sofie’s 2023 St-Aubin 1er “En Remilly” is an elegant wine with excellent length. Her signature compact yellow fruit is here in spades, balanced expertly with the stoniness for which St-Aubin is known. This is classy, dry St. Aubin, with floral notes in play alongside the concentrated ripe fruit. Close your eyes (and cover the price tag) and you’re in Chassagne or Puligny.

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Bohrmann St-Aubin 1er “En Remilly” 2023
bottle price: $75

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Last week we tasted with Pierre Gros, the new generation at Domaine Michel Gros. Michel is still around – we passed him directing some tractors in the Clos des Réas on the way to our tasting appointment – but Pierre is in charge now. There’s been little change to the winemaking at Gros (“if it ain’t broke…”) and in his short tenure Pierre has already steered the domaine through a wide range of vintages.

The Gros 2024s were just about the most impressive wines we tasted last week – gorgeous, silky, understated wines of impeccable balance; as usual they’ll be in the November Futures. But we’ve got a nice stock of 2022s and 2023s from Gros back in Newton, and today we’re focusing on one of our favorites – the “Au Vallon” cuvée from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. From a particularly sunny hillside, this always produces ripe, accessible tasty red, and in 2023 it really shines.

The 2023 Au Vallon is classic Gros: clean destemmed fruit, perfectly handled tannins, remarkably detail for its regional level. Neal Martin of Vinous agreed, finding “a very perfumed nose” with “crunchy red berry fruit,” concluding “a great followup to the 2022, this is certainly worth checking out.” Treat this like a much fancier red Burgundy you picked up on closeout, and the Au Vallon will rise to the occasion.

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Michel Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits “Au Vallon” 2023
bottle price: $45

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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.

We tasted with father and son in their humble underground cellar last week, and they’ve managed the difficult 2024 vintage with some real success. Today we’re reaching back a bit further into the cellar to their 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin “Meix des Ouches,” a well located village parcel abutting two premier crus. It was the Cherons’ first vintage farming this plot, and now 6 years on from harvest it’s outstanding.

The 2020 “Meix des Ouches” is classic, bold, beautiful Gevrey-Chambertin. The nose is dark and rugged with stewed plums and hints of wood and leather. The mouth is dark and fresh, with excellent length for a village level wine, and real subtlety for a Gevrey. Look for cassis and dried violet petals, with just a hint of leaves. Jasper Morris awarded 90-92, calling it “a very stylish Gevrey-Chambertin.”

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Couvent Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos du Meix des Ouches” 2020

price: $99/bot

3+ bottle price: $85/bot

 

Sancerre’s popularity is well deserved. It’s crisp, refreshing and dry — as easy to pronounce as it is to pair with food. Is it the world’s most complex or long lived wine? Nope. But a good everyday Sancerre is an essential kitchen staple, as useful as a sharp chef’s knife.

We love our producer in Sancerre — the Godon-Reverdy family is one of the town’s best known, and produces organic Sauvignon blanc of the highest character from their Domaine de la Garenne. They’re thoughtful and focused, using biodynamic techniques in the cellar and sheep to graze the grass between their vines.

And their product is every bit as good as you’d expect from a careful family domaine. Garenne’s entire lineup of Sancerres will appear in next Sunday’s April Futures release — today we’re focused on their simplest. The 2025 Sancerre Alliance cuvée is everything you want from Sancerre – splashes of perfectly ripe fruit (grapefruit, pear, lime) over a chiseled mineral core bursting with chalk and stones.

This shipment is scheduled to arrive in May, just in time for a long summer of enjoyment. Grab a case and you’ll be shocked how fast it evaporates from your cellar.

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Garenne Sancerre “Alliance” 2025
Ansonia retail: $384
April Futures: $295/case

To order this wine, email Tom 

We’re in Burgundy this week visiting and tasting with winemakers. On Monday we spent a delightful morning and lunch with Léon Amiot, the young twentysomething winemaker at Domaine Amiot et fils in Morey-St-Denis. Léon is a real talent with a sky high ceiling – the Guide Hachette last year named him Burgundy’s “Winemaker of the Year.” His wines get better every year – his carefully-crafted 2024s will be in next month’s April Futures.

Léon’s success is no stroke of luck – a cheerful guy with a quick smile and friendly demeanor, he’s a farmer through and through. He’s organic (soon biodynamic), planted cover crops, and last year began an agroforestry project in the name of vineyard biodiversity. He talks about his vines like the living organisms they are, treating them with care and respect.

Léon’s 2023s arrived last fall and are only getting better. The 2023 village level Morey-St-Denis is a blend of eight parcels across the town, showing the detail and elegance of classic Morey-St-Denis. The nose is very floral, with dried roses and violets; the mouth is clean and well built, with fine tannins all perfectly coated in attractive young fruit. Burghound was a fan as well, citing “various dark berries and earth” in the nose and “fine volume and richness along with an appealing sense of energy” in the mouth.”

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 2023
bottle price: $85

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For years St-Aubin was a white Burgundy collector’s hidden gem. Today it’s no longer hidden – many writers put in on par with Chassagne, Puligny and Meursault – but it’s still a gem. Tucked away down a valley running west from the Côte d’Or, St-Aubin’s vineyards average higher elevation than many towns, a boon in warm climates.

For decades our source here has been the Domaine Gérard Thomas, a traditional, family run white Burgundy source with a small collection of excellent terroirs. We barrel tasted with winemaker Isabel Humbert yesterday, and their wines are as good as ever – their St-Aubins are wonderful, and extremely well-priced, but the best value is the humble Bourgogne blanc. And in 2023, a vintage with terrific ripeness and beautiful acidity, Thomas’s wines shine.

Thomas’s 2023 Bourgogne Côte d’Or is fresh and delightful – the nose shows meyer lemon and stones, and the mouth is a balance between ripe fruit and mouthwatering freshness. A muted note of wood joins the fruit, and the weight is perfect, with length that tastes more like a village-level wine.

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Thomas Bourgogne blanc 2023
bottle price: $35

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