Author: Thomas Wilcox

Almost Grand Cru.  In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. A slight change in slope or soil content can make an enormous difference in a wine. Though it’s classified as a premier cru, today’s wine is surrounded by five grand cru vineyards, and many believe that it stays a premier cru more from politics than from geology.

The Amiot Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru “Combottes” 2012 is beefy, masculine wine, with savory, toasty woodsiness and loads of dark red fruit. It’s young but already drinking well, and should have a bright and long future ahead. Combottes is as close to a Grand Cru as the rest of Burgundy gets.

Double Bottles. We’re excited to be offering this wine for the first time in magnum. It’s hard not to be festive with double bottles around. For us they call to mind the feasts of centuries ago, where rich wine flowed and celebrations took place around long tables in great halls. And with holidays on the way, these will make excellent gifts or festive additions to your dinner table.

Next week we’re releasing our November Futures brochure, and will be including these Combottes magnums in the container. The bottles have perfect provenance, and will remain in the producer’s cellar until we pick them up next month. Consider giving the wine enthusiast in your family something different this year.

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AMIOT Gevrey 1er “Combottes” 2012 (1.5L)
Ansonia Retail: $170
Futures price: $135/bot

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AVAILABLE BY THE BOTTLE, SHIPPING NOT INCLUDED

NOTE: THIS IS AN ADVANCE ORDER, WE EXPECT THIS WINE TO ARRIVE IN MID DECEMBER

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Today Chassagne-Montrachet is known for its opulent white Burgundies, most famous among them from the Grand Cru vineyard “Montrachet.” But for most of its existence, Chassagne was known for its red wines. As late as the 1930s, Chardonnay comprised only a fifth of the vines planted in the town.

White Chassagne-Montrachet often fetches prices in triple digits, but the reds from the town are far more reasonable. Our source for both red and white Chassagne is the Domaine Roger Belland, whose premier cru Morgeot vineyard “Clos Pitois” was first planted in 1421. Belland plants his Chassagne half to chardonnay and half to pinot noir, according to soil type.

Why does the famille Belland continue to make red Chassagne when they could get twice as much if they replanted to white? Well, because the red tastes like this.

Roger Belland and his daughter Julie represent the 5th and 6th generations at the Belland domaine. In Burgundy, where most vineyards are divided among many owners, a plot owned by a single vigneron is called a monopole. The Clos Pitois is such a vineyard, and since 1421 has been planted only five times.

Belland’s premier cru red Chassagne is elegant and juicy, with dried cherry fruits, earth and graphite in the nose. In the mouth the tannins are cool and fine, making it remarkably drinkable for its age. Many readers have been enjoying Belland’s 2013 Maranges 1er cru from down the road — the Pitois is a much finer, more elegant version, with the same delicious fruit, but a more attractive, elegant body and better potential for aging.

We’ll be writing about the white Clos Pitois in a few weeks, but for the moment we’re enjoying the original Chassagne Montrachet.

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BELLAND Chassagne 1er cru rouge 2013
Ansonia Retail: $50
case, half-case: $44/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Dark, punchy.  Beaujolais might be the perfect wine for the fall. Crisp air and turning leaves are an excellent match for a the cool fruit and punchy mouthfeel of first-rate Beaujolais. The region is still best known for the Beaujolais Nouveau, a quaint local custom turned global marketing phenomenon. But there’s far more to Beaujolais than cheap candied red wine.

The Crus Beaujolais are more serious wines from the ten small villages that make up the appellation. Our favorite among these is Juliénas, which is known for its dark, concentrated expression of the Gamay grape. Cru Beaujolais may be more intellectual than their Bacchanalian Nouveau cousins, but at their core they maintain the region’s spirit of festivity and plaisir.

Vin de Soif.  There’s something joyous about the Chateau de Juliénas’s Cuvée Tradition 2013. We’ve found this wine is most at home in front of a football game or in substantial quantity along a rowdy Thanksgiving table. The Condemine Family has made wine in this chateau for five generations, and the Chateau itself has produced wine since its construction in the 14th century.

The Juliénas Tradition 2013 is dark and juicy, with ripe bursting tannins and beautiful cool fruit. The nose is of raspberries and redcurrant, and the mouth shows wild cherries, pepper, and the croquant (“crackling”) fruit we love in the best wines of Beaujolais. This is always a great wine in the autumn — inexpensive, refreshing, and a pleasure to drink.

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JULIENAS Cuvée Tradition 2013
Ansonia Retail: $19
case, half-case: $15/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Value. When we shape our portfolio, we look for wines that “punch above their weight.” These are wines that exceed expectations based on the price tag and the name on the label — bottles that, if tasted blind, you’d put in a higher class. A recent such discovery is a premier cru white Santenay from Roger Belland.

Santenay is known for mid-range Burgundies that can be delicious but are seldom extraordinary. But Belland’s 2013 Santenay 1er cru Beauregard blanc might the finest white Santenay we’ve had. Tasted blind it could easily be mistaken for a wine from neighboring Chassagne-Montrachet.

Sucrocité.  Clive Coates MW calls Roger Belland “one of the best sources in the village” of Santenay. Together with his daughter Julie, Belland crafts excellent wines with cool, fresh fruit and beautiful balance. Many readers picked up some of Belland’s village-level white Santenay from a few weeks ago, and some have already come back for seconds.

Belland’s 2013 Santenay 1er cru blanc has a pretty, baked apple nose with notes of white flowers and honey, but it’s on the palate that this wine really shines. The mouthfeel is thick and vibrant, showing unusual depth and excellent length. The oak, fruit, and acidity are all in perfect balance, presenting a wine that bursts with life and richness.

Pair this with a Sunday afternoon roast chicken or a hearty soup — pour it from a carafe, and you guests will never guess where it came from.

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BELLAND Santenay 1er cru blanc 2013
Ansonia Retail: $40
case, half-case: $34/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Seven Years Old. “Affordable” is not a word that’s often associated with Burgundy. With high demand and low supply, Burgundies often fetch prices that elicit eye rolls from casual drinkers. At many domaines, entry prices start at $50 and rise quickly thereafter.

But not all Burgundy requires a second mortgage or a budget reevaluation. With a bit of hunting and willingness to leave the beaten path, fine red Burgundy can be had for less. One of our favorite examples is the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits — a beautiful, rural patchwork of vineyards, meadows, and monasteries just west of the famous Côte d’Or.

And it’s from this often overlooked terroir that Michel Gros makes his excellent entry-level red Burgundy. Today we’re offering our last few cases of his 2008.

Classic Pinot Noir.  Now seven years after harvest, the Michel Gros 2008 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits has matured into an elegant wine. Gros is best known for his more famous wines from Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, and the Grand Cru Clos Vougeot. But Gros’s simpler wines offer a glimpse of the elegance and silkiness for which this famous winemaker is known.

The Hautes-Côtes is an unpretentious place, full of dirt roads and crumbling churches, and this wine reflects its humble origin. The nose is red cherry fruit and earth, with faint hints of underbrush and cinnamon. The mouth has smoothed out but not lost its structure, and plays beautifully on the palate with notes of cranberry jam and toast.

Burgundy fans looking for a well-priced red will find much to like here. For those new to the region, this wine provides a look at what all the fuss is about.

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GROS Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2008
Ansonia Retail: $34
case, half-case: $29/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Luck.  Sometimes timing is everything. We managed to land at the doorstep of the Domaine Quivy at the perfect moment, just after his longtime US importer retired. We were looking for a new source for Gevrey-Chambertin and Quivy needed a new distributor. Sources for high-end Burgundy don’t become available very often, and we were hopeful.

After a quick tour of his beautifully maintained 18th century domaine, Gérard Quivy sat us down to taste through his wines. After just a few sips, we knew we had found a gem. Quivy’s wines are much like the buildings of his home: handsome, meticulously made and cared-for, and true to their considerable history. They embody the tradition and elegance for which the finest Burgundies are known.

Cherry Jam.  Quivy makes Gevrey Chambertin at the village, 1er cru, and Grand Cru levels, and we’re excited about all four wines we’ve brought in. We’re beginning today with one of his villages: Gevrey-Chambertin “Journaux” 2012. With such a limited geographical reach, Quivy intimately knows the micro terroirs of Gevrey-Chambertin, and has crafted each of his wines to reflect a slightly different take on the famous town.

Quivy’s Journaux vines were planted in 1947 and 1933, and today turn out wines of impressive depth. The 2012 has an intense nose of earthy, briary raspberry, with lots of ripe cherry fruit. The mouth is young and energetic, with round tannins and an excellent, long structure that should carry it for many years. This a fresh, punchy wine that’s beautifully balanced and has a long future ahead of it.

Patience will be rewarded here, but we fervently enjoyed last night’s bottle, accompanied by skirt steaks and a roaring fireplace. We are thrilled to have found this new source for classic Red Burgundy, and look forward to introducing his other wines over the next few months.

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QUIVY Gevrey-Chambertin “Journaux” 2012
Ansonia Retail: $52
case, half-case: $45/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Bottle Aged.  Most wine in the US is opened too young. Blame it on retailers moving inventory or on our age of impatience, but it’s increasingly rare to enjoy a bottle that has been been properly cellared. Which is why we’re always excited to find older vintages still available at French domaines.

We tasted today’s wine last year during a visit to the Domaine Amiot, and brought in a few cases this spring. Amiot’s Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Millandes” from 07 is not a wine to keep for decades more. But it’s proof of what proper conditions and a bit of patience can achieve — a smoky, woodsy red Burgundy with beautifully softened red fruit.

Premier Cru.  Amiot’s small plot in Millandes (just over an acre) yields only 200 cases a year. But its location (adjoining the Grand Cru Clos St-Denis) and older vines (planted in the 1950s and 60s) make it a gem. Millandes always requires some cellaring to reach its peak, but today we’re in luck: the Amiots have done it for us.

The Millandes 07 shows raspberry and wild cherry fruit in the nose — now eight years after the harvest, it has begun to show toasty “sous bois” elements like mushrooms and forest floor. The tannins have softened, but retain enough structure to match with foods; the Amiots suggest red meats and affinéed cheeses.

We think a wintery stew would match this wine perfectly, particularly served in an old stone chateau with a roaring fire. If you’re light on castles, the stew will probably suffice.

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AMIOT Morey-St-Denis 1er “Millandes” 07
Ansonia Retail: $70
case, half-case: $62/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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Passion.  We stumbled upon the Domaine Nicolas Maillet last year during a visit to the Maconnais, and he has turned out to be one of our best finds. Maillet is a man full of passion — for his vineyards, for his rootstocks, for biodynamics, and for the purity of his harvest. And he manages to translate all of this energy into extraordinary wines.

During our last visit in June, Maillet loaded us into his rickety jeep and drove us deep into his vines. He earnestly pointed out the subtleties of exposition of his valley, and showed us the evidence of success from the recent flowering. Back at the domaine he explained (with no less passion) his unusual method of fermentation, which involves many strains of indigenous yeast over many months at very cool temperatures.

Maillet doesn’t lack confidence in his techniques, and after a sip of his wine, you won’t either.

Purity. We discovered a new wine from Maillet on this visit — the Macon-Verzé. Readers who remember the Macon-Igé from earlier this year should be very impressed with the Macon-Verzé, which resembles it closely, but shows noticeably more expression in the nose, and perhaps more exotic fruit in the mouth.

We opened this for a tasting last night on the North Shore of Massachusetts, and it was huge hit. The nose is remarkably expressive and lush, showing white flowers, tangerine, and apricot. The mouth is classic Maillet — rich and long and pure, but with striking freshness and a beautiful baked lemon core. With no oak to overshadow the fruit, this is a classic Maconnais, showing beautiful, unadulterated ripe fruit.

As Anthony Hanson once wrote about another of our favorites from the region, all you need with this wine is two glasses and a friend.

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MAILLET Macon-Verzé 2013
Ansonia Retail: $28
case, half-case: $24/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

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