Author: Thomas Wilcox

Chablis continues to be a haven of well-priced and excellent value Burgundy. After several scorching hot vintages in which the crisp, piercing soul of old-school Chablis seemed temporarily offstage, 2021 provided a return to tradition. A cooler, wetter, trickier growing season pushed harvest into late September, and the wines are effortlessly tasty in a vintage that was anything but.

Romain Collet dabbles with modern, oak-infused Chablis, and the wines are tasty if not exactly traditional. But our favorites are always the classics: plenty of stony freshness, low or no toast, and clean zippy finishes. Romain’s 2021s are exquisite – Burghound called them “entirely classic” – and lovers of old school Chablis will find much to like.

For his 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Romain uses an elevage of ⅓ barrels, ⅓ foudre, and ⅓ stainless tank, and it suits the vineyard very well. The vines here are between 55 and 60 years old, and they produce a nicely balanced wine, with good concentration and well-supported ripeness.

Jasper Morris found the bouquet “both stylish and typical, stones with lemon zest.” Burghound praised its “cool and airy aromas,” its “intense and attractively sleek” flavors, and its “lovely minerality.” The Burgundy pricing bubble still hasn’t floated to Chablis, and we think this is tremendously polished sub-$40 white Burgundy. Enjoy this all fall and into cocktail party season.

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Collet Chablis 1er “Vaillons” 2021
bottle price: $38

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The Boursot family has grown grapes in Chambolle-Musigny since 1515, but it’s almost easier to think of them as a newcomer. For most of the last five centuries they’ve sold their harvest to the local cooperative – then two generations ago they started domaine-bottling. The current winemakers – brothers Romaric and Remy Boursot – have begun to channel their family’s extraordinary terroir into truly impressive wine. Every vintage their wines gain polish, precision, and detail.

The Boursots’ terrific 2021s will be in next month’s September Futures, but today we’re highlighting their best wine – Chambolle 1er cru “Fuées” – from the excellent 2016 vintage. Fuées is an iconic vineyard on the north side of town, abutting the Grand Cru Bonnes Mares, and Boursot’s vines here average nearly 100 years old. The resulting wine is everything you’d guess from a top vintage and exceptional terroir.

Neal Martin of Vinous found Boursot’s 2016 Chambolle 1er Fuées “excellent,” writing “this is a superb Chambolle-Musigny with great tension and a long cassis-tinged finish.” Now seven years on from harvest, it’s just delicious. A splurge perhaps, but a mature, beautiful red Burgundy for a special dinner.

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Boursot Chambolle-Musigny 1er “Fuées” 2016
bottle price: $125

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape isn’t in fashion these days. As the world’s taste has shifted toward lightweight textures and micro-terroirs, Châteauneuf’s bold, appellation-wide cuvées aren’t exactly filling up the lists in the hipster wine bars of Lyon. So – it’s a good thing nobody’s ever accused us of being trendy…

To us, the rich, mouthfilling wines of the Rhône Valley’s iconic appellation can still be flat out delicious. (And they often don’t require a second mortgage like some Burgundies these days.) Christophe Mestre’s traditional, old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape draws from old family plots across the appellation’s varied terroirs: galets roulés, sand, and clay-limestone.

Mestre’s 2019 Châteauneuf is humbly delicious – a blend of 50% grenache, 25% mourvèdre, 20% syrah, and 5% cinsault. The nose explodes with ripe strawberry fruit and a pleasant cool earthiness. The mouth is rich and ripe, with remarkable intensity and length for its price. Pour this at a tailgate this fall.

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019
bottle price: $35

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As we sit here squarely in the middle of tomato season, we find ourselves reaching for the small Italian corner of our cellar with some regularity. The natural acidity of summer tomatoes matches so well with our Nebbiolo and Sangiovese selections that sometimes it’s hard to drink anything else. We’re expanding our Piedmont offerings in next month’s September Futures issue, but in the mean time we’re well stocked on an old favorite Chianti Classico.

Rajat Parr calls Poggerino “some of the purest expressions of [Sangiovese] in Italy.” And indeed their wines seem to get better every year. Their current release 2020 Chianti Classico is beautiful. It’s fine grained and complex, with more nuance and finesse than usual. The wine bursts from the glass in dark floral notes that somehow also carry tremendous lift and elegance. Look for red cherries, roses, plums, licorice and cocoa. In the mouth it’s focused and sleek, with impressive intensity and perfectly coated tannin. The texture is fine grained and polished.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous gave 92+ points, finding it “soft, fruity, and open-knit,” calling it “supple and engaging” and “a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years.” He concludes “the precision and pedigree here are just unreal.” Find some local tomatoes, do anything you like with them, and then pull out the Poggerino.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2020
bottle price: $25

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Much of the world’s syrah is rich, dark and opulent. But in the Northern Rhône Valley, syrah draws its strength from subtlety. Here delicate aromas of violets, perfume, smoke and stones combine with fresh mouthfeel and vibrant texture. Northern Rhône Syrah is a marriage of dark-fruited complexion with elegance and pep.

Our best values here are Denis Basset’s organic Crozes-Hermitages. They sport the texture of a fresh Beaujolais but with the dark fruits of Syrah. Basset’s “Etincelle” cuvée is the sort of wine you’d find in a wine bar in Paris – simple, refreshing, punchy and delicious. Pair this with a plate of charcuterie, or burgers from the grill.

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Saint Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2020
bottle price: $22

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“Austrian wine” is almost synonymous with Grüner-Veltliner, and indeed 75% of the world’s Grüner is Austrian. The grape’s typical expression is uncomplicated and fresh, with low alcohol and blend of savory, herbal, and dry fruit notes. But at Salomon-Undhof, one of the country’s most historic and important domaines, the Salomon family expands what’s possible from the grape.

Their 2021 Grüner Veltliner “Wachtberg” cuvée shows an extraordinary level of depth and complexity.  It’s classified Erste Lage (similar to premier cru in Burgundy), and we think it easily earns its higher rank. The nose is floral and beautiful, with savory/saline elements melting into lush ripe fruit. The Wine Advocate’s reviewer found notes of “blood orange and grapefruit zest,” calling it “clear, round and elegant.” The texture is more concentrated and waxy than most Grüners, but with the grape’s signature vibrant freshness.

This will easily accompany foods with a bit of kick – think Thai cuisine or sushi with a healthy dose of wasabi. But it’s a delight on its own after a long summer day.

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Salomon-Undhof Grüner Veltliner “Wachtberg” 2021
bottle price: $32

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Vouvray is the king of the central Loire Valley. Made from pure Chenin Blanc, the wine is a chameleon, ranging from very sweet to bone dry and from sparkling to still. The most famous cuvées from top names will improve for decades, and are among the world’s longest lived wines.

But not all Vouvray is ageworthy or serious. Today we’re pleased to introduce a delicious, dry, bursting Vouvray at an affordable price from our brand new source here, Domaine de la Fontainerie. Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare estate since the 1990s, and it’s been in her family since the early 1700s.

Her Vouvray Sec 2020 is a late-summer delight. The nose is lush and beautiful with exotic fruits alongside notes of chalk, apple, quince and pear. The mouth is rich, smooth and delicious with a bursting apple attack and a crunchy, stony dry finish. Serve with crumbly goat cheese, garlic-ginger shrimp from the grill, or pre-season football.

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Fontainerie Vouvray Sec 2020
bottle price: $25

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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 channels his historic family’s superb terroir in Chassagne-Montrachet – a town known for its lush, mouth filling whites — into sleek, ethereal, extraordinary wine. The 2021 vintage was a return to classically shaped wines in Burgundy, and the year fit Morey’s style perfectly. His 2021 Chassagne (the only wine to survive our Futures issue) is outstanding.

Jasper Morris found it “Quite floral for Chassagne… very stylish, very precise.” Exquisite wine from a master winemaker.

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Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 2021
bottle price: $75

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Sancerre is uncomplicated pleasure. A few top cuvées are meant to age and gain complexity, but most exist to provide simple, tasty, refreshment. Made from pure Sauvignon Blanc in soils laden with limestone and flint, Sancerre is usually unoaked and always crisp.

Our source here is Domaine de la Garenne, and their regular cuvée Sancerre is often our single best-selling white wine. Vinous’s reviewer called the 2022 “easygoing, clean, fresh” with an “appealing texture.” Look for notes of lime, grapefruit peel, stone, chalk and white flowers.

Don’t overthink this wine — simple, delicious, summertime white.

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Garenne Sancerre 2022
bottle price: $28

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It’s hard to call anywhere in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits “overlooked,” but Morey-Saint-Denis has always been a bit of an underdog. It’s a tiny place — about a mile from end to end, and home to fewer than 700 people — and sits between two larger and more famous neighbors. But it’s an impressive town in its own right, worthy of attention and respect.

And nowhere in our portfolio is this clearer than the wines of Domaine Amiot et Fils. The Amiots have tended vines in Morey-St-Denis since 1702, and just last spring welcomed the 10th generation Léon Amiot back to the domaine. Having split the vines with Jean-Louis’s brother Didier, they’ve created a new domaine with new energy, new techniques, and centuries of history.

We’ve always loved the wines from the Amiot family, but we’re even more excited about where they’re going.

We’re not the only ones. Léon’s first vintage is lights out good. The Millandes vineyard lies just several yards across the road from the famous Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, and its proximity to greatness is obvious. Normally the Amiots produce just 200 cases per vintage, but with yields down 50% in 2020, the number this year is less than 100. This wine grabbed our attention at the domaine for its delicious mix of concentration, energy, and detail.

Burghound awarded 90-93 points, finding “obvious power” in a “balanced effort [that] possesses very good quality in an ageworthy package.” We find dark, woodsy notes of briary blackberry and cassis. The mouth is intense and balanced, with fine, sturdy tannins coated in ripe, inky fruit.

An exquisite, modern red Burgundy from a rising star.

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Millandes” 2020
bottle price: $98

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Chablis is traditionally the purest, most stripped down form of Chardonnay from Burgundy. In recent decades winemakers have begun to experiment with oaking, particularly at the premier and grand cru levels – and the line between Chablis and Côte d’Or White Burgundies has blurred a bit. But today’s cuvée is unmistakable – classic, unoaked, old school premier cru Chablis.

Romain Collet’s 2020 1er cru Montmains is beautifully balanced – the vintage provided abundant lush fruit, which winemaker Romain expertly channeled into a sleek, vibrant, fresh Chablis with impressive depth. Jasper Morris found the wine lacking for nothing – “certainly, the bouquet is round enough without [oak].” He found “fresh apples, a little citrus, and persistent;” we agree, and would add an elegant note of lime zest.

A Chablis-lover’s Chablis.

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Collet Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2020
bottle price: $38

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Most franco-oenofiles know Cabernet Franc for the supporting role it plays in the great wines of Bordeaux. And indeed, there are more Cabernet Franc vines in Bordeaux than anywhere else in France. But it’s in the central Loire Valley, in towns like Chinon, Borgeuil, and Saumur-Champigny, where the grape shines in a solo role.

In recent decades organic viticulture, balanced wines, and affordable prices have become the calling cards of the Loire Valley. Our producer here is the 6th generation Domaine des Sanzay, crafting subtle, organic, delicious wines that overperform their pricetags by a mile.  Their 2019 Vieilles Vignes cuvée has seen a few years in the bottle and is beginning to unwind into an exquisite, detailed red wine. Look for a nose of berries, faint toast, cassis, earth and stones; the mouth is lively and long, with excellent intensity.

Serve this with something you’d normally pair with a red Burgundy, and don’t tell your guests what you paid.

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Sanzay Saumur-Champigny VV 2019
bottle price: $36

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A tasty entry-level red Burgundy is among the most useful wines in the cellar. If the moment calls for quiet introspection, pour it into a large glass and watch it unwind over an hour – given time and space the best cuvées will rival village-level reds for their complexity. If the setting is a boisterous family dinner replete with flavors and noise, serve it just a bit cool and watch the freshness and energy hold their own against a wide array of dishes.

Whatever the mood, a simple red Burgundy is often a great answer. One of our favorites comes from Sofie Bohrmann, a talented Belgian winemaker in Meursault. Her 2020 Bourgogne rouge is simply delicious, and it’s everything an entry level Bourgogne is meant to be: low oak, lovely red fruit, excellent energy, and a perfect Burgundian blend of earth and berries.

Borhmann’s Bourgogne vines are across the RN-74 from Pommard. At 35 years old, they’re more mature than many Bourgogne-level vines, and their fruit produces a wine of real complexity. She uses 70% whole clusters, giving the wines excellent definition and exquisite tension.

The nose shows seductive, crushed ripe red fruits, overlaid with a soft floral character. The mouth is perfectly ripe, smooth, and delicious, with fine chalky tannin supporting the bursting fruit. The 2020 shows a remarkably density, but also excellent acidity — some 2020 cuvées are destined for future greatness, but this one requires no patience.

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Bohrmann Bourgogne rouge 2020
bottle price: $36

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In Burgundy, the concept of terroir is both essential and elusive. A host of other variables – winemaker, vintage, barrel type, bottle age, etc – often conspire to hide the power of terroir. The only way to experience this magical property fully in isolation, with all other variables held unchanged.

This is standard during our tastings in Burgundy, where we see an entire lineup of wines from a single vintage at a single domaine – but it’s far less common back home. So for readers with the Burgundy bug, we’ve collected a half-case of wines to showcase terroir. Everything about these six wines – vintage, grape, winemaker, oaking, bottling date, bottle age – is exactly the same… except the specific place from which they come.

Read a book and you can know about terror. Taste these, and you’ll know (think the French verb connaître) terroir.

Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2020
Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits “Au Vallon” 2020
Gros Nuits-St-Georges 2020
Gros Gevrey-Chambertin 2020
Gros Chambolle-Musigny 2020
Gros Vosne-Romanée 2020

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Michel Gros Terroir Six-Pack
retail price: $428
six-pack: $385

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In a world of warmer summers and riper grapes, Chablis has become a bastion of freshness and balance. The satellite region of Burgundy lies 90 minutes north of the Côte d’Or, about half way to Paris — the climate is cooler and the terroir is stonier. The resulting wines are less ripe and more mineral than a typical Bourgogne blanc.

Many of the wines coming out of Chablis are better than they’ve ever been. Today’s wine is from the regional-level “Petit Chablis” appellation, which in recent years has put on a bit of muscle and depth with the changing climate. Gautheron’s 2022 Petit Chablis is a delight — the nose is floral and very dry with notes of lemon pith and grapeskin. The mouth is sturdy and delicious, with chalky backbone and beautiful white apple fruit.

Serve this during the next heatwave, with ice-cold oysters on the half-shell.

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Gautheron Petit Chablis 2022
bottle price: $28

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