Author: Thomas Wilcox

The Syrahs of the Northern Rhône are known for their intense color and soaring aromatics. Some wines even rival their Burgundian neighbors to the north in terms of elegance and subtlety. Though recent hot vintages have delivered a bit more meat on the bones than a decade ago, the most successful cuvées retain their classic northern complexity.

Our newest discovery in the region is the Domaine de Boisseyt, a recently founded domaine with an astonishing array of vineyards. At our most recent visit their 2019 Saint-Joseph “Izeras” grabbed our attention. This pure, sleek Syrah cuvée hails from old vines a windy plateau overlooking the river, and the resulting wine combines dark rustic power with floral, aromatic minerality in a dynamic concerto of high and low.

The 2019 Izeras is flat our delicious these days. The nose is dark and brooding, with no apparent oak and beautiful notes of tapenade, dark cherries, and stones. The mouth is compact and long, with a dry, sophisticated finish – it’s polished to sleek modern shine, but retains a rugged, untamed charm.

The Wine Advocate’s reviewer agreed with our enthusiasm, awarding 93 points and calling it “full-bodied, round and fleshy…with a long, silky finish.” He pointed out it’s “already drinking well, and should easily last through the end of the decade.” We think this domaine, and this cuvée in particular, is a real find – an awfully impressive wine under $50.

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Boisseyt Saint-Joseph “Izeras” 2019
bottle price: $49

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Burgundies are not getting any cheaper. With limited supply and ever-increasing demand, good values are harder and harder to find. But one Burgundian town that continues to deliver far more than people expect is St-Aubin. And we’re not the only ones to notice.

Rajat Parr writes writes that St-Aubin “produces some of the best-value Chardonnays in the world,” and Jancis Robinson says it “should now be regarded as virtually the equal” of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. Our source here is Gérard Thomas, a small family domaine has lived and made wine in St-Aubin since the 1940s. Their 2021s are a delicious return to classical Burgundian style.

Thomas’s Bourgogne blanc is as good as entry-level white Burgundy gets; their St-Aubin 1er cru “Murgers des Dents de Chien” is elegant, overperforming and classy. Today’s wine is their village-level St-Aubin, sitting nicely between the two.

The village level St-Aubin Champ Tirant is more earthy and savory than the Bourgogne, with less cream in the nose – it’s long in the mouth, with an easygoing mouthfeel and fresh finish. Jancis Robinson’s reviewer found “rich, broad fruit with precise, sculpted purity and freshness,” and “well-judged oak.”

In a world where many Bourgogne-level whites are pushing past $60/bot, Thomas’s village-level St-Aubin is a steal.

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Thomas St-Aubin “Champ Tirant” 2021
bottle price: $39

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The Domaine les Goubert is among the domaines we’ve worked with the longest. Over more than two decades their consistency has remained unshakable – good vintage and difficult, up year and down, Goubert’s delicious, well-priced Gigondas cuvées are like trusty old friends.

In recent years Florence, the thirty-something daughter at the domaine, has taken over the winemaking, and turned an always consistent production into one that truly shines. Josh Raynolds of Vinous called the wines “superb” and calls them “one of the appellations most venerable domaines.

Their 2020 Gigondas is the most exciting cuvée we’ve had from them in recent memory. The nose explodes with a symphony of floral notes, combining vibrant wild cherries, garrigue, blackberry, lavender, and earth. The mouth is long and fresh with excellent persistence. We sold out of our entire stock in two months last fall, so we’re pleased to have restocked earlier this month.

Raynolds gave 93 points, finding “palate-staining red/blue fruit,” with flavors that “deftly blend power and delicacy,” before an “impressively long, floral- and spice-driven finish.” We think it’s a tremendous value, priced in a range to pull out on casual weeknight.

This is always in the top three most popular reds we sell – a perfect blend of depth, elegance, and value. Open a bottle yourself and you’ll understand why.

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Goubert Gigondas 2020
bottle price: $29

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Roger Belland is best known for his beautiful, golden premier cru Clos Pitois from Chassagne-Montrachet. It’s rich, elegant, and everything you want in a top class white Burgundy. When we want to really impress someone with a Chardonnay, we often reach for the Pitois blanc.

Belland’s Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” blanc is not as complex or long-lived as the Chassagne premier cru — but for half the price it does an admirable impression, and we think it’s a bargain. White Burgundy prices continue to rise around the region, but this wine is proof that there’s still value to be found.

Belland’s Beauregard blanc vines are a few hundred yards from the Chassagne-Montrachet border, and the wine drinks like it’s from much fancier terroir. The 2020 Beauregard blanc is rich and opulent, the product of abundant ripe fruit channeled into a tasty package. Burghound agreed, finding it “succulent, round and delicious” with “good focus on the refreshing finale.”

The 2020 whites continue to be strikingly good — perfectly ripe, fleshy fruit bolstered by laser focus and elegant shape. With a tiny crop and impressive early drinking window, we don’t expect them to be around much longer.

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Belland Santenay 1er “Beauregard” blanc 2020
bottle price: $55

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We suppose it’s a good thing when in the opening paragraph of this fall’s article on “Insider’s Burgundy,” the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley mentions Gautier Desvignes by name as a face of a “new generation of quality-conscious producers” in the Côte Chalonnaise. We’re thrilled to see Gautier receive the recognition he deserves, even if it means his wines are a bit harder to come by.

Tasting the 2020s Kelley found “elegant, sumptuous reds,” and writes that Gautier’s “2020 portfolio is a strong follow-up to his lovely set of 2019s.” After them back in April we wholeheartedly agreed. Gautier’s entire lineup of 2020s has arrived in stock, and today we’re suggesting the best value of the bunch.

From a dry, sundrenched vintage, the 2020s from Desvignes drink like a cross between Gamay and Nuits-St-Georges. The 2020 Givry rouge punches well above its weight, with outstanding richness and intensity. If the Côte Chalonnaise calls to mind red-fruited, lightweight reds with bright tannins, it’s time to reconsider.

The Desvignes 2020 Givry packs an extraordinary amount of flavor into a $32 bottle – it’s among the best entry-level Burgundies in our cellar, and we’d put it up against much bigger names from the Côte de Nuits. The nose bursts with cassis and black fruits, with hints of earth and spices. The mouth is rich and layered with tremendous concentration. Kelley awarded 90 points, finding a “layered and concentrated palate framed by powdery tannins and succulent acids.”

The days of $20 Burgundian pinot may be behind us, but if this is what entry-level red Burgundy tastes like these days, sign us up.

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Desvignes Givry 2020
bottle price: $32

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The Northern Rhône represents (for now) the northern limit of where Syrah can ripen fully. As with many grapes, the area of northernmost range produces the most elegant and delicate expression of the grape – think South African Shiraz, now picture its opposite.

But recent warmer drier summers have changed the character in frontier regions a bit – in the Northern Rhône the reds have added a bit of weight and intensity. The best winemakers, however, have used this extra ripeness to support (rather than shout out) their classical style. Winemaker Denis Basset of the Domaine Saint Clair is one winemaker who walks this line between tradition and modernity with skill and grace.

Basset’s  excellent 2020s are drinking better now than ever. Despite a scorching hot, drought-filled summer, they show excellent freshness – Basset picked early enough to avoid the traps of high alcohol and flabbiness. The gamble paid off, and all three – Etincelle, Fleur Enchantée, and St-Joseph – are carefully structured and full of freshness.

The 2020 Crozes-Hermitage “Fleur Enchantée” is all of 13% alcohol – refreshingly fresh despite its abundant dark fruit. The nose shows clove and blackberry, with black pepper and hints of earth – the oak is barely perceptible. The mouth is young and juicy with dark tannins and plenty of zip. The blackberry/plum fruit joins a fresh minerality and long dusty finish.

This is casual, weeknight Syrah that way overperforms its $5/glass pricetag.

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Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage
“Fleur Enchantée” 2020
bottle price: $25

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Sancerre has no premier or grand cru classifications — all 6400 acres are under the same appellation. But, as you might expect, not all of Sancerre’s terroirs are created equal. Among the most famous is the steep slopes of the Monts Damnées (damned mountains).

The Domaine de la Garenne, our Sancerre source, farms a special plot along the same slope as Mont Damnées called “Les Bouffants.” It’s a single, limestone-heavy terroir which Garenne vinifies and bottles separately. The slope isn’t quite as steep as its famous neighbor, but it’s awfully close.

Garenne’s regular Sancerre is delightful — fruit forward, dry and refreshing. Their “Bouffants” cuvée is another level of impressive.

Made from pure, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, Bouffants is more dense and serious than Garenne’s regular cuvée. The 2022 is concentrated and very long, full of deep mineral intensity and dried fruit. Look for notes of pears and grapefruits, with a long, clean, very dry finish. Think of the ripe, intense fruitiness of a classic Sauvignon combined with the stony core of a Cru Muscadet.

Bouffants is a perfect food wine and can stand up to a wide range of diverse flavors. Serve it with lobster risotto or broiled fish. Sauvignon blanc seems to come from every corner of the world these days, but this will remind you: there’s nothing quite like Sancerre.

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Garenne Sancerre “Bouffants” 2022
bottle price: $32

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Aligoté is having a moment in Burgundy. Vignerons have grown the grape here for centuries, but for most of that time it’s been considered an afterthought – a high-acid grape producing humble, refreshing, unserious wines.

But as summers grow ever hotter and growing seasons shorten, Burgundian growers perennially in search of freshness have begun to rethink the grape’s potential. There’s even a movement to consider allowing blending with Chardonnay for major appellations, should the trend of ever warmer and drier summers continue.

Vincent Boyer’s Bourgogne-Aligoté makes a powerful case for the grape’s potential. It’s not in the same class as his magnificent cuvées from Meursault and Puligny, of course; but it’s the classiest Aligoté we know, and a striking bargain.

Boyer’s 2020 Bourgogne-Aligoté continues to get better. The nose shows a beautiful bouquet of cortland apples, buttered toast and chalk. With its mild acidity and easy, fresh, lightweight mouthfeel, it’s worlds away from the aligoté of yesteryear.

William Kelley found it “seamless…satiny and racy, with a fleshy core of fruit.” Burghound gave it his “Outstanding” rating (a rarity for a wine of its humble level), writing of the wine’s “delicious and vibrant middle-weight flavors” with “very good density and a refreshing salinity.” Pour with seafood, grilled chicken, or any summertime fare.

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Boyer-Martenot Bourgogne Aligoté 2020
bottle price: $24

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Winemaker Philippe Cheron doesn’t exactly look the part. His unkempt hair, bent spectacles, and meandering monologues call to mind an absent-minded professor of literature who hasn’t been outside in a while. But beneath the surface is a master winemaker with an extraordinary collection of vineyards comprising one of Burgundy’s most exciting new domaines.

Cheron combined his family holdings with the Domaine des Varoilles in 2019 to create the new Domaine du Couvent. Their enviable list of properties includes Nuits, Vosne, Chambolle and Gevrey, and ranges from Bourgogne to Grand Cru. Cheron’s style is sleek and pure, with less oak and more finesse than his predecessor at Varoilles.

We continue to be impressed with Cheron, as do Burgundy’s critics. Vinous’s Neal Martin calls the wines “splendid” and writes “definitely a grower that I will keep an eye on;” Burghound remarks “a domaine to watch going forward.”

We have a healthy lineup of wines in stock from Couvent, but today we’re focused on their 2020 village-level Chambolle-Musigny from the “Clos de l’Orme” plot. From a town known for its silky, seductive texture, Cheron has hit the nail squarely on the head with this wine. He combined the ripeness of the vintage with 25% whole clusters to produce and beautifully balanced and detailed wine that’s surprisingly delicious already.

Jasper Morris found “deep dark fruit” with “blackberry and blueberry on the nose.” Vinous’s Neal Martin praised the same wine as “fleshy and very easy-drinking.” Martin concluded: “Fine cohesion with just the right amount of tension on the finish, this is a well-crafted Chambolle-Musigny that will be difficult to resist in its youth.”

The length on this wine, particularly at the village level, is exceptional. Cheron is an exciting winemaker that we feel lucky to have, and today’s Chambolle is perfect example of his masterful craft.

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Couvent Chambolle-Musigny
“Clos de l’Orme” 2020
bottle price: $95

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Some wines from Bordeaux are about subtlety and finesse — but Chateau Destieux is not usually one of them. Destieux is the marriage of superb, ancient terroir with sleek, modern winemaking: old-school flavor in a bold, hedonistic, downright tasty package.

Named for an 8th century Breton hermit monk, the medieval town of St-Emilion has long been a center for winemaking. Viticulture there dates to at least 275 AD, when Roman soldiers cleared the local forest and replaced it with vines. Our source here is Christian Dauriac.

His Montlisse, a Grand Cru, is a delicious wine at an approachable price. But for special occasions, the Grand Cru Classé Destieux is a noticeable and impressive step up. And in 2016, it’s something special.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous was blown away by the 2016, calling it “gorgeous, modern St-Emilion,” offering “tremendous depth,… dark, jammy fruit, chocolate, spice, and new leather.” He awarded 94 points, and called it “a terrific showing.” His Vinous colleague Neal Martin, often a harder grader than Galloni, called it “among the best wines I have tasted from this estate.”

This is a wine of boldness, glamor, texture and intensity, and we just restocked for the second time. Open it today and enjoy it over several evenings (or several hours) — there’s impressive stuffing and backbone for the wine to withstand some time and air. But put a few bottles in the back of your cellar, and pull them out over the next 5-10 years — the wine ages magnificently, and by your last bottle we guarantee you’ll wish you had more.

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Destieux St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2016
bottle price: $95

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We’ve imported Chablis from the Domaine Gautheron for nearly a decade. Winemaker Cyril Gautheron’s precise, elegant, well-priced white Burgundies have become a staple at our warehouse tastings, our kitchen table, and the cellars of many of our readers. Jasper Morris MW is also a fan, writing recently, “I must say that Cyril Gautheron’s wines are climbing up my table of Chablis producers.”

Gautheron’s wines burst with juicy, stony fruit and lipsmacking flavor. Cyril uses oak barrels sparingly, and only to offer a whisper of support for the intense, concentrated fruit. His humble Petit Chablis and Vieilles Vignes are beautifully made and terrific values. But it’s in the premier crus that Cyril really flexes his winemaking muscle.

We’re excited to offer Gautheron’s Chablis 1er cru “Montmains” for the first time, a cuvée made from very old vines on Chablis’s Left Bank. Morris had high praise for Gautheron’s Montmains 2021, awarding 92-94 points and remarking “well done,” “very typical left bank fruit,” and “pure and even quite intense white fruit with a lime citrus finish.”

Cyril simply knocked this wine out of the park. There’s a surprisingly ample body (think sweet cream butter) accompanied by lots of supporting acidity, suggesting terrific complexity and very good aging potential. It’s beautifully elegant but especially vibrant, with loads of flavor channeled into an intense, concentrated, long mouthfeel. No rush to drink this, but it’s a real treat already.

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Gautheron Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2021
bottle price: $45

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Wine writer Lettie Teauge once described Sancerre as a wine that delivers “pleasure not profundity.” We think this is an excellent description – sometimes a moment calls for a grand, majestic wine, but other times all you need is something crisp, refreshing, and reliable.

Domaine de la Garenne’s Sancerre is the most popular white wine in our store, and with good reason – it perfectly balances fruit, freshness, minerals and energy, all in a startlingly affordable package. Their 2022 whites have just arrived in time for summer enjoyment.

Garenne’s Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc in its purest form. Grown on a combination of flint, clay, and limestone soils, it’s prototypical Sancerre – no oak, crisp minerality, lovely dry fruit. The 2022 growing season was relatively uneventful in the Loire (a break from recent hardships), and the resulting wines embody the carefree nature of the vintage.

The 2022 Sancerre blanc from Garenne is simply delicious. It’s not as rich as the baked 2020 vintage, nor as piercing as last year’s 2021 – it treads a Goldilocks’ path with tremendous success. The nose has grapefruit and stones, alongside hints of white flowers and chalk. The mouth is easy, crisp, and delicious with dry fruit and a vibrant finish – everything you want in a weeknight Sancerre.

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Garenne Sancerre 2022
bottle price: $28

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This month’s arrival of Mas Foulaquier wines is perfectly timed for the start of spring/summer. As the warm weather draws us outside into the natural world, these vibrant, low-intervention wines are the perfect accompaniment.

Located in Pic-St-Loup, among the best terroirs in the Languedoc, Foulaquier crafts delicious red blends by employing careful biodynamic viticulture. Their wines channel the region’s wildness into exuberant, fruit-and-earth mixtures that are always complex and always polished.

Our newest cuvée from Foulaquier is called “Montagnes Bleues.” It’s pure Grenache raised in concrete tanks — a crisp, vibrant, unadulterated take on the grape. At 12.5% alcohol, the 2019 bursts with beautiful strawberry fruit, hints of grenache smoke, and notes of garrigue and lavender. The mouth is smooth, crisp and crackling with delicious, relaxed tannin – the shape of a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc wrapped in a Provencal package.

There’s less “Foulaquier Funk” than usual in this wine, and we anticipate its appeal will be broader than their other cuvées. It’s the perfect summerweight red, and one to enjoy outside under a blue summer sky.

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Foulaquier Montagnes Bleues 2019
bottle price: $22

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We’ve imported Chablis from the Domaine Gautheron for nearly a decade. Winemaker Cyril Gautheron’s precise, elegant, well-priced white Burgundies have become a staple at our warehouse tastings, our kitchen table, and the cellars of many of our readers. Jasper Morris MW is also a fan, writing recently, “I must say that Cyril Gautheron’s wines are climbing up my table of Chablis producers.”

Gautheron’s wines burst with juicy, stony fruit and lipsmacking flavor. Cyril uses oak barrels sparingly, and only to offer a whisper of support for the intense, concentrated fruit. Today we’re releasing his classic, elegant 2021 old-vine Chablis, laser focused and showing remarkable density and complexity.

Drawn from vines planted in the 1950s, the Chablis VV shows excellent dry material. The wine shows a soft savory spice that suggests grape skins, herbs, and dried flowers. There’s a lushness to the texture of the wine that somehow remains perfectly dry – the depth is tremendous and the finish is long and clean.

The 2021 vintage was a return to classic Chablis, and a step away from the ripe, thick wines of recent years. Jasper Morris writes “This is quite substantial for the vintage and with good length,” finding “an attractive and currently slightly spicy bouquet. Lots of energy.” At $32 this easily overdelivers its humble village-level billing.

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Gautheron Chablis VV 2021
bottle price: $32

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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 in Bordeaux, Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines.

On Bordeaux’s Right Bank, particularly in the towns of Pomerol and St-Emilion, Merlot reaches its ultimate expression. The exact combination of limestone and gravel soils produce a version of the grape with balance, definition, and depth.

Made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it’s a rich, velvety blend with a classic combination of dark fruit and spice. Vinous reviewer Neal Martin loved the 2017 Montlisse, awarding 92 points and finding it “medium bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, much fresher than many of its peers with a lovely, caressing finish. Excellent.”

We agree with Neal. Today this wine is smooth and elegant, with mellow fruit and subtle earthy/tobacco notes. The mouth is rich and velvety, with fleshy, approachable tannins supporting the gorgeous fruit. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets. Pour this with a Sunday afternoon roast.

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Montlisse St-Emilion Grand Cru 2017
bottle price: $38

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