Author: Thomas Wilcox

In our portfolio filled with brilliant, committed and passionate winemakers, there is none more so than Jacqueline André of the Domaine Pierre André in Châteauneuf du Pape. Her family has been a pioneer in organic viticulture, beginning with a grandfather who decided in 1963 that chemicals were bad for vines and gave them up entirely (just as most others were dialing up treatments).

As a result, she farms some vines that are more than 140 years old. Those vines’ roots reach profoundly deep — back in time, you might say — channeling an enormous range of minerals into a precious few bunches of grapes. And in the hands of meticulous craftswoman such as Jacqueline, they become truly magnificent wine, at once deep and soaring.

André pours her entire soul into just two wines (one white, one red), and the resulting cuvée is among the most special wines in our cellar. The 2019 is a triumph: There are delicious dark fruits of blackberry and cassis. The wine is dense and rich, with good structure and lots of intensity – “construit” (“built”) she called it. There is excellent complexity too — tiny notes of anise, lavender, thyme, raspberries and more.

More than perhaps any other in our portfolio, this wine embodies the term “layers.” And as always, though it is rich, the wine has plenty of freshness. We love watching this wine age and have yet to have a tired bottle, but this one should be delightful young as well, particularly enjoyed from a decanter. If possible, enjoy it outside in a big glass after a 3-hour decant — it will come alive with the spirit of the nature from which it springs.

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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019
bottle price: $59

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As most of you know already, Poggerino is a top-notch producer from Chianti in Italy. Nearly all of our winemakers are French, but we carve out a small exception for Piero and Benedetta Lanza in Radda. Rajat Parr calls their pure Sangiovese wines “some of the purest expressions of [Sangiovese] in Italy.” Wine Spectator calls their wines “impeccably balanced.”

Poggerino’s excellent wines seem to get better every year — their dry, punchy Rosato is all you need for summer heat. Their 2018 Riserva is a stunningly complex wine under $50, with a long life ahead of it. And their recently revived Labirinto is a humble, delicious, juicy glass.

But their flagship — the crowd favorite, for good reason — remains the Chianti Classico. And the 2020 is as good as it’s ever been.

Poggerino’s 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.” We plan to keep our portfolio’s focus on French wines, but wines like this make us want to expand. Poggerino’s 2020 Classico is a no-brainer addition to your cellar.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2020
bottle price: $25

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By Burgundy standards, Nuits-St-Georges is an enormous appellation, stretching nearly four miles end to end. The soil makeup varies widely across the town, and Nuits can best be thought of as three distinct districts: north, middle and south. The northern part that borders Vosne is the most elegant, the middle the boldest and most powerful, and the southern the most mineral.

Today’s cuvée comes from the middle, not far from the famous “Les St-Georges” vineyard from which the town borrows its name. Michel Gros’s “les Chaliots” vineyard produces a classic expression of Nuits: deep intensity, muscular texture, deep dark fruit. We love this wine year in and year out, but in a vintage like 2019 it’s simply stellar.

The trick in Nuits-St-Georges (particularly the middle sector) is to balance the readily available tannin with enough fruit and finesse. The rugged structure of Nuits grapes tends toward rusticity if left untamed. But as you might expect from someone who recently celebrated his 40th vintage at the helm of his domaine, Michel has steered this cuvée beautifully, and hit the balance just right.

The nose is deep and lovely, with plums, blackberries, toast and spice. The mouth is rich and concentrated, with deep color and even deeper flavor. Burghound found “notes of plum liqueur and dark currant,” and called it “quite rich and suave.”

The past few 2019s we’ve opened have been in a terrific drinking window – they’ve shed a touch of their baby fruit and tannin, but are still in a youthfully juicy stage. They’re certainly built to last, should you want, but pour some steak frites and you won’t need much more.

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Gros Nuits-St-Georges “Chaliots” 2019
bottle price: $75

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Roger Belland produces a dozen cuvées from around the southern end of the Côte d’Or, including from famous vineyards in Chassagne, Puligny, and Volnay. But it’s the wines of his hometown Santenay that often appeal to us most. Belland’s style is plump and juicy, with approachable tannins and beautiful aromatics – they never last long in our cellar or on a dinner table.

In 2020 his fruit-forward friendly style is even more on display than usual, and these are some of the most drinkable Belland reds we can remember. Winemaker Martin Boyer has expertly balanced the lush ripe fruit of the vintage with clean freshness and stony precision. The result is friendly, delicious red Burgundy that’s at once complex and gulpable.

The Belland Santenay 1er Gravieres 2020 is fresh and lively, with exquisite floral notes and a fine mineral nose of stones and roses. The mouth is crisp and fresh with excellent length. There’s classic juicy 2020 fruit, but it’s not a bit overripe – the stony fruit is perfectly supported by careful tannins. This is floral and beautiful today, but the mineral intensity should carry it easily for years to come.

Burghound gave 90 points, finding it “attractively textured,” “seductive,” and “refreshing.” Serve with grilled chicken or pork chops.

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Belland Santenay 1er “Gravières” 2020
bottle price: $49

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Wine writer Rajat Parr describes St. Aubin as the “insider’s white Burgundy.” Wedged in a valley between Chassagne and Puligny, this town produces white Burgundy with hints of Montrachet’s golden richness, but a less stratospheric price tag. St-Aubin has become rarer and pricier like everything else in Burgundy, but it’s still far more affordable than its famous neighbors.

At the western edge of the St. Aubin appellation lies a plot named “Murgers des Dents de Chiens.” Perched just up the hill from Montrachet itself, this St. Aubin 1er cru is a remarkable value. It’s everything that white Burgundy should be – rich, refreshing, complex, and elegant. The 2021 vintage is a return to the traditional Burgundian style, with clean, precise fruit and excellent tension.

Gerard Thomas’s 1er cru St-Aubin is exquisite wine — consistently excellent year in and year out. It’s polished and modern, and drinks like a far fancier bottle. “Murgers” is considered some of the best terroir in the village, and while St-Aubin is hardly the secret it once was, it still provides nearly unparalleled white Burgundy value.

Thomas’s 2021 shows smoke on the nose but not much oak, with a deep, pretty, floral character – it’s sophisticated in a way that calls to mind Puligny. On the palate it’s crackling and savory, with a long and tense finish that’s vibrant and lithe. Jancis found a “lees richness intertwined with the fruit,” with “pristine freshness” and “mouth-watering savor on the finish.”

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Thomas St-Aubin 1er cru
“Murgers des Dents de Chien” 2021
bottle price: $52

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Riesling continues to be a highly underrated varietal. Its sweet examples can be transcendent and delicious, but it’s also capable of excellence in dry form. Pound for pound, dry Rieslings make up some of the best values in our portfolio. One of our favorite comes from Domaine Gross, a small, biodynamic family source in Alsace. It’s everything you want Riesling to be, all for under $5/glass.

Vincent Gross is a young, enthusiastic winemaker practicing biodynamic viticulture, and producing truly exciting wines. His 2020 is delicious, and the perfect antidote to a warm summer afternoon. The nose is an exotic mix of orchard fruits and wild herbal honey. The mouth is dry, quite full, and bursting with biodynamic complexity – look for honeydew melon, lime, lemon zest, apple and pear.

Serve this on its own — it’s a crisp, lively aperitif to match crackers or early evening snacks. For dinner, pair with a dish full of spices — think middle eastern or Indian. Or, if it’s been a long day — takeout sushi.

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Gross Riesling 2020
bottle price: $22

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The Languedoc is a vast winegrowing area stretching across the south of France between the Mediterranean and Bordeaux, and most of the wine made there is singularly undistinguished. But if one moves into the hills and foothills of its northern border, one can find excellent terroir.

The Clos Bagatelle is in one of these spots. They’re located St. Chinian, where good elevation and a range of soils — distinct areas of limestone, sandstone, and schist — have allowed the Deleuze family to make wines of character for many years. In fact, wine has been made at the property since 1643.

After several years away we’re excited to finally have their excellent “Fil de Soi” back in stock.

Bagatelle’s 2019 Fil de Soi is terrific. The wine is a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. It is raised in a combination of large wood foudres and smaller barrels, which yields a wine that is always fleshy and rich. It opens with a nose of dark fruit and spice. In the mouth there are ripe plums mingled with a pleasant earthiness. The wine is full and round, with good persistence on the palate and a pleasant finish.

In the case of the 2019 vintage, the pandemic provided a gift. This wine often benefits from a bit of time in the cellar to let the elements fully integrate, and we find that it begins drinking particularly well about a year after it arrives. As luck would have it, Bagatelle couldn’t source enough bottles for this cuvée for over a year. So the wine got an extra year of elevage, finishing up with some months in concrete tanks, and the result this vintage is smooth, delicious, and ready for your summer table.

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Bagatelle St-Chinian “Fil de Soi” 2019
bottle price: $25

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It’s hard to discuss Burgundy these days without talking about prices. Bottles from the region’s iconic domaines can be unaffordable for all but the most well heeled collectors, and their secondary market value means that speculation is commonplace. We don’t play much at this level – even our highest end wines rarely change hands after sale – but prices among our suppliers are rising as well. The wines of Burgundy have never been better or more sought after, and simple economics is at play.

But if you know where to look – up-and-coming vignerons, less famous regions, smaller cuvées, just about anything in Chablis – there’s unmistakable value to be found in Burgundy. We pride ourselves on the size of our sub-$50 portfolio, and today we’re suggesting one of our most exciting recent discoveries.

Sebastien Giroux is a small-scale winemaker in Pouilly-Fuissé in the Maconnais. This southern Burgundian subregion has seen a resurgence of interest since it ditched the overoaked whites of thirty years ago, but the pricing has yet to catch up. Giroux has caught the eye of Jasper Morris and William Kelley, Burgundy’s top two critics, and having now visited two years in a row, we can confirm the wines live up to their considerable reputation.

Giroux’s entire lineup of exquisite Maconnais whites will be in next Sunday’s May Futures release, including his extraordinary new Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru – but today we’re starting with a humbler suggestion: the 2019 Pouilly-Loché.

Pouilly-Loché is the next appellation east from Pouilly-Fuissé and makes similar if less concentrated white Burgundies. Giroux’s style is one of patience and restraint – his wines are barely oaked, and he puts them back into tank for a year or more before bottling. Today’s 2019 Pouilly-Loché completed 30 months of elevage, an unheard of time for a wine of its price and status. But as you might expect, the wine delivers far more than its appellation or pricetag would suggest.

The nose is sunny and delightful, showing baked lemon, pear fruit, and cool stony notes. The mouth is superb – long, tense, lively, and elegant. William Kelley found notes of “sweet orchard fruit, clear honey and white flowers,” calling it “satiny and lively” with a “saline finish;” he calls Giroux’s wines in general “supple, pure and charming.” We think there’s no chance Giroux isn’t better known a year from now – stock up while his wines are still affordable and available.

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Giroux Pouilly-Loché 2019
Ansonia retail: $385
May Futures: $295/case

 

After three consecutive hot, dry vintages in Burgundy, Mother Nature decided to mix in a changeup, throwing just about every possible malady at the long-suffering winemakers of the Côte d’Or. An April frost devastated much of France, with some producers losing as much as 90% of their crop in just two nights. Then the summer turned wet and humid, causing high risk of oidium, rot, and mildew. Harvest in the second half of September was soggy and small.

And yet many, if not all, of the 2021 Burgundies are lovely. They show neither the concentration nor the ripeness of the last three scorching years, but instead carry a daintiness and precision that some (including us) find a welcome relief. We’re thrilled to release our first today, the excellent 2021 Bourgogne blanc from Gérard Thomas – a throwback in style to a decade ago perhaps, but in a sleek, modern package.

Thomas’s Bourgogne blanc has long been a favorite among readers, and with many relying on it for their house white Burgundy. We’ve imported this wine for nearly 15 years, and those readers who discovered it pre-2015 will recognize an old friend in the 2021. (For those more familiar with recent vintages, picture a less intense wine with more lift — think flute rather than clarinet.)

The nose shows sweet cream butter, with a lovely sucrocité and dry fruit. The mouth is dry and savory, trading the plump, tropical ripeness of recent vintages for a cool precision and fine waxy texture. Pair this with a plate of shrimp scampi, or a fish from the grill.

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Thomas Bourgogne blanc 2021
bottle price: $29

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If we were to pick one thing we look for above all else when evaluating a wine, it would be balance. No matter the grape or region, style or price, a wine with all its elements in at the correct levels succeeds. Achieving balance between ripeness and freshness has become harder in recent hot, dry summers, particularly in the scorching south of France.

So we’re always thrilled to find classic Southern Rhône blends that manage to show energy and zip. The cooler than usual 2021 growing season gave winemakers a leg up in this effort, and we’re thrilled to release our first 2021 Rhône red today: Domaine le Souverain Séguret 2021.

Winemaker Eric Chauvin has crafted a humble, refreshing, delicious Rhône red – a screaming bargain that’s hard to put down. Made from 50/50 Grenache/Syrah raised only in stainless steel (no oak), this wine carries a beautiful energy throughout its dark, mouthfilling palate.

The nose is deep and perfumed, showing violet, cassis, and a hint of local garrigue. The mouth is dark and lush but with great freshness and a concentrated, middleweight mouthfeel. It’s the perfect wine for a weeknight burger or takeout pizza – upgrade your go-to Côtes du Rhône with a beautifully balanced everyday red.

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Souverain Séguret 2021
bottle price: $19

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The Salomon-Undhof estate dates to 1792, and is currently on its 7th and 8th generation winemakers, father and son Bert and Bert Salomon. Their terraced vines overlooking the Danube have long been an excellent source, with the country’s foremost wine guide calling them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”

“Austrian wine” is nearly 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 the Salomons expand what’s possible from the grape, and today’s cuvée is a whole other level of Grüner.

Salomon’s 2021 Grüner Veltliner “Wachtberg” is simply delicious. It’s classified Erste Lage (similar to premier cru in Burgundy), and we think it easily earns its higher rank. It shows the same fleshy dryness as Salomon’s humble Grüner “Wieden,” but with considerably more depth and complexity.

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. As warmer weather sets in, this is just the ticket.

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

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Back in 2018, winemaker Pierro Lanza of the Fattoria Poggerino said goodbye to his “Labirinto” cuvée. The young vines used for this cuvée had finally grown up, gone to college, and moved out of the house. (More accurately they became old enough for inclusion in his base Chianti Classico cuvée.) We were sad to see Labirinto disappear, but happy to see our Classico allocation increase.

This year we’re thrilled to welcome Labirinto back into the lineup. New vines planted in the last decade have become old enough to help out around the house, and Lanza has dusted off the old labels and restarted the cuvée. In the past five years Poggerino has certainly gotten more famous, but the quality has undoubtedly risen to match.

Poggerino’s Labirinto cuvée is 90% sangiovese, with a splash of local organic Merlot blended in from a neighbor. You can’t taste the Merlot at all, but the addition perfectly rounds out the energetic young sangiovese juice. The resulting cuvée is dangerously drinkable – fresh, silky smooth and delicious on its own.

We opened the Labirinto and the Chianti Classico side by side yesterday, and they’re both terrific. Labirinto’s fruits are redder – think wild cherries – with a smooth mouthfeel and very subtle tannin. The Classico is darker and woodsier (blackberries, cassis) with slightly firmer tannins and a longer mouthfeel.

The extremely well-priced Chianti Classico is among our best selling wines, and we predict the 2021 Labirinto won’t be far behind: friendly, fresh, gulpable sangiovese with no pretense at an even better price.

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Poggerino Labirinto 2021
bottle price: $22

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Some wine writers will tell you that we’re living in the golden age of Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Twenty years ago winemakers would struggle to ripen their grapes, and as anyone who’s had one will agree, underripe Cabernet Franc is a particular sort of unappealing. Twenty years from now, if warmer summers and earlier harvests continue, the wines may become unrecognizable. Rejoice, they say, in this window of perfect weather.

The size of the window and speed at which it closes remain to be seen, but, as far as the present goes, we wholeheartedly agree. The reds coming out of the central Loire are irresistibly good – the best match juicy ripeness with a precision and freshness. Our source here is Domaine des Sanzay, an organic producer making humble, delicious, affordable wines.

The 2021 cuvée is a return to the classic expression — delicate red fruit, excellent freshness, and perfectly extracted middle-weight tannin. The fruits are dark and pretty, with violets and cassis; the mouth is crackling and fresh with excellent density and a cool finish.

With low alcohol, a vibrant and fresh mouthfeel, and a friendly pricetag, this is a perfect wine for the arrival of spring. Pair with anything light from grill, a spring salad, or goat cheese on crackers. Serve it slightly cool, and, if possible, enjoy a glass outside.

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Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2021
bottle price: $22

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Over the weekend we celebrated Oysterfest at our warehouse in Newton. It was a smashing success: our diligent visitors put away over 600 oysters in just four hours, not to mention polishing off a few cases of Champagne, Chablis, Muscadet, Sancerre and more.

The most impressive wine of the tasting by near unanimous vote was the 2011 Champagne “Kimmeridgienne” from Jacques Robin. It elicited more than a few audible “woah!”s from tasters, and we can’t blame them. Made from pure Pinot Noir grown in chalk/limestone/clay soils, this wine sat on its lees for eight years, gaining complexity and exceptional depth.

The result is a tiny volume (a few thousand bottles) cuvée that we’d put up against just about any bubbles from a fancier name.

Made from 100% pinot noir, the 2011 Kimmeridgienne’s eight years on the lees is immediately evident. A gorgeous and refined nose bursts from the glass, showing notes of cream, brioche, creme brulee, coffee, and hazelnut; the mouth is dry but rich and very long, with notes of candied fruit, chalk, and butter.

Vintage grower champagne of this caliber can easily cost $300-$500 a bottle, and frankly much of it isn’t half this interesting or complex. Whether you serve a bottle at your next family gathering, or just split one with a friend or two and a plate of oysters, we’re confident this will induce a “woah” from you too.

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Robin Champagne Kimmeridgienne 2011
bottle price: $75

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There’s something irresistible about the combination of a well-browned, juicy cut of meat and a glass of red wine. For subtler meats like duck or tenderloin, we love Burgundy; for lamb or anything spiced, send us Côte Rôtie. But for something hearty – a ribeye perhaps – our favorite is Bordeaux.

Red Bordeaux can be astronomically pricey, but it needn’t always be. We love finding under-the-radar gems from lesser-known Chateaux, and today’s is a great example: a five-year-old Pauillac that’s simply delicious. And at $32 it leaves plenty of room to go top shelf on your steak.

If Pauillac is classic Bordeaux, then Chateau Artigues is classic Pauillac. It’s equal parts cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and aged a year in a mix of tank and 25% new oak. Pauillac is known for its powerful wines that are mouthfilling and ageworthy – this should continue to improve for another year or two, but after 30 min in a decanter it’s awfully hard to put down today.

The nose is attractive and very dark, with oak melting carefully into the cassis and cherry fruit. The mouth is rich and concentrated, but not exuberant or showy – there’s plenty of definition and stony structure to keep this in line. The tannins are full and smoothed, with a long, careful finish.

Serve this at your first patio dinner of the season – your guests won’t know the name, but after a few sips they won’t care.

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Chateau Artigues Pauillac 2018
bottle price: $32

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