Author: Thomas Wilcox

Christophe Mestre is from an old Châteauneuf-du-Pape family. Together with his wife and son they craft a single delicious, traditional, early drinking cuvée. In a town where luxury cuvées and single-varietal bottlings have become in vogue, the Mestres stick with the original formula – a single, appellation-wide cuvée.

Christophe farms plots more than a dozen plots around the appellation, blending Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, and a touch of Cinsault. The elevage is 18 months, mostly in foudres and large oak, with some in cement eggs and vats. The resulting wine is accessible, crowd pleasing, and the perfect wine for cool weather.

The 2022 vintage is explosive aromatically – you can smell it from a glass several feet away. It offers a bursting nose of youthful fruit with lush floral notes. It’s rich and supple, but with noticeable freshness that prevents heaviness and keeps it juicy. The bigger the glass you have, the more you’ll appreciate the nose. Serve with an autumn stew.

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022
bottle price: $35

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Morey-St-Denis is perhaps the least celebrated of the four great Côte de Nuits towns. Its tiny scale (1 mile wide, population 680) and position between the giants of Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin mean it’s rarely the loudest voice in a lineup of Burgundies. But there are outstanding winemakers and extraordinary terroir here.

Our source in Morey is the Domaine Amiot, a gem of a domaine headed up by twentysomething Léon Amiot, the tenth generation of Amiot to work vines in the town. Their careful organic winemaking produces wines of exceptional clarity and balance, and lately has begun to turn heads among wine writers.

The Amiots farm vines in both Morey and Gevrey, but we’ve long thought their best wine is their Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Ruchots,” generally considered the best premier cru in town. From an acre of vines, the Amiot family makes just 200 cases of this wine per year. Their vines, planted in the 1950s, produce concentrated, intense red Burgundy, particularly in vintage like 2022. Allen Meadows (Burghound) awarded the 2022 Ruchots 92 points, finding it “sleek and fine” with a “caressing, even sappy mouthfeel.”

This wine is enough to prove that Morey-St-Denis is much more than just a stop between Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin. Its nose is dark and spicy, with hints of earth and smoke. The mouth is ripe, rich, and long, with blackberry and woodsy flavors. There’s enough concentration to keep this aging beautifully for a decade, but like most 2022s it’s exquisite today.

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Ruchots” 2022
bottle price: $125

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Burgundy is a comparatively small region in size of production, but it covers an enormous range of terroirs. From Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south, Burgundy stretches over 150 miles – from just a few unblended grape varietals, the Burgundians produce an extraordinary range of wine.

Today’s wine will be just about the southernmost Burgundy you’ve ever had. This white Beaujolais is 100% chardonnay, and from organically farmed vines at 300m elevation near Brouilly. Winemaker Guillaume Goujon raises this ⅔ in 600L barrels and ⅓ in tank, fermenting with ambient yeasts and giving a year of elevage before bottling. The resulting wine is sunny and ripe as expected from its latitude, but with low alcohol (13%) and exquisite freshness and detail.

We’ve long enjoyed this wine at tastings, but have never received an allocation until now. It’s simply beautiful, natural white Burgundy – a bit like a low-intervention Maconnais white but with more minerality. The nose shows apricots and fresh herbs, while the mouth is long, lush, and silky, balanced with beautiful chalky freshness. James Suckling’s writer Stuart Spigott was blown away, writing “This could well be the best dry white wine made so far in Beaujolais.”

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Dupré-Goujon Beaujolais blanc “Clos des Mûriers” 2022
bottle price: $35

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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 on Bordeaux’s right bank Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines. The exact combination of limestone and gravel soils produce a version of the grape with balance, definition, and depth.

We’ve long enjoyed the delicious and well-priced St-Emilion from Chateau Montlisse. Made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it’s a rich, velvety blend with a classic combination of dark fruit and spice, but well supported by a solid backbone and lively freshness. We’ve just received the terrific 2019, and it’s as good as ever.

From a magnificent vintage, the 2019 Château Montlisse is everything you want from a sub-$50 Bordeaux: smooth and elegant, with mellow fruit and gorgeous earthy notes, and a solid core of structure and concentration. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets. Neal Martin in Vinous cited “fine grained tannins and well judged acidity,” concluding, “this is a classy offering from Montlisse.” Pour this with a steak salad or this hearty Mushroom Farro.

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Montlisse St-Emilion Grand Cru 2019
bottle price: $42

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If every vintage of white Burgundy were like 2022, you wouldn’t hear much complaining. Perfectly-timed rain showers in June and August punctuated an otherwise record-breaking summer of drought and heat. The resulting wines are magnificent – friendly and open but with tremendous concentration and real complexity. “Bountiful and beautiful,” writes Jasper Morris.

Nobody was more successful in 2022 than Sofie Bohrmann, a quietly brilliant producer based in Meursault. Sofie farms an impressive collection of vineyards around St-Aubin, Meursault, St-Romain and Puligny – her wines offer terrific value, particularly in a stellar vintage. Her style is limited oak, overtly floral, low-alcohol, and impeccable balance.

Sofie’s village level St-Aubin from “Champ Tirant” is a tremendous success. The nose is exquisite, bursting with white flowers and notes of lemon curd, apple crisp, nectarine and beeswax. The mouth is sleek and delicious with delicate acidity balancing a smooth and polished texture. Serve with fish and chips.

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Bohrmann St-Aubin “Champ Tirant” 2022
bottle price: $55

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The Beaujolais has become a hotbed of innovative winemaking in recent years. Land prices and startup costs have chased new winemakers from the Côte d’Or, and many have landed further south in the Maconnais, Chalonnaise, and Beaujolais. These young vignerons are pushing the limits of what’s possible from the gamay grape, and we’ve found several remarkable and revolutionary cuvées.

But old school Beaujolais still has a certain charm, and when the weather turns crisp and the leaves start to fall, sometimes we’re in the mood for a simple, unoaked, refreshing gamay. And that’s just what Frederic Berne has made with his 2023 Beaujolais-Lantigné “Pierre Bleu.” It’s few bucks more than a Beaujolais Nouveaux, but easily ten times the wine.

Berne is a thoughtful organic winemaker working near the Côte de Brouilly. The 2023 Pierre Bleu is grown on the appellation’s signature blue granite soil – it’s lively and floral with low tannins and an easy, refreshing finish. A friendly Beaujolais for a backyard barbeque or tailgate.

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Berne Beaujolais-Lantigné “Pierre Bleu” 2023
bottle price: $25

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Transition to organics/biodynamics may be trendy in winemaking today, but it’s nothing new at the Domaine Pierre André in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Jacqueline André’s grandfather stopped using chemicals in his vines in 1963, and the domaine has been certified organic since 1980 – the first in the appellation.

As it turns out, he was onto something — some plots of the André family wines are now over 140 years old, and still producing gorgeous fruit. Pierre’s daughter Jacqueline now tends these ancient vines (she calls them her “grand dammes” or “old ladies”) with the love and attention usually reserved for family members. In his excellent “The New French Wine” published last year, Jon Bonné writes, “Jacqueline André has quietly been upholding the extraordinary quality of her family’s domaine in a manner that legitimately earns the word “artisan.”

The 2021 vintage was anything but smooth across France, and the Rhône Valley was no exception. But truly great winemakers show their greatness mostly clearly in difficult vintages, and Jacqueline André’s 2021 results put her in that class. Her 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge is elegant and absolutely delicious wine. Grenache always dominates the fruit in her wine, but in 2021 the distinct aromas of dried rose petals join the usual sweet wild strawberries to produce a refined and elegant glass of wine that is strikingly good.

This is a middleweight Châteuneuf, for enjoyment in all seasons, not just beside a roaring fire. Low tannin, subtle layers, and Burgundian finesse highlight this stellar, timeless southern Rhône red.

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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2021
bottle price: $65

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Wine lovers who follow the great white Burgundies of the Côte de Beaune have long looked to the side valleys – one coming in between Chassagne and Puligny, and another between Meursault and Volnay – for top quality at good prices. Sofie Borhmann has several plots up both valleys, and they’re responsible for some of her best value wines.

The word is out about the first valley (St-Aubin), and while the wines here have never been better (and indeed Sofie’s are exceptional), the pricing discount has softened a bit. But the other valley (St-Romain) still holds some hidden potential, and we’re delighted to introduce Bohrmann’s 2022 St-Romain today.

St-Romain sits about 400-500 feet higher in elevation than Borhmann’s hometown of Meursault, a real advantage in Burgundy’s new hot dry summer climate. Sofie acquired the Clos Sous le Chateau, a small monopole below the ruins, a decade ago, and it was a very smart choice. Her 2022 St-Romain is an exquisite combination of ripeness and zip – less creamy and soft than St-Aubin, but with Sofie’s signature golden polish. With just a splash of oak and a delicate bouquet of white flowers, acacia and almonds, this has to be among the best sub-$50 Burgundies around.

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Bohrmann St-Romain “Clos Sous le Chateau” 2022
bottle price: $49

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Sebastien Giroux is exactly the type of winemaker we love to work with. He farms a tiny 6-hectare estate in southern Burgundy’s Maconnais region essentially by himself. Some of his wines come in allocations with single-digit case quantities; his rooms for vinification, bottle stockage, labeling, and tasting, are all… the same room.

Yet his disciplined organic winemaking results in extraordinary wines – William Kelley describes them as “supple, pure and charming.” We sold off every last bottle in the store last month, and are delighted (and relieved) to have them back in stock. And one of our favorites this year is humble Macon-Fuissé “Vers Chanes” vineyard.

Sebastien took us to his vines here last spring – he explained that when the original lines of the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation were drawn last century, the Vers Chanes plot had been forest. The since-cleared land, many think, would rank today as Pouilly-Fuissé if the lines were redrawn. Lucky for us – today it remains a Macon-Fuissé, an overperforming terroir with a less famous name.

The wine itself is exquisite – unoaked Chardonnay with precise, linear focus. The nose calls to mind the golden lushness of Pouilly-Fuissé, but without the oak to obscure the gorgeous fruit. The mouth is lithe and precise, with chiseled minerality beneath the apple blossom and apricot notes. Sub-$30 white Burgundy is on its way to becoming a thing of the past. Giroux’s Macon-Fuissé is proof the genre remains.

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Giroux Macon-Fuissé “Vers Chanes” 2022
bottle price: $28

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Regular readers will know Gautier Desvignes, the humble, friendly, thirtysomething winemaker who has transformed his modest family domaine into a top name in the region. William Kelley writes that Desvignes is “one of the leading lights in the Côte Chalonnaise,” and we wholeheartedly agree.

Gautier’s 2022s show a talented winemaker firing on all cylinders. He has refined his cellar technique considerably, using gentler extractions, and focused his barrel work through exhaustive (some might say obsessive) experimentation and tasting. The resulting wines easily rival reds from the Côte d’Or in detail and complexity, and simply blow them away on price.

Gautier’s Givry 1er cru “Grand Berge” is from vines just in back of the domaine, and is the friendliest of the Desvignes premier crus. The 2022 is lovely and welcoming – dark and floral with a dose of toast and a rich, jammy complexion. The vintage provides ample concentration but no heat. Look for raspberry and violets, and a clean medium weight finish. Serve this with a mushroom risotto.

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Desvignes Givry 1er “Grand Berge” 2022
bottle price: $42

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Winemaker Frederic Michot is as brisk and energetic as his wines: pure Sauvignon blanc, no oak, clean and crisp. Michot’s side of the river may be less famous than his neighbor Sancerre, but he isn’t willing to concede it any advantage. His wines are terrific Sauvignon blancs, full of energy, focus, clean dry fruit, and beautiful tension.

Michot’s Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes 2023 has just arrived and it’s refreshing, unoaked, mouthfilling and utterly delicious. His old vine cuvée combines a ripe, sunny vintage with bursting tension underneath the gorgeous fruit. There’s lots of inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc around — most of it isn’t half this good.

The nose shows mango, grapefruit rind, and straw; the mouth shows ripe grapefruit, lime rind, and honey. The wine is at once mouthfilling and electric, with the persistence of richness and freshness found in finest Sancerre, but with a serious discount.

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Michot Pouilly-Fumé VV 2022
bottle price: $22

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The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite vintages. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, winemakers managed to craft vibrant and beautifully balanced wines, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. They’re modern in their sunny polish, but traditional in their middleweight, elegant textures. If this is the future of Burgundy, sign us up.

Philippe Cheron’s entire lineup of 2022s are wonderful, but today we’re focused on his regional cuvée, a Bourgogne Côte d’Or from vines near Gevrey-Chambertin. This wine transcends the genre in a way few other Bourgognes do – if you told us it was a village Gevrey we’d believe you – humble in appellation, but striking in taste. Cheron used 100% whole clusters, adding definition to the dark fruit.

This is the most complex and elegant red Bourgogne in our portfolio. The nose is deep and beautiful with intense dark fruit but excellent lift – there’s a stony earthiness behind the plums that’s balanced and enticing. The mouth is clear, long, and nimble, bouncing from wild cherries to anise to black pepper and back to cassis. Burghound praised its “racy, delicious, well detailed flavors.” It offers immediate enjoyment, but should cellar a year or two with ease.

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Couvent Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2022
bottle price: $45

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The Domaine Dupré-Goujon is quietly becoming a leading domaine in the Beaujolais. Winemaker Sebastien Dupré and Guillaume Goujon are crafting outstanding wines that elevate the potential of the gamay grape. We’ve gotten emails from customers with comments like “had no idea Beaujolais could be that good,” and “best Gamay I’ve ever had, by a lot.” We agree, and often find ourselves reaching for these vibrant organic wines.

Part of the Dupré-Goujon recipe is an extended elevage (for their reds) of over two years, first in barrels, and then in tanks. This is nearly unheard-of patience in the Beaujolais, but the results speak for themselves. Their 2021 Côte de Brouilly “Heronde” is the best wine we’ve had from them, all this in a vintage that produced more misses than hits.

The 2021 is magnificent – deep and perfumed but remarkably light on its feet. Writing for James Suckling’s review, Spigott gave 96 points, calling it “a truly astonishing wine…stunning concentration…explosive stony minerality.” The tannins are exceptionally fine, supporting deep floral notes of peony and roses. We think the complexity here rivals many wines at twice the price from the Côte d’Or, and indeed the subtlety and elegance calls to mind a Volnay made from Gamay.

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Dupré-Goujon Côte de Brouilly “Heronde” 2021
bottle price: $39

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Weeknight Burgundy is not an oxymoron. Yes, pricing for the famous names in Burgundy has gone a bit nuts of late – and while the wines have never been better, many cuvées now occupy the “special occasion” tier for most consumers. But we’re happy to report that with legwork and a bit of patience, there’s still value to be found.

The 2022 vintage in Burgundy produced quantity and quality for the first time in years – the wines are low in alcohol, full of ripe fruit and excellent freshness, with terrific concentration and appealing textures. And none more successful than the lineup of whites from Sofie Borhmann.

This is our fifth vintage buying from Sofie, a domaine in Meursault whose wines we discovered in a Beaune restaurant. Her wines are quietly brilliant, many hailing from well-known vineyards in St-Aubin, Puligny and Meursault. But it’s her outstanding everyday Bourgogne blanc that has become a staple of many readers’ cellars.

From vines near Meursault, this cuvée offers more than a little of the golden, opulent quality of the famous town. The 2022 is simply beautiful, with a sleek core of yellow orchard fruit with lemon peel and minerals – drier than in past years, with more polish. The nose shows very light toast, and the texture is dense and sophisticated. This well outperforms its regional-level billing, and we’d struggle to find a better value white Burgundy in our portfolio.

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Bohrmann Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2022
bottle price: $35

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There’s no more exciting corner of Burgundy today than the Beaujolais. Long derided as a source for inexpensive plonk, the wines made here today are as dynamic and delicious as anything in the Côte d’Or – and at a fraction of the price. Wine writer Stuart Piggott calls Beaujolais “the best value reds in the world,” and it’s easy to see why.

A new wave of exciting winemakers priced out of the land market in the north of Burgundy has landed in the Beaujolais; and while we’re sure they’d make tasty wine in Beaune, they’re more than succeeding in Brouilly. Frederic Berne is a leader in this new Beaujolais – passionate about organic viticulture and low intervention cellarwork, he’s typical of this exciting and innovative wave.

Berne’s 2022 Chiroubles is seriously good gamay. It’s concentrated and sturdily built – it would age several years with ease – but carefully balanced with acidity and lush fruit. The appellation’s signature deep rose petal nose is there, joined by a burst of wild cherry and a zip of stony minerals. This cuvée benefits from the hot dry vintage, combining ripe fruit and refreshing granite into a tasty package.

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Berne Chiroubles 2022
bottle price: $29

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