Author: Thomas Wilcox

Sofie Bohrmann is a cheerful, dynamic winemaker in Meursault. Her Burgundies are refined and terrific – she harvests early and uses barrels made from very old Austrian oak, a very fine-grained wood that allows for a slow, luxurious elevage. The resulting wines are floral and classy, showing generous textures framed with careful poise.

And her 2023s are simply irresistible. A hot, dry vintage with perfectly timed rain produced exceptional white Burgundies and plenty of them. Her everyday Bourgogne blanc is rich and easygoing; her St-Romain is an overperforming gem. Her St-Aubin 1er En Remilly is compact, sophisticated and powerful. But (as usual) her Puligny-Montrachet “Grands Champs” is our favorite white.

Most Burgundy aficionados consider Puligny the pinnacle of white Burgundy – a perfect blend of fruit and stone and wood. Sofie’s “Les Grands Champs” is unmistakable Puligny, and is certainly her most elegant wine. Like all good Puligny it will continue to improve for years; but the 2023 is precocious for the appellation, and already a masterpiece. Look for white flowers, lime zest, and stones on a very long, classy finish.

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Bohrmann Puligny-Montrachet “Grands Champs” 2023
bottle price: $99

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The Loire Valley continues to be one of the most exciting corners of winemaking in France. Organic viticulture, balanced wines, and affordable prices are the rule here rather than the exception. We find ourselves reaching for Loire reds often these days, whatever the occasion – they’re characterful, refreshing, complex and downright tasty.

Our favorite source for these delicious reds is the Domaine des Sanzay, an organic fixture of Saumur-Champigny in the central Loire. Their unblended Cabernet Franc wines have become highly popular in our warehouse, with their simple Saumur red and old-vine cuvée opening tasters’ eyes to a new expression of the grape. But today we’re focused on their most impressive wine, an old-vine single parcel cuvée – a Cab Franc with real presence.

With 60+ year old vines and giving small yields and very intense fruit, Sanzay’s 2018 “Dares” cuvée has taken a few years to settle down. But today it’s magnificent. Vinous’s Loire Valley reviewer Rebecca Gibb MW found “masses of well-handled tannins, fruit depth…powerful and well-made.” The nose shows dried rose petals, wild cherries and stones; the mouth is a gorgeous blend of cool earth and blackberries, with a subtle, delicious texture structure that recalls Nuits-St-Georges.

Well-aged Cabernet Franc can rival Burgundy for subtlety and depth, and this is a perfect example. It’s not  quite to the level of its iconic neighbor Clos Rougeard, but at $32 (rather than $320), it’s almost certainly a better value.

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Sanzay Saumur-Champigny “les Dares” 2018
bottle price: $32

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Sancerre remains among the world’s best known white wines. Sauvignon blanc, a naturally high acid grape, is well positioned to weather today’s hot summers without losing pep and energy. Our source here is the Domaine de la Garenne, an old family domaine of the highest quality, certified organic and practicing many biodynamic techniques.

Garenne’s cuvées aren’t showy or innovative – they’re honest, punchy, simply delicious Sancerre. We import four cuvées from them in stock, but our best seller has always been “Bouffants.” This unoaked sauvignon blanc comes from 40+ year old vines in a limestone-rich plot with excellent drainage. It’s a perfectly located single vineyard cuvée, and from one of the best plots in the appellation.

The 2023 is everything you want from Sancerre. There’s no oak, and the old vines contribute loads of dry concentration cut by a chiseled, stony backbone. The nose shows grapefruit zest and herbal honey, and the mouth bursts with white flowers, lime, and stone. Serve this with a hearty shrimp pasta with herbs and parm.

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Garenne Sancerre “Bouffants” 2023
bottle price: $34

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It doesn’t take an expert to notice that Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien Dupré are farming organically. Their vines (pictured), located in the Côte de Brouilly, share the earth with an impressive array of herbs, flowers, grasses, and wildlife – all in the name of fostering biodiversity and soil health. In the cellar Dupré and Goujon have a similarly light touch – their cuvées are made with whole clusters, ambient yeasts, limited oak and almost no sulfites.

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 one that turns out exceptional wines. These are every bit as complex and well built as Pinots from further north, and they’ve quickly gained a loyal following among our readers. Critic William Kelley calls the wines “supple and charming” and labeling them “an estate to watch.”

Their Cote de Brouilly “Héronde” cuvée is exquisite in 2022. Sebastien explained to us that it is a delicate business to use barrels to raise Gamay, and that they employ them to enrobe the tannins, not to add to their prominence. In the glass, Heronde 2022 is serious and seductive, with gorgeous floral aromas of violets and cassis framed by papery tannins and hints of graphite and rose petals. Give this a half hour decant, and marvel at the new world of possibilities in the Beaujolais.

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Dupré-Goujon Côte de Brouilly “Heronde” 2022
bottle price: $39

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The 2023 red Burgundies are still quite young, but they’ve already begun to reveal themselves as a tremendous vintage. From a growing season full of extreme heat and drought but with perfectly timed rains, the best wines are perfectly balanced – with modest alcohol, excellent density, and vibrant textures. We heard more than a few winemakers describe them as “digeste” (roughly, digestible), and it’s an excellent characterization.

Nobody was more successful than Gautier Desvignes, a humble thirtysomething winemaker with a near limitless attention to detail. Gautier landed back at his family’s domaine a decade ago, and has since transformed it into one of the region’s superstars. We find ourselves saying this almost every year, but his 2023s are the best he’s made – ripe and sleek with perfect extraction and maturity, vibrant textures, and elegant, lifting finishes.

At the northern end of town lies Gautier’s Givry 1er cru “Clos Charlé.” It’s a plot that produces elegant, chiseled wines, with beautiful detail and loads of dark fresh fruit. The tannins are fine grained and seamless, with pretty notes of rose petals and cool berries. It has the weight of a Beaune 1er cru, with a stony freshness amid the perfectly detailed fruit. Now six months after arriving this has just begun to open up; serve with refined dishes like duck or mushroom risotto.

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Desvignes Givry 1er “Clos Charlé” 2023
bottle price: $45

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In recent years the profile of Chablis has changed a bit. Most cuvées still show the terroir’s classic stony, mineral intensity; but warm summers have added a bit of extra flesh to the wines. Our favorites still taste like Chablis, but are often a bit easier to approach young or on their own.

Winemaker Romain Collet has deftly steered his family’s domaine through this new climate, and we’re not alone in this conclusion. Wine Critics Allen Meadows (Burghound) and William Kelley (Wine Advocate) have noted a “higher level of refinement” and a “significant upsurge in quality.” Jasper Morris MW writes that Romain Collet “is moving towards joining the pantheon” in Chablis.

Collet’s 2023 Chablis 1er cru “Forets” is a delicious, classy Chablis. It’s raised mostly in cement eggs, which add depth and texture to the crisp minerals and fruit, without loosing zip. This is delightful, complete white Burgundy on its own, but also a terrific match with food. A dry, mouthfilling texture cut by a lime zest and saline – this is a triumph of modern Chablis.

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Collet Chablis 1er cru “Forêts” 2023
bottle price: $45

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The Maconnais has long been one of our favorite sources for white Burgundy. This southern sub-region produces wines with an often friendlier character than those of the famous Côte d’Or to the north. Maconnais whites typically have low or no oak, they’re more affordable, and require less cellaring.

One of our original sources here is Nicolas Maillet, an energetic, friendly winemaker bursting with enthusiasm for his craft. Jasper Morris MW calls Maillet “an excellent winemaker;” William Kelley calls his wines “elegantly textural and enveloping…pure and precise” with “immediate charm.” Maillet relies on indigenous yeasts for spontaneous fermentation, and never rushes the process, allowing it to proceed for months if the slow fermentation in his cool cuverie so requires.

Maillet’s 2023 Macon-Verzé is magnificent. It’s lush and plump from the hot growing season, but shot through with energy and tension. Neal Martin of Vinous calls it “a worthy follow-up to the delicious ’22,” and we agree. The nose shows an exquisite array of beeswax, pineapple, and lemon verbena; the mouth is vibrant and mouthfilling, with notes of apricot, tangerine, green tea, and a brisk freshness. Serve on its own as a delicious and dynamic aperitif.

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Maillet Macon-Verzé 2023
bottle price: $36

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Look up “Thomas Morey” in the proverbial Ansonia winemaker dictionary, and you’ll find words like “deliberate,” “thoughtful,” “minimalist,” “precise.” You won’t find “opulent,” “generous” or “showy.” Morey’s cellar style is as clean and detailed as his wire rimmed glasses and his Zalto stemware. He’ll only agree to tasting appointments in the morning, and our visits are full of long contemplative silences.

Morey’s white Burgundies are quietly extraordinary. They’re concentrated but perfectly channeled, long but refined – immaculate fruit and stones join the merest whisper of oak. Morey makes terrific wine at every level, but today we’re focused on his simplest: Bourgogne blanc.

This cuvée shows all of the meticulous concentration of all of Morey’s wines, but without the site-specific terroir shining through. It’s not about the chiseled stoniness of Puligny, or the shimmering golden energy of Chassagne; this is about winemaker style. And boy, what a style it is.

Morey’s Bourgogne blanc usually evaporates in Futures, but this year we’ve got a bit extra. Open last night alongside a roast chicken and fall weather, this was simply delicious. The nose shows lime zest and white flowers, the mouth shows yellow plum and earth. Burghound called this “lovely,” and we think you will too.

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Thomas Morey Bourgogne blanc 2023
bottle price: $48

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Together with his son Remi, Christophe Mestre continues to make delicious, old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape year in and year out. We have trouble keeping this wine in stock – it hits the perfect sweet spot for value, accessibility, food matching ability and crowd-pleasing popularity.

Lots of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is built for the long haul, and somewhat inaccessible young – not Mestre’s. It’s middleweight and delicious with gorgeous young fruit and friendly tannins. It ages for 5-8 years with ease, but drinks well from the moment it is in the bottle. The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is terrific – 50% grenache, 25% mourvèdre, 20% syrah, and 5% cinsault. The nose is focused and beautiful, with lovely deep sappy fruit bursting from the glass.

Grenache makes up only half this wine, but it’s the star of the show this year – luxurious red fruit of wild cherries, raspberries and hints of provencal thyme combine to make an explosive and seductive palate. This is accessible, popular, cozy wine that will perfectly match the wintery weather outside.

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023
bottle price: $36

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The Northern Rhône is a tiny region. With just ten thousand acres of vines, it’s one sixteenth the size of the Southern Rhône Valley. And yet it’s home to the world’s finest expressions of Syrah. Iconic and ageworthy wines from Hermitage, Côte Rôtie and Cornas get much of the attention, but the lesser-known appellation of Crozes-Hermitage provides tremendous value.

Our source there for many years has been Denis Basset’s Domaine Saint Clair. Basset’s family has grown grapes (and flowers) in the town of Beaumont-Monteux for generations; but more than a decade ago, after a near-death experience with a high voltage line, he resolved to take over the family’s vines and to create his own domaine.

The 2023 vintage was hot and dry for just about everywhere in France, and growing conditions were also exemplary in the Northern Rhône. Basset’s 2023 Etincelle has ample freshness and very good ripeness of fruit. Aromatically, there’s a pleasant note of clove mixing with Syrah’s dark fruit and graphite. It’s middleweight, fresh, and very clean – perfect for a weeknight glass while you throw together dinner.

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Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2023
bottle price: $25

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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. Beaujolais blanc is offered by some but not all winemakers in the region. Dupré-Goujon bought some Chardonnay vines in 2019, and in the last few years has made a beaujolais blanc that is strikingly good. Raised half in tank and half in wood, the Clos des Muriers 2023 has beautiful balance: just a touch of oak, good freshness and an attractive weight.

James Suckling’s reviewer effuses: “Not only is this the first great chardonnay from Beaujolais we’ve encountered, but it is also an incredibly joyful expression of the grape, brimming with stone-fruit, lemon-curd and white-flower aromas. The super-elegant, medium-bodied palate has breathtaking purity and precision. Great energy in the very long, chalky finish.”

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Dupré-Goujon Beaujolais blanc “Clos des Mûriers” 2023
bottle price: $35

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The pricing frenzy that hit Burgundy and Bordeaux in the last decade has largely been absent in the Northern Rhône. We think the wines made here – unblended syrah at the pinnacle of its potential – are suddenly among the best values in our store. We’re delighted to have a healthy selection of Côte Rôties from Bonnefond with a few years in the bottle.

Bonnefond’s style combines dark richness with tremendous tension, achieving balance and subtlety that’s rarely found outside the world of Pinot Noir. Today we’re suggesting his 2019 Côte Rôtie “Collline de Couzou,” a wine that was tasty when it arrived five years ago, but that’s flat out delicious today.

Tasting back in 2022, Vinous’s Josh Raynolds noted the wine’s “sappy red and blue fruit liqueur” with an “Expansive finish, which shows fine definition and velvety, even tannins.” This cuvée matures more quickly than the other two (Rochins and Rozier) and we think it’s just about at peak maturity. Look for notes of cassis, tapenade, violets, and pepper.

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie 2019
bottle price: $59
3-bottle price: $150 (use code SYRAH)

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Sofie Bohrmann is a first generation winemaker from Belgium – hardly a recipe for success in the insular world of Burgundian vignerons where most inherit vines, and people even from the Maconnais (an hour south) are considered out of towners. And yet she’s cracked into the elite world of Côte d’Or winemaking. She’s a real winemaking talent, of course, but we’re betting her charming smile and disarmingly friendly demeanor go a long way.

Her wines are outstanding. Each year they get more refined and more impressive, and her 2023s are full of hidden gems with terrific pricing. Sofie’s domaine is in Meursault, and most of her vines are from the surrounding Côte de Beaune towns. Her style is clear and juicy – the wines are packed with flavor, limited oak, and flat-out delicious textures.

Bohrmann’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or Blanc “Les Belles Goutes” is a core presence in many of our customer’s cellars, priced for regular drinking but showing the fine quality of Chardonnay from the Côte d’Or. The vines are from Meursault, and some of the storied village’s opulence seems to find its way into the glass. With alcohol at 13% in the 2023 vintage, the wine is generous, and its rich lemon curd fruit benefits from just the right amount of oak. It’s an excellent house Bourgogne blanc, and one that matches with everything and nothing.

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Bohrmann Bourgogne Côte d’Or blanc 2023
bottle price: $38

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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.” Wine writers describe their wines as “hypnotically beautiful” and “astonishing.”

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 Pavé cuvée is perhaps the best they’ve made. Its interplay of red and black berry fruit, minerals, and earth well justifies the presence of a musical score on its label. The many elements play against each other across a broad, persistent palate.

There is a lacy character to the tannins and a glass of this wine will pair beautifully with many fine dishes. Look for notes of peony, chalk and wild cherries. James Suckling’s reviewer writes: “A hypnotically beautiful Cote-de-Brouilly. Mouth-filling red and black berries are almost perfectly interwoven with concentrated fine tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Expands dramatically in the extremely long finish without losing its delicacy or precision. And even these words don’t quite grasp what makes this wine so great.”

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Dupré-Goujon Côte de Brouilly “Pavé” 2022
bottle price: $39

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Last year we introduced Nicolas Ragot’s terrific Givrys to our portfolio, and they’ve been a real hit. Ragot is a thoughtful winemaker with an innovative streak – he’s constantly refining his techniques, experimenting with amphoras, whole clusters, and even lighter weight bottles. He’s part of an exciting wave of winemakers pushing the limits on what’s possible from once humble appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise.

Ragot’s best wine is his Givry 1er cru Clos Jus, from perhaps the best known vineyard in Givry. The soil here has excellent drainage and unusually high iron oxide content. The resulting wines show a lovely balance of charming aromatics and refined mouthfeels. Ragot’s 2023 Clos Jus is terrific – 85% raised in barrel (40% new) and the rest in amphora, with 25% whole cluster. This recipe makes for a serious red Burgundy, and the wine has the presence and texture of a village-level Gevrey-Chambertin.

The nose is dark and sappy with impressively complex layers of spice, blackberry, cherry and stones. The mouth is rich and dense but with exceptional tension and freshness – it’s a dynamic wine in a way that much sub-$50 red Burgundy is not. Neal Martin of Vinous gave it 91 points, finding a “bouquet of crushed strawberry, cranberry and lightly pressed flower.” In the mouth he noted “fine tannins, well balanced and refined,” concluding “this is another delicious Givry from Nicolas Ragot.”

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Ragot Givry 1er “Clos Jus” 2023
bottle price: $49

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