Author: Thomas Wilcox

Sofie Bohrmann summed up the 2022 growing season with one word: “parfait.” After the catastrophic 2021 vintage, in which some of her parcels lost over 90% of their crop, 2022 provided clean, healthy grapes, and plenty of them. It was hot and dry as it always is these days, but rain fell at exactly the right time – a bit of good luck after a season of bad.

We’ve long loved the terroirs of St-Aubin, and are pleased to see them increasingly receiving their due – even if it’s meant they’re scarcer and pricier. We have several producers who farm here, but our favorite is Domaine Bohrmann. Bohrmann’s style is low oak, pure fruit, and exquisitely balanced texture: richness, depth and energy all at once. Raised in only 15% new oak for a year, their St-Aubin 1er cru comes from “En Remilly,” considered one of the town’s top vineyards.

The 2022 is outstanding – lively and generous at the same time. It’s thick and full of a rippling intensity, combining perfectly ripe golden fruit with structure and minerality. There’s precision capable of enhancing your most refined dishes — sole meuniere, for example. The use of oak is perfect: support for the minerals and fruit, but without too much spice or toast.

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Bohrmann St-Aubin 1er “En Remilly” 2022
bottle price: $72

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Stephane Robert of the Domaine du Tunnel is one of the brightest stars in Cornas. He’s humble and quiet in person, but his wines are bold, assertive, and charming. Robert farms an envious collection of old Syrah vines around the tiny appellation, and his wines are well worthy of their hype. Vinous calls Tunnel “among the top producers of Cornas.”

Stephane also produces an excellent cuvée from St-Joseph, a large appellation that stretches from Cornas in the south to Côte Rôtie in the north. This enormous span covers a wide range of terroirs, and makes the character of St-Joseph hard to pin down. Tunnels vines are all in the south, and we think it’s best considered a JV version of his iconic Cornas.

Drawn from 40+ year old vines and clocking in at a cool 13% alcohol, this is vibrant, intense, Syrah with Tunnel’s signature polish and class. There is a pleasant nose of dark fruit supported by exceedingly fine-grained tannins, and also excellent length. Vinous’s reviewer reported that “Vivid red and black cherry, violets and leafy subtleties rise up from the glass….polished and concentrated.”

We opened this over the weekend at the depot and it stole the show. A serious, classy Northern Rhône syrah requiring no patience.

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Tunnel St-Joseph 2022
bottle price: $59

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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.

The Macon-Verzé 2022 is flat out delicious – plenty of gras and intensity from the hot year, but with Maillet’s signature vibrant freshness. Neal Martin called it “lovely” and praised its “crisp nose of lemon rind and crushed stone.” Jasper Morris writes “Really cheerful classy fruit, crunch at the back. You just want to grab another glass of this.” This is one of the most popular wines in our portfolio, and with springtime here it’s a perfect match.

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Maillet Macon-Verzé 2022
bottle price: $35

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Climate change has made most winemakers’ jobs more difficult, but in some sectors it’s brought more good than harm. One area basking in the abundant sun these days is the Côte Chalonnaise, a sub-region of Burgundy just south of the Côte d’Or. Vignerons here do have to manage drought, powerful storms, and other new challenges, but the struggle for ripeness is largely a thing of the past.

One of the most exciting towns in the Côte Chalonnaise is Givry, where we’ve worked for many years with the terrifically talented Gautier Desvignes. Last year we added another source from the town, Nicolas Ragot. Ragot’s wines are bolder and more modern than Desvignes, with impressive concentration and sleek, delicious mouthfeels.

Ragot’s Givry 1er cru “Grand Berge” is seriously classy red Burgundy at a remarkably friendly price. It shows refined tannins and a dusty, beautiful fruit profile. The nose is more serious than his village level Givry, and the mouth is fleshier and more complex. Look for notes of violets, cassis, and bursting dark red cherries. Tasted blind you’d put this in Nuits-St-Georges.

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Ragot Givry 1er “Grand Berge” 2022
bottle price: $45

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Poggerino is often cited as a reference point for Chianti Classico. Vinous writes of their Poggerino’s “remarkable purity and nuance,” and Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.” Their organic vines from Radda-in-Chianti produced exquisitely balanced wines, full of depth and richness but also tension and lift.

Poggerino’s finest wine is their Chianti Classico “Riserva,” a magnificent cvuée we’ve enjoyed both young and with 15+ years in the bottle. Their 2020 Riserva is a masterpiece – bold and rich with power and intensity, but a gorgeous finesse and freshness as well.

Sangiovese in the hands of an inexperienced winemaker can be rough and aggressive. Piero Lanza is masterful in the cellar, extracting just enough for smooth richness, but never too much. Serve this with homemade pizza on the back patio.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva 2020
bottle price: $45

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Frosts are often the first challenge of a vigneron’s year. Unusually warm springs mean budbreak arrives earlier, and the vines now at risk for overnight frosts for months. Particularly in Chablis, an hour north of the rest of Burgundy, crop loss from frost damage has become a way of life.

Cyril Gautheron has become a master of navigating this new climate. Like many winemakers he delays pruning to slow the arrival of the buds, and harvests just at the point of maturity (even a day before), to preserve freshness and acidity. His results speak for themselves; Jasper Morris calls him “a superb producer making wines in a crisp cool classically Chablis style, which is now really quite hard to achieve in these warmer seasons.”

Cyril’s excellent 2023s will arrive in June, but we’re well stocked on his terrific 2022s. These days we’re particularly enjoying his “Vaillons,” a premier cru cuvée from old-vines in left-bank plot. This is delicious, chiseled, elegant Chablis, bursting with minerals oyster shells and lemon zest. The old vines and terroir give it impressive length and density, all finely concentrated into an electric, vibrant white Burgundy of the highest order.

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Gautheron Chablis 1er “Vaillons” 2022
bottle price: $42

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Pierre Gros, winemaker at the domaine Michel Gros, makes 15 cuvées of red Burgundy, and a single cuvée of white. Pierre’s grandfather Jean first planted vines here 50 years ago, and identified a single plot as well-suited to Chardonnay. (It turned out later he was proven right when a geological survey showed the vineyard contained a soil composition very similar to nearby Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne.)

Pierre lets his white grapes sit on the skins for a few hours before pressing, and the resulting wine is full of length and texture. It’s always aromatic and floral, like something between a St-Aubin and a Maconnais white. It’s barrel-raised with has plenty of concentration to support the wood.

The 2022 is fleshy and lively, showing the rich fruit of the warm summer, but the cool minerality of high-elevation chardonnay. There’s gardenia and magno in the nose, and the mouth shows grapeskin and chalk, with an unusually vibrant and gourmand texture this year. Pair with a lobster or asparagus risotto.

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Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits blanc
“Fontaine St-Martin” 2022
bottle price: $42

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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 2022 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. Burghound cites “minerality on the moderately austere and quite dry finale.” He concludes, “I like both the balance and the delivery and this is one to consider.”

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” 2022
bottle price: $42

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Champagne is one of the most dynamic winegrowing regions in France today. Interest has moved away from the unvarying products from the big houses, and towards small grower producers who follow terroir and vintage variations to craft wines of character and complexity. Prices have also risen less steeply than in Burgundy and Bordeaux, and Champagnes today often provide exceptional value.

One of our favorites is Maison Jacques Robin, a tiny family-run grower Champagne house in the Côtes des Bar. This sub region of Champagne, an hour south of the main towns of Reims and Epernay, features soils with a mix of clay and kimmeridgian marl. Pinot Noir dominates the vineyards here, and the clay rich soils produce fuller, more chewy-textured Champagnes – today’s cuvée is 100% Pinot noir.

“Cuvée Kimmerdigienne” is Robin’s finest wine, and we’re currently stocking their terrific 2012 vintage. The nose is a stunner, with notes of almonds, apricots, praline, and chalk. The mouth is delicious and refined, with notes of seashell, lemon zest, kiwi, brioche and vanilla. Having spent a decade on the lees, this shows extraordinary complexity and detail, all across a concentrated , chewy texture. Whether you’re new to Champagne or already have the bug, this will impress just about anyone.

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Robin Champagne Kimmeridgienne 2012
bottle price: $85

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The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits are a patchwork of vineyards in the hills just west of the famous Côte d’Or. The land is 100 meters higher and the grapes ripens about a week later. With rising temperatures and earlier harvests, this delay has become a real advantage, and the wines from the Hautes-Côtes get better each year.

Pierre Gros makes three excellent cuvées from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, offering all the polish and class of the rest of the Gros lineup, but with a much friendlier pricetag. Their 2022s from the Hautes-Côtes are outstanding – beautifully balanced with ripe dark fruit and fresh, mouthfilling textures. They age with ease, but they’re already hard to put down.

Gros’s base Hautes-Côtes de Nuits cuvée is terrific in 2022. It combines an earthy, toasty palate with an effortlessly silky mouthfeel. The nose shows plum, baked strawberry, licorice, and earth. The mouth is long and elegant, but with great density and persistence. Neal Martin found “an overtly floral nose…very aromatic…quite fleshy in style with a gentle grip.”

When the moment calls for Burgundy but you don’t want to pony up for Chambolle-Musigny, here’s a great option at less than half the price.

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Michel Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2022
bottle price:  $39

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Nicolas Paget continues to produce excellent, dry, delicious Chenin Blanc from his organically farmed vineyard in the central Loire Valley. The Loire is an epicenter of natural winemaking in France, and Paget’s style is restrained, clean, and vibrant. We find chenin blanc marries particularly well with the earthy complexity that comes from organic farming, and Paget’s wines are obvious successes.

Paget’s Chinon blanc 2021 is pure Chenin blanc, this one raised in large barrels (none new). The oak is deftly handled, and you might not even notice it if you didn’t know what to look for – it adds a bit of depth and white pepper to the clean orchard fruit. It’s deeper in the nose than the most dry Chenin Blanc – think gardenia and rose – but with the same pretty pear fruit. 

The 2021 is drier than last year’s, and we think more sophisticated and impressive. There’s a savory grape-skin minerality to the wine that gives a mouthwatering texture reminiscent of Chablis. It’s a classy wine that should pair well with a range of springtime foods – a lobster roll, crab cakes, or raclette grilled cheese.

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Paget Chinon blanc 2021
bottle price:  $29

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The Northern Rhône Valley is best known for its syrahs from Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas – magnificent wines that require diligent cellaring. In their youth they can be finicky and underwhelming, but given time they’re some of the most impressive and complex red wines made anywhere in the world. For those with a dearth of cellar space or patience (no shame) but a taste for Northern syrah, we submit Crozes-Hermitage.

Our source here is Dennis Basset, a talented organic winemaker crafting beautifully balanced pure-Syrah wines that require far less cellaring to reach maturity. Basset’s wines improve for years, but they’re delicious just about from the moment the arrive. Most of Basset’s wines are from Crozes-Hermitage, but today’s is from St-Joseph, on the other side of the Rhône river.

Denis farms just over a hectare of old vines in St-Joseph here, which produce rich, intense, very elegant syrah. The nose is deep and dark with notes of cloves, violets, and intense black pepper; the mouth is full and inky but with excellent tension and notes of roasted meat and licorice. At 13.5% alcohol this is classic Northern Rhône Syrah – dark and brooding but with tremendous lift and elegance. As grilling season returns, pair this with lamb burgers, and give this wine an hour in a carafe or decanter.

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St-Clair Saint-Joseph 2022
bottle price:  $35

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If, as the saying goes, for wine collectors “all roads lead to Burgundy,” then among Burgundy lovers “all roads lead to Vosne-Romanée.” No where else in the region – or for that matter the world – does one find so perfect a combination of limestone, marl and clay. Vosne is Pinot Noir’s ideal environment, and its expressions of the grape are unmatched.

The Gros family has lived and made wine in Vosne-Romanée for centuries – they’re as much a part of the town’s history as the church tower and the sloping vineyards. Our source here is the Domaine Michel Gros, where today seventh generation winemaker Pierre Gros runs the domaine which has operated from the same house in the center of town since 1830.

Pierre farms vines all across the Côte de Nuits, but of course their vines in Vosne-Romanée are special. They own Vosne’s only premier cru monopole, the Clos des Réas, but also a collection of village-level plots they blend into a terrific appellation-wide cuvée. Pierre’s 2022 Vosne-Romanée offers an excellent example of the village’s signature aromatic profile of spice and violets. Burghound found notes of “plum, violet, pomegranate, sandalwood, and Asian-style tea” in the nose of the 2022. He also praised its “subtle minerality” and its “chalky, lingering and well-balanced finale,” concluding: “Lovely, and a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping.”

In short, special wine from a special place.

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Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 2022
bottle price:  $129

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Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s white Burgundies are some of the most sought after in the world. Classical Meursault is opulent, almost decadent white Burgundy, but always with enough lift and tension to keep it balanced and graceful.

Vincent and Sylvie Boyer are brother and sister winemakers with a mouthwatering collection of vines in and around Meursault and Puligny. One of our favorites of their many gems is a small plot just in back of their domaine called “Ormeau.” It was Vincent and Sylvie’s great grandmother Lucie who planted the vines here in 1924, and for over a century they’ve produced rich, gorgeous Meursault from their clay-rich soils.

This is prototypical, sophisticated Meursault. The nose shows white peaches and citrus, with pear and a faint note of hazelnut. The mouth shows mouthfilling concentration and superb energy across a long, lingering finish. As always with the Boyers the balance is impeccable – Burghound cites “underlying tension” and “a subtle bead of minerality” with a “clean and nicely dry finale,” concluding “delicious.”

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Boyer-Martenot Meursault “Ormeau” 2022
bottle price:  $95

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For centuries the Ravaut family has made traditional red and white Burgundies from their small domaine just north of Beaune. Their little-known hamlet of Ladoix sits at the junction between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. It’s one of the corners of Burgundy where winemakers will somewhat sheepishly admit that, aside from frosts and hailstorms (a big aside), climate change has improved their wines.

Vincent Ravaut and his sons have taken this opportunity and run with it – they’ll be certified EU organic as of this vintage, they’ve dialed back oak, and, crucially, have abandoned “pigeage” (punching down) to extract their wines. Once necessary to pull color and flavor from grapes in vintages on the margins of ripeness, their crop now arrives at harvest with enough concentration to ferment more gently. The resulting wines are smoother, beautifully balanced, and simply delicious young.

No wine has improved more than their humble Bourgogne Côte d’Or rouge 2022. The nose is dark and plummy with juicy notes of wild cherries and earth. The Ravauts elected not to filter this wine this year, and the result is a juicy and effortlessly enjoyable glass of red Burgundy. It’s straightforward, polished, and extremely well-priced everyday red Burgundy – a shrinking category these days to which we’re delighted to add.

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Ravaut Bourgogne rouge 2022
bottle price:  $29

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