Author: Thomas Wilcox

With the first heatwave of the summer upon us, we’re in the mood for something simple and crisp. The usual hot-weather answers from our cellar are Chablis, Sancerre, or dry Riesling, but recently we’ve been reaching for Grüner-Veltliner from our lone Austrian source

“Austrian wine” is nearly synonymous with Grüner-Veltliner, and indeed 75% of the world’s Grüner is Austrian. The grape’s typical expression is dry and savory, with excellent acidity and low alcohol. It’s a lovely glass on its own, but we think it particularly shines with food.

Salomon-Undhof’s Grüner “Wieden” is an unusually refined wine for its price and level. The nose shows juniper, herbs and lime. The mouth is dry and mid-weight, with notes of cucumber, lime zest, and grape skins. At 12.5% alcohol and with excellent freshness, this is a Swiss army knife when it comes to matching food.

Robert Parker’s reviewer gave 90 points, finding “a very fine and subtly flinty bouquet of perfectly ripe seed fruits. Medium-bodied, round and fresh, with salty-piquant acidity, this is a medium-bodied and juicy Veltliner with good balance and length.”

It’s important to stay hydrated with water amid the heat; but after you’ve done so, a cold glass of this is just the ticket.

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Salomon-Undhof Grüner “Wieden” 2020
bottle price: $19

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Each town in Burgundy produces wines of a distinct character. Some are dark and brooding, others are lightweight and ethereal – but the boldest and most intense is Gevrey-Chambertin. One of our sources here, the Domaine des Varoilles, owns vineyards first planted in the 12th century – their vines today aren’t quite 800 years old, but they’re well over 70, and produce magnificently dense and concentrated juice.

Varoilles has just been sold mostly to Philippe Cheron, proprietor at the new Domaine du Couvent. Varoilles’ signature plot, an enormous 6 hectare monopole “Clos des Varoilles,” was sold to another domaine, and so 2019 marks the final vintage under the Domaine des Varoilles name.

This is classic, old school Gevrey-Chambertin full of bold fruit, muscle, concentration, and complexity.

The Varoilles style is fairly ripe and extracted, but this wine is already silky and seductive. Writer Bill Nanson found it “silky,” with “a certain elegance” and “faintly floral accents;” he found the palate “mouthfilling,” with “plenty of energy,” concluding “delicious and complex wine with a nervosité… excellent again.”

Look for notes of briary black fruits, toast, smoke, earth and plum. As with anything in 2019, this is a delight already, but should age effortlessly. Pair this with duck breasts and crispy potatoes.

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Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru
“Clos des Varoilles” 2019
bottle price: $115

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The Northern Rhône is a small region, and new winemakers can be hard to come by — limited supply, steady demand, etc. So when we received a prospecting email from a new winemaker touting his terroirs in Côte Rôtie “Côte Blonde,” we took note.

The Domaine de Boisseyt has been around since the 1790s, but the current winemaking team has been at the helm since 2017. Thirtysomething winemaker Romain Decelle is part of a winemaking family stretching from Bordeaux to Burgundy, and today he farms 24 hectares of Syrah and Viognier in St-Joseph and Côte Rôtie.

Regional level Northern Rhône Syrahs can be a bit thin and harsh, but this was nothing of the sort. It’s rich and round, showing none of the rusticity you might expect from a sub-$25 wine. There’s certainly less complexity than De Boisseyt’s other cuvées from Côte Rôtie and Saint-Joseph, but we think it far overperforms its pricetag.

The nose explodes with violets, blueberries, lavender and black pepper. The mouth is smooth and round with softened tannins and a lovely clean finish. With no oak to muddle the palate, this is pure, perfumy Northern Rhône Syrah.

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De Boisseyt Syrah 2018
bottle price: $22

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The style of winemaking in Chablis is somewhat in flux these days. Recent hot summers in Chablis have meant a departure from the stony, crystalline expression of old. These richer, rounder wines can handle more oak, and some winemakers have extended their elevage, creating wines with richness and complexity to rival those of the Côte d’Or.

Not Cyril Gautheron. To him such wines may be tasty, but they’re not Chablis. Gautheron has doubled down on the classic style, dialing back his oak in some places, and relying solely on terroir and fruit for expression.

The results are magnificent. They may be a bit fleshier than a decade ago, but they’re just as fresh, well balanced, and stony.

Cyril farms a handful of plots at the premier cru level, scattered across the appellation. His vines in the premier cru “Fourneaux” are out the window of his domaine, up a side valley near his native Fleys. The plot is south facing with lots of sun, but high in elevation and steep, providing much-needed air flow and drainage.

The 2020 is terrific, with a very expressive nose – orchard fruits, lemon peel, and stones. In the mouth a mineral punch and notes of saline mix in with the lush fruit, making for a persistent palate and a long finish. Bill Nanson called it “really super,” we think the balance and tension are perfect.

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Gautheron Chablis 1er “Fourneaux” 2020
bottle price: $39

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FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

With the temperature barely cracking 50 in recent days in New England, it appears Spring may have had some supply chain issues of its own. But yesterday’s warm sunny afternoon was worth the wait – we reinflated the bike tires, put on some sunscreen, and soaked in some long awaited Vitamin D.

This year’s three French rosés are (slowly) making their way across the Atlantic, but the Italian representative arrived early this year. Made by our talented friends at the Fattoria Poggerino, this 2021 Rosato is pure Sangiovese, and just as good as their reds.

We know, it’s back below 50 this weekend, but with this on hand you’ll be ready for the next sunny day, whenever it finally arrives.

Poggerino is our lone Italian producer (*for now!), and their wines are some of our most popular. Rajat Parr calls their pure Sangiovese wines “some of the purest expressions in Italy.” Wine Spectator calls them “impeccably balanced.”

Poggerino’s Rosato is 100% sangiovese — it’s dry on the palate with lively freshness and excellent balance. There’s a floral nose of roses and strawberries, with a dry crisp mouthfeel. It’s neither oaked nor overdone – just perfect, refreshing, beautiful rosé.

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Poggerino Rosato 2021
bottle price: $19

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FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES

For years we searched for a source in Chambolle-Musigny. The town has both a stellar reputation and miniscule size (population 300), and it hasn’t been easy to find a domaine without existing importing relationships. But a few years ago we finally stumbled upon the Domaine Boursot, a humble family of winemakers right in the heart of Chambolle.

The Boursots began making wine in Chambolle-Musigny in 1550; for centuries, like many Burgundy domaines, they sold their entire production each year to the negociants of Beaune. In 1974 Remy Boursot began bottling on his own, and today it’s his sons Romauld and Romaric making the wines as the 15th generation of Boursots.

We discovered the Boursots in part via a note from Vinous’s Burgundy reviewer Neal Martin, who writes of a “foundation for a promising future,” and describes Boursot’s wines as “superb,” “excellent,” “very fine,” and “worth seeking out.”

Boursot’s 2019s are terrific across the board, and we’ve already sold out of a few cuvées. Their Chambolle 1er cru “Chatelots” is their friendliest premier cru, and the one always drinks well first – 2019 is no exception. The nose is classic Chambolle: cassis, silk, toast, and stones. The mouth is approachable but with excellent concentration – it should age well for several years, but won’t last long in our cellar if it continues to drink like this.

Neal Martin gave 90-92 points, finding “a more generous, quite feisty bouquet,” “nicely defined and quite glossy,” with “supple tannins, fine depth and gentle grip, a touch of welcome salinity appearing toward the finish.” This is at once serious and drinkable, with the depth and richness of a premier cru but the approachable ripeness of a mature wine.

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Boursot Chambolle-Musigny 1er “Chatelôts” 2019
bottle price: $108

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Sauvignon blanc is among the world’s most widely planted grapes, but its origin is the Loire Valley. In the Loire, Sauvignon takes on a floral, mineral style, juicy grapefruit notes with a lively minerality, often notes of flint, and pleasant herbal finish.

Wine writer Lettie Teauge once described Sancerre as a wine that delivers “pleasure not profundity.” Located at the eastern end of the Loire, Sancerre produces consistently delicious wines — approachable, affordable, and uncomplicated. We’ve (finally!) just restocked on this wine, which has fast become one of the most popular bottles in our cellar.

Garenne’s 2020 Sancerre is easy and delightful. It’s bone dry with pure sauvignon grapefruit in the nose. In the mouth it’s lively but with no astringency or grassiness — a warm vintage gave added weight but no lack of freshness. Look for minerals and lime in the mouth, with dry extract, lovely tension, and surprising length.

Sancerre pairs with anything and nothing. Our favorite match is a classic moules frites — a simple broth of shallots, wine, parsley, garlic and tarragon. The fries will soak up the broth. Or just a cracker with some fresh chèvre.

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Garenne Sancerre 2020
bottle price: $25

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