Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Vibrant, Floral, Refreshing New Southern Syrah. $22

The South of France has always been hot, but like everywhere else in Europe, it’s getting hotter. Even with varietals adapted to warm climates, winemakers often struggle to achieve freshness in their wines. Winemaker Nicolas Haeni of Séguret is a master of balance.

Haeni’s vines lie on a terraced slope in the hills above Séguret, perfectly positioned to offset the blazing hot Provencal sun. Domaine Malmont’s vines benefit from high (cooler) elevation and plentiful airflow, enabling the grapes to reach maturity without becoming baked or dried out.

Haeni now makes two Séguret cuvées — “Petit Rouge” and “Rouge.” Both are excellent, and carry Malmont’s signature vibrant mouthfeel — today we’re focused on the little brother.

Petit Rouge 2019 is 70/30 syrah/grenache, aged 100% in tank (no oak). The resulting wine is simply delightful, dark and complex with classic syrah notes of violets and blackberry — by nose you might mistake it for a Northern Rhône pure syrah. In the mouth the grenache shines through a bit more, with beautiful depth a splash of red fruit and cinnamon.

At 13.5% alcohol it retains a gorgeous freshness alongside the dark, meaty fruit. Think of it as a real upgrade on a bistro syrah — crisp, lively, dark and cool. Serve with autumn fare, or as a floral glass on its own after a workday.

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Malmont Séguret “Petit Rouge” 2019
bottle price: $22

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Chassagne Lookalike: Rich, Shimmering Premier Cru White Burgundy

Roger Belland is best known for his beautiful, golden premier cru “Clos Pitois” from Chassagne-Montrachet. It’s rich, elegant, and everything you want in a top class white Burgundy. When we want to really impress someone with a Chardonnay, we often reach for the Pitois blanc.

Belland’s Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” blanc is not as complex or long-lived as the Chassagne premier cru — but for half the price it does an admirable impression, and we think it’s a bargain. White Burgundy prices continue to rise around the region, but this wine is proof that there’s still value to be found.

Belland’s Beauregard blanc vines are a few hundred yards from the Chassagne-Montrachet border, and the wine drinks like it’s from much fancier terroir.The 2019 Beauregard blanc has good freshness to support its ripe fruit, a mix of orchard and citrus. There’s a hint of wood rounding out the concentrated, supple fruit flavors.

Jasper Morris found “a chiseled backbone,” and “just the right degree of flesh.” It’s something we’ve found in the most successful 2019 whites — tremendous intensity and richness and length, but with a laser focus and elegant shape.

This is remarkably complete white Burgundy for its level, and one that’s already drinking beautifully.

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Belland Santenay 1er “Beauregard” blanc 2019
bottle price: $45

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​​Delicious New 2019 Red Burgundy: “Plush” and “Refreshing”

Maranges is the Côte d’Or’s forgotten appellation. In the past it was known for its unrefined, tannic wines — Burgundians used to call it “le medecin” (the doctor) because some secretly blended it into thinner Côte d’Or reds to bulk up weak vintages.

But today its reputation needs revision. Advances in winemaking and warmer summers mean that Maranges now produces wines of real character and complexity. They never reach the depth or elegance of reds from Volnay or Pommard, but they offer early enjoyment and pleasant texture.

Today’s 2019 Maranges reimagines the appellation entirely — it’s juicy, smooth, round, and flat out delicious. Not a hard edge in sight.

Belland’s 2019 Maranges may be a different grape (Pinot Noir rather than Gamay), but it borrows a bit of the Beaujolais’s jubilant spirit — think red Burgundy with the soul of a Cru Beaujolais. Burghound loved this cuvée, finding notes of “poached plum and violet” with a “round and plush” mouthfeel and a “sneaky long finish.”

The bottle we opened this week with a roasted chicken and potatoes was just about perfect. Lovely young Pinot fruit, hints of savory spice and herbs, all wrapped in a smooth, mouthcoating wine that finishes fresh and clean.

Depending on the source, young red Burgundy can be a bit abrupt; and young Maranges has historically required a fork and knife. But today’s is neither — just pure, juicy, approachable Pinot fruit at its best.

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Belland Maranges 1er “Clos Roussot” 2019
bottle price: $35

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Crisp, Fresh Loire Sauvignon Blanc: New Everyday Pouilly-Fumé. $19

Sauvignon Blanc is among the world’s most popular white grapes, planted everywhere from New Zealand to California to Chile. But the original source for Sauvignon Blanc is France’s Loire Valley.

The twin villages of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are the home towns of Sauvignon blanc. Here the grape takes on a distinctly mineral and citrus character. As the name suggests, the wines of Pouilly-Fumé also feature notes of smoke and gunflint, a result of the soils’ high flint content.

Our producer here is Frederic Michot, a small family vigneron with no other US importer and excellent wines. His 2020 has just arrived — beautiful, balanced wine, bursting with freshness and fruit.

Michot’s 2020 Pouilly-Fumé is crisp and delicious — the nose is bright and expressive, with ripe grapefruit, honey, and lime. The mouth is full and very lively. There’s no oak at all, and the palate sings with zippy fruit and minerals. The palate is juicy, quick, and very clean, with a dry, slightly smoky finish.

This is pure, unoaked, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc — perfect as an aperitif on its own, or to pair with sushi or seafood. Serve this with crusty bread with a Loire-style chèvre.

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Michot Pouilly-Fumé 2020
bottle price: $19

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Bold, Intense, Mouthfilling New $24 Gamay: Beaujolais Reborn

Our sources in the Beaujolais represent two sides of the stylistic spectrum. Jean-Marc Monnet makes unoaked, classic, bursting Gamay with loads of fruit and great freshness. Laurent Perrachon, makes serious, ageworth wine to rival the Pinots of Burgundy further north.

Today we’re suggesting Perrachon’s 2018 Moulin-a-Vent “Burdelines,” a gamay that’s as dense and bold as any Beaujolais we’ve tasted. The elegance and refinement call to mind red wines from Chassagne and Santenay up north, but the richness and texture resemble a Northern Rhône Syrah from further south. The combination is delicious, remarkably affordable wine.

A generation ago the words “refined” and “Beaujolais” were rarely found in the same sentence, but it’s a good word to describe today’s wine. Perrachon keeps this wine in oak for a bit longer to help it knit together, and the extra few months of rest works wonders. There’s a smoothness and elegance that’s unusual for Gamay. The oak adds a faint note of toast, but more serves to soften the edges and round the palate.

With an half-hour in a carafe, this wine will happily accompany a hearty autumn meal and a rowdy group of friends. Look for anise, cherry, black pepper, and stones on the nose, with a dense, chewy mouthfeel and notes of briary cassis and black raspberry. This isn’t a Beaujolais you’ll forget about soon — twice the price of the Nouveau, but it’s easily ten times the wine.

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Perrachon Moulin-a-Vent “Burdelines” 2018
bottle price: $24

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Silky, Outstanding 2019 Premier Cru Red Burgundy

The 2019 vintage is a terrific red Burgundy vintage, producing wines with extraordinary balance between ripe fruit, acidity, and tannin. As Neal Martin puts it, “they unexpectedly offer freshness and richness that were once thought to be mutually exclusive.”

Roger and Julie Belland are 5th and 6th generation growers in Santenay — their wines are perennial favorites among our readers, offering early drinking and friendly pricetags. Belland’s are always delicious and precocious, but in 2019s they’re even better than usual — they’re all in stock today.

Located near the southern limit of the Côte d’Or, Santenay is one of our favorite sources of value. Its finest vineyard, the premier cru Gravières, features gravelly soil (hence the name) and produces wines with beautiful mineral complexity. Pair this with the bursting fruit and rippling tension of the 2019 vintage, and this is not a wine to miss.

The nose shows violets, gingerbread, toast, and wild cherries. The texture is extraordinary — fine-grained tannins coated perfectly with smooth Pinot fruit and a fresh line of minerality. Burghound called it “outstanding,” awarding 92 points and finding “silky minerality” and a “complex, balanced and impressively long finish.”

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Belland Santenay 1er cru “Gravières” 2019
bottle price: $45

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Perfect Everyday 2019 Bourgogne Rouge & Blanc, 25% off

We often judge a vigneron’s talent by his simplest wine. Great wines from great terroir of course involve a steady winemaker as guide, but the material undoubtedly provides a head start. With humble fruit from an unsung plot of regional-level vines, winemaking skill comes even more into play.

Our final Futures issue of the year comes out next week. It features some of our most popular winemakers: Gros, Boyer-Martenot, Goubert, and others. Most years we single out Michel Gros’s Bourgogne rouge to preview, but this year we’re just as excited about another wine of a different color.

The 2019 Bourgognes from Boyer-Martenot and Michel Gros are as good as ever, a result of excellent winemaking in a superb vintage. They’ll be presented next week in our October Futures, along with magnificent wines from Burgundy’s most famous appellations: Vosne-Romanée, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-St-Denis, and more. But in some ways these two are the most impressive performances in the lineups.

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GROS BOURGOGNE ROUGE 2019
Michel’s 2019 Bourgogne rouge is delicious. From an outstanding vintage that provided excellent ripeness laid over well-built tannin, the wine shows both utterly pleasant youthful fruit and masterfully crafted underlying structure. The tannins are smooth and unobtrusive, but provide a perfect armature on which to display the fruit. Look for notes of red berries, earth, and chalk in the nose, with a clean, refreshing finish.

Burghound called the 2019 “fresh and bright,” “vibrant and well-detailed.” As always this requires no patience and should be delicious this fall. Butwe anticipate this vintage in particular will also cellar nicely over a year or two. At under $25/bot with Futures pricing, this is an astonishing value. If you’re in the market for an everyday red Burgundy, your search ends here.

Ansonia Retail: $408
Futures: $295/case

AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF CASE, EMAIL TOM TO ORDER

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BOYER BOURGOGNE BLANC 2019
Yesterday afternoon we conducted a Zoom tasting of five Boyer-Martenot whites from 2018, ranging from Bourgogne to Meursault 1er cru “Genevrières.” While the premier crus were otherworldly and magnificent, the 2018 Bourgogne blanc more than held its own, and was easily voted the best value in the lineup.

The 2019 Bourgogne from Boyer is even more impressive. It’s more serious and concentrated than the 2018, showing gorgeous ripe sucrocité packed into a dense and delicious package. It’s longer and richer than just about any wine of its level, and shows hints of the white flowers of Meursault (where its vines are found). If we had to pick a single regional white Burgundy in our cellar, it’s this one, no question.

Burghound awarded it both his “Top Value” and “Outstanding” awards, calling it “‘delicious and refreshing,” with “fine depth and length.” We think this well overperforms its $34 retail pricetag; with a Futures price under $25, it’s a steal. Given the concentration and beautiful freshness, this too should continue to drink well for a year or two after arrival.

Ansonia Retail: $408
Futures: $295/case

AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF CASE, EMAIL TOM TO ORDER

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Exciting New Old-Vine Sauvignon Blanc. $22

Winemaker Frederic Michot is as brisk and energetic as his wines. He talks and drives fast, and sports the same no-nonsense attitude found in a glass of his Pouilly-Fumé: 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 exceptional Sauvignon blancs, full of precision, focus, clean dry fruit, and beautiful tension.

Sancerre deserves its fame and acclaim; but Pouilly-Fumé is its scrappy underdog cousin, with just as much to offer, and at a better price.

Michot’s Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes is refreshing, unoaked, mouthfilling and utterly delicious. His 2020 old vine cuvée is terrific, and just into our warehouse. Michot 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.

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Michot Pouilly-Fumé VV 2020
bottle price: $22

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Beaujolais is Back! Juicy, Gulpable New Gamays under $20

It’s starting to feel like Fall again — football is back, there’s a chill in the air, and pumpkins are popping up at the market. Chez nous, the change in seasons means a change in our wine habits — a shift towards bottles that are richer, redder, and more robust. But most importantly, autumn means Beaujolais.

The celebration around the Beaujolais Nouveau (if not the wine itself) may be enjoyable, but it sells the grape and terroir short. Given a few extra bucks, one more year, and a bit of care in the vines and cellar, Gamay can be worlds better than mass-market infantile Nouveau.

For proof, look no further than Jean-Marc Monnet, our source in Juliénas.

Jean-Marc Monnet has no website, no other American importer, and even we still get lost trying to find his house sometimes. We used to think of him as our little secret, but it turns out the Guide Hachette named him a Winemaker of the Year two years ago. His two 2020 cuvées have just arrive, and they’re simply delicious.

Monnet’s 2020 Chiroubles is lightweight and crackling, but in a warm year like 2020 packs a lovely floral ripeness and plenty of body. Take it along to a tailgate for a Fall football game, or serve it with your Thanksgiving turkey. It’s bright and intense, with notes of cranberry, peony, and graphite.

The fruit in Monnet’s 2020 Juliénas is darker and its intensity greater than the Chiroubles. Fine-grained tannins provide support and the wine persists on the palate nicely. This is a fuller, more serious Beaujolais with excellent balance. Monnet’s style gives both ripe fruit and approachable tannin.

Both wines are best described in French as gouleyant, a wonderfully onomatopoeic word that means “gulpable.” Try it — “GOO-lay-AWNT” — it’s almost as fun to say as this is to drink. Almost.

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Monnet Chiroubles 2020
bottle price: $18

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Monnet Juliénas VV 2020
bottle price: $19

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Perfect Everyday White Burgundy: $25 Unoaked 2019 Macon-Villages Returns

The white Burgundies of the Maconnais are some of our favorite expressions of Chardonnay. Grown in a region known as “la France Profonde” (“deep France”), the best cuvées are unoaked, mouthfilling, vibrant, and crisp.

Our source here is Nicolas Maillet, a passionate, animated winemaker whose passion for his work shows through in every glass. His wines are pure chardonnay; he owns no oak barrels, and farms his vineyards organically.

His Pouilly-Fuissé is magnificent; his Macon-Verzé is terrific. Today’s cuvée, his simplest, is humble and charming — a perfect aperitif white Burgundy.

We’ve just restocked on Maillet’s excellent 2019 Macon-Villages, bursting with classic Maconnais notes. Look for honey, chalk, herbs, and lime zest in the nose. The mouth is smooth and round — it has more richness than in vintages past, but draws its weight from concentration and purity of fruit rather than oak.

In a warm year, Nicolas has balanced the wine perfectly, with fruit, acid, minerals and texture all working in perfect harmony. Serve this before a meal with goat cheese on crackers. Or a weeknight chicken dish with lemon and mushrooms.

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Maillet Macon-Villages 2019
bottle price: $25

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Gorgeous, Muscular 2019 Premier Cru Red Burgundy

In the last decade, red Burgundy winemakers have produced a remarkable string of terrific vintages. But even amid these successes – some hard won, others blessedly simple – the 2019 vintage stands out. William Kelley calls it “thrilling… simultaneously serious and immensely charming.” Neal Martin writes, “It is remarkable, almost irrational, how the finest 2019s maintain detail, clarity and tension and sapid finishes.”

Nearly everything we’ve tasted from this 2019 has been excellent, with a consistency of balance and texture that’s remarkable. The 2019 reds of Belland, Boursot and Desvignes are on their way, and Gros and Ravaut out in October Futures later this month. But the 2019s from Pierre Amiot in Morey-St-Denis are here already, and they’re just as good as advertised.

Today we’re suggesting Amiot’s Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Millandes” from 2019, the family’s tiny plot of 50 year old vines in stony soils scattered with round rocks called “têtes de loups” (wolf heads). Millandes is always one of Amiot’s most precise, sophisticated cuvées, and though the 2019 is riper and more muscly than usual, it retains its buttoned up, polished character.

The nose is multi-layered, a blend of oak and fruit. Burghound awarded 90-92 points and praised its “brooding liqueur-like aromas of plum, dark currant, earth and a whiff of Asian-style tea.” The wine also won a “Tastevinage” from the Chevaliers du Tastevin, the Burgundy trade group that blind tastes through the vintage each year and singles out particularly noteworthy wines.

We think this has a long, impressive life ahead of it; but like most 2019s, it can be coaxed into early enjoyment as well.

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Millandes” 2019
bottle price: $78

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Autumn Arrives: Velvety, Cozy New 2018 Gigondas

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the most recognizable brands in wine. Made famous by French popes in the 14th century, and then again by Robert Parker in the 1980s, the appellation’s place on the winemaking map is well established. And well deserved — the wines can be extraordinary, though they often come at a “special occasion” price point for most wine enthusiasts.

Enter Gigondas. Wine from this appellation, about 20 minutes across the valley, shares many of the same rich, dark qualities that draw people to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Gigondas isn’t quite as deep or as long lived as its more famous neighbor, but its price encourages more frequent enjoyment. It’s a great choice for the autumn months ahead.

The Clos du Joncuas has been among our happiest recent discoveries in the Southern Rhône. Sisters Dany and Carol Chastan have run their family domaine for decades according to organic and biodynamic principles. The wines are all beautifully made, with minimal manipulation and no pretense. They practice old school winemaking — 100% whole clusters, ambient yeasts, no fining or filtering, no oaking.

Their 2018 Gigondas is, in a word, impressive. The nose mixes floral notes of violets with strawberry jam. In the mouth there is plenty of body, but the fine-grained tannins stay in the background while the wine coats the palate. There is very good length and an excellent finish.

Put a stew in the oven, turn on the football game, and pour yourself a glass of this — autumn has arrived.

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Joncuas Gigondas 2018
bottle price: $35

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Delicious New Normandy Cider and Poiré. $15

As Francophiles we get excited about many expressions of French terroir — wine, of course, but also cheese, butter, chickens, oysters, truffles, mustard. And so, just in time for Fall, we’re thrilled to release our newest French products: cider and poiré from Normandy.

It’s too cold north of Paris to grow much in the way of grapes, but in Normandy and Brittany they’ve cultivated apples and pears for centuries. With nearly 800 varieties planted across northern France, cidermakers craft their blends based on tannin, sweetness, bitterness, tartness and pH. Our new source is the Cidrerie Ribaude, a 9th generation cider farm in Normandy’s “Pays d’Auge” appellation.

Ribaude Organic Dry Cider. $15
Made from 30 apple varieties collected in two separate harvests — one in October, one in November. The fermentation takes two months, and reaches an alcohol of between 3 and 5%. The nose is floral and earthy, with notes of dried fruit and dried roses or daisies. The mouth is very dry, with a hint of tannin, relatively low acid, and a faint tartness — notes of black tea, leaves, baked apples, allspice, browned butter, straw and almonds.
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Ribaude Rosé Cider. $15
Made from pink-fleshed apples, their rosé cider is particularly well balanced — more tart than the Organic Dry, with both more fruit and more acid. The nose shows notes of tarte tatin, macintosh apple, spices, and orange peel. The mouth is crisp and refreshing, with less funk and a bit more fruit and caramel notes. It’s still not sweet, but not as bone-dry as the Organic Dry Cider.
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Ribaude Organic Dry Poiré. $15
Made just like cider but with pears instead of apples, Poiré is less common but no less tasty. Ribaude’s is a blend of 20 varieties, and its alcohol barely breaks 3%. The nose is exuberant and delightful, with notes of caramel, pear tart, and dried flowers. The mouth is fruity but also crisp and vibrant with nice acidity and notes of honey, herbs and apples.
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Normandy Sampler: $180
Four of each: Organic Dry Cider, Rosé Cider, Organic Dry Poiré. Free East Coast Shipping
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Vibrant, Delicious $24 White Burgundy

Vincent Boyer is one of Meursault’s young superstar winemakers. His golden white Burgundies from Meursault and Puligny are among the finest in our cellar. Vinous calls his wines “superb” and “very impressive;” Jasper Morris MW writes “Boyer seems to make better wines year after year.”

Chardonnay is responsible for all of Burgundy’s finest white wines. But 10% of white wine vineyards in Burgundy are Aligoté, a less celebrated grape that produces simple, refreshing wines. Aligoté is seldom magnificent, but in the hands of the right winemaker it can be truly delicious. Today’s is such a wine.

Boyer-Martenot’s Aligoté is unlike any other we’ve had, with a rich mouthfeel and unusually complex bouquet. Through 45+ year old vines and barrel fermentation, Boyer turns this ordinary grape into a smooth, delightful white with notes of wild honey, herbs, flowers, and classic green apple. Burghound found “very good volume” and “concentration and verve,” with notes of “white and yellow orchard fruit.”

Boyer’s Chardonnay Bourgogne blanc is a steal at its level, and drinks like a far fancier wine. Unlike many Aligoté it’s delightful on its own; no cassis needed, though the combination is lovely too. Pair with lobster rolls, steamers, grilled chicken thighs, or an Eventide fish sandwich.

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Boyer-Martenot Aligoté 2018
bottle price: $24

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Fresh, Delightful, Unoaked 2019 Premier Cru Chablis

In the dozen years since he took over his family’s domaine, Romain Collet has elevated its reputation as fast as any new generation we’ve witnessed. We’ve noticed it ourselves, but we’re not alone — writers from Vinous, Burghound and Robert Parker 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.

All of Romain’s 2019 premier crus are terrific — we couldn’t decide on a favorite, so we bought all four. But today we’re focused on Montmains, the classical cuvée. Collet’s Montmains is raised entirely in stainless steel. The soils for their plot are clay-poor, which contributes to the decision to keep eschew oak.

The 2019 Montmains is truly delicious wine, and requires neither patience nor introduction – we think even the most hardened New World Chardonnay drinker couldn’t turn a glass of this down. It’s fresh and delightful, with plenty of dry lemon fruit, and hints of stones and shells on the finish. Dry, unoaked fruit dominates here, with terrific tension.

Jasper Morris and Burghound both gave 89-92 points, finding it “attractive and quite persistent,” with “intense and sleekly textured flavors… all wrapped in a bone-dry finish.” It’s broad enough to enjoy a glass on its own, but we think it’s best with sushi, oysters, scallops, or simple goat cheese. That a cuvée this complex and complete runs $35/bot is truly remarkable.

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Collet Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2019
bottle price: $35

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