Author: Thomas Wilcox

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“Loire Valley Meursault” – Organic, Old-Vine Chenin Blanc

Several years ago a winemaker summed up his thoughts to us on barrel aging wines: “oak is fine, but wine is better.” As oaking maxims go, we find this a pretty good one. Oak can be a necessary supporting element, but when it’s the loudest voice in a cuvée it’s rarely a recipe for success.

Which is why we tasted the Domaine des Sanzay’s barrel-raised Chenin Blanc with a healthy dose of skepticism. Loire Valley Chenin Blanc is one of the world’s great wines, and so delightful is the blend of chalky terroir and orchard fruit it’s hard to imagine oak doing anything but messing it up. But even tired old tasters can be surprised from time to time.

Sanzay’s “Coinçons” [kwen-sawn] is pure Chenin Blanc from 50 year old vines. It’s fermented with wild yeasts in large oak barrels, then aged in oak (half new) with regular lees stirring for the élévage. This sounds like a recipe for a rich buttery wine, but somehow it’s not — the concentrated fruit from the old vines provides a sturdy enough base.

The oak is there, but it’s handled meticulously — like a white Burgundy made from Chenin. The nose shows quince, pear, toast, and earth; the mouth is dry and perfectly balanced between fruit, acid, and toast. Picture the shimmering golden fruit of a Meursault with the more exotic profile of pear and stones from the Loire.

This may not be the classic expression of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc we love so much, but it’s seriously delicious, and very well made. Serve with grilled swordfish or pan-seared scallops.

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Sanzay Chenin Blanc “Coinçons” 2019
bottle price: $25

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Masterful 2019 Gevery-Chambertin under $60

By Burgundy standards, Gevrey-Chambertin is enormous. It covers a thousand acres, including a whopping 135 acres of Grand Cru vines. Its wines are of a similar scale — rich, meaty, bold Pinot Noir balancing delicacy and depth.

Many of Burgundy’s best value wines come from vineyards just over the border from the iconic names. We often write about Domaine Amiot’s “Combottes,” a premier cru Gevrey vineyard surrounded by Grand Crus. Today we’re suggesting Amiot’s village-level Gevrey, a similarly well located plot at a remarkable price.

Pierre Amiot’s village level Gevrey comes from two plots bordering the famous Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin. The Grand Cru will run you $200-$300; (and we think Combottes is worth every penny at $99). But Amiot’s village-level wine just from feet away doesn’t even crack $60.

Amiot is a small scale, fifth generation winemaker in Morey-St-Denis. In a good year they make 100 cases of their village level Gevrey, making it one of their smallest volume cuvées. Most of Amiot’s wines come from Morey-St-Denis, a town known for its finesse and minerality — the Amiots have mastered the art of drawing subtle elegance from Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Apply this delicate touch to neighboring Gevrey’s bold terroir and a superb 2019 vintage,, and the resulting wine is simply terrific. Amiot’s 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin is dark, meaty and bursting with smooth inky fruit. Look for spiced plums, cassis, blackberry, and woods. It should age nicely for 3-4 years, but drink beautifully today.

Burghound found “earthy aromas of dark currant,” calling it “appealingly vibrant” with a “sleek texture” and “fine-grained tannins.” Amiot’s premier crus are delicious and worth your time; but today’s village-level Gevrey offers the amiot style and 2019 vintage with a friendlier pricetag. Pour it from a carafe as you welcome the return of that crisp autumn air at last.

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Amiot Gevrey-Chambertin 2019
bottle price: $59

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Stunning 93-point Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru from 2019

Thomas Morey makes some of the most delicate white Burgundies we know. Far from the rich, opulent style of the past decades, Morey’s Chassagnes are refined, subtle, and sophisticated. Burgundy expert Jasper Morris MW calls them “very pure, precise and elegant,” as well as “excellent.”

At the village level, Morey’s Chassagne-Montrachet draws from 14 plots across the appellation. Morey explained to us he feels it’s important to have a cuvée that represents his town (where his family has lived for five centuries) as a whole. But at the premier cru level, Morey bottles each plot separately — and after one taste of today’s Embrazées you’ll see why.

Embrazées is a premier cru in the Morgeot sector of Chassagne, a neighborhood known for its bold, round wines. This lush terroir combined with Morey’s precise style makes this cuvée extraordinary. The name Embrazées roughly translates to “aglow” or “aflame,” and the wine indeed glows with intensity and a smooth sophistication.

Burghound was blown away, calling it “outstanding,” awarding 93 points, and concluding “This is really lovely and a wine of finesse and punch.” Jasper Morris also awarded 93 points, finding it “delicious.” We found notes of peach, hazelnut, and lemon — it’s at once rich, intense, and tightly coiled: a masterful exercise in restraint. Serve with lobster and butter.

This should improve for 3-5 years, but in a decanter today it’s not a wine you’ll soon forget.

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Morey Chassagne-Montrachet
1er cru “Embrazées” 2019
bottle price: $92

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Pantry Wine: Refreshing $16 Côtes du Rhône Back in Stock

Everyone needs a pantry wine — something to open without too much consideration or care. Thirsty guests looking for something to wet their whistle? Pantry wine. Back home after a long weekend away, with no energy for anything but takeout pizza? Pantry wine. Football game go into overtime and you need just one more glass of something simple? You guessed it.

In the summer, our pantry wine is usually Chablis — simple, refreshing, crisp, and uncomplicated. But in cooler months, it’s a humble red Rhône blend. We have plenty of options in the Côtes du Rhône genre, but none better balanced or less work than Goubert’s humble Côtes du Rhône.

We’ve just restocked on the delicious 2019. At $3.20 a glass, you’ll probably spend more on the bag of tortilla chips.

A Côtes du Rhône should be three things: refreshing, dark, and inexpensive. Goubert’s is all three. The relatively low alcohol, keeps it fresh and lively on the palate. The blend of six grapes classic Rhône grapes forms a rich, hearty, dark wine. And it’s inexpensive enough to pull out at a moment’s notice.

Winemaker Florence Cartier has improved this cuvée perhaps more than any other since she took over a few years ago. The nose is expressive and surprisingly refined, showing dark wild cherries, raspberries, and a hint of menthol. The mouth is both jammy and refreshing, with notes of white pepper, licorice, raspberry and plums.

Don’t overthink this and it won’t let you down.

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Goubert Côtes du Rhône 2019
bottle price: $16

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Gorgeous, Velvety 93-point Gigondas: “Remarkable Value”

For years, Gigondas was a savvy wine collector’s secret: near-Châteauneuf-level complexity and richness, at a substantial discount. But even as its name has spread and prices have crept up, the price-value ratio in Gigondas remains unusually good. As Vinous’s Josh Raynolds put it after tasting several hundred cuvées recently, “in the context of the world’s best wines, almost every Gigondas delivers solid and even remarkable value.”

Last spring we stumbled upon an exciting property, the Clos du Joncuas — a century-old domaine making old school Gigondas with extraordinary finesse and texture. The winemakers here use ambient yeasts, no oak (not even foudres), 100% whole cluster, no fining or filtering.

We’ve recently restocked with the 2016 Gigondas for the third time, and every batch we get is better than the last.

The Joncuas technique sounds like a recipe for a massive, rustic wine, but sisters Dany and Carol Chastan somehow manage to produce wines of superb texture and subtlety. The Joncuas Gigondas 2016 is magnificent. It’s 80% grenache (some from centenarian vines), with the rest Mourvèdre and Cinsault. The fruit is clean and very pure, with a gorgeous silky texture and notes of violets, raspberry, garrigue, and spice. Think of it as Grenache that wants to be Syrah.

Vinous and Wine Advocate booth awarded 93 points, finding it “big and balanced,” “plush,” finishing “silky, sweet, and impressively long.” Close your eyes and this is easily a Châteauneuf-du-Pape; open them and it’s an astonishing amount of wine for under $40.

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Joncuas Gigondas 2016
bottle price: $39

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[Advance Order] Gorgeous, Perfectly-Balanced 2019 Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne Blanc

In a Beaune restaurant two years ago spring we stumbled upon that most elusive of wine merchant targets: an unknown Burgundy domaine. Formed in 2002 with just 1.5 hectares of vines, the Domaine Bohrmann has no other importers, zero critical reviews, and a (very) hard-to-reach winemaker.

Bohrmann doesn’t sound very French, and it isn’t — Sofie Borhmann is Belgian, and splits her time between Belgium and Burgundy. We’re not sure where she’s been hiding, or why no other American importers have found her. But her wines simply blew us away, and we’re not alone: we’ve sold out of everything we bought from her last year.

Next Sunday we release September Futures, which will include a handful of Sofie’s other white Burgundies from St-Aubin, Puligny, and Meursault. But first we’re highlighting two Bourgogne cuvées that grabbed our attention: the 2019 Bourgogne blanc, and 2019 Bourgogne rouge. Both dramatically overperform their humble billing, and we think both will make perfect everyday red and white Burgundies for your cellar.

Bohrmann Bourgogne blanc 2019: $295/case

Bohrmann is a master of careful oaking. Borhmann’s Bourgogne comes from 40 year old vines, giving the wine an intense, distilled mouthfeel and excellent length. The 2019 is an extraordinarily complex wine for its level. The nose is smooth, elegant, floral, and concentrated, with more than a passing resemblance to Meursault. The mouth is cool, impressively long, and vibrant — ripe and ready to drink immediately. Like the wildly popular 2018, this is among the most impressive regional-level Bourgogne blancs we’ve tasted in years.

Bohrmann Bourgogne rouge 2019: $325/case

We were planning to offer the Bourgogne blanc in today’s email, but on a whim we opened the rouge Sofie sent along as well – boy, are we glad we did. Bohrmann’s 2019 Bourgogne rouge is an example of just how far this magical vintage has stretched. The nose shows seductive, crushed ripe red fruits, overlaid with a soft floral character. The mouth is perfectly ripe, smooth, and delicious, with fine chalky tannin supporting the bursting fruit. The 2019s possess an extraordinary balance of fruit, tension, and texture — some cuvées are destined for future greatness, but this one requires no patience.

We expect these wines to arrive in November. To place an order, email tom [at] ansoniawines.com

 

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Bone-Dry, Zesty, Fresh, Vibrant: Delicious New Muscadet. $22

Value is subjective when it comes to wine. A $50 bottle of Burgundy might seem a steal to some, an extravagance to others. But nearly everyone agrees that Muscadet is just about the best bargain going.

Muscadet is a crisp, precise, dry white wine that is the essence of freshness. It’s also abundant and inexpensive. Made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, the best examples are raised “sur lie” (on the lees) to add complexity. In recent years Muscadet has undergone a reinvention of sorts with the elevation of three of the region’s best towns to a new “Cru Communal” status.

Today’s wine comes from one of these leaders in the new wave of Muscadet. Martin-Luneau is a family domaine farming old vines on the plains south of Nantes. Today we’re pleased to release the 2016 “Gorges” Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine. Combining exceptional terroir with extended years on the lees, this is an unusually complex take on a classic.

The 2016 Gorges is a perfect antidote to late summer muggy weather. It’s pure and clean, showing melon, dried spring flowers, and lemon zest. The mouth is smooth and very dry, with notes of salt air, stones, and green apple skins. It’s refreshing and full of energy.

Oysters are the longstanding pairing of choice with Muscadet, and the thick savoriness in this wine is an exceptional foil for the fresh brininess of an oyster. Moules Marinières is the choice of the winemakers, and as you might expect, the match is magnificent.

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Martin-Luneau Muscadet de Sèvre
et Maine “Gorges” Sur Lie 2016
bottle price: $22

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Back in Stock: Reliable, Refreshing 2019 Côtes du Rhône

Some wines just hit a sweet spot between price and quality. All the way back to our brick and mortar days in Dupont Circle in Washington DC, the Goubert Sablet has been among the best sellers in our lineup. When we left it off our order last year, we had half a dozen customers write in to express concern.

It’s not the fanciest wine in our cellar — it’s not even the fanciest Côtes du Rhône. But there’s something about the balance of fruit, earth, texture, acidity, tannin and price that make it a winning combination. We’ve (finally) just restocked.

The 2019 Sablet is delightful. It’s a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, all fermented together in the same tank. It’s raised in large concrete vats rather than oak barrels, and the resulting wine is fresh and untouched by notes of vanilla or toast.

Goubert’s Sablet 2019 is somehow both dark and refreshing: the nose is a blend of wild cherries, lavender, violets, and cloves. In the mouth the fruits are red, perfectly ripe, with beautiful freshness and a clean, spiced finish. The weight is just right: rich, rounded tannins, mouth-coating fruit, solid supporting acidity, and a smooth finish.

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Goubert Sablet 2019
bottle price: $18

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Fresh, Sappy 2018 Red Burgundy from Morey-St-Denis

The town of Morey-St-Denis exemplifies the small scale of Burgundian winemaking. Wedged between two more famous neighbors, this village of 680 people has a vineyard surface of under 4 tenths of a square mile. It’s delicate, delicious, classic red Burgundy — there just isn’t much of it to go around.

Michel Gros has a tiny parcel in Morey-St-Denis, from which he makes fewer than 1000 bottles annually. The vines are perched on the hill above the town, and the vineyard directly borders three Grand Crus: Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays, and Bonnes-Mares.

Most years Gros’s Morey-St-Denis typifies the village, but in the scorching hot 2018 vintage, the wine carries extra weight and packs a bit more punch. It’s bolder, but no less impressive.

Clive Coates MW describes the wines of Morey as a cross between the silkiness of Chambolle-Musigny and the sturdiness of Gevrey-Chambertin. This year Gros’s Morey-St-Denis shines as a beautiful combination of both qualities. Its location 10 feet from Clos des Lambrays helps explain its unusual depth, and

We found beautiful, dark blackberry fruit in this wine, with cool, ripe tannins. Morey-St-Denis’s signature mineral core is evident and delightful, overlaid with inky dark ripe fruit. Neal Martin of Vinous calls it “fragrant, well-defined,” and “fine;” Burghound cites “ample minerality” with “Racy, fresh and refined middle-weight flavors.”

In some years this cuvée is a study in understatement and refinement; in 2018 it’s better described as simply “tasty.”

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Gros Morey-St-Denis 2018
bottle price: $72

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Terrific New 2019 Premier Cru St-Aubin from Thomas Morey

We often say that the only thing wrong with Thomas Morey’s wines is how little of them there are. Morey is based in Chassagne-Montrachet, a Burgundian neighborhood that has seen a catastrophic series of spring frosts in recent years, and his wine is perennially in short supply. Some of the cuvées in our allocation (Batard-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet) we sell through every year in Futures. His delicious village-level 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet made it to inventory this year, but sold out after just a week.

So we were thrilled this year when Thomas surprised us with an offer to purchase his St-Aubin 1er cru “Castets” — we immediately replied that we’d take all he had. St-Aubin is a neighbor to Chassagne-Montrachet, and somewhat plays the role of a backup quarterback: in an excellent vintage and in the hands of a top winemaker, it makes a real case for starting a game under center.

“Castets” is a southeast-facing premier cru plot at the west end of St-Aubin. Morey’s signature understated style produces an impressive wine and an outstanding value: clean, precise and perfectly balanced. The nose offers ripe Chardonnay fruit framed by just a touch of oak. In the mouth there is plenty of freshness, and yet no element overwhelms another.

Jasper Morris MW called it “a St. Aubin of precision and energy” and praised its “lively fruit on the nose, crisply exciting lemon notes, good weight behind, [and] crystalline limestone character.” It may be the simplest wine from Morey in our lineup, but it’s first rate white Burgundy from a master craftsman.

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Morey St-Aubin 1er “Castets” 2019
bottle price: $58

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“Thrilling” & “Remarkable” – Terrific 2019 Premier Cru Red Burgundy

Like other Old World winemaking cultures, Burgundians mix a healthy dose of superstition and wisdom in with their more modern winemaking practice. One oft-heard saying is that the best vintages end in “9” — and while there’s little statistical basis behind this, the last century has produced a nearly unbroken series of “années neuves.”

Whatever the cause, the 2019 vintage is not one to break the streak, and indeed may be among the best in recent memory. 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.”

Everything we’ve tasted from 2019 has been in line with these conclusions, and none more so than Jean-Louis and Léon Amiot’s outstanding crop of 2019s from Morey-St-Denis.

Today we’re suggesting Amiot’s 2019 “Aux Charmes,” a premier cru Morey-St-Denis just a few yards from the great Grand Cru “Charmes-Chambertin.” “Charmes” is always the first of Amiot’s cuvées to drink well, but in 2019 it comes with a more serious, concentrated presentation. We think this will drink well as a young wine this fall, but will have plenty left in the tank a decade down the road.

Today ripe fruit aromas dominate the nose, with dark black currants and cinnamon spice. The mouth is dark, sappy, and woodsy, with toasted red cherries on a long, densely packed finish. As with most 2019s, it’s the texture that’s most attractive — intense and ripe, rippling with tension laid over lean, delicate armature.

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

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Supple, Delicious New Everyday Châteauneuf-du-Pape. $35

Christophe Mestre and his wife are from old Châteauneuf-du-Pape families. Like many such families, they own a number of parcels scattered across the town’s remarkably diverse terroir. About a third is among the famous galets roulés, (pictured above). Another third is in alluvial sandy soils, and the rest is spread among red and brown soils rich in pebbles and calcium.

Combine these diverse soils with no fewer than 15 grape varieties approved for the appellation, and it is easy to see how the wine of each domaine has its own distinct character. Mestre’s style is fruit-forward and approachable, and the bottle of 2018 we opened for warehouse visitors last week was already delicious.

Christophe Mestre makes a single red Châteauneuf du Pape each year, vinfiying the different grapes separately and carefully combining them to come up with each year’s vintage. We have been buying there for five years now, and have watched him consistently craft delicious wine from the varied elements each vintage offers.

The 2018 rouge is 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, and 5% Cinsault, and it’s truly delicious. There is plum, licorice, and maybe a touch of chocolate in the nose. In the mouth, the wine is rich and round, with plenty of support and no feeling of heat. The finish is long and velvety. Robert Parker’s reviewer found “plummy fruit and hints of espresso,” calling it “supple and easy-drinking.”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is not typically a source of value or precocity: today’s delicious bottle offers both. (Also available in magnum.)

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018
bottle price: $35

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 (1.5L)
bottle price: $72

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Old School Red Rhone Blend: Plums and Lavender

The Clos du Joncuas might be the most exciting recent find in our portfolio. Based in Gigondas in the Southern Rhône, sisters Dany and Carol Chastan learned their craft from their parents and grandparents, and have themselves been farming organically for 40 years.

This is old school winemaking: ambient yeasts, no oak (not even foudres), 100% whole cluster, no fining or filtering. It sounds like a recipe for a big rustic wine, but the Chastan sisters somehow managed to produce wines of superb texture and subtlety.

We don’t know what goes into their alchemy, but it’s pretty easy to like what comes out.

Joncuas’s Gigondas cuvées are magnificent and worth every penny, but today we’re focused on their slightly simpler cuvée: Vacqueyras. We were delighted to find the 2017 still in stock: with a few extra years in the bottle under today it’s smooth, generous, and overperforming for its class.

Made from Grenache and a splash of Mourvèdre, this wine resembles a cool inky Syrah, even though it’s absent from the blend. A floral nose gives way to ripe raspberries, lavender, sweet plums and earth. This is rich wine whose first impression is nonetheless freshness. It finishes smooth, leaving an inky blue-black perfume on the palate.

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Joncuas Vacqueyras 2017
bottle price: $28

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Crisp, Dry, Refreshing Chenin Blanc from the Loire. $19

Chenin blanc has an enormous range of expression. It can be anywhere from bone dry to very sweet depending on vintage, terroir, and winemaker. Vouvray is the original source for Chenin Blanc, but the surrounding towns in the central Loire Valley produce excellent examples as well.

Several years ago we spent a few days in the Loire searching for a new source for Chenin Blanc. We enjoy the sweet stuff from time to time, but our main goal was to find a dry, refreshing, unoaked, affordable Chenin.

Today’s wine is the result of that search, and it’s become one of our most popular bottles of white from anywhere.

Nicolas Paget is an energetic and impassioned young winemaker in Touraine-Azay le Rideau (a neighbor to Vouvray). Like much Loire wine today, Paget’s wines are organic and low-intervention in style. They’re aromatically expressive and beautifully balanced — lush exotic fruit presented in a clean, fresh package.

Paget’s 2019 Melodie sports an almost Chablisien array of grapeskin and minerals — clean, pure and delightful. The nose is floral and dry, with faint pear notes and a hint of apple. Even in a warm year Paget has managed to craft a refreshing cuvée — at 13% alcohol it’s a perfect warm weather sipper, and a refreshing break from the palate-coating wines that dominate the market these days. Serve with fresh goat cheese on crusty bread and rejoice in simplicity.

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Paget Chenin Blanc “Melodie” 2019
bottle price: $19

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Refreshing New $22 Burgundian Sauvignon Blanc. (Yes, Burgundy!)

Most of Burgundy’s vineyards lie in a North-South line between Dijon and Lyon. Chablis is the exception – this satellite region sits an hour and a half northwest of the rest of Burgundy. Culturally, Chablis has been part of Burgundy for over 500 years, but geographically it’s a world apart.

In fact Chablis is closer, both physically and geologically, to Sancerre in the Loire Valley. Chablis of course is all Chardonnay, and Sancerre is pure Sauvignon — but in the nearby, little-known appellation of Saint-Bris, the lines blur even further: the region is still Burgundy, but the grape is Sauvignon Blanc.

We’re excited to introduce our very first Saint-Bris, a pure sauvignon blanc wine made by the terrifically talented Romain Collet of the Domaine Jean Collet in Chablis.

Collet has always been known as a reliable source in Chablis, but thirtysomething Romain has dramatically elevated the domaine’s status. Their delicious Chablis cuvées range from humble Chablis villages to Grand Cru, and the new Saint-Bris is as well made as everything else. Romain handles the unfamiliar grape with skill and precision.

Collet’s Saint-Bris is simply delightful. It spends a bit of elevage in old oak barrels – too old to add any toasty notes, but enough to round out the refreshing Sauvignon acidity. The result is a delicious, supple wine with great freshness and lovely notes of dried flowers and grapefruit. Burghound found “fine richness and intensity.” It’s a tasty combination of the angular precision of Chablis and the lush juiciness of Sauvignon blanc.

Open a chilled bottle on an warm August afternoon and you’ll be surprised how fast you reach the bottom.

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Collet Saint-Bris 2019
bottle price: $22

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