Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Inky, Concentrated, Vibrant New Northern Rhône Syrah. $22

Denis Basset is a charming, energetic, fast talking young winemaker with a knack for channeling his terroir. His organic cuvées from Crozes-Hermitage are popular in Parisian restaurants, and it’s easy to see why — they’re balanced, honest, refreshing, and tremendous values.

Basset is located in Crozes-Hermitage, near the southern end of the Northern Rhône Valley. Forever in the shadow – literally and figuratively – of the great hill of Hermitage, its pure-sryah cuvées offer earlier drinking windows and far friendlier pricetags.

Denis’s wine gets better every year, and his just-arrived 2019 is a knockout. The name “Etincelle” (sparks) refers to his near-electrocution a decade ago, an accident that caused him to quit his job and pursue his dream of winemaking.

Basset’s 2019 Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” is at once dark and soaring. From a hot year, there’s very dense and intense fruit laid over a sinewy structure of blackberry jam and spice. But the mouthfeel is also balanced, vibrant, and delicious. A weeknight red with far more pluck than $22 usually gets you.

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Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2019
bottle price: $22

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Lush, “Brilliant” New White Burgundy from Maconnais

When we lived near Cluny in Burgundy more than twenty years ago, we stumbled upon a nearby producer in Viré-Clessé. The young couple who owned it tended their vineyards and made their wine according to organic and biodynamic principles – not at all the norm back then – and their work opened our eyes to the quality possible in the Maconnais.

We bought this wine enthusiastically for many years on behalf of friends and family, but the domaine already had a national US importer, and so we never sought to give their wine a wider distribution. We stopped importing the wine a decade ago, but have missed it ever since.

But we are delighted that we are now able to offer the results of this superb winemaking under a new label: “Forces Telluriques.”

In recent years the domaine has won praise from today’s top writers. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley writes of the wine’s “remarkable concentration and energy.” Jasper Morris MW calls them “brilliant… refined, pure, complex, lush.”

The 2018 Forces Tellurique Viré-Clessé features clean, pure, lemony fruit, along with remarkable freshness and energy from such a sunny vintage. On the palate it’s unctuous and smooth with a long finish that would outlast many a Meursault. The nose bursts with yellow orchard fruit and notes of tangerine and honey. Reviewing the 2018 under its primary label, Kelley awarded 93 points, finding notes of “honeycomb, orange oil, and elderflowers,” calling it “layered and succulent… with a charming core of fruit and a saline finish.”

We’ve just received our first shipment in nearly a decade, and it’s like welcoming long lost friends back home – from a new vintage and in new clothes, but the same charming spirit.

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Forces Telluriques Viré-Clessé 2018
bottle price: $42

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A Terrific Trio: Exquisite 2015 Red Burgundies from Michel Gros

The 2015 vintage enjoys mythic status in Burgundy – the year when everything went right. One winemaker told us he purchased a sorting table in 2015 to remove imperfect grapes, but he didn’t even bother setting it up until the following year. It’s considered among the top vintages in a generation. Everyone made good wine in 2015 — and the greatest winemakers’ results were extraordinary.

The 2015s from Michel Gros are everything you’d expect. Ideal ripeness, sleek and elegant shape, and perfect balance between fruit, earth, and wood. We’ve just brought in our last few cases of three village cuvées from Gros from our offsite storage – they’ve got a long life ahead of them, but we’ve decided to hand off the maturity decision to you.

They’re available as individual bottles, or as a 3-pack with free shipping. For the Burgundy lover on your Christmas List, these might be the best gift they receive this year.

 

Michel Gros Nuits-St-Georges Chaliots 2015
In the glass it’s meaty and dense, showing licorice, smoke, and a bit of game. The mouth is long and rich, with a silky woodsiness overlying the dark cherry fruit. Given a half hour in a carafe or decanter, this wine will transport you to the Burgundy of centuries ago.
$75/bot

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Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée 2015
The nose shows violets and dried roses, redcurrants and a bit of spice. The mouth is intense and lively but smoothed, with silky ripe tannins in perfect balance with the dark pinot noir fruit. Open one today and you’ll be seriously impressed; open one in five years, and you’ll understand.
$85/bot

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Michel Gros Chambolle-Musigny 2015
Look for notes of plum, licorice, cherry and stones; the mouth is dense and firm but with velvety texture and a clean, very precise finish. Burghound calls this wine “elegant” and “utterly delicious,” noting its “lovely minerality and energy,” and concluding “this is an excellent Chambolle villages.”
$85/bot

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Michel Gros 2015 Trio
One of each wine, free shipping
$245/bot

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Gorgeous New Meursault-Like 2019 Bourgogne blanc

Well-priced white Burgundy is getting harder to find. Demand is up, supply is (way) down, and the wines themselves just keep getting better. As prices at the high end reach to stratospheric levels and more consumers focus on entry level cuvées, it’s become trickier to find that weeknight Bourgogne blanc.

But there are still bargains to be found. A few years ago we stumbled across the Domaine Bohrmann on a wine list in a Beaune restaurant. Formed in 2002 with just 1.5 hectares of vines, they have no other importers, zero critical reviews, and a (very) hard-to-reach winemaker.

Sofie Borhmann is a Belgian winemaker, splitting 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 continue to over-deliver their billing. Her 2019s have just arrived in the warehouse, and we’re thrilled to release the first of them today.

Bohrmann is a master of careful oaking. Her terrific cuvées from Meursault, Puligny, and St-Aubin channel each town’s terroir with honesty and precision – just enough wood to support the wine, but not enough to get in the way.

Borhmann’s Bourgogne blanc 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 (sold out six months ago), this is among the most impressive regional-level Bourgogne blancs we’ve tasted in years, and we’re excited to have it in stock. We bought as much as we could, but after one taste you’ll understand why this won’t be around for long.

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Bohrmann Bourgogne blanc 2019
bottle price: $34

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Superb, “Charming” New 2019 Red Burgundy, from “Just over the Wall”

New winemakers in Burgundy are hard to come by. It’s a tiny region, and between small harvests, ever increasing demand, and well-established importers, it can seem there’s nothing new to discover. One of our most exciting recent finds was the Domaine Boursot in Chambolle-Musigny. Neal Martin of Vinous writes of a “foundation for a promising future,” and describes Boursot’s wines as “superb,” “excellent,” “very fine,” and “worth seeking out.”

We’ve now received our third vintage of wines from the family, and we’re pleased to report our initial enthusiasm (and Neal’s) was well founded. These are delicious, well-made wines from terrific terroir.

Boursot is best known for their excellent Chambolle-Musignys, which are excellent and come highly recommended. But their hidden gem is their Côte de Nuits-Villages. Made from vines immediately on the other side of the wall from Chambolle royalty Frédy Mugnier’s famous Nuits-St-Georges 1er cru “Clos de la Maréchale,” (see photo) this greatly overperforms its class.

The 2019 is as good as you’d expect from an outstanding vintage and supremely well-located terroir. It’s classic Boursot style: the nose is dark and briary, with Côte de Nuits cassis and hints of black pepper and toast. The mouth is punchy and juicy, with a woodsy mouthfeel laid over lots of beefy extraction. The tannins are approachable and youthful, full of energy and texture without an ounce of harshness.

Neal Martin found “plenty of energy and charm,” with a “fleshy” palate and “quite a sensual finish.” Is it as good as the $175 Premier Cru Nuit-St-Georges next door? Nope. But at a quarter of the price it’s easily a better buy — loaded with character, presence, and depth.

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Boursot Côte de Nuits-Villages 2019
bottle price: $42

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Gorgeous, Perfumed 2017 Côte Rôties: 92-95 pts

The Northern Rhône produces the world’s most complex and balanced expressions of Syrah. Particularly in Côte Rôtie, at the region’s northern limit, the wines combine inky, black, masculine fruit with extraordinary lift and finesse. Our producer in Côte Rôtie is Christophe Bonnefond, who seems to make more impressive and well-balanced wines each year.

Vinous’s Josh Raynolds writes, “a number of years ago Bonnefond made a conscious effort to dial back the ripeness that he was seeking in his vineyards. He also made the move to larger format barrels and smaller percentage of new oak. The result in 2017 is surprisingly accessible, perfumed wines that lean distinctly more towards elegance than brawn.”

We found Raynold’s characterization spot-on. Christophe somehow seems to coax more subtlety out of his vines with each passing year. His 2017s are magnificent — all three refined and vibrant. We’re excited to offer all three Côte Rôtie cuvées: their base cuvée Colline de Couzou, and their two top cuvées Côte Rozier and Les Rochains, both of which border the famous La Landonne vineyard.

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie 2017
(Vinous 92) “black and blue fruits, licorice and succulent flowers, along with hints of cracked pepper and cola…sappy and energetic in style… supple tannins build on the finish, which clings with strong tenacity and resonating spiciness”
Price: $58/bot

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie “Les Rochains” 2017
(Vinous 95) “expansive, smoke- and mineral-accented bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, licorice, incense and violet… broad and muscular in style…plays richness off finesse with a steady hand and finishes with superb, dark-fruit-dominated tenacity”
Price: $72/bot

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Bonefond Côte Rotie “Côte Rozier” 2017
(Vinous 95) “expansive, smoke-tinged cherry, dark berry preserve, peony and incense aromas show excellent clarity…densely packed yet shockingly lively…superb energy on the seamless, strikingly long finish”
Price: $72/bot

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Delicious, Refreshing $24 Côte d’Or 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 traditionally has produced simple, refreshing wines. Burgundian Aligoté is in the midst of a renaissance, with warmer summers and a perennial search for freshness combining to land the humble grape in the spotlight.

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.”

Abandon your prejudice about this unloved grape. In the hands of the right winemaker, and amid ever warmer growing seasons, Aligoté now competes with Chardonnay for entry-level Bourgogne.

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Boyer-Martenot Aligoté 2018
bottle price: $24

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“Elegant,” Precise New 2019 Chambolle-Musigny

The soils of Burgundy vary widely based on location, but in general are some blend of argile (clay) and calcaire (limestone). The proportion of these two elements goes a long way in determining the character of wine made in each town. And in Chambolle-Musigny, it’s all about the calcaire.

This higher mineral content gives the wines of Chambolle their signature silkiness, featuring elegance and lift more than muscle and power. Our source here is the Domaine Boursot, a winery dating back to the 1550s, but one that’s unmistakably on the upswing today. Jasper Morris MW writes that “the winemaking has been sharpened up by the current generation;” Neal Martin of Vinous sees “good potential” and “a promising future.”

Boursot’s outstanding crop of 2019s has just arrived, including three really terrific premier crus from Chambolle. But it’s their village-level cuvée that might most effectively punch above its weight. Martin calls the 2019 Chambolle Nazoires “generous and nicely defined, perhaps quite Vosne-like in style.” Writer Bill Nanson called it “elegant… delicious, complex, proper Chambolle.”

A high toned silky precision wafts from the nose of this wine, with notes of red currants, roses, and stones. The mouth is concentrated and precise, with cinnamon, wild cherries, and cassis all channeled into a polished, regal form. Enjoy this as a young wine from a decanter over the next year or two, or save it for another five and drink it as a mature masterpiece.

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Boursot Chambolle-Musigny 2019
bottle price: $75

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Dazzling, Cozy Gigondas to Rival Châteauneuf

Mother Nature tends to be a bit friendlier to the winemakers of the Southern Rhône. There’s plenty of sun and warmth, the grape varietals are generally hardy, and the northwesterly Mistral wind keeps the grapes dry and maladies at bay. It’s still hard work, but lots of winemakers we know in Burgundy look longingly at the conditions to their south.

Even by southern standards, the 2015 vintage was just about perfect. Early (but not too early) flowering, warm days, cool nights, enough rain, and clear skies at harvest time. On the subject of the 2015 Rhônes, Vinous’s Josh Raynolds found “wines that are full-flavored without being ponderous and with a compelling interplay of richness and energy.”

He goes on to highlight one town — “2015…produced one of the most consistently excellent sets of Gigondas that I’ve ever had the chance to taste.”

Today we’re suggesting the 2015 Domaine les Goubert Gigondas “Florence,” a Grenache-Syrah blend from one of the region’s reference point producers Rhône. This is Goubert’s only barrel-aged wine, and while their whole lineup provides terrific value, nothing dazzles quite like the Florence.

This wine perfectly embodies the term “layers.” It changes the moment the bottle is opened — we suggest a half hour in a carafe to help it along. When it’s open and firing on all cylinders, it’s a symphony of taste: lavender, boysenberry, black pepper, chocolate, raspberry jam, earth, and toast.

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Goubert Gigondas “Florence” 2015
bottle price: $52

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“Classy and Refined”: Exquisite 94-point Grand Cru Chablis

The wines of Chablis are known for their limited oak, piercing minerality, and crystalline elegance. Our favorites are often mid-range bottles that combine everyday pricing and with great energy and beautiful precision.

But high-end Chablis can be extraordinary. Cuvées from Chablis’s seven famous Grand Crus show a depth and power that’s remarkable for a white wine. The Domaine Jean Collet makes superb everyday village and premier cru cuvées, but their Grand Cru, with a higher pricetag and shorter supply, is worth every penny.

Collet’s 2019 Grand Cru Valmur is huge and intense, the product of impressive terroir in a concentrated vintage. Romain has expertly balanced Chablis’s signature minerality with a richness that calls to mind Corton-Charlemagne or Montrachet. Vinous and Jasper Morris awarded between 91 and 94 points, finding it “classy and refined,” with a “muscular character” and “the substance to age.

This is exceptionally powerful white wine. The nose shows gardenia, green tea, and baked lemon flavors, with a bright chalky stoniness that enhances the fruit. The mouth is simply packed with flavor — it’s bold and rich, but vibrant in texture. A grand wine for a grand occasion.

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Collet Chablis Grand Cru “Valmur ” 2019
bottle price: $68

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Perfectly Drinkable Red Burgundy: Charming 2017 from Michel Gros

Michel Gros produces some of our favorite red Burgundies. His style is smooth and elegant, with warm, enticing notes of toast, red berries, and a silky texture. Gros’s village level and premier cru wines can be truly extraordinary, but they often need investment and patience to achieve their potential.

But not all Gros wines hail from such exalted zip codes. Gros makes several “petits vins,” which aren’t as complex or long-lived, but offer a chance to sample his brilliance at a more affordable price. And not all Gros cuvées require patience — with appealingly soft tannin and relatively low acidity the 2017 vintage is, to quote Burghound, “user-friendly.”

Gros farms several plots in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, a subregion just to the west of the famous Côte d’Or. The Fontaine-Saint-Martin vineyard is named for a nearby Cistercian abbey that dates to 1127. It’s a special plot — soil analysis revealed the parcel contains the same mix of marl, clay, and limestone found on the Hill of Corton

The 2017 Fontaine-St-Martin is smooth and simply delicious. It’s beautiful today, particularly after just 20 minutes in a carafe — beautifully textured tannins underlie dark blue fruit and floral notes of violets and roses. If you’re in the market for the Gros village and premier cru wines, we recommend them with enthusiasm. But if you’re new to the producer, or in search of a terrific sub-$40 red Burgundy, look no further.

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Michel Gros Hautes-Côtes “Fontaine St-Martin” 2017
bottle price: $38

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Bold, Exciting New St-Joseph under $40

Both the Northern and Southern Rhône Valleys borrow their name from the Rhône River, but there’s more than just 70 miles between them. Each region has its own history, rules, and feel. In the North nearly all the reds are unblended Syrah; in the South, Syrah shares the stage with Grenache, Mourvèdre, and a host of others. The styles, climates, and traditions are all distinct.

In recent warm vintages, many Northern reds have begun to take on a bit of a Southern feel — they’re still pure Syrah, but often with a sunnier, softer complexion. Our new Northern Rhône producer is Domaine de Boisseyt, and we’re thrilled to have four of their cuvées in stock. We think all four combine the best of both ends of the Rhône.

Many readers picked up some of last week’s VDP Syrah from De Boisseyt. Today we’re introducing their next level up: St-Joseph Garipelées. From 30 year old vines on classic Northern Rhône granite, their 2018 is truly delicious, and a terrific value. Much St-Joseph needs a few years to straighten out — de Boisseyt’s is ready for action today.

This wine is a superb match of Northern fruit and Southern charm. The nose shows blackberry, violets and cloves, with just a whisper of toast (only 15% new oak). The mouth has lovely, delicate structure dripping with ripe black fruits, and notes of plum, olive, and stones. This is mouthfilling and smooth — what it might lack in cellarability, it makes up for pure, hedonistic pleasure today. Picture the rugged, untamed soul of a Cornas, but with a friendlier mouthfeel and pricetag.

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De Boisseyt St-Joseph Garipelées 2018
bottle price: $38

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Elegant, Focused New 2019 Red Burgundy. $25

Even by Burgundy standards, the Boursot family has been around awhile. They began making wine in Chambolle-Musigny back in 1550, and nearly five centuries later they’re still farming many of the same soils. The most recent generation has upgraded the facilities and the focus, and their wines have begun to gain substantial critical interest.

Boursot’s most impressive cuvées are from Chambolle-Musigny, and their village and premier cru vines produce red Burgundies of the highest degree. But their two regional level wines from humbler terroir show off their winemaking prowess. Particularly in 2019, the wines are vibrant and refined, pulsing with clean, beautifully channeled fruit.

Boursot’s simplest wine, their Bourgogne rouge, comes from vines near Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny, and this origin helps explain the wines unusual refinement. Inexpensive regional level Burgundy can lack complexity or freshness, and in recent hot summers many have devolved into “fruit bombs.” Boursot’s avoids both traps, emerging as a wine with unparalleled subtlety for its level.

Clocking in at 13% alcohol, with fine grained but subtle tannins, the Boursot 2019 Bourgogne rouge is like the Bourgogne rouge of a decade ago. (The pricing may remind you of the aughts as well.) The nose shows wild cherry, chalk, and earth, bursting with unoaked freshness. The mouth is fine-boned and dry with just enough tannin to support the delicate fruit, and a classic Burgundian minerality.

This won’t be the loudest wine in your lineup — it might even get shouted down by your seltzer. But it’s charming and delicious, and a welcome respite from modern ripeness explosions.

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Boursot Bourgogne rouge 2019
bottle price: $25

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Velvety Smooth Syrah from our New Côte Rôtie Source. $22

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.

Our inaugural lineup of De Boisseyt syrahs has at last arrived, and we’re thrilled to begin by singling out their simplest wine, a Vin de Pays Syrah.

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. Enjoy a glass by a crackling fireplace this winter.

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De Boisseyt Syrah 2018
bottle price: $22

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“Refreshing and Elegant:” Perfectly Mature 2016 St-Emilion. $35

Much of the world’s Merlot is undistinguished. Its default expression is a soft, rounded wine lacking tannin, acidity, and character. “Global” merlot is smooth and easy, but neither distinctive nor particularly interesting. But in Bordeaux, Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines.

On Bordeaux’s Right Bank, particularly in the towns of Pomerol and St-Emilion, Merlot reaches its ultimate expression. The exact combination of limestone and gravel soils produce a version of the grape with balance, definition, and depth.

Made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it’s a rich, velvety blend with a classic combination of dark fruit and spice. Wine Advocate awarded 91 points, finding it “medium-bodied, soft, refreshing and elegant,” with “quiet intensity.” Antonio Galloni of Vinous found it “soft, pleasant, [and] easygoing.”

Today this wine is smooth and elegant, with mellow fruit and gorgeous earthy notes. The mouth is rich and velvety, with fleshy, approachable tannins supporting the gorgeous fruit. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets. Pour this with a steak salad or this hearty Mushroom Farro.

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Montlisse St-Emilion Grand Cru 2016
bottle price: $35

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