Author: Thomas Wilcox

Most Loire Valley reds are simple, lightweight, and delicious – made for drinking young and enjoying cool. We love serving Cabernet Francs from the Middle Loire and the Pinot Noirs of Sancerre — they’re perfect accompaniments to summertime fare.

Today’s wine is a sturdier take on the genre. It sports the same mineral-cherry-violet notes as young Cab Franc, but with more intensity and a few extra years in the bottle. We first imported Fabien Demois’s 2015 old-vine Chinon years ago, and were delighted to find the last few cases still available at the domaine.

Now called “Domaine Doulaye,” it’s the same wine as the 2015 Demois many readers have enjoyed over the past few years. We think it’s matured beautifully; the tannins gently underly a sweet patina or violets, berries, licorice, graphite, and earth. The palate plays high red berry notes alongside low inviting earthy ones in perfect harmony.

It’s still summery and fresh, and we plan on bringing some to the beach for our next visit. But the extra few years of patience have added a subtle layer of maturity. It’s more complete and better knit together than just about any $22 wine we know.

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Doulaye Chinon Vieilles Vignes 15
bottle price: $22

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Vincent Ravaut’s Bourgogne blanc has become a favorite among readers in recent years. He makes excellent village-level Ladoix blanc and magnificent (and rare) Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. But his humble Bourgogne blanc punches way above its weight, particularly this year.

The 2019 vintage provided Burgundy winemakers with limit supply, but excellent quality. A difficult spring led to low yields and higher concentration at all levels. Ravaut’s entry-level Bourgogne blanc is proof that excellent wines aren’t limited to pricey zip codes — this is as good as a $6 glass of white Burgundy gets.

Ravaut is a master of careful oaking, and this Bourgogne is perfectly supported. The nose shows white flowers, silk, ripe lemon and just a whisper of toast. The mouth is rich and vibrant, with excellent sucrocité and lovely freshness.

Particularly in 2019 this is far more concentrated than most Bourgogne-level whites, a result of careful winemaking in an excellent vintage. We think this has the intensity to drink well for 2-3 years, but cellaring isn’t required. Pair with breaded flounder, chicken thighs, or a simple weeknight pasta.

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Ravaut Bourgogne blanc 2019
bottle price: $28

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Though it has no Grand Cru, the wines of Meursault are some of the most sought after in the world. Traditionally Meursault inhabits the decadent, opulent end of the white Burgundy spectrum, drawing on clay-heavy soils to produce muscular, mouthfilling white wines.

In recent years the style has shifted towards less fat and more tension, and the average Meursault today is livelier than it was 20 years ago. Vincent Boyer makes several cuvées in this more modern style, but today’s is a traditionalist. Drawing on 90+ year old vines for extra concentration and depth, the Meursault “Ormeau” is rich, decadent, and flat-out delicious.

Planted in 1924 by Vincent Boyer’s great grandmother Lucie, the “Ormeau” vineyard is named for the elm trees that once shared the clay-rich ground. This is classic, mouthfilling Meursault – showing peaches and citrus, with pear and a faint nuttiness in the nose. All of Boyer’s wines are rich, elegant, and complex, but “Ormeau” is among the most classically Meursault in the lineup.

The 2018 requires no patience, and we think — for the appellation and vigneron — it’s a relative bargain. We served it last night with chicken caesar salad, a perfect echo of the lemon-egg dressing. Burghound found it “ample, rich and caressing” with “a seductive mouthfeel” ending with “a clean and dry finish.”

We welcome Meursault’s new look, but it’s always nice to have an old reliable to fall back on.

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Boyer-Martenot Meursault “Ormeau” 18
bottle price: $68

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Today’s producer may look like a new source, but it’s actually a familiar one. Several years ago the Domaine Merisol combined with another centuries old family domaine in the same Alsace town (Dambach-la-Ville): the Domaine Charles Frey. Frey (est. 1709) has made the wine under both labels for years, but we’ve decided to switch to their label.

Like Mersiol, Frey is committed to meticulous organic and biodynamic viticulture, producing wines with extraordinary complexity. Natural wines this expressive usually come at a premium because of the additional vineyard labor. But Frey manages to produce some real bargains, and today’s is one of our favorites.

The most popular wine (by a mile) we used to stock from Mersiol was their humble Auxerrois, an everyday white that seemed to have just the right amount of everything. Today’s Frey Pinot Blanc is the same wine in a new suit.

Frey’s 2019 Pinot Blanc is as good as the Merisol Auxerrois always was, and might even be better. The pleasantly expressive nose still sports that attractive white peach and pear aroma – fruit with a floral touch. In the mouth it is round rather than bone-dry, and fills the palate nicely.

For years we have suggested the Auxerrois as a delightful end-of-the-workday summer sipper, and this past week has reminded us of the need for that genre. If you’re in the market for an impressive catch-all cocktail white under $20, your search just ended.

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Frey Pinot Blanc 2019
bottle price: $19

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Sancerre has no premier or grand cru classifications — all 6400 acres are under the same appellation. But, as you might expect, not all of Sancerre’s terroirs are created equal. Among the most famous is the steep slopes of the Monts Damnées (damned mountains).

The Domaine de la Garenne, our Sancerre source, farms a special plot along the same slope as Mont Damnées called “Les Bouffants.” It’s a single, limestone-heavy terroir which Garenne vinifies and bottles separately. The slope isn’t quite as steep as its famous neighbor, but it’s awfully close.

Garenne’s regular Sancerre is delightful — fruit forward, dry and refreshing. Their “Bouffants” cuvée is another level of impressive.

Made from pure, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, Bouffants is more dense and serious than Garenne’s regular cuvée. The 2020 is perhaps the best they’ve made –round, concentrated and very long, full of deep mineral intensity and dried fruit. Look for notes of pears and grapefruits, with a long, clean, very dry finish. Think of the ripe fruitiness of a classic Sauvignon combined with the stony core of a Cru Muscadet.

Bouffants is a perfect food wine and can stand up to a wide range of diverse flavors. As the summer warmth arrives this wine is as useful as a patio umbrella, and a good deal tastier. Sauvignon blanc seems to come from every corner of the world these days, but this will remind you: there’s nothing quite like Sancerre.

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Garenne Sancerre “Bouffants” 2020
bottle price: $28

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Vincent Boyer is among the most talented of our winemakers, and his family owns some the Côte d’Or’s finest white wine terroir. With his increasing recognition and impressive critical scores, you might expect him to be content with the renown he has achieved. But Vincent is an innovator.

He’s adopted a longer aging process — one year in neutral wood barrels, and then another year in concrete eggs — and has converted nearly his entire vineyard surface to organics. His already impressive wines have improved across the board, and we predict their upward trajectory will only continue.

Our first ever allocation of this wine ran out in a few weeks over the winter. We’ve finally got it back in stock, and this time at an even friendlier (tariff-free) price.

Boyer is best known for his delicious Meursault and Puligny cuvées, which rank among some of most impressive Burgundies of either color in our cellar. For years we’ve brought in his Bourgogne-Aligoté, a delicious, affordable wine made with Burgundy’s other white grape. But we’re excited at last to have his entry-level Chardonnay in stock.

The 2018 Bourgogne is as serious as Bourgogne blanc gets. The nose is clean and fresh, with barely a whisper of oak alongside the baked lemon fruit. The mouth is concentrated and intense — far deeper than a typical Bourgogne blanc — with excellent density, a fine, chalky finish. Burghound found it “plump, fleshy and attractively textured,” and awarded both his “outstanding” and “top value” distinctions.

Another example of top notch winemaking from modest terroir.

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Boyer-Martenot Bourgogne blanc 2018
bottle price: $32

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Nearly all the wines in the world (and most of those we import) are made with added sulfur dioxide. This centuries-old non-toxic compound protects wine from bacteria growth and oxidation. Sulfited wines are more predictable, more stable, and have a greater capacity to age.

Vincent Gross is an exciting young winemaker in Alsace — a fervent believer in natural winemaking and biodynamic philosophies. Gross uses minimal sulfites in all his cuvées, giving up a bit of stability for an increased complexity and nuance. But for today’s cuvée Gross adds none at all.

(For a more intensive discussion of natural wines, see our Journal Post.)

The resulting cuvée is simply delicious — bursting and effusive and exploding out of the glass. We’re not advocating the technique for everyone, and we don’t recommend cellaring this wine — but for this summer, it’s a carefully made, terrifically successful natural wine.

Gross’s 2018 Pinot Noir “R” bursts with cherries, mint, violets, and wild herbal honey in the nose. The mouth has softened tannins and a gorgeous freshness. It blew tasters away at our Zoom tasting last weekend, and we think it’s just the ticket for a hot summer evening.

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Gross Pinot Noir “R” 2018
bottle price: $34

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The Salomon-Undhof estate dates to 1792, and is currently on its 7th and 8th generation winemakers, father and son Bert and Bert Salomon. Their terraced vines overlooking the Danube have long been an excellent source, with the country’s preeminent wine guide calling them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”

“Austrian wine” is nearly synonymous with Grüner-Veltliner, and 75% of the world’s Grüner is Austrian. The grape’s typical expression is uncomplicated and fresh, with low alcohol and blend of savory, herbal, and dry fruit notes.

But today’s wine is a whole other level of Grüner.

Salomon’s 2018 Grüner Veltliner “Wachtberg” takes the grape to new heights. It’s classified Erste Lage (similar to premier cru in Burgundy), and we think it easily earns its higher rank. It shows the same fleshy dryness as Salomon’s simple Grüner “Wieden,” but with more depth and complexity.

The nose is clean and spiced, with notes of grape skin and aromatic bitters. The Wine Advocate’s reviewer agreed, awarding 90 points and finding it “round and creamy,…elegant and piquant,” not to mention “intense and gripping.”

This wine walks a perfect line between richness and freshness. Serve it all summer long, with sushi or a well spiced salad.

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Salomon Grüner Veltliner “Wachtberg” 2018
bottle price: $24

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Ask a group of sommeliers to name their favorite wine region and most will say Burgundy. But ask them for just one favorite grape varietal, and it’s likely Riesling. Aside from its excellent food friendliness, Riesling communicates terroir with as much honesty and precision as any other grape.

Today we’re suggesting a bone-dry Riesling from our Austrian source Weingut Salomon-Undhof. Based in Austria’s northeastern corner, the Salomon family has farmed vines since 1792, and the country’s preeminent wine guide calls them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”

Grüner Veltliner may be the classic grape from Austria (and indeed Salomon’s is excellent), but this electric, piercing dry Riesling is too good to put down.

The 2018 Terrassen Riesling is bright and dry and crisp. The nose shows green apple and notes of stones and grape skins. The mouth is zippy and refreshing, with pleasant dry fruit and excellent freshness.

An unusually warm summer across Europe in 2018 produced wines with an extra dose of ripeness. In Salomon’s Riesling Terrassen this translates into an added weight and complexity – still entirely dry, but with a creamy mid-palate filling. In short, a remarkable amount of poise for a wine under $20.

Serve with sushi, Thai cuisine, or lobster.

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Salomon Riesling “Terrassen” 2018
bottle price: $19

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