Author: Thomas Wilcox

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“This is Superb.” Majestic 94-point Premier Cru Meursault

Meursault is a village stuck in time. Its narrow crooked streets and pointed steeple perch on a hill above fields of weathered vineyards first planted by monks in 1098. The golden nectar of these fields has been known for centuries, and today it is as sought-after as any wine in the world.

Meursault has no grand crus, but its three famous premier crus — Perrieres, Genevrières, and Charmes — almost make up for it. These exceptional terroirs produce some of Burgundy’s greatest wines of any color. Today we’re focused on Genevrières.

In his excellent recent book Rajat Parr describes Genevrières as: “crystalline in structure, at once gossamer and formidable.” We’ve asked to buy Vincent Boyer’s Genevrières for years, but received our first allocation only last year.

We found the 2017 Genevrières magnificent, among the best white Burgundies we’ve had in years. Critics were similarly effusive; Burghound awarded 92 points, finding it “sleek” and “refined,” citing “lovely minerality” along side “pear and apple” and “acacia blossom.” Steven Tanzer of Vinous found awarded 91-94 points, calling it “at once thick and piquant,” and “classic, dense, vibrant,” and concluding “this is superb.”

Simply put, this is extraordinary wine — it’s not cheap, but greatness rarely is.

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Boyer-Martenot Meursault 1er “Genevrières” 2017
bottle price: $132

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Smooth, Intense Northern Rhône Red: “the Best in 55 Years.” $25

Much has been written about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy, one of the best in at least a generation. But the vintage also blessed other regions in France, in particular, the syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône. Jancis Robinson speculated the 2015 Northern Rhones might be “the best in 55 years.”

We don’t open 1962 Hermitage very often, so we’ll have to take her word for it. But we can say that they’re extraordinary wines — inky, dark, and mouthfilling but with exceptional balance and refined tannins.

With a few years under their belt these wines have become terrific. The greats (Cote Rotie, Cornas, Hermitage) will age for decades; many others are ready now.

Denis Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented – our tasting appointments with him we rarely begin (and never end) on time. His pure-syrah wines are a perfect marriage of Northern refinement and sun-baked Southern richness.

We bought about twice our normal quantity of the 2015 Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle,” anticipating a bright future. Whether it was foresight or luck, we’re pretty pleased to have it around now. The 2015 Etincelle is a triumph — astonishingly intense and concentrated, but at 13.5% alcohol a balanced and refreshing glass as well.

The color is an inky black-purple, with a savory nose showing cloves, blackberries and violets. The youthful raspy tannins have given way to a gorgeous polish — it remains dense and smooth with classic notes of plum and black pepper. It’s a drink-now gem from a magnificent year.

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Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2015
bottle price: $25

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[ADVANCE ORDER] Bursting, Juicy, Gulpable 2018 Red Burgundy

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, hearty textures.

Roger Belland’s Maranges 1er cru “Clos Roussot” 2018 is the best Maranges we’ve ever had. Belland’s excellent lineup of 2018 reds will be in next Sunday’s July Futures release, but we’re opening up the bidding early on this one.

The July Futures wines are set to arrive in the fall, and will also include our two Beaujolais sources, Monnet and Perrachon. Belland’s 2018 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.

The 2018 vintage delivered unprecedented heat and sun in Burgundy, and the resulting wines are full of both ripeness and muscle. Our fears of flabby, overripe fruit-bombs were unfounded — these are wines boasting sturdy foundations and solid structures.

Belland’s 2018 Maranges blew us away during our sample tasting last month. The nose is cool and dark, with plum and spice in the nose; the mouth is dark, intense, and full, with punchy young tannins and lots of stuffing.

We’ve reserved some of this wine, but Belland’s quantities are limited. Orders will be first come, first served. If there’s any left we’ll include it in next Sunday’s July Futures release.

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Belland Maranges 1er “Clos Roussot” 2018

Ansonia Retail: $432
FUTURES: $375/case

 

Email Tom to reserve this wine.

AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF-CASE

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Bold, Velvety, Intense: Plush New St-Emilion Grand Cru

Varietal: Merlot
Most 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.

Appellation: St-Emilion Grand Cru
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 Merlot with balance, definition, and depth.

Wine: Chateau Montlisse 2016
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.”

Drink: Now – 2026
This wine requires no patience: the mouth is rich and muscular, with fleshy, approachable tannins supporting the gorgeous fruit. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets. These days good Bordeaux often carries a three- or four-figure price tag, but it’s good to remember that it doesn’t have to.

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

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Magnificent Grand Cru White Burgundy

Only two white wine terroirs in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or hold the status of Grand Cru. Montrachet and its satellites, in the south between Chassagne and Puligny, are the more famous. The other is Corton-Charlemagne, perched on a large hill marking the midpoint of the Côte d’Or, so named after it was made a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor.

Upon donating the Hill of Corton to a local abbey in 775, the Emperor Charlemagne ordered that it be planted entirely with red grapes. Legend has it that his (fourth) wife was unhappy with the red wine stains on her husband’s beard, and convinced him to replant a portion of the vineyard with white. The wine was renamed to honor the emperor, and the world was given an extraordinary new wine.

The legend may have debatable merit; the wine’s greatness is undeniable.

Corton-Charlemagne is the highest caliber of white Burgundy. Its richness and depth is equaled only by Montrachet, and its ability to age is nearly unrivaled. Our source for this exceptionally fine chardonnay is the Domaine Ravaut, a small family domaine located at the base of the great hill of Corton.

Ravaut’s 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is in its infancy, but it’s already magnificent. We drink this wine with grand meals — something an emperor might have chosen, like a lobster or fine bouillabaisse. This wine has a complexity and intensity that is truly impressive, with notes of baked apples, juniper, and honey. The mouth is dense, spiced, rich, and impossibly long. As it ages, look for truffle, mushroom, and woodsy notes.

The Ravauts’ entire production is 900 bottles, and we’re allocated far less. Put a few aside for the next time you’re feeling imperial.

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Ravaut Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018
bottle price: $125

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Inky Smooth Rhône Red: a $28 Châteaunef-du-Pape Neighbor

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the Rhône Valley’s most famous terroir. Known for its bold, inky rich wines mostly from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, the town’s best examples improve for decades, and can cost three figures per bottle.

No serious collector’s cellar is complete without real Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but the Rhône Valley extends far beyond its famous jewel. Towns like Gigondas, Resteau, Séguret, and Vacqueyras produce wines with similar depth, earlier drinking windows, and friendlier pricetags.

Today’s wine is a dark, smooth, organic blend of Syrah and Grenache. It comes from a vineyard high in the hills above Séguret, where cooler temperatures and excellent air flow produce healthy grapes with excellent balance.

After several years of rugged youth, Domaine Malmont’s Séguret 2016 is just entering its drinking window. The nose is dark and spiced, with notes of lavender, leather, and roasted prunes. The mouth is fine grained and intense, with a beautifully dark, clean finish.

Plenty of Rhône reds are inexpensive and solid; some are terrific and pricey. Malmont offers near-Châteauneuf level complexity at a sub-$30 price.

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Malmont Séguret 2016
bottle price: $28

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Summer Syrah: Crisp, Refreshing Northern Rhone Red. $25

In much of the world, Syrah is a powerful grape that produces soft wines with jammy fruit and low tannin. But in Northern Rhône Valley, the grape takes on an entirely different style. Grown at its northern ripening limit, Syrah finds a more elegant and balanced expression on the steep banks of the Rhône River south of Lyon.

Many wines from the Northern Rhône require patience and investment. But for readers with nearer term thirsts, Bonnefond’s Syrah is an exceptional value. It requires no patience at all, and at $25 only modest investment. It’s cool, crisp, and perfectly balanced — just the ticket for a summery red.

Robert Parker calls the Bonnefond Domaine “among the finest in the appellation,” and Vinous’s Josh Raynolds describes Bonnefond’s style as “elegant,” “graceful,” and “refined.” We have long marveled at their ability to achieve wines that are at once dark, intense, and lively. They have all the dark, meaty characteristics of Syrah, but with unusual lift and grace.

The 2016 Syrah “Sensation du Nord” from Bonnefond is, as one reader recently put it, “highly drinkable.” The nose is spiced and expressive, with notes of blackberries, tapenade, black pepper, and game. The mouth is beautifully balanced — at 12.5% alcohol it’s elegant and long, with dense plum fruits and graceful minerality.

With its fresh fruit and peppery mouthfeel this is excellent food wine — lamb and duck are particularly nice matches. But accompaniment isn’t required — an after-work glass of this on a weekday evening will reset your mood with ease.

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Bonnefond Syrah 2016
bottle price: $25

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Magnificent White Burgundy: Smooth, Golden, Old-Vine Meursault

Burgundians have made wine in Meursault since 1098. Over the last nine centuries the village has proudly earned its glowing reputation, and today produces among the most sought after wines in the world. Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s wines are among the world’s most exquisite expressions of Chardonnay.

We began buying from Vincent Boyer more than a decade ago, and since then the international wine press has widely acclaimed him as a rising star. One of our favorites each year is his Meursault “Narvaux,” a village level white considered among Meursault’s finest. Boyer coaxes his 70 year old Chardonnay vines into perfect expressions of this extraordinary terroir.

Burghound named this wine “Outstanding” and a “Top Value” for the vintage, finding “volume and richness,” with a “classic Meursault nose.” Jancis Robinson found it “full and fleshy,” and “bold and convincing.” Narvaux is considered among Meursault’s best village-level plots — a splash of this on your palate will quickly explain why.

The nose shows baked lemons, pineapple, flowers and stones. The mouth is typical Meursault, a perfect balance of generous, rich golden fruit and stony tension — weight and richness without heaviness. Serve this a just a bit below room temperature, with veal or chicken in a cream sauce.

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Boyer-Martenot Meursault “Narvaux” 2017
bottle price: $69

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2016 Gevrey-Chambertin: Velvet, Plum, Cassis

Winemaker Gilbert Hammel is a softspoken man making red Burgundies that are anything but. The town of Gevrey-Chambertin typically produces bold, masculine wine, and the Varoilles style channels this terroir perfectly.

Hammel’s “Clos du Meix des Ouches” is a village level cuvée that drinks more like a premier cru. It’s surrounded by an old wall, which blocks the wind and traps warmth, making its wines particularly round and ripe.

This is beautifully intense red Burgundy: the nose is ripe and spiced, showing dark cassis fruits, pansies, browned butter cookies and lavender. The palate is very intense and mouthfilling, with explosively rich cherry fruits bolstered by punchy and delightfully chewable tannins.

Jancis Robinson found it “velvety and sweet-fruited,” “generous and rounded.” Burghound awarded 90 points, calling it “exceptionally rich” and finding “plum, cassis, and black cherry.” This should develop beautifully over another 5-8 years, but it’s a treat today.

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Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin
“Clos du Meix des Ouches” 2016
bottle price: $75

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“Perfectly Balanced” & “Mouthwatering”: Gorgeous 2018 St-Aubin

St-Aubin continues to be an overperforming source for white Burgundy. The region’s limited supply and ever-increasing demand mean good values are harder and harder to find. St-Aubin isn’t exactly a secret anymore, but it still offers unparalleled value.

Rajat Parr writes writes that St-Aubin “produces some of the best-value Chardonnays in the world,” and Jancis Robinson says it “should now be regarded as virtually the equal” of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet.

Our source here is Gérard Thomas, a small family domaine has lived and made wine in St-Aubin since the 1940s. Their 2018s (or what’s left of them) are rich, electric, and bursting with life.

Thomas’s Bourgogne blanc is as good as entry-level white Burgundy gets; their St-Aubin 1er cru “Murgers des Dents de Chien” is elegant, overperforming and classy. Today’s wine is their village-level St-Aubin, sitting beautifully between the two.

Jancis Robinson’s reviewer loved this wine, finding “spicy citrus on the palate and on the nose. Lovely richness of pure lemon and just-ripe apricot fruit perfectly balanced by mouth-watering acidity. Persistent and pure.”

From a warm year and a masterful domaine, this unusually good value white Burgundy for under $50.

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Thomas St-Aubin “Champ Tirant” 2018
bottle price: $42

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Polish & Poise: 7-Year-Old Chianti Classico. $25

Grape varietals sometimes take their names from the plant’s appearance. “Sauvignon blanc” has leaves that resemble those of wild (sauvage) grape vines. Pinot Gris refers to the blue-gray (gris) color of its grapes. But our favorite varietal (etymologically speaking) has to be Sangiovese — a wine so inky and black that it is named for the “blood of Jove.”

We import from only a single Italian source, but it has long been a favorite among our readers. Piero Lanza is a gifted winemaker, crafting perfectly ripe Chianti from 100% old-vine sangiovese. His large oak barrels impart barely any oak flavor, letting the fruit and beautiful earthiness shine through.

We’ve just received a handful of cases of an older Poggerino vintage from our offsite warehouse: the 2013 Chianti Classico. The wine was delicious when it arrived more than three years ago, but it’s even better today. Jancis Robinson called it “one of the highlights of the vintage,” citing “juicy, elegant fruit…finely sculpted tannins,” and a “vibrant finish.”

Today the fruit has dried and softened, allowing an ethereal perfume of dried roses, earth, and toast to shine through. The once rugged tannins have matured and smoothed — it’s polished and poised, with a clean, elegant finish. Pair with grilled lamb, bolognese, or a simple tomato pasta.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2013
bottle price: $25

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Delicious Grower Champagne under $50

Our newest Champagne source is the Domaine Jacques Robin. They’re a small family outfit located in the Côtes des Bar, a sub-region of Champagne located near Chablis and known for its Pinot Noir-heavy cuvées. It’s an up-and-coming region these days, and one taste of this wine will explain why.

Robin’s cuvées are terroir-driven wines, not mass-produced fizz. They’re humble, complex, and delicious. Today’s cuvée is 100% Pinot Noir, grown in soils with a higher percentage of clay than the more famous corners of Champagne. The resulting wines sport a broader, richer palate, and a delightfully refreshing finish.

Robin’s non-vintage cuvée is called Secret de Sorbée, pure Pinot Noir from a single terroir. It’s fermented partially in barrel and left on the lees for over two years. In the glass this wine is toasty and fresh with lovely apple fruit and floral notes. The Guide Hachette awarded a star, and called it “at once round and tart,” with a “pleasant, intense fruit expression.”

At a bottle price under $50 (and a magnum price under $100), this is true grower Champagne that won’t break the bank. The French require much less of an excuse to open Champagne than Americans — the start of a weeknight dinner is often enough. Keep a bottle or two of this in your fridge for the next time you feel particularly français.

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Robin Champagne “Secret de Sorbée” NV
bottle price: $49

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Inky, Smooth $24 Red Burgundy: Licorice, Peony & Plum

Winemaker:  The Perrachon family has made wine in Juliénas since the 1870s. Perrachon makes the most complex and sophisticated Beaujolais reds we’ve had. Raised carefully in oak barrels, their pure Gamay wines compete with entry level Burgundy Pinots on complexity and value.

Appellation:  Today’s wine comes from Juliénas, an appellation known for its serious, intense wines. Perrachon’s gamay vines here are nearly 80 years old, and their low yields produce wines of inky depth and richness. Made from south facing vines and raised in large 500L barrels, this is as serious as Beaujolais gets.

Wine:  As with most 2017 reds from Burgundy, this is really delicious already. The nose is dark and very serious, with notes of licorice, plums, spice, peony and woods. The mouth is smooth, dark, and polished without a hint of ruggedness and a long, refined finish.

Serving:  Drink this on its own at the end of a weekday when you can’t stare at Zoom any more. Or pair with a takeout pizza. Or both.

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Perrachon Juliénas “Clos des Chers” 2017
bottle price: $24

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Refreshing, Bone-Dry Alsatian Riesling: the Perfect Summer White. $22

Dry Riesling is the perfect hot weather wine. It’s refreshing, affordable, fruit-forward, low alcohol, full of brisk minerality and crunchy orchard fruit. It’s also the ideal food wine, for everything from a fine dish of fish from the grill, or a simple picnic of appetizers on the front stoop.

Our favorite source for dry Riesling is Alsace, where the zippy acidity pairs with beautiful, soft orchard fruit. Our source here is the Domaine Gross, were winemaker Vincent Gross practices biodynamic viticulture, and produces truly exciting wines.

Gross’s 2018 Riesling shows lemon, mineral, lime, and honeysuckle in the nose. In the mouth the attack is rich and mouthfilling, followed by a chiseled beam of acidity and minerals. Look for notes of herbal honey, green apple, coriander and pear.

Pair with takeout sushi on a night when it’s too hot to fire up your kitchen. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better food-wine under $25.

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Gross Riesling 2018
bottle price: $22

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Sleek, Delicious 5-Year-Old Red Bordeaux. $25

Winemaker:  Lafont-Menaut is the second property from the owners of the prestigious Chateau Carbonnieux, a legendary Graves estate. The Perrins farm their less famous terroirs with the same care as Carbonnieux, and the Lafont-Menaut rouge is among the most consistent wines we import.

Appellation:  Pessac-Leognan is home to sandy, gravel-filled soils. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in this stony soil, ripening beautifully in a year like 2015, but retaining freshness and balance from the well-drained earth.

Wine:  The 2015 Lafont-Menaut is a smooth, bold, drink-now red Bordeaux. It’s an inky Merlot-Cabernet blend with deep flavors and a fresh palate.. Decanter’s Jane Anson called the 2015 “lovely” with a “gentle floral-edged minerality.” We found it chocolaty and chalky, with notes of dried roses, plums, toast, earth, and spice.

Serving:  No decanting necessary — this is smooth and velvety right out of the gate. Serve with grilled steak or chicken thighs.

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Lafont-Menaut Pessac-Leognan rouge 2015
bottle price: $25

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