Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Punchy, Delicious 2015 Red Burgundy. $25

The Côte d’Or is home to nearly all of Burgundy’s most famous wines. As monks discovered centuries ago, the region’s combination of soil, exposition, slope, and weather makes it a near-perfect place to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

But to ignore the rest of Burgundy would be a mistake. It may be more difficult to produce great wines outside the Côte d’Or, but with a skilled winemaker and a great vintage, the results can be excellent. Gautier Desvignes’s 2015 reds are juicy, complex, and delicious.

Gautier Desvignes is a young winemaker who took over his family’s domaine a few years ago. He has brought new energy and modern techniques to the winemaking, and the results have been nothing short of exceptional. He’s managed to transform a humble, traditional family winery into one making some of the most popular wines in our portfolio, and in the process caught the eye of the international wine press.

His 2015 village level Givry “Meix au Roy” 2015 drinks far above its $25 price tag. The nose is ripe and beautifully textured, with notes of cherry jam, violets, stones, and baking spices. The mouth is fresh and young but not at all harsh, with a rich, juicy attack followed by a smooth, perfectly balanced, mouthfeel that’s far more refined than most Givry.

It’s hard to imagine a better Burgundy value at $5/glass.

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Desvignes Givry 2015
bottle price: $25

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“A Terrific Showing:” Gorgeous New 94-point St-Emilion

There are wines from Bordeaux full of subtlety and finesse — but Chateau Destieux is not one of them. Destieux is the marriage of superb, ancient terroir with sleek, modern winemaking: old-school flavor in a bold, unsubtle package.

Named for an 8th century Breton hermit monk, the medieval town of St-Emilion has long been a center for winemaking. Viticulture there dates to at least 275 AD, when Roman soldiers cleared the local forest and replaced it with vines. Our source here is biopharma-exec-turned-winemaker Christian Dauriac.

His Montlisse, a Grand Cru, is a delicious wine at an approachable price. But for special occasions, the Grand Cru Classé Destieux is a noticeable and impressive step up. And in 2016, it’s something special.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous was blown away by the 2016, calling it “gorgeous, modern St-Emilion,” offering “tremendous depth,… dark, jammy fruit, chocolate, spice, and new leather.” He awarded 94 points, and called it “a terrific showing.” His Vinous colleague Neal Martin, often a harder grader than Galloni, called it “among the best wines I have tasted from this estate.”

This is a wine of boldness, glamour, texture and intensity. Open it today and enjoy it over several evenings — there’s impressive stuffing and backbone. But put a few bottles in the back of your cellar, and pull them out over the next 5-10 years — the wine ages magnificently, and by your last bottle we guarantee you’ll wish you had more.

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Destieux St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2016
bottle price: $85

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Pantry Wine Redux: Another $16 Côtes du Rhône

Our pantry-stocking wine of two weeks ago sold out in a few hours, and we’ve had lots of interest in a second option. As luck would have it, we just received a restock from our offsite warehouse, including some excellent everyday drinkers.

Chief among them is another $16 Côte du Rhône, this time from Domaine Coulange. It checks all the same boxes as last month’s suggestion: gulpable, crowd-pleasing (not that you’re having anyone over any time soon), and delightfully affordable.

This won’t be the fanciest wine in your cellar, but it might be the most useful.

Winemaker Christelle Coulange returned to the family property after oenology school and began to make and bottle her own wine (previously the family sold in bulk). In only a decade she has made quite a name for herself. She seems to win gold or silver at Côtes du Rhône tastings every year — the 2015 offered today took the gold at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Concours in 2016.

The 2016 Mistral is smooth and delightful, an unoaked blend of 80% grenache and 20% syrah. The nose shows violets, wild cherry jam, and garrigue (provençal underbrush), with woodsy and briary notes as it develops in the glass. The mouth is dense and silky, with a rich mouthfeel, very smooth tannins and a clean finish. It’s not serious or complex, but for a weekday evening stuck inside, it’s all you need.

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Coulange Mistral 2016
bottle price: $16

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2015 Red Burgundy: “Outstanding” 92-point Stunner in Morey-St-Denis

Morey-St-Denis is a tiny Burgundian town, home to a mere 680 people. Forever ceding the spotlight to its two famous neighbors — Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south — Morey-St-Denis is nonetheless a source for exquisite red Burgundy.

The town boasts five Grand Crus, including the iconic Clos de Tart, first planted in the 1200s. Of the Morey-St-Denis twenty premier cru vineyards, most consider “Les Ruchots” the finest. Ruchots is separated from the Clos de Tart by a narrow road, and while you’re unlikely to mistake one for the other, the Ruchots Premier Cru turns out wines of unusual depth and intensity.

These days a Clos de Tart from the legendary 2015 vintage will set you back $600 or more a bottle. Today’s 2015 Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Ruchots” from Pierre Amiot doesn’t even break $90.

From an acre of vines, the Amiot family makes just 200 cases of this wine per year, and we have far less than that left in our cellar. Their vines, planted in the 1950s, produce concentrated, intense red Burgundy. Burghound awarded the 2015 92 points, finding it “outstanding,” “suave and velvety,” “highly seductive,” and with “very fine persistence.”

This wine is enough to prove that Morey-St-Denis is much more than just a stop between Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin. Its nose is dark and spicy, with hints of earth and smoke. The mouth is ripe, rich, and long, with blackberry and woodsy flavors. There’s enough structure to keep this aging beautifully for a decade, but like most 2015s, it’s a mouthful of juicy, very fine Burgundy today.

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Ruchots” 2015
bottle price: $86

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Dark Fruit & Spice: Inky Rich 2017 Gamay, $24

Winemaker:  The Domaine Perrachon has made wine in Juliénas since the 1870s. This small family Beaujolais domaine has caught the press’s eye, garnering acclaim and high scores from Vinous, Wine Advocate, and Burghound. Their style ranges from simple, fruity Beaujolais, to serious, ageworthy red Burgundy.

Appellation:  Today’s wine comes from Juliénas, an appellation known its serious, intense wines. Perrachon’s gamay vines here are nearly 80 years old, and their intensity produces wines of inky depth and richness.

Wine:  Made from south facing vines and raised in large 500L barrels, this is as serious as Beaujolais gets. The nose is inky and dense, with dark blue fruits, violets, and pleasant spices like nutmeg and pepper. The mouth is very fine and intense, with beautiful texture, sturdy fruit, and notes of baked blueberries and roses.

Serving:  Think of this as a punchy, young red Burgundy, rather than a fruity, chillable summertime Beaujolais. Unless you’ve got a full house on lockdown, serve over a few days and watch it smooth out.

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

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95-point “Total Knockout” Chianti Classico Riserva

The Fattoria Poggerino is the lone Italian source in our portfolio. Their careful organic viticulture and unusually pure wines have vaulted them to the top of most lists of winemakers in Chianti. Vinous writes of Poggerino’s “remarkable purity and nuance,” and Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.”

Poggerino’s finest wine is their Chianti Classico Riserva from the “Bugialla” vineyard. Like their other wines, it is pure, unblended Sangiovese. But the Riserva comes from their oldest vines — nearly 45 years old now — and they raise it carefully in oak before bottling.

It’s always their top performing wine, regularly winning acclaim from critics. But the 2016 caught special attention.

Vinous’s Antonio Galloni was seriously impressed with Poggerino’s regular $25 Chianti Classico, awarding 92 points and calling it “gorgeous…aromatically lifted and juicy on the palate… the 2016 is impeccably done”

But he somehow found even better things to say about the 2016 Riserva. Awarding 95 points and calling it “a total knockout,” he wrote of its “superb depth and textural richness.” We agree — the mouthfeel of this wine is extraordinary, combining a palate-coating intensity with balance, fine tannins and polish.

Galloni concluded by calling it “fabulous in every way.” It’s hard to improve on that, so we wont try. The 2016 Riserva (and 2016 regular cuvée) are available in 750 and a limited number of magnums.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico Riserva 2016
bottle price: $45

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Crisp, Dry, Mineral, Zip: New Unoaked Chablis. $25

“Oaked” or “unoaked” sounds like a yes-no question, but it really is a range. Most of the wines we import spend some time in oak, but the strength of its influence depends on the age and size of the barrel, the chauffe (how heavily the inside is charred), and time in the barrel.

With this wine, it’s simple: no oak at all. This classic, stony, energetic chablis is all freshness, minerality, and pure fruit. The Domaine Gautheron is a small, family-owned property, and we love their precise style. You could eat off the floor there, and the insistence on cleanliness extends to their wines as well.

The latest vintage of Petit Chablis, from 2018, has just arrived from France. This is our best value from Chablis, and we always struggle to keep it in stock. On price, this wine competes with your local supermarket’s Napa Valley Chardonnay. On complexity, finesse, and freshness, there’s no contest.

Gautheron’s Petit Chablis is also one of our easiest wines to pair with food. This wine bursts with cool lemon fruit and a stony, brisk mouthfeel. With no oak at all, sushi (or any raw fish) is a fantastic choice. Shellfish (especially oysters) and roast fish also work well, as will a simple roast chicken.

And at $5/glass, it leaves room for a splurge on other ingredients. Whatever the choice, this wine will brighten your meal.

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Gautheron Petit Chablis 2018
bottle price: $25

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2016 Premier Cru Red Burgundy: Jovial and Gourmand

The town of Maragnes is an underrated source for red Burgundy. Located at the very southern end of the Côte d’Or, it’s often left off regional maps, and its reputation is for rusticity over refinement.

But chosen carefully, Maranges can offer excellent value for red Burgundy drinkers. The wines never reach the complexity of Vosne or Chambolle, but can offer a less subtle alternative at far better prices.

These days we’re enjoying the 2016 Maranges 1er cru “Fussière” from the Domaine Roger Belland, a cheerful, approachable red Burgundy with unusual class for its level.

Jasper Morris MW calls the Belland domaine “A very reliable source of modern, sleek, stylish and elegant Red and White Burgundies.” We agree — the Belland wines are smooth and accessible at all levels of their lineup. Today’s Maranges is lively, round, and, as Belland puts it, “very gourmand.”

In the nose there’s intense, juicy, bursting cranberry fruit, with notes of honey and tulips. The mouth is pleasant and punchy with young, approachable tannins, no raspiness, and a clean refreshing finish. Burghound found it “very round” with “nicely voluminous flavors” and “pliant tannins.”

Think a pinot noir with the jovial soul of a Beaujolais.

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Belland Maranges 1er cru 2016
bottle price: $35

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Bold, Velvety New 2017 Red Burgundy

Winemaker:   Where much red Burgundy tends towards subtleness and finesse, the Varoilles style is noticeably more intense. They harvest relatively late, and use a long cold soak to extract loads of flavor and texture from their grapes.

Appellation:   Varoilles is best known (and deservedly so) for their terrific village-level and premier cru Gevrey-Chambertins. They only began making a Bourgogne-level wine two years ago, but it’s an exciting addition to their lineup.

Wine:   The nose is big and spicy, with briary blackberry fruit, notes of woods, cinnamon, and a hint of ginger. The mouth is bold and smooth with a solid texture laid under intense masculine fruit.

Suggestions:   No need to cellar this — as with all 2017 red Burgundies, it’s chewy, juicy, approachable and delightful. Pair it with roasted meats (duck, if you can find it these days), or a roasted chicken on a Sunday afternoon.

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Varoilles Bourgogne 2017
bottle price: $42

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Inky and Delicate: Soaring Northern Rhône Syrah, $25

Winemaker:   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 focused.

Appellation:   Crozes-Hermitage is 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 friendlier pricetags.

Wine:   Basset’s 2016 Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” is at once dark and soaring. The fruit is intense, sinewy, and full of blackberry jam and spice. But the mouthfeel is vibrant and delicate; Decanter awarded 91 points, calling it “fresh-faced” and “piercing.”

Pairing:   Go with meat for this cuvée — short ribs or lamb. Or for the herbivores in your family, a hard sheep cheese on crackers.

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St-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2016
bottle price: $25

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“Perfectly Balanced” & “Mouthwatering”: Delicious New 2018 St-Aubin

Burgundies are not getting any cheaper. With limited supply and ever-increasing demand, good values are harder and harder to find. But one Burgundian town that continues to deliver far more than people expect is St-Aubin. And we’re not the only ones to notice.

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 have just arrived and they’re 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 2018
bottle price: $42

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Dark, Woodsy Red Burgundy: Delightful 2017 Côte de Nuits

Winemaker:  The Domaine Ravaut is the ultimate local wine source. For 120 years the family has cultivated a loyal clientele of friends, neighbors, and workers at the stone quarry in their tiny hamlet of Ladoix. Today winemaker Vincent Ravaut still sells over half their wine to folks who walk in the front door.

Appellation:  Ladoix sits on the border between the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, and the Ravaut’s farm vines on both sides. Today’s Côtes de Nuits-Villages is unmistakably from north of the border. The fruits are darker and more briary, with a hint of woodsy animal character from nearby Nuits-St-Georges.

Wine:  Like most of the 2017 red Burgundies, this is simply delightful young wine. It’s ripe and punchy with attractive, crackling tannins and a pleasant mineral finish. Jancis Robinson found “enjoyable redcurrant juiciness,” and “fine, balanced tannins.”

Pairing:  Serve this fruit-forward refreshing red with seared tuna for a terrific (if not perhaps traditional) match. For classicists, go with game or duck and mushrooms, or ham and potatoes gratin on Easter.

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Ravaut Côte de Nuits-Villages 2017
bottle price: $36

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Honey and Apple: Chiseled Dry Alsatian Riesling. $22

One of the surprise hits in our portfolio last year was the dry Alsatian Riesling from Domaine Gross. It embodies everything we’ve been writing about dry Riesling for years — affordable, refreshing, complex, and endlessly food-friendly.

We ran out of the 2016 quicker than expected, so we’re glad to have the 2018 in stock at last. It’s a worthy successor — thicker and more savory than the 2016, with a fresher mouthfeel and a dry, fruit-skin finish.

Sommeliers often call Riesling their “desert island wine.” Now that we’re all on desert islands of sorts, here’s a good chance to see why they’re right.

Vincent Gross is a young, enthusiastic winemaker practicing biodynamic viticulture, and producing truly exciting wines. With the retirement of Francis Muré, our longtime Alsatian source, our discovery of Gross couldn’t be timed more perfectly.

Gross’s 2018 Riesling shows lemon, mineral, lime, and honeysuckle in the nose. The mouth is dry and more substantial than last year’s — 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.

This wine was singing (see below) with a butter chicken recipe we made last night. Or if your local Indian or Thai restaurant is still doing takeout, pick some up and pair it with this. 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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Pantry Wine: $16 Côtes du Rhône

Most of us are getting better acquainted with our pantry these days, stocking up on pasta, canned goods, toilet paper, and other necessities. We won’t go as far as to claim that wine belongs on an “essentials” list, but we’ll put it in the category of “strongly prefer not to go without.”

So today we’re suggesting a supremely versatile wine — gulpable, crowd-pleasing (not that you’re having anyone over any time soon), and delightfully affordable: the Goubert Côtes du Rhône.

This won’t be the fanciest wine in your cellar, but it might be the most useful.

A Côtes du Rhône should be three things: balanced, 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.

Goubert’s 2018 Côtes du Rhône is the expressive and refined, showing dark wild cherries, raspberries, and a hint of menthol. The mouth is both jammy and refreshing, with notes of white pepper, licorice, and plums.

It’s a by-the-glass wine for your kitchen, something to enjoy before and during your meal. Serve this with anything from hamburgers to our favorite pasta: oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and ample grated parmesan.

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Goubert Côtes du Rhône
bottle price: $16

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Extraordinary 2018 Premier Cru Old-Vine White Burgundy: 94 points, $39

Cyril Gautheron makes Chablis in its most stripped down form. His pure Chardonnay cuvées are intense and full, but draw their substance from their fruit instead of oak. They show minerality, depth, ripeness, and gorgeous texture.

For years we’ve bought three cuvées: Petit Chablis, Vieilles Vignes, and Vaucoupin 1er cru. Today we add a second premier cru: Montmains. Gautheron’s label for this wine also says Vieilles Vignes, and he’s not kidding — the vines date to the 1930s.

For readers that know Gautheron’s cuvées, Montmains shows all the intense, boldness of Vaucoupin, with an even silkier and deeper texture. The bottle we opened yesterday was gorgeous: concentrated essence of Chablis, with notes of seashells, dry lemon zest, and hints of melon.

Decanter’s Master of Wine Tim Aitkin was seriously impressed, awarding 94 points, writing “this is all about texture and fruit intensity rather than oak. Sappy, fresh and intense… lovely focus and zip and leesy, waxy concentration.”

Chablis remains a source for unparalleled value in the wine world — from anywhere else an old-vine cuvée with this concentration and polish would run $75+. Quantities limited, we don’t expect this to be around long.

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Gautheron Chablis 1er “Montmains” 2018
bottle price: $39

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