Thomas Wilcox, Author at Ansonia Wines - Page 52 of 119

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Inky, Organic, Iconic: Old-School 93-point Gigondas

Organic viticulture is the future of winemaking — the majority of our winemakers are organic or in conversion. But at some domaines, it’s also the past. The Domaine du Joncuas in Gigondas turns 100 years old next year, and they’ve practiced organic winemaking, as they put it, “depuis toujours” (“since forever”).

Joncuas wines prove at least one thing about organic winemaking: it works. We stumbled across Joncuas last spring, and they’re one of the most exciting additions to our portfolio we can remember.

Sisters Dany and Carole Chastan are third generation vigneronnes practicing old-school winemaking — whole clusters, limited sulfur, all wild yeasts. They use no new oak, and neither fine nor filter. Their wines are juicy and deep and very expressive, with gorgeous fruit. For readers familiar with our portfolio, combine the ethos of Foulaquier or André with the terroir of Goubert.

The Joncuas Gigondas 2016 is a 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.

The Wine Advocate awarded 93 points, finding it “big and balanced,” “plush,” and “velvety and long.” Close your eyes and this is easily a Châteauneuf-du-Pape; open them and it’s an astonishing value for under $35.

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Joncuas Gigondas 2016
bottle price: $34

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Posted on February 18, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Magnificent 93-point Cornas: “Beguiling” & “Splendid”

Cornas is a tiny appellation. It covers 145 hectares (compared with Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s 3,000+), and is home to fewer than 50 vignerons. The name comes from the Celtic word for “burnt earth,” and it’s an appropriate moniker: Cornas is pure Syrah like the rest of the Northern Rhône, but the feel is of something sunnier from further South.

Today fifth generation winemaker Nicolas Serrette farms a miniscule 1.8 hectares in Cornas. We feel lucky to have finally gotten an audience at this address — a tiny, well-known producer in a tiny, popular appellation. His 2017 is classic, powerful, and unlike anything else in our portfolio.

Simon Field MW of Berry Brothers writes of the Dumien-Serrette wines’ “granitic splendor” and “beguiling floral elegance which sets them apart.” They draw from 80+ year old vines to produce intense, teeth-staining Syrah, with extraordinary depth but remarkable freshness. Their 2016 was delicious, but their 2017 is even better.

The 2017 Cornas “Patou” is magnificent — a combination of inky black flavors with unusually refined floral finesse. The nose is deep and rich, showing cherries, cocoa, anise, and pepper. On the palate it’s very fine and silky, with intense mouthfeel and notes of cherry jam, violets, and olive. The Wine Advocate awarded 93 points, finding it “intense, with an attractive dusty texture of chalk dust, charcoal and crushed stone.”

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Dumien-Serrette Cornas 2017
bottle price: $52

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Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

New Dry, Crystalline, Refreshing Riesling under $20

Ask a group of sommeliers to name their favorite wine region and most will say Burgundy. But ask them to pick a single favorite grape varietal, and we’d put some money on 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 we’re just as excited about this piercing Riesling.

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.

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Salomon-Undhof Riesling Terassen 2018
bottle price: $19

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Posted on February 16, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

New 2016 Pommard: Old-World Elegance and Charm

Pommard and Volnay are the red Burgundy royalty of the Côte de Beaune. Pommard, the king, produces wines that are sturdy and masculine, drawn from clay and iron rich soils. Volnay, the queen, produces wines of unparalleled elegance, a study in subtlety and grace.

Today’s wine is from Pommard, but we like to think of it as a prince, inheriting the best qualities of both towns. Made from vines near the border between these two majestic towns, the Mégard Pommard is a beautifully balanced blend of the two styles.

Hail storms hit Pommard in 2016, and many producers suffered severely reduced yields. But the quality of the remaining fruit was terrific – healthy, small berries producing sophisticated, gorgeous reds.

The 2016 Pommard is delightful. The nose is pretty and exotic, with soy sauce and spices alongside the classic raspberry fruit. The mouth shows dry blackberries, with elegant, delicate, long mouthfeel.

Carafe for an hour and it’s delightfully drinkable today. Pair it carefully with a mild steak or tenderloin, and this is a charming glass of old-world, old-school Burgundy.

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Mégard Pommard 2016
bottle price: $59

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Posted on February 13, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

“Lush” 90-point Wintery Rhône Blend under $30

There’s a sense of ancient history in the south of France. Roman-era towns and crumbling ruins dot the countryside — even the modern highways follow the ancient “Via Agrippa” of the Romans. Winemaking here is just as old, and archeologists have found presses dating back to 400 BC.

Winemaking in Séguret, a twenty-minute drive across the valley from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, dates to the year 611 — and little has changed in 1400 years. Today winemaker Nicolas Haeni of the Domaine Malmont makes exquisite natural cuvées using ambient wild yeasts and chemical-free organic viticulture.

We’re not sure exactly what the wines tasted like in the 7th century, but we bet these Malmont reds are better.

Haeni farms a magnificent vineyard deep in the hills above Séguret. The vineyard enjoys excellent airflow from its perch high on the slope, providing healthy grapes and extraordinary biodiversity in the vines. The Malmont vineyards vibrate with life as honeybees, rabbits, and birds dart among the wildflowers and herbs. On a sunny Spring day, it’s a veritable Eden.

Malmont’s wines are similarly vibrant. They sport dense, inky fruit with attractive tannins and a beautiful floral finish. Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator both gave 90 points to the Séguret 2016, calling it “full-bodied and lush,” with a “creamy texture” and “a pretty beam of raspberry and blackberry coulis.”

This is ur-wine, a pure expression of land and place. Serve from a carafe with an afternoon salad.

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Mamont Séguret 2016
bottle price: $29

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Posted on February 11, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Clos de Tart’s Neighbor: “Outstanding” 92-point Premier Cru Red Burgundy

The Clos de Tart is one of Burgundy’s greatest properties. The vineyard has had only four owners since the 12th century, and, unusually for Burgundy, has never been subdivided. Today the wines from this 7.5 hectare monopole start around $500 per bottle.

Needless to say we don’t regularly drink Clos de Tart (background of photo). But we do enjoy wine from its immediate neighbor, a premier cru across the street called “Les Ruchots” (foreground of photo). Our source in Morey-St-Denis, the Domaine Pierre Amiot, makes magnificent wine from this vineyard year in and year out. Today we’re excited to offer their terrific 2016.

The 2015 vintage deserves all the acclaim and press coverage it receives. But insiders (and in particular Burgundian winemakers) consider 2016 nearly as good, and in some instances, superior. We’ve been floored by the precision and polish of the 2016s, and the 2016 Ruchots is among our favorites in the vintage.

From an acre of vines, the Amiot family makes just 200 cases of this wine per year. Their vines, planted in the 1950s, produce concentrated, intense red Burgundy. Allen Meadows (Burghound) awarded the 2016 92 points, finding it “outstanding,” “exceptionally rich” and “seductively textured,” predicting “this should be approachable after only a few years of bottle age yet reward up a decade plus of cellaring.” He concluded simply “good stuff here.”

We’re not claiming you’ll mistake Ruchots for its iconic Grand Cru neighbor, but it’s easy to see why many consider Ruchots the best premier cru in the town. It’s a wine of unusual depth and intensity for its class, and at less than a sixth the cost, we think it’s a fantastic value.

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Ruchots” 2017
bottle price: $75

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Posted on February 11, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Refreshing, Organic, Exuberant: New Loire Valley Cabernet Franc

The Loire Valley is an exciting place these days. We’ve added three Loire sources in recent years, each bringing something new to the Ansonia portfolio: whites from the Upper Loire (Garenne in Sancerre) and Central Loire (Paget in Touraine-Azay le Rideau), and reds from today’s source, the Domaine des Sanzay in Saumur-Champigny.

Winemakers Celine and Didier Sanzay are fifth generation growers in Saumur Champigny. Their wines pure Cabernet Franc, and fit modern Loire style — small batch, organic, limited oak, concerned with balance and freshness rather than extraction and muscle. They use all wild yeasts, neither fine nor filter, and produce complex, natural expressions of the charming central Loire.

Sanzay’s Saumur-Champginy is intense, clean, and highly expressive Cabernet Franc. Their 2018 is juicy and punchy, showing an admirable level of freshness for a hot vintage. The nose shows violets, tobacco, cassis, and herbs; the mouth is lively, gulpable, and sleek, with papery, gentle tannins.

In short, this is expertly-made wine with a lot to say. We think it far outperforms its modest pricetag, and offers a juicy, crackling alternative to your everyday, catch-all Rhône red. Pair with crackers and goat cheese, coq a vin, or a fresh pizza.

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Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2018
bottle price: $19

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Posted on February 9, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Golden Fruit, Rippling Intensity: Premier Cru White Burgundy from St-Aubin

In a Beaune restaurant last April 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 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 excited to return to taste next month.

Bohrmann’s full range of wines have been dazzling customers since they arrived last fall, but our favorite among them has been the St-Aubin 1er cru “En Remilly.”

Bohrmann’s style is low oak, pure fruit, and exquisitely balanced texture: richness, depth and energy all at once. Raised in only 15% new oak for a year, their St-Aubin 1er cru comes from “En Remilly,” one of the town’s best known vineyards. Tucked just over the hill from Montrachet Grand Cru, En Remilly is a south-facing premier cru that combines ripe fruit with classic minerality.

This wine is lively and generous at the same time: thick and full of a rippling intensity, combining perfectly ripe golden fruit with structure and minerality. There’s precision capable of enhancing your most refined dishes — sole meuniere, for example. The use of oak is perfect: support for the minerals and fruit, but without too much spice or toast.

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Bohrmann St-Aubin 1er cru “En Remilly” 2017
bottle price: $49

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Posted on January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

2 New Winter Samplers!

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

“A Decided Success:” Gorgeous 2017 Premier Cru Red Burgundy

Burgundy has been on a roll of late. Starting in 2014, winemakers have enjoyed excellent quality for five straight vintages. Quantity has been slower to catch up, but in 2017 (at last) Mother Nature delivered a full harvest.

Writers refer to the 2017 red Burgundies as “restaurant wines” — easy-drinking bottles offering early enjoyment and pleasant youthful fruit. They’re relatively low in acid and tannin, and, as anyone who’s opened them can tell you, they’re seriously hard to put down.

Among our portfolio’s most glowing successes in 2017 was young Gautier Desvignes’s delicious Givrys. We’ve written recently about his village-level cuvée, today we’re focused on his 1er cru Clos du Vernoy.

The Clos du Vernoy is the Desvignes monopole — a classic, juicy, surprisingly polished expression of the family’s terroir. The red Burgundies of the Côte Chalonnaise are less serious and less expensive than those from more famous zip codes, but they’re no less Burgundian. Particularly in 2017 they capture the region’s friendly, welcoming spirit, and at a price that’s harder to find in Burgundy every year.

The 2017 Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” is a joy. The nose shows dark plum jam and beautiful complexity — look for pan drippings, mushrooms, and flowers. The mouth is lively and smooth, with great density, and a long, clean, cherry compote finish. Wine Advocate writer William Kelley called it “a decided success” finding “a nicely concentrated core of fleshy fruit,” and awarding 90 points.

We suspect Gautier, who took over in 2014, would be making exciting wine in any vintage; but lucky for us (and for him) he’s had quite a run of good years, and this one is no exception.

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Desvignes Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” 2017
bottle price: $38

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Posted on January 30, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Exquisite 2018 Sancerre: Pear, Grapefruit, and Stones

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 2018 is 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. Serve it with lobster risotto or broiled fish. 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” 2018
bottle price: $28

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Posted on January 30, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

“Plump and Ripe” 2015 Chianti Classico, 92 points. $25

Of the 45 winemakers we work with, about half are from Burgundy, and all but a few are French. Our longtime exception to this rule is the Fattoria Poggerino, a source for pure Sangiovese wines from the hills of Chianti.

We’ve worked with Poggerino for almost 15 years, but in recent years their star has risen dramatically. Writer Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.” A full-page Wine Spectator profile last year called their wines “impeccably balanced and built to last…pure, honest wine.”

Poggerino’s Chianti Classico strikes a beautiful balance between a deep enticing nose and a sturdy, classic mouthfeel. The 2015 is delicious today, with dusty strawberry jam and anise on the nose, and cherries and roses in the mouth. The texture is long and smooth and has patinated beautifully over the last year. There’s plenty of aging potential left, but it’s awfully enjoyable today.

Robert Parker’s reviewer calls it “plump and ripe” with “good intensity and a high pleasure threshold.” The Wine Spectator found it “harmonious” with “fine energy” and “a beam of pure cherry flavor.”

Poggerino’s dense and inky 2016s hit the water soon for arrival in a month or so. Until then, the 2015 provides pure, polished, well-priced enjoyment.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2015
bottle price: $25

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Posted on January 28, 2020January 28, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Delicious New Grower Champagne under $50

We’re excited about our new source for grower Champagne: the Domaine Jacques Robin. We’ve nearly sold out of their top-notch 2007 vintage cuvée, which readers have found “spectacular” and “terrific” and “very well-priced.” Today we’re focused on their excellent Non-Vintage cuvée, a complex, delicious Champagne priced to pull out at a moment’s notice.

Robin is in the Côtes des Bar, a sub-region of Champagne located near Chablis and known for its Pinot Noir-heavy cuvées. Indeed both Robin cuvées are 100% Pinot Noir, grown in soils with more clay than the rest of Champagne. The resulting wines sport a broader, richer palate than many Champagnes from further north.

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. The resulting 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 Brut NV
bottle price: $49

Robin Champagne Brut NV (1.5L)
bottle price: $99

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Posted on January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Floral, Delicate $25 Pinot Noir

Sancerre has always been the star of the Loire Valley. Though recent years have seen more interest in the region’s other appellations, Sancerre remains the best known and among the best-liked. It’s popular, easy to drink, easy to pronounce, and pairs well with lots of dishes.

Today’s wine is classic Sancerre — mineral, bright, refreshing and balanced… it just happens to be red. Nearly a quarter of the appellation is planted to Pinot Noir. Like the Sauvignon Blanc used to make white Sancerre, Pinot Noir deftly and elegantly expresses the minerality of Sancerre’s terroir.

The whites of the Domaine de la Garenne have already received a warm welcome from our readers — they’re cool, lively, refreshing, full of intensity and elegance. Garenne’s Sancerre rouge is in the same line: beautiful ripe fruit, excellent mineral freshness, and a smooth, unoaked finish.

If the words “Sancerre rouge” call to mind an unstructured fruit-bomb, think again. There’s indeed beautiful red fruit with violets and honey, but also a complex earthiness, both from stones and forest floor. The smooth, relaxed tannins make this go down surprisingly easily — you’ll be amazed how fast a bottle disappears from your table.

Pinot Noir from Burgundy at $25/bot is essentially a thing of the past. We’re not claiming you’d mistake this for a Bourgogne rouge, but we bet you’ll enjoy it just as much.

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Garenne Sancerre rouge 2017
bottle price: $25

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Posted on January 25, 2020January 27, 2020 by Thomas Wilcox

Chablis + Vouvray + Condrieu = This Wine

We’re really excited to have added the Domaine des Sanzay to our portfolio. Not only are their labels (designed by the family’s son) the most attractive in our cellar, it turns out the Sanzay family are terrific winemakers.

In the tiny central Loire town of Saumur-Champigny, the Sanzays craft small batch, low intervention wines full of energy and life. Their reds are fresh, vibrant and delicious; their crisp, refreshing rosé was a huge hit last summer.

Today we’re excited to release their white. It’s just like everything else they make: distinctive, honest, complex, and seriously delicious.

Like other central Loire whites, this is pure Chenin blanc, made from 50 year old vines. It’s fermented in barrels (half of which are new) with regular lees stirring. Oak and white Loire is rarely our favorite combo, so we were surprised at how much we enjoyed Coinçons. The Chenin handles the oak beautifully, supporting rather than hiding the gorgeous Chenin fruit.

The nose shows pears, white flowers, fine minerality and perfume; the mouth is dry but lush, with gorgeous fruit, excellent crispness, and tons of energy and life. Think the weight of a Condrieu, the fruit of a Vouvray, and the freshness of a fine Chablis: a perfect cold-weather white.

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Sanzay Saumur blanc 2019
bottle price: $29

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