Author: Thomas Wilcox

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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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“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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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

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

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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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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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“Delicate, Charming” New Red Burgundy under $30

Vigneron: Gautier Desvignes took over his family domaine just a few years ago, but his arrival is already having an impact. He’s rebuilt his winery, replanted with new clones, and tightened up the fermenting and bottling regime. In the last two years Vinous and the Wine Advocate have arrived, calling his wines “superb,” “succulent,” and one of the region’s “five emerging talents to watch.”

Appellation: Gautier believes his family’s terroir in Givry is undervalued. For centuries the vignerons of the Côte Chalonnaise planted for quantity over quality. Today a new generation of winemakers has begun to replant and implement modern winemaking, and the power and subtleties of Givry’s terroir has emerged.

Wine: Perhaps no wine in the Desvignes lineup has improved more than their village-level Givry. Particularly in 2017, the wine is drinkable immediately, with silky tannins and beautiful young fruit — cherries, roses, briary berries, and earth. William Kelley (WA) called it “a delicate, charming Givry adapted to near-term consumption.”

Pairing: Skirt Steak and Cold-Oil Fries

You might also like: New Collection: Red Burgundies under $40

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Desvignes Givry 2017
bottle price: $29

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Sophisticated New $24 Bordeaux: 2017 Left-Bank Cru Bourgeois

Vigneron: The Negrier Family is a bit unusual for Bordeaux: a tiny family winery making small-batch, terrific wines from limited terroirs. Nearly all of their wine is sold to local customers who visit the domaine.

Vintage: Bordeaux experienced a tough frost in 2017, which cost winemakers nearly half their crop on average. The wines that survived show relatively low tannin, and will drink well from the start. Jancis Robinson, cites St-Estèphe as a standout appellation in the vintage; the vines for this Cru Bourgeois are just over the border.

Wine: Made from 50/50 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Moulin de Blanchon is remarkably drinkable today. The nose shows raspberry jam, tobacco, fresh leather, and forest floor. The mouth is smooth and rich, punchy and dry — juicy tannins that are enticingly approachable already. The palate is long and inky with fresh fruits and delicate chalky finish.

Pairing: Cast Iron Steak

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Moulin de Blanchon
Cru Bourgeois Haut Médoc 2017
bottle price: $24

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Smooth, Classy, Modern: New Pommard Premier Cru

A good French restaurant takes pride in its wine list. The restaurateur will curate a thoughtful collection of interesting wines, often from winemaker friends and acquaintances. And so when two of our favorite Beaune restaurants featured several bottles last year from a domaine we’d never heard of, we had to give them a try.

That’s our discovery story for the Domaine Borhmann, one of the most exciting finds we’ve made in years. Last fall we wrote about their exquisite white Saint-Aubin, and readers have been enjoying their vibrant, excellent Bourgogne rouge. Today we’re excited to release a new red from Bohrmann: Premier Cru Pommard.

Borhmann’s Premier Cru “La Chanière” is classic Pommard — big, muscly, earthy, and intense. The vineyard is a south-facing slope that receives excellent sun exposure. The hill is so steep that tractors are unusable — Borhmann uses a horse to plow the plot.

In the cellar they use 80% whole clusters, which lend a backbone and precision to the ripe, sun-filled palate. The wine sees 50% new oak barrels, but you would never guess it. The nose is gorgeous and spiced, with intense red raspberry fruit, alongside minerals and earth. As with all of Bohrmann’s other wines, the mouth is impeccably balanced: long, pure, clean, and gorgeous.

This wine has many happy years ahead of it, but it was delightful after an hour in a carafe at our warehouse tasting on Saturday. It’s dense, refined, immaculate red Burgundy of the highest degree.

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Bohrmann Pommard 1er cru 2017
bottle price: $89

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“Pure and Precise:” Gorgeous New $35 White Burgundy

When we first met Gautier Desvignes he was 12. We happened across the Desvignes family domaine in 1998, during our year spent living in Burgundy. Having been fans for over two decades, it warms our hearts to see the Propriété Desvignes begin to receive the acclaim it deserves.

Neal Martin of Vinous recently described their wines as having “wonderful balance,” calling them “excellent,” and “really quite superb.” The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley praised the Desvignes wines as “succulent,” “elegant,” and “a decided success.” He named Gautier, now the domaine’s thirtysomething winemaker, one of the region’s “Five Emerging Talents to Watch.”

We’ve imported almost exclusively the domaine’s reds in recent years, but in 2018 the whites were simply too good to pass up.

The Desvignes Givry blanc 2018 is truly elegant white Burgundy. Gautier has carefully layered subtle wood treatment atop a gorgeous array of fruit and flowers. The nose shows honey, pear, and spring flowers, with a hint of hay. The mouth is fresh, clean, long and complex — a powerful reminder that Burgundy’s fine terroir extends beyond the Côte d’Or.

The WA’s William Kelley called found notes of “pear, white flowers and blanched almonds,” calling it “pure and precise” and adding “it will drink well on release.” We agree, and expect this will make friends among fans of Santenay, Chablis, and Meursault.

Put potatoes and carrots in the base of a roasting pan, and roast a chicken on a Sunday afternoon. Pair it with this delightful white Burgundy and you’ll be in heaven.

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Desvignes Givry blanc 2018
bottle price: $35

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Excellence in Chambolle-Musigny since 1550

For years we’ve searched for a source in Chambolle-Musigny. The town has both a stellar reputation and miniscule size (population 300), and it hasn’t been easy to find a domaine without existing importing relationships. But this spring we finally stumbled upon the Domaine Boursot, a humble family of winemakers right in the heart of Chambolle.

The Boursots began making wine in Chambolle-Musigny in 1550; for centuries, like many Burgundy domaines, they sold their entire production each year to the negociants of Beaune. In 1974 Remy Boursot began bottling on his own, and today it’s his sons Romauld and Romaric making the wines as the 15th generation of Boursots.

We discovered the Boursots in part via a note from Vinous’s Burgundy reviewer Neal Martin, who writes of a “foundation for a promising future,” and describes Boursot’s wines as “superb,” “excellent,” “very fine,” and “worth seeking out.”

We’ve already sold through most of our initial stock from Boursot, and are excited to make a larger purchase later this year. Boursot’s premier cru Fuées rightly earns most of the spotlight in their lineup, but we were also taken with another Chambolle 1er cru from “Chatelots.” This cuvée provides silkier and less masculine depth than the famous Fuées, and in 2017 is simply delicious.

We opened a bottle of this at a tasting at the warehouse last month, and it stopped tasters in their tracks. The nose is spiced and gorgeous, with notes of dried roses, roast, violets, and wild cherries. The mouth is rich and concentrated, but without even a hint of aggression. The 2017 red Burgundies continue to impress with their ease and charm. This cuvée will certainly improve for years to come, but it’s already a stunner today.

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Boursot Chambolle-Musigny 1er “Chatelots” 2017
bottle price: $95

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Pocket Knife Wine: New $16 Côtes du Rhône.

In most home cellars, Côtes du Rhône is the pocket knife wine: a handy answer to nearly every question. Hosting thirsty guests? Go with a Côtes du Rhône. Pairing anything from salad to stew to soup to sirloin? Côtes du Rhône fits the bill. The best examples are crowd-pleasing, inexpensive, and full of character.

Our favorite Côtes-du-Rhône these days comes from the Domaine les Goubert — it’s among the best buys in our whole portfolio. It mixes a bit of Gigondas richness and depth with the hearty character of the rugged provençal landscape, and winemaker Florence Cartier’s touch of elegance and refinement.

It’s unlikely to 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. Just be ready when your guests start looking for a second bottle.

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Goubert Côtes du Rhône 2016
bottle price: $16

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Your New Favorite Sub-$30 White Burgundy

Burgundy is where Chardonnay finds its finest expression. In cold climates, the grape can be acidic and thin; in hot climates, it runs the risk of high alcohol and over extraction. But in Burgundy, Chardonnay has the potential to strike its most elegant balance between soft, mouthfilling fruit, and crisp, refreshing acidity.

Winemaker Vincent Ravaut deftly walks this balance between fullness and crispness in his white wines. The Ravaut family’s white Burgundies include some of the best we know, including an extraordinary, age-worthy Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne. But today’s offer is for their simplest — a Bourgogne blanc that combines the golden texture of elegant Chardonnay with a vibrant line of freshness.

The Ravaut Family is a low-profile domaine in an often-forgotten town. They still sell a majority of their wine to loyal customers who visit their front door, and during our tastings their cellars are often crowded with visitors from Paris and elsewhere in France. The Ravauts fly mostly below the radar of the international wine press, and we feel lucky to have found them.

From France’s warmest vintage since 2003, the Ravaut Bourgogne Blanc smooth and ripe – an effortlessly drinkable glass of wine. The nose is expressive and attractive, showing pear and coconut, with a hint of lemon peel. The mouth is silky but lively, with notes of almond and toast balanced by green apple freshness. There’s more chalky length than you’d expect from a wine of this level.

This is a perfect house white Burgundy — lively and energetic, but full of rich smoothed fruit to coat the palate in style.

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Ravaut Bourgogne blanc 2018
bottle price: $28

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The Best $25 Syrah Around

Our source in Côte Rôtie is the Domaine Bonnefond. The Wine Advocate calls Bonnefond’s wines “among the finest in the appellation,” and Vinous’s Josh Raynolds recently called them “as graceful a group of wines that I’ve ever sampled.”

We’ve written recently about their terrific Côte Rôties, which regularly gain high scores and praise from the international wine press. Today’s Bonnefond Syrah is a bit easier on the wallet — it’s not as profound, and won’t cellar nearly as well. But it’s as complex and polished as any $25 bottle we can think of.

Made just outside the Côte Rôtie appellation, the 2018 Syrah is true Northern Rhône Syrah: The nose is spiced and expressive, with notes of violets, blackberries, tapenade, black pepper, and game. The mouth is beautifully balanced — it’s smooth and long, with low alcohol and dense meaty notes joining plum fruits and graceful minerality.

This is dangerously drinkable wine — something you might enjoy in a Parisian bistro or a picnic by the Seine. It’s not something to cellar or to serve to visiting dignitaries, but it will wash down a hearty steak or wood fired pizza with style.

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Bonnefond Syrah 2018
bottle price: $25

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Blackberry, Lavender, and Earth: Gulpable $19 Organic Rhône

Last April winemaker Eric Chauvin took us out into his vines for our tasting. He believes fervently in organic winemaking, and wanted us to taste his wine en plein air, amid the rich earth from which they spring.

The combination was magic — Chauvin’s wines pulsate with life and energy, a result of his low-intervention style and careful organic viticulture. Tasting them outside brought out their vibrancy, connecting us to the millenia of wines made from the very same earth.

These aren’t the fanciest or the most ageworthy wines in our portfolio. But it’s hard to think of any that are more alive.

We discovered Eric Chauvin’s wine three years ago in a bistro in Séguret. It took a few days to track him down — his Domaine le Souverain has no website, no road sign, and he didn’t answer our first few calls. But after finally connecting we realized quickly what a find he was.

Chauvin’s wines are intense and beautifully balanced Rhône blends that drink more like a Gigondas or Vacqueyras than the Côtes-du-Rhône pricing suggests. His 2018 Séguret is gorgeous — deep and juicy, with a blackberry and lavender nose, with a cool earthiness that fans of the Mas Foulaquier will immediately recognize. The mouth is beautifully balanced, with softened but present tannins, clean dark fruit, and a faint smokiness in the nose.

Pour this with pizza or sausages or smoked meats.

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Souverain Séguret 2018
bottle price: $19

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Gorgeous Everyday Red Burgundy from Michel Gros. $35

Burgundies aren’t always the most accessible of wines. The classification system is confusing, many bottles need cellaring, food pairing can be tricky, and there’s often a hefty entry fee. So we’re are always on the lookout for entry-level Burgundy — wine that drinks well young and that won’t break the bank.

One of our favorite sources for affordable Burgundy is the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. This beautiful rural patchwork of vineyards, meadows, and monasteries lies just west of the more famous Côte d’Or. Michel Gros produces a wine from the Hautes-Côtes that retains the signature silky, smoky style of his more famous wines from Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny. It’s an affordable chance to see what all the fuss is about.

All of our 2017 Red Burgundies are delicious — the French call them “restaurant wines,” a reference to their abundance, approachability, and charm. Gros’s 2017 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits boasts unusual polish for its price, with a nose full of violets, cassis, and earth.

Today the wines shows juicy wild cherry fruits, a concentrated earthiness, and a vibrant mouthfeel. It’s a great Burgundy to have around when you’re not feeling the need for Chambolle-Musigny, and it comes in at less than half the price.

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Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2017
bottle price: $35

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