Author: Thomas Wilcox

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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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Silky New $25 Syrah: Currants, Licorice, Bacon, Violets

The Northern Rhône is the land of Syrah. Best known for its pure-syrah reds from towns like Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas, the Northern Rhône produces spiced, intense, inky wines that give unique and precise expressions of their terroir. Most Syrah from famous towns starts north of $60/bot, and those from famous domaines quickly jump to three figures.

Which is why we’re so glad to have found the Domaine Saint Clair in Crozes-Hermitage. Denis Basset’s wines provide an opportunity to enjoy dark, peppery Northern Rhône syrah with greater frequency and lower investment. His 2017 Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” is a pure, juicy, classic syrah, with loads more complexity than your average $25 bottle.

Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented — the Guide Hachette calls his wines “superb,” “subtle” and “silky.” Basset came to winemaking through an accident with a high-voltage wire that nearly cut short his life. Upon leaving the hospital, he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of making wine from his family’s vineyards, and he hasn’t looked back.

Denis somehow continues to improve on his success — his 2017s are magnificent. The nose shows black tea, licorice, a hint of smoke, and currants. The mouth is lively and full of texture, with savory fruit, bacon, and violets.

Some $25 bottles are background music – a quiet array of flavors to accompany conversation. This is the opposite: complex, multilayered, intense, and unforgettable. Pair it with spiced lamb, or a flavorful roast.

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St-Clair Crozes-Hermitage 2017
bottle price: $25

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Exquisite Red Burgundy from a Hidden Source.

There’s not much left hidden in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. A mere 30 miles long, the region is home to many of the world’s most famous vineyards. Limited supply and increasing demand mean even its most obscure corners receive visitors from around the world.

But even real Burgundy nerds scratch their heads when you mention the town of Ladoix. It’s right on the RN-74 (the main artery that runs through Burgundy) and located at the foot of the famous Hill of Corton. Yet it remains one of the last corners of the region relatively unknown.

Lucky for us. In a good year in the hands of a good producer, the wines of Ladoix can provide extraordinary value. Our source here is the centuries old Domaine Ravaut — a small family domaine of the highest quality.

The 2017 vintage produced what the Burgundians call “restaurant wines:” pleasant, young drinking Burgundies with easy tannins, punchy fruit, and attractive, approachable structures. We’ve found them simply delicious — they may not drink as well in 15 years, but they also might be all drunk by the end of 2020.

Ravaut’s 2017 Côte de Nuits-Villages sold out in a matter of weeks back in November. Today we’re suggesting it’s more sophisticated and classier cousin: the Ladoix 1er cru “Bois Roussot.” It’s bursting with strawberries and briary, woodsy berries in the nose; the mouth is smooth and leathery, with excellent density and a clean, modern finish.

Ravaut’s 1er crus usually need a year or two to show their stuff. This one is gulpably good today. Serve it with a meat-based wintery dish, and make sure to open some for yourself in the kitchen.

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Ravaut Ladoix 1er cru “Bois Roussot” 2017
bottle price: $48

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Rich, Velvety New Everyday Rhône Blend. $22

France’s Rhône valley produces rich, smooth red blends, perfect for a wintery afternoon meal. At one end there’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape, famous and long-lived; at the other there’s Côtes du Rhône, uncomplicated and inexpensive. Today’s wine is from the middle.

Many of our favorite red Rhônes come from the Domaine les Goubert, best known for their excellent Gigondas. Today we’re focused on one of their lesser known gems: red Beaumes de Venise.

If Beaumes de Venise calls to mind dessert wines, you’re not wrong. The town is famous for its sweet Muscat wines first planted in 600 BCE. But the terroir also produces a small amount of excellent red, with a rugged richness that makes them perfect for cold weather.

Goubert’s Beaumes de Venise is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault, with the final grape adding a sauvage quality that makes the wine distinct and delicious. The 2017 is dense and gorgeous, with all three grapes fermented together and raised in concrete tank. The wine is full of spice and garrigue, but all drawn from grapes and earth instead of oak.

The nose is dark and weathered, showing strawberry jam, honey, and earthy notes;. the mouth is lively and juicy, with pleasant structure. This is an astonishingly complete wine at $22. It’s perhaps a bit less refined than its older brother Gigondas, but what it lacks in elegance it makes up in pluck.

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Goubert Beaumes-de-Venise 2017
bottle price: $22

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[Advance Order] “Gorgeous,” “Impeccable” 2016 Chianti Classico, $250/case

French wines have long been the focus of the Ansonia portfolio. 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.

Poggerino’s wines are all pure sangiovese — dark, delicately balanced expressions of an intense, powerful grape. We’ve worked with Poggerino for almost 15 years, but recently their star has risen dramatically. In his recent book Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.”

As usual, the entire Poggerino lineup (including some exciting large formats) will appear in next Sunday’s January Futures release. But we’re singling one of our favorites out today to review in a bit more detail.

Poggerino’s 2016 Chianti Classico is simply terrific, with strawberry jam and anise on the nose, and cherries and roses in the mouth. The texture is firm and long, with excellent aging potential; but even today the wine opens nicely in a glass or carafe. It’s finer grained than in some recent vintages, offering gorgeous, velvety immediate drinking.

Antonio Galloni, founder and owner at Vinous, was effusive: “Poggerino’s 2016 Chianti Classico is gorgeous. Aromatically lifted and juicy on the palate, the 2016 has much to offer. Black cherry, plum, tobacco, new leather, licorice and spice are pushed forward in a supple, beautifully perfumed Chianti Classico. The 2016 is impeccably done. Best of all, it will drink well right out of the gate. 92 points”

We think this is among the finer vintages of Chianti Classico that Poggerino has made. If you’ve got Poggerino in your cellar already, this vintage is an excellent for replenishing your stock. And if you’re new to the wine, Futures offers a discounted way to try it out.

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2016

Ansonia Retail: $300
January Futures: $250/case



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Rosé Grower Champagne, the Height of Elegance

Vigneron:   Pascal Bardoux is our grower Champagne producer just west of Reims. His Pinot Meunier dominant cuvées are carefully crafted and perfectly elegant. Amid Champagne’s haze of le marketing and glossy promotion, Bardoux’s wines are quietly brilliant.

Wine:   Bardoux’s Rosé Champagne is two thirds Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, and one third Chardonnay. The two dark grapes give gorgeous dry fruit (and color), and the Chardonnay adds freshness and length. This cuvée sits on the lees for three years before disgorgement; only 150 cases made each year.

Notes:   The nose is intense and fresh, with strawberries, crème brûlée, and apple pie. The mouth is crisp and dry but full of springy fruit; wild cherries and roses.

Pairing:   Drink this on its own, and not too far below room temperature. Let it develop in the glass. If a pairing is required, try Brillat Savarin, or gougères.

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Bardoux Champagne Rosé Brut NV
bottle price: $65

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Pouilly-Fumé Returns: Rich, Energetic Old-Vine Sauvignon Blanc. $22

Winemaker Frederic Michot is as brisk and energetic as his wines. He talks (and drives) fast, and sports the same no-nonsense attitude found in a glass of his Pouilly-Fumé: pure Sauvignon blanc, no oak, clean and crisp.

Michot’s side of the river may be less famous than his neighbor Sancerre, but he isn’t willing to concede it any advantage. His wines are exceptional Sauvignon blancs, full of precision, focus, clean dry fruit, and beautiful tension.

Sancerre deserves its fame and acclaim; but Pouilly-Fumé is its scrappy underdog cousin, with just as much to offer, and at a better price.

Michot’s Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes is refreshing, unoaked, mouthfilling and utterly delicious. His 2018 old vine cuvée has just arrived — even in a sunny vintage Michot has managed to capture a bursting tension underneath the gorgeous fruit. There’s lots of inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc around — most of it isn’t half this good.

The nose shows mango, grapefruit rind, and straw; the mouth shows ripe grapefruit, lime rind, and honey. The wine is at once mouthfilling and electric, with the persistence of richness and freshness found in finest Sancerre.

It’s perfect for seafood: shrimp pasta, pan seared scallops, broiled haddock, etc. Or if fruits de mer aren’t your thing, try a glass with goat cheese on a crusty piece of French bread.

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Michot Pouilly-Fumé VV 2018
bottle price: $22

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Reliably Outstanding: New 2017 Gigondas from Goubert

The Domaine les Goubert is among the most consistent winemakers in our portfolio. No matter the vintage – warm or cool, sunny or wet, easy or difficult — the Goubert wines are reliably outstanding.

The winemakers allow the vintage to influence the character of the wine, but never the quality. A case in point is the just-arrived 2017. The vintage was problematic for Grenache in the Southern Rhône, and many cuvées rely more heavily than usual on Syrah.

At Goubert in 2017, winemaker Florence Cartier decided to eschew barrels — the Syrah grape picks up oak notes more quickly, and she wanted to preserve the lovely floral fruit. The resulting cuvée is distinct and as delicious as ever.

Goubert’s 2017 Gigondas is perfect wine for cold weather. It’s rich and mouthfilling, showing far more intensity and depth than you expect from a sub-$30 bottle. The syrah provides elegant violets, laid over a muscular, black-fruit intensity that carries through a long and beautifully balanced finish.

The Wine Advocate awarded 90-92 points, finding “raspberry and stone fruit,” and suggesting a drinking window of 2020-2030. Goubert doesn’t get caught up in fads or winemaking trends, and they’re not reinventing the winemaking wheel. They turn out solid, reliably delicious red wine that drinks well above its price point — and we’re simply thrilled to have them back in stock in our cellar.

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Goubert Gigondas 2017
bottle price: $29

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Extraordinary New 12-Year-Old Grower Champagne

Today we’re sharing an exciting discovery from earlier this year: a new grower Champagne producer. The Domaine Jacques Robin is a tiny source in the Côtes des Bar, a southern satellite subregion of Champagne. We’re among their first US importers, and found their wines charming and extremely well priced.

All three of their cuvées are now in stock, but we’re singling out their finest today: the 2007 Cuvée Kimmeridgienne. Made from pure Pinot Noir grown in chalk/limestone/clay soils, this wine sat on its lees for a remarkable 10 years, gaining complexity and exceptional depth. It was disgorged (final corking) four months ago and is simply magnificent today.

This stopped people in their tracks at our warehouse tasting yesterday in Newton. We can’t think of a classier treat for your Christmas afternoon.

Robin’s 2007 Kimmeridgienne is for those who enjoy a bit of evolution in their Champagne. The bottle we opened yesterday was toasty and refined, opening beautifully over an hour or so. The nose shows notes of anise, herbs, apple crisp and buttered toast; the mouth is smooth, delicate, and fresh, full of brioche and caramel.

The Guide Hachette awarded a star, calling it “gourmand and harmonious,” with notes of “candied fruits, plum, hazelnut, jam, and smoke.” It’s hardly an everyday bottle, but at $75 it’s an extraordinary value. And with the year (and decade) coming to a close, we think you’ll be able to find an excuse to open one.

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Robin Champagne Kimmeridgienne 2007
bottle price: $75

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A Masterpiece in Châteauneuf-du-Pape: “Uniformly Outstanding”

There’s no better match for wintery weather than Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The best Châteauneufs all contain a splash of southern sunlight, combining the region’s rugged, sunbaked earthiness with rich, mouthfilling fruit.

On the 2016 vintage, Josh Raynolds of Vinous wrote recently: “If exuberant ripe fruit, harmonious tannins and an overall impression of generosity and lushness are what you’re after … then 2016 has plenty to offer. But the best wines also display real energy, making this a standout vintage.”

Today’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from one of the appellation’s foremost producers. Jacqueline André tends her ancient 140-year-old vines with the care and attentiveness of a loving parent. The original organic and biodynamic domaine in Châteauneuf, André’s wines are a standard for elegance and clarity.

Even from a warm vintage with perfectly ripe fruit and rich deep material, Jacqueline André’s wines retain vibrancy and life. She’s a master of balance, a consistent quality in her wines she attributes to biodynamic viticulture, and careful choice of harvest dates.

André’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a masterpiece. Though it’s lush, intense, and enormous, it achieves it all without becoming flat or dry. Look for notes of plum, licorice, raspberry jam, and tapenade in the nose — the mouth is dense and extremely long, with bold flavors of cherry jam and wood bolstered by rich, voluptuous tannins.

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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016
bottle price: $58

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Dazzling New Unoaked 2018 White Burgundy. $25

The 2018 vintage was a warm one in Burgundy. The grapes were ripe and full, and the harvest began in September in 86 degree heat. We visited France around harvest time in 2018, and wondered aloud whether the wines would be warm and missing balance.

At least in the Maconnais, we needn’t have worried. The whites may be fleshier than usual, but, particularly at naturally-inclined domaines, they’re blessed with a delightful freshness and zip. Master of Wine Christy Canterbury wrote of the 2018 vintage, “I’ve never tasted so many enticing Mâconnais wines.”

Our Maconnais source is Nicolas Maillet, an extremely talented winemaker with a passion for organic viticulture. His 2018 Macon-Villages has arrived and it’s a stunner — pure classic Chardonnay, with no oak to obscure the gorgeous, perfectly pure golden fruit.

This makes a persuasive case for the new best-value white Burgundy in our cellar. The nose is explosive and charming, with white flowers, honey, lime and herbs. The mouth is round and smooth with an electric core of tension. Serve this on its own or with comté on crackers.

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Maillet Macon-Villages 2018
bottle price: $25

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2017 Michel Gros Bourgogne: “Supple, Round, and Delicious”

Experienced collectors often say that Burgundy’s best values come from a great winemaker’s simpler wines. Today’s winemaker, Michel Gros, is world famous for his exquisite, high-end red Burgundies – several older vintages of his finer cuvées are listed here.

But Gros also makes some “petits vins,” and none is more delightful or approachable than his Bourgogne rouge. In Burgundy the 2017 vintage brought bountiful quantities, healthy grapes, plenty of sun. The reds feature ripe fruit and relatively low acidities, and the resulting wines are accessible and delicious.

Gros’s always-pleasant Bourgogne is even more so in 2017 — a sub-$35 red Burgundy that drinks far above its class.

Gros’s Bourgogne 2017 is refined, juicy, toasty, and polished. There’s far more complexity here than most reds at the Bourgogne level. Look for silky tannins, notes of raspberry and plum, and an earthy, complex palate. Burghound found a “fresh and distinctly earthy nose,” and called it “supple, round and delicious.”

All of our 2017 Red Burgundies are delicious — the French call them “restaurant wines,” a reference to their abundance, approachability, and charm. But Gros’s 2017 Bourgogne rouge adds an extra level of class. Most was reserved through Futures — the last few cases are available today.

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Gros Bourgogne 2017
bottle price: $32

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Velvety 2015 Pomerol: Merlot at its Finest

Pomerol is Bordeaux on a Burgundy scale. The small right bank appellation covers less than three square miles, and is home to only 150 winemakers. But the wines of Pomerol are anything but small. In his landmark World Atlas of Wine, Hugh Johnson calls Pomerol “richest, most velvety and instantly appealing form of red Bordeaux.”

Planted in most other locales, Merlot produces soft, flat, undistinguished wines. But in Pomerol, the grape soars, producing some of the worlds most intense and expensive wines. Like Chardonnay and Chablis, Syrah and Côte Rôtie, it’s a persuasive argument for the power of terroir.

This spring we discovered an excellent new source in Pomerol, and one offering surprising value. The 2015 Feytit-Lagrave Pomerol impressed us with its depth and polish. At 80% Merlot (the rest is Cabernet Franc), the wine is very Pomerol: generous, rich, and round, with an attractive mouthfeel. The nose offers ripe dark fruit, cassis and blackberries.

The 2015 vintage produced legendary wines on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, and this Pomerol will certainly improve for a decade or more. But today it opens steadily in the glass over a half-hour, offering earlier drinking than you might expect. Pair it with a roast — duck, beef tenderloin, grilled steaks — something to match the hearty, audacious spirit of Pomerol.

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Feytit-Lagrave Pomerol 2015
bottle price: $55

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Perfect Grower Champagne under $50

Amid Champagne’s glitz and glamour, winemaker Pascal Bardoux stands out. His cuvées are quietly exceptional — his tasting room is his small untidy office, where we taste slowly and thoughtfully from an old beat-up leather sofa. “Le marketing” is nowhere to be seen.

And Bardoux’s wines, humble and delicious, are comparative bargains. Much mass-market Champagne that gets to the US fetches between $75 and $100 a bottle; Bardoux’s small-batch Brut Traditionnel doesn’t even crack $50 — twice the wine at half the price.

The Guide Hachette calls Bardoux’s non-vintage brut cuvée, “a champagne for all occasions.”

Bardoux’s Brut Traditionnel is an excellent entree to the collection. A blend of 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this wine has the complexity and depth to match the finest bottles from Burgundy or Bordeaux. The nose shows plum, chalk, lime zest, and buttered biscuits; the mouth is dry, elegant, and smooth, with notes of apple and toast.

We can’t recommend this wine highly enough. There’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy Champagne as we close out the decade this month. But it’d be a shame to limit yourself to just the celebratory moments. Try pairing with sushi, creamy cheese (Delice de Bourgogne or Brillat-Savarin for example), or gougères.

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Bardoux Champagne Brut Traditionnel NV
bottle price: $49

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