Tasting Trip Video Blog | Day 5: Frost
Author: Thomas Wilcox
Nectar of the Northern Rhône: Extraordinary 94-point Condrieu
We spent yesterday tasting in the Northern Rhône Valley. From 9am through 5:30pm, we tasted dozens of meaty, intense, sinewy Syrahs, from appellations like Cornas, St-Joseph, Côte Rôtie, and Crozes Hermitage. They were chewy, delicious, and exhausting.
After a day of teeth-staining reds, our final appointment finished with a golden, shimmering white wine: Condrieu from the Domaine Bonnefond. This wine is always terrific and often extraordinary — yesterday’s 2018 was like a breath of fresh, golden air.
The 2018 Condrieu will be in the 2019 July Futures along with the rest of Bonnefond’s excellent lineup of reds. But a few cases of their 2016 remain in the depot in Boston.
Vinous’s Josh Raynolds put it best when he wrote, “Bonnefond has made plenty of excellent Condrieus over the years but this one [the 2016] is at another level.” He awarded 94 points, calling it “Sexy… juicy, densely packed and seamless… showing superb delineation and powerful thrust.”
We agree — the 2016 is simply superb. The nose is extraordinarily complex and perfumed, with notes ranging from gardenia, herb honey, apricot, green tea, and dried mango. The mouth is smooth and rich with notes of peach and pear, and a beautiful grape-skin briskness that balances the mouthcoating texture.
Bonnefond’s wines are always excellent, and they somehow keep getting better. But the 2016 Condrieu is, as they say here, spéciale.
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Bonnefond Condrieu 2016
bottle price: $56
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Tasting Trip Video Blog | Day 4: Beaujolais, Macon, Givry
Tasting Trip Video Blog | Day 3: Syrah, Syrah, Syrah, Syrah
Tasting Trip Video Blog | Day 2: Southern Rhône
Fleshy and Vibrant: New, Overperforming Everyday White Burgundy
White Burgundy is among the food-friendliest wines around. It works at the high end – think a perfectly aged Meursault, open for an hour, with veal medallions in just the right amount cream, a hint of lemon, carefully sauteed mushrooms, a sprig of parsley… you get the idea.
But it answers the call for something uncomplicated and reliable — a Monday night pasta dish, or a hearty bowl of mussels. Gerard Thomas’s Bourgogne blanc has been our go-to white burgundy for nearly a decade now. It has become a “house white” for many of our readers, and has been for a number of well known restaurants in Boston and Philadelphia as well.
It doesn’t make Meursault promises — but it way over delivers for $6/glass.
The 2017 Bourgogne from Gérard Thomas has just arrived back in the states. All of Thomas’s 2017s are unusually good — a magical combination of fleshy texture and shimmering energy. At each classficiation level the wines drink above their weight.
The Bourgogne is always good with food, and the 2017 is no exception; but this year’s is particularly good on its own. The nose is soft and elegant, with hazelnut and wood notes melting into lemon and baked apple fruit. There’s plenty of acidity and plenty of body, and it’s more mouthfilling than most wine of its class.
We strongly recommend setting aside a night for a high-end white Burgundy — Thomas’s other 2017s are a good example. But for a busy weeknight when all you need is something balanced and crisp and refreshing, this is as good as Bourgogne blanc gets.
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Thomas Bourgogne 2017
bottle price: $28
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2015 Gigondas from Goubert: Smooth, Rich, Classy
We’re making our way up the Rhône River this week — tonight we’re in Tain l’Hermitage, the southern gateway to the Northern Rhône Valley. (Follow our video blog: FB, IG, YT.) Today we visited one of the original members of the Ansonia portfolio, the Domaine les Goubert in Gigondas.
Goubert has been a staple of our lineup for decades, and in recent years longtime readers have noticed the same thing we have: the wines have unmistakably increased in precision and polish. They’ve always been good, but since Florence took over winemaking they’ve joined a new class of sophistication.
Florence’s recent vintages continue her trend of winemaking excellence. But her delicious 2015 Gigondas is in stock in our warehouse already.
2015 was a magnificent year in Gigondas. Josh Raynolds of Vinous writes that the vintage “produced one of the most consistently excellent sets of Gigondas that I’ve ever had the chance to taste,” noting the wines’ “distinct power and depth.”
Goubert’s 2015 Gigondas is packed with dense red fruits, spice, violets, and warm earth. The mouth is bold and intense, showing a richness reminiscent of nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Notes of plum, wild cherries, and chocolate dominate the palate, which finishes long and sophisticated and with what Raynolds calls “very good, spicy tenacity.”
When wine is this rich, this tasty, and this affordable, it can be hard to open anything else. (Also available in magnums.)
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Goubert Gigondas 2015
bottle price: $28
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Tasting Trip Video Blog: Day 1, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Juicy, Refreshing, Springtime Côtes-du-Rhône. $16
Greetings from the continent! We landed in Paris this morning and caught the TGV south to Avignon. We’re here for the next few weeks, tasting in the Southern Rhône, Northern Rhône, and Burgundy — follow our tasting trip video blog (starting tomorrow) on Facebook, Instagram, and our blog.
Spring is in full swing here in the South, where it’s 70 degrees and sunny. Meals en plein air are the norm here, and it’s true that everything tastes better under a clear blue Provençal sky . It may not quite be patio season everywhere on the East Coast yet, but it won’t be long now.
So today we’re suggesting a simple, quaffable, by-the-glass Côtes du Rhône. Whenever springtime arrives to your hometown, you’ll want a bottle or two of this around to welcome it.
Winemaker Christelle Coulange returned to her family property after oenology school and began to make and bottle her own wine. In only a decade she has made quite a name for herself. Her wines win medals nearly every year, and she still getting better.
Her 2017 Coulange Mistral is young, juicy, and delightful. An unoaked blend of 80% grenache and 20% syrah. It’s more substantial than the 2016, with juicier fruit and a darker palate. The nose shows violets, wild cherry jam, and garrigue, with woodsy and briary notes as it opens up. The mouth is dense and full, with a rich, vibrant mouthfeel, and smooth tannins.
Serve this a bit cool with burgers or steaks or vegetables from your grill.
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Coulange Mistral 2017
bottle price: $16
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Sophisticated, Extraordinary White Burgundy under $40
For years we’ve referred to St-Aubin as the “insider’s white Burgundy.” But it’s hard to keep a secret when Rajat Parr writes writes “it 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.
Still, as the wine world finally discovers just how good St-Aubin can be, the town remains an exceptional source for white Burgundy value. The Thomas family has lived and made wine in St-Aubin for over 70 years, and has long been one of our favorite value sources in the region.
Four of their 2017s all just arrived in the warehouse, and they’re as good a lineup as we can remember. Today we’re suggesting their village-level St-Aubin “Champ Tirant.”
Thomas’s 2017s are magical. Their fleshy texture and shimmery character make them profound, exciting, and very much alive. The St-Aubin “Champ Tirant” drinks far more like a premier cru than usual, showing an impressive fullness and length. Jancis Robinson called it “full, satisfying, [and] creamy.”
The nose shows notes of green apple, buttered toast, and chives. The mouth is intense, rich, and vibrant, with a smooth texture showing stones, hay, hazelnut and meyer lemon zest. We usually suggest this as a humble upgrade from Thomas’s Bourgogne; but this year is different. Serve this with a sophisticated dish, like chicken with shallots, morels, and cream. It’s the best sub-$40 white Burgundy we’ve had in years.
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Thomas St-Aubin 2017
bottle price: $36
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“Exuberant” 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 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.” In an excellent profile last month, the Wine Spectator described them as “impeccably balanced and built to last…pure, honest wine.”
Last week we wrote about Poggerino’s young-vine “Labirinto” cuvée. Today, for a buck more a glass, we’re suggesting the Chainti Classico.
Poggerino’s Chianti Classico strikes a beautiful balance between a deep enticing nose and a sturdy, classic mouthfeel. The 2015 is unusually good, 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 today the wine opens beautifully in a glass or carafe.
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.”
We think this is among the finer vintages of Chianti Classico that Poggerino has made. As the vines age, the wines gain depth and polish with every vintage. If you’ve got Poggerino in your cellar already, this vintage is an excellent for replenishing your stock. If you’re new to the producer, it’s a great time to start.
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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2015
bottle price: $25
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Exquisite New Dry Riesling from Alsace. $19
To the uninitiated, Riesling is a cheap, insipid wine — rarely interesting, and never noble. But to those in the know, Riesling produces some of the world’s most extraordinary bottles of wine.
No white grape varietal communicates its origin as fluently. As writer Terry Theise puts it, “Riesling does more than just imply terroir: it subsumes its own identity as fruit into the greater meaning of soil, land, and place.”
For years we’ve enjoyed converting readers to the joys of “real Riesling,” both dry and sweet. And today we’re thrilled to introduce our newest winemaker, and begin with his magnificent dry Riesling.
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 is timed perfectly.
Gross’s 2016 Riesling is everything you want it to be. The nose is a gorgeous marriage of high-toned fruits and stony minerals. The mouth is dry and electric — notes of grapefruit, lemon peel, apples and pears. It’s dryer, livelier and more mineral than Muré’s.
Pair this with cheese and crackers and a spring afternoon outside. Or try this Alsatian dish, Chicken with Prunes and Cabbage – either way you’ll find yourself wishing all $19 wines had this much to them.
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Gross Riesling 2016
bottle price: $19
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New 2015 St-Emilion: Rich, Muscular 92 point Right Bank Bordeaux
Most of the world’s Merlot is undistinguished. Its default expression is a soft, rounded wine lacking tannin, acidity, and character. “Global” merlot is smooth and easy, but neither distinctive nor particularly interesting.
But in Bordeaux, Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines. And its center stage – where the grape reaches its ultimate expression – are the Right Bank towns of Pomerol and St-Emilion.
Today we’re excited to release our Grand Cru St-Emilion from the Chateau Montlisse, from the exceptional 2015 vintage. It provides neither the depth nor the aging potential of Christian Dauriac’s more famous cuvées, Destieux and Clemence. But it’s unmistakably well made, and particularly in 2015, overdelivers for its price.
Made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it’s a rich, velvety blend with a classic combination of dark fruit and spice. Critic Jeb Dunnuck awarded 92 points, finding it “seriously good” and “sexy,” with its “beautiful balance” making it “already hard to resist.”
We had it open at the warehouse yesterday, and it was hard to miss. The mouth is rich and muscular, with fleshy, approachable tannins supporting the gorgeous fruit. Look for notes of plums and toast with cassis, dark chocolate and dried violets.
These days good Bordeaux often carries a three- or four-figure price tag, but it’s good to remember that it doesn’t have to. Serve this with good steak or veal, or something roasted on a Sunday afternoon.
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Montlisse St-Emilion Grand Cru 2015
bottle price: $38
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Crisp, Refreshing, Unoaked White Burgundy. $22
“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 2017, 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 Chard. 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 or cheese on crackers. Whatever the choice, this wine will brighten your meal.
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Gautheron Petit Chablis 2017
bottle price: $22
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New $20 Sangiovese: Pure, Inky, Refreshing
Like Chablis, the name Chianti for decades brought to mind inexpensive, mass market plonk. Even today, a straw-covered “fiasco” bottle with dripping candle wax remains one of the brand’s strongest associations.
But the quality of wine made in Chianti has improved in the last three decades as much as any wine in the world. Blending rule changes and the advent of new technology has meant a surge in quality across the region.
And none is more celebrated than the Fattoria Poggerino, a source Rajat Parr calls “excellent,” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.” We’ve just received three new Poggerino cuvées into the warehouse.
Poggerino is in Radda-in-Chianti, an ancient town nestled into a charming Tuscan hillside. Poggerino’s sangiovese vines could all be classified as Chainti Classico, but winemaker Piero Lanza reserves the fruit from the “younger” vines (35 years old) for his simpler cuvée, Il Labirinto.
The name Sangiovese refers to its inky color – the name translates to “blood of Jove” – and this dense, tannic grape can produce powerful wine with beautiful floral aromas. The Labirinto 2017 has just arrived and it’s just about impossible to put down. The nose is very ripe and juicy, with plum and sweet cherry notes. The mouth is young, earthy, and vibrant, with sturdy tannins under a smooth patina of fruit jam.
This is lively and pleasantly drinkable on its own, but like most wines, it’s best enjoyed with the other fruits of its home terroir. Try a homemade pizza dough or a pasta with a tomato based sauce.
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Poggerino Labirinto 2017
bottle price: $19.95
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