Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Ten Generations of Excellence in Chassagne-Montrachet

We don’t often add white Burgundy producers to our portfolio. It’s a small region, with well-trodden paths, and most winemakers have exclusive importing relationships or very little wine to sell.

But last year we were lucky enough to add a Chassagne producer whose reputation preceded him. Thomas Morey’s wines may be new to our warehouse, but his winemaking is full of experience and history. He’s a 10th generation Morey working in Chassagne, and his father Bernard ran one of the town’s most famous and well respected domaines until his retirement in 2005.

Morey is a rare find, and today his Chassagnes from the exceptional 2016 vintage simply gorgeous.

Thomas Morey’s style is elegance and charm. Where some Chassagnes seem to strive for Californiaesque butteriness, Morey’s aim for sleekness and precision. His production is entirely organic, using low vineyard intervention and only ambient yeasts at harvest. Most interestingly, Morey limits his wines to only 20% new oak, even on his Grand Crus — the result is clarity and purity unlike much else in Burgundy today.

Morey lost 50% of his crop to hail last in 2016, so his village Chassagne-Montrachet is a blend of the fruit from seven parcels. The nose is clean and refined, showing delicate white flowers and golden fruit, all with a sophisticated style. The mouth is very intense and long, gaining its opulence from the fruit and soil rather than over oaking.

This should improve for a few years, but it’s hard to put down after one glass today.

 

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Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 2016
bottle price: $65

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Delightful Everyday Syrah: “Graceful” & Hearty. $25

Our source in Côte Rôtie is the Domaine Bonnefond. Robert Parker 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.”

Last week we wrote about their exceptional 2015 Côte Rôtie “Rochains,” which Vinous called “superb” and awarded 95 points. 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 2017 Syrah is among our favorite vintages they’ve made of this wine. The nose is spiced and expressive, with notes of blackberries, tapenade, black pepper, and game. The mouth is beautifully balanced — at 12.5% alcohol it’s smooth and long, with 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 2017
bottle price: $25

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No-Oak, Golden White Burgundy: Springtime in a Glass. $24

We know better than to declare winter over just yet, but today’s weather returns springtime to our minds. And we know no better wine to welcome Spring than the vibrant, exuberant, life-filled organic white Burgundies of Nicolas Maillet.

Maillet makes wine in the Maconnais, an area of southern Burgundy known for its unoaked Chardonnays. His whites are aromatically jubilant, like frolicing through an alpine meadow of full of flowers and bees and clear mountain air.

Nicolas Maillet is a passionate young winemaker, making just about the purest expressions of Chardonnay we know. With no oak to obscure the gorgeous fruit, they have the clarity of fine Chablis with the weight and roundness of a Côte d’Or Chardonnay.

The 2016 Maillet Macon-Villages is a delight. Look for spring flowers and honeysuckle, with faint notes of dried straw. In the mouth it’s a classic Macon — rich and full with bright floral notes, beautiful acidity, and lots of depth. Maillet draws upon biodynamics to elevate the complexity, and his wines are a true symphony of nature in the glass.

We’re not quite to rosé season — (pro tip, plan ahead with March Futures, ending Sunday) – but Maillet’s whites are the perfect transition wine for Spring.

 

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Maillet Macon-Villages 2016
bottle price: $24

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(Almost) Grand Cru Red Burgundy from 2015: “Grace” and “Refinement”

In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. Today’s wine comes from a vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin called “Combottes.” It’s classified Premier Cru but surrounded on all sides by five famous Grand Crus, including Latricières, Mazoyères, and Clos de la Roche.

In lesser vintages, Combottes is an excellent wine that doesn’t quite match the depth of its famous Grand Cru neighbors. But as Rajat Parr writes, “in warm, dry vintages… Combottes can be every bit as great as [the Grand Crus], with a grace and suppleness to accompany potent cherry fruit.”

Today we’re suggesting Combottes from 2015, a legendary vintage with near-perfect growing conditions. It’s not exactly an everyday value, but a would-be Grand Cru or under $100 is nothing short of a steal.

Amiot’s 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru “Combottes” is young but already exceptional, and built to last. The nose is dark and sweetly floral, with notes of spice, plum, and earth. The mouth is dense and sappy with a rich, mouthfilling concentration. Burghound awarded 92 points, calling it “restrained,” “refined” and “sleek.”

Most red Burgundy improves with age — Combottes today is twice as delicious as it was when it arrived a year ago. It’s built to go another 10-15 years if desired. But life is short, and when a wine tastes this good this young, no one (except perhaps your future self) will fault you for opening it early.

 

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Amiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Combottes” 2015
bottle price: $92

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“The Best in 55 Years:” Exquisite $25 Northern Rhône Syrah

The 2015 vintage produced exceptional wines in nearly every corner of France. We’ve written recently about successes in Burgundy and Bordeaux, but winemakers in the Rhône were just as fortunate. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson proclaimed the 2015 Northern Rhône Syrahs “the best in 55 years.”

The finest Northern Rhône Syrahs are a study in finesse and subtlety. Their brilliance comes from their marriage of a dark, rich southern grape varietal with cooler northern climate. In 2015 in particular, the wines show an exquisite balance between an inky meatiness and a brisk fruitiness.

Today we’re suggesting Denis Basset’s old-vine Crozes-Hermitage “Fleur Enchanté” from 2015. It’s complex, dense, and, as the Guide Hachette describes Basset’s wines, “a model of balance and finesse.”

The 2015 Fleur Enchantée shows dark blackberry and cassis fruit in the nose, with violet and cloves alongside. The mouth is startlingly dense and fine, with a balanced mouthfeel and an extremely long finish that shows peppercorn, plum, and wild cherry jam. From nearly 50 year old syrah vines and aged carefully for a year and a half before bottling, this is an extraordinarily dense and mouthfilling Syrah.

It’d be an impressive wine at $40/bot, and no one would be disappointed. At $25, it has to be among the best buys in our lineup. Open this up and let it breathe in a decanter for a while — serve with braised short ribs, or, if you’re in a plant-based mood, soup à l’ognion.

 

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St-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Fleur” 2015
bottle price: $25

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Velvety $25 Bordeaux for your Weeknight Steak.

The 2015 vintage produced exceptional red wines throughout France. We’ve most recently highlighted some of our favorite examples from Burgundy and the Rhône. But the vintage was just as successful in Bordeaux.

Particularly on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, the results have been stunning. Master of Wine James Lawther found 2015 Right Bank reds “excellent” and “seductive,” explaining “I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest ever, but it’s a very, very good vintage.”

One of our recent favorites has been the 2015 Lalande-de-Pomerol from the Chateau de Marchesseau. It’s a 70/30 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, grown just outside the famous appellation of Pomerol. The neighborhood has perfect clay/gravel soil for Merlot (see Petrus, Le Pin, etc.), producing the ripe, intense, velvety tannins for which the grape is known.

The 2015 Marchesseau shows plum and hints of licorice and spice. The mouth is rich and intense, but full of juicy, bursting tannins. Decant this and it drinks like a far fancier wine. It’s classic Bordeaux from an outstanding vintage, at a weeknight price.

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Marchesseau Lalande-de-Pomerol 2015
bottle price: $25

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“Premier Cru” Sancerre: Stones, Grapefruit, and Pear

If Sancerre had a Grand Cru vineyard, it would be the Monts Damnées. This most famous of Sancerre’s terroirs abuts the hamlet of Chavignol west of the town. Sancerre produces popular wine from every corner of its appellation, but the hillside of the Monts Damnées is special.

And just a half mile to the east along the same slope lies “Les Bouffants.” Its soil is similarly full of caillotes (large limestone stones), and it’s from this plot that today’s wine hails. Bouffants’s slope isn’t quite as steep as its famous neighbor – we’ll call it premier cru rather than grand cru – but you’d want someone experienced driving a tractor up the hill from you.

Garenne’s 2018 Bouffants is in the current March Futures issue, which should arrive in May with the rest of Garenne’s excellent lineup. But until then we’re enjoying the exceptionally tasty Bouffants 2017.

Made from pure, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, Bouffants is more dense and serious than Garenne’s regular cuvée. The 2017 is distilled and long, full of 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 mineral intensity of a Cru Muscadet.

Bouffants is a perfect food wine and can stand up to a wide range of diverse flavors. It’s at once fleshy and stony, with gorgeous ripe fruit wrapped tightly around a mineral core. Try this with fine sushi or simply roasted fish. Ceviche would be sublime.

 

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Garenne Sancerre “Bouffants” 2017
bottle price: $28

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“Superb” 2015 Côte Rôtie: Old Vines, Iconic Terroir, 95 points

Christophe Bonnefond is a quiet man. Our tastings with him each year are pleasant and friendly, but he’s not what you’d call a “talker”. He’s happy to answer questions, but rarely volunteers information, preferring to let his wines speak for themselves.

His wines are anything but quiet. They’re dense, concentrated, and immaculately crafted — pure syrah in its most intense and impressive form. Bonnefond’s finest two parcels are located on either side of “La Landonne,” the legendary vineyard on the famous slopes of the Côte Rôtie.

Today we’re suggesting Bonnefond’s 2015 Côte Rôtie “Les Rochains.” It’s a magnificent wine — an extraordinary vintage, 50-75 year old vines, and an intense winemaker style. This is Northern Rhône syrah at its finest — inky black fruits, a lingering mouthfeel, and all at 13% alcohol.

Bonnefond’s Côte Rôties age marvelously — we’ve had them 10 and 15 years out and they’re simply delicious. Today this wine shows red cherries, licorice, black pepper, cloves, and leather — in a decade or two it will add earthy, woodsy notes along with iodine, soy, and dried flowers.

Vinous’s Josh Raynolds called this “densely packed yet elegant,” a phrase we think perfectly distills the wine’s essence. He awarded 93-95 points, finding the nose “expansive,” and “exotically perfumed” with “black and blue fruits, violet, woodsmoke and olive.”

Put this in the back of our cellar and you’ll call us in 15 years to ask why you didn’t buy more. Open one today with a decanter, and you’ll call us next week to see how much we have left.

 

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie “Rochains” 2015
bottle price: $72

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Cheerful 2016 Red Burgundy: “Gourmand” and Gulpable

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. Today’s Maranges is a perfect example: a cheerful, approachable red Burgundy with unusual class for its level.

Roger Belland is an excellent source for easy drinking red Burgundy. The domaine uses a long, very cool fermentation to retain the fruit in their wines. Today’s Maranges is from a south-facing vineyard and a vintage with excellent ripeness — it’s 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 of this as somewhere between a Burgundy and a Beaujolais — the refinement of a Pinot Noir, matched with jolliness and joie de vivre of a Gamay.

 

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Belland Maranges 1er “Fussière” 2016
bottle price: $35

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The 2012 Sampler: Our Favorite 7-Year-Old Reds

The 2012 vintage in France turned out excellent wines. In Burgundy, the growing conditions were abysmal – everything from hail to frost to mildew contributed to a crop down as much as 50%. But the quality remained high, and the tiny crop created “lucious” and “thrilling” reds (Vinous).

Winemakers in the Rhône Valley may not have worked as hard, but their results were just as exciting. A warm, dry summer and aebundant (but not too much) sunshine turned out beautiful reds with dense character and excellent mid-term aging potential.

The last seven years have done wonders for these wines, and so we’ve collected six of our favorites into a sampler: 3 red Burgundies and 3 red Rhônes, all from 2012.

Amiot MSD 1er “Millandes” 2012
Nose is woodsy and perfumed, with lovely notes of anise and cinnamon. The mouth is perfectly balanced, with reserved tannins underlying a round, elegant, mouthfilling palate. Burghound gave 91 points finding it “outstanding,” “lovely,” “supple,” and “well-detailed.”

Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Varoilles” 2012
Exceptional, with inky notes of plum, earth, cassis, and a hint of sauvage. Allen Meadows (Burghound) found “excellent richness,” “intense and overtly powerful,” and a “tautly muscular finish,” and awarded 92 points.

Ravaut Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2012
From one of the most celebrated Grand Crus in Corton, this is a deep, sturdy wine punching well above its weight. We found notes of raspberry, cocoa, minerals, and burnt cherries — serve with a standing rib roast.

Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012
The nose shows a wide range of notes from violets and pan drippings to strawberry jam and lavender. The mouth is smooth and soft and rich, with a dark red complexion and silky tannins. Vinous’s awarded 91 points, calling it “suave and silky.”

André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012
From 140-year-old organic vines, this is Châteauneuf-du-Pape at its deepest. The nose shows stone fruit jam, with browned butter, lavender, and cedar. The mouth shows prune and black raspberry, with intense licorice and wild cherry on the very long finish.

Goubert Gigondas Florence 2012
The nose is deep and woodsy, showing cassis, leather, raspberry and spice. The mouth is cool, dense, and, as Jancis Robinson put it, “very well balanced.” Josh Raynolds awarded 90-92 points, finding “mocha, licorice, and violet.”

 

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The 2012 Sampler
sampler price: $385/half-case

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Classic Chassagne-Montrachet: “Exceptionally Rich” & “Outstanding”

Chassagne-Montrachet is one of the three principal white wine growing towns in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. A century ago it was best known for its red wines, but today most famous Chassagnes are rich, mouthfilling whites.

Many Chassagnes are ageworthy and benefit from even a decade or more in the bottle. But Roger Belland’s wines are a gift to those lacking patience and/or cellar space — today’s Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet will continue to improve for another 3-5 years, but it’s a delightful glass today.

 

 

Belland is a humble domaine making high quality, well-priced wines from a wide range of excellent terroirs. Belland’s flagship property is the Clos Pitois — a Chassagne vineyard in production since 1421. It’s located in the Morgeot sector of Chassagne, home to classic, opulent, mouthfilling white Burgundies.

The 2016 Chassagne strikes a magnificent balance between rich fruit and an electric core. The nose is big and expressive, with tropical notes of mango, coconut, and flowers. The mouth is large and long, with excellent persistence and a pulsating texture. Burghound awarded 91 points, calling it “outstanding,” “exceptionally rich,” and “succulent,” with “an enveloping mouthfeel.”

Serve this (not too cold) with a chicken dish with cream and mushrooms — this Norman recipe would be perfection itself.

 

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Belland Chassagne 1er cru “Pitois” 2016
bottle price: $85

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Woodsy Elegance: Dark New Southern Rhône Red. $18

Some wines we import are meant for grand occasions. These are the famous wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne – bottles to pull from the back of the cellar when the moment is significant. (Yesterday’s “magical” 2017 Grand Cru Chablis would qualify.)

Today’s offer is not that sort of wine. The Sablet from the Domaine les Goubert fits best in an unexceptional moment — something to reach for after a long day of work, or a cozy companion for that new season on Netflix. It hits a sweet spot between balance, versatility and price. It’s a wine you don’t need to think hard about to enjoy.

 

 

Goubert’s Sablet is the house red for many of our readers and friends. It shows the same dark intensity of Goubert’s popular Côtes du Rhône, but with an added dose of refinement. The increased percentage of grenache gives it a brighter feel with easily approachable tannins. The 2017 is smooth and refreshing — at 13.5% alcohol it’s nicely balanced, showing raspberry and strawberry fruits, hints of leather and tobacco, and a round smooth finish.

Food isn’t necessary with Sablet — it’s a perfect by-the-glass wine that drinks well right out of the bottle — but it also pairs easily with something from the kitchen. We serve the Sablet with everything from spicy garlic pasta (cool the wine a bit before serving), to a hearty soup with a crusty piece of bread.

Goubert’s Sablet won’t win prizes for profundity or longevity, but it’s among the most popular wines we’ve ever imported.

 

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Goubert Sablet 2017
bottle price: $18

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[Advance Order] New 95-point Les Clos: “Magical” Grand Cru Chablis

Of the 12,000 acres of vineyards planted in Chablis, only seven vineyards covering 250 (2%) qualify as Grand Cru. And of these seven, most consider the “Les Clos” the finest. As Master of Wine Clive Coates puts it, Les Clos combines “depth, intensity, and great elegance” – or in other words, is “Chablis at its very, very finest.”

As you can imagine, there’s not much of Les Clos to go around. The Domaine Jean Collet’s tiny plot of 65-year old vines covers less than half and acre – enough for about 1,000 bottles – but the wine is always superb.

Collet’s entire 2017 lineup is in our the March Futures Issue, which will be released next week. But we’re particularly excited about this Grand Cru, so we’re opening up the bidding early. For obvious reasons, quantities are limited — first come, first served.

 

 

The Domaine Collet’s star is on the rise – the family’s twentysomething son Romain took over winemaking about 6 years ago, and we quickly noticed a real improvement in the character of the wine. In recent years the wine writers – Vinous, Jasper Morris, Burghound, among others – have also been impressed, noting a “higher level of refinement” and a “significant upsurge in quality.”

Master of Wine Jasper Morris was particularly taken with Les Clos this year, finding a “magical nose with chiseled concentration,” awarding 92-95 points, and concluding: “pure class.” We found orchard fruit on the nose, with notes of white flowers and shells. The mouth is pure and intense with pears, grapeskin, and an exquisite mineral line coming through the mouthfilling richness.

It’s hard to find Grand Cru Burgundy of either color for less than $100/bot, and many push quickly past $500. At $54/bot this wine is hardly your next by the glass house white, but for what it delivers it remains a genuine bargain. It’s not a wine you’ll soon forget.

 

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Collet Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos” 2017

Ansonia Retail: $864
March Futures: $650/case

 

Email Tom to reserve a case

 

 

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Two Magnificent Burgundies from the Historic Hill of Corton

The Hill of Corton sits just north of Beaune, dividing Burgundy’s Côte d’Or in two. Local inhabitants have tended vines here since Roman times. The Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) was a particularly enthusiastic patron of the wines of Corton, and the hill’s most famous whites are still named for him today.

The Hill of Corton is among the only places in Burgundy to produce Grand Crus of both red and white wine. Today we’re excited to release one of each, both from our source at the base of the great hill, the Domaine Ravaut.

 

The Hill of Corton contains a controversially large number of Grand Crus, but several plots are universally considered great — and today’s Bressandes is among them. Ravaut’s 2016 Corton-Bressandes is inky, intense, bold red wine, but lacking neither elegance nor clarity. Jancis Robinson’s reviewer found “black cherry aromas and full body,” concluding “all the hallmarks of Grand Cru red.”

We’d add notes of woodsy dark aromas, light oak, and raspberry/plum fruits. This should age for decades if desired — based on past experience we’d consider give it another 3-4 years minimum.

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Ravaut Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2016
bottle price: $95

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The whites of Corton are floral, perfumy and full of energy. Grown on east-facing slopes, Ravaut’s Corton-Charlemagne is at the riper end of the Corton spectrum, making it easier to enjoy young. From a vintage with superb balance, Ravaut’s 2016 Corton-Charlemagne is as good as any we’ve had from them — lively and very long, but beautifully textured with a creamy finish and stony bite.

Jancis Robinson’s reviewer found “vivid apple and citrus” and “good chewy grip.” This wine isn’t good background music, it’s a spellbinding live performance on its own. And when you’ve got a glass open it can be hard to focus on much else.

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Ravaut Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2016
bottle price: $95

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Punchy, Affordable, Bistro-Style Red Burgundy. $26

The Côte d’Or is home to nearly all of Burgundy’s most famous wines. Centuries ago local monks discovered the Côte’s unique combination of soil, exposition, slope, and weather; today it continues to be a near-perfect place to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

But it’s a mistake to ignore the rest of Burgundy. Truly great Burgundies may be rare outside the Côte d’Or, but for the careful consumer there’s plenty of opportunity for delicious value.

One such find is the Domaine Desvignes, an affordable source for everyday red Burgundies providing excellent value. Vinous’s Neal Martin discovered them last year, and writes of their wines: “vivid,” “excellent,” “wonderful balance,” “punchy,” and “really quite superb.”

 

 

Gautier Desvignes is a 20-something 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. Gautier has managed to transform a humble, traditional family winery into one making some of the most popular wines in our portfolio.

Today we’re releasing the Desvignes Givry 2016, a village-level Givry that drinks far above its $26 price tag. The nose is ripe and unusually complex — the nose shows tapenade, maillard reaction, thyme and blackberries; the mouth is ripe and bursting, with notes of cherry compote and dried roses.

The Desvignes wines age well, but there’s no need to wait on this 2016. It’s an upgraded bistro-style red to be served with a bistro meal — think steak frites or duck confit.

 

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Desvignes Givry 2016
bottle price: $26

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