Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Exquisite, Unoaked Chablis from 87-Year-Old Vines. $29

The Domaine Jean Collet in Chablis had a tough 2016. Mother Nature awoke on the wrong side of the bed that year, and the vintage had just about every malady you can think of — hail, frost, mildew, grape maladies, sunburnt fruit, and more. The domaine lost about 60% of the crop, but the fruit that survived was superb.

Collet’s 2016s are magnificent. Young winemaker Romain Collet managed to turn in an exceptional lineup of wines amidst an abundance of challenges. Everything from his Grand Crus to Premier Crus to today’s classic old-vine Chablis are just excellent.

We enthusiastically recommend (what’s left of) his whole 2016 collection, but we’re focused on his simplest today.

 

 

There are no regulations concerning what qualifies as an “old vine” in France, but Collet’s would meet just about anyone’s standard. Planted in 1932, these vines have survived everything Nature (and man) have thrown at them over nine decades. With each passing year their grapes lose volume but gain intensity and depth.

So intense and complex is their juice that Romain uses zero new oak for this cuvée, choosing instead to let the pure fruit shine through. And shine it does — the nose is clean, pure, and precise, showing pear and stones. The mouth is brisk and lively but also intense and smooth, with an enticing roundness punctuated by vibrant minerality.

This is Chablis as it was meant to be: no oak, clean, pure, lively, and smooth. We only hope we’re still turning out work this good when we’re 87 years old…

 

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Collet Chablis VV 2016
bottle price: $29

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Lavender, Pan Drippings, Jam: Intense, Affordable 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the quintessential winter red wine. Grown under the brilliant Provencal sun, the best examples combine richness and elegance in a way that’s hard to match anywhere in the world.

Vintage quality varies less in the Rhône than in Burgundy or Bordeaux, but 2016 has been universally hailed as excellent. Vinous’s Josh Raynolds calls them “uniformly outstanding,” concluding many “actually outclass… the monumental 2015s.”

We’re looking forward to the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Papes from Pierre André due in later this year. But we’ve already got our hands on the 2016 from Christophe Mestre, and it’s as good as the hype suggests.

 

 

Christophe Mestre is a small production winemaker who flies under the radar of most of the wine world, but recently his talent and terroir have begun to bring him acclaim. His 2016 is among the best he’s produced.

Mestre’s wines aren’t built to age for decades — they offer rich, abundant, approachable near-term drinking. They’re also startlingly well priced — most well known Châteauneuf cuvées will run you $60 or more. Mestre’s clocks in at under $40.

The nose is explosive, with 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. This is a rich, round, welcoming Southern red to match a weekend stew or roast. And at the price you can open a bottle for the weeknight leftovers as well.

 

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016
bottle price: $34

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“Deliciously Complete:” Exciting New Red Burgundy from Michel Gros. $36

The Côte de Nuits is a narrow band of vineyards stretching from Beaune to Dijon. Perched along the slope of an east-facing hill, this famous strip of vines produces many of the world’s priciest and most sought-after red wines.

But there’s excellent Burgundy made “off-slope” too, some in the flat plain to the east of the Côte d’Or, and even more in the rolling hills to the west. These western hills are called the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits – they’re about 100m higher in elevation, and their terroir is less consistent than on the famous Côte.

But forty years ago Michel Gros and his father Jean saw the potential here and invested in large swaths of land. And today, with a warming climate and vines entering their prime years, this foresight is paying off.

 

 

We’re excited to introduce Gros’s newest cuvée from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits: Au Vallon. Originally part of Gros’s regular Hautes-Côtes, this new cuvée is from 30 year old vines on a particularly sunny hillside. This plot always turned out silkier wine than the other Hautes-Côtes cuvées, and so Michel decided to bottle separately beginning last year.

The 2016 Au Vallon caught our attention immediately during barrel tastings last year, and since then the wine press has rung in with agreement. The Guide Hachette awarded a star, citing its “power without roughness.” Jancis Robinson’s reviewers founding “a very good attack” and “lots of punch,” and called it a “deliciously complete wine.”

We’ve been even more impressed since this arrived in the states in December. The nose is ripe and red, with notes of pretty flowers and raspberries. The mouth is sunny and bright, showing low acidity and pleasant carefree notes of cherries and cinnamon. Serve with a light chicken dish on a weeknight — it’s a masterful drink-now red Burgundy punching above its weight.

 

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Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits “Au Vallon” 2016
bottle price: $36

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Dark and Soaring: Intense New Spiced Northern Rhône Syrah

Vines have covered the steep hillsides of the Rhône river for over 2000 years. Sprouting from vertiginous granite slopes, gnarled syrah vines bake in the summer sun and produce intense, concentrated juice that becomes deep and unmistakable red wine.

Much like white Burgundy’s signature “depth without heaviness,” the reds of the Northern Rhône are at once intense and lively. Grown at its northern ripening limit, Syrah produces intense meaty flavors with unusual lift and balance.

Think a soaring violin solo in the midst of a brooding Tchaikovsky concerto.

 

 

Denis Basset is a young winemaker based in Crozes-Hermitage, recently listed by Decanter and the Guide Hachette in describing a dynamic new generation of Crozes-Hermitage winemakers. His plot in Saint-Joseph covers only an acre, and bears the name Abimes de l’Enfer (the “Abyss of Hell”) for its plunging slope.

Basset’s 2016 Saint-Joseph is intense and beautiful. The nose shows spices, violets and intense black pepper; the mouth shows blackberry jam with notes of roasted meat and licorice. This intense wine clocks in at only 13% alcohol, so while it’s mouthfilling and chewy, there’s not a bit of heaviness.

The 2016 vintage produce particularly elegant wines full of freshness and delicate complexity — they may drink well ahead of their bold 2015 brothers. Pair this with lamb burgers and let the wine breathe a while.

 

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Saint Clair St-Joseph 2016
bottle price: $32

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Dazzling, Pure Unoaked White Burgundy. $28

Of all the white Burgundy we import, none is a purer expression of Chardonnay than Nicolas Maillet’s classic Maconnais cuvées. They’re cool, round, unadulterated Chardonnay with excellent balance and no oak. If the Côte d’Or offers Burgundies of pedigree and refinement, then the Maconnais offers Burgundies of vibrancy and joy.

Maillet takes this idea one step further with biodynamics, vinifying his wines with only indigenous yeasts and a slow, months-long fermentation. The resulting wines show extraordinary complexity and purity. Fruit and flowers dominate the palate, with gorgeous texture and long, supple mouthfeels. Maillet’s methods may be slightly unorthodox, but his results speak for themselves.

 

 

The 2016 Macon-Verzé is bursting with life and energy, from a vintage with near perfect fruit/acid balance. The nose is elaborately complex, with a range of notes from white flowers and green tea to tangerine and apricot. There’s zero oak, allowing the clear golden fruit to shine through. The mouth is classic Maillet — rich and long and pure, but with striking freshness and a beautiful baked lemon core.

So complete is the palate of this wine that it requires no accompaniment from food — it’s lush and delightful by itself. But if hungry guests become unavoidable, we suggest cow’s milk cheeses like Comté or Beaufort, or perhaps a bowl of steamed mussels.

 

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Maillet Macon-Verzé 2016
bottle price: $28

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An “Outstanding” New Source from the Ancient Rhône Valley

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 the town of Séguret, twenty minutes east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, dates to the year 611. Nicolas Haeni’s Domaine Malmont dates only to 2013, but his wines show the experience of his decades of local winemaking, and the expression of centuries-old terroir.

In his profile on Haeni from a few years ago, the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth calls the Malmont wines “potentially outstanding” — we think he’s already there.

 

 

The Malmont vineyard is high in the hills above Séguret, where ripening is slower and balance is easier to achieve. With a steady breeze and abundant sunshine Haeni is able to farm entirely organically – wild herbs sprout between his rows, as bees and birds flutter between the vines.

Malmont’s 2016 Séguret arrived a few months ago, and it’s exceptionally good. A 60/40 blend of Syrah and Grenache, it shows a density and depth that’s uncommon in such an energetic wine. Molesworth called it “fresh” and “pure,” finding “raspberry and blackberry” alongside “violets and minerals,” awarding it 90 points. To this we’d add notes of black pepper and earth.

Think of this as a younger, fresher, juicier Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It ages beautifully (if you can keep your hands off it), but today offers a dark syrah-heavy core wrapped in a sleek, intense body full of intensity and life. Pair this with a stew and give it an hour in a carafe.

 

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Malmont Séguret 2016
bottle price: $29

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Smooth, Dry Muscadet: the Ultimate Bargain

For white wines, it doesn’t get much drier than Muscadet. Grown near the mouth of the Loire River, Muscadet is at once brisk and hearty — the essence of the windswept Atlantic coast.

It’s also affordable and abundant. Wine writer Lettie Teague calls it “one of the world’s best, if most obscure, bargains,” saying “a glass of $8 Muscadet will always be a better wine than an $8 glass of something else.” We’ve recently restocked one of our favorites: Cuvée Deux Roches from Martin-Luneau.

 

 

The Muscadet region’s new “cru communal” appellations require aging 24-30 months on lees, and Martin-Luneau’s excellent Gorges and Clisson cuvées both qualify. But today’s “Deux Roches” cuvée blends juice from both appellation — the name refers to the distinct subsoils of the two Cru terroirs. It bears the name of neither appellation, but the wine’s quality speaks for itself.

Their current release is the 2012 Deux Roches Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie cuvée is bright and crisp, with lime rind and melon in the nose, and vibrant freshness in the mouth. Its time on lees gives it roundness and beautiful dry depth.

Pair it with anything from the sea — most perfectly, oysters. Or fresh goat cheese on crackers or crusty bread. Skip the bland, nondescript white at your next dinner party — Muscadet is more interesting, more complex, and still a bargain.

 

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Martin-Luneau Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine
“Deux Roches” 2012
bottle price: $19

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The Magic of Steak and Bordeaux. $24

One of cooking’s most intoxicating aromas comes from the Maillard reaction. It’s the flavor associated with browned foods: think a well crusted steak, chocolate, bread crusts, coffee beans, and dark beer. First identified in 1912 by Louis Camille Maillard, the reaction is similar to caramelization, but produces earthier, more complex flavors.

There aren’t any Maillard reactions in the winemaking process, but from time to time the same aroma molecules appear in red wines. And in the context of wine, no Maillard reaction is a better match than that of a well-browned steak. Steak and Bordeaux is among the best food-wine parings around, and today’s wine even leaves room in your budget to trade up on a fine cut of meat.

 

 

Lafont Menaut is the project of Philibert Perrin, whose family also owns neighboring Chateau Carbonnieux (one of three visited by Thomas Jefferson in 1786). He employs the same care and expertise at both properties. The Cabernet adds dark, briary notes of blackberry and currant, with the Merlot adding notes of plum jam.

Lafont Menaut is a classic, dark-palate Bordeaux, showing figs and currants alongside notes of cedar smoke and earth. It benefits greatly from 30 minutes or so in a glass or decanter. The 2016 has just arrived in our warehouse and it’s surprisingly ready to drink. The texture is long, dark, and rich, with ripe, juicy tannins that are present but pleasant.

With both steak and wine on your table you may get confused about the source of some of the aromas — but we can assure you after a gulp of each the source won’t much matter.

 

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Lafont-Menaut Pessac-Leognan rouge 2016
bottle price: $24

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Polar Vortex? Try Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

With frigid air arriving this week across the country, the warm sunlight of summer in Provence may seem a long way off. But pour yourself a glass of smooth, cozy Châteauneuf-du-Pape, close your eyes, and you might even forget to check the temperature outside.

Our favorite CDP these days 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 source in Châteauneuf, André’s wines are a standard for elegance and clarity.

 

 

The 2015 Pierre André Châteauneuf-du-Pape is magnificent. From a vintage dubbed one of the best in the last dozen years, the 2015s offer immediate enjoyment. The most successful 2015s were those that kept alcohol in check and retained some acidity — as it turns out, Jacqueline André is a master of balance.

She tends her ancient vines using biodynamic farming, which helps the wines keep their freshness and enhances their complexity. 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.

This velvety, intense, and mouthfilling — just the ticket for this blast of cold air.

 

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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015
bottle price: $62

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“Vibrant,” “Delicious” 2016 White Burgundy from Michel Gros.

Burgundy doesn’t have to be expensive or ageworthy to be delicious. A talented winemaker with excellent terroir can make terrific wine miles from the main drag, and today’s wine is a perfect example.

Michel Gros is best known for his brilliant red Burgundies from towns like Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, and Nuits-St-Georges. But he also holds quite a bit of land in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, a patchwork of rolling hills to the west of the Côte d’Or.

With so many excellent reds, one might wonder why Gros bothers with a white at all. But one taste of this wine will settle the question.

 

 

The Fontaine-Saint-Martin vineyard is named for an ancient Cistercian abbey dating to 1127. We offered the excellent 2015 red from this vineyard last week, and today we offer the 2016 white from the same plot. The soil here is the same mix of marl, clay, and limestone found on the Hill of Corton, and while the Fontaine-St-Martin won’t compete on richness or longevity, its smooth floral quality readily calls to mind the famous Grand Cru.

The 2016 whites are a delight — a lovely combination of ripe richness with a lively refreshing core. Gros’s cuvée is no exception: open, approachable, and simply delicious today. Burghound found it “round, delicious, and attractively vibrant,” and balanced by a “fine bead of minerality.” The nose is floral, showing gardenia, white pepper, pears, toasted lemon. The mouth is intense and smooth, at once mouthfilling and fresh.

Pair this welcoming, mouthfilling wine with a Sunday afternoon veal stew and a polar vortex.

 

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Gros HCDN Fontaine-St-Martin blanc 2016

bottle price: $39

 

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Rich, Juicy 2015 Right-Bank Bordeaux. $25

The monks and farmers of France have spent centuries years identifying the grape varietals that best fit their lands. Most grape-place pairings were settled long ago, and now the happy marriages — Syrah in the Northern Rhône, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy, Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre — produce many of the world’s finest expressions of each varietal.

And so it is with Merlot and Bordeaux. Recent trends notwithstanding, Merlot has always played a starring role in the finest wines of Bordeaux, particularly in the Right Bank’s famous towns of Pomerol and St-Emilion. The combination of limestone and clay soils, excellent drainage, and early ripening makes Merlot grown there unique and delicious.

 

 

Today’s wine is from Lalande-de-Pomerol, a sort of minor-league appellation to Pomerol’s big league name. It offers near-term drinking at a fraction of the cost of Pomerol, and benefited greatly from the magnificent 2015 growing season. (For those interested in more serious, ageworthy Right Bank 2015s, see January Futures.) James Lawther MW wrote recently of the 2015 Right Bank reds “I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest ever, but it’s a very, very good vintage.”

The 2015 Grand Ormeau Lalande de Pomerol is dark, juicy, and very mouthfilling. Look for notes of licorice, tobacco, plums, and cinnamon. The mouth is smooth, ripe, and velvety, perfect for a well crusted steak from a cast iron pan. Or pair it with a burger and football next Sunday afternoon.

 

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Grand Ormeau Lalande-de-Pomerol 2015

bottle price: $25

 

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Regional Discovery Six-Packs

To know French wines is to understand French winegrowing regions. Each region has its own history, rules, traditions, grapes, and customs — they’re almost like separate countries when it comes to winemaking.

Our portfolio focuses on Burgundy, but we import wines from other corners of France as well. Below we’ve collected six regional samplers, all $125-150 (and one France-wide sampler of our favorites from all six regions.) Each comes with a regional profile card to help guide you discover and get to know the region.

Free East Coast shipping on all samplers.

 

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Regional Discovery Six-Packs

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Elegant 2014 Pommard: Soy, Pepper, Raspberry, Silk

The towns of Pommard and Volnay are giants of the Côte de Beaune reds. Though less than a mile apart, the two towns represent opposing profiles – Volnay tending toward elegant and feminine, and Pommard toward sturdy and masculine. As neighbors they provide an excellent example of the microterroirs of Burgundy.

But as you might expect, terroir shift exists on a continuum. As you approach the border, the differences between the towns blur a bit, and it’s there that we find today’s wine. It’s a Pommard by name, but borrows a bit of elegance from its neighbor to the south.

Grown from three plots in the appellation of Pommard, it’s the vines from near Volnay border that dominate this wine. 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.

This will benefit from another few years of cellaring, but given a carafe and an hour to breathe, 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 2014
bottle price: $49

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Granite and Wildflowers: Electric, Dry Grand Cru Riesling

There is no more underappreciated wine than Riesling. Many US consumers, burned by syrupy Rieslings with no life and too much sugar, have sworn off the grape. But for lovers of dry wine, there’s enough bone-dry Riesling out there to make avoidance foolhardy. Tall skinny bottle + “Riesling” ≠ sweet.

One of the liveliest and most delicious dry Rieslings in our portfolio comes from the Domaine Mersiol’s Grand Cru vineyard Frankstein. Grown organically from 30 year old vines, this wine perfectly conveys the landscape of its origin. The Mersiol family has lived in Dambach for centuries, and their wines represent a long and intimate knowledge of this stony terroir.

 

 

The 2016 Mersiol Riesling Frankstein is a delight. Crisp notes of lime zest and melon with a vibrant, precise minerality bolster an expressive nose of elderflower and peach. It may be single digits out today, but this symphony of spring will call to mind a landscape of wildflowers and vines sprouting from the granite slope.

This is as good a food wine as any in our portfolio. Serve this with seared scallops (Thomas Keller’s simple preparation is hard to beat), or with a crisp spring salad of greens and grilled chicken breast. Beside those, consider sushi, steamer clams, veal in cream, etc. etc.

The famous importer Terry Theise once said, “there are times when I think that any sip of wine that isn’t Riesling is wasted.” Take a sip of this wine, and you’ll know what he meant.

 

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Mersiol Riesling Grand Cru “Frankstein 2016
bottle price: $29

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Extraordinary, Rich 92-Point Cornas from a Superstar Winemaker.

Cornas is a tiny appellation. Its 145 hectares (compare to Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s 3,133) are at the southern end of the Northern Rhône. The name Cornas comes from the Celtic word for “burnt earth,” and its grapes often ripen two weeks earlier than the rest of the region.

But its wines are anything but tiny. For years Cornas’s reputation has been for richness and ruggedness. The first quality remains true: these are inky, chewy wines made from hard granite soil. But “ruggedness” needs some revision. A younger generation has brought modern winemaking to the ancient vineyards, and the results are more refined than ever before.

Cornas hasn’t given up its untamed spirit, but the new wave of winemakers has bought it nicer clothes and taught it some manners. And none more expertly than the Domaine du Tunnel.

The Domaine du Tunnel is often cited as one of the best sources in the appellation. Named for an old railway tunnel that now houses the domaine’s exquisitely designed cuverie, these wines are a highlight of any Cornas collector’s cellar. It took us years to secure an allocation here, and the wines themselves have lived up to every bit of hype.

Tunnel’s 2016 Cornas is classic and excellent. The nose shows inky, woodsy flavors — violets and blackberry mix with underbrush and mushrooms. The fruit is clean, and dense and pure and the finish unimaginably long. Josh Raynolds of Vinous awarded 92 points, finding “fine-grained tannins,” and “sharply focused black and blue fruit flavors.”

With a winter storm approaching, we can’t think of a better companion than a glass of this.

 

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Tunnel Cornas 2016
bottle price: $59

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