Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Weeknight 2015 Premier Cru Red Burgundy: Charming and Affordable

The 2015 reds continue to be the favorite child here in Burgundy. The wine lists of the local bistros and restaurants are bursting with juicy, delicious 2015s, and there’s little left at the domaines.

The winemakers will tell you they are prouder of their 2016s or 2017s — years that require judgment separate the skilled vignerons from the ones who depend on luck. But they all readily admit that 2015 a charmer of a vintage. “If you didn’t make great wine in 2015,” they say, “find another job.”

Having tasted Gautier Desvignes’s 2016s and 2017s, we can confirm that he’s a gifted winemaker in any year. But as it is everywhere, his 2015s are simply delightful. After releasing his three other 2015’s, we’re pleased to arrive at his fourth and final cuvée: the Givry 1er cru Clos du Vernoy.

 

 

The Clos du Vernoy is the Desvignes monopole — a classic, juicy, surprisingly polished expression of the family’s terroir. The red Burgundies of the Côte Chalonnaise are less serious and less expensive than those from more famous zip codes, but they’re no less Burgundian. They capture the region’s friendly, welcoming spirit, trading elegance for rusticity, and polish for vigor.

The 2015 Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” is a delight. It combines the rugged energy of the Côte Chalonnaise with a smooth ripeness and unusually refined character. After a half-hour in a decanter this wine is hard to put down. The nose shows dark plum jam and beautiful complexity — look for pan drippings, mushrooms, and earth. The mouth is lively and smooth, with great density, and a long, clean, cherry compote finish.

If you’re a fan of red Burgundy and like to drink Chambolle every night, give us a call — we can help. But for everyone else, this is delicious and affordable weeknight red Burgundy, with an extra dose of bonheur.

 

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Desvignes Givry 1er “Clos du Vernoy” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $38
3+ bottle price : $32/bot

 

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Vibrant, Inky, and Rich: Extraordinary 2015 Northern Rhône Syrah. $25

We visited Denis Basset yesterday at his Domaine Saint Clair outside Tain l’Hermitage. He’s a friendly, energetic winemaker making truly excellent wines. (They’re a lot of flavor for 9:30 in the morning, but they wash the toothpaste right off your palate.)

We tasted Basset’s excellent 2016s from bottle and 2017s from barrel — both show clean pure fruit and loads of depth and energy. But the famous 2015s continue to get better and better. We expect them to have very long lives (decades if you have the space and patience), but they’re awfully hard to argue with today.

 

 

The brilliance of Basset’s wines comes from the marriage of a dark, rich southern grape varietal with a cooler northern climate. Particularly in 2015, the wines show an exquisite balance between an inky meatiness and a brisk fruitiness. Even in a crowded field, Denis Basset’s old-vine Crozes-Hermitage “Fleur Enchanté” is a favorite.

The wine shows dark blackberry and cassis fruit in the nose, with violet and cloves alongside. The mouth is remarkably 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 mouthfilling Syrah.

It would be an impressive wine at $40/bot, and no one would be disappointed. At $25, it has to be among the best buys in the lineup.

 

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Saint Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Fleur” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $30
3+ bottle price : $25/bot

 

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“Outstanding” 2015 Rhône Blend: an Explosion of Springtime Flavor.

We spent an enjoyable few hours on Nicolas Haeni’s charming backyard terrace yesterday. Haeni runs the Domaine Malmont, a tiny source in the Southern Rhône whose entire winemaking operation fits inside a small garage attached to his house. Under clear skies and a warm Provencal sun we tasted through Malmont’s recent cuvées.

Haeni’s operation may be small and relatively new, but his wines are exceptional. The Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth recently called them “particularly outstanding,” and our tasting today only confirmed our recent conclusions: Haeni is an unusual talent, and he’s getting better every year.

 

 

Nicolas farms grenache and syrah in an extraordinary polycultural environment in the hills east of Séguret. Wild herbs and grasses surround the organically-farmed vines, and the gently sloping terraced rows buzz with life. His wines explode with a natural energy and a diversity of flavors to match their origin.

We tasted 2016 and 2017s yesterday, but we’re pleased to have some of Nicolas’s excellent 2015s still in stock at the warehouse. The 2015 Séguret is unusually expressive grenache/syrah blend. The nose is dark and spiced, with notes of cassis and violets. The mouth is very rich and long, but balanced by a pleasant freshness and sturdy tannins — look for notes of lavender, cherry, black pepper, and raspberry jam.

Haeni’s reds are deep and inky, but always retain excellent balance and freshness. They’re the perfect wines for the transition from winter to spring.

 

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Malmont Séguret 2015

Ansonia Retail: $35
3+ bottle price : $29/bot

 

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“Magnificent” New Very-Old-Vine Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

We arrived yesterday afternoon in Provence. It’s lovely here — the sun is warm, the light is crisp, and the wind whistles through the craggy olive trees. If we could bottle the feel of Provence and bring it back we certainly would. (Apologies to any readers who were at yesterday’s marathon — that last paragraph may have been painful.)

We think the next best thing to a bottle of Provence is a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The best Châteauneufs all contain a splash of southern sunlight, combining the region’s rugged earthiness with rich, mouthfilling fruit. We wish you could join us today as we taste in Châteauneuf-du-Pape — but to save you a plane flight, we can offer an exceptional bottle from one of the appellation’s foremost growers.

 

 

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 (up to 140-year-old) vines using biodynamic farming, which helps the wines keep their freshness and enhances their complexity. André’s 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is deep, intense, and enormous, but 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. It may not feel like Provencal summer on the east coast these days, but a sip of this will take you awfully close.

 

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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge 2015

Ansonia Retail: $70
2+ bottle price : $62/bot

 

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Outstanding New Premier Cru White Burgundy: “Gently Textured,” “Beautifully Fresh”

The best kept secret in a Burgundy collector’s cellar is his stash of St-Aubin. From a forgotten valley wedged between the superstar towns of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, the wines of St-Aubin are some of the most overperforming wines we know. Jancis Robinson calls it now “virtually the equal” of its famous neighbors.

Last month we wrote about Gérard Thomas’s excellent village-level St-Aubin; today we’re suggesting their Premier Cru. From a beautiful plot overlooking the hill of Montrachet, the “Murgers des Dents de Chien” is only a few hundred yards from Montrachet itself.

If the village-level St-Aubin is a promising minor-league prospect, the premier cru has unmistakably gotten the call to the big leagues.

 

 

The St-Aubin 1er cru is exquisite wine — consistently excellent year in and year out. It’s polished and modern, and drinks like a far fancier wine. A local sommelier recently sent us a picture of the 2013 Murgers next to a Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru, and said the Thomas was easily the better bottle.

The 2016 is a return to the classic style of this wine. The texture is rich and intense, but with excellent freshness and a clean minerality. The oak is perfectly integrated into the wine, with notes of yellow fruits, pears, and spice. Jancis Robinson calls the mouth “rich, gently textured, and still beautifully fresh.”

At this rate St-Aubin won’t be a secret much longer — here’s a chance to stock up before it catches up with the Montrachets.

 

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Thomas St-Aubin 1er cru “Murgers” 2016

Ansonia Retail: $52
3+ bottle price : $45/bot

 

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Extraordinary, Unoaked, Shimmering White Burgundy: $25

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 little or 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 result is wine of remarkable complexity and purity. Maillet is a man full of passion — for his vineyards, for his rootstocks, for biodynamics, and for the purity of his harvest. And he manages to translate all of this energy into truly impressive wines.

 

 

Maillet doesn’t lack confidence in his techniques, and after a sip of his wine, you won’t either. The 2015 Macon-Verzé is bursting with life and energy, perfect for the arrival of spring. The nose is elaborately complex, with a range of notes from white flowers and green tea to tangerine and apricot. The mouth is classic Maillet — rich and long and pure, but with striking freshness and a beautiful baked lemon core.

With no oak to overshadow the wine’s clarity, this is Maconnais at its best, showing beautiful, ripe golden fruit. So complete is the palate of this wine that it requires no accompaniment from food — it’s lush and delightful by itself. But should hunger or houseguests force your hand, we suggest cow’s milk cheeses like Comté or Beaufort, or perhaps a bowl of steamed mussels.

 

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Maillet Macon-Verzé 2015

Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

 

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New Organic Carignan: Pure and Unbridled

The carignan varietal isn’t known for making sophisticated wines. Second only to Merlot plantings in France, Carignan covers enormous swaths of the southern third of the country. It’s known as an undistinguished, high yield grape, which can produce four times the volume of Pinot Noir on the same acre.

But age changes that calculus entirely. Very old Carignan can produce very interesting wine, and Foulaquier’s vines are now over 60 years old. Until 2015, Foulaquier combined the fruit from their old-vine carignan with old-vine Grenache, producing the ever popular Gran’Tonillières. To us, it has always been their finest cuvée; it quickly became a favorite among our readers too, prized for its elegance, smooth texture, and exquisite complexity.

In 2015 Foulaquier judged the fruit from this special Carignan vineyard worthy of its own cuvée. We were a bit startled when they announced the change to their best wine, but we needn’t have worried. The new Gran’T more than speaks for itself.

 

The Mas Foulaquier is an excellent source for organic and biodynamic reds in the the northern Languedoc. Their cuvées combine the wild, rugged earthiness of the region with an expressive, unfiltered style. The wines are unique and memorable, full of unbridled energy and the complexity of the natural world.

The new Gran’Tonillieres is simply delicious. It shows the classic Foulaquier nose, with perhaps less funkiness than the other cuvées. The signature raspberries on the label remain an accurate tasting note, joined by garrigue, lavender, rosemary, soy sauce and wild cherry jam. The mouth is more sophisticated and refined than the former cuvée — the pure Carignan shows a dense, inky texture with silky tannins and a long but beautifully balanced finish. At 13% alcohol, it’s dark and woodsy but not at all heavy.

We’re always apprehensive when winemakers mess with success — but this cuvée is further proof of Foulaquier’s skill. If you’re a long time fan, this is as good as Foulaquier has ever been — if you’re new to the producer, you’re in for a treat.

 

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Foulaquier Gran’Tonillières 2015

Ansonia Retail: $50
3+ bottle price : $42/bot

 

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Exceptional Grand Cru White Burgundy: “In a class of its own.”

Of the 12,000 acres of vineyards planted in Chablis, only 250 (2%) qualify as Grand Cru. This highest tier includes seven distinct vineyards, each famous in its own right. But among the seven, the Grand Cru “Les Clos” is generally considered the finest. As Master of Wine Clive Coates puts it, Les Clos is “Chablis at its very, very finest… combining depth, intensity, and great elegance.”

As you can imagine, there’s not much of Les Clos to go around. So we were surprised and delighted two years ago when one of our Chablis sources, the Domaine Jean Collet, told us that a tiny plot of 65-year-old vines (less than half and acre — enough for about 1,000 bottles) has found its way into the family lineup. Our delight at the new addition was surpassed only by the contents of the glass.

 

 

One whiff of the Collet’s Les Clos, and you’ll understand the hype — it’s among the finest wines we’ve tasted from Collet’s already impressive lineup. The nose shows exquisite lemon, pear, and mineral aromas, and follows with an extraordinarily long, rich, tension-filled palate. It’s hard to imagine more concentration or density in white wine, particularly one with a nearly imperceptible use of oak.

Romain Collet has expertly balanced Chablis’s signature minerality with a richness and intensity that calls to mind Corton-Charlemagne or Montrachet. Allen Meadows (Burghound) awarded 92 points, finding “white orchard fruit,” and a mouthfeel “textured, dense and powerful.”

Les Clos is famously long lived wine, with aging potential stretching out a decade or more; and the longer you can keep your hands off of it, the better it will be. We opened a bottle law week, and now we’d suggest decanting it (yes, decanting), for a half-hour or so before serving, at least for the next 6 months. Give it a year, and you’ll wish you had bought more; but even in its youth, Les Clos is unmistakably in a class of its own.

 

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Collet Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $80
2+ bottle price : $69/bot

 

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Notes from Harpswell: No. 12

Wherever they live, people notice the subtle changes that mark the turn of the seasons; sometimes consciously, sometimes by feel, one way or another everyone senses the turn. Moving from the heart of a big city to a sparsely peopled seacoast means adjusting to new indicators — particularly when it comes with a change of almost four degrees of latitude and five of longitude. Up here, without the Phillies and Rita’s Water Ice to announce the arrival of Spring, we look to the ducks.

Our winter ducks are the Buffleheads. They arrive in late fall, and all winter long (except when Harpswell Sound freezes over) they can be seen in pairs and groups, cruising up and down in front of our house and diving to forage on the bottom for bite-sized crabs. No skill is required to identify them. The males are almost comically configured, with disc-shaped heads that look like the work of a third-grade math class learning to color the quarters of a circle in black and white. They leave only when Spring really gets going — not for the Eastern Shore or other waterbird collection points, but for Hudson Bay. If you’re a Bufflehead, Maine is like Jacksonville or Scottsdale: your southern getaway destination.

 

 

The calendar wasn’t much of a tool for tracking the seasons this year. Full Nor’Easters in three consecutive weeks of March offered a pretty good imitation of the dead of winter when we should have been teased with moments of Spring. The ducks were a more reliable indicator. You know winter is really over when the Buffleheads thin out and the Eiders arrive. That happened all of a sudden last week. Suddenly the larger Eiders are cruising past and Buffleheads are few and far between.

If we had any doubt that the spring migration is now in full swing, flocks of Black Scoters and Surf Scoters both passed through this week. In winter we’d see an occasional solitary Goldeneye or Red-Breasted Merganser, but now the traffic is really heating up. We’re not sure whether we more enjoy the names or the ducks themselves, but the migratory bird show is an unexpected pleasure. And for now at least, they’re our best marker for the change of seasons.

MW