Thomas Wilcox, Author at Ansonia Wines - Page 74 of 124

Posted on October 31, 2018October 31, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

The Perfect Autumn Red: $16 Beaujolais (Not Nouveau)

We drink Beaujolais year round, but it fits particularly well in the fall. Most of our Beaujolais is on the more serious end of the spectrum, hailing from the ten famous towns that dot the region. But we also enjoy the simpler style — pure fruit, no oak, low tannin, and a pleasant, crackling mouthfeel.

Most $16 Beaujolais is mass-market, large volume wine rushed to market soon after fermentation. Laurent Perrachon’s is a different sort — made with hand picked grapes from 45 year old vines. It shows all of the jubilant, carefree spirit of the region instead of the blandness of much cheap Beaujolais.

Perrachon’s 2017 Beaujolais Villages is juicy and refreshing. Unlike Perrachon’s more serious (but also delicious) wines from Juliénas and Moulin-a-Vent, this one is vat raised, and the vibrant ripe raspberry fruit shows through beautifully. The nose is clean and floral, and the mouth is smooth, lively, and refreshing.

With Thanksgiving only three weeks away, this is a no brainer for an affordable, crowd pleasing red. Instead of the usual overmarketed and underproduced 2018 gamay for $15, try this carefully crafted old-vine 2017 gamay for a dollar more.

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Perrachon Beaujolais-Villages 2017
bottle price: $16

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Posted on October 31, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

2015 Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin, 92 points

The Domaine des Varoilles is one of the most exciting recent additions to our Burgundy portfolio. Based in Gevrey-Chambertin, the domaine boasts an extraordinary collection of vines, ranging from village-level to Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin.

Most interesting, perhaps, are their two premier cru monopoles at the western end of Gevrey-Chambertin. “Clos des Varoilles” and “La Romanée” sit side by side, with “La Romanée” up the slope, and the larger “Clos des Varoilles” further downhill. Only a small wall and a six-yard dirt path separate them (see photo) — but their characters are strikingly different.

Clos des Varoilles, for which the domaine is named, is prototypical Gevrey-Chambertin — rich, meaty, full-bodied, and intense. La Romanée, on the other hand, is elegant, subtle, and silky. And from an extraordinary vintage, the Varoilles 2015 “La Romanée” is a wine of beautiful contradictions: an intense, premier cru Gevrey-Chambertin, but with finesse and and elegance that comes from the mineral content pulled from the bedrock. It’s Gevrey-Chambertin with a splash of Vosne-Romanée.

The 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Romanée” is Gevrey with particular poise. Today the nose shows gingerbread and cherries, with briary, brambly fruits and a pleasant toastiness. In the mouth this walks a beautiful line between robust Gevrey structure and elegant mineral notes. The tannins are perfectly extracted — intense and bold but not at all bitter or dry.

Burghound awarded 92 points, calling it “vibrant and delicious” and finding the finish “sappy and balanced.” Old vines (planted in the 1950s), exceptional terroir, expert winemaking, and an outstanding vintage — all make it hard to find much wrong with this wine. It’s not exactly cheap, but the best in any category rarely is.

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Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru “La Romanée” 2015
bottle price: $108

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Posted on October 29, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Gorgeous, “Graceful” New Wintery Côte Rôtie.

Sometimes the most impressive wines come from the most unassuming of winemakers. We see our fair share of egocentric vignerons, but often the most talented winemakers are the quietest.

So it is with Christophe Bonnefond. In good years and bad, rain or shine, he greets us with a faint smile and few words. His emails usually contain a phrase or two — if we’re lucky, a whole sentence. But his wines are the work of a master; and they’re anything but faint.

Bonnefond’s wines are pure Syrah, grown on the steep slopes of Côte Rôtie. Together with his brother Patrick, Christophe produces exceptional reds from the Northern Rhône, the region where Syrah finds its most noble expression. The Bonnefonds work some of the more famous plots in the region, but also produce a regular cuvée that requires much less time and is far more affordable: the Colline de Couzou.

The 2016 Côte Rôties are more elegant and finer than those of 2015. With a touch less power and ripeness, the vintage allows spice, silkiness, and lovely fruit to show through. In 20 years, we’d rather have the 2015s in our cellar (and if you didn’t stock up, we have some left); but in the nearer term the 2016s are nearly irresistible.

Vinous’s Josh Raynolds called Bonnefond’s 2016s “as graceful a group of wines as I’ve ever sampled.” And graceful is an apt word — they are long and silky, with beautiful tension and gorgeous texture. The 2016 Côte Rôtie “Colline de Couzou” shows notes of anise, plum jam, and cloves. Vinous awarded 92 points, finding “cassis and violet,” “an energizing jolt of cracked pepper,” and calling it “sappy, smooth and long.”

We like to serve this with a standing rib roast around the holidays. But for any cozy meal away from the autumn chill, this is an excellent choice.

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Bonnefond Côte Rôtie 2016
bottle price: $54

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Posted on October 23, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Inky, “Graceful” Syrah from a Master of Côte Rôtie. $25

The wines of Côte Rôtie have been celebrated for thousands of years. They appear in the writings of Plutarch and Pliny the Elder, and today are among the favorite wines of the sommelier Instagram set. Made from pure Syrah at its northernmost growing limit, Côte Rôtie represents the grape at its most refined.

Our source for 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.” We have several of their cuvées in stock going back a few years.

But aside from their flagship Côte Rôties, the Bonnefonds also produce an exquisite and well-price IGP Syrah, from just outside the appellation. It’s as complex and polished as any $25 bottle we can think of.

Côte Rôties famously cellar well, and often require many years of patience to reach their potential. Bonnefond’s Syrah requires neither investment nor patience. At once dark, intense, and lively, it shows the meaty characteristics of Syrah, but with unusual lift and grace.

The 2017 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.

With its fresh fruit and peppery mouthfeel this is excellent food wine — lamb and duck are particularly nice matches. But accompaniment isn’t required — an after-work glass of this on a weekday evening will reset your mood with ease.

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Bonnefond Syrah 2017
bottle price: $25

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Posted on October 23, 2018October 23, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Rich, Cozy, and Smooth: 92-point Southern Rhône Blend

There’s perhaps no cozier wine than a red from the Southern Rhône Valley. The most famous is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but many rich, excellent reds hail from the surrounding towns as well. At their best they provide similar depth and complexity but far better pricing.

A case in point is Domaine les Goubert’s “Cuvée Florence.” Though it’s grown in Gigondas, in richness, refinement, and ageworthiness it more closely resembles a fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Made from only their best parcels of Grenache and Syrah, Cuvée Florence is noticeably better than many wines from its more famous neighbor.

As often happens, the 2012 Cuvée Florence has entered a superb drinking window… just as our stocks have nearly run dry.

We’ve been buying the Cuvée Florence for decades, but the 2012 is unusually good. The family’s thirty-something daughter Florence, whose birth inspired the creation of the cuvée back in the 1980s, is now the principal winemaker. Florence has modernized the winemaking a bit, but maintained her domaine’s high quality and stellar reputation.

The 2012 Gigondas “Florence” is a rich, velvety delight. The nose is deep and woodsy, showing cassis, leather, raspberry and spice. The mouth is smooth, dense, and very long. Vinous awarded 90-92 points, finding “mocha, licorice, and violet,” and “supple, building tannins.” Jancis Robinson called it, “attractive, and “very well balanced.”

This is rich, dark wine that will fit perfectly alongside a fine cut of beef or rack of lamb. It’s the perfect choice for a chilly autumn evening.

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Goubert Gigondas “Florence” 2012
bottle price: $48

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Posted on October 21, 2018October 21, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

“Outstanding” 93-point Masterpiece: 2015 Michel Gros Red Burgundy.

Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St-Georges are neighbors with opposing characters. Vosne tends towards elegance, finesse, and spice; Nuits towards richness, more structure, and bolder flavors. In the hands of a talented winemaker, both can be superb.

Today’s wine not only comes from a supremely talented winemaker, but from an outstanding vintage and an exceptionally well-located plot. Michel Gros’s Nuits-St-Georges comes mostly from vineyards lying on the Nuits-Vosne border. The resulting wine shows a splash of the violets and spice for which Vosne is so prized, but beneath that nose a classic Nuits mouth.

Gros’s entire 2016 lineup is available through our October Futures program (read more here), but for something already in stock to enjoy sooner, we enthusiastically recommend the 2015 Nuits.

Michel Gros’s 2015s are excellent across the board — from his Hautes-Côtes de Nuits all the way up to Grand Cru Clos Vougeot. (You can browse all we have in stock here.) They exhibit the vintage’s signature smooth ripe fruit, but also Michel’s classic toasty woodsiness.

Gros’s Nuits-St-Georges 2015 is delightful today, and should develop for as long as you can keep your hands off it. Burghound awarded 91 points, finding “outstanding richness,” and “concentrated and muscular flavors,” such as “berries, plum, earth, and forest floor.” Wine Spectator awarded 93 points finding it “complex and structured,” noting its “fine length.” To this we’d highlight notes of cinnamon and dark flowers, and a bold but silky mouthfeel.

We decant this for an hour or more to soften the tannins, though we’ll admit at taking a quick sip or two as it went in. Don’t let too many others sniff it, or there may not be enough to go into the carafe.

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Gros Nuits-St-Georges 2015
Wine Spectator Retail: $85

bottle price: $69

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Posted on October 18, 2018October 18, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

New $22 Syrah Blend: Wild Lavender and Blackberry Jam

The south of France is a warm place. The grapes grown there are adapted to the heat, but achieving balance in a hot climate can still be difficult. If grapes become overripe, they contain too much sugar and too little acid, which boosts alcohol levels and flattens the palate.

All of which makes us awfully glad to have the Clos Bagatelle in our portfolio. Located in the bright, sunny Languedoc, Bagatelle’s wines nevertheless achieve a consistent balance, year after year. Their secret to freshness is their vineyards’ schist-laden soils and high elevation, which deliver refreshing minerality and cool nights throughout the summer.

Today we’re releasing Bagatelle’s 2016 “Au Fil de Soi,” certainly the best vintage of this wine we’ve had.

Clos Bagatelle is a centuries-old domaine in St. Chinian, a mountainous section of the northwestern Languedoc. A blend of syrah, grenache, mouvrèdre and cinsault, “Fil de Soi” is a delicious, vibrant blend that’s at once concentrated and rich, but smooth and balanced.

We found the 2016 St-Chinian “Au Fil de Soi” a definite step up from the 2015. It’s cool and delightful — at 13.5% alcohol it retains freshness, and at $22 it’s a bargain. Look for blueberry pie and earth in the nose. The mouth is long and full, with smooth tannins and notes of lavender, thyme, honey, and pepper.

Serve this a bit cooler than room temperature — it’s a rich southern wine that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner in.

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Bagatelle St-Chinian “Fil de Soi” 2016
bottle price: $22

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Posted on October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Minerality in a Glass: Elegant, Vibrant, Premier Cru Chablis

Soil plays a crucial role in determining the character of wine. Clay-rich soils produce bold wines; flinty soils imbue their wines with notes of gunsmoke. And in Chablis, the particular blend of limestone, clay, chalk, and ancient oyster shells gives its wines an elegant, lace-like minerality.

The winemakers of Chablis must decide how to balance this vibrant mineral energy with Chardonnay’s ripe fruit and potential acidity. Too much ripeness and the wine is flat; too much acidity and the wine is harsh.

Twentysomething Romain Collet may not have many years under his belt, but his first few vintages have provided several decades’ worth of challenges. And Collet has already proven himself an expert in achieving the balance needed for excellent Chablis.

Collet’s collection of 2016 Chablis is terrific across the board, but today’s Premier Cru “Montmains” makes an argument as the best value of the lineup. It’s perhaps a step less complex than Sêcher or Montée de Tonnerre, but it’s classic and easier to enjoy young. Burghound awarded 90 points, citing “attractively textured flavors,” and “softly exotic aromas.”

Collet has perfectly blended the brightness and minerality of classic Chablis with attractive floral and fruit notes. The nose is unmistakably Chablis — notes of lime rind, alpine spices, and stony earth. The mouth is clean and smooth, with excellent energy and a rich, tension-filled finish.

Serve this with a plate of briny oysters to start your next cocktail party — order a case and we’ll throw in an Ansonia Wines oyster knife for free.

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Collet Chablis 1er cru “Montmains” 2016
bottle price: $32

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Posted on October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Giants of the Rhône: 92-95 point Masterpieces

With the weather finally turning cooler, we’re beginning to reach for richer reds from the southern half of France. Today we’re highlighting three of our favorites from three of the Rhône Valley’s most famous appellations: Cornas, Côte Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

All are intense, rich, meaty and just delicious — they’re available by the bottle, but if you pick up a mixed case we’ll throw in free shipping, and reduce the price by $61 so one bottle is free.

Tunnel Cornas 2016: $59/bot
Our newest Rhône producer is often cited as one of the best sources in the appellation. It took us years to secure an allocation here, but their pure Syrah wines have lived up to every bit of hype. The nose shows inky, woodsy flavors — violets and blackberry mix with underbrush and mushrooms.

Vinous: 92 points “Taut, sharply focused black and blue fruit flavors show very good delineation, and a smoky mineral element adds lift and back-end cut. Fine-grained tannins add subtle grip to a spicy, floral-dominated finish that hangs on with strong tenacity.”

Bonnefond Côte Rôtie “Côte Rozier” 2015: $72/bot
Syrah simply doesn’t get any better than this. From a plot bordering the legendary La Landonne, the Bonnefond brothers produce only 125 cases of their Côte Rozier per year.

Vinous: 93-95 points “Explosive aromas of ripe red and dark berries, cherry-cola, incense, Asian spice and smoky minerals, plus a suggestion of woodsmoke. Spicy, deeply concentrated raspberry, cassis and cherry pie flavors show superb focus and energy, and a sexy floral pastille quality emerges as the wine opens up. Delivers a compelling blend of richness and finesse, finishing with superb mineral lift, harmonious tannins and outstanding, floral-driven persistence.”

[MYSTERY] Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015: $56/bot
We’re not permitted to release the name of this winemaker, but they’re one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most well known and well respected sources. But don’t take our word for it:

Vinous: 93-95 points “Sexy, high-pitched red berry preserve, floral pastille and Asian spice aromas show outstanding clarity. Sappy, penetrating black raspberry, spicecake and licorice flavors gain weight with air and pick up suggestions of blood orange and smoky minerals. Shows impressive depth and polish, alluring sweetness and no rough edges.”

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Mixed Case: 4 of Each Wine
$748 $695/case
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Posted on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Rich, Muscular, Intense: New 2015 Red Burgundy, $25

The Beaujolais has always had a turbulent relationship with the rest of Burgundy. To many in the Côte d’Or, Beaujolais represents overmarketed and undercrafted wine. But in recent years the Beaujolais has undergone a renaissance, as the prominence of Nouveau recedes and more vignerons make ageworthy wine.

Among our favorite serious Beaujolais sources is Laurent Perrachon, a family domaine working very old vines with meticulous care. Perrachon has plenty of fans — the domaine regularly receives top notes from Jancis Robinson, Josh Raynolds (Vinous), and Allen Meadows (Burghound).

Jancis Robinson calls Moulin-a-Vent the “most highly rated of all the Beaujolais crus,” and after a sip of today’s wine it’s not hard to see why. Perrachon’s Moulin-a-Vent “Les Burdelines” is as dense and bold as any Beaujolais we’ve tasted. As with Perrachon’s other wines, this bears more resemblance in mouthfeel to a Northern Rhône Syrah than a Pinot from Burgundy.

From a year with exceptional intensity and concentration, the 2015 Burdelines is serious and substantial, but also classy and refined. Perrachon keeps this wine in oak for a bit longer to help it knit together, and the extra few months of rest works wonders.

There’s a smoothness and elegance that’s unusual for Gamay. The oak adds a faint note of toast, but more serves to soften the edges and round the palate. With an hour in a carafe, this wine will happily accompany a hearty meal and a rowdy group of friends. Look for anise, cherry, black pepper, and stones on the nose, with a dense, chewy mouthfeel and notes of briary cassis and black raspberry.

With Thanksgiving just over a month away, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

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Perrachon Moulin-a-Vent “Burdelines” 2015
bottle price: $25

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Posted on October 12, 2018October 12, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

“Impressively Rich” New 92-point Premier Cru White Burgundy

Most consider white Burgundy the finest expression of Chardonnay. But even within Burgundy there’s a wide range of styles and flavors; precise, crisp Chablis on one side of the spectrum, and lush, mouthfilling Meursault on the other.

Today’s wine is Chablis that wants to be Meursault. And while it’s typical of neither place, it’s also a delicious blend of both styles. Not for purists, perhaps, but delightful and well-balanced nonetheless. For the first time in many years we’ve been given a small allocation of Jean Collet’s Chablis 1er cru “Sêcher.”

Romain Collet is a talented young winemaker who has endured a recent series of difficult vintages with poise. Though their crop was down 75% in 2016, Collet managed to produce a terrific lineup.

The 2016 Sêcher combines a rich, mouthfilling ripeness with classic Chablis energy and freshness. There’s pear, gardenia, and white pepper in the nose, with toast and lemon joining in the mouth. Burghound awarded 90-92 points, calling it “impressively rich,” with “good vibrancy and minerality while delivering excellent length on the delicious, clean and saline finish.”

Tasted blind, you might guess this was a particularly energetic Meursault. It might not be classic, but it sure is tasty.

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Collet Chablis 1er cru “Sêcher” 2016
bottle price: $35

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Posted on October 10, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Inky, Bursting New Gamay: “for Drinking, not Contemplating”

Beaujolais might be the perfect wine for the fall. Crisp air and turning leaves are an excellent match for a the cool fruit and punchy mouthfeel of first-rate Beaujolais. The region is still best known for the Beaujolais Nouveau, a quaint local custom turned global marketing phenomenon. But there’s far more to Beaujolais than cheap candied red wine.

The Crus Beaujolais are more serious wines from the ten small villages that make up the appellation. Our favorite among these is Juliénas, which is known for its dark, concentrated expression of the Gamay grape. Cru Beaujolais may be more intellectual than their Bacchanalian Nouveau cousins, but at their core they maintain the region’s spirit of festivity and plaisir.

Today’s Juliénas comes from Jean-Marc Monnet, a tiny winemaker making humble, excellent gamay. Made from 25-50 year old vines, this is smooth, rich, complex and simply delicious. It has more concentration and energy than much Bourgogne rouge from further north, and comes in at about half the price.

The color is inky purple, with a dark and earthy nose showing cranberry and pure wild cherry. The mouthfeel is intense and smooth with a long, dense finish of graphite and violets. This is delicious and intense, but, as Jancis Robinson puts it, “meant to be drunk, not contemplated.” It’s best described in French as gouleyant, a wonderfully onomatopoeic word that means “gulpable,” which perfectly captures the essence of good Beaujolais.

There’s no better wine for autumn than Beaujolais. But skip the Nouveau this year — for a few bucks more, Monnet’s dense, silky red is still a steal.

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Monnet Juliénas 2017
bottle price: $18

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Posted on October 7, 2018October 7, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Sophisticated New $25 Bordeaux: 2016 Left-Bank Cru Bourgeois

Burgundy and Bordeaux are the two giants French wine. In nearly every aspect — style, tradition, grape varietal, scale — they are opposites. As a small père et fils enterprise, Ansonia’s model fits far better with Burgundy, and we work with more than four Burgundy sources for every one in Bordeaux.

But the wines of Bordeaux continue to intrigue us, and we’re always on the hunt for a Burgundy-scale producer from the southwestern coast. And this spring we discovered a gem — rich, smooth, sophisticated red Bordeaux that’s also a startling bargain. We’re thrilled to introduce the 2016 Haut Médoc from Château Moulin-de-Blanchon.

Burgundy will always have our heart — but when then Bordelais turn out $25 wines at this quality, it become hard to ignore.

Moulin-de-Blanchon comes from the same winemakers who make our popular St-Estèphe “Fleuron de Liot.” It’s less highly classified than Fleuron, but it’s far more approachable young. Next to our other two delicious $25 red Bordeaux (2015 Grand Ormeau, 2015 Marchesseau), Moulin-de-Blanchon is classier and more serious — think an a cozy oak-paneled steak house rather than a bustling outdoor bistro.

Made from 50/50 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Moulin de Blanchon is remarkably drinkable today. The nose shows raspberry jam, black pepper, fresh leather, and forest. The mouth is smooth and rich, with velvety tannins that are enticingly approachable already. The palate is long and inky with fresh fruits and delicate chalky finish.

Sear some steaks and open a bottle of this for guests — they’ll swear you paid twice as much.

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Moulin de Blanchon Haut-Médoc 2016
bottle price: $25

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Posted on October 6, 2018October 6, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

[ADVANCE ORDER] “Top Value” 2016 Red Burgundy from Michel Gros. $25

Our final Futures issue of the year comes out next week. It includes some of our most popular winemakers — Goubert, Boyer-Martenot, Desvignes, and more — but one favorite in particular: the Domaine Michel Gros. His entire lineup of 2016s will be available next Sunday, but today we’re focusing on one wine that is always in short supply.

The 2015 vintage was a hard act to follow, but Gros has a stellar lineup in 2016 as well. We were amazed at the clarity and consistent quality after such a difficult growing season. Gros himself, comparing the two vintages, called the 2016s “arguably classier, as the tannins are definitely finer.” Allen Meadows (Burghound) agreed: “Whether they are as good as his first-rate 2015s remains to be seen but if they’re not, it won’t be by much.”

And so with that in mind we’ll begin with Gros’s simplest wine — and the one that nearly always sells out through Futures: Bourgogne rouge 2016.

Great winemakers make excellent wines from even the humblest terroir. Gros is famous for his fine, high-end red Burgundies, and we can’t recommend them enough. But for everyday enjoyment, Gros’s simpler wines show the class of much fancier bottles.

His 2016 Bourgogne 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 included Gros’s 2016 Bourgogne as one of the “top value wines of the vintage,” calling it “naturally vibrant” and noting its “sneaky long finale.”

We expect Gros’s 2016s to make lots of friends over the next few years. But this one, scheduled to arrive in late November, should be a treat by the holiday season. For a Burgundy lover, this is about as good a wine as $25 will ever buy.

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Michel Gros Bourgogne 2016

Ansonia Retail: $420
Futures price : $295/case

Email Tom to reserve this wine.

AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF-CASE
NOTE: This is an advance order, we anticipate a December arrival.

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Thomas Wilcox

Intense, Extraordinary New 2015 Red Burgundy; 91 points, $25

We often joke that inhabitants of the Beaujolais consider themselves Burgundian, but that the rest of Burgundy isn’t quite as sure. And while differences between the two halves abound — grape varietal, soil type, landscape, etc. — they share a tradition and style as well.

We call today’s wine “Red Burgundy” intentionally. The grape may be gamay and the zip code may be Juliénas, but this wine exhibits many of the characteristics of our favorite Pinot Noirs. It’s a combination of old vines (planted in the 1940s), expert craftsmanship, and Burgundian elevage. At the price, this could easily become your new house red Burgundy.

The Domaine Perrachon has made wine in Juliénas since the 1870s. Today we’re enthusiastically suggesting their 2015 Juliénas “Clos des Chers.” Made from south facing vines and raised in large 500L barrels, it marries the dark intensity of old-vine gamay with a bit of polish from further north. Or as one taster put it at our warehouse last weekend, “there’s a lot of wine in that glass.”

This is as serious and sophisticated a Beaujolais as we have ever seen. The nose is inky and dense, with dark blue fruits, violets, and pleasant spices like nutmeg and pepper. The mouth is very fine and intense, with beautiful texture, sturdy fruit, and notes of baked blueberries and roses. Burghound called it “exceptionally pretty,” “rich,” and “caressing,” predicting “it could easily enjoyed now [but] there is plenty of upside development potential.”

We’re hard pressed to find a better value in Burgundy today. It’s not from a fancy town or a “noble” grape, but this is true red Burgundy at a remarkably friendly price.

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Perrachon Juliénas “Clos des Chers” 2015
bottle price: $25

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