Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Rugged and Juicy: 2015 Bourgogne Rouge, $25

It’s hard to go wrong with the 2015 red Burgundies. Our favorite reviewers, those with restraint and objectivity, have all been effusive. “One of the half-dozen top vintages for red Burgundy of the past generation,” writes Steven Tanzer of Vinous. “A genuinely great vintage,” opines Allen Meadows (Burghound).

The vintage was successful at nearly every level — Premier and Grand Crus from 2015 will enhance cellars for decades to come, and even many village-level Burgundies will reward patience handsomely (see Sunday’s post).

But 2015’s quality reaches all the way down to the Bourgogne level, where everyday wines upgrade to vibrant, juicy, delightful glasses. Today we’re suggesting an everyday red Burgundy with far more character than the pricetag suggests.

 

 

Pierre Bourée is an old-school producer in Gevrey-Chambertin. They use whole clusters and a longer-than-usual maceration, resulting in wines with a rugged character reminiscent of a time gone by. Their 2015 Bourgogne rouge is an excellent entree to this exceptional vintage, showing an intensity and depth usually reserved for wines of higher classifications. It’s accessible, ripe, and simply delicious.

Bourée’s Bourgogne rouge 2015 doesn’t require thought or contemplation — the fruits are ripe and pleasant, making it effortlessly drinkable. The nose is dark and brooding, showing raspberries and stewed cherries. But it’s in the mouth where it truly shines — there’s a depth and intensity rare for a Bourgogne, with perfectly ripe fruit, juicy tannins, great length, and a clean finish.

Over the last year this has deepened and smoothed out into an even more impressive glass. It’s a bistro style red Burgundy without the markup — at your table it’s just $5/glass.

 

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Bourée Bourgogne 2015

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

 

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Back in Stock: Vibrant, Refreshing Old-Vine Chablis. $22

When vines grow old, vignerons are faced with a choice. Older vines mean lower yields, which can squeeze a domaine’s bottom line. But old vines also produce more concentrated and better quality juice, leading to wines of depth and intensity. We are always pleased to find vignerons who sacrifice quantity for quality and allow their vines to continue into old age.

The Domaine Gautheron in Chablis has kept a small plot of their oldest vines, now over 55 years old. The wine from this plot is a harmonious marriage of finesse and energy. There’s the refreshing stony minerality found in the best Chablis, but also an elegant roundness derived from the low-yielding old vines. The result of the combination is superb balance and depth.

 

 

Cyril Gautheron is a rising star here in Chablis. The Gautheron family has made wine in Chablis for 200 years, but Cyril has taken the reins with an unusual passion. Our visits with him regularly run late as he discusses the intricacies of his family’s property, and shows us unblended wines from dozens of plots.

Gautheron’s 2015 wines were all excellent. In a year with abundant sunshine, Cyril managed to maintain a clean freshness that keeps this wine lively. The nose shows chalk and lemon, with bright, clear notes and the faintest whisper of toast. The mouth is everything you want from Chablis — precise, elegant minerality, combined with pure, ripe Chardonnay fruit.

This is perfect food wine — with a vibrancy to stand up to rich fish, and a roundness to taste complete on its own.

 

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Gautheron Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2015

Ansonia Retail: $26
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Advance Order: “Gorgeous” Gevrey-Chambertin, Last of the 2015 Red Burgundies

The 2015 vintage in Burgundy has been a delight. We greatly enjoyed our sun-drenched visit in the summer of 2015, exciting barrel tastings in 2016, and last year’s arrival of the wine in the states. The wines are popular, delicious, and built to last. We’ve stocked up on as many as our shelves can handle, and hope to have them around to offer for some time to come.

March Futures, which will be released next week, has the final advance order opportunity of the 2015 Red Burgundies: the Domaine des Varoilles in Gevrey-Chambertin. Our newest red Burgundy source has already found many friends among our readers. The Domaine’s intense, concentrated style marries perfectly with their classic Gevrey terroir.

All four of Varoilles cuvées will be in next week’s March Futures — a village, two premier crus, and a grand cru — but we’re highlighting their village monopole today. The 2015 vintage produced excellent wines at every level — you don’t have to buy Grand Cru to experience its greatness. Varoilles’s village level Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos du Meix des Ouches” 2015 is a perfect example.

 

 

The “Clos du Meix des Ouches” is a small monopole at the edge of the town. It’s surrounded by an old wall, which helps block the wind and trap warmth, making its wines particularly round. Today the 2015 is a delightful glass of young red Burgundy. The nose is floral and nicely balanced, with a mixture of violets, pan drippings, ginger, soy, and cherries. The mouth shows perfectly ripened tannins and a long, vibrant finish — we expect it to improve for another decade or two.

Jancis Robinson found it “rather gorgeous,” finding it has “already lots of pleasure but with the tannins to keep it in shape.” Burghound found it “solidly concentrated” and “sleekly textured,” predicting “this attractive effort should drink relatively well early.”

We expect the 2015s to be around for decades to come, and we hope we’ve reserved enough to keep them in stock for quite a while. But March Futures represents your final chance to purchase them at advance order pricing. If you have the space and time to hold them, they are likely to be an excellent investment.

 

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Varoilles Gevrey-Chambertin “Meix des Ouches” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $936
March Futures : $695/case  ($57.92/bot)

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“Suave and Silky” Six Year Old Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 91 points, $35

With June-like temperatures earlier this week we were tempted to break out the rosé and declare summer’s arrival. But experience tells us we’re not done with winter yet. And with colder evenings in mind, we’re suggesting today one of our recent favorites, the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Christophe Mestre.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is among the world’s great wines. Made famous by French Popes more than seven centuries ago, the area boasts a long winemaking history. Today the small appellation (only about 12 square miles) makes some of the world’s most sought-after wine.

Last spring we came upon a gem in this well-trodden appellation. Christophe Mestre is a young winemaker from an old Chateauneuf family, whose talent and terroir have already begun to bring him acclaim.

 

 

Fans of the appellation used to paying well over $50 for bigger names should take note — this is a rich, classic, mouthfilling Chateauneuf-du-Pape with a remarkably low price tag. 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. It opens beautifully over half an hour in a glass.

Small production and limited US distribution have kept Mestre under the radar of most of the wine world — but we don’t expect this to last. Vinous’s Josh Raynolds awarded this wine 91 points, calling it “suave and silky,” with “seamless red berry liqueur and licorice” flavors “enlivened by a zesty mineral flourish.” Raynolds highlights the wine’s energy, something we find particularly attractive in rich, southern reds.

We don’t make a habit of predicting temperatures. But we can assure you this will make many friends at your next dinner party, whatever the weather.

 

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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012

Ansonia Retail: $40
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Peach, Hazelnut, and White Flowers: Elegant, Golden 2015 Meursault

If you ever need to convert someone to white Burgundy, pour them a glass of Meursault. Made from pure Chardonnay and grown in soils balanced between marl and chalk, Meursault is some of most opulent white wine in the world. Chardonnay can make rich, mouthfilling wines in most locations — but those from Meursault also contain elegance, minerality, and balance.

The town’s low water table means the vines reach deep into the earth for water, pulling minerals and nutrients from deep root systems. The chalk and other minerals in the soil bring a freshness and balancing minerality to the best Meursault. We meet plenty of people who tell us they don’t like Chardonnay, particularly when raised in oak — but we have yet to find someone who doesn’t enjoy Meursault.

 

 

We used to describe Vincent Boyer as a young, up and coming winemaker in Meursault. But at this point he has unquestionably arrived. It’s hard to imagine how Boyer’s wines could get any better, but every year we visit — even through the last several difficult vintages — his quality seems to improve.

Today we’re suggesting Boyer’s 2015 Meursault Cuvée Fernand Boyer. It’s a blend of four village-level plots in Meursault, and named for Vincent’s grandfather, the founder of the domaine. Like all of Vincent’s wines, it’s exceptionally well made; but because it’s from several plots it offers a slightly friendlier price tag.

The 2015 “Fernand Boyer” is classic Meursault. The nose shows stone fruits like white peaches and nectarines, and a lovely balance between tropical and citrus notes. The oak influence is very light, and in this ripe year Vincent has let the pure fruit and beautiful white flowers shine through. The mouth is rich and smooth but full of energy, with a long, smooth finish. Shellfish or pork tenderloin would match this nicely, but all it really requires is a glass.

 

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Boyer-Martenot Meursault “Fernand Boyer” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $54
3+ bottle price : $49/bot

 

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Notes from Harpswell No. 11

This winter in Harpswell has me thinking about the ways that aquaculture is like viticulture. If you follow our posts you know that the French vignerons suffered the trials of Job in recent years — frost in some places, hail in others, or frost and hail for the particularly benighted. I am the holder of a Maine LPA (“limited purpose aquaculture” license) and the proud owner of two vintages of oysters (somewhere between four and five thousand, or as I like to think, more than 350 plates of half-shells). Our vignerons’ experiences make me wonder what nature might have in store for this rookie sea farmer.

 

 

Mainers think about their oysters in much the way the French think about their vineyards, with terroir at the heart of the matter. The place affects the flavor, producing oysters that are more briny or less so, fatter or leaner, depending on their location. Maine’s Côte d’Or is the Damariscotta estuary, where Maine’s best known oyster farms can be found and where the brackish and saltwater flows are particularly conducive to growing delicious oysters.

The waters off Maine are pristine but cold, which means oysters need three years to grow to the size you slurp in a restaurant. In temperate months, my oyster cages float a few football fields from my dock, just below the surface of Harpswell Sound and tethered in place by moorings and buoys. There they filter-feed on passing nutrients, soaking in the combination of food and salinity unique to the place and enhancing water quality in the bargain. For two Falls now, I have lowered my oyster cages to the floor of the Sound, wishing them a peaceful and healthy winter there.

 

 

Last winter was mild and easy — ice collected along the bank below our house as it always does, but the buoys floated free all winter. This year’s early and occasionally record lows extended the ice all the way across the Sound, locking in the buoys that both mark and tether my bottom-dwelling shellfish. My three moorings have no trouble keeping the cages in place during the summer, but I fretted about what might happen if a large ice floe locked around my buoys got a hankering to visit Portland. My mind was not eased when I saw ice drag four of a neighbor’s still-floating oyster cages and their mooring about 200 yards up the Sound and into my view.

 

 

So far, so good. The January thaw was intense and came with a few inches of rain, so the combination broke up all the ice over just a few days. My buoys shrugged off their captors, and as far as I can see remain exactly where they were last fall. But then half the winter lies ahead.

Our vignerons mostly met their disasters with a wistful smile, some repeating the old saw that a prudent producer needs to have three vintages: one in the vines, one in the cellar, and a third in the bank. Both of our oyster vintages are in the mud, not the bank or the cellar, but we plan to adopt a positive attitude anyway.

MW

 

 

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“Outstanding” Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin, with a hint of Vosne-Romanée.

The Domaine des Varoilles is the newest addition 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. If the Clos des Varoilles is an ambitious young pitcher throwing 100 mph, Romanée is a wise slow-ball veteran painting the corners of the zone.

We’re excited to release the domaine’s “La Romanée” 2014 today. This is still 1er cru Gevrey-Chambertin, mind you — so think concentrated, meaty wines with dense fruit and plenty of length. But it’s Gevrey-Chambertin with a splash of Vosne-Romané — there’s a finesse and and elegance that comes from the increased mineral content in the soils.

 

 

The 2014 Romanée is a wine whose best days are clearly in front of it. 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 91 points, finding it “impressively concentrated” and calling it “a wine of finesse.” After revisiting the wine a year after his initial tasting, he named it “particularly outstanding” for its appellation.

Old vines (planted in the 1950s), exceptional terroir, expert winemaking, and an excellent 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” 2014

Ansonia Retail: $100
6+ bottle price : $85/bot

 

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2015 Northern Rhône Syrah: “the Best in 55 Years”

Much has been written about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy, one of the best in a generation. But the vintage also brought impressive wines from elsewhere in France. In particular, the syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône had a banner year in 2015. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson writes she considers them them “the best in 55 years.”

We don’t open 1962 Hermitage very often, so we’ll have to take her word for it. But we can say that they’re extraordinary wines — inky, dark, and mouthfilling but with exceptional balance and refined tannins. If you’ve never gotten into the wines of the Northern Rhône, now’s a perfect time to try. And if you’re already a fan, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better vintage in your cellar.

 

 

The Northern Rhone is a geographic and stylistic halfway point between Burgundy and the South. The reds of the region combine Burgundy’s tradition of elegant, unblended wines with the South’s darker, richer grape varietals. The result is a marriage of Northern refinement and sun-baked Southern richness.

Denis Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented — the latest issue of the Guide Hachette featured two of his four wines, an impressive feat for a winemaker whose first vintage was only five years ago. His 2015 Crozes-Hermitage is a triumph — impossibly intense and concentrated, but at 13.5% alcohol a balanced and refreshing glass as well.

This wine gets better every time we open it. The color is a inky black-purple, with a savory nose showing cloves, blackberries and violets. The mouth is astonishingly dense, with young but polished tannins, and classic notes of plum and black pepper. The finish is long and mouthfilling. We might not see another vintage like this until 2072.

 

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Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2015

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Delicious, Iconic New White from the Untamed Jura.

The Jura region has an untamed feel — sauvage, the French would say. The craggy landscapes, meandering rivers, and ancient stone towns make it hard to say whether it’s the 21st century or the 11th. It’s charming, in an undiscovered, unpolished sort of way.

Jura wines are a bit untamed as well. The region is most famous for its idiosyncratic “Vin Jaune,” a style of white wine that’s intentionally oxidized during its élevage. The result is a bit like a fino sherry, but with additional exotic notes. It’s one of the wine world’s iconic styles — a bit harder to find today than it used to be, but no less delicious.

The Domaine Ligier is a small family domaine in Arbois, the Jura’s principal town. Ligier makes traditional Jura wines — his unusual and delicious reds made from Trousseau and Poulsard have become popular among our readers. But today we’re at last releasing their traditional style of white made sous voile (“under the veil”).

 

 

Vin Jaune must age for six years below the veil of yeast, and to the uninitiated its flavors can be very unusual. To ease our readers into the style we decided to start with Ligier’s 2012 Savagnin — it’s aged only three years in barrel, and shows slightly less intense flavors.

And what are these unusual flavors? If you’re used to regularly made wine, they can be difficult to describe — we most find ourselves jotting notes like walnuts, curry, coffee, caramel and toast in the nose, with citrus zest, white pepper, and butter in the mouth. Fino sherry may come the closest.

This is a unique style wine, and certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste. But if you’re at all interested (or if you know these sous voile wines already) we strongly recommend Ligier’s 2012 Savignin. It pairs beautifully with charcuterie, crusty bread, and cheese, but its most perfect pairing is with a cheese fondue. Serve this Savignin with aged comté (melted or not), and you might feel a bit untamed yourself.

 

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Ligier Savagnin 2012

Ansonia Retail: $34
3+ bottle price : $29/bot

 

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“Bold” Red Burgundy: 100-year-old Vines, 93 points, $25.

Beaujolais is the source of plenty of uninteresting wine. Fully a third of the region’s production is the Beaujolais Nouveau, an insipid red rushed to market a month after harvest. But the region contains many undervalued wines, some in the same class of top wines from the north of Burgundy.

No Beaujolais source has more impressed us than Laurent Perrachon. From meticulously cultivated old vines and careful use of oak, Perrachon creates remarkably delicious and refined red Burgundies. We’re not the only ones to notice; the domaine is among the only Beaujolais producers reviewed (and praised) by both Josh Raynolds (Vinous) and Allen Meadows (Burghound).

These are honest, complex, delicious red Burgundies; they just happen to be made from Gamay.

 

 

Perrachon’s Juliénas “Vignes Centenaires” comes from vines planted more than a century ago. Perfectly extracted and carefully aged in oak barrels, this wine shows a dark, brooding nose of anise and blackberries. Burghound was effusive, awarding 93 points, finding “dark berry,” “spice” and “incense,” calling it “delicious, velvety and caressing.”

If you like Beaujolais for its fruity, carefree character, this might not be your cup of tea. Perrachon’s 2015 Juliénas is dense, rich, and exceptionally long, with far more stuffing than you find in most $35 Pinots from Santenay or Maranges. The tannins are juicy and silky but sturdy, meaning this should develop easily for another 5-8 years.

This wine has many happy days in front of it. But with a hearty meal, a carafe, and a few enthusiastic friends, this bottle is a stunner. Don’t mention it’s Gamay, and nobody will guess.

 

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Perrachon Juliénas “Centenaires” 2015

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Good luck keeping your hands off this one: Premier Cru 2015 Red Burgundy.

Morey-St-Denis sits in the shadow of its two more famous neighbors, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin. But to ignore its terroir would be a mistake. Wines from Morey are often described as “Burgundy lover’s wines” — their elegant, lace-like textures blend effortlessly with beautiful, clean fruit.

Brothers Didier and Jean-Louis Amiot make some of our favorite wines from Morey-St-Denis. Their domaine is right on the main street in the village, and their cuvées come with small quantities and, for the Côte de Nuits at least, reasonable price tags.

The Amiots’ style has shifted in recent years, and they’ve begun to make wines that drink better earlier. Combine that with the 2015s’ delicious early-drinking fruit, and you’ll find it hard to keep your hands off these wines. But you’ll thank us in a few years if you do.

 

 

As the name suggests, Amiot’s 2015 Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Aux Charmes” is charming. Large volume wine this is not — Amiot’s plot is just one acre, and their 50 year old vines produce only 200 cases per year. But the quality is simply exceptional.

Charmes is usually the first of Amiot’s premier crus to drink well, and though this should age gracefully for a decade or two, it’s already beautiful. Today the nose is very expressive, showing earthy tones mixed with woodsmoke and briary fruit. The mouth is long, silky, and very rich — the tannins are young but perfectly sculpted, with no dryness or bitterness.

Burghound also noted that the wine “should drink well young,” finding “fine richness” and calling the mouthfeel “supple and caressing.” Leaving this wine at the back of your cellar for a while will reward you handsomely. But fair warning — if an open bottle appears on your table in the next few months, you may need a bit more for the cellar.

 

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Amiot Morey-St-Denis 1er “Aux Charmes” 2015

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2016 Old-Vine Beaujolais: “For Drinking, Not Contemplating.” $19

We work with many winemakers with low profiles, but Jean-Marc Monnet might be the least visible. He has no roadside, no website, and no other American importer. We’ve gotten lost trying to find his domaine two years in a row. Jean-Marc himself is as humble as his winery is hidden, but the wines themselves are a wholly different story.

Beaujolais has long been known for its unserious wines — over-marketed and under-cared-for. But Monnet’s Beaujolais has the complexity of a very good Côte d’Or Bourgogne and the density of a Northern Rhône syrah. 2016 was a low yield year for the Beaujolais — hail and frosts damaged much of the crop. But what the vintage lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality.

Monnet’s reds are intense and perfectly extracted — the fruit is almost teeth-stainingly dense, but with no hint of bitterness. They look and feel like syrah in the mouth, but the fruit is red and juicy.

Monnet’s Juliénas Vieilles Vignes is like his other wines, but more so. From 50+ year old vines and a ripe vintage, the density is exceptional. The color is inky purple, with a dark nose showing raspberry and pure wild cherry. The mouthfeel is intense and smooth with a long, dense finish of cranberry, minerals and violets. This is delicious, and as Jancis Robinson puts it, “meant to be drunk, not contemplated.”

 

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Monnet Juliénas Vieilles Vignes 2016

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2015 Côte de Nuits Red Burgundy: Earth and Cassis

The Domaine Ravaut is the ultimate local wine source. For 120 years the family has cultivated a loyal clientele of friends, neighbors, and workers at the stone quarry in the hamlet of Ladoix. Though they have expanded their reach in recent years, they still sell more than half of their wine to folks who walk in the front door.

The winemaker today is Vincent Ravaut, a friendly, thirtysomething son who has mastered cellar work. His diligence and careful attention during vinification and aging results in wines of perfect balance. Ravaut’s 2015s have all the clean precision we’ve come to appreciate, plus unusually complex and ripe fruit.

 

 

Today we’re suggesting Ravaut’s 2015 Côte de Nuits Villages, from vines near the border with the Côte de Beaune. The 2015 is succulent and juicy, with bursting tannins and dark, pure fruit. Think the joie-de-vivre of a Cru Beaujolais with the refinement and class of Pinot Noir. Jancis Robinson agreed, finding it “robust” with a “fine, chalky texture” and “excellent freshness.”

Like most of the 2015 red Burgundies, this is a delightful, refreshing glass on its own. The nose shows raspberry jam, graphite, and cassis — it’s a seductive and utterly pleasant bouquet. But the ripe tannins are an excellent match for food, with notes of plum and earth on a persistent, lively finish. Serve this with a roast chicken on a Sunday afternoon.

 

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Ravaut Côte de Nuits-Villages 2015

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3+ bottle price : $32/bot

 

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Inky Syrah, Wild Yeasts, and the Purest Form of Winemaking. $25

Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over the last two millennia, little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the last century saw the advent of new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time.

The winemakers at the Mas Foulaquier return to this simple alchemy. Their pesticide-free vineyards are archetypes of polyculture, with wildflowers and insects at home amid the rows of vines. And it’s from these vibrant vineyards that the winemakers obtain both elements of the winemaking process — untreated grapes from the vines, and wild yeasts from the skins and ambient air.

This is winemaking in its purest, most original form, and the results are wines of remarkable complexity and grace.

 

 

Winemaking without much vineyard treatment or controlled yeast strains is not easy, and the results can be variable. But the winemakers at Foulaquier are deeply dedicated to their craft and their wines are proof that hard work and care pay off. These are some of the finest biodynamic wines we import.

Today we’re suggesting Foulaquier’s “Calades” a syrah-dominant wine of a beautiful dark, inky hue. In the nose this wine could almost be mistaken for a Northern Rhône Syrah, with the grape’s signature black pepper, blackberry, and dark chocolate. But in the mouth this is unmistakably Foulaquier — a symphony of cool, earthy, jammy notes like plum and lavender — at once mouthfilling and balanced.

This wine perfectly captures the northern Languedoc’s ruggedly beautiful landscape, a blend of silky elegance and rustic earthiness.

 

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Foulaquier Calades 2014

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Delicious New Premier Cru 2015 Red Burgundy: 91 Points, “Intense and “Vibrant”

The 2015 red Burgundies are nothing short of a sensation. After months of hype and a frenzy of enthusiasm upon release, they’ve lived up to nearly all of their acclaim. With sturdy tannins suggesting long and happy lives, the wines also offer near-term hedonistic delight — the best are juicy, lively, and, as the French say, gouleyant (gulpable).

No domaine’s wines better capture the tension between ageworthiness and drinkability than those of Roger Belland. The house style is always fruit forward — ripe, punchy, juicy mouthfeels are consistent from one year to another. But even for Belland, their 2015s offer unusually pleasant early drinking.

In our fast-paced world, cellaring wine has become increasingly rare. But with Belland’s wines, there’s no wrong answer — they are delicious now, and will be even more so in 5 years.

 

 

Master of Wine Clive Coates called Roger Belland “one of the best sources in the village” of Santenay. Though it’s often an afterthought on Côte d’Or maps, Belland’s wines are proof that Santenay can be classic, majestic red Burgundy.

Belland’s finest premier cru Santenay is from the “la Comme” vineyard, just on the northern border with Chassagne-Montrachet. This is Santenay at its most elegant, combining the silky precision of a Volnay with the vibrant character of red Chassagne — think minerals, dried cherries, plum, and herbs. Burghound awarded 91 points, finding it “elegant” and “harmonious,” with “pretty floral nuance,” and “delicious, intense and vibrant flavors.”

Belland’s wines are so drinkable from the start that they’re hard to age — our last bottle, opened 4-5 years after harvest, is often the best of the batch. If you’ve got the cellar space, put down half a case and drink the other six this year. Life is short, after all.

 

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Belland Santenay 1er cru “la Comme” 2015

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

 

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FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES