Vineyard plots in Burgundy often bear the names of nearby historic features, many long since vanished. In Meursault, Ormeau and Genevrières are named for the “elm” and “juniper” trees that once stood there. Vide Bourse in Chassagne refers to its location at a dangerous road crossing known for “empty purses.” And the famous grand cru Chambertin was once the the “field” (champ) of a man named Bertin.
Most wine with dark, inky color is heavy and rich; and most light colored wines are also light in body. But these rules don’t always apply. In the Northern Rhône Valley winemakers grow Syrah at its northern limit, producing reds with intense, dark flavor, but balanced lively mouth feel.
From a distance, it’s easy to forget that our winemakers are farmers before anything else. Viticultural matters occupy the majority of their days, and it’s impressive to step back and remember that the delicate, polished creations in a bottle spring from capricious plants on hillsides of dirt.
12 new wines have been added to our 25% Off Shelf this month.
Hot weather makes wine pairing tricky. Our main criteria for summer wines are threefold: low alcohol, good acidity, and chillable. White wine is the obvious choice, but we enjoy serving a few of our reds cool from time to time. The best of these are what the French call vins de soif — wines for thirst.
July is here and tomatoes are finally back in season. Whether cooked and tossed with pasta and parmesan, or sliced raw and served with mozzarella, olive oil, and crunchy salt, they’re a staple of summer chez nous. (Or, rather, a casa.)
In France, Pommard has a reputation as a vin de garde (wine to cellar). Grown in clay- and limestone-rich soils, the wines are full of muscle, richness, and spice. A favorite of Thomas Jefferson, Pommard has made classic, well-respected red wines since at least the middle ages.
On most maps, Santenay is the last town in Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or. Forever second fiddle to its famous neighbor Chassagne-Montrachet to the north, Santenay nonetheless produces excellent wines. With neither the staying power nor the tannic structure of wines from Chassagne, they are often far easier to enjoy young.
Here’s a 2 minute video overview of the July 2016 Futures issue. Ansonia Futures offers near-wholesale pricing through advance orders.
Chardonnay inhabits nearly every corner of the wine world, but nowhere does it reach the same expression as in Burgundy. The gently sloping hillsides of Burgundy are uniquely suited to growing perfectly balanced Chardonnay — sunny enough to ripen grapes fully, but northern enough to retain enough acidity to provide lively freshness.
Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest appellation of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. And because of its clay rich soils, its wines are of a similarly grand scale. Known for power and longevity, Gevrey-Chambertin often shows dark, intense fruit and a sturdy tannic structure.
“Puligny-Montrachet is the greatest white wine commune on earth.” Thus begins the chapter on the town in Clive Coates’s seminal tome on Burgundy. The tiny appellation covers less than a single square mile, and though neighbored on either side by the legendary towns of Meursault and Chassagne, many consider Puligny the source for the world’s finest white wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most widely planted grape. It’s grown everywhere — from Bordeaux to Brazil to British Columbia — and comes in a wide variety of textures and expressions. Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross, likely spontaneous, between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc — a gift from the winemaking gods.
Francis Muré’s Alsatian Riesling has long been one of our most popular wines. We’ve used this wine to cure dozens of tasters of their “Riesling fear” — it’s bone-dry, crisp, and as refreshing as a Sancerre or Chablis. There’s plenty of sweet, heavy, uninteresting Riesling around, but after one taste of this and you’ll want to reexamine the grape.
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.