Humble, Delicious Unoaked 2022 Chablis under $30

Over the weekend we drove from Beaune up to Chablis to taste with our producers there. If you’ve read our recent notes on Cyril Gautheron’s 2022s you’ll know we were blown away by his entire lineup – Saturday’s tasting confirmed our initial impressions. We’ve added a few more cuvées to our shopping cart, and can’t wait to share them with you later this spring. (If you missed them in the March Futures that closed yesterday, let us know and we’ll try to squeeze you in.)

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“Superb” Five Year Old Old-Vine Côte Rôtie

Yesterday afternoon we tasted with Lea Bonnefond, the 26 year old force her family domaine in Côte Rôtie. She’s friendly and quiet, and while her father and uncle are still very much involved, the transition to Léa will be steady and smooth. In a terrific Decanter profile last week, Matt Walls MW calls her wines “triumphant” and considers them “up there with names like M Chapoutier, E Guigal, Domaine de Monteillet and Stéphane Ogier.”

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Crisp, Zippy Muscadet for the Arrival of Spring. $19

Grown near the mouth of the Loire River, Muscadet is at once brisk and hearty — the essence of the windswept Atlantic coast. 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.” (Today’s, at $3.80/glass, less than half that.)

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“Extra Fresh,” Unoaked Everyday White Burgundy under $30

The winemakers of Chablis have felt the effects of climate change more than most. They’re particularly susceptible to damaging spring frosts, and recent warm dry summers have produced wines that sometimes obscure the signature piercing minerality of classical Chablis. But one silver lining has been the rising quality of regional-level wines.

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Crisp, Electric 2022 Sancerre: Pear, Grapefruit, and Stones

Sancerre has no premier or grand cru classifications, but among its most famous vineyards is the steep slopes of the Monts Damnées (damned mountains). The Domaine de la Garenne, our Sancerre source, farms a special plot along the same slope as Mont Damnées called “Les Bouffants.” It’s a single, limestone-heavy terroir which Garenne vinifies and bottles separately.

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[Advance] “Excellent” New White Burgundy from a “Superb” Source, 25% off

Last week we sat down to taste samples of Cyril’s 2022s and were entirely blown away – the only difficulty was eliminating any of them. As Morris points out, they walk the line perfectly between the fleshy fruit of modern Chablis and the brisk, vibrant zip of old. Cyril is rarely one to doubt himself – Morris calls him “a bundle of energy, full of theories, questioning received wisdom” – but with wines like these there’s little to doubt.

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Hidden White Burgundy: Sleek, “Pristine” Premier Cru

Wine writer Rajat Parr describes St. Aubin as the “insider’s white Burgundy.” Wedged in a valley between Chassagne and Puligny, this town produces white Burgundy with hints of Montrachet’s golden richness, but a less stratospheric price tag. St-Aubin has become rarer and pricier like everything else in Burgundy, but it’s still far more affordable than its famous neighbors.

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Lovely, Perfectly Balanced Red Burgundy. $35

The 2021 Red Burgundies have a reputation as inconsistent and tricky, but someone forgot to tell Gautier Desvignes. Burgundy’s leading wine critic William Kelley calls him “a leading light in the Côte Chalonnaise,” and he’s navigated an extremely difficult vintage with skill and precision. His lineup of 2021 Givrys is outstanding top to bottom – they’re not just good “for the vintage,’ they’re objectively delicious on their own.

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Delicious, Fresh, “Refined” 2020 Red Burgundy

Roger Belland produces a dozen cuvées from around the southern end of the Côte d’Or, including from famous vineyards in Chassagne, Puligny, and Volnay. But it’s the wines of his hometown Santenay that often appeal to us most. Belland’s style is plump and juicy, with approachable tannins and beautiful aromatics – they never last long in our cellar or on a dinner table.

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