Small-Batch, Delicious, Everyday Grower Champagne. $49

The Côtes des Bar and Chablis have a lot in common. They’re both satellite appellations of their respective areas (Champagne and Burgundy), and both produce wines of a slightly different style than their parent region. Chablis is a steelier, stonier, less-oaked version of Burgundy; the Côtes des Bar is a more Pinot Noir-focused Champagne, from more clay-rich soils. And though historically both have suffered a bit from their location off center stage, these days they’re both enjoying a moment in the spotlight.

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“Pure and Charming:” Chiseled, Delicious $35 White Burgundy

Last week’s visit to Sebastien Giroux in Pouilly-Fuissé was a masterclass in deliberate, exquisite winemaking. Gone are the days of Pouilly-Fuissé meaning a glass of buttered popcorn and cream – Giroux’s wines are barely-oaked, sleek, chiseled, and pulsating with energy. They’re easily the most exciting new white Burgundies in our portfolio.

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“Superb” New Vosne-Romanée, a Richebourg & Parantoux Neighbor

On Tuesday we spent the day tasting in the Côte de Nuits, sampling wines from Nuits, Vosne, Chambolle, Morey-St-Denis, Gevrey, and more. We’re no terroir skeptics, but it was a stark reminder of the unmistakable power of terroir. Across various producers and vintages, the appellation and villages shone through as clear as day.

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Exciting, Delicious $25 Gamay from a Rising Star in the Beaujolais

We first visited the Domaine Dupré-Goujon last spring, and were delighted to return this past Thursday. Winemakers Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien Dupré are redefining what’s possible from the Beaujolais. Their vines, located in the Côte de Brouilly, share the earth with an impressive array of herbs, flowers, grasses, and wildlife – all in the name of fostering biodiversity and soil health.

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“Pure, Complex, Lush, Brilliant” Chardonnay from the Bucolic Heart of Burgundy

Friday we spent the morning tasting in the Maconnais. This sub-region at Burgundy’s southern end is impossibly picturesque – quaint stone farmhouses and Charolais cattle dot a rolling countryside that lazily switches between lush green pastures and fields of vines. The wines coming from this region have never been better, and we’re thrilled to have […]

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Lush, Mouthfilling, Affordable Châteauneuf du Pape

We arrived yesterday in the Southern Rhône, where it’s beautiful — dry, mid-60s and sunny with that clear provencal blue sky. As usual, we began our tastings with Christophe Mestre, whose domaine is in the heart of the town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Mestre and his wife are from old Châteauneuf du Pape families, and their vines are in plots scattered across the town’s remarkably diverse terroir – galets roulés, sand, and clay-limestone.

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Punchy $22 Old-Vine Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker Frederic Michot is as brisk and energetic as his wines: pure Sauvignon blanc, no oak, clean and crisp. Michot’s side of the river may be less famous than his neighbor Sancerre, but he isn’t willing to concede it any advantage. His wines are exceptional Sauvignon blancs, full of precision, focus, clean dry fruit, and beautiful tension.

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Dark and Soaring: Delicious New Northern Rhône Syrah

Vines have covered the steep hillsides of the Rhône river for over 2000 years. Sprouting from vertiginous granite slopes, gnarled syrah vines bake in the summer sun and produce intense, concentrated juice that becomes deep and unmistakable red wine. Much like white Burgundy’s signature “weight without heaviness,” the reds of the Northern Rhône are at […]

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