White Burgundy is synonymous with Chardonnay. But in fact one of every ten white vines is Aligoté. This less prestigious varietal generally produces simple, refreshing wines meant for enjoyment rather than contemplation or cellaring. However, with demand for white Burgundy increasing, and warm summers producing riper grapes, growers have been turning out really impressive cuvées from this humble grape.
Much of the world’s Merlot is undistinguished. Its default expression is a soft, rounded wine lacking tannin, acidity, and character. “Global” merlot is smooth and easy, but neither distinctive nor particularly interesting. But on Bordeaux’s right bank Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines. The exact combination of limestone and gravel soils produce a version of the grape with balance, definition, and depth.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: another year, another flat out delicious wine from Poggerino – and still a bargain. Italian wine represents a tiny corner of our portfolio, but Piero Lanza’s impeccably balanced wines are some of the most popular in our store. They drink well young, age beautifully, and provide exceptional value.
For centuries the Ravaut family has made traditional red and white Burgundies from their small domaine just north of Beaune. Their little-known hamlet of Ladoix sits at the junction between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. It’s one of the corners of Burgundy where winemakers will somewhat sheepishly admit that, aside from frosts and hailstorms (a big aside), climate change has improved their wines in recent years.
It’s a familiar story in Burgundy: a new generation arrives at the family property with ambition, innovation, and renewed energy. It can go wrong – (see: overoaking, overextraction, price hikes) – but more often it goes right. And nowhere has it been more successful than at the Domaine Boursot in Chambolle Musigny.
Stephane Robert of the Domaine du Tunnel is one of the brightest stars in Cornas. He’s humble and quiet in person, but his wines are bold, assertive, and charming. Robert farms an envious collection of old Syrah vines around the tiny appellation, and his wines are well worthy of their hype. Vinous calls Tunnel “among the top producers of Cornas.”
The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite vintages. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, winemakers managed to craft vibrant and beautifully balanced wines, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. They’re modern in their sunny polish, but traditional in their middleweight, elegant textures. If this is the future of Burgundy, sign us up.
We are delighted to identify for you the domaine that produces the wine we have offered under the private label “Forces Telluriques.” It is the Domaine Guillemot-Michel from the hamlet of Quintaine in the Viré-Clessé appellation of the Maconnais — since the 1980’s the project of Pierette and Marc Guillemot-Michel, who have been joined in the last decade by their daughter Sophie and their son-in-law Gautier Roussille. Same tasty wine, just a slightly less funky label.
Poggerino is often cited as a reference point for Chianti Classico. Vinous writes of their Poggerino’s “remarkable purity and nuance,” and Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.” Their organic vines from Radda-in-Chianti produced exquisitely balanced wines, full of depth and richness but also tension and lift.
Nicolas Paget continues to produce excellent, dry, delicious Chenin Blanc from his organically farmed vineyard in the central Loire Valley. We visited last year, and were reminded of just how lush this region is, deserving of its moniker “Le Jardin de France.” Paget’s wines are similarly lush – round and rich with excellent acidity and beautiful depth.
The Domaine Boursot is a story both of Burgundy’s past and present. The estate was founded in 1550 (not a typo) by Guillaume Boursot, and has been handed down over centuries and generations in the tiny town of Chambolle-Musigny. The current winemakers, brothers Romaric and Romuald, are 15th generation vignerons farming an enviable collection of vines around the Côte de Nuits.
It’s been a while (too long!) since we imported from the Domaine les Goubert – their bottling schedule and our importing schedule hasn’t seemed to sync up recently. But we finally restocked a few months ago and are delighted to have them back. Their delicious, reliable, extremely well-priced southern Rhône cuvées have been customer favorites for the last few decades, and in recent years they’ve only gotten better.
The 2023 red Burgundies are still quite young, but they’ve already begun to reveal themselves as a tremendous vintage. From a growing season full of extreme heat and drought but with perfectly timed rains, the best wines are perfectly balanced – with modest alcohol, excellent density, and vibrant textures. We heard more than a few winemakers describe them as “digeste” (roughly, digestible), and it’s an excellent characterization.
Pierre Vessigaud is a committed biodynamic vigneron whose wines are Demeter certified, the highest organic classification. In the bottle this translates to superb purity and clarity, with careful elevage and excellent balance. Combine this with an envious array of vineyards, including two of Pouilly-Fuissé’s newly minted premier crus, and we think this domaine is a real find. As William Kelley puts it, “succulent but serious, any bottle bearing Vessigaud’s label is worth seeking out.”
St. Estephe is home to storied left bank chateaux that were ranked in the Classification of 1855, so new domaines are rare. Henry Negrier spent the first half of his career working at other local chateaux; but thirty years ago he stumbled upon an unusual opportunity to buy his own St-Estephe vines, and decided to bet on himself. The new creation, Fleuron de Liot, has won acclaim from blind-tasting panels and Ansonia readers alike.