Most Loire Valley reds are simple, lightweight, and delicious – made for drinking young and enjoying cool. We love serving Cabernet Francs from the Middle Loire and the Pinot Noirs of Sancerre — they’re perfect accompaniments to summertime fare.
Bordeaux is home to many of the most famous and expensive wines in the world. But it’s a huge region, and also produces well priced wines that dramatically overperform their pricetag. One of our favorite places to find value in Bordeaux is at the Cru Bourgeois level.
Vincent Ravaut’s Bourgogne blanc has become a favorite among readers in recent years. He makes excellent village-level Ladoix blanc and magnificent (and rare) Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. But his humble Bourgogne blanc punches way above its weight, particularly this year.
We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to the Ansonia portfolio: Jean-Louis Tribouley, [TREE-boo-lay] a producer we found based on a tip from a longtime customer. A biodynamic source located deep in Roussillon, Tribouley farms tiny plots of 40-70 year old Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah. His wines are not only natural and beautiful, but they’re bargains.
Though it has no Grand Cru, the wines of Meursault are some of the most sought after in the world. Traditionally Meursault inhabits the decadent, opulent end of the white Burgundy spectrum, drawing on clay-heavy soils to produce muscular, mouthfilling white wines.
Today’s producer may look like a new source, but it’s actually a familiar one. Several years ago the Domaine Merisol combined with another centuries old family domaine in the same Alsace town (Dambach-la-Ville): the Domaine Charles Frey. Frey (est. 1709) has made the wine under both labels for years, but we’ve decided to switch to their label.
Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle make delicious, traditional Burgundies in Auxey-Duresses. In some vintages Prunier’s reds occupy the lightweight end of the spectrum, requiring some time and a careful food pairing. But in 2018 all they need is a corkscrew and a glass.
Sancerre has no premier or grand cru classifications — all 6400 acres are under the same appellation. But, as you might expect, not all of Sancerre’s terroirs are created equal. Among the most famous is the steep slopes of the Monts Damnées (damned mountains).
Vincent Boyer is among the most talented of our winemakers, and his family owns some the Côte d’Or’s finest white wine terroir. With his increasing recognition and impressive critical scores, you might expect him to be content with the renown he has achieved. But Vincent is an innovator.
Nearly all the wines in the world (and most of those we import) are made with added sulfur dioxide. This centuries-old non-toxic compound protects wine from bacteria growth and oxidation. Sulfited wines are more predictable, more stable, and have a greater capacity to age. Vincent Gross is an exciting young winemaker in Alsace — a […]
The Salomon-Undhof estate dates to 1792, and is currently on its 7th and 8th generation winemakers, father and son Bert and Bert Salomon. Their terraced vines overlooking the Danube have long been an excellent source, with the country’s preeminent wine guide calling them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”
Ask a group of sommeliers to name their favorite wine region and most will say Burgundy. But ask them for just one favorite grape varietal, and it’s likely Riesling. Aside from its excellent food friendliness, Riesling communicates terroir with as much honesty and precision as any other grape.
The Domaine Ravaut is the ultimate local wine source. For over a century the Ravaut family has cultivated a loyal clientele of friends, neighbors, and local workers — our tasting visits are frequently interrupted by neighbors stocking up their cellars. The domaine continues to sell nearly half its wine to folks who walk in their front door.
The best kept secret in a Burgundy collector’s cellar is his stash of St-Aubin. From a once forgotten valley wedged between the superstar towns of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, the wines of St-Aubin are some of the most overperforming wines we know. Jancis Robinson calls it now “virtually the equal” of its famous neighbors.
Drinking multiple vintages of the same wine is an excellent way to get to know a wine. In Burgundy, vintages play an important role in the character of a wine, and tasting the same wine in vertical be an educational (and delicious) experience.