The Languedoc is one of the world’s oldest winegrowing regions, tracing its history back to 125 BC. For many years it has been known for abundant, cheap, and uninteresting wine, but in recent decades a new wave of small winemakers has earned the region a new reputation.
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 in Bordeaux, Merlot thrives as an essential component to the region’s most iconic wines.
The soils of Sancerre are famous for their flint. This unusual rock gives the region’s wines a note of smokiness and minerality — a perfect foil for Sauvignon Blanc’s lush grapefruit notes. This unique balance has made Sancerre one of the world’s most popular wines.
In Burgundy, there’s no end to how deep you can go. Knowing the town from which a wine hails is not enough — to understand a wine you must know the grower, the vintage, the individual plot, age of the vines, cellar practices, and so on. These details aren’t crucial to enjoying the wine, but in Burgundy they can have an enormous effect on the final product.
We’ve imported Chablis from the Domaine Gautheron for nearly a decade. Cyril Gautheron’s precise, elegant, well-priced white Burgundies have become a staple at our warehouse tastings, our kitchen table, and the cellars of many of our readers.
As spring arrives and we begin to engage more with the natural world, we find ourselves more drawn to natural wines. When they’re made carefully, natural wines embody the exuberance and vitality of nature. And nobody in our portfolio does this more skillfully than the Mas Foulaquier.
St-Aubin may not be the secret source for white Burgundy it once was, but it’s not because of the quality. Soaring prices for Burgundy from its famous neighboring towns of Puligny, Chassagne, and Meursault mean that the spillover demand have nudged prices for St-Aubin well. But the quality has more than kept pace, and despite the demise of its anonymity, it’s still a source for exceptional value.
Red Burgundy is classically a study in finesse and understatement. Pinot Noir’s thin skin and clear juice enable remarkable subtlety, and at their best, Red Burgundies can be hauntingly beautiful. They’re rarely the loudest voice in the room, but often the most impressive. But as with most rules, there are exceptions.
In the dozen years since he took over his family’s domaine, Romain Collet has elevated its reputation as fast as any new generation we’ve witnessed. We’ve noticed it ourselves, but we’re not alone — writers from Vinous, Burghound and Robert Parker have noted a “higher level of refinement” and a “significant upsurge in quality.” Jasper Morris MW writes that Romain Collet “is moving towards joining the pantheon” in Chablis.
Most Americans limit their sparkling wine consumption to holidays and celebrations. But restricting yourself to Christmas and weddings means you’re missing out on a world of good wine. To increase your bubbles diet, we have two suggestions: three Crémants de Bourgogne under $30, and one of our new Ansonia sparkling stoppers (included with any 12+ bottle order of crémant or Champagne).
As hot, dry summers become the norm across much of France, winemakers in the south in particular are constantly in search of freshness for their wines. Some have adjusted viticulture techniques, others have altered their blends to re-balance freshness.
We’re calling it: it’s now rosé season.
Okay, sure — it might have snowed last week, and it might be barely breaking into the 70s where you live today. But we’ve all been inside for what seems like over a year now, so we’ll take any excuse for sunshine we can get.
Riesling continues to be a criminally underrated varietal. Its sweet examples can be transcendent and delicious, but it’s also capable of excellence in dry form. Dry Rieslings make up some of the best values in our portfolio.
Chablis is at the forefront of Burgundy’s conflict with climate change. As the entire region warms, its northern outpost has begun to yield rounder, more full-bodied wine. This has led more and more Chablis producers to raise some wine in oak barrels, and it is now common to see wines there that bear a close resemblance to those of the Côte d’Or.
A wine made up of 50/50 Grenache/Syrah can take on many shapes. Grown on a flat plain in irrigated soil by a large-volume winery, the blend will be a cheap, unremarkable Côtes du Rhône. Grown just miles away in the legendary soils of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the wine can be an ageworthy gem. Today’s wine is […]