ADVANCE ORDER: Perfect Everyday Red and White Burgundies ($295/case)

A vigneron in Burgundy once told us that making delicious Grand Cru was easy — as she put it, “we just get out of the way.” So perfect are the materials that come from these hallowed, ancient plots that a winemaker’s job is mostly to avoid screwing them up.

Conversely, we often say the mark of a good winemaker is the quality of his simplest wine. Regional level cuvées usually don’t exhibit the subtle nuances of terroir for which Burgundy is famous, but they’re a chance for a winemaker to show off cellar skills.

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“Intense and Gripping:” Grüner Veltliner on Another Level

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.”

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“Seductive,” “Loaded” New 92-pt Cornas

Cornas is a tiny appellation of only 50 growers. By rules and heritage, it’s the Northern Rhône: its wines are pure, unblended Syrah. But in spirit and character, it’s not far from the South. Cornas (which means “scorched earth” in Celtic) harvests a week earlier than Hermitage (just 20 minutes north), and the vertiginous slopes produce wines with a southern, sunbaked character.

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