The town of Morey-St-Denis exemplifies the small scale of Burgundian winemaking. Wedged between two more famous neighbors, this village of 680 people has a vineyard surface of under 4 tenths of a square mile. It’s delicate, delicious, classic red Burgundy — there just isn’t much of it to go around.
We work with many winemakers with low profiles, but Jean-Marc Monnet might be the least visible. He has no roadside, no website, and no other American importer. We’ve gotten lost trying to find his domaine two years in a row. Jean-Marc himself is as humble as his winery is hidden, but the wines themselves are a wholly different story.
The wines of Chablis are known for their limited oak, piercing minerality, and crystalline elegance. Our favorites are often mid-range bottles that combine everyday pricing and with great energy and beautiful precision.
For the careful shopper, the Languedoc can be an abundant resource. There’s still plenty of bad wine made in the vast region, but if you make good choices, $16 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else. Need proof? Today’s wine.
Perched on a gently-sloping hill twenty minutes south of Beaune lie white Burgundy’s three gems: Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and Meursault. The precise mixture of clay and limestone beneath these three neighbors is uniquely and perfectly suited to Chardonnay.
Bordeaux is full of expensive wines that need cellaring — here’s a humble, inexpensive, delicious wine with loads of character that’s ready to drink.
From meticulously cultivated old vines and careful use of oak, the Perrachon creates remarkably delicious and refined red Burgundies. The domaine is among the only Beaujolais producers reviewed (and praised) by both Josh Raynolds (Vinous) and Allen Meadows (Burghound). Perrachon’s reds are honest, complex, delicious red Burgundies; they just happen to be made from Gamay.
Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet produce the world’s finest dry white wines. In production for nearly two thousand years, the vineyards surrounding these villages produce wines of different characters — Puligny a bit more serious, Chassagne a bit friendlier.
Today’s wine is an overperforming Syrah from the Languedoc. It packs far more punch and balance than the average wine at its price point. Here are the details:
Red Burgundies aren’t known for their heartiness. Pinot Noir is a delicate, thin-skinned varietal — light in color and body. It most often shows subtlety over strength, polish over power.
Our final Futures issue of the year comes out next week. It includes some of our most popular winemakers — Goubert, Boyer-Martenot, Desvignes, and more — but one favorite in particular: the Domaine Michel Gros. His entire lineup of 2017s will be available next Sunday, but today we’re focusing on one wine that is always in short supply.
Chambolle Musigny is best known for its three famous terroirs: the Grand Crus Musigny and Bonnes-Mares, and Premier Cru Amoureuses. These three wines fetch prices north of $400/bot, and are among the jewels of many serious collectors’ cellars.
Meursault is one of Burgundy’s largest appellations. Though it has no Grand Crus, its wines are among the most respected and sought-after in the world. With chalky soils and a low water table, Meursault produces prototypical white Burgundy: golden, rich, and perfect balance between roundness and mineral tension.
Belland’s wines age quite well, but they’re so drinkable young that most don’t make it past a year or two in our inventory. Today’s we’re suggesting the Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” red from 2017. Some wines we import are intellectual experiences; this one is pure hedonistic pleasure.
Bordeaux can be an intimidating place. Grand Chateaux, skyrocketing prices, and wines that require decades of aging — to the casual wine drinker it’s not exactly accessible or friendly.