Exquisite New Dry Riesling from Alsace. $19
To the uninitiated, Riesling is a cheap, insipid wine — rarely interesting, and never noble. But to those in the know, Riesling produces some of the world’s most extraordinary bottles of wine.
New 2015 St-Emilion: Rich, Muscular 92 point Right Bank Bordeaux
Most 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.
Crisp, Refreshing, Unoaked White Burgundy. $22
“Oaked” or “unoaked” sounds like a yes-no question, but it really is a range. Most of the wines we import spend some time in oak, but the strength of its influence depends on the age and size of the barrel, the chauffe (how heavily the inside is charred), and time in the barrel.
New $20 Sangiovese: Pure, Inky, Refreshing
Like Chablis, the name Chianti used to bring to mind inexpensive plonk. A straw-covered “fiasco” bottle with dripping candle wax still jumps to the minds of many.
Ten Generations of Excellence in Chassagne-Montrachet
We don’t often add white Burgundy producers to our portfolio. It’s a small region, with well-trodden paths, and most winemakers have exclusive importing relationships or very little wine to sell.
Delightful Everyday Syrah: “Graceful” & Hearty. $25
Our source in Côte Rôtie is the Domaine Bonnefond. Robert Parker calls Bonnefond’s wines “among the finest in the appellation,” and Vinous’s Josh Raynolds recently called them “as graceful a group of wines that I’ve ever sampled.” Last week we wrote about their exceptional 2015 Côte Rôtie “Rochains,” which Vinous called “superb” and awarded 95 […]
No-Oak, Golden White Burgundy: Springtime in a Glass. $24
We know better than to declare winter over just yet, but today’s weather returns springtime to our minds. And we know no better wine to welcome Spring than the vibrant, exuberant, life-filled organic white Burgundies of Nicolas Maillet.
(Almost) Grand Cru Red Burgundy from 2015: “Grace” and “Refinement”
In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. Today’s wine comes from a vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin called “Combottes.” It’s classified Premier Cru but surrounded on all sides by five famous Grand Crus, including Latricières, Mazoyères, and Clos de la Roche.
“The Best in 55 Years:” Exquisite $25 Northern Rhône Syrah
The 2015 vintage produced exceptional wines in nearly every corner of France. We’ve written recently about successes in Burgundy and Bordeaux, but winemakers in the Rhône were just as fortunate. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson proclaimed the 2015 Northern Rhône Syrahs “the best in 55 years.”
Velvety $25 Bordeaux for your Weeknight Steak.
The 2015 vintage produced exceptional red wines throughout France. We’ve most recently highlighted some of our favorite examples from Burgundy and the Rhône. But the vintage was just as successful in Bordeaux.
“Premier Cru” Sancerre: Stones, Grapefruit, and Pear
If Sancerre had a Grand Cru vineyard, it would be the Monts Damnées. This most famous of Sancerre’s terroirs abuts the hamlet of Chavignol west of the town. Sancerre produces popular wine from every corner of its appellation, but the hillside of the Monts Damnées is special.
“Superb” 2015 Côte Rôtie: Old Vines, Iconic Terroir, 95 points
Christophe Bonnefond is a quiet man. Our tastings with him each year are pleasant and friendly, but he’s not what you’d call a “talker”. He’s happy to answer questions, but rarely volunteers information, preferring to let his wines speak for themselves.
Cheerful 2016 Red Burgundy: “Gourmand” and Gulpable
The town of Maragnes is an underrated source for red Burgundy. Located at the very southern end of the Côte d’Or, it’s often left off regional maps, and its reputation is for rusticity over refinement.
The 2012 Sampler: Our Favorite 7-Year-Old Reds
The last seven years have done wonders for these wines, and so we’ve collected six of our favorites into a sampler: 3 red Burgundies and 3 red Rhônes, all from 2012.
Classic Chassagne-Montrachet: “Exceptionally Rich” & “Outstanding”
Chassagne-Montrachet is one of the three principal white wine growing towns in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. A century ago it was best known for its red wines, but today most famous Chassagnes are rich, mouthfilling whites.