When vines grow old, vignerons are faced with a choice. Older vines mean lower yields, which can squeeze a domaine’s bottom line. But old vines also produce more concentrated and better quality juice, leading to wines of depth and intensity. We are always pleased to find vignerons who sacrifice quantity for quality and allow their vines to continue into old age.
The 2015 vintage in Burgundy has been a delight. We greatly enjoyed our sun-drenched visit in the summer of 2015, exciting barrel tastings in 2016, and last year’s arrival of the wine in the states. The wines are popular, delicious, and built to last. We’ve stocked up on as many as our shelves can handle, and hope to have them around to offer for some time to come.
With June-like temperatures earlier this week we were tempted to break out the rosé and declare summer’s arrival. But experience tells us we’re not done with winter yet. And with colder evenings in mind, we’re suggesting today one of our recent favorites, the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Christophe Mestre.
If you ever need to convert someone to white Burgundy, pour them a glass of Meursault. Made from pure Chardonnay and grown in soils balanced between marl and chalk, Meursault is some of most opulent white wine in the world. Chardonnay can make rich, mouthfilling wines in most locations — but those from Meursault also contain elegance, minerality, and balance.
This winter in Harpswell has me thinking about the ways that aquaculture is like viticulture. If you follow our posts you know that the French vignerons suffered the trials of Job in recent years — frost in some places, hail in others, or frost and hail for the particularly benighted. I am the holder of a Maine LPA (“limited purpose aquaculture” license) and the proud owner of two vintages of oysters…
The Domaine des Varoilles is the newest addition to our Burgundy portfolio. Based in Gevrey-Chambertin, the domaine boasts an extraordinary collection of vines, ranging from village-level to Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin.
Much has been written about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy, one of the best in a generation. But the vintage also brought impressive wines from elsewhere in France. In particular, the syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône had a banner year in 2015. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson writes she considers them them “the best in 55 years.”
The Jura region has an untamed feel — sauvage, the French would say. The craggy landscapes, meandering rivers, and ancient stone towns make it hard to say whether it’s the 21st century or the 11th. It’s charming, in an undiscovered, unpolished sort of way.
Beaujolais is the source of plenty of uninteresting wine. Fully a third of the region’s production is the Beaujolais Nouveau, an insipid red rushed to market a month after harvest. But the region contains many undervalued wines, some in the same class of top wines from the north of Burgundy.
Morey-St-Denis sits in the shadow of its two more famous neighbors, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin. But to ignore its terroir would be a mistake. Wines from Morey are often described as “Burgundy lover’s wines” — their elegant, lace-like textures blend effortlessly with beautiful, clean fruit.
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 Domaine Ravaut is the ultimate local wine source. For 120 years the family has cultivated a loyal clientele of friends, neighbors, and workers at the stone quarry in the hamlet of Ladoix. Though they have expanded their reach in recent years, they still sell more than half of their wine to folks who walk in the front door.
Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over the last two millennia, little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the last century saw the advent of new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time.
The 2015 red Burgundies are nothing short of a sensation. After months of hype and a frenzy of enthusiasm upon release, they’ve lived up to nearly all of their acclaim. With sturdy tannins suggesting long and happy lives, the wines also offer near-term hedonistic delight — the best are juicy, lively, and, as the French say, gouleyant (gulpable).
We often recommend wines intended for a specific time or place. A carefully aged Burgundy for a Christmas roast; a stony Chablis for a plate of summer oysters — a precise wine pairing for a dish or setting can elevate both.