Weekly Video Update: March 21
VIDEO UPDATE: March 21, 2017
LAFONT MENAUT Pessac-Leognan red 2014
BOURÉE Bourgogne rouge 2015
BELLAND Santenay 1er cru blanc 2014
POGGERINO Labirinto 2015
The Magic of Steak and Bordeaux. $22
One of the most intoxicating aromas in cooking comes from the Maillard reaction. It’s the flavor most often associated with browned meat, though it’s also found in bread crusts, chocolate, coffee beans, and dark beer. First identified by Louis Camille Maillard, the reaction is similar to caramelization, but produces earthier, more complex flavors.
Humble, Delicious Red Burgundy: Roses, Cherries, and Toast. $22
Most of the red Burgundy we import comes from the Côte d’Or. Stretching thirty miles from Dijon to Santenay, the Côte d’Or is home to nearly all of Burgundy’s famous vineyards. But continue south past Santenay and there’s a whole other world of Burgundy to discover — one with quieter names, simpler wines, and far more reasonable prices.
Mixed Case: Northern Rhône Sampler
The Northern Rhône is a long, narrow winegrowing region on the banks of the Rhône river. Perched along astonishingly steep hillsides just south of Lyon, the region grows only two grapes — viognier for whites, and syrah for reds. Both grapes reach their nothernmost ripening limit here, and the wines they produce represent the highest form of each varietal.
Golden, Floral, Opulent: 2014 Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet.
The hillside of Montrachet produces the world’s finest dry white wine. In production for nearly two thousand years, the vineyard straddles the border between the neighboring towns of Puligny and Chassagne. Each produces wine of a different character, and though their terroirs meet in the famous plot, there are noticeable differences in the extraordinary wines that both villages make.
Weekly Video Update: March 14
VIDEO UPDATE: March 14, 2017
BARDOUX Champagne NV
BELLAND Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru 2014
MIXED CASE: Northern Rhône Sampler
DESVIGNES Givry 2014
Twice the Wine at Half the Price: Small-Batch Grower Champagne.
We first met Pascal Bardoux less than two years ago, but he is already a favorite among our readers. His small-batch Champagnes are distinctive, delicious, complex, and comparative bargains. With much of the mass-market Champagne distributed in the US between $75 and $100 a bottle, Bardoux’s $45 small-batch Brut Traditionnel is twice the wine at half the price.
Golden 92-pt Meursault from a Master: the Epitome of White Burgundy.
“If gold were a flavor,” Matt Kramer once wrote, “it would taste like Meursault.” Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s wines are among the most sought after in the world. The name recalls white Burgundies of decadence, opulence, and style.
Cool, Meaty Syrah-Blend from the Languedoc. $12.95
For the careful shopper, the Languedoc can be an abundant resource. Long deserving its reputation for mediocrity, the region has only recently become a source of value. There’s still plenty of bad wine made in the vast region, but if you make good choices, $13 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else.
Weekly Video Update: March 8
VIDEO UPDATE: March 8, 2017
COLLET Chablis 1er cru 2015
GROS Fontaine-St-Martin red 2014
BAGATELLE Tradition 2014
BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault 2014
New Exceptional Red Burgundy from Michel Gros. $32
Michel Gros is perhaps the most recognizable producer in our portfolio. His wines are all elegant and precise, often showing smoky or toasty qualities, and always silky and beautiful. A few years ago Clive Coates MW listed Michel Gros in the top 17 domaines in all of Burgundy — a list that included Romanée-Conti, Leroy, and Comtes Lafon — and highlighted the “nobility and elegance” of his wines.
2015 Premier Cru White Burgundy: A Triumph of Balance and Richness. $32
Chablis remains one of the best bargains in the wine world. Forever playing second fiddle to the rest of Burgundy, the brand suffered damage from the jug-wine “California Chablis,” and has yet to recover fully. The wines themselves, however, have never been better.
Violets and Cloves: “Perfectly Formed” 94 point New Côte Rotie
The impossibly steep hillsides of the Côte Rôtie seem like the last place in the world to grow vines. With slopes reaching 60 degrees in places, all field work — planting, pruning, treating, harvesting — must be done entirely by hand. Every time we visit we wonder aloud what on earth would drive people to plant vines here.
Mixed Case: White Wines for Fish
Ever since one half of the Ansonia team relocated to the coast of Maine, our collective fish and shellfish consumption has risen rapidly. With fresh catches rolling in daily, it’s hard to avoid the stuff — and who would want to? Of course our white wine consumption has spiked as well, and we keep a handful of favorites at the ready for when the oysters or haddock in the local market looks particularly good.
The Other White Burgundy: “Forget what you know about Aligoté.” $19
We’ve been on the hunt for a nice Aligoté for years. Forever in the shadow of the finest Chardonnays in the world, Burgundy’s “other white grape” is neither profound nor expensive. Most of our searches have yielded disappointments: wines with too much acid, too little body, or both.