Large Format Sale: Magnums and Jeroboams

It’s hard to justify opening a magnum for a small dinner with a friend or two. But if your guest list numbers more than eight — particularly if they’re the jovial type — you’ll probably need an extra bottle of everything anyway. With Thanksgiving just over a month away and the holidays close behind, entertaining season is upon us. Today we’ll offer a simple suggestion to dress up your holiday dinner table: large format bottles.

Almost Châteauneuf: Rich, Silky Gigondas, 93 points

We’ve often written about the value of Gigondas. Located 20 minutes east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas produces wines of a similar intensity as its more famous neighbor, but usually at far more affordable prices. Our longtime source in Gigondas is the Domaine les Goubert, cited as a reference point in the region by Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker.

The Height of Burgundian Elegance: New Premier Cru Volnay

When we write about minerality, it’s usually in the context of a white wine. The Chardonnay of Chablis and the Rieslings of the Mosel Valley are prized for their stony clarity, drawing minerality from the limestone- and slate-laden soils. But minerality is a quality in red wines as well, and at its best can contribute an ethereal elegance and vibrancy.

Plums, Toast, and Chocolate: Everyday Red Bordeaux

We spend more time in Burgundy than Bordeaux. Our small import business is usually a better fit with the family-run domaines of Burgundy than the large chateaux of Bordeaux. But we’ve been lucky enough to find a few Burgundy-scale producers in Bordeaux: small families making excellent wine away from the spotlight and marketing of the rest of the region.