Burgundy isn’t known for its inexpensive wines. A limited growing area and perpetually high demand make it hard to find bottles below $30. For most wine drinkers Burgundies are special occasion wines — elegant and ageworthy, but too pricey for a Wednesday.
Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet get most of the white Burgundy press. But surrounding towns can offer excellent value. Many whites from St-Aubin and Santenay punch way above their weight, as does today’s white Burgundy from Auxey-Duresses.
Ansonia Video Update: January 23
PRUNIER Auxey-Duresses blanc 2014
COLLET Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2014
MIXED CASE: Affordable Burgundy
RAVAUT Côte de Nuits Villages rouge 2014
JANUARY FUTURES
After a string of difficult years between 2010 and 2013, Burgundy collectors are rejoicing. Two magnificent vintages — 2014 in whites, and 2015 in reds — are being heralded as some of the finest in decades. The 2015 reds are just coming to market (see our current January Futures), but today we’re releasing a gem from 2014.
This classic stew is a perfect wintertime treat for a Sunday afternoon. Serve on egg noodles or barley/faro, or with potatoes.
Michel Gros is as much a part of Vosne-Romanée as the pointed steeple, the ancient vineyards, and the narrow crooked streets. He is a lifelong resident of the town, as were his father and grandfather before him — his mother was even mayor. The Gros family name has been synonymous with Vosne-Romanee for centuries.
For a universally crowd-pleasing red, it’s hard to beat Côtes du Rhône. Guests with New World leanings will appreciate the richness and full flavor. Those with Old World inclinations will appreciate the balance and traditional style. (Your great aunt who likes drugstore merlot might turn up her nose, but you weren’t going to please her anyway.)
Perched where the Loire river meets the windswept Atlantic coast, Muscadet has long been a source for a classic, dry white wine. Served by the carafe in the oyster bars of Paris and London for decades, it’s refreshing, abundant, and inexpensive — a perfect glass to wash down a plate of crustaceans.
This morning we released our January Futures Issue. Futures offers near-wholesale pricing though advance orders. The deadline to place orders from our January Futures Issue is Sunday, January 29.
Burgundy is best known for its wines of refinement and elegance. The delicate, often ethereal Pinot Noirs from towns like Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny are known the world around for their beauty and uniqueness. But there’s a whole other world of red Burgundy south of the Côte d’Or.
When temperatures plunge and frigid winds whip around our house, we like to fill our glasses with something rich and mouthfilling. For us that means wines made from Grenache, Syrah, and others from the Rhône Valley. These are cozy wines from the sunbaked climes of France’s south — reds with depth and intensity, though carefully balanced to avoid heaviness.
If Vosne-Romanée is the paragon of Burgundian sophistication, then neighbor Nuits-St-Georges has the humbler charm of a country gentleman. Spread across five miles of varied terroir, the wines of Nuits-St-Georges range from spiced and elegant to meaty and rich. But most consider “classic” Nuits to come from the section south of town, which contains the “les Saint Georges” vineyard.
This is a favorite cold-weather stew at the Wilcox residence. It cooks for over an hour on the stove, and the house smells amazing. Pair it with a rich white Burgundy and spread your winter dinner table with some Old World opulence.
The 2014 whites were a gift to Burgundian winemakers. Though quantities were somewhat low, the quality of the grapes was universally excellent. As Master of Wine Jasper Morris put it recently, “an all-round consistently beautiful vintage for whites… at all levels and across all the districts of Burgundy.”