Well-priced white Burgundy is getting harder to find. Chablis continues to be a great source of value, and particularly in the summer we find ourselves pairing crisp, unoaked Chablis with almost everything. But sometimes the meal calls for a white with a bit more gravitas, and for such an occasion we head to the heart of Burgundy.
The changing climate has caused dramatic shifts amid the tiny microclimates of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. In a region where a few meters makes the difference between four-figure Grand Cru and $60 village, a couple degrees of warmer weather can have profound effect.
The changing climate has caused dramatic shifts amid the tiny microclimates of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. In a region where a few meters makes the difference between four-figure Grand Cru and $60 village, a couple degrees of warmer weather can have profound effect. And as with the rest of the world, there are winners and losers in this new reality.
We’re big fans of Sofie Bohrmann’s white wines. Her vines in Meursualt, Puligny, and St-Aubin produce some of the purest and most well balanced white Burgundies in our cellar. Each is masterfully oaked, and each shows its terroir with clarity and precision.
Puligny-Montrachet is generally considered the finest white wine town in Burgundy – and thus, by most accounts, the world. It’s where Chardonnay reaches its highest expression – at once intense, elegant, chiseled, floral, and subtle. Puligny is less opulent and mouthfilling than its two famous neighbors, Chassagne and Meursault – its elevated water table and high mineral content make the…
Well-priced white Burgundy is getting harder to find. Demand is up, supply is (way) down, and the wines themselves just keep getting better. As prices at the high end reach to stratospheric levels and more consumers focus on entry level cuvées, it’s become trickier to find that weeknight Bourgogne blanc.
In a Beaune restaurant two years ago spring we stumbled upon that most elusive of wine merchant targets: an unknown Burgundy domaine. Formed in 2002 with just 1.5 hectares of vines, the Domaine Bohrmann has no other importers, zero critical reviews, and a (very) hard-to-reach winemaker.
We often say an exceptional regional level wine is a mark of true winemaker skill. And today’s Bourgogne blanc is as good as they come. Sofie Bohrmann’s fancier wines are extraordinary, and worth every penny. But pound for pound, her humble Bourgogne blanc might be her most impressive cuvée.
Sofie Bohrmann’s 2018 Bourgogne blanc has been a hit. We increased our order twice over the summer, and now that the wine is here and on readers’ kitchen tables the reviews are pouring in: gorgeous fruit, beautiful tension, remarkable texture and purity for a wine under $40.
It’s said you can judge a domaine by its simplest wine. Making great wine from a Grand Cru vineyard certainly takes talent, but the raw materials provide a considerable head start. As one vigneron put it to us once, “with the Grand Crus, we just get out of the way.”
In a Beaune restaurant last April we stumbled upon that most elusive of wine merchant targets: an unknown Burgundy domaine. Formed in 2002 with just 1.5 hectares of vines, the Domaine Bohrmann has no other importers, zero critical reviews, and hard-to-reach winemaker.
A good French restaurant takes pride in its wine list. The restaurateur will curate a thoughtful collection of interesting wines, often from winemaker friends and acquaintances. And so when two of our favorite Beaune restaurants featured several bottles last year from a domaine we’d never heard of, we had to give them a try.
Meursault is one of Burgundy’s largest appellations. Though it has no Grand Crus, its wines are among the most respected and sought-after in the world. With chalky soils and a low water table, Meursault produces prototypical white Burgundy: golden, rich, and perfect balance between roundness and mineral tension.
We’re often asked how we discover new winemakers. The answer is a combination of recommendations, wine journals, and critical reviews, but the most enjoyable way, or at least the most delicious, is through local wine lists.
Burgundy is a tough place to find new winemakers. It’s a tiny, well-trodden region, with limited supply and ever increasing demand. It often feels like the best producers have all been discovered.