Climate change has affected many aspects of winemaking in France. Most changes have proven challenging, such as spring frosts, hailstorms, and overripeness. But others have been beneficial. For instance, in Burgundy the malady-prone Pinot Noir vines have become healthier in warmer, drier weather.
Chenin blanc has an enormous range of expression. It can be anywhere from bone dry to very sweet depending on vintage, terroir, and winemaker. Vouvray is the original source for Chenin Blanc, but the surrounding towns in the central Loire Valley produce excellent examples as well.
Chassagne-Montrachet is a town synonymous with opulence and richness. Its wines combine weight without heaviness – everything you want in a top class white Burgundy. When we want to really impress someone with a Chardonnay, we often reach for a bottle of Chassagne from Roger Belland. Belland’s Santenay 1er cru “Beauregard” blanc is not as […]
With the first heatwave of the summer upon us, we’re in the mood for something simple and crisp. The usual hot-weather answers from our cellar are Chablis, Sancerre, or dry Riesling, but recently we’ve been reaching for Grüner-Veltliner from our lone Austrian source
Each town in Burgundy produces wines of a distinct character. Some are dark and brooding, others are lightweight and ethereal – but the boldest and most intense is Gevrey-Chambertin. One of our sources here, the Domaine des Varoilles, owns vineyards first planted in the 12th century – their vines today aren’t quite 800 years old, but they’re well over 70,…
The Northern Rhône is a small region, and new winemakers can be hard to come by -- limited supply, steady demand, etc. So when we received a prospecting email from a new winemaker touting his terroirs in Côte Rôtie “Côte Blonde,” we took note.
The style of winemaking in Chablis is somewhat in flux these days. Recent hot summers in Chablis have meant a departure from the stony, crystalline expression of old. These richer, rounder wines can handle more oak, and some winemakers have extended their elevage, creating wines with richness and complexity to rival those of the Côte d’Or.
With the temperature barely cracking 50 in recent days in New England, it appears Spring may have had some supply chain issues of its own. But yesterday’s warm sunny afternoon was worth the wait – we reinflated the bike tires, put on some sunscreen, and soaked in some long awaited Vitamin D.
For years we searched for a source in Chambolle-Musigny. The town has both a stellar reputation and miniscule size (population 300), and it hasn’t been easy to find a domaine without existing importing relationships. But a few years ago we finally stumbled upon the Domaine Boursot, a humble family of winemakers right in the heart of Chambolle.
Sauvignon blanc is among the world’s most widely planted grapes, but its origin is the Loire Valley. In the Loire, Sauvignon takes on a floral, mineral style, juicy grapefruit notes with a lively minerality, often notes of flint, and pleasant herbal finish.
With a supply crunch from recent small vintages and seemingly inelastic demand, the cost of Burgundy is headed in one direction. And yet amid ballooning prices Chablis has maintained its place as a consistent source of value. Even Grand Crus from top tier producers still rarely break the $100/bottle mark.
White Burgundy is an easy wine to pair with food. At the high end, an ageworthy bottle Meursault or Puligny can exceed the subtlety and depth of a red Burgundy. Paired with a lobster risotto or veal in cream, it’s a marriage of opulence and charm.
Robin’s finest wine is their 2011 Cuvée Kimmeridgienne – made from pure Pinot Noir grown in chalk/limestone/clay soils, this wine sat on its lees for seven years, gaining complexity and exceptional depth. The batch in stock in our warehouse was disgorged (final corking) last fall and it’s simply magnificent today.
We visited Romain Collet in Chablis yesterday morning – he pruned late this year and wasn’t too worried about tonight’s forecasted frost. (It’s another story in the Côte d’Or.) Spring frosts have become the norm in Chablis these days, and Romain has steered his domaine beautifully, making terrific wines in difficult circumstances.
The Bonnefond family’s star continues to rise. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests.