Category: Uncategorized

Northern Rhône and Beaujolais

This morning we visited our Northern Rhône producers, tasting wines from Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, and Côte Rôtie. Winemakers here are basking in the glow of the 2015 vintage, said to be the best in 55 years. We don’t have quite that long a memory, but from this morning’s tastings we can confirm that this is an extraordinary vintage.

Northward along the Rhône...

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Four Ways

In 1895, at age 56 impressionist painter Paul Cezanne had his first solo show in Paris. His 150 paintings were a revelation to artists and collectors, and the show secured his place as a leading artist of his time. But despite his first real commercial success, Cezanne returned south to live out his final decade in his beloved Provence.

The towns of Volnay and Pommard are the two finest red wine towns in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. Hugh Johnson describes Volnay as “fragrant and ethereal,” Pommard as “dark” and “potent.” Together they’re a perfect example of the power of Burgundian terroir: they share a border and the towns themselves are less than a mile apart, but their identifying characteristics…

Ansonia Weekly Video Update: March 28 SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage "Etincelle" 2015 FOULAQUIER Violetta 2015 MIXED CASE: Grenache Sampler THOMAS St-Aubin 2015

The wine regions of France are enormous and diverse. The wide range of styles, grapes, and and traditions produces a staggering variety of wines. That offers enough diversity to keep us busy for years, and in some regions we feel as though we have barely scratched the surface.

VIDEO UPDATE: March 21, 2017 LAFONT MENAUT Pessac-Leognan red 2014 BOURÉE Bourgogne rouge 2015 BELLAND Santenay 1er cru blanc 2014 POGGERINO Labirinto 2015

VIDEO UPDATE: March 14, 2017 BARDOUX Champagne NV BELLAND Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru 2014 MIXED CASE: Northern Rhône Sampler DESVIGNES Givry 2014

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.

VIDEO UPDATE: March 8, 2017 COLLET Chablis 1er cru 2015 GROS Fontaine-St-Martin red 2014 BAGATELLE Tradition 2014 BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault 2014