Holiday: Starter Kits

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Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of…
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Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. 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. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines -- it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.“Côte Rozier,” which borders La Landonne, adds a note of toasty oak to the mix. It is denser than Couzou, and a bit quieter aromatically for the moment. Its tannins are ripe and very fine-grained, and as its elements melt together over the coming few years it should be quite special. This is always the most refined of Bonnefond’s cuvées, and given a few years in the bottle approaches Burgundian levels of finesse.
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Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of…
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Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. 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. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines -- it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.“Les Rochins” is a sibling of Rozier. The same elements are in play, but its fruit is a bit darker than Rozier’s (the vineyard has a more southern exposure) and its oak seems more in the background to the rich fruit. The wine is denser than Rozier, and its texture is particularly nice in 2022. Look for notes of leather, cocoa, coffee and cloves in the nose. The mouth carries a remarkable balance of intense concentration and vibrant lift – a bit like the character of Burgundy’s best red 2022s.
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Pierre Gros (Michel's son) now steers this iconic estate in Vosne-Romanée, after his father…
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Pierre Gros (Michel's son) now steers this iconic estate in Vosne-Romanée, after his father ran it for 45 years. Neal Martin writes “I detect a change in tack rather than charting a totally different course.” Like many of his peer group Pierre has moved the domaine toward organics, and if his first few vintages at the helm are any indication, the future at Gros may be even brighter than the past.The cuvée blended from four Nuits plots on the other side of town more resembles Vosne-Romanée, its neighbor to the north. Here the fruit includes more floral notes and a hint of Vosne spice. It may need a bit of time for the elements to integrate, but as always it will end up as a classic, elegant red Burgundy of much finesse.
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Robin’s vintage cuvée is called Kimmerdigienne, a nod to the famous limestone in the…
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Robin’s vintage cuvée is called Kimmerdigienne, a nod to the famous limestone in the local soil. We bought their 2011 for three consecutive years, and it was a revelation to anyone who tried it. The 2012 has just arrived and is more than worthy successor, and from one of the top vintages in the last decade.The nose is a stunner, with notes of almonds, apricots, praline, and chalk. The mouth is delicious and complex, with notes of seashell, lemon zest, kiwi, brioche and vanilla. The 2012 has 6g dosage (vs 8 with the 2011), and is richer and bolder than last year’s – the mouthfeel is concentrated and chewy, and we think will impress just about anyone.
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The 2021 red Burgundies sport neither the concentration nor the ripeness of hot dry…
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The 2021 red Burgundies sport neither the concentration nor the ripeness of hot dry years like 2020 and 2022, but this means an opportunity for those without patience or a cellar. Now with a few years in the bottle, the vintage has begun to drink superbly.An excellent example is Pierre Gros’s 2021 Nuit-St-Georges “Les Chaliots,” a single vineyard pinot noir from the heart of the Nuits appellation. Gros’s style is finessed and elegant, all destemmed and with a long relaxing elevage – and it beautifully matches the shape of this featherweight vintage.
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The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite vintages. From the warmest…
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The 2022 red Burgundies are quickly becoming one our favorite vintages. From the warmest, driest year in recent memory, winemakers managed to coax vibrant and beautifully balanced, sporting low alcohol and classic Burgundian finesse. Philippe Cheron is an excellent winemaker farming 10 hectares around the Côte de Nuits -- limited oak, whole clusters where needed, sleek, modern, terroir-transparent, muscled Burgundies.The wine from the Clos du Couvent, the village-level Gevrey-Chambertin monopole from which the Domaine takes its name, is excellent in 2022. Jasper Morris MW found “clean raspberry-cherry fruit, medium bodied, rather stylish,” and Burghound praised its “pretty red and blue pinot fruit, soft spice, and prominent earth influence.”
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