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Gautier Desvignes has become well known among our readers (and in the wine press)… More (+) Gautier Desvignes has become well known among our readers (and in the wine press) for his gorgeous, affordable, beautifully crafted Burgundies from Givry. William Kelley of the Wine Advocate calls him “one of the leading lights in the Côte Chalonnaise.” But alongside a stellar lineup of reds that grab most of the attention, Desvignes is also a skilled crafter of whites Burgundies. His minimal use of oak and careful fermentation achieves white Givrys with terrific balance of fruit, freshness, and minerals.
Gautier’s 2022 village level “En Cheneves” is crisp and precise with a lovely mix of stones and yellow fruit. It’s 90% Chardonnay with 10% Pinot Blanc, a combination that gives beautiful aromatics with classy and concentrated texture. (Picture a particularly accessible St-Aubin, but at a discount.) It’s light on oak, and mostly about ripe springtime fruit – easy and friendly. Less (-) Free US Shipping | ||
Pierre Gros (Michel's son) now steers this iconic estate in Vosne-Romanée, after his father… More (+) 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 regular Hautes Côtes red cuvée is very nice in 2022, garnering a designation from Allen Meadows (Burghound) for wines he judges to be “particularly outstanding for their respective appellations.” Vinous’s Neal Martin found it “particularly aromatic” and praised its “sweet entry” and “gentle grip.” Less (-) Free US Shipping | ||
Tucked into a sleepy hamlet just over the western ridge of the Côte de… More (+) Tucked into a sleepy hamlet just over the western ridge of the Côte de Nuits lies the Ferme Fruirouge. The Olivier family has made cremes here for nine generations, and the farm itself dates back four centuries. Today they raise their fruits organically and biodynamically, and their crèmes are the cleanest, purest, most intense extraction of fruit we’ve ever seen. The hints of cassis we often describe in pinot noir are maximized here, and the taste is an extraordinary distillation of fruit.
We add a splash of crème de cassis to a glass of Picamelot crémant for a delicious, attractive, effortless (and cheap) aperitif – a “kir bourguignon” if you will. Other ideas include a traditional kir (cassis and aligoté), communard (cassis and pinot noir), or cassis drizzled on crepes. (You can add it to champagne too, of course, though we think the cassis is flavorful enough that the trade up from crémant generally isn’t worth it.) Less (-) Free US Shipping | ||
The 2018 Forces Tellurique Viré-Clessé features clean, pure, lemony fruit, along with remarkable freshness… More (+) The 2018 Forces Tellurique Viré-Clessé features clean, pure, lemony fruit, along with remarkable freshness and energy from such a sunny vintage. On the palate it’s unctuous and smooth with a long finish that would outlast many a Meursault. The nose bursts with yellow orchard fruit and notes of tangerine and honey. Reviewing the 2018 under its primary label, Kelley awarded 93 points, finding notes of “honeycomb, orange oil, and elderflowers,” calling it “layered and succulent… with a charming core of fruit and a saline finish.”
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Of the 2020 Jasper Morris MW writes: “ This has a most beautiful bouquet… More (+) Of the 2020 Jasper Morris MW writes: “ This has a most beautiful bouquet, just the right degree of ripeness, the lightest of peaches but no honeysuckle. Just the right acidity too, drink this unsparingly across the summer months." 5/5 Stars Less (-) Free US Shipping | ||
Romain Collet took over as principal winemaker not long ago, and he has transformed… More (+) Romain Collet took over as principal winemaker not long ago, and he has transformed the winemaking. He is both a very talented winemaker and an innovator — for proof one need only walk through the cellar, where the stainless steel tanks and large foudres are now joined by cement eggs, demi-muids, and most recently, amphorae.
Forêts 1er cru is particularly elegant in the 2020 vintage. This lieu dit is actually at the top part of Montmains, and the farming has been certified organic there since 2018. Its élevage is more complicated, with 90% raised in cement eggs (whose shape fosters natural circulation of the lees over the lunar cycles). The last 10% is raised in Burgundy-sized barrels, bringing a soupçon of oak into the mix. The result is extra refinement and complexity, the sort of hard-to-explain quality that will cause a taster to add an asterisk to the margin of his tasting note.
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The Chastan family has been making wine in the same style for two generations… More (+) The Chastan family has been making wine in the same style for two generations. They were among the earliest in the region to farm organically (they were certified in 1980!), and their winemaking is simple and straightforward. Vinification for all the wines is cement vats, followed by an elevage in either vats or neutral oak foudres. The wines are neither fined nor filtered.
The Clos du Joncuas Gigondas 2019 has more structure and more prominent tannins than the 2020, but it is also very round, and also eminently drinkable already. There’s a bit more minerality mixed in with the ripe fruit here, and the wine may have a longer drinking window; but both wines are generous and fleshy, and will be easy to match with food. Less (-) Free US Shipping | ||
The nose is extraordinary, hitting high notes and low notes simultaneously in a symphony… More (+) The nose is extraordinary, hitting high notes and low notes simultaneously in a symphony of fruit and earth. We find notes yellow orchard fruit and notes of tangerine and honey. The mouth is expansive and rich, but with pulsating energy and exquisite balance, with a finish that would outlast many a Meursault.
Reviewing the 2018 under its primary label, Kelley awarded 93 points, calling it “another terrific wine from this address,” and finding “white flowers, crisp melon and orchard fruit,” with “satiny and layered palate that’s racy and precise.” Jasper Morris MW was similarly impressed, predicting the 2020 might “join the very top vintages of the domaine.” Less (-) Free US Shipping |
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Thanksgiving Whites
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Thanksgiving Reds
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Thanksgiving Bubbles
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