Red Burgundy Verticals
Drinking multiple vintages of the same wine is an excellent way to get to know a wine. In Burgundy, vintages play an important role in the character of a wine, and tasting the same wine in vertical be an educational (and delicious) experience.
Of course there are two vintage variables with every bottle: the time elapsed from the harvest year, and the patterns of that particular vintage itself. In other words, it’s impossible simultaneously to drink two wines at the same age from different vintages. But in our eyes that only adds another variable of intrigue.
So we’ve collected some red Burgundy vertical trios — the same wine in 3 vintages. Quantities are limited.
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 | “Fleur Enchantée,” is an homage to winemaker Denis… (+) “Fleur Enchantée,” is an homage to winemaker Denis Basset family’s horticultural roots. It comes from 50 year-old Syrah vines, which give exceptional depth and intensity. It’s noticeably more concentrated and intense than Étincelle, shows a bit more new oak, and offers more complexity — a bit of black olive and smokiness along with the fruit. It can be cellared for up to eight or ten years. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Basset’s white is a Rousanne-Marsanne blend (70/30), in… (+) Basset’s white is a Rousanne-Marsanne blend (70/30), in the style of a classic northern Rhône. The nose is soft and enveloping, with tropical notes of mango, pineapple, and green tea. The mouth is rich and round, but well balanced, showing nectarine and honey notes. There’s so much exotic fruit in the nose you almost expect this to be sweet, but the mouth finishes cool and soft and dry. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Located at the northern end of the sprawling… (+) Located at the northern end of the sprawling Languedoc, winemakers Pierre Jéquier and Blandine Chauchat craft blends of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan that perfectly reflect their untamed, rugged landscape. Year in and year out, they manage to find balance and finesse in their warm region.
The Orphée 2018 is an excellent entree to the lineup, a 50/50 Grenache-Syrah blend. The nose is dark and woodsy, combining wild berries, lavender, and sous-bois. The mouth shows black fruits and black licorice, with a juicy texture and serious finish. The 2018 is slightly bolder and more substantial than usual (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Garenne makes less than 200 cases of this… (+) Garenne makes less than 200 cases of this wine per year, and the current release 2018 is lovely. The nose shows cinnamon, cloves, rose petals, and intense cherry liqueur. The oak comes across as spice and smoothness. The mouth is punchy and silky with well built tannins that have weathered their time in barrel beautifully.
We taste a lot of wine, particularly Pinot Noir -- but even we can be surprised from time to time. This is a surprisingly attractive non-Burgundy Pinot Noir with nice depth and a summer weight. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | The 2019 Macon-Verzé is simply delicious, bursting with… (+) The 2019 Macon-Verzé is simply delicious, bursting with pure, vibrant unoaked Chardonnay fruit. Its 50-year-old vines produce a concentrated wine that explodes from the glass with notes of pear, tangerine, wild honey, herbs and chalk. There’s excellent freshness following a smooth, intense, fruit-filled attack.
William Kelley found it “bright and precise” with a “gently honeyed finish,” awarding 90 points and concluding “it’s a terrific value.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Perched on a steep hillside east of the… (+) Perched on a steep hillside east of the town, Malmont’s vines benefit from high (cooler) elevation and plentiful airflow, enabling the grapes to reach maturity without becoming baked or dried out.
The 2019 Rouge is closer to an even syrah/grenache split, and offers a more serious and impressive profile. Haeni raises this one in foudre (large oak barrel), which contributes to the spice and depth of the wine. Here wild cherries and earth join the violets, and the mouth is both deeper and finer grained. This cuvée ages beautifully. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Gautheron's Chablis are old-school: little to no-oak, brisk… (+) Gautheron's Chablis are old-school: little to no-oak, brisk freshness, clean minerality, excellent clarity of terroir. Jasper Morris MW is also a fan, writing in early 2023, “I must say that Cyril Gautheron’s wines are climbing up my table of Chablis producers.”
Raised entirely in stainless steel, this is Chardonnay at its purest and most stripped down. It’s bursting with classic citrus and minerals, with excellent tension across a surprisingly long mouthfeel. “Nicely focused,” writes Neal Martin in Vinous, “well-proportioned with a fine ‘bite’ of acidity…well crafted Petit Chablis.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare… (+) Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare estate since the 1990s, and it’s been in her family since the early 1700s.
Made from grapes in a single sunny, south-facing vineyard, the Vouvray Sec “Coteau les Brûlés” (meaning “burnt hill”) is thicker and fuller than Fontainerie's classic Vouvray cuvée, but most interestingly, it's the 2014. The nose is stony and crisp, with notes of dried apples, apricot and herbs. The mouth is clean and dry, with a surprising freshness, a dose of salt air, and notes of dried flower petals. Serve with a salty goat cheese. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $28 | |
 | The Champenois often mix Pinot Noir juice (skinless… (+) The Champenois often mix Pinot Noir juice (skinless thus colorless) into their cuvées of Champagne, and today’s example from Burgundy borrows this idea. Made from a select plot of 100% Pinot Noir grown in the hills above the Côte d’Or, the Maison Picamelot’s “Terroir de Chazot” is an complex and unusual example of terroir-based sparkling wine.
Most crémant in Burgundy and Alsace is a blend of several varietals from different locations. For this wine, Picamelot decided to isolate a single grape from a single plot and bottle it unblended – the result is a finer, more intense and earthy sparkling wine, with notes of roasted apples and herbs. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Considering the tiny yields achieved from these shriveled… (+) Considering the tiny yields achieved from these shriveled grapes, the low price of this wine is remarkable. Voigny’s nose and mouth are full of the classic honeysuckle, apricots and peaches, but it’s the acidity that keeps this wine lively. Many sweet wines lack acidity and fall flat – Voigny is bursting with freshness to balance out its sweetness.
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There may be no more perfect food-wine pairing than Sauternes with seared foie gras. If your stomach (or conscience) is too sensitive, serve blue cheese as a salty foil instead. Or serve a small glass in place of dessert at the end of the meal. A favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, this iconic wine will round out any cellar with style. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Neal Martin of Vinous calls the Desvignes wines… (+) Neal Martin of Vinous calls the Desvignes wines “excellent,” and “really quite superb.” The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley praises them as “succulent,” “elegant,” and “a decided success.” Kelley named winemaker Gautier Desvignes one of the region’s “Five Emerging Talents to Watch.”
The 2018 shows a dark, brooding nose with a nice mixture of red Givry fruit with dark plum and cinnamon. The mouth is ripe and pleasant, with classic punchy tannins underlying perfectly ripe fruit and a gorgeous texture. Given 20 minutes in the glass this opens into a wine that well outperforms its price. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | In some vintages Prunier’s reds occupy the lightweight… (+) In some vintages Prunier’s reds occupy the lightweight end of the spectrum, requiring some time and a careful food pairing. But in 2018 all they need is a corkscrew and a glass. The Bourgogne rouge 2018 is juicy, punchy, and delicious. From a warm, very ripe year, the Pruniers have crafted a wine bursting with fruit and spunk -- the nose shows beautiful ripe cherries, with notes of licorice and roses. The mouth is fine and chalky, with a croquant (crackling) mouthfeel and elegantly filled in tannins. This isn’t long or subtle or ageworthy -- it’s weeknight red Burgundy full of character and pluck. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | In just over a decade, winemaker Romain Collet… (+) In just over a decade, winemaker Romain Collet has turned his family’s reliable if unremarkable domaine into one of the very best sources in Chablis. The wine press has taken notice too; William Kelley finds “a lot to admire here,” and Jasper Morris recently opined that Romain Collet “is moving towards joining the pantheon in Chablis.”
Jasper Morris called the 2019 Chablis VV “a highly impressive old vine Chablis.” Drawn from soils with very little clay, this is classic, old-school Chablis, full of dry extract and brilliant freshness. Look for dry citrus notes in the nose with oysters shells, salt spray, and melon. The mouth is long, stony and dry, with chiseled texture and not a shred of oak. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Thomas’s 2020 white Burgundies are unusually good –… (+) Thomas’s 2020 white Burgundies are unusually good – a hot year with low yields concentrated both the fruit and the acidity, producing wines jam-packed with flavor and freshness. All of Thomas’s 2020s deliver far above their classification, and the Bourgogne particularly so. Classy yellow fruit palate pulses with energy and golden fleshy roundness – this is entry-level only in name and price.
The nose is soft and elegant, with hazelnut and toasty oak notes melting into lemon and baked apple fruit. The mouth is round and mouthcoating, with delicate freshness acidity balancing a shimmering core. It’s delightful on its own – if you open a bottle while you’re still making dinner, better have a second bottle at the ready. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
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Foulaquier is an excellent source in Pic-St-Loup, at… (+)
Foulaquier is an excellent source in Pic-St-Loup, at the northern end of the sprawling Languedoc. Their wines are natural, wild, sometimes funky, and always delicious. They also exhibit a completeness often absent in low-intervention styles -- where some offer a single, interesting, unusual note, Foulaquier’s wines are a harmonious symphony of nature -- perhaps Philip Glass more than Beethoven, but charming nonetheless.
Foualquier’s 2019 Orphée is natural wine done to perfection. Foulaquier has added no sulfites to this cuvée, but the nose is sophisticated and clean – we’d put it squarely in the middle of the domaine’s typical natural character. It’s raised for 15 months in sandstone amphora and concrete tanks. The nose shows dark fruit, with violets and tapenade; the mouth is young and intense but with excellent intensity. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | The Chastan family has been making wine in… (+) 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 2020 is an easy, early-drinking vintage. It is silky smooth and rich, with dense, sweet fruit and notes of allspice. Though velvety, there is good underlying structure and a bit of earthiness in the finish. A dose of salinity balances the lush fruit, making this a delightful young wine we think will drink well for several years. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | Original price was: $35.$29Current price is: $29. | |
 | The Gerard Thomas 2021s show neither the concentration… (+) The Gerard Thomas 2021s show neither the concentration nor the ripeness of the last three scorching years, but instead carry a daintiness and precision that some (including us) find a welcome relief.
The nose shows sweet cream butter, with a lovely sucrocité. The mouth is dry and savory, trading the plump, tropical ripeness of recent vintages for a cool precision. Pair this with a plate of shrimp scampi. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Sebastien Giroux is a terrific young winemaker farming… (+) Sebastien Giroux is a terrific young winemaker farming just six hectares of vines in and around Pouilly-Fuissé. Giroux’s disciplined organic winemaking results in extraordinary wines – William Kelley describes them as “supple, pure and charming.” Everything in our first importation sold out in months.
From a tiny appellation and a near-perfect Maconnais vintage, the 2020 Pouilly-Loché is a hidden treasure. The nose is clean and refined with notes of white flowers, citrus peel and almond. The mouth is silky and beautiful with perfectly balanced acidity amid notes of yellow fruit, ginger, and tangerine.
(-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Dupré-Goujon, a collaboration between Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien… (+) Dupré-Goujon, a collaboration between Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien Dupré, just down the road from Fred Berne in Côtes de Brouilly. Dupré has a lighter touch than Berne in the cellar, and the wines have less extraction and more finesse
La Démarrante 2022 (“the starter”) is a classic, uncomplicated Gamay. Goujon described it as something you’d find in a “bar à vin,” a refreshing, juicy, Beaujolais embodying the region’s jubilant spirit. The 2021 was crisp and lively, but the 2022 has a bit more meat on the bones. It’s fruit-forward and floral with bright red plums in the nose alongside hints of chalk and spice. The mouth is smooth and easy with low tannin and a clean, refreshing finish.
(-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Nicolas Paget continues to produce excellent, dry, delicious… (+) Nicolas Paget continues to produce excellent, dry, delicious organic Chenin Blanc from the central Loire Valley. From his small, humble domaine not far from the Loire River, Paget produces a wide range of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, all full of energy and life.
This cuvée is Chenin Blanc from more impressive terroir and deeper soils than Paget's Melodie. This nose is perfumed and beautiful, with notes of yellow apples and pear compote. The mouth is rich, smooth and very long with notes of grapefruit, honey, lime and apricot. It sees a few months in old oak barrels, which add a smoothness and spice to the lush fruit. If a Meursault were made from Chenin Blanc it might taste like this. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | Vincent Boyer is among the small group of… (+) Vincent Boyer is among the small group of vignerons who watched the region warming and recognized its potential to elevate the quality of Aligoté, Chardonnay’s poor relation. Les Aligoteurs, as they are known, have brought Aligoté light years beyond its skinny, acidic past. Vincent raises his Aligoté in older versions of the same barrels he uses for his famous wines from Meursault and Puligny, which gives the wine a roundness and weight that we wouldn’t have thought possible from this modest grape. Burghound praised the 2021’s “exceptionally fresh aromas includ[ing] those of lemon rind, green apple and spice,” and its “very fine persistence on the clean and agreeably dry finish.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $29 | |
 | The Olivier family has run the Ferme Fruirouge… (+) The Olivier family has run the Ferme Fruirouge for nine generations. Today they raise their fruits organically and biodynamically, and their crèmes are the cleanest, purest, most intense extraction of fruit we’ve ever seen. We’ll admit some skepticism as they explained that they play baroque music in their cave so the auditory vibrations can help the extraction — but one taste of these cremes and you won’t care what they do to make it.
The French most often use these crèmes for a kir or kir royale — a glass of aligoté or sparkling wine with a splash of crème. It’s a refreshing, delightful cocktail that’s distinct, elegant, and festive. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | St. Estephe is the northernmost of the four… (+) St. Estephe is the northernmost of the four communes that make up the heart of the Haut Medoc on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. Its soils have more clay than those of Pauillac to the south, which makes for particularly full-bodied wines with long lives.
Fleuron de Liot is tiny — the wine comes from a plot of just one and a half acres. It’s equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The 2018 is dominated by dark cabernet fruit that persists on the palate, with notes of cedar. Surprisingly pleasant at this very early moment, it will show its personality better a few years down the road. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| St. Estephe is at the northern end of… (+) St. Estephe is at the northern end of the Haut Médoc, home to the likes of Chateau Cos d’Estournel and Chateau Montrose. The soils of St. Estephe have more clay than those of Pauillac to the immediate south, and this makes for big wines with a dark color and a long life.
The 2019 Fleuron de Liot is intense and delicious, showing chocolate powder, black cherry, tobacco and faint herbs. There’s excellent density and perfectly coated tannins — we think this is a candidate to age nicely for 5-8 years. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Both Vinous’s Neal Martin and the Wine Advocate’s… (+) Both Vinous’s Neal Martin and the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley identified Gautier as a rising star of the Côte Chalonnaise a few years ago, and the results of his work are more impressive every year. Reviewing the excellent 2019s, Kelley reported: “The young Gautier Desvignes continues his rapid ascent at the 11-hectare estate."
Desvignes’s Givry blanc “En Chenèves” comes from vines Gautier planted in 2015 – 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc. The wine is crisp and precise: pure Chardonnay fruit with floral overtones. It offers a completeness and complexity that recalls the famous whites of the Côte d’Or to the north, far overperforming its humble origin. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Sanzay also makes more serious reds, with real… (+) Sanzay also makes more serious reds, with real aging potential and sophistication. Our choice in the 2018 vintage is Saumur-Champigny “Les Dares,” from 55 year-old vines and raised in small oak barrels for 15 months. In this wine a pleasant dose of oak joins the fruit. It’s very attractive in the mouth: round in the opening but with plenty of supporting structure and very nice length. Fine grained tannins support the notes of cranberry, cassis and silky minerality. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | We generally prefer our Cabernet Franc unoaked and… (+) We generally prefer our Cabernet Franc unoaked and pure (see last paragraph), but it’s hard to pass up Sanzay’s Saumur-Champigny rouge “Beauregard." If you like your Loire reds more serious and ageworthy, here’s an exciting find. Today the nose shows toasty oak, but it’s already started to integrate beautifully into the fruit; and we expect the trend to continue. The 50+ year old vines contribute impressive richness, which the Sanzays have handled masterfully -- despite all of the inky, old-vine material, the shape of the wine remains fine and precise (even angular). This is Cabernet Franc at its most Burgundian -- intense, earthy fruit that somehow retains its lift and sophistication. We expect this to improve for another 3-4 years, and wouldn’t be surprised it it was still impressive in 10. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | After a near electrocution more than a decade… (+) After a near electrocution more than a decade ago, winemaker Denis Basset decided to pursue his personal passion and began making wine from the family’s long-established vineyards.
Basset farms a tiny plot of St. Joseph across the Rhône from his home in Crozes. Denis has named it “Les Abimes de l’Enfer” (the depths of Hell) for its vertiginous slopes that are so hard to work. The 2020 is an excellent year, more serious than the Crozes-Hermitage, with exceptionally fine-grained tannins and an elegant, persistent palate. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Their 2020 Gigondas is the most exciting cuvée… (+) Their 2020 Gigondas is the most exciting cuvée we’ve had from them in recent memory. The nose explodes with a symphony of floral notes, combining vibrant wild cherries, garrigue, blackberry, lavender, and earth. The mouth is long and fresh with excellent persistence.
Raynolds gave 93 points, finding “palate-staining red/blue fruit,” with flavors that “deftly blend power and delicacy,” before an “impressively long, floral- and spice-driven finish.” We think it’s a tremendous value, priced in a range to pull out on a chilly weeknight. The perfect accompaniment to a midwinter cold snap. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | The nose is dark and brooding, with no… (+) The nose is dark and brooding, with no apparent oak and beautiful notes of tapenade, dark cherries, and stones. The mouth is compact and long, with a dry, sophisticated finish – it’s polished to sleek modern shine, but retains an rugged, untamed charm.
The Wine Advocate’s reviewer agreed with our enthusiasm, awarding 93 points and calling it “full-bodied, round and fleshy…with a long, silky finish.” He pointed out it’s “already drinking well, and should easily last through the end of the decade.” We think this domaine, and this cuvée in particular, is a real find – an awfully impressive wine under $50. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | Original price was: $49.$32Current price is: $32. | |
 | The Salomon-Undhof estate dates to 1792, and is… (+) The Salomon-Undhof estate dates to 1792, and is currently on its 7th and 8th generation winemakers, father and son Bert and Bert Salomon. Their terraced vines overlooking the Danube have long been an excellent source, with the country’s preeminent wine guide calling them a “figurehead of Austrian wine history.”
The Wachtberg's nose is floral and beautiful, with savory/saline elements melting into lush ripe fruit. The Wine Advocate’s reviewer found notes of “blood orange and grapefruit zest,” calling it “clear, round and elegant.” The texture is more concentrated and waxy than the Wieden, and this will easily accompany foods with a bit of kick – think Thai cuisine or sushi with a healthy dose of wasabi. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | A small valley stretches out from the base… (+) A small valley stretches out from the base of Sancerre’s hill up toward Chavignol, home to the much-celebrated goat cheese “Crottin de Chavignol” (itself a wonderful match for Sancerre). Along the valley there is a famous stretch of clay-limestone terroir called the “Monts Damnés.” It’s steep and imposing, and it consistently generates top-rated Sancerre.
Domaine de la Garenne has its own special terroir along that same slope, right next to the Monts Damnés: Les Bouffants, whose grapes they vinify separately. Sancerre “Bouffants” 2022 offers a chalky and focused grapefruit nose. There’s more intensity in the fruit and more clearly mineral notes mixed in. The wine persists well on the palate and the finish is longer. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Located in Pic-St-Loup, among the best terroirs in… (+) Located in Pic-St-Loup, among the best terroirs in the Languedoc, Foualquier crafts delicious red blends by employing careful biodynamic viticulture. Their wines channel the region’s wildness into exuberant, fruit-and-earth mixtures that are always complex and always polished.
Orphée is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah. The 2020 Orphée is very representative of the vintage – bursting with juicy ripe fruit and tremendous freshness. Fans of 2020 Red Burgundies will recognize a throughline running south to the Languedoc in this wine. It’s dark and mouthfilling but at 13.5% alcohol remains fresh and very vibrant. The nose shows cassis and raspberry, low funkiness, and hints of thyme and earth. The mouth is sturdy and delicious with southern tannins dripping in fresh, inky fruit. Pour this to accompany grilled meats. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Sebastien Giroux is a terrific young winemaker farming… (+) Sebastien Giroux is a terrific young winemaker farming just six hectares of vines in and around Pouilly-Fuissé. Giroux’s disciplined organic winemaking results in extraordinary wines – William Kelley describes them as “supple, pure and charming.” Everything in our first importation sold out in months.
Pouilly-Loché is to Pouilly-Fuissé as St-Aubin is to Chassagne: less famous, but often just as good. The Pouilly-Loché 2019 “Au Bucher” is from 70 year-old vines, resulting in plenty of richness and excellent balance. About 40% of the cuvée was raised in oak (large barrels), which adds a just a hint of wood for more complexity. Jasper Morris found “quite sumptuous ripe apple and yellow fruit, but with enough acidity and good length, with “a feel of granitic tension to finish.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare… (+) Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare estate since the 1990s, and it’s been in her family since the early 1700s.
With 30 grams of residual sugar and excellent minerality, this Demi-Sec is lightly sweet – picture the sweetness in a bowl of ripe berries rather than a slice of cake. The nose is tropical and wonderful, showing quince, pear, and cooked apples. The mouth is smooth, elegant and quite long, with a beautiful velvety texture and almost a hint of tannin. This cuvée probably isn’t sweet enough for dessert – we’d serve it with a spicy Asian dish, sushi with a healthy dose of wasabi, or fish tacos alongside salsa with some authority. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| From their humble small-scale winery outside Saint-Estèphe the… (+) From their humble small-scale winery outside Saint-Estèphe the Negriers quietly craft exceptional wines, far outperforming their classification status. Indeed in a week where we’ve tasted dozens of Left Bank Bordeaux from impressive zip codes, the Negriers' wines stand out for their clarity and character – not to mention their price.
Their Fleuron de Liot from Saint-Estèphe is 50/50 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a humble, traditional, simply delicious Left-Bank Bordeaux. We tasted the 2020 yesterday , and confirm it’s a showstopper – dense, inky and concentrated, pulsating with vibrant fruit and beautiful tension – notes of plums, tobacco, pencil shavings, and gravel in the nose, with a sturdy and perfectly balanced mouth. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Nicolas Maillet is a well-known organic source in… (+) Nicolas Maillet is a well-known organic source in the Maconnais, Burgundy’s southernmost region – William Kelley calls his Macon-Verzé “one of the Mâconnais’s perennial values.” His vines on chalk-limestone soils produce wines of beautiful tension, with classic lush Maconnais fruit, beautiful length and structure, and not a hint of wood.
We love the charming golden character of this wine, a bit more tropical/exotic in its fruit profile than Giroux & Forces-Telluriques, but no less supple. Kelley found notes of “green apple, honeysuckle and orange blossom,” calling it “ample and lively wine that’s pure and mouthwatering.” This is a perfect aperitif wine – a complete mouthful on its own. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| If you like your Loire reds more serious… (+) If you like your Loire reds more serious and ageworthy, here’s an exciting find. The nose shows smoke and anise, which have both started to integrate beautifully into the fruit; and we expect the trend to continue. The 50+ year old vines contribute impressive richness, which the Sanzay Family have handled masterfully -- despite all of the inky, old-vine material, the shape of the wine remains fine and precise (even angular).
This is Cabernet Franc at its most Burgundian -- intense, earthy fruit that somehow retains its lift and sophistication. We expect this to improve for another 3-4 years, and wouldn’t be surprised it it was still impressive in a decade. Lightweight, carefree Cabernet Franc is useful and delicious, but here’s ample proof the grape can perform on a higher level.
(-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Gilles and Séverin Chollet are father and son… (+) Gilles and Séverin Chollet are father and son vignerons in Pouilly-Fumé crafting approachable, tasty, well-priced Sauvignon blancs. The Chollet style is subtler and less punchy than Michot’s, with more refinement and a lighter touch.
Grown on exclusively limestone soils, there’s more concentration and stoniness here, with notes of citrus and oyster shell. There’s excellent density of fruit, and while the palate is packed with flavor, it’s never heavy or overdone. A pleasant dollop of sucrocité joins the notes of gardenia, roses, and lime. This is less explosive than Garenne and Michot, seeking refinement and subtlety rather than a burst of freshness. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | 2017 was a banner year for Syrah, and… (+) 2017 was a banner year for Syrah, and a difficult year for Grenache. Therefore the 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape has equal parts Syrah and Grenache (30%), with the balance made up of 25% Mourvedre and 15% Cinsault. The 2017 vintage offers a gorgeous floral nose, with Syrah’s violets front and center.
The unusually high level of Syrah contributes structure as well, which means that this wine will need a bit of time to round out. When it does it will make for fine drinking — there’s really good complexity and a touch of tar and earth to go with the deep, dark fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $34 | |
| This is 80% grenache (some from centenarian vines)… (+) This is 80% grenache (some from centenarian vines), with the rest Mourvèdre and Cinsault. The fruit is clean and very pure, with a gorgeous silky texture and notes of violets, raspberry, garrigue, and spice. Think of it as Grenache that wants to be Syrah.
Tasted blind you’d swear you were in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It beautifully integrates gorgeous grenache fruit with an earthy, mineral line and a judicious dose of Provençal spice. There’s plenty of material here, but it comes wrapped in a fine-grained structure that will make it drinkable from day one. Look for violets, plums, strawberries, and earth — the mouth is rich but impeccably balanced. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $34 | |
 | Vinous’s Josh Raynolds was effusive about the 2014… (+) Vinous’s Josh Raynolds was effusive about the 2014, awarding 91 points and calling it “supple and seamless,” and remarking how the fruits “caress the palate.” His comment about the wine’s weight — “concentrated but lively as well” — is particularly perceptive. We found dense, silky notes of plum, lavender, and dried raspberries. The mouth is clean and smooth, managing somehow to achieve richness and lift at the same time. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | Original price was: $52.$35Current price is: $35. | |
 | All of our 2017 Red Burgundies are delicious… (+) All of our 2017 Red Burgundies are delicious -- the French call them “restaurant wines,” a reference to their abundance, approachability, and charm. Gros’s 2017 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits boasts unusual polish for its price, with a nose full of violets, cassis, and earth.
Today the wines shows juicy wild cherry fruits, a concentrated earthiness, and a vibrant mouthfeel. It’s a great Burgundy to have around when you’re not feeling the need for Chambolle-Musigny, and it comes in at less than half the price. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Auslese is a late harvest wine made only… (+) Auslese is a late harvest wine made only in years with excellent quality grapes. Dahm's 2005 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese is sweet but beautifully balanced. With 68 grams per liter of residual sugar, it’s far less sweet than Sauternes (80-120 g/L) or Eiswein (160-220 g/L). We think this makes an excellent choice to serve with dessert, rather than in place of it. Look for notes of flowers, apple tart, dried oranges, and a hint of petrol. The mouth is mid-sweet with nice minerality, soft acid, and a clean finish that’s not cloying or heavy. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
| Like their neighbor Jacqueline André in Chateauneuf du… (+) Like their neighbor Jacqueline André in Chateauneuf du Pape, sisters Dany and Carol Chastan have run their family domaine for decades according to organic and biodynamic principles. The wines are all beautifully made, with minimal manipulation and no pretense. They practice old school winemaking — 100% whole clusters, ambient yeasts, no fining or filtering.
The Clos du Joncuas 2018 is very impressive. The nose mixes floral notes of violets with strawberry jam. In the mouth there is plenty of body, but the fine-grained tannins stay in the background while the wine coats the palate. There is very good length and an excellent finish. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Roger and Julie Belland are 5th and 6th… (+) Roger and Julie Belland are 5th and 6th generation growers in Santenay – their wines are perennial favorites among our readers, offering early drinking and friendly pricetags. Belland’s 2019s are magnificent, as classy and supple as anything they’ve produced.
The 2019 Maranges shows ripe red cherry Pinot fruit in the nose and excellent volume in the mouth (but like many 2019s, without any heaviness). Though it has less complexity than its neighbors to the north, it is a nimble wine that will be attractive in a wide range of settings, including all by itself at the end of a work day. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Named for winemaker Philippe Chautard’s grandfather, the cuvée JB… (+) Named for winemaker Philippe Chautard’s grandfather, the cuvée JB Chautard is as close to Champagne as we’ve had outside the region. It’s an 80/20 blend of chardonnay and aligoté, fermented in barrels then left on the lees for a remarkable five years.
The Wine Advocate’s resident Champagne expert William Kelley calls the JB Chautard cuvée “a persuasive case for taking [Crémant de Bourgogne] more seriously.” He found “an elegantly fine mousse, good cut and texture and a sapid, complex finish.” The nose shows brioche, nuts, and buttered bread. The mouth is fine, delicate, and very long. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | The wines of Margaux are prized for their… (+) The wines of Margaux are prized for their elegance and perfume, and our find here delivers both subtlety of fruit and richness of palate. The Chateau du Courneau is the second wine of Chateau Haut Breton la Rigaudiere, a well respected Margaux vineyard which Jane Anson MW describes as “excellent and reliable.” It’s a blend of about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The wine sees 70% new oak for a year, but has more than enough stuffing to withstand the wood.
We found the nose beautifully balanced, with the oak already well integrated. The nose shows notes of raspberry jam, wild dark cherries, and violets; the mouth has beautifully fine tannins with a long, very elegant finish. This will drink well with a steak and a decanter later this year. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Varoilles is best known (and deservedly so) for… (+) Varoilles is best known (and deservedly so) for their terrific village-level and premier cru Gevrey-Chambertins. They only began making a Bourgogne-level wine two years ago, but it’s an exciting addition to their lineup. And in 2018, a year of near-record ripeness, the wine is unusually good.
The nose is very dark and spiced, with briary blackberry fruit, notes of woods, cinnamon, smoke, and a hint of ginger. The mouth is bold and smooth with a solid texture laid under intense masculine fruit. It’s not as long or as deep as a Gevrey, but there’s far more material than most Bourgogne-level wines. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 |