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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 | The recent addition to the Amiot lineup is… (+) The recent addition to the Amiot lineup is Côteaux Bourguignon, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. It is a pleasant and straightforward cuvée with attractive ripe fruit that will be accessible from the day it arrives. The gamay brings a pleasant rusticity and this falls just about where you’d guess – somewhere between a cru Beaujolais and a regional Bourgogne. (-) 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.
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 | 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 | |
 | "Cyril Gautheron is a superb producer making wines… (+) "Cyril Gautheron is a superb producer making wines in a crisp cool classically Chablis style, which is now really quite hard to achieve in these warmer seasons." – Jasper Morris, 2024
The Chablis Vieilles Vignes garnered five stars from Morris – his highest category, awarded to less than 10% of the wines he reviews. Though a fifth of this wine saw time in oak, its influence is in the addition of sophistication and refinement rather than flavor. Morris felt that the old vines “really add something” beyond concentration here, finding “flesh apparent even on the nose” and “searing, chiseled white fruit.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Our producer in Sancerre is the Domaine de… (+) Our producer in Sancerre is the Domaine de la Garenne, owned by members of a leading wine-producing family in the town. The Godon-Reverdys produce superb Sancerre at a variety of price points, and their wines are among the most popular in our portfolio.
Bouffants is a limestone laden terroir, and from it the wine draws its deep mineral intensity. The vines in Bouffants have an average age of 40 years, and so it’s a more serious wine than the regular cuvée, with stony fruit that lingers long on the palate. It's a more sophisticated Sancerre, and in the 2023 vintage, the finish is unusually long. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
 | Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $32 | |
| Drawn from up to 70-year-old vines, this cuvée… (+) Drawn from up to 70-year-old vines, this cuvée for years was reserved only for family enjoyment. Particularly in a warm, concentrated vintage like 2022, it’s juicy, punchy and delightful – more serious than a Beaujolais, but more fun than a Bourgogne.
Amiot’s 2022 Coteaux-Bourguignons shows that top notch winemaking can elevate even humble terroir. The nose is dark and juicy with notes of plums, cherries, and earth. The mouth combines the elegance and length of pinot noir with the juicy freshness of gamay. It’s more complex than a blend of this type usually is, but no less fun. (-) 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 | |
 | 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 | |
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 | Formerly known as the Domaine Mersiol, Domaine Charles… (+) Formerly known as the Domaine Mersiol, Domaine Charles Frey is a terrific biodynamic source in Dambach-la-Ville in the heart of the Alsace.
If you like fruit for dessert, consider offering it to your guests in liquid form. We have always been fans of sweet wine, and late harvest Alsatian wines offer a particularly nice choice in the category. The 2018 Gewurztraminer “Vendanges Tardive” offers its distinctive spicy fruit in an unctuous form, rich and sweet but with plenty of supporting acidity. A glass of this and a few bites of a shortbread cookie will be all you need for a satisfying finish to a fine meal. (-) 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 | |
| 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 | $35 | |
 | It doesn’t take an expert to notice that… (+) It doesn’t take an expert to notice that Guillaume Goujon and Sebastien Dupré are farming organically. Their vines, located in the Côte de Brouilly, share the earth with an impressive array of herbs, flowers, grasses, and wildlife. In the cellar Dupré and Goujon have a similarly light touch – their cuvées are made with whole clusters, ambient yeasts, limited oak and almost no sulfites.
Côte de Brouilly 6.3.1 2020 comes from the domaine’s three distinct terroirs: 60% from a south facing plot, 30% from an east facing plot, and 10% from a granite-heavy plot. The nose on this wine is terrific, darker and slightly more serious than the first – notes of ripe wild cherries and briary blackberry. The mouth is clean and lively, with more lift and freshness than the smooth nose suggests. Bill Nanson found “lip-smacking complexity” and “lithe-muscled presentation,” concluding “this is excellent.” (-) 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 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | The 2021 Red Burgundies have a reputation as… (+) The 2021 Red Burgundies have a reputation as inconsistent and tricky, but someone forgot to tell Gautier. His lineup of 2021 Givrys is outstanding top to bottom, with each cuvée perfectly balanced and crafted – ripe plummy fruit, gorgeous floral aromatics, and sleek, polished textures. William Kelley credits the improvements in Gautier’s wines to the use of manure for fertilizer, a more careful oak regime, lighter filtration, and longer elevage.
The Givry 2021 is open, delicious, and lovely. Gautier dialed back the extraction for this cuvée, and it perfectly matches the intensity of the fruit. The nose is red fruited with cherries and raspberries; the mouth is delicate and silky with mid-to-low tannin and an easy finish. No patience here is required, just a few glasses and a few friends. If accessible red Burgundy is on your shopping list, grab this and cross it off. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | The Boursot brothers passed the difficult vintage test… (+) The Boursot brothers passed the difficult vintage test with flying colors, extracting their wines perfectly and producing cuvées of balance and elegance. And no wine in their lineup was more successful than their humble Bourgogne rouge.
The Boursots decided that the correct amount of oaking for this wine in 2021 was… zero. Raised entirely in stainless steel, their 2021 Bourgogne is accessible, floral, simply delicious Pinot Noir. The nose shows cherry, plum and white flowers; the mouth is fresh and chalky with raspberry notes and low tannin. The dry, classy finish ties it up into a neat package. It’s a perfect house red Burgundy, and one that will pair with everything and nothing at all. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Of the 249 estates given Cru Bourgeois distinction… (+) Of the 249 estates given Cru Bourgeois distinction, Malleret one of only 14 elevated to “Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.” The blend is roughly 60/40 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, and the wine punches well above its weight.
The nose is deep and intense without a hint of evolution – look for notes of blackberry, leather, and cocoa. The mouth shows slightly softened tannins (but with enough left to keep it clean-cut), excellent concentration, and a perfectly coated, surprisingly long finish. Neal Martin of Vinous, a notoriously tough grader, gave 91 points, finding an “intense bouquet” with “superb delineation” on the palate, concluding “this is definitely worth seeking out.”
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 | Our producer in Sancerre is the Domaine de… (+) Our producer in Sancerre is the Domaine de la Garenne, owned by members of a leading wine-producing family in the town. The Godon-Reverdys produce superb Sancerre at a variety of price points, and their wines are among the most popular in our portfolio.
This year there’s a new single-terroir wine to offer: “Les Villaudes,” from the 2022 vintage. This cuvée is from a small parcel close to the domaine on clay-limestone soils, and the vines average 25 years. Villaudes is raised for a full year on the lees in an oak foudre. It doesn’t show the wood, indeed we tasted before knowing the elevage and thought it unoaked; over its year in foudre the lees add complexity, and micro-oxygenation rounds it out. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | His newest cuvée is a village level Chablis… (+) His newest cuvée is a village level Chablis called “Valée de Valvan.” It’s from vines that have achieved their years-long EU organic certification, perched on a hillside facing his “Montmains” plot.
Jasper Morris MW found it “generous yet classic…good stuff;” Neal Martin of Vinous writes “palate is well balanced with commendable weight and fruit concentration…focused.” We loved the notes of pear and lemon zest, mixing with oyster shells and limestone.
With a 100% stainless steel elevage and 12.5% alcohol, this is vibrant, pure, exquisite everyday Chablis. Serve with anything and nothing.
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 | Christophe farms plots more than a dozen plots… (+) Christophe farms plots more than a dozen plots around the appellation, blending Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, and a touch of Cinsault. The elevage is 18 months, mostly in foudres and large oak, with some in cement eggs and vats. The resulting wine is accessible, crowd pleasing, and the perfect bottle to welcome fall.
The 2022 vintage is particularly attractive. It offers an expressive nose of youthful fruit with attractive floral notes. It’s rich and supple of course, but with noticeable freshness that prevents heaviness and keeps it juicy. The bigger the glass you have, the more you’ll appreciate the nose. Serve with an autumn stew.
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 | This is our fifth vintage buying from Sofie… (+) This is our fifth vintage buying from Sofie Bohrmann, a domaine in Meursault whose wines we discovered in a Beaune restaurant. Her wines are quietly brilliant, many hailing from well-known vineyards in St-Aubin, Puligny and Meursault. Her 2022 white Burgundies are terrific – low in alcohol, full of ripe fruit and excellent freshness, with terrific concentration and appealing textures.
From vines near Meursault, this cuvée offers more than a little of the golden, opulent quality of the famous town. The 2022 is simply beautiful, with a sleek core of yellow orchard fruit with lemon peel and minerals – drier than in past years, with more polish. The nose shows very light toast, and the texture is dense and sophisticated. This well outperforms its regional-level billing, and we’d struggle to find a better value white Burgundy in our portfolio. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | This white Beaujolais is 100% chardonnay, and from… (+) This white Beaujolais is 100% chardonnay, and from organically farmed vines at 300m elevation near Brouilly. Winemaker Guillaume Goujon raises this ⅔ in 600L barrels and ⅓ in tank, fermenting with ambient yeasts and giving a year of elevage before bottling. The resulting wine is sunny and ripe as expected from its latitude, but with low alcohol (13%) and exquisite freshness and detail.
We’ve long enjoyed this wine at tastings, but have never received an allocation until now. It’s simply beautiful, natural white Burgundy – a bit like a low-intervention Maconnais white but with more minerality. The nose shows apricots and fresh herbs, while the mouth is long, lush, and silky, balanced with beautiful chalky freshness. James Suckling’s writer Stuart Spigott was blown away, writing “This could well be the best dry white wine made so far in Beaujolais.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $35 | |
 | Denis Basset is a young winemaker based in… (+) Denis Basset is a young winemaker based in Crozes-Hermitage, recently included by Decanter and the Guide Hachette in a dynamic new generation of Crozes-Hermitage winemakers. His plot in Saint-Joseph covers less than an acre, and bears the name Abimes de l?Enfer (the ?Abyss of Hell?) for its vertiginous slope.
Basset calls it his garden: a minuscule plot producing only 200 cases per year. It?s always one of our favorite cuv?es from him, but in the near-perfect 2015 vintage it?s nothing short of extraordinary. The nose shows spices, violets and intense black pepper; the mouth shows blackberry jam with notes of roasted meat, licorice, and toast. The flavors are intense and distilled, a wine of remarkable complexity packaged into a sleek, sophisticated core. At only 13% alcohol it?s mouthfilling and chewy, but without an ounce of heaviness. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
 | Originally part of Gros’s regular Hautes-Côtes, this new… (+) Originally part of Gros’s regular Hautes-Côtes, this new cuvée is from 30 year old vines on a particularly sunny hillside. This plot always turned out silkier wine than the other Hautes-Côtes cuvées, and so Michel decided to bottle separately beginning last year.
The 2016 Au Vallon caught our attention immediately during barrel tastings last year, and since then the wine press has rung in with agreement. The Guide Hachette awarded a star, citing its “power without roughness.” Jancis Robinson’s reviewers founding “a very good attack” and “lots of punch,” and called it a “deliciously complete wine.”
We’ve been even more impressed since this arrived in the states in December. The nose is ripe and red, with notes of pretty flowers and raspberries. The mouth is sunny and bright, showing low acidity and pleasant carefree notes of cherries and cinnamon. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
 | 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 2017 Calades is a marriage of ruggedness and finesse. It’s young and inky, with a broad mouthfeel and fine, pretty tannins. The blend is 80/20 Syrah-Grenache, so the fruits are blue and peppery, with notes of violets, earth and spice. This should improve for 3-5 years, but with roast lamb and a decanter it's delicious today. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
 | In the last decade the winemaker has modernized… (+) In the last decade the winemaker has modernized the house style, converting her opulent, palate-coating Chassagnes into something sleeker and more modern. Clive Coates MW considers her wines “not merely very good but fine;” Jasper Morris MW calls her top cuvées “spectacular” and “impressive.”
Look for pretty lemon and white flowers in the nose, very low oak, and attractive chalky notes. The mouth is round and lovely, with plenty of depth and excellent freshness. Jasper Morris found it “Fresh and attractively reductive…. Fresh energy, lime acidity at the back, good tension, delicious in its style. Good length too.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
| In the last decade the winemaker has modernized… (+) In the last decade the winemaker has modernized the house style, converting her opulent, palate-coating Chassagnes into something sleeker and more modern. Clive Coates MW considers her wines “not merely very good but fine;” Jasper Morris MW calls her top cuvées “spectacular” and “impressive.”
Look for pretty lemon and white flowers in the nose, very low oak, and attractive chalky notes. The mouth is round and lovely, with plenty of depth and excellent freshness. Jasper Morris found it “Fresh and attractively reductive…. Fresh energy, lime acidity at the back, good tension, delicious in its style. Good length too.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
| Bohrmann is a master of careful oaking. Her… (+) Bohrmann is a master of careful oaking. Her terrific cuvées from Meursault, Puligny, and St-Aubin channel each town’s terroir with honesty and precision – just enough wood to support the wine, but not enough to get in the way.
The Bourgogne blanc 2020 is smooth, elegant, floral, and concentrated. In the nose it reminded us of Meursault, and a bit of research confirmed Meursault and Puligny as the neighborhood for the regional-level vines. The mouth is cool, impressively long, and vibrant. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
| Free East Coast Shipping | $36 | |
 | Sanzay's wines are pure Cabernet Franc, and fit… (+) Sanzay's wines are pure Cabernet Franc, and fit modern Loire style — small batch, organic, limited oak, concerned with balance and freshness rather than extraction and muscle. They use all wild yeasts, neither fine nor filter, and produce complex, natural expressions of the charming central Loire.
The vines here are nearly 60 years old, giving small yields and very intense fruit. This cuvée spends more than a year in barrel, and the resulting wine is serious, elegant, and ageworthy. We’d give this 2-3 years before trying it, and would love to try it in 10. The oak in the 2017 has already started to melt into the fruit, adding hints of mint and thyme to the dark, masculine fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | When we started buying from Gerard Thomas most… (+) When we started buying from Gerard Thomas most writers saw St Aubin as a sideshow to the celebrated white Burgundy towns of the Côte de Beaune. Whether it’s a changing climate or merely recognition of what has been there all along, today’s writers put St. Aubin at a comparable quality level; yet the wines remain more affordable.
The nose of the 2019 is delightful, with subtle notes of clove and spice, a lovely complement to the ripe citrus fruit in the mouth. It persists on the palate longer than does the Bourgogne, and the overall impression is one of finesse more than punch. Julia Harding MW called it “generous and creamy.”
More from Thomas (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | Charles Frey (formerly Mersiol) is a terrific Demeter-certified… (+) Charles Frey (formerly Mersiol) is a terrific Demeter-certified biodynamic source in Alsace. The family has made wine in Dambach-la-Ville since 1709, and today makes excellent wines of many colors. The Frey Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardive (late harvest) 2017 offers a beautiful floral bouquet of apricot, peach, and mandarin orange.
In the mouth it is sweet, but the sugar levels are on the order of fifty grams — about half the level of many other dessert wines. What is more, the underlying acidity prevents any cloying sweetness. Get this out at the end of a fine meal and it will surprise and delight your guests. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | The Fontaine-Saint-Martin vineyard is named for a nearby… (+) The Fontaine-Saint-Martin vineyard is named for a nearby Cistercian abbey that dates to 1127. The hillside of vines was in production for centuries, and Michel has made wine there for over 40 years. The Fontaine St-Martin plot is indeed special — soil samples revealed the parcel contains the same mix of marl, clay, and limestone found on the Hill of Corton.
Neal Martin on the 2017: "a fragrant, rose-petal-tinged bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannin, moderate depth and more black than red fruit toward the chalky-textured finish. This is the best of Gros’s Hautes-Côtes." (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
| Here there is the classic petrol-infused slate-y nose… (+) Here there is the classic petrol-infused slate-y nose, and in the mouth there is a certain salinity and a pleasant impression of its dryness. The Grand Cru pedigree means the palate offers a lot of complexity, and three years of evolution add a faint savory note in the nose. This is serious wine with much to offer to fans of the style. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | Poggerino’s Chianti Classico and Riserva are delicious year… (+) Poggerino’s Chianti Classico and Riserva are delicious year in and year out. This year, in addition to their delicious Sangiovese Rosato, we’ve added their “Nuovo” cuvée – a Chianti Classico that spends a year in concrete eggs before bottling. The shape of these vessels induces a slow, natural circulation of the liquid within, increasing contact with the lees and smoothing out the wines tannin.
The resulting cuvée is big and opulent, trading some precision for the richness and roundness that characterizes this more modern take on the wine. It provides some of the density of the Riserva, but with an earlier drinking window. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | The Marsanne varietal produces rich, exotic, tropical notes… (+) The Marsanne varietal produces rich, exotic, tropical notes of pears and peaches; the Roussanne brings freshness, savoriness, and a crisp minerality to the blend. Together they are an expressive, generous, captivating combination.
The first thing we look for in a white Rhône blend is freshness – without it the wines easily slip into flatness – and indeed today’s wine is expertly balanced. The nose is bright and clean with citrus, pear, melon, and no toast. The palate is juicy and mouthwatering, with orchard fruit, straw and nectarine.
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