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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 | For his 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Romain… (+) For his 2021 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons, Romain uses an elevage of ⅓ barrels, ⅓ foudre, and ⅓ stainless tank, and it suits the vineyard very well. The vines here are between 55 and 60 years old, and they produce a nicely balanced wine, with good concentration and well-supported ripeness.
Jasper Morris found the bouquet “both stylish and typical, stones with lemon zest.” Burghound praised its “cool and airy aromas,” its “intense and attractively sleek” flavors, and its “lovely minerality.” The Burgundy pricing bubble still hasn’t floated to Chablis, and we think this is tremendously polished sub-$40 white Burgundy. Enjoy this all fall and into cocktail party season.
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 | Romain Collet’s 2021s are terrific, pulsing with crisp… (+) Romain Collet’s 2021s are terrific, pulsing with crisp minerality and beautiful tension. Romain raises his “Forêts” cuvée in cement eggs to give it a bit of extra weight from time on the lees, and the resulting texture is a perfect balance between depth and zip. We found notes of lemon peel, oyster shell, yellow fruit and salt air.
Burghound loved this cuvée, awarding 90-93 points and finding “white peach, sea breeze… fine volume…powerful, even muscular, medium-weight flavors that flash ample minerality.” This is delicious, dynamic, and (we think) a real bargain – we just wish there were more to go around. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | 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.
Desvignes premier cru “Grand Berge” vines lie just in back of the domaine, and the wine is particularly expressive this year. The nose shows raspberries and pepper with forest floor and violets. The mouth is sleek and medium weight, with layers of fruit neatly packed over a long, precise profile. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | Michel Gros’s humblest wines still carry his signature… (+) Michel Gros’s humblest wines still carry his signature focus and polish. The 2021, from a cool vintage with a traditionally Burgundian shape, is understated and beautiful, wtih excellent freshness and a delicate cherry nose. Serve in large glasses and with food with a healthy amount of fat. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | The blanc de blancs Crémant Jean-Baptiste Chautard, named for the Founder… (+) The blanc de blancs Crémant Jean-Baptiste Chautard, named for the Founder, is the Maison Picamelot’s flagship wine. The current offering is from the 2016 harvest and a part spends time in oak barrels. With seven years on the lees it has developed plenty of complexity. The fruit recalls pear and apricot, and there are notes of brioche and oak alongside.
We cellar some of this wine in the bottle and recently have opened strikingly good bottles from the harvests of 2012 and 2015. During warehouse tastings last fall we put the 2015 up against some true Champagne – the Chautard more than acquitted itself (at half the price) and to some tasters won outright. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
 | “Beautiful and bountiful,” writes Jasper Morris of the… (+) “Beautiful and bountiful,” writes Jasper Morris of the 2022 red Burgundies; “very good wines and plenty of them.” William Kelley calls them “succulent, suave and charming”, “offering excellence in both colors and in a wide variety of styles.” Roger Belland's reds are entirely classic, with ripe modern fruit but traditional, low-alcohol textures.
His Maranges premier cru “Fussiere” is excellent in 2022, with a very attractive texture. It has plenty of substance, with pleasantly ripe tannins and good dark fruit. The fruits are plum and cherry, with a youthful, friendly texture – bring this along to a summer picnic. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $38 | |
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 | 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 Joncuas Gigondas 2016 is a magnificent. It’s 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. The Wine Advocate awarded 93 points, finding it “big and balanced,” “plush,” and “velvety and long.” Close your eyes and this is easily a Châteauneuf-du-Pape; open them and it’s an astonishing amount of wine for under $40. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | After a leisurely maceration of 25 days, the… (+) After a leisurely maceration of 25 days, the wine is pressed off the skins and raised in foudres for 8 months, then bottled without the addition any sulfur. Mittelweg 2018 is strikingly expressive, not quite like any other wine you have tasted. The mouth is very dry, with white pepper and herbs.
The mouth shows plenty of muscat fruit for sure, but also herbal honey and notes of hay similar to sauvignon blanc. The nose has an attractive note of Cascade hops that reminded us of the Peeper ale from Maine Beer Company. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | The 2018 Grüner Veltliner “Lindberg” contains all the beautiful dry… (+) The 2018 Grüner Veltliner “Lindberg” contains all the beautiful dry material of the Watchberg, but with an added splash of fruit. The nose has the elegance and fruit-earth balance of a fine white Burgundy, no doubt a testament to the vineyard’s 70 year old vines. There’s a tad of residual sugar in this wine — the fermentation stopped with 8 grams left, and the winemakers elected to bottle according to Nature’s apparent wishes — but the acidity and minerality handle the sweetness well, and we thought the wine in perfect balance.
The Wine Advocate awarded 91 points, finding “remarkable purity and elegance,” alongside “crystalline acidity and lingering salinity.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | The Domaine Gross is our new producer from… (+) The Domaine Gross is our new producer from the Alsace. Though the domaine is generations old, Vincent Gross of the latest generation has brought it to the cutting edge of modern winemaking. They farm organically, follow the principles of biodynamics, and make expressive, terrific wine.
Their dry Grand Cru Muscat is seriously good -- far better and more interesting than most versions of the grape. The grapes were pressed very slowly, allowing for intense extraction from the extended skin contact. Muscat has a unique aromatic profile, but the nose of this wine is particularly complex, with ripe muscat fruit mingling with a definite mineral line. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle craft excellent… (+) Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle craft excellent, traditional white and red Burgundies in their underrated down of Auxey-Duresses. Their reds are punchy and bright, with refreshing mouthfeels. Their whites are smooth, floral, and round, with excellent depth and beautifully layered expressions.
At the village level, the 2018 Auxey-Duresses rouge is the most drinkable young Auxey we have seen in years. There’s an expressive nose of dark cherry fruit and the wine is ripe enough on the palate to feel almost rich. The tannins are ripe and fine-grained, suggesting a wine that could age quite well. Look for a lovely mix of cassis and anise, and a delightfully chewy finish. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | The 2019 vintage at Michel Gros is dazzling… (+) The 2019 vintage at Michel Gros is dazzling and delicious. Like much else in 2019, the reds show exceptional concentration. A cool spring delayed flowering to mid-June (once considered normal) and after a warm, dry summer, the domaine harvested perfectly clean fruit under sunny mid-September conditions.
The nose shows perfume, toast, red berries, and minerals, with a precision and tension that reminded us of a village Morey-St-Denis. Burghound found “excellent volume,” and called it “big and rather serious wine.” We agree, and think this overperforms its appellation by a mile. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | The 2020 St. Aubin “Champ Tirant” may be the best… (+) The 2020 St. Aubin “Champ Tirant” may be the best vintage we have seen of this wine. The nose offers a lovely blend of oak and fruit. In the mouth there is plenty of energy, with a touch of grape skin and Puligny-like supporting acidity front and center; which then melts into something rounder and more complex. The balance is excellent, and there is very good persistence and a complex finale. This is first-rate Champ Tirant, resembling a premier cru more than a village wine. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
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 | Year in and year out, in warm vintages… (+) Year in and year out, in warm vintages and cool, Maillet’s wines retain a balance and freshness that’s remarkably consistent. Maillet credits organic viticulture, natural yeasts, and long cool fermentations with the energy found in these lush, vibrant Chardonnays.
This is the only cuvée Maillet raises in oak, and while it’s a departure in style, the wine is truly delicious. The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé is a more serious wine than his others, with notes of lemon peel and crême brûlée. In the mouth the abundant yellow fruit and delicate acidity join a subtle salinity – think pear, seashells, sweet-cream butter and faint toast. The finish is exceptionally long and rich, carried through with excellent focus. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
| 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 village level St-Aubin Champ Tirant is more earthy and savory than the Bourgogne, with less cream in the nose – it’s long in the mouth, with an easygoing mouthfeel and fresh finish. Jancis Robinson’s reviewer found “rich, broad fruit with precise, sculpted purity and freshness,” and “well-judged oak.”
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 | Nicolas Ragot is our newest Côte Chalonnaise source… (+) Nicolas Ragot is our newest Côte Chalonnaise source, and one of the leading producers in Givry. He makes ample use of amphoras, which give his wines an appealing patina and exquisite freshness. William Kelley calls his reds “supple and flavorful,” Jancis Robinson writes of their “purity” and “classiness,” and Neal Martin of Vinous finds them “caressing,” “fleshy,” and “excellent.”
Ragot’s village-level 2022 Givry Vieilles Vignes comes from a small plot with an average vine age of 50 years. Ragot uses 20% whole clusters, and the density of the old vine fruit is apparent. This is a beautiful introduction to the Ragot style: a deeply perfumed and spiced nose, with perfectly coated tannins and excellent freshness. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | Vessigaud is a committed biodynamic vigneron whose wines… (+) Vessigaud is a committed biodynamic vigneron whose wines are Demeter certified, the highest organic classification. In the bottle this translates to superb purity and clarity, with careful elevage and excellent balance. As William Kelley puts it, “succulent but serious, any bottle bearing Vessigaud’s label is worth seeking out.”
Their Vieilles Vignes cuvée, a combination of twenty plots around the appellation with an average age of 60 years. The wine sees 18 months of elevage (20% in tank, 80% in oak between 7 and 15 years old), and shows terrific balance of fruit, stones, and wood. The nose is expressive and pure, with a hint of exotic fruit joining the classical Chardonnay notes. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | While the market continues to bid up the… (+) While the market continues to bid up the price of Burgundy, the Domaine Michel Gros offers a refuge with its lineup of four excellent regional red wines, which are both delicious and capable of pleasing for many years.
Hautes Côtes “Au Vallon” faces directly south and so ripens a bit more readily than the regular cuvée. The 2021 Vallon will require less patience than the regular bottling, offering both dark and red fruits along with notes of spice and violets. It’s a wine of medium weight with good precision that should drink well immediately. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
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| Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | The Domaine Dupré-Goujon is quietly becoming a leading… (+) The Domaine Dupré-Goujon is quietly becoming a leading domaine in the Beaujolais. Winemaker Sebastien Dupré and Guillaume Goujon are crafting outstanding wines that elevate the potential of the gamay grape. Part of the Dupré-Goujon recipe is an extended elevage (for their reds) of over two years, first in barrels, and then in tanks. This is nearly unheard-of patience in the Beaujolais, but the results speak for themselves.
Dupre-Goujon’s Côte de Brouilly “Pavé” cuvée is from 60 year old gamay vines, and the intensity from the aged vines is evident. The nose on the 2021 is deep and floral, with beautiful violet perfume; the mouth is at once chiseled and juicy, with a savory profile joining the brairy dark fruits. The tannins are fine and papery, a perfect structure for the classy fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | Part of the Dupré-Goujon recipe is an extended… (+) Part of the Dupré-Goujon recipe is an extended elevage (for their reds) of over two years, first in barrels, and then in tanks. This is nearly unheard-of patience in the Beaujolais, but the results speak for themselves. Their 2021 Côte de Brouilly “Heronde” is the best wine we’ve had from them, all this in a vintage that produced more misses than hits.
The 2021 is magnificent – deep and perfumed but remarkably light on its feet. Writing for James Suckling’s review, Spigott gave 96 points, calling it “a truly astonishing wine…stunning concentration…explosive stony minerality.” The tannins are exceptionally fine, supporting deep floral notes of peony and roses. We think the complexity here rivals many wines at twice the price from the Côte d’Or, and indeed the subtlety and elegance calls to mind a Volnay made from Gamay. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $39 | |
 | 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.
It’s pure carignan from 60-year-old vines, aged half in amphora and half in barrels. The 2017 shows just how good Foualquier can be. The nose is clean and exquisite, showing gorgeous crushed strawberries and thyme. The mouth is at once dainty and dense, elegant and rugged — a combination we’ve only found to this degree chez Foulaquier. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | Poggerino’s wines are all pure sangiovese — dark… (+) Poggerino’s wines are all pure sangiovese — dark, delicately balanced expressions of an intense, powerful grape. We’ve worked with Poggerino for almost 15 years, but recently their star has risen dramatically. In his recent book Rajat Parr calls their wines “some of the purest expressions of [Sangiovese] in Italy.”
Antonio Galloni, who called the 2016 Riserva “a total knockout,” called the 2017 “another stellar wine.” He found much freshness in its “freshly cut flowers and sweet, red berry fruit,” and identified notes of “rose petal, blood orange, and spice” lingering on the “racy, exquisite finish.”
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 | The 2018 Forces Tellurique Viré-Clessé features clean, pure… (+) 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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 | This wine is packed with dry yellow fruit… (+) This wine is packed with dry yellow fruit, with delicate minerality amid a faint background freshness. The soil composition of this plot is very similar to Corton-Charlemagne, about 10 miles away in the Côte d’Or — and indeed the soft white flowers for which the famous Grand Cru is known are present in this cuvée too. Exotic fruits and apricot dominate the palate, with restrained notes of oak. This is lovely, unusually aromatic white Burgundy that requires no patience. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | Of the 2020 Jasper Morris MW writes: “… (+) 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 (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| Romain Collet took over as principal winemaker not… (+) 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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 | Romain Collet took over as principal winemaker not… (+) 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.
This top premier cru vineyard produced very attractive wine in 2020, offering a combination of power, length, and complexity that is hard to beat. The nose is deep, dry, and beautifully layered, with white flowers, saline, seashells and lemon peel. The mouth is rich but not heavy, with oak carefully integrated and notes of dry apple and stones. Jasper Morris gave 90-93, calling it “harmonious” and “one of the more powerful wines” in the lineup. Burghound awarded 90-92, finding “excellent volume” and calling it “unusually powerful yet refined.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | 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 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. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| The nose is extraordinary, hitting high notes and… (+) 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.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | At the Domaine Michel Gros, 2020 brings another… (+) At the Domaine Michel Gros, 2020 brings another stellar lineup of beautiful red Burgundies, very much in the style of the superb 2019s. The 2020 growing season in the Côte de Nuits was much like 2019: hot, sunny, dry, and very early.
A substantial part of the Fontaine St. Martin is planted to Chardonnay, producing the Domaine’s only white wine, Fontaine St-Martin blanc. Like most white Burgundies from the vintage, the 2020 Fontaine St. Martin blanc offers particularly nice balance, offering ripe fruit and attractive aromatics along with a surprising amount of freshness and support for the wine despite the hot growing season. Look for a touch of lemon peel that brightens the palate, which also shows notes of more exotic fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | After three vintages characterized by extraordinary heat and… (+) After three vintages characterized by extraordinary heat and historically early harvests, 2021 is a return to typical in terms of weight, ripeness and richness. It is what the French like to call “classique” and its virtue is in approachability and elegance rather than boldness.
Maison Lestimé Hautes Côtes de Beaune “Clos Bortier” 2021 opens with a gorgeous, exuberant nose of fresh strawberries. The freshness carries through onto the palate, where its lighter weight leaves the focus entirely on the strawberry fruit and the mineral line that complements it. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| For more than fifteen years we thought of… (+) For more than fifteen years we thought of Poggerino as our secret, but the word is definitely out now. Vinous’s Antonio Galloni considers their wines “some of the purest expressions of the Sangiovese grape in Italy."
The Chianti Classico “Riserva Bugialla” 2019 offers a different texture from the Classico. It is richer and more full-bodied than the Classico 2020, with dark red fruit and mouth-filling roundness. Galloni thought that “Black cherry, incense, leather and spice give this virile Riserva plenty of complexity.” He called it a “dark, powerful wine, . . . impressive, especially in terms of its depth and overall substance.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | 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.”
Fourneaux premier cru is another right bank premier cru and lies just down the slope from the Gautherons’ winery in the hamlet of Fleys. There’s more clay in the soils here, which adds some power, and the name (meaning “oven”) refers to the warm, sunny valley where sits the domaine. The wine is raised entirely in tank, and lacks for nothing in the way of complexity. The Fourneaux 2021 is delightful, with white more than yellow peach in a pleasantly chalky nose and a particularly nice balance in the mouth. It has an elegant, unctuous concentration that persists on the palate and finishes long. With intense fruit and a nice dollop of sucrocité, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser – perfectly balanced Chablis. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | The Vaillons premier cru lies on a slope… (+) The Vaillons premier cru lies on a slope parallel to Montmains on Chablis’s left bank, known as a source of chiseled, vibrant wines. Gautheron’s Vaillons 2021 is round and full on the palate despite the vintage’s relative freshness. Morris gave it 90-93 points, writing: “Very pale colour, with impressive tension on the nose. The stones are there and a bit of flesh, too, pure and typical with the usual dry finish. Old vines here. Really very long.”
This is everything you want from Chablis – savory intensity, perfectly ripe fruit, brisk stony backbone and laser focused finish. This needs no accompaniment – a delicious, complete glass of white wine on its own. But should hunger force your hand, this will match anything in need of zip – scallops, creamy oysters, swordfish, lobster, chicken sausages, etc (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | Jancis Robinson: "A very classy Hautes-Côtes de Beaune… (+) Jancis Robinson: "A very classy Hautes-Côtes de Beaune with a precise, chiselled character... Plenty of freshness... Nice mineral hint to finish."
Jasper Morris (5 stars): "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." (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | Winemaker Philippe Cheron’s newly formed Domaine du Couvent… (+) Winemaker Philippe Cheron’s newly formed Domaine du Couvent is quietly making a stellar name for itself from its unmarked and unadorned cuverie in Nuits-St-Georges. Cheron perfectly navigated the 2021 vintage, and his wines are beautifully formed from top to bottom. None was more successful than his humble Bourgogne rouge.
Cheron’s only regional-level wine comes from two plots around Gevrey-Chambertin, and the wine’s fruit has an unmistakably Côte de Nuits tenor. The nose is dark and pretty with violets and red berries; the mouth is sleek and fresh with notable length and notes of plum, rose petals, and toast. Burghound awarded it his “outstanding for the appellation” award, finding it “vibrant and solidly voluminous” with “good detail and… fine length.” Jasper Morris found it “very pretty with a lively finish” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | 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 1er cru Clos Charlé is seriously classy red Burgundy. The nose is deep and beautiful, with wild cherries, chocolate, baking spice and cinnamon. Again the extraction is masterful – just enough armature to match the material. It’s noticeably longer than the village, but not a bit harsh, with tannins that are subtle, papery, and fine. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| Romain Collet took over as principal winemaker not… (+) 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.
This top premier cru vineyard produced very attractive wine in 2020, offering a combination of power, length, and complexity that is hard to beat. The nose is deep, dry, and beautifully layered, with white flowers, saline, seashells and lemon peel. The mouth is rich but not heavy, with oak carefully integrated and notes of dry apple and stones. Jasper Morris gave 90-93, calling it “harmonious” and “one of the more powerful wines” in the lineup. Burghound awarded 90-92, finding “excellent volume” and calling it “unusually powerful yet refined.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | "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
At the premier cru level, 2022 offers an embarrassment of riches. Gautheron’s Chablis 1er cru “Vaucoupin” has many loyal buyers. It is always raised entirely in stainless steel, yielding an impressive purity of fruit. In 2022, Morris praised its “good tension, with lemon and lime, a little youthful bitterness, very promising in its classical Vaucoupin style.” We found a note of white peach among the citrus (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| "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
Their vines here are old ones, and lie at both the top and the bottom of Vaillons’ long slope. Vaillons is classic left bank Chablis – cooler and less sunny – and the wine is drier and more piercing than Gautheron’s others. Morris was particularly impressed with the domaine’s Vaillons in 2022, projecting a score of 94 and writing "All in white fruit, barely even any lemons, with the requisite drier stony finish and the pleasing youthful grip. A fine example.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
| "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, on Gautheron's 2022s
The Fourneaux premier cru 2022 regular cuvée was raised without any oak. In weight it is more Puligny than Meursault, to borrow a comparison from the Côte d’Or. When we tasted it, the nose was showing subtle ripe fruit, leaning orchard over citrus. Its combination of ripeness and elegance is hard to beat, and we serve it across a range of dishes. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
 | 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 cuvée used to be called "Infidele," but is now “Silex” -- it comes from a small parcel laden with flint, whose characteristic aromas include a touch of gunflint smokiness. This wine has always offered extraordinary density and a sumptuous mouthfeel, and that is a feature of the 2022 vintage as well. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 | |
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 | The most clay-rich of Collet’s terroirs is “Butteaux,”… (+) The most clay-rich of Collet’s terroirs is “Butteaux,” a south-east facing sector of the Montmains vineyard on Chablis’s left bank. For this cuvée, Romain ages the wine in a combination of old oak barrels (5 to 10 years). The resulting wine has a concentration and layered complexity somewhere between premier cru and grand cru.
It’s not exactly classic Chablis – less brisk and angular than some of Romain’s cuvées; but it’s perfectly balanced and simply delicious in the glass. It begins with a rich attack of concentrated fruit that might make you think of modern Puligny-Montrachet, but a vibrant splash of Chablisienne minerals bursts through the palate and it finishes dry and precise.
Jasper Morris MW was similarly impressed, finding “lovely generous fruit yet with tension. Very good this year,” and awarding 91-94 points – just a point behind Romain’s Grand Cru Valmur. Think of it as a particularly stony Puligny-Montrachet, at a roughly 50% discount...
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 | Winemaker Romain Collet has deftly steered his family’s… (+) Winemaker Romain Collet has deftly steered his family’s domaine through this new climate, and we’re not alone in this conclusion. Wine Critics Allen Meadows (Burghound) and William Kelley (Wine Advocate) have noted a “higher level of refinement” and a “significant upsurge in quality.” Jasper Morris MW writes that Romain Collet “is moving towards joining the pantheon” in Chablis.
Collet’s 2022 Chablis 1er cru “Forets” is a delicious, classy Chablis. It’s raised mostly in cement eggs, which add depth and texture to the crisp minerals and fruit. This is delightful, complete white Burgundy on its own, but also a terrific match with food. Burghound cites “minerality on the moderately austere and quite dry finale.” He concludes, “I like both the balance and the delivery and this is one to consider.”
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| Gautier’s 2022s show a talented winemaker firing on… (+) Gautier’s 2022s show a talented winemaker firing on all cylinders. He has refined his cellar technique considerably, using gentler extractions, and focused his barrel work through exhaustive (some might say obsessive) experimentation and tasting. The resulting wines easily rival reds from the Côte d’Or in detail and complexity, and simply blow them away on price.
Gautier’s Givry 1er cru “Grand Berge” is from vines just in back of the domaine, and is the friendliest of the Desvignes premier crus. The 2022 is lovely and welcoming – dark and floral with a dose of toast and a rich, jammy complexion. The vintage provides ample concentration but no heat. Look for raspberry and violets, and a clean medium weight finish. Serve this with a mushroom risotto. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $42 |