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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Vinous writer Josh Raynolds calls the Domaine du… (+) Vinous writer Josh Raynolds calls the Domaine du Tunnel “among the top producers of Cornas.” Star winemaker Stephane Robert farms an envious collection of old syrah vines around the tiny appellation, and his wines very much live up to the hype. Robert is humble and quiet in person, but his wines are bold, assertive, and utterly charming.
Tunnel’s 2017 Cornas is a classic -- the warm year produced lots of ripeness, making it juicy and approachable today. But there’s plenty of Cornas’s traditional sturdy foundation. Vinous and Wine Advocate both awarded 92 points, finding it “loaded with blackberries, cassis and plums,” with “very good depth as well as energy” alongside “supple tannins.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $68 | ||
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 are always delicious and precocious, but in 2020 they’re even better than usual.
Clos Pitois rouge 2020 is classic Côte de Beaune red Burgundy, dense and finely textured – pretty rather than bold. Burghound praised its nose as “fresh and bright,” with a “pretty essence of red and dark berries, pepper and earth,” all “trimmed in … menthol.” He thought it “firm enough to reward up to a decade of cellaring.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $68 | ||
The 2022 vintage of her red Chateauneuf du… (+) The 2022 vintage of her red Chateauneuf du Pape is the last that she saw all the way through to bottling, and no surprise, it is gorgeous. Like a few other great winemakers of her era, Jacqueline made a single cuvée of red wine, blending in all the wine from patches of terroir across the appellation.
The 2022 is outstanding – as always, the nose is expressive, showing the wild strawberry fruit of the dominant Grenache, as well as floral notes of violet and maybe a touch of licorice. The weight is medium, with just enough structure and an exceptionally long finish that completes this strikingly elegant wine. André was a master of channeling rich southern grapes in wines of poise and class, and the 2022 is a remarkable achievement.
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BURGHOUND: 90 pts: There is a plethora of… (+) BURGHOUND: 90 pts: There is a plethora of pepper, humus and underbrush elements present on the less elegant but equally complex aromas of both red and dark currant. The very rich and relatively full-bodied flavors possess good power and ample punch, all wrapped in a youthfully austere and saline finish. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $69 | ||
Bardoux’s Rosé Champagne is two thirds Pinot Meunier… (+) Bardoux’s Rosé Champagne is two thirds Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, and one third Chardonnay. The two dark grapes give gorgeous dry fruit (and color), and the Chardonnay adds freshness and length. This cuvée sits on the lees for three years before disgorgement; only 150 cases made each year.
The nose is intense and fresh, with strawberries, crème brûlée, and apple pie. The mouth is crisp and dry but full of springy fruit; wild cherries and roses. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $69 | ||
The 2018 vintage delivered the warmest summer in… (+) The 2018 vintage delivered the warmest summer in decades, and the resulting wines are big, muscly, ripe and full-bodied,
Mégard's 2018 Pommard is a classic of the town. The nose is pretty and exotic, with soy sauce and spices alongside the classic raspberry fruit. The mouth shows dry blackberries, with a long mouthfeel mouthfeel that's elegant but sturdy. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $69 | ||
Pommard is known for its intensity and bold… (+) Pommard is known for its intensity and bold character, but Mégard’s has a lighter touch. Much of it comes from vines year the Volnay border, and the winemaking style is traditional. We’ve stocked the wine in the store for years and it’s become a crowd favorite at Depot tastings in Newton. The nose is expressive and high toned with pretty notes of dried flowers, raspberry and earth. The mouth is sturdy and ripe, but decidedly middle-weight with good freshness and excellent lift – look for notes of cassis, iron, and wild cherries. This is well-priced, delicious, and decidedly old school – even in recent hot vintages the wine retains its Burgundian elegance. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $69 | ||
Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle are among… (+) Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle are among the brightest names in the humble town of Auxey-Duresses, and a favorite of Vinous writer Neal Martin. Martin characterizes them as an “old-school producer” with “premier crus worth hunting down, as they represent good value.”
The Beaune 1er cru “Sizies” is delicious, showing Beaune’s classic stony character amid the inky fruit. The nose is intensely floral, with sweet red fruits and earth. The mouth is bold and very concentrated, but balanced expertly with a mineral line. Martin awarded 91-93 points, finding “pliant tannins…focused and taut,” concluding “this is very promising.”
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Christophe and his brother Patrick produce small batch… (+) Christophe and his brother Patrick produce small batch wines of pure, concentrated syrah. Their domaine is a bit hard to find (we’ve found ourselves lost more than once on the way) but their wines are pure and fine; Robert Parker calls them “some of the finest in the appellation.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $70 | ||
The Rochains 2017 is seriously impressive wine. The… (+) The Rochains 2017 is seriously impressive wine. The tannins are particularly fine and silky — “enrobé,” as the French put it. And complexity abounds. The Syrah’s peppery notes mingle with a whole range of others: Raynolds of Vinous (93-95 points) praised the “exotically perfumed bouquet,” mentioning “potpourri, smoky minerals, . . . boysenberry, spicecake, and floral pastille.” These wines will have a long drinking window, probably at their very best between five and fifteen years after the harvest. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
From the upper part of the slope there… (+) From the upper part of the slope there is Narvaux, normally a clean and precise wine that is always listed among Meursault’s best village-level vineyards.
BURGHOUND – 89-91: A very Meursault nose reflects notes of hazelnut, brown butter, ripe white orchard fruit and the hallmark acacia nuances. There is once again excellent volume and richness to the bigger but not finer medium-bodied flavors that possess focused power and evident minerality on the youthfully austere, serious and lingering finish. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
Vinous writer Josh Raynolds calls the Domaine du… (+) Vinous writer Josh Raynolds calls the Domaine du Tunnel “among the top producers of Cornas.” Star winemaker Stephane Robert farms an envious collection of old syrah vines around the tiny appellation, and his wines live up to the hype. Robert is humble and quiet in person, but his wines are bold, assertive, and utterly charming. The Wine Advocate calls them “some of the most impressive, concentrated and unctuously textured Syrahs in the northern Rhône.”
Tunnel's flagship Cornas, which is always terrific – Jeb Dunnuck awarded 94-96, calling it “beautiful, impeccably made Cornas.” Robert’s cuvées are never over-oaked, a tempting proposition given the depth and intensity of fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
With the 2020 vintage, the Domaine Pierre Amiot… (+) With the 2020 vintage, the Domaine Pierre Amiot has become the Domaine Amiot et Fils. Jean-Louis’s brother Didier has gone off on his own, and son Léon has joined Jean-Louis and Chantal in the business. The 2020 vintage was the third year in a row of unusually hot weather, resulting in a harvest that began in August for the first time in Jean-Louis’s long career. The heat came with an extended dry spell, which contributed to concentration and low yields, but also balanced acidity.
The village Gevrey seems to get better every year, and we found the 2020 particularly attractive, with a fine nose of dark fruit, plenty of depth and intensity, and silky-smooth tannins. Look for violets, cassis, and a delicious briary finish – proof of just how good the winemaking is here these days. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
His Nuits-St-Georges cuvée comes from four plots near… (+) His Nuits-St-Georges cuvée comes from four plots near the Vosne-Romanée border, and shows a beautiful mix of the two terroirs: the classic hearty character of Nuits, with a touch of Vosne’s finesse and spice.
Gros’s 2020 Nuits-St-Georges has begun to drink beautifully. The wine shows gorgeous aromatics and a fleshy core, with excellent tension and a solid backbone typical of Nuits. Burghound found “chocolate, cassis and dark currant liqueur” notes, calling it “rich, ripe, palate coating and seductively textured” with “very good punch.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
The trick in Nuits-St-Georges (particularly the middle sector)… (+) The trick in Nuits-St-Georges (particularly the middle sector) is to balance the readily available tannin with enough fruit and finesse. The naturally rugged structure of grapes from Nuits lends itself to rusticity if not well tamed. As you might expect from someone who recently celebrated his 40th vintage at the helm of his domaine, Michel has steered this cuvée beautifully, and hit the balance just right. Burghound found “good punch to the mouth coating flavors.”
The nose is deep and lovely, with plums, blackberries, toast and spice. The mouth is rich and concentrated, with deep color and even deeper flavor. It’s very 2020 in its blend of concentrated ripe fruit but excellent acidity. We expect it to age beautifully over the next 3-5 years, but as with most 2020s, it’s simply delicious today. Serve with a warm plate of steak frites. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
Across Burgundy the 2022 whites (and reds, for… (+) Across Burgundy the 2022 whites (and reds, for that matter) are friendly, lush, balanced, vibrant, and flat out delicious. Sofie’s style is pure and vibrant with limited oak (max 15%). Today we’re suggesting her St-Aubin 1er cru “En Remilly,” a masterpiece from the town’s finest vineyard.
The secret is out about St-Aubin, but it still offers terrific value relative to its fancy neighbors. The 2022 Bohrmann En Remilly tastes just like what you’d expect – expertly made wine from a top terroir in an outstanding vintage. It’s lively and generous at the same time: thick and full of a rippling intensity, combining perfectly ripe golden fruit with structure and minerality. Serve with a sole meunière. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting… (+) Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines -- it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.
“Colline de Couzou,” is unusually dense and delicious this year – tasted blind we would have guessed it was “Rochins,” one of the single vineyard cuvées. The nose shows douglas fir spice and blackberries; the mouth is long and sleek. Vinous’s reviewer found “fresh violets, red and black cherries, pencil shavings, cedar,” writing “this finishes with great energy.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $72 | ||
This is an unusually expressive grenache/syrah blend. The… (+) This is an unusually expressive grenache/syrah blend. The nose is dark and spiced, with notes of cassis and violets. The mouth is very rich and long, but balanced by a pleasant freshness and sturdy tannins — look for notes of lavender, cherry, black pepper, and raspberry jam. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
The 2015 vintage deserves all the acclaim and… (+) The 2015 vintage deserves all the acclaim and press coverage it receives. But insiders (and in particular Burgundian winemakers) consider 2016 nearly as good, and in some instances, superior. We’ve been floored by the precision and polish of the 2016s, and the 2016 Ruchots is among our favorites in the vintage.
From an acre of vines, the Amiot family makes just 200 cases of this wine per year. Their vines, planted in the 1950s, produce concentrated, intense red Burgundy. Allen Meadows (Burghound) awarded the 2016 92 points, finding it “outstanding,” “exceptionally rich” and “seductively textured,” predicting “this should be approachable after only a few years of bottle age yet reward up a decade plus of cellaring.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
This wine is proof that ageworthy wine doesn’t… (+) This wine is proof that ageworthy wine doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars. Located about ten yards from the famous Grand Cru Clos de la Roche, Millandes is a premier cru that always punches above its weight, but that also needs a few years to reach its potential. Patience may be a virtue, but in this case someone else has done the work for you.
This lot of 2011 Millandes comes with impeccable provenance, having spent the last eight years resting peacefully in the cellar where it was bottled. Burghound awarded 90 points, finding it “delicious, balanced and solidly persistent,” and suggesting it would be perfectly mature beginning in 2019. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
VINOUS 93-95 points
Bright violet. High-pitched, mineral-accented aromas of… (+) VINOUS 93-95 points
Bright violet. High-pitched, mineral-accented aromas of black raspberry, cherry pie and violet are complemented by a suave suggestion of exotic Asian spices. Sappy, pliant and alluringly sweet, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit and spicecake flavors and a subtle hint of mocha. Finishes sweet, focused and extremely long, displaying impressively delineated mineral and floral pastille notes and silky, harmonious tannins. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
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 calls the 2013 JB Chautard cuvée “a persuasive case for taking [Crémant de Bourgogne] more seriously.” He awarded 90 points, finding “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 | $75 | ||
Vinous’s Josh Raynolds called Bonnefond's 2018s “the single… (+) Vinous’s Josh Raynolds called Bonnefond's 2018s “the single most impressive set of bottlings I have had here since I started annual visits in 2005.” The 2018 Rozier is very concentrated and intense, with sweetly lush dark fruit blended with a violet floral side, exotic spices and smoky minerality.
Josh Raynolds, 95 pts: “impressively concentrated but surprisingly energetic, courtesy of its spine of smoky minerality;” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Made from 100% pinot noir, the Cuvée Kimmeridgienne … (+) Made from 100% pinot noir, the Cuvée Kimmeridgienne spends 7+ years on the lees, and the payoff in depth and complexity is immediately evident. The nose on the 2011 is gorgeous and refined, showing notes of cream, brioche, creme brulee, coffee, and hazelnut; the mouth is dry and very long, with notes of candied fruit, chalk, and butter. Vintage grower champagne of this caliber can easily cost twice this or more (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Christophe Mestre makes a single red Châteauneuf du… (+) Christophe Mestre makes a single red Châteauneuf du Pape each year, vinfiying the different grapes separately and carefully combining them to come up with each year’s vintage. We have been buying there for five years now, and have watched him consistently craft delicious wine from the varied elements each vintage offers. The 2018 rouge is about 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, and 5% Cinsault, raised for a total of 18 months, half in cement vats and half in large foudres.
It is delicious. There is plum, licorice, and maybe a touch of chocolate in the nose. In the mouth, the wine is rich and round, with plenty of support and no feeling of heat. The finish is plenty long. Its peak drinking window will arrive in the fourth or fifth year after the vintage, but it will likely drink well for well more than a decade. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
2019 was the fifth in a string of… (+) 2019 was the fifth in a string of wonderful vintages in the Northern Rhône. As Vinous’s Josh Raynolds reported, “2019 was a hot and dry year, but the wines look extremely promising and show an uncanny blend of depth and vivacity.”
Côte Rozier is particularly complex – a mineral line mingles with the fruit – and super intense. Raynolds found it “chewy and subtly sweet, offering concentrated dark berry preserve, licorice pastille and spice cake flavors that show noteworthy energy and tension.” This wine shows a lighter touch than Colline de Couzou or Rochins, sporting elegance and poise on par with a Chambolle-Musigny. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
2019 was the fifth in a string of… (+) 2019 was the fifth in a string of wonderful vintages in the Northern Rhône. As Vinous’s Josh Raynolds reported, “2019 was a hot and dry year, but the wines look extremely promising and show an uncanny blend of depth and vivacity.”
“Les Rochins” is at the same level as Rozier (V 94-96), but in a different mode. The wine is very dense and chewy right now, promising a long life. Vinous praised its “powerful spice- and mineral- accented cherry and blackberry scents, along with suggestions of smoked meat, incense, licorice and exotic flowers.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
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 2021 vintage, with its modest ripeness and concentration, has allowed Puligny’s true character to shine through once again, and Thomas’s Puligny 1er cru “La Garenne” is a lovely example. The nose is chalky and precise with delicate white flowers and lime zest. The mouth is terrific, an honest, graceful Puligny free to be itself. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
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.
The Maison Lestimé Chassagne-Montrachet 2021 is from down in the village, at a much lower elevation than the Hautes Côtes, and the wine shows the difference: the fruit is darker, with the intensity of wild strawberries, and the texture more that of a typical Burgundy vintage before the hot years. It is really quite lovely, with good precision and enough material to support some evolution over the next five years or so. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
The regular Cornas is a blend from fifteen… (+) The regular Cornas is a blend from fifteen different parcels, and is raised for 14 months in four-year old barrels. Jeb Dunnuck awarded 92-94, finding “more ripeness and texture than just about every other Cornas out there.” He went on to find notes of “ripe blackberries, mulberries, spicy herbs and earth,” with “terrific mid-palate depth and ripe tannins.” (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Sofie Bohrmann typically makes three St-Aubin premier cru… (+) Sofie Bohrmann typically makes three St-Aubin premier cru cuvées, but the dramatic loss (on average 85% down across her whole domaine) meant she only had enough for a single cuvée. The blend of three of St. Aubin’s best vineyards – Le Puits, En Remilly, and Murgers des Dents de Chien – is very impressive. We certainly wouldn’t wish it on her every year, but we applaud what she managed to turn in.
The 2021 St-Aubin 1er cru is sophisticated and gorgeous. It’s low on sucrocité, that sense of sweet young fruit often found in young white Burgundy – instead there’s a beautiful savoriness that mixes with dry lemon and pear notes. The signature 2021 freshness joins a smooth, waxy texture to create a wine of real elegance and precision. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
“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.
The Chassagne 1er cru Clos Pitois is the family's monopole vineyard. The red delivers a dense, tightly packed structure and exceedingly fine grained, very ripe tannins. Its dark, beautifully ripe fruit unfolds slowly in the glass, hinting at fine things to come as the wine evolves. We expect this wine to age beautifully, hitting its stride in four or five years (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
The Cornas 2022 is delicious -- a big wine… (+) The Cornas 2022 is delicious -- a big wine with an attractive mouthfeel. The dark fruit, mingling with cloves and spice, emerges slowly in the glass. We think this wine will drink well immediately, and be really turning heads in a few years. Vinous found it “polished and forward” and praised the “glossy red fruits paired with spicy undertones of black pepper and licorice.” Like the St. Joseph, this wine should offer years of drinking pleasure. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
In recent years the Northern Rhône valley has… (+) In recent years the Northern Rhône valley has become a source of unusual value. As prices in Burgundy have skyrocketed, and prices in Bordeaux have whipsawed back and forth, Côte Rôtie and Cornas have maintained a steady, modest rise. The wines have never been better, and suddenly they seem like bargains.
Rochins comes from 60+ year old vines in a parcel just next to the famous Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. The nose is dark and woodsy with an irresistible mixture of spices, wild cherries, smoke and violets. The mouth is velvety and beautiful, still with plenty of material but beginning to put on a smooth patina now six years after harvest. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Sofie Bohrmann is a first generation winemaker from… (+) Sofie Bohrmann is a first generation winemaker from Belgium – hardly a recipe for success in the insular world of Burgundian vignerons where most inherit vines, and people even from the Maconnais (an hour south) are considered out of towners. And yet she’s cracked into the elite world of Côte d’Or winemaking. She’s a real winemaking talent, of course, but we’re betting her charming smile and disarmingly friendly demeanor go a long way. Her style is clear and juicy – the wines are packed with flavor, limited oak, and flat-out delicious textures.
The side valley between Chassagne and Puligny holds the better-known town of St. Aubin, and the Domaine owns a parcel there in the celebrated premier cru “En Remilly.” The 2023 vintage is an elegant wine with excellent length. Sofie’s signature compact yellow fruit is here in spades, balanced expertly with the stoniness for which St-Aubin is known. This is classic dry St. Aubin, with floral notes in play alongside the concentrated ripe fruit. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $75 | ||
Whatever the cause, we can confirm that nearly… (+) Whatever the cause, we can confirm that nearly every 2020 white Burgundy we’ve tasted has been thrillingly good. And the 2020 white lineup from Domaine Ravaut is no exception. Ravaut’s style of low oak, fine minerality, and focused freshness now plays host to abundant ripeness, and the resulting wines are exciting and delightful.
All the elements of a great white Burgundy are here in the Ladoix 1er cru from "Basses Maurottes" – careful oak, tons of concentration, and soaring aromatics of gardenia, pear, almond, and toast. It may not be a bargain, but at nearly half the price of the Grand Cru it provides real value. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $78 | ||
On complexity, layers, and depth, it easily competes… (+) On complexity, layers, and depth, it easily competes with a premier cru from the Côte de Nuits – the meaty character reminded us of an old-vine Nuits-St-Georges. Those mostly run $120-$150 these days; while not exactly a by-the-glass candidate, Bonnefond’s Rochins doesn’t even crack $80.
Rochins comes from 60+ year old vines in a parcel just next to the famous Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. The nose is dark and woodsy with an irresistible mixture of spices, wild cherries, smoke and violets. The mouth is velvety and beautiful, still with plenty of material but beginning to put on a smooth patina now five years after harvest. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $78 | ||
Bonnefond's 2020s are magnificent. Josh Raynolds of Vinous… (+) Bonnefond's 2020s are magnificent. Josh Raynolds of Vinous writes “the 2020s are shaping up to be as impressive, especially in terms of elegance, as any bottlings I have experienced here.” Having bought here for nearly 20 years, we agree — the wines have never been better.
Vinous 96. "Dark, brilliant ruby. Blackberry, cherry liqueur, licorice, olive paste and vanilla qualities on the smoke-accented nose. Offers primary dark berry, mocha, fruitcake and bitter chocolate flavors that show very good depth as well as energy and pick up a spicy nuance with air. The mineral and floral notes recur on a wonderfully long, youthfully tannic finish that features a hints of salty olive and mocha." (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $78 | ||
WA 93
"Hints of smoke accent black cherries and… (+) WA 93
"Hints of smoke accent black cherries and cassis on the nose of the 2017 Cornas Vin Noir. It's full-bodied and velvety on the palate, with rosemary and mint notes on the long, chewy finish. I suppose that it's too clean and plush for traditionalists, but it's one delicious Cornas." (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
The Boursots began making wine in Chambolle-Musigny in… (+) The Boursots began making wine in Chambolle-Musigny in 1550; for centuries, like many Burgundy domaines, they sold their entire production each year to the negociants of Beaune. Today it’s brothers Romauld and Romaric making the wines as the 15th generation of Boursots. Vinous’s Neal Martin describes Boursot’s wines as “superb,” “excellent,” “very fine,” and “worth seeking out.”
Chambolle-Musigny is one of Burgundy’s greatest terroirs, and it is here that the Boursots’ wines really shine. The village level Chambolle “Les Nazoires” 2020 offers pleasant freshness in a silky smooth package. Given the sheer amount of flavor packed into this village-level wine, it may take a few years until it fully hits its stride, but can be counted on to provide much pleasure over the next decade. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
Michel Chauvet and his son are the winemakers… (+) Michel Chauvet and his son are the winemakers at the Domaine Lancelot-Royer, a tiny house in Cramant in the heart of the Côtes des Blancs. All of their wines come from grapes they grow themselves, and their vineyards are 100% Chardonnay from exclusively Grand Cru vineyards. Everything here is done by hand, from harvesting and riddling to disgorging, dosing and labeling.
This “Dualisme” is Extra Brut, and comes from 40 year old vines in the two famous towns of Chouilly and Avize. This cuvée is equal parts 2017 and 2015 base, with 15% coming from reserve barrels. With 5 years on the lees, this is prettier and more savory than the “Chevaliers” cuvée. There’s less dosage (4g instead of 9g) and the character is more serious. This wine shows spring flowers and lemon zest in the nose, with excellent tension and tons of length in the mouth. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
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.
New to the lineup this year is the domaine’s new Gevrey-Chambertin cuvée, an addition that completes the list of famous Côte de Nuits towns in the family portfolio. The vines are all from “la Platière,” a village level plot east of the RN-74, and the wine combines Gevrey’s typical burly, masculine terroir with Michel’s signature polish. We found it unusually floral for a Gevrey, and Burghound agreed, finding it “relatively elegant” for the appellation, with a nicely persistent, balanced and complex finale. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
Pascal’s newest cuvée, called “Reserve 2014,” is essentially… (+) Pascal’s newest cuvée, called “Reserve 2014,” is essentially the Brut Traditionnel cuvée, but left on the lees for an extra half-decade; the base cuvée comes from the 2014 vintage. Champagne, you’ll remember, undergoes two fermentations – a first in tanks (like any other wine), and then a second in bottle under bottlecap. After the second fermentation is complete, the winemaker may choose to disgorge (remove yeast and insert a cork) promptly, or hold for longer “on the lees.”
The extra time on the lees has transformed the wine into something extraordinary, far closer to his vintage champagne than the more humble Traditionnel. The wine shows an exquisite array of chalk, fruit, earth and toast. The mouth is subtle and long, with a delicious, vinous finish. (-) Free East Coast Shipping | $82 | ||
Free East Coast Shipping | $82 |

































