($50):  Tasting this Pouilly-Fuissé side-by-side with Domaine de La Garenne’s fine Mâcon wines, you easily see the differences between those two appellations, even though they abut one another in places.  Someone clearly knew where to draw the lines.  Always a popular Chardonnay-based wine in the U.S.,… Read more

($33):  Comparing this wine, from the southern part of the Mâconnais, to Domaine de La Garenne’s Mâcon-Azé, which is located in the north of the appellation, shows the fabulous diversity within the Mâconnais.  The bolder Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly delivers more weight and more stoniness without losing any freshness. … Read more

($33):  It is worth repeating — the Mâconnais is the place to fine excellent white wines, especially from the 2022 vintage, at reasonable prices.  As more and more growers discover the beauty of this part of Burgundy, we will see wines, like this one, that provide greater specificity regarding the origin of the grapes. … Read more

($35):  Saint-Véran, which lies adjacent to Pouilly-Fuissé in the Mâconnais, lies between single village Mâcon wines, like Mâcon-Azé, and Pouilly-Fuissé in the appellation hierarchy.  That is not to say you can’t find a Mâcon-Azé that is more stylish and enjoyable than a Saint-Véran, nor does it mean that every Pouilly-Fuissé is superior to every Saint-Véran. … Read more

($33):  Despite the location of the vineyard, Le Grand Bussière, in the village of Fuissé, the appellation is Saint-Véran because Fuissé (the village) spans two appellations, Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran.  (Who ever said that Burgundy was simple to understand?)  This edgy Saint-Véran, with its cutting stone-y quality, shows why that appellation ranks above Mâcon in prestige. … Read more

($60):  There is no better producer in the Mâconnais than La Soufrandière, a family domaine owned by the Bret Brothers.  The brothers also buy grapes from neighbors and other growers who have the same meticulous philosophy as they and bottle them as a négociant under the label, Bret Brothers. … Read more

($72):  The French wine authorities have finally identified and codified Premier Cru vineyards for Pouilly-Fuissé so that moniker along with the vineyard name is now appearing on the label, just as in the rest of Burgundy.  Unsurprisingly, the elevation of some vineyards to Premier Cru classification has brought with it an elevation of price. … Read more

($93, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):  Maison Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top producers, recently purchased Domaine J. A. Ferret, one of stars of Pouilly-Fuissé.  Under Jadot’s leadership, the quality of the Ferret wines, already top-notch, has risen even more.  (Sadly, so has the price.) … Read more

($30):  Florent Rouve, owner of Domaine Rijckaert, explains that he wants to “maintain the freshness and purity” of the grapes, so eschews aging in new oak barrels and batonnâge (stirring of the lees), which tends to increase richness of the wines. … Read more

($30):  The Mâconnais, a less prestigious part of Burgundy south of the well-heeled Côte d’Or, is the place to find superb Chardonnay-based wines.  When the wine come from a single village, such as Bussières or Lugny to name just two, the village name can appear on the label instead of the more generic, Mâcon-Villages. … Read more

($38, Louis Latour, USA):  Appellations within the Mâconnais, like Viré-Clessé, are the place to go to find affordable, or at least more affordable, white Burgundy.  Viré and Clessé, two adjacent villages whose wines previously were labeled as Mâcon-Viré and Mâcon-Clessé, convinced French wine regulators that their wines were distinctive enough to merit their own appellations. … Read more

($49):  The buzz engulfing Pouilly-Fuissé comes from the well-deserved designation of premier cru vineyards.  So, now that distinction will appear on labels.  But let’s not forget the village wines.  A village Pouilly-Fuissé from a top house, like Auvigue, will compete with those labeled premier cru from less talented producers. … Read more

($47):  Marsannay, almost a suburb of Dijon, is the northernmost appellation of the Côtes de Nuits.  Usually, wines from Burgundy’s exalted Côtes de Nuits, think Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, or Vosne-Romanée, are frightfully expensive.  Marsannay has not gotten the message — yet.  They will. … Read more

($106, Martine’s Wines):  Domaine Buisson-Charles, a well-regarded Meursault-based family domaine, blends grapes from six parcels to make this stellar village wine.   Some are hillside parcels that provide grapes with higher acidity, and some are lower down that imbue the grapes, and subsequent wine, with more richness. … Read more

($52):  The story goes that a parcel of vines in the Merusault Perrières vineyard lost its exalted appellation classification when the owner added 10-inches or so of topsoil to replace that which had been washed away.  That modification turned what is now called Chaumes des Perrières into Bourgogne Blanc — not even Meursault. … Read more

($24):  Albert Bichot, like many of Burgundy’s top producers, owns vineyards — is a grower — and acts as a négociant, buying grapes/and or newly pressed juice from other growers.  This elegant and refreshing Crémant falls into the latter category.  Its tiny bubbles dance on the palate. … Read more

($65):  Jean-Baptiste Ponsot, grandson of the founder of the estate, took it over in 2000 when he was just 20 years old.  My first and only experience with their wines — it certainly will not be my last — was at a tiny restaurant in Cluny, in southern Burgundy. … Read more

($45):  Though the crop was small in Burgundy and especially Chablis in 2021 because of severe frost, the wines, like this delight, can be excellent.  Fourchaume, one of the top premier cru vineyards of Chablis, abuts the line of Grand Cru vineyards, which perhaps explains its stature. … Read more

($37):  The back label tells us the wine made from vines planted in 1946 is a tribute to Jean-Marc’s “spiritual” father, Louis Petit, “who taught him how to make the soil speak.”  With more weight and density, it is a fabulous contrast to Brocard’s Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire, showing the impact of vine age. … Read more

($28):  Chablis remains one bright spot in Burgundy for consumers because its wines remain underpriced, and a great value compared to those from the Côte d’Or.  What they may lack it opulence compared to New World Chardonnay or the Chardonnay-based wines from the Côte d’Or, they make up for with a riveting minerality and focus. … Read more

($37, Jeanne-Marie de Champs):  Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau now runs this stellar domaine based in Meursault.  Bouzereau has used the new appellation, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, which indicates that all the grapes came from the Côte d’Or, the heart of Burgundy, as opposed to anywhere else in the region. … Read more

($65, Jeanne-Marie de Champs):  Alongside Domaine Parent, run by Anne Parent and her sister Catherine, is a small négociant business, called Jacques Parent et Cie.  The domaine is known best for their masterful array of Pommard that reflect the diversity and beauty of the appellation’s vineyards. … Read more

($29, Jeanne-Marie de Champs):  Though Chiroubles, one of the ten Crus (named villages) of Beaujolais borders Fleurie, the wines are vastly different, which is what makes drinking wines from the Beaujolais Crus so fascinating.  Château de Raousset, one of the region’s top producers, makes both. … Read more

($47, Kermit Lynch):  First, the backstory.  At a Paris bistro, I ordered a glass of 2021 Côte de Brouilly, from Thivin, one of the best producers of that cru.  Out came a glass of red wine, which was alluring, mineral-y and dense, and every bit as good as I had expected. … Read more

($50, Misa Imports):  Domaine Mont Bessay is a new project from the people who make the beautifully textured wines at Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Givry.  Just as Philippe Pascal and Guillaume Marko are drawing attention to Givry in the Côte Chalonnaise — not to be confused with Gevrey in the Côte d’Or — they will make the world think differently about Beaujolais cru wines. … Read more

($21, Monsièur Touton Selection):  The wines from Morgon, another of the ten named villages of Beaujolais, tend to be firm, rather that fleshy.  With its chiseled profile, this long and lively one from Copéret fits that mold.  A savory accent of subtle smokiness complements its engaging austerity. … Read more

($50, Misa Imports):  Wines from this new estate have the potential to put Juliénas on the same level as Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent when speaking of the Beaujolais cru.  The stunning 2021 En Bessay delivers as explosive array of red fruit and spicy flavors, seamlessly woven together. … Read more

($22, Peter Weygandt Selection):  Chénas, the smallest of the ten named villages of Beaujolais, typically produces dark wines, like this one, that combine minerality and fruitiness.  This Chénas from Peter Weygandt, always a reliable name on a back label, displays a charming beefiness balanced by fine, not hard, tannins. … Read more

($23):  The wines from Brouilly, the largest of the ten named villages of Beaujolais, typically provide more interest that a straight Beaujolais-Villages.  This one supports that generalization.  Fine acidity and a hint of tannic structure balances this ripe and generous Brouilly. … Read more

($23, Vintus):  Domaine Guillot-Broux makes exceptional red wines from what most people consider an unexceptional place for them, the Mâconnais.  Sure, the Mâconnais is home to a slew of terrific, and well-priced, whites.  But reds?  It’s not the first, or even the fourth, place people think of for reds. … Read more

($46, Vintus):  This stunning Bourgogne Rouge will change your mind about the quality of red wines coming from the Mâconnais.  Firstly, Domaine Guillot-Broux is clearly a talented and detail-oriented producer.  They waited 18 years before making a wine from Les Genièvrières, a vineyard in Cruzille, a village not far from the Abbaye de Cluny, because they didn’t think the vines were old enough to produce high-quality wine! … Read more

($35, Jeanne-Marie de Champs):  I repeat what I’ve said before: Value in Burgundy these days is found at the lower pedigree appellations made by talented producers.  Pernot Belicard is a great example of a top producer bottling exceptional white wines at every pedigree. … Read more

($22, Kobrand):  Value in Burgundy these days is found at the lower pedigree appellations made by talented producers.  Enter this Bourgogne Rouge from Jadot.  With an engaging combination of savory notes intertwined with hints of red and black fruit, this mid-weight wine is real Burgundy, or Bourgogne as the French would prefer to call it. … Read more

($50):  This delightful wine shows that value in Burgundy is alive and well.  Owned by the Devillard family, the Château de Chamirey is one of, if not THE, leading estates in Mercurey, a village in the Côte Chalonnaise, just south of the Côte d’Or. … Read more

($51, Kobrand):  Domaine Gagey in the rectangle at the bottom of the label means that the Gagey family, the longtime directors of Maison Jadot, owns the property.  So, in essence, this is an estate wine as opposed to a négociant wine for which Jadot would have purchased the grapes from another grower. … Read more

($26, Kobrand):  In a word, delicious!  And an extraordinary value.  You rarely see Burgundy of this quality at this price.  Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top producers, takes advantage of a relatively new appellation, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, which means all the grapes came from the famed Côte d’Or part of Burgundy, rather than the region’s less prestigious subzones. … Read more

($63, Kobrand):  Jadot started this unconventional, by Burgundy standards, bottling with the 2009 vintage to celebrate its 150th anniversary.  Contrary to the Burgundy mantra of terroir — a specific delineated location is paramount — Jadot blends wine from upwards of 15 individual premier cru vineyards within Beaune, to produce a wine representative of the best Beaune has to offer (there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Beaune.) … Read more

($22, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants):  Wines labeled Mâcon-Villages vary from the banal to extraordinary value.  Put this one squarely in the latter category.  Mâcon-Villages, a regional appellation in southern Burgundy, is large by Burgundy standards, 8,500 acres, and comprises 26 named villages lumped under the same umbrella. … Read more

($19, Thomas Calder Selection):  Normally, wines from the Beaujolais-Villages appellation are a blend of wine from several different villages and do not carry the name of an individual village on the label.  However, French regulations allow producers to indicate the village, Lantignié in this case, on the label if all the grapes came from it. … Read more

($40, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection):  Fourchaume, one of top Premier Cru vineyards of Chablis, abuts the Grand Cru vineyards on the right bank of the Serein River.  Generally, the wines from Fourchaume are more voluptuous, relatively speaking of course, then the wines from other 1er cru vineyards. … Read more

($35, Louis Latour, USA):  The Saint Véran appellation abuts Pouilly-Fuissé and, unsurprisingly, the wines are similar.  Though when tasting the same producer’s Saint Véran next to their Pouilly-Fuissé, the latter always comes away the winner, at least until you see the prices. … Read more

($24, Louis Latour, USA):  The Mâconnais, a region of Burgundy that lies south of the famed and expensive Côte d’Or, is an unexplored treasure-trove of Chardonnay-based wines.  The base of the pedigree pyramid are wines labeled Mâcon-Villages, which means they came from grapes grown anywhere throughout the region. … Read more

($40, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection):  Fourchaume, one of top Premier Cru vineyards of Chablis, abuts the Grand Cru vineyards on the right bank of the Serein River.  Generally, the wines from Fourchaume are more voluptuous, relatively speaking of course, then the wines from other 1er cru vineyards. … Read more

($45, Louis Latour, USA):  This Santenay is just one example of the great success Latour had with their village wines in 2020.  Characteristic of the vintage, it has good depth that augments its charm.  Supple, fresh, and long, it is a delight now — and refined for a village Santenay. … Read more

($50, Louis Latour, USA):  Mercurey, a village just south of the Côte d’Or in the Côte Chalonnaise, is known primarily for red wines.  In general, the warmth of 2020 growing season added ripeness to these wines complementing their stoney character.  That explains the appeal of this Mercurey from Latour. … Read more

($45, Louis Latour, USA):  Burgundy lovers have discovered the charms of Marsannay, the northernmost village of the Côtes de Nuits.  Prices have risen as a result and are poised to continue their climb because the village is in the process of having some vineyards certified as 1er Cru. … Read more