($24, Dreyfus, Ashby & Company): In addition to Drouhin’s extensive holdings in Chablis, it buys grapes and must (newly fermenting juice) from growers with whom it has long-standing relationships.  This village Chablis is a blend of Drouhin’s grapes with those of other growers. … Read more

($32, Dreyfus, Ashby & Company): Though based in Beaune and known best as a top Burgundy négociant, Maison Joseph Drouhin consistently produces excellent Chablis from its extensive holdings there.  Its Chablis, “Réserve de Vaudon,” comes from the Vallée de Vauvillien, which is located between Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre, two of the best Premier Cru vineyards in Chablis. … Read more

($69, Kobrand): Wines from Chambolle-Musigny, one of the top villages in the Côte de Nuits, are some of the most sought after in Burgundy, which explains why even a village wine, such as this one, commands a healthy price.  Jadot’s 2012 is a great example and demonstrates why wines from that village are so popular. … Read more

($45, Kobrand): Wines from premier cru vineyards in from Beaune, especially from top producers, such as Louis Jadot, while not cheap, remain a relative bargain for Burgundy. This Toussaints, from one of their domaines (Domaine Gagey), delivers more weight and power than you’d expect from Beaune and reflects the character of the 2012 vintage.… Read more

($51, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): In a word — gorgeous.  Though the first whiff hints at grandeur, it takes time in the glass for the charm of this Meursault to reveal itself.  But it does — creamy with a captivating fullness. … Read more

($14, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): Jadot’s 2014 Mâcon Villages offers a fabulous comparison to their very good one from 2012.  While still displaying an engaging creaminess, it’s slightly less rich than the 2012, but has more energy and vivacity.  Those whose tastes run to more voluptuous wines — though still not in the New World ripeness category — will enjoy the 2012. … Read more

($14, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): Chardonnay is prominently displayed on the label to remind consumers that Mâcon Villages, like all white Burgundy, is made from that grape.  Jadot has done an admirable job with this one because it transmits the richness of the 2012 vintage while maintaining good acidity, which gives the wine a pleasant kick. … Read more

($159, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): At first impression, this wine announces its Grand Cru origin. And it keeps sending this signal as you continue to taste it. Part of its grandeur, no doubt, comes from its being an estate wine. (Domaine Louis Jadot in the box at the base of the label means that the grapes come from their portion of the Clos Vougeot vineyard.)… Read more

($31, Kobrand Wine And Spirits): This Bourgogne Rouge delivers far more than you’d expect from that simple appellation and shows that the producer often trumps terroir.  A look at the label explains why.  First, Maison Louis Jadot is one of Burgundy’s top producers. … Read more

($120, Louis Latour USA): No one produces a better Corton Charlemagne consistently than Maison Louis Latour.  Latour, the largest owner of Corton Charlemagne, has ideally located plots on the hill of Corton.  The sheer extensiveness of their holdings means that even in “difficult” years Latour’s Corton Charlemagne is top-notch because they limit production by selecting only the very best grapes. … Read more

($22): The attention wines from small growers receive from the press, sommeliers and retailers can make us overlook wines from even the best négociants.  That’s always a mistake and this wine is just another case in point.  Maison Louis Latour, a top-notch Beaune-based négociant, owns no land in Pouilly-Vinzelles, an appellation neighboring Pouilly-Fuissé. … Read more

($28, Louis Latour USA): Let’s face it:  Buying Pouilly-Fuissé is, figuratively speaking, akin to walking through a minefield.  Wines from this appellation, the best from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, range from insipid to stellar.  This 2012, from one of Burgundy’s top négociants, is easy to recommend. … Read more

($35, Esprit du Vin): Though the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, the higher, less well-situated land just west of the Côte d’Or, is a rather down-market appellation, it can be the place to fine authentic Burgundy, especially from a dedicated producer such as Domaine Dominique Guyon. … Read more

($37, L’Esprit du Vin): The wines from Savigny-lès-Beaune, a village just north of Beaune (lès means near), lacking the prestige of its more famous neighbor, can offer good value when they are made by top producers, such as Domaine Antonin Guyon. … Read more

($112, L’Esprit du Vin): Dominique Guyon, who runs the family estate founded by his grandfather, uses the traditional 18th century spelling, Clos du Roy, instead of the more common Clos du Roi.  Regardless of the spelling, royalty is in the bottle. … Read more

($95, L’Esprit du Vin): The most amazing thing about this wine is its availability.  Most red Burgundies from 2009 (a stellar year in my view) have long since disappeared from the retail market.  I have said it before, and it’s worth repeating since I’ve tasted scores more since their release, you can’t have too many 2009 red Burgundies in your cellar. … Read more

($120, Robert Katcher Selections): Combine the richness inherent to the wines from Les Charmes vineyard and the warm 2012 growing season and you get, not surprisingly, an opulent wine.  The surprise is its vivacity and brightness, which Monnot attributes to the 50+ year-old vines. … Read more

($85, Robert Katcher Selections): One whiff of this wine explains the reputation of Volnay and why the wines from this village are in such great demand.  Most experts consider Clos des Chenes one of the best premier cru vineyards in this village that lacks any grand crus. … Read more

($45, Robert Katcher Selections): Though wine has been made in Maranges for centuries, the appellation is relatively new for Burgundy, having been established only in 1988.  Prior to that date, the wines were sold under the broad Côte de Beaune Villages umbrella. … Read more

($12, Pasternak Wine Imports): Caves de Lugny, the largest cooperative in Burgundy, controls about one-third of the entire production of the Mâconnais region.  I, unlike many, do not subscribe to the notion that large producers are incapable of making high quality wine. … Read more

($30, Rosenthal Wine Merchant): St. Aubin, an off the main road village in Burgundy, is known mostly for whites, which, because of recent popularity, has already resulted in considerable prices increase for those Chardonnay-based wines.  The reds, made exclusively from Pinot Noir, such as this one, remain relatively undiscovered–and therefore, reasonably priced. … Read more

($28, Dreyfus Ashby & Co.): Chorey-les-Beaune, a small village just north of Beaune, is a sleeper location for value packed red Burgundy, such as this one.  Lying just off the main Dijon Beaune road, Chorey, as it’s sometimes called, is off most everybody’s radar screen. … Read more

($80, Louis Latour USA): Chablis was more successful than the Côte d’Or for white wines in 2012.  Indeed, the 2012 vintage produced excellent Chablis. The Simonnet Febrve style of tightly wound, mineraly-infused, bracing wines is ideally suited to this vintage, which produced ripe grapes.… Read more

($14, Dreyfus Ashby & Co.): The firm of Joseph Drouhin, one of Burgundy’s best, is still family owned and operated.  Though they own vineyards extensively throughout the region, they also have a talent for buying grapes and wines from other growers, blending them as needed, and bottling them under the Drouhin name.  … Read more

($31, Kermit Lynch): Marsannay, sitting at the northern most boundary of the Côte d’Or, is another great appellation for authentic, well-priced Burgundy.  Since Marsannay is not a prestigious appellation, many of its red wines are ready to drink soon after release. … Read more

($36, Martine’s Wines): Marsannay received appellation status only in 1987.  Prior to that date, the wines were sold under the broader Bourgogne appellation.  Growers in Marsannay have submitted an application to the French authorities to classify some vineyards as Premier Cru. … Read more

($29): One way to find well-priced Burgundy (no, that’s not an oxymoron) is to choose a down-market appellation from a top-notch producer, such as Domaine Bertagna.  Although Les Dames Huguettes lies in the appellation of Hautes Côtes de Nuits, just west (up and behind) the escarpment of the Côte d’Or, the vineyard itself still lies within the boundaries of the village of Nuits St Georges. … Read more

($25, Louis Latour USA): Montagny is an often-overlooked village in the Côte Chalonnaise that is home to some excellent white Burgundies, such as this one.  Latour has combined the ripeness of the vintage with a steely backbone that keeps it fresh and lively throughout a meal. … Read more

($16, Kobrand Wine And Spirits):
It’s no surprise that Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top producers, makes a fine “simple” Bourgogne Blanc. A blend of Chardonnay grown in the Côte d’Or, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Macon, it’s not so simple and is a great value.… Read more

($24, Louis Latour USA): Marsannay, now practically a suburb of Dijon, is the northern most outpost of the Côte de Nuits.  With no classified vineyards — but deserving of some — the village offers the best value for red wines from the entire Côte d’Or, in my opinion. … Read more

($25, Robert Katcher Selections): This wine caught my attention at Island Creek Oyster Bar (an excellent Boston restaurant with an eclectic wine list) because I was unaware that Marc Morey, a top producer based in Chassagne-Montrachet, owned vineyards in Rully (a lesser known village in the Côte Chalonnaise). … Read more

($95, Louis Latour USA): Despite the concentration of Latour’s whites in 2012, the wines still reflect their origins.  This wine has a particularly stony edginess that screams Puligny-Montrachet and distinguishes it from the slightly creamier Meursault.  Like Latour’s Meursault Premier Cru, Les Truffières has a welcome vibrancy that balances its riches, amplifies its finish and puts its refinement into sharp relief. … Read more

($70, Louis Latour USA): Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s top-notch producers, hit a bull’s eye with their 2012s.  The vintage produced concentrated wines and capturing acidity, especially for the whites, was a challenge.  Latour succeeded brilliantly.  This Meursault has a beautiful, yet not overripe, density for a premier cru in 2012. … Read more

($155, Louis Latour USA): Latour, the largest owner of Corton-Charlemagne, makes sensational wines year in and year out from that vineyard. Indeed, in my opinion, there is no better producer of Corton-Charlemagne.  As expected from Grand Cru white Burgundy, Latour’s Corton-Charlemagne bottlings evolve gracefully and improve over a decade or two. … Read more

($440, Louis Latour USA): Chevalier-Montrachet, a 19-acre vineyard, sits just above Montrachet on a more rocky terrain with poorer soil.  In my mind, it is home to Burgundy’s most exciting white wine, marrying the richness of Montrachet with a firmness reflected by the stony site. … Read more

($150, Louis Latour USA): With their 67+ acres of Grand Cru vineyards, Louis Latour owns more of those precious plots than anyone else in Burgundy.   They are best known for their stellar wines from the Grand Cru vineyard of Corton — both red and white. … Read more

($80, Louis Latour USA): Consumers tend to forget that the top-tier négociants, such as Louis Latour, make wine from grapes grown in vineyards they own in addition to buying grapes from others.  Indeed, Latour, one of the largest vineyard owners in Burgundy, owns a substantial parcel in Vignes Franches, one of the best premier cru vineyards in Beaune. … Read more

($80, Louis Latour USA): Louis Latour, top-notch négociant established in 1797, is based in the Aloxe-Corton.  Since their founding, have been able to purchase prime plots there, so it’s not surprising that they make excellent wines from vineyards in that village. … Read more

($45, Kobrand): Jadot’s Savigny-lès-Beaune and their Pernand-Vergelesses lend powerful support to France’s focus on terroir.  These two wines, from comparably prestigious premier cru sites less than a few miles apart, were made from the same grape — Pinot Noir — by the same winemaking team. … Read more

($39, Kobrand): The 2011 vintage for red Burgundies will always be overshadowed on a vintage by the rich 2009 and racy 2010.   But the chief advantage of the 2011s is that they are deliciously forward wines.  Indeed, they will give more pleasure for drinking now than either the 2009s or 2010s. … Read more

($100, Kobrand): The seductive combination of suaveness and depth is what accounts for the popularity, and hence, price of wines from Chambolle-Musigny.  Jadot’s 2011 Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes has all the mineraly underpinning and glossy patina you’d expect from a premier cru from this esteemed village. … Read more

($18, Louis Latour USA): Viré-Clessé, a small, 500-acre appellation created only in 1998, was carved out of the Mâcon-Villages appellation because the wines from Viré and Clessé (along with a couple of other towns) had considerably more potential.  Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s top producers, has realized that potential with their 2010 Viré-Clessé. … Read more

($42, Wilson Daniels): Though Château Moulin-À-Vent focuses on their red wines, they also have old Chardonnay-planted vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé.  Their Vieilles Vignes bottling conveys the stony character of Pouilly-Fuissé.  Tightly wound at this stage, I would give it a few years before pulling the cork even though it’s from the 2012 vintage, one known for lower-acid white wines, because there’s no lack of structure here — the old vines speaking, I’m sure.… Read more

($21, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Saint-Véran, a small appellation in the southern Mâconnais, has the potential to produce wines that are a touch more concentrated than those from the broader Mâcon-Villages appellation.  The ripeness in this wine comes from both the appellation and the vintage. … Read more