($42, Polaner Selections):  The 2017 red Burgundies fall into two categories: forward and charming ready-to-drink wines and more structured ones suitable for the cellar.  This Santenay falls into the first category.  I attribute its amazing gracefulness, especially for Santenay, to the old vines in the hands of a talented producer. … Read more

($42, Polaner Selections):  Though the 2017 vintage in Burgundy was stylistically inconsistent for reds, the white Burgundies were generally better and more consistent.   And that’s true for the white wines from the Mâconnais.  Fortunately, and luckily for consumers, Maillet recently has started bottling their wines instead of selling them to the local co-op. … Read more

($31, Polaner Selections):  Ballot Millot, a small grower based in Meursault, makes a consistently good line-up of Burgundy, both red and white.  With the prices of Burgundy going through the roof, consumers need to look to Burgundies with less prestigious labels, such as Bourgogne Blanc instead of Meursault. … Read more

($70):   Though not the current release, consumers need to be aware of this wine since it is still available.  Domaine Parent, clearly one of the top growers in Pommard, opts to bottle this village wine separately because Anne Parent, who runs the domaine with her sister, Catherine, believes it is distinctive. … Read more

($60):  The vineyards of Blagny, a hamlet located high on the slope in Puligny-Montrachet, spread over both that village and the village of Meursault.  So, it’s not surprising that the wines from Meursault-Blagny have a mineral-like resemblance to those from Puligny. … Read more

($47, Polaner Selections):   With the sky-high prices of wines from the Côte d’Or, consumers who love the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay-based wines from Burgundy must look elsewhere within that region.  Givry, in the Côte Chalonnaise, is a good place to start, especially with the wines from Domaine Joblot, one of the top producers in the appellation. … Read more

($28, Polaner Selections):  Trapet Père et Fils, one of the great growers based in Gevery-Chambertin, makes outstanding wines from that village and neighboring villages, such as Marsannay.  They also make this under-the-radar wine with an eye-catching nearly blank label with tiny letters.… Read more

($35, Vineyard Roads):

  This is a fabulous value.  Benjamin Leroux, the former winemaker at Comte Armand, the famed Pommard property, established his own estate in 2007.  Now, like many small estates, has both his own grapes and buys some from growers he’s known over the years. 

($45, Vineyard Roads):   Auxey-Duresses, a village slightly off Burgundy’s the beaten track, offers great values precisely for that reason.  This white Burgundy punches far above its lowly village appellation, delivering bright and cutting minerality along with a hint of creaminess.  Another bargain for what it is and another case in my cellar.… Read more

($48, AP Imports): This wine exemplifies the confusion surrounding Burgundy.  The vineyard, Blanchot, is divided into two parts, Blanchot Dessus (dessus means “upper”) and Blanchot Dessous (dessous means lower).  Blanchot Dessus is a classified as a Premier Cru, while the lower part, is just a village wine. … Read more

 ($50, AP Imports): The 2016 vintage in Burgundy was plagued by calamitous weather causing significantly reduced yields in many locales and more than normal variability in quality throughout the region.  Some producers wound up making small amounts excellent wine, while others wound up with wines that were out of balance. … Read more