($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