($100, Frederick Wildman):  Here’s an example of how the French appellation system breaks down.  This village wine delivers more elegance and complexity than many producers’ wines from premier cru vineyards.  For this wine, Burguet combines grapes from old vines located in various parcels that lie on the slope between the village and the road. … Read more

($90, Frederick Wildman):  Les Petits Cazetiers is adjacent to Les Cazetiers, its famous neighbor that many producers believe is the village’s best premier cru vineyard.  But there’s nothing small about this wine.  It’s quintessential Burgundy delivering flavor without heaviness.  Leathery and earthy notes peek out from a rich, but not overbearing, assortment of red and black fruit flavors. … Read more

($40, Kobrand):  There should be no question about the quality of the 2009 vintage for red Burgundy.  A potential criticism is that they lack structure that would allow them to develop complexity with age.  Well, one sip of this wine dispels that notion. … Read more

($25, Becky Wasserman Selection):  A vintage like 2009, bathed in perfect weather during the entire growing season and through harvest, was especially beneficial to the lesser appellations that in poorer years suffer from under-ripe grapes that translate into thin wines.  That’s why in 2009 a low prestige category, such as Bourgogne Rouge, from a conscientious producer, like Château du Chorey, is a bargain-priced over-achiever delivering far more than you’d expect. … Read more

($63):  This Premier Cru is always one of Latour’s best reds from the Côte de Beaune.  The house has substantial holdings in this some of the best parts of this vineyard that they purchased over 100 years ago.  Those who complain Latour’s reds are diluted and not up to the quality of their white wines need to take another look. … Read more

($66, Louis Latour, USA):  Village wines from Gevrey-Chambertin can be among the most disappointing red Burgundies because some growers think they can get away bottling anything and selling it under that famous name.  Fortunately, this is not one of them.  Quite the contrary, the complexity and finesse suggest a premier cru. … Read more

($150): The wines from Échézeaux, a large, 90-acre grand cru, are highly variable (like those from neighboring Clos de Vougeot). Although the producer is always important in selecting Burgundy, it’s doubly important when choosing Échézeaux. Jadot makes a great one, and it’s always one of their best wines.… Read more

($45, Kobrand): Jadot owns almost a third of this premier cru vineyard that lies in the southern part of Beaune, bordering Pommard. Though the 2009 red Burgundies are sensational across appellations, the wines from Beaune are especially engaging. It’s very floral and mineraly with sweet ripe dark fruit, plush tannins and great length.… Read more

($95, Louis Latour USA):  Corton is the one Grand Cru for red wine in the Côte de Beaune.  A variety of vineyard names, such as Grèves or Clos du Roi, can be affixed after the name Corton.  Grancey, however, is not one of those names. … Read more

($83, Louis Latour USA):  This is a great wine.  But that’s what you’d expect from a fabulous vintage, a superb locale (you think the king gets the second best plot in Corton?) and a conscientious and talented producer.  Although Latour is one of the region’s most prominent négociants, this wine comes exclusively from estate-owned plots they purchased over 100 years ago. … Read more

($13, Jeanne-Marie de Champs): The 2009 vintage for red Burgundy is fabulous.  The wines at the lower end of the prestige ladder, such as Bourgogne Rouge, will be especially attractive because the extra ripeness of the vintage helps even more at this level. … Read more

($91, Henriot, Inc.):  Bouchard has substantial holdings in Corton from which they make consistently fine examples.  This is one of them.  Showing its grand cru status, it conveys a core of ripe–almost sweet–fruit encircled by supple tannins.  Remarkably forward, the charm of the 2007 vintage is apparent. … Read more

($97, Henriot, Inc.):  This is Bouchard’s flagship wine from the heart of the famed Beaune-Grèves vineyard.  At trade tastings, they even offer it after the conventionally more highly regarded wines from the Corton appellation.  Lighter and more forward than usual–reflective of the 2007 vintage–the mixture of bright red fruit and a stoniness still dances across the palate.  … Read more

($97, Henriot, Inc.):  This is Bouchard’s flagship wine from the heart of the famed Beaune-Grèves vineyard.  At trade tastings, they even offer it after the conventionally more highly regarded wines from the Corton appellation.  Lighter and more forward than usual–reflective of the 2007 vintage–the mixture of bright red fruit and a stoniness still dances across the palate.  … Read more

($91, Henriot, Inc.):  Bouchard has substantial holdings in Corton from which they make consistently fine examples.  This is one of them.  Showing its grand cru status, it conveys a core of ripe–almost sweet–fruit encircled by supple tannins.  Remarkably forward, the charm of the 2007 vintage is apparent. … Read more

($65, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.):  Laurent Drouhin, one of the principals of the house, says that his father believes the 2008 Chablis are the “best of his lifetime,” because of the ideal weather during the growing season and their biodynamic farming. … Read more

($85, Kermit Lynch):  Although the Les Cherbaudes vineyard has good neighbors, adjacent to the Grand Cru Chapelle-Chambertin and just down the hill from Grand Crus Chambertin-Clos de Beze and Mazis-Chambertin, it lacks the prestige of Gevrey’s best Premier Crus, Clos St.… Read more

($25, Kermit Lynch):  Consumers tend to ignore the 2006 vintage for red Burgundy because it followed–and was overshadowed by–the sensational 2005 vintage.  It’s too bad because many fine wines, such as this one, were made that year.  Though from a “lowly” Bourgogne Rouge appellation, the wine delivers more than the appellation suggests because it was made by a talented producer using only his–not purchased–grapes. … Read more

($108, Vintus):  Le Moine, a small négociant–his total production is only 2,500 cases–started just a decade ago, but has already made a name for himself.  He works with one or two growers in each appellation focusing on Premier and Grand Crus and producing only a few barrels of each wine. … Read more

($165, Martine’s Wines, Inc.):  This pretty wine shows the grace and beauty of some 2007 red Burgundies.  Floral and delicate, it’s long and balanced.  But don’t for a minute think that delicate means light.  No, this is classic Burgundy: flavor–savory leafy notes–without weight. … Read more

($53, Martine’s Wines):  Although the 2006 red Burgundies were far less consistent than the more acclaimed 2005s, many producers delivered excellent wines.  Michel Gay’s Beaune Grèves is one of them.  Grèves is on most producers’ short list of the best vineyard sites in Beaune. … Read more

($58, Robert Kacher Selections):  Givry, along with Mercurey, are the two most important villages for red wine in the Côte Chalonnaise.   Wines from there may lack the prestige compared to those from the Côte d’Or, but are often equally enjoyable.  Joblot, a leading producer based in Givry, makes wines from a number of that village’s vineyards. … Read more

($63, Robert Kacher Selections): Morot, who owns about 3.25 acres of the large–by Burgundy standards–(43-acre) 1er Cru Bressandes vineyard, made a classic red Burgundy from those grapes in 2007, a vintage that produced many charming forward red Burgundies.  One whiff of the gloriously perfumed nose predicts good things will follow. … Read more

($26, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Less well-known towns just outside of Beaune in the heart of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, such as Savigny- or Chorey-lès-Beaune (lès means near), offer consumers an excellent opportunity to savor the charms of Burgundy without taking out a second mortgage. … Read more

($15, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): All Burgundy is highly dependent on producer, but none more than those labeled Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy’s lowliest appellation seen on these shores.  Since Drouhin is one of Burgundy’s top producers, don’t miss this one.  This value-packed 2006 La Foret, their basic red Burgundy, delivers simple, straightforward red and black fruit flavors intertwined with just a hint of earthy, leafy notes. … Read more

($157, Frederick Wildman): In Burgundy, it’s rare to have a consistently great vintage for reds, such as 2005, or a poor one, such as 1992.  In most years, there’s lots of variability. There were even duds in 2005 and some excellent 1992 reds. … Read more

($120, Louis Latour Inc.): Corton, the only grand cru vineyard for red wine in the Cote de Beaune, is large and produces wines of variable quality.  Latour, the largest owner of the vineyard, makes one of the best.  Corton Grancey, a proprietary–not a plot–name, is a blend of wine from Latour’s best grand cru plots within the Corton vineyard. … Read more

($63, Louis Latour Inc.): Always one of Latour’s best premier cru wines, the 2006 Beaune Vignes Franches is no exception. It’s classic red Burgundy from one of Beaune’s great vineyards: mid-weight, bright red fruit intertwined with a delicate leafy — almost mushroom-like — character. … Read more