($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

($28, Louis Latour Inc.): Although the grand and premier cru vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet produce three times as much white wine as red, its village wines are more often red than white and, like this one, are often very good values.  This charming Pinot Noir-based wine delivers pure bright cherry-like flavors intertwined with a hint of leafiness. … Read more

($32, Louis Dressner Selections): Bourgogne Rouge–although a ‘simple’ appellation–can be an excellent buy in good vintages from serious producers, such as this one.  It also serves an excellent introduction to red Burgundy and its contrast with the same variety from our West Coast, Pinot Noir. … Read more

($63, Kermit Lynch): Domaine Maume, a family run property, owns about 10 acres of vines in Gevrey-Chambertin.  When young, Maume wines, like this one, emphasize power rather than finesse.  In this case, there’s enormous concentration, more than you’d expect for a village wine, but at this stage the oak flavor and tannin is a little too prominent, which means it’s a good candidate for the cellar. … Read more

($32): Bourgogne Rouge is a category often overlooked (and rightly so) by consumers.  But from good producers, such as Maume, these wines represent a good introduction to Burgundy and its Pinot Noir.  Quite forward, this one is full of ripe good black cherry flavors and acidity and balanced by a hint of earthiness. … Read more

($25, Kermit Lynch): More Bourgogne Passetoutgrains (a blend of at least one-third Pinot Noir and the remainder Gamay) is made than Bourgogne Rouge, but very little reaches our shores.  It’s too bad because when well-made, like this one, it is a bright and juicy wine with refreshing rusticity perfect for current drinking with simple fare like a roast chicken.… Read more

($27, Wilson Daniels): The French are finally caving in to the idea of putting the grape name on the label — at least for their lower-level appellation controllée wines, such as this Bourgogne Rouge.  Pierre Morey is one of the most talented and rigorous winemakers in Burgundy and this, his lowest level wine, speaks to his ability. … Read more

($75, Louis Latour Inc.): Wines from Les Caillerets, one of Chassagne-Montrachet’s most refined 1er cru, often have more finesse than most of the wines from that village, which tend to be a bit earthier.  Latour’s fits that mold, delivering elegance more associated with Puligny- than Chassagne-Montrachet. … Read more

($135, Brown Forman): All wines from the Hospices de Beaune are made by the Hospices’ winemaker and then sold to a firm, such as Michel Picard in this case, which finishes the aging, known as élevage.  (The name of the firm performing the élevage appears at the bottom of the label). … Read more

($96, VOS Selections): In addition to his excellent village Gevrey-Chambertin, Dupont-Tisserandot made a stellar group of wines from that village’s premier and grand cru sites in 2006.  The signature–elegance and finesse, not raw power–is the same, but this Les Cazetiers has more of everything, reflecting the stature of the vineyard. … Read more

($55, VOS Selections): Village wines, caught between entry level regional Bourgogne or Côtes de Nuits Villages and the sought-after premier and grand crus, are often overlooked–even scorned–by Burgundy drinkers.  Don’t overlook this one.  It leads with a subtly floral nose and then grabs you with an elegant combination of spice, leather and earth. … Read more

($96, VOS Selections): This premier cru comes across a little coarser than his Les Cazetiers and shows Burgundy’s earthier side.  Although not as refined, it conveys a charming rusticity.  It would be a good choice for more robust fare. 90 Michael Apstein Jul 8, 2008… Read more

($72, VOS Selections): Clos de la Vigne au Saint, one of the many Corton Grand Cru, is well- known as a flagship of Maison Louis Latour’s reds because they are practically the sole owner of the vineyard and consistently make a marvelous wine from it. … Read more

($150, VOS Selections): Although located in Santenay in the Cote de Beaune, Belland owns a small portion–less than an acre–of the grand cru vineyard, Chambertin.  His 2005 has the earthy and leathery notes atop red and black fruit flavors that make Chambertin so alluring. … Read more

($16, Arborway Imports): Bichot, an underrated Burgundy négociant, will attract considerable attention with this bargain-priced, succulent Pinot Noir.  It has real Burgundy character–earth notes combined with bright fruit–and is perfect for current consumption. 87 Michael Apstein May 6, 2008… Read more

($66, Henriot): Clos de la Mousse, a premier cru vineyard, lies smack in the middle of Beaune.  Bouchard owns all of this 8.5-acre vineyard, a rarity in Burgundy where most of the vineyards are split among multiple owners.  Very aromatic, this moderate weight wine has captivating cherry-like flavors and good length. … Read more

($129, Kobrand): This is a Grand Cru wine in all respects except the label.  The story goes that when the locals were classifying the vineyards in the 1930s as either Grand or Premier Cru, the Clos St. Jacques was set to be included as a Grand Cru. … Read more

($88, Vineyard Brands): Girardin’s style favors the forward fruity side of Burgundy rather than the earthy leafy side.  Impressive, almost flamboyant aromas, precede the packed, ripe flavors–from fruit, not oak–that are the predominant features of this silky wine.  Nicely balanced, it shows the ripeness of the vintage without going overboard.… Read more

($216, Wilson Daniels): Faiveley owns about 7.5 acres of the Grand Cru vineyard, Le Corton, near the summit of the Corton hill just below the protective shield of trees.  It’s almost always their best wine and at tastings is invariably served after the more powerful ones from the Côte de Nuits. … Read more

($85, Wilson Daniels): This outstanding wine from Beaune has exceptional length and finesse.  Fine tannins harmonize with bright, ripe, penetrating fruit and earth flavors.  The layers of flavor convey depth, but there’s no heaviness here. 94 Michael Apstein Dec 4, 2007… Read more

($27, Domaines et Saveurs Collection): A potential drawback to some white Burgundies from 2005 is a lack of uplifting acidity.  That’s not a problem with this wine because the village of Auxey-Duresses lies in a cool microclimate that prevented the warmth of 2005, responsible for the great concentration and intensity, from sapping this wine’s acidity. … Read more

($100): The demand for the marvelous 2005 vintage in red Burgundy has pushed all the prices higher.  You may shudder at the price–after all, this is premier, not grand, cru–but you’ll smile after you taste the wine.  Gallois’ Combe Aux Moines delivers those classic Gevrey-Chambertin earthy, woodsy touches mixed with a hint of smoke and plenty of black fruit. … Read more

($110, Domaines et Saveurs Collection): Domaine Lamarche is probably best  known for being the sole owner of a small Grand Cru in Vosne-Romanée, La Grand Rue, a vineyard that lies between La Tâche and Romanée-Conti.  But the Domaine makes an extraordinary range of other wines, including the Grand Cru, Echezeaux. … Read more

($95, Vineyard Brands): The Mongeard-Mugneret style values finesse over power so it’s not a surprise that this grand cru grabs your attention with elegance, complexity and length rather than sheer intensity.  A hint of exotic mushroom-like nuances intermingled with fresh red fruit makes it the epitome of great Burgundy, incredible flavor without heaviness.… Read more

($140): The promise of this young wine is most apparent in its nose and the extraordinary finish.  Prominent aromas of oak are balanced by plenty of fruit and the combination is hard to resist.  Tightly wound at this early stage of its life, strawberry and other red fruit-like flavors sneak out from the tannins and oak. … Read more

($52, Vineyard Brands): Girardin makes little or no wine from premier cru vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, opting to buy grapes from growers who own plots classified simply as Chambolle-Musigny, presumably because he feels they deliver better value.   I hate to classify a $50 wine as a ‘value wine,’ but considering Burgundy, especially in the 2005 vintage, it probably is. … Read more

($60, Vineyard Brands): Although not from a premier cru vineyard, this wine has all the style and class of one.  The aromatics predict a lovely wine and in this case, the nose does not lie.  Supple silky tannins surround a lush mixture of ripe black and red fruit flavors. … Read more

($24, Vineyard Brands): In really great years, such as 2005, the wines from the lowliest appellations, such as this Bourgogne Rouge, are particularly attractive.  Girardin has managed to craft a wine with New World intensity while retaining the earthy character of Burgundy. … Read more

($52, Vineyard Brands): Red wine grown in Blagny, a village that straddles Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, is sold as Blagny, whereas the whites (made from Chardonnay) are sold under the name Meursault-Blagny.  Matrot is the largest grower of Blagny and, in a way, it is the flagship wine. … Read more