Maison Louis Latour’s Corton-Charlemagne is the benchmark wine for that grand cru vineyard. Always tightly wound when young, its remarkable character opens and expands with years-even decades-of age.
The conventional wisdom holds that white wines don’t benefit from aging and often loses something, but this does not apply to most grand cru white Burgundies and certainly not to Latour’s Corton-Charlemagne.… Read more
($73, Henriot Inc.): This, Bouchard’s flagship wine from Beaune, rarely disappoints and often dazzles. The 2002 dazzles. Long and expansive, it is remarkably ‘big’ for a wine from Beaune, but has not lost any of its usual elegance or silkiness. 93 Michael Apstein Sep 19, 2006… Read more
($53, Chemin des Vins/Patrick LeSec): The Ostrea vineyard, not a premier cru, is located on the north-Brochon-side of Gevrey and takes its name from the oyster shells found in the soil. Ripe and supple-but not hot as was all too frequently the case with 2003 Burgundies-Trapet’s village Gevrey-Chambertin has lovely balance and is delicious to drink now.… Read more
($40, Chemin des Vins/Patrick LeSec): Perhaps the best wine from Fixin I’ve ever had, the 2004 from Domaine St. Martin has layers of flavors and length. Not marred by the hardness sometimes found in wines from this village, its pure fruit flavors are complemented by an engaging earthiness.… Read more
($12, Kobrand): Let me get straight to the point. Jadot’s 2005 Beaujolais-Villages is delicious and a great value. Buy it by the case. Forget what you’ve heard about Beaujolais being thin, watery stuff. This is the kind of Beaujolais that brought the world’s attention to that region.… Read more
($17, Kobrand): One of Burgundy’s greatest producers, Maison Louis Jadot has fashioned a beautiful introduction to red Burgundy with this wine. Uncharacteristic for the French, who typically shun grape names, Jadot plasters “Pinot Noir” in large type across the label just in case you forgot that all red Burgundy comes from that grape.… Read more
($11, WJ Deutsch): Full, fresh and fruity, just as Beaujolais Nouveau should be. The concentration and extract make this year’s version very appealing and, hopefully, bodes well for 2005 Burgundy in general. 86 Michael Apstein Jan 3, 2006… Read more
Although they may lack the cachet of wines from small growers, such as Lafarge or Mongeard-Mugneret, the Burgundies made by négociants, especially in 2002, are not to be missed. Négociants are companies, either large or small, that buy grapes or newly made wines in bulk from growers.… Read more
($19, Frederick Wildman): Potel owns just one small, four-acre, vineyard called Maison Dieu between the towns of Beaune and Pommard, on the “wrong side of the tracks.” The wine doesn’t even qualify for a town name, but must be sold under Burgundy’s least prestigious appellation, Bourgogne.… Read more
($200, Dreyfus Ashby): A domaine bottling, this Bonnes Mares is staggeringly good, plush and balanced, with a seemingly endless finish. 96 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($125, Kobrand): Always my favorite, Jadot’s Bonnes Mares, a domaine wine, is suave, long, layered, and luxurious. The tannins and structure are there, but unobtrusive, and bode well for development. 97 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($175, Dreyfus Ashby): Sometimes wines from Grand Cru vineyards are disappointing. Not this domaine bottling. It has a magical combination of power and elegance and the extra umph that should characterize a Grand Cru. 95 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($55, Kobrand): From purchased grapes, Jacques Lardière, Jadot’s exceptionally talented winemaker, has produced a very good, earthy, surprisingly big wine from a lesser known premier cru. 90 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($25, Dreyfus Ashby): The Côte de Beaune appellation, less well known in the US than Côte de Beaune Villages, ranks between Beaune and the Beaune 1er Cru in stature, acording to Véronique Drouhin. Primarily made from wines from the young vines of Drouhin’s flagship property, Beaune Clos des Mouches, it has forward, pure ripe fruit flavors, little tannin, and good acid.… Read more
($25, Dreyfus Ashby): Wines from Chorey les Beaune, the only village in the Côte d’Or without a premier cru vineyard, offer great value when they are crafted by a talented producer like Drouhin. With pure fresh red fruit flavors, this one is uncomplicated and charming now.… Read more
($100, Kobrand): Also from purchased grapes, this Charmes Chambertin attests to the validity of the appellation contrôllée system. It has more of everything–complexity, length, and power–than the Petite Chapelle. 94 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($48, Louis Latour, Inc.): Here is a great village wine, fleshy and plump, with unexpected length. Delicious now. 90 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($36, Frederick Wildman): The pure cherry-like fruit is packaged here in Potel’s signature silky suaveness. Tightly wound at this stage, I expect it will blossom beautifully over the next five years. I also put this one in my cellar. 90 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($40, Clicquot, Inc.): This wine, which has been sold widely in France, made its first US appearance in 2002. A blend made exclusively from up to 16 of Bouchard’s 1er Cru vineyards in Beaune which are not bottled separately, such as Beaune Marconnets or Beaune Grèves, it’s a great buy.… Read more
($36, Kobrand): This more muscular wine, also from a family owned vineyard on the border with Pommard, has great color and concentration without being overdone. Exceptionally long, it’s even bigger, but not necessarily better, than the Theurons. 92 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($36, Kobrand): A bottling from a vineyard owned by the heirs of the Jadot family–Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot–this is a concentrated wine, rather big for a Beaune, with great texture and length. 92 Michael Apstein Jul 22, 2005… Read more
($46, Louis Latour, Inc.): Latour owns about a third–over 7 acres–in this prized vineyard from which he makes consistently excellent wine. The 2002 is glorious, concentrated and well structured. I would drink his Volnay En Chevrets while waiting for this one to evolve.… Read more
($48, Kobrand): Jadot’s flagship Beaune from a portion of the Vignes Franches vineyard, the Clos des Ursules is always a winner. The 2002 is no exception. With more structure than their other Beaune 1er Cru, it should turn out very well.… Read more
White Burgundy, made almost exclusively from chardonnay, is one of the most sought-after wines in the world.
Despite tremendous advances in California and other New World locales with chardonnay, white Burgundy remains the benchmark for wines made from that grape. But buying Burgundy is not easy.… Read more