($40, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): The 2018 vintages produced some charming red Burgundies, some of which, such as this one, are delicious now. Féray’s has wonderful depth for a village wine, reflecting the ripeness of the grapes due to the warmth of the vintage. … Read more
Category Archives: France – Burgundy
Claudie Jobard, Rully (Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France) Montagne La Folie 2018
($27, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): No doubt about it, this is a great wine. People, my editor included, will be startled by my awarding 95 points to a village Rully, which just exemplifies the problem of numerical rating. On an absolute scale, is this a 95 Point wine, comparable to a Grand Cru from the Côte d’Or? … Read more
Domaine Bart, Marsannay (Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France) Chardonnay Musqué Les Favières 2018
($35, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): Domaine Bart, one of my favorite producers, flies under the radar. Even their stunning Bonnes Mares fails to get the accolades it deserves. They are best known for their array of reds from Marsannay, a village whose wines may lack cachet, but in the right hands deliver spectacular quality at an easy-on-the wallet price. … Read more
Domaine du Château de Messey, Mâcon Cruzille (Mâconnais, Burgundy, France) Clos des Avoueries 2017
($39, Seaview Imports): The Mâconnais is becoming to “go-to” place for affordable white Burgundy. The region has three tiers, which, in ascending order of prestige, are Macon, Macon-Villages, and, at the top, Macon with the name of a village, such as Cruzille, appended to it. … Read more
Domaine Antonin Guyon, Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy, France) “La Justice” 2017
($85, Taub Family Selections): Domaine Antonin Guyon is a name you can trust. They make incredibly consistent wines from Grand Cru to their village wines, such as this one, that lies on the wrong side of the road. La Justice is one of the rare vineyards that lies on the eastern side of the RN974, the main north-south road in Burgundy, to be awarded a village designation instead of just a regional appellation. … Read more
Domaine Antonin Guyon, Chambolle-Musigny (Burgundy, France) “Les Cras” 2017
($95, Taub Family Selections): Similar to many vineyards in Burgundy, Les Cras isn’t contained within a single appellation. Part of this vineyard is classified as Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru, while another part is only entitled to a village Chambolle-Musigny appellation. The portion of Les Cras that carries the village appellation lies above the better situated — middle of the slope — portion that is classified as 1er Cru. … Read more
Château de La Chaize, Brouilly (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2017
($19, Taub Family Selections): Brouilly, the largest of the ten Beaujolais cru, often disappoints. Thankfully, the 2017 from Château de La Chaize, one of the top producers of Brouilly, does not. It has good concentration, zippy acidity that keeps it fresh and lively, and lots of juicy fruitiness. … Read more
Domaine Sylvain Langoureau, Saint-Aubin (Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 2017
($30): Saint-Aubin, lying behind the famous white wine villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet with their Grand Cru vineyards, is off the beaten tract, which means consumers can find value. Prices for Premier Cru Saint-Aubin have climbed dramatically as consumers have caught on, but bargains still exist for village wines, even from a top producer like Langoureau. … Read more
Maison Louis Jadot, Pouilly-Fuissé (Mâconnais, Burgundy, France) 2017
($27): Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top producers, needs no further introduction. It’s hard to go wrong with any wine carrying the Jadot name. With the 2020 vintage, regulators have designated about 25 percent of the vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé, the leading village in the Mâconnais, to have Premier Cru status. … Read more
Maison Louis Jadot, Santenay (Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 2018
($40, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Though Jadot is a major négociant, they also are an important grower, farming over 300 acres of vineyards in Burgundy. This Santenay, from a village in the southern part of the Côte de Beaune, is from one of their vineyards. … Read more
Domaine Dominique Guyon, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (Burgundy, France) “Les Dames de Vergy” 2018
($30): The Hautes Côtes de Nuits, a regional appellation, sits above and behind (to the west) of the Côte de Nuits, a sort of hinterland. Many of the reds from here have a rustic charm. Dominique Guyon, the son of another fabulous producer, Antonin Guyon, makes a more refined version than many. … Read more
In Praise of Regional and Village Burgundy…or, Where to Find Value
Simple economics explains why the wine from Burgundy, or Bourgogne, as the French would now like us to call it, has become expensive. Really expensive. French wine regulations limit what can be planted where (a.k.a. the supply) and demand has increased as new markets around the world, such as China, Japan, and Russia, to name just three, discover Burgundy’s allure. … Read more
Maison Joseph Drouhin, Rully (Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France) 2018
($27): Consumers can safely select virtually any wine from Drouhin, another top-tier Burgundy producer. Indeed, I could include their Bourgogne Blanc “Laforet,” or their Mâcon-Villages, both of which typically retail for less than $20 a bottle, but I chose their Rully, from a village in the Côte Chalonnaise. … Read more
Parent, Monthélie Blanc (Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 2017
($48): Domaine Parent, arguably the best producer of Pommard, also makes this stunning white Monthélie. It’s a bit of an oddity because ninety percent of Monthélie’s production is red and the vast majority of Parent’s production comes from their own vineyards. … Read more
Domaine Guilhem et Jean Hugues Goisot, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre (Burgundy, France) Gueules de Loup 2017
($35): Goisot is a good example of why my mantra is producer, producer, producer. You can buy any of their wines and be thrilled. They are located in the far north of Burgundy, near Chablis and make an array of distinctive and captivating wines. … Read more
Domaine Michel Bouzereau, Bourgogne Blanc Côte d’Or (Burgundy, France) 2017
($30): With the 2017 vintage, regulators added a new sub-category, Côte d’Or, to Bourgogne, the very broad regional appellation that allowed grapes to come from anywhere in Burgundy. Wines labeled Bourgogne Côte d’Or mean that the grapes all come from the famed Côte d’Or, the very heart of Burgundy. … Read more
Maison Louis Latour, Mercurey (Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France) 2015
($26, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Though Mercurey, a village in the Côte Chalonnaise, is best known for its reds, it’s a treasure trove of affordable Burgundy, both red and white. Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s best producers, rarely disappoints. The 2015 vintage is one of the best of the decade.… Read more
Domaine Bart, Marsannay (Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France) “Les Finottes” 2018
($30): Domaine Bart is a star producer in Marsannay. This house makes splendid Grand Crus, such as Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin Clos de Bèze that routinely sell for $200+ a bottle upon release. Their skill is also found in a bevy of single-vineyard wines from the village of Marsannay, the northern most village of the Côte de Nuits. … Read more
Château de la Maltroye, Bourgogne Rouge (Burgundy, France) 2017
($27): Château de la Maltroye, a top producer of both red and white wines from Chassagne-Montrachet, makes this charming Bourgogne Rouge from vineyards in that village that lie outside the boundaries of the village appellation. Delicate red fruit flavors balance its savory, herbal side. … Read more
Domaine Jean et Giles Lafouge, Auxey-Duresses (Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 2017
($37): One formula for Burgundy bargains is to find a top producer who lives and has vineyards in an out-of-the-way place. Domaine Lafouge’s Auxey-Duresses (“oh say doo ress”) fits that formula. Auxey-Duresses, like Monthélie, which it abuts, is situated in the prestigious Côte d’Or, but most of its vineyards lie even further west. … Read more
Glory in Givry: Domaine du Cellier Aux Moines
As in its more famous neighbouring region, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reign supreme and, with rare exceptions, are the mandated grapes for the wines.
Major appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise, moving from north to south, include Rully and Mercurey, which produce both red and white wine, Givry, which produces mostly (80%) red wine, and Montagny, which produces white wine exclusively.… Read more
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, Burgundy, France 2019
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2018
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2017
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2016
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2015
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2014
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2013
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2012
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2010
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2009
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2007
Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, Givry, 1er Cru Clos du Celliers aux Moines, 2006
Domaine du Pavillon (Bichot), Meursault (Burgundy, France) 2018
($100): This village Meursault, a blend of five plots from the northern end of the appellation, is vinified at the Domaine du Pavillon, just down the road in Pommard. One taste shows the dramatic textural difference between this white from the Côte d’Or and the Les Champs-Michaux from the Côte Chalonnaise. … Read more
Domaine Adélie (Bichot), Mercurey (Burgundy, France) “Les Champs-Michaux” 2018
($55): Albéric Bichot purchased this almost 20-acre estate in Mercurey in 2003, the year of his first daughter’s birth. Hence the name of the domaine. Mercurey is known for its red wines, but with more whites like this one, the reputation of its whites might well outdistance the reds. … Read more
Domaine du Pavillon (Bichot), Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) 2018
($260): Bichot owns about three acres in the Les Languettes lieu-dit, a sunny southeast facing part of the Corton-Charlemagne vineyard. From it, they have made a glorious wine in 2018, showing nuances of spiced pineapple offset by a crispy edginess. Its stature is not in overall weight or power, rather in its layered complexity and elegance. … Read more
Domaine Long-Depaquit (Bichot), Chablis Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) “Les Clos” 2018
($112): With holdings totaling 150 acres of vines, almost half of which are located in Premier or Grand Cru vineyards, Bichot’s Long-Depaquit is one of the most notable estates in Chablis. They own roughly ten percent of all Grand Cru acreage in Chablis, including the entirety of La Moutonne, an anomalous site of almost 6-acres spanning two Grand Cru vineyards, Vaudésir and Preuses. … Read more
Domaine du Pavillon (Bichot), Pommard (Burgundy, France) “Clos des Ursulines” 2018
($55): Unlike Bordeaux, most Burgundy vineyards are divided among multiple owners, which explains why the consumer can see multiple bottlings of Pommard Epenots, for example. By contrast, Clos des Ursulines, a nearly 10-acre vineyard located in the southeast part of the village, is owned entirely by the Domaine du Pavillon. … Read more
Château Gris (Bichot), Nuits-Saint Georges 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) 2018
($130): The 1er cru vineyard, Château Gris, takes its name from the 19th century castle the Earl of Lupé-Cholet built on the site after phylloxera destroyed the vines. Instead of the usual multi-colored tiles of Burgundian roofs, it had only slate tiles, giving arise to the nickname of Gris (grey). … Read more
Domaine du Clos Frantin (Bichot), Echézeaux Grand Cru (Burgundy, France) 2018
($360): Bichot’s Domaine du Clos Frantin owns two and a third acres in the lieu-dit of Champs Traversin from which they make a consistently spectacular Echézeaux. The 2018 is no exception. It is explosive, yet not weighty. It delivers a touch of spice along with a plethora of subtle fruit flavors. … Read more
Domaine de Rochegrès (Bichot), Domaine de Rochegrès (Bichot) (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2018
($28): Bichot purchased this 12.5-acre estate in the heart of Moulin-a-Vent, arguably the top Beaujolais cru, in 2014. The grapes come from three lieux-dits within Moulin-a-Vent, La Rochelle, Au Mont, and the young vines from Rochegrès itself. It is ripe, spicy and suave, combining richness, minerality and bright acidity. … Read more
Bichot is Back
Jean Hugues & Guilhem Goisot, La Ronce, St-Bris, 2017
Off-piste Burgundy: Value alternatives
Even serious fans of Burgundy may be unfamiliar with St-Bris, Coteaux Bourguignons and Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains. In a region famous for its rigid devotion to vineyard sites identified by Cistercian monks eight centuries ago, these three appellations – and the wide variety of grape varieties they allow – demonstrate Burgundy’s ability to adapt to the subtleties wrought by the passage of time.… Read more