($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
Category Archives: France – Burgundy
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
Louis Latour, Bourgogne, Passetoutgrains, Burgundy, 2017
Domaine Bernard Moreau, Bourgogne, Passetoutgrains, 2017
Domaine Trapet Père & Fils, A Minima, Bourgogne, Passetoutgrains, Burgundy, 2017
Domaine Michel Lafarge, L’Exception, Bourgogne, Passetoutgrains, Burgundy, 2017
Louis Latour, Les Pierres Dorées, Coteaux Bourguignon, 2018
Louis Jadot, Coteaux Bourguignon, Burgundy, France, 2017
Domaine Jean & Gilles Lafouge, Coteaux Bourguignon, 2017
Maison Fatien Père & Fils, Coteaux Bourguignon, 2017
Domaine Fargues, Coteaux Bourguignon, Burgundy, France, 2017
Jean Louis & Jean Christophe Bersan, Cuvée Marianne, St-Bris, Burgundy, 2018
Bailly-Lapierre, St-Bris, Burgundy, France, 2018
Jean Hugues & Guilhem Goisot, Corps de Garde, St-Bris, Burgundy, 2017
Domaine Séverine & Lionel Jacquet, St-Bris, Burgundy, 2018
J. de Villebois, Touraine AOP (Loire Valley, France) Sauvignon Blanc 2018
($16, Vineyard Brands): The Loire Valley is home to a vast number of wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, the best known of which are those from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé appellations. But other appellations, such as the wider one, Tourraine, should not be forgotten, especially as prices of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé rise. … Read more
Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis (Burgundy, France) “Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire” 2017
($35): What a great village Chablis! It demonstrates the importance of the producer and old vines. With this wine, Jean-Marc Brocard, one of the region’s top growers, delivers more character and clarity than many producers’ premier cru. Flinty and precise, it cuts a gorgeous profile.… Read more
Maison Louis Jadot, Bourgogne Blanc (Burgundy, France) “Couvent des Jacobins” 2016
($18, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Jadot is justly proud of their “simple” Bourgogne Blanc. The grapes — all Chardonnay — come from throughout Burgundy, allowing them to alter the blend as the vintage demands. With a slightly warmer vintage, they can include grapes from cooler continue to keep the wine fresh. … Read more
Burgundy’s 2018 Vintage: The Importance of Harvest Date
During the annual press conference in November, 2018 at which various Burgundy luminaries discussed the recent vintage, Françoise Labet, President of the organization that represents Burgundy wine, proclaimed that the recently completed vintage was, “Close to 1947,” which was a legendary year. … Read more
Domaine Louis Latour, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) En Caradeux 2017
($45, Louis Latour, USA): Maison Louis Latour, on of Burgundy’s top producers, made a spectacular array of white wines in 2017. This Premier Cru from Pernand-Vergelesses is just one example. Latour owns a portion of the vineyard, En Caradeux, which sits in an ideal position in the middle of the slope, facing east, which means it’s a Domaine or Estate wine. … Read more
Mixed Vintage News from Burgundy
BEAUNE, Burgundy, November 19, 2019: First the good news. The 2018 vintage produced large quantities of high-quality wines, both red and white. It’s unusual to see good yields of high-quality wines in Burgundy, but that’s what happened in 2018. Unlike the 2015 vintage, which I characterized as a “point and shot” vintage for the reds because the quality was so consistently high that you practically couldn’t miss picking a fine wine, there is considerable variability among the 2018s that I’ve tasted. … Read more
William Fevre, Saint-Bris (Burgundy, France) 2018
($25, Maison Marques et Domaines): Saint-Bris, formerly known as Sauvignon de Saint Bris before it was elevated to appellation d’origine controllée (AOC) status, is curious and unique in Burgundy. Located in the far north, near Chablis and covering a mere 200 acres, it requires the use of Sauvignon Blanc, not Chardonnay, for its wines. … Read more