($28, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Anyone who doubts that Beaujolais can excite needs to taste Château des Jacques’ 2015 trio of Morgon, Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent, three of the 10 Beaujolais crus.  The crus are 10 villages in the northern part of the region whose bedrock is either pink granite or a blue-black volcanic stone and whose wines are so distinctive that only the name of the village, not Beaujolais, appears on the label. … Read more

($35, Louis Latour USA): Fourchaume is a Premier Cru vineyard that lies on the right bank of the Serein River, adjacent to the string of Grand Cru vineyards.  To my mind, it is typically the most opulent of the premier crus with more ripeness and less minerality than the others. … Read more

($28, Louis Latour USA): Chablis remains, in my mind, the most undervalued area for top white wine.  And for those looking for “unoaked Chardonnay,” it is that style’s birthplace.  Maison Louis Latour, one of Burgundy’s top producers, acquired Simonnet-Febrve, a house established in 1840, in 2003 and a year later installed Jean-Philippe Archambaud as managing director. … Read more

($30, Louis Latour USA): Simonnet-Febvre owns a piece of the Mont de Milieu vineyard, which may explain why it is always one of their top wines.  Mont de Milieu (literally, the mountain in the middle), located on the right bank of Serein River near the strip of Grand Cru vineyards, takes its name from its location in the middle, separating the dukedoms of Burgundy and Champagne of the past. … Read more

($95, Louis Latour USA): In addition to using some fruit from their holdings in Clos du Roi vineyard, Latour also bottles a wine made exclusively from grapes grown there.  Wines from Corton Clos du Roi often have a plushness and luxurious texture — showing it’s good to be the King — that make them especially attractive. … Read more

($117, Louis Latour USA): Latour’s Corton Grancey, a Grand Cru and their flagship wine, is a blend of four Grand Cru vineyards on the hill of Corton: Corton-Perrieres, Corton-Bressandes, Corton-Clos du Roi, and Corton-Grèves.  The proportion each vineyard contributes to the finished wine varies vintage to vintage. … Read more

($41, Frederick Wildman & Sons): Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils labels his Vaillon as the singular, omitting the “s” to emphasize that their grapes come from the original and heart of the vineyard, not an adjacent vineyard that is allowed to use the name Vaillons. … Read more

($29, Frederick Wildman & Sons): With everyone raving about the Chablis and other white Burgundies from the 2014 vintage, those wines from 2015 may be overlooked, which would be a shame.  Domaine Christian Moreau made an exceptional village Chablis in 2015, a year that produced riper whites compared to 2014. … Read more

($17, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): This sensational bargain is clearly marketed to New World wine drinkers with the word Chardonnay in large type emblazoned on the label.  Marketing aside, with zesty energy and a hint of seductive creaminess, its flavor profile and character shouts — in a refined way — white Burgundy. … Read more

($25): The 2014 vintage for whites in Burgundy across appellations is exceptional, ranking with 2010 and 2008.  The across-the-board quality is a boon for consumers because even wines from the lowliest appellations from top producers, such as Alex Gambal’s Bourgogne Blanc, shine. … Read more

($18): Consumers should snap up as many 2014 white Burgundies as they can.  It’s a great vintage across appellations, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south.  And it’s in the south of Burgundy where you really find bargains in 2014. … Read more

($32): Auvigue is one of the very top producers in the Mâconnais.  Their name on a label is an assurance of quality.  They make a range of wines from area including several from Pouilly-Fuissé that express the enormous — and wonderful — diversity of that appellation. … Read more

($96): Bouchard Père et Fils, one of Burgundy’s top négociants, is also a grower, owning over 300-acres of vineyards in the Côte d’Or, including 30-acres of Grand Cru and about 180-acres of Premier Cru.  They consistently excel in their Meursault.  This magnificent Meursault Genevrières is a blend of two plots, totaling over 6-acres, that they own. … Read more

($300): Bouchard Père et Fils, owns over 1/3 of this Grand Cru vineyard that sits just above Le Montrachet, making them its largest owner.  Their roughly 6.5-acres are located in all four terraces of the vineyard, which helps explain why their Chevalier-Montrachet is so complex. … Read more

($17, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): Chateau du Basty, situated a stone’s throw from Régnié and Morgon, two of the Beaujolais cru, has been in the same family since 1482 so it’s safe to assume they know something about the area.  When I tasted there last November, there was no electricity because of a wind storm. … Read more

($35, Louis Latour USA): This is what everyone is looking for in white Burgundy — an affordable overachiever.  Three elements come together in a “perfect storm” to create this overachiever.  First, there’s the village itself.  Pernand-Vergelesses lies “behind” the hill of Corton (to the west) and is often overlooked since it is hidden as you drive the main road of the Côte d’Or. … Read more

($190, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection): White Corton is a rarity, since most producers label it Corton-Charlemagne.  Indeed, Anne Parent, who runs the eponymous domaine with her sister, Catherine, says she legally could label hers as Corton-Charlemagne, but since it comes from the east-facing portion of the hill in the Ladoix-Serrigny commune, she prefers to label it simply…Corton. … Read more

($70, Becky Wasserman Selection): Seventy bucks for Pouilly-Fuissé?  That’ll get your attention, but so will the quality of this wine.  It’s a joint venture between two Burgundy super-stars, Dominique Lafon from Meursault and Olivier Merlin from the Mâconnais, who purchased the vineyard together. … Read more

($21, Becky Wasserman Selection): I first became aware of Domaine Merlin’s wine when I tasted — no, drank — his stunning Moulin-à-Vent in a Paris bistro.  I’ve been a fan ever since.  It turns out that the Domaine makes stunning white wine as well. … Read more

($49, Becky Wasserman Selection): The producers in Marsannay have petitioned the authorities to elevate some of their vineyards, all of which now are lumped together and sold under the village name, to Premier Cru.  Clos du Roy is a prime candidate for promotion as this wine demonstrates. … Read more

($57, Becky Wasserman Selection): Sylvain Pataille, a terrific producer based in Marsannay, produces this Bourgogne rouge from vines that average about 35 years of age.  Indeed, a third of the vines in this 2.5-acre vineyard date from 1950s.  The old vines explain the gorgeous complexity and density you rarely fine in Bourgogne Rouge. … Read more

($12, Louis Latour USA): Though the appellation is just Saint Bris, the wines are often referred to as Sauvignon St. Bris, incorporating the name of the grape into the appellation.  Saint Bris, located just southwest of Chablis, is an anomaly in Burgundy because it is the only area where Sauvignon Blanc is allowed, indeed, required. … Read more

($135, Louis Latour USA): Louis Latour, the largest owner of the Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne, consistently makes superb examples of that wine.  They show their glory with a decade of bottle age.  I’ve not tasted all producers’ Corton Charlemagne so I can’t say Latour is “the best,” but for the price, there’s nobody even close. … Read more

($20, Louis Latour USA): The 2014 vintage was superb in Chablis and the rest of Burgundy for white wines.  Prices have nowhere to go but up because of the short crop in 2016, so I advise friends to buy as many 2014 white Burgundies as they can afford. … Read more

($21, Louis Latour USA): With the prices of Burgundy going through the roof, it’s always a delight to find authentic red Burgundy, especially from the revered Côte de Nuits, that is affordable.  Marsannay, the most northern appellation of the Côte de Nuits, is practically a suburb of Dijon, resulting in a constant battle between vineyards and suburban housing. … Read more

($55, Louis Latour USA): Village Burgundians, those wines made from vineyards that are not classified as Premier or Grand Cru, are often overlooked.  Burgundy collectors typically scramble to buy the wines from those more revered appellations.  Wise consumers, however, should look for village wines from top growers or négociants, such as this one. … Read more

($90, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Maison Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy’s top négociants, is also a “grower,” owning vineyards under a variety of Domaine names, such as Domaine Héritiers Louis Jadot (i.e., the heirs of Louis Jadot), throughout the Côte d’Or. … Read more

($102, Esprit du Vin):  Les Caillerets, one of the grandest premier cru vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet, lies further south and further up the slope from Les Blanchots. Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay’s 2014, a bit closed at this stage, is tightly wound and racy, showing a dramatic stony minerality in contrast to the chalkiness from Les Blanchots Dessus. … Read more

($104, Esprit du Vin):  Les Blanchots Dessus (upper Blanchots; note the slight difference in spelling and, at least according to the French, but not this Anglophone, an enormous difference in pronunciation) comprises the upper part of the Blanchots vineyard and lies immediately to the south and adjacent to the Grand Cru vineyard, Le Montrachet. … Read more

($64, Esprit du Vin):  The Domaine Coffinet, established in 1860 in Chassagne-Montrachet, has been passed from one generation of the Coffinet family to the next.  In 1989, Fernand and Cécile Coffinet split their 30-acre domaine between their two daughters, giving rise to Domaine Coffinet-Duverney, now run by Laura Coffinet and Philippe Duvernay.… Read more

($57, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): The 2013 vintage in Burgundy was difficult because rain during the harvest had the potential to swell the grapes, diluting them and the wine.  Plus, dampness during harvest is a set up for rot.  But talented producer, such as Louis Jadot, makes excellent wines even in “difficult” years. … Read more

($30, Martin Scott): The prices of white Burgundy from the Côte d’Or have put those wines out of reach for most of us, which means those looking for the distinctive expression of Chardonnay from Burgundy must look elsewhere.  Fortunately, there are talented growers “elsewhere” making wines that out perform their appellation. … Read more

($19): Though Saint Bris, an obscure part of Burgundy adjacent to Chablis, shares the same Kimmeridgian limestone as that famous appellation, it must use Sauvignon Blanc — not Chardonnay — for its wines. Grape variety not withstanding, the Goisot family works magic at their domaine. … Read more

($28, Martin Scott): Consumers would be wise to snap up this stunning Chablis because prices for all Chablis have nowhere to go but up.  The hail and other storms in Chablis so far in 2016 will reduce this year’s yield dramatically and will force prices of all Chablis that have yet to hit the market to rise. … Read more

($28, Esprit du Vin): The Fourchaume vineyard, really a collection of neighboring plots all of which can be sold under the Fourchaume label, is known for producing the most generous and fruity Chablis.   That said, they typically have, like this one from L’Homme Mort (“the dead man”), a riveting underpinning. … Read more

($26, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): If J. J. Vincent’s name is on a label, you can buy the wine with confidence knowing that you’ll enjoy it.  Vincent, based in Pouilly-Fuissé, owns several vineyards in that appellation and makes distinctive wines from each of them, highlighting the diversity of the terroir there. … Read more

($140, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): Domaine Parent, a top producer based in Pommard, has made a great array of wines in 2014.  While many 2014 reds are forward and charming, Parent’s Les Epenots has structure and balance that will reward years of cellaring. … Read more

($105, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): I often wonder who is spending $100+ for a bottle of wine.  I will not presume to judge whether this bottle, or any bottle, is worth that amount.  What I will say is that Domaine Lignier-Michelot’s Morey St.… Read more

($50, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): It’s a sad commentary of wine pricing when a bottle of Burgundy from Fixin, one of the least prestigious villages in the Côtes de Nuits, costs fifty bucks.  But that’s life, and compared to many of the Pinot Noir coming out of California, it’s still a reasonable price for a wine made from that grape–especially this one. … Read more

($60, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Here is another shining example of the grandeur of the 2014 vintage for white Burgundy.  Drouhin, one of the region’s finest producers, has fashioned a village wine that could pass for premier cru.  It has a touch of the spice and complexity I associate with Meursault Genevrières. … Read more

($75, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.): Domaine Vaudon is the name Drouhin uses for their Chablis.  They want to emphasize, justifiably, that they own substantial vineyards there because of the foresight of the patriarch, Robert Drouhin, who purchased vineyards there almost 50 year ago. … Read more

($65, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): It’s worth repeating: 2014 is a great vintage for white Burgundies, without doubt the best since 2010 and in the same league as those wines.  In short, don’t miss them, including this modestly priced — for Grand Cru Burgundy — Chablis Vaudésir. … Read more

($25, Polaner Selections): The 2014 vintage for white Burgundy, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south, is exceptional.  This village Chablis, from a small but top-notch producer, is just one example of the great values the vintage will provide. … Read more

($30, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): The white Burgundies from the 2014 vintage are stunning — the best since the grand 2010 vintage.  Here’s just another example.  The white wines from Rully in the Côte Chalonnaise can be very appealing because they convey an underlying stoniness. … Read more

($300, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): Under Erwan Faiveley’s leadership, Maison Faiveley has been transformed from a good négociant to an exceptional domaine that — like so many domaines today — also has a négociant business.  This Corton-Charlemagne, from the super 2014 vintage, comes from their just over 1.5 acres in Corton Charlemagne vineyards. … Read more