Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Rich, Muscular New $25 Gamay: “Delicious and Refreshing.”

Beaujolais has always had a turbulent relationship with the rest of Burgundy. To many in the Côte d’Or, the Beaujolais represents overmarketed and undercrafted wine. But in recent years the Beaujolais has undergone a renaissance, as the prominence of Nouveau recedes and more vignerons make ageworthy wine.

Among our favorite serious Beaujolais sources is Laurent Perrachon, a multigenerational domaine working very old vines with meticulous care. Perrachon has more fans than just us — the domaine regularly receives top notes from Jancis Robinson, Josh Raynolds (Vinous), and Allen Meadows (Burghound).

 

 

Jancis Robinson calls Moulin-a-Vent the “most highly rated of all the Beaujolais crus,” and after a sip of today’s wine it’s not hard to see why. Perrachon’s Moulin-a-Vent “Les Burdelines” is as dense and bold as any Beaujolais we’ve tasted. As with Perrachon’s other wines, this bears more resemblance in mouthfeel to a Northern Rhône Syrah than a Pinot from Burgundy.

Today’s release is of the 2014 Burdelines, a wine Burghound awarded 90 points and called “delicious and refreshing.” Perrachon keeps this wine in oak for a bit longer to help it knit together, and so the current release is a year behind their other wines. The last few bottles of last year’s 2013 Burdelines were some of the most enjoyable Beaujolais we’ve ever had, and we expect the 2014 to age with similar verve.

Today, however, the 2014 “Burdelines” needs a half an hour in a carafe, a hearty meal (such as Thanksgiving), and a rowdy group of friends. Look for anise, cherry, black pepper, and stones on the nose, with a dense, chewy mouthfeel and notes of briary cassis and black raspberry. This isn’t a Beaujolais you’ll forget about soon — it may be only twice the price of the Nouveau, but it’s easily ten times the wine.

 

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Perrachon Moulin-a-Vent “Burdelines” 2014

Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

 

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White Burgundy in Perfect Balance: Ravaut’s $25 Bourgogne Returns.

Round. Burgundy is where Chardonnay finds its finest expression. In cold climates, the grape can be acidic and thin; in hot climates, it runs the risk of high alcohol and over extraction. But in Burgundy, Chardonnay has the potential to strike its most elegant balance between soft, mouthfilling fruit, and crisp, refreshing acidity.

No one walks this line between fullness and crispness better than the Domaine Ravaut. The Ravaut family’s whites include some of the best we know, including an extraordinary, age-worthy Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne. But today’s offer is for their simplest — a Bourgogne blanc that combines the golden texture of elegant Chardonnay with a vibrant line of freshness.

 

 

Pears.  The Ravaut Family is a low-profile domaine in an often-forgotten town. They continue to sell most of their wine to loyal customers who visit their front door, and during our tastings their cellars are often crowded with visitors from Paris and elsewhere in France. The Ravauts fly mostly below the radar of the international wine press, and we feel lucky to have found them.

From a ripe, early drinking year, the Ravaut Bourgogne Blanc is an effortlessly drinkable glass of wine. The nose is expressive and attractive, showing pear and coconut, with a hint of lemon peel. The mouth is round and soft, with notes of almond and toast balanced by green apple freshness. There’s more chalky length than you’d expect from a wine of this level.

This is a perfect autumn-weight white Burgundy — lively and energetic, but full of rich mouthfilling fruit that coats the palate in style.

 

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Ravaut Bourgogne blanc 2015

Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

 

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Mixed Case: Gros/Amiot Sampler

The best known domaines in our portfolio are two sources of classic Red Burgundy: the Domaine Michel Gros and the Domaine Pierre Amiot. Their wineries are just three miles apart, and they both farm plots along the world’s most famous stretch of vines. Winemakers Michel Gros and Jean-Louis Amiot were even grade school friends.

Their styles are slightly different — Gros’s wines tend more towards elegance, Amiot’s towards richness — but they represent some of the finest red Burgundies in our portfolio. We have collected four of our favorites, from four different towns and vintages. These are pure, masterfully made Pinot Noir from some of the most talented winemakers in Burgundy.

 

 

GROS Nuits-St-Georges 2012
The nose is expressive and silky, showing roasted cherries, earth, and toast. There’s still some round tannin in this wine, which should carry it easily for several more years. But the bottles we opened earlier this week were elegant and delicious immediately.

AMIOT Morey-St-Denis 1er cru “Charmes” 2014
The Charmes nose is bright and delicate, with fine mineral notes joining roses. It’s lively and expressive, more pretty and nuanced than rich and mouthfilling. Serve now with food or a decanter; in 5 years it’ll be even more charming.

GROS Vosne-Romanée 2014
Michel’s Vosne-Romanée is impossibly elegant. Showing classic violets and spice, the nose is enticing and seductive, with a long, perfectly crafted mouthfeel. As it opens up in the glass, notes of mushrooms, licorice, and cassis join the spice.

AMIOT Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Combottes” 2014
From a premier cru vineyard surrounded by five grand crus, Combottes shows unusual depth and intensity. The nose is beautifully dark and floral nose, with notes of spice and mushrooms. The mouth is intense and rich, showing cassis, dark cherries and earth.

 

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Mixed Case: Gros/Amiot Sampler

Ansonia Retail: $954
sampler price : $795/case

 

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90-point Premier Cru Volnay: Velvet and Silk in a Glass.

The wines of Burgundy are not known for their weight. Their grape is Pinot Noir, a delicate, thin-skinned grape that is relatively light in color. The region is relatively northern, and it’s often a struggle for the grapes to ripen fully.

But what they lack in weight, they more than make up in elegance. The reds of Burgundy are unmatched in their ability to convey complexity, subtlety, and grace. In the Côte de Nuits it’s hard to pick a favorite town, but in the Côte de Beaune one name stands above the rest.

Volnay embodies the velvety silkiness of red Burgundy as well as any town in the region. Our producer here is the Domaine Roger Belland, who marries Volnay’s elegance with the domaine’s approachable style. The result is exceptionally fine red Burgundy, that’s also drinkable young.

 

 

Master of Wine Jasper Morris highlights three premier crus as the finest vineyards in the town: Caillerets, Champans, and Santenots. (Texts from 1855 and 1920 single out the same three.) And so from a town with no Grand Crus, these wines are as good as Volnay gets. This Volnay is from the premier cru Santenots vineyard, right along the border with Meursault.

Belland’s 2014 Volnay-Santenots is seriously good wine. The nose shows plum, blackberry and spice; the mouth is tense and full, with fine tannins, and a savory, gamey finish. Burghound awarded 90 points, finding “really lovely detail,” “discreet floral aromas,” and “generous medium weight flavors.” This is richer than much Volnay, but doesn’t lack at all for subtlety and refinement.

Picture an old stone chateau on a hillside in Burgundy, on a drafty winter evening a century ago. There’s a crackling fireplace, flickering candles, and a hearty meat on the table — this Volnay is the wine in the glass.

 

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Belland Volnay 1er cru “Santenots” 2014

Ansonia Retail: $68
2+ bottle price : $59/bot

 

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2015 Crozes-Hermitage Returns: “The Best in 55 Years.”

Much has been written about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy, one of the best in a generation. But the vintage also brought impressive wines from elsewhere in France. In particular, the syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône had a banner year in 2015. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson in a recent article proclaimed them “the best in 55 years.”

We don’t open 1962 Hermitage very often, so we’ll have to take her word for it. But we can say that they’re extraordinary wines — inky, dark, and mouthfilling but with exceptional balance and refined tannins. We sold out of this wine quickly back in August, but we’ve just restocked — and today it’s drinking better than ever.

 

 

The Northern Rhone is a geographic and stylistic halfway point between Burgundy and the South. The reds of the region combine Burgundy’s tradition of elegant, unblended wines with the South’s darker, richer grape varietals. The result is a marriage of Northern refinement and sun-baked Southern richness.

Denis Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented — the latest issue of the Guide Hachette featured two of his four wines, an impressive feat for a winemaker whose first vintage was only five years ago. His 2015 Crozes-Hermitage is a triumph — impossibly intense and concentrated, but at 13.5% alcohol a balanced and refreshing glass as well.

This wine has many happy years ahead of it, but with a decanter and a sturdy meal alongside, it’s a delight today. The color is a inky black-purple, with a savory nose showing cloves, blackberries and violets. The mouth is astonishingly dense, with young but polished tannins, and classic notes of plum and black pepper. We might not see another vintage like this until 2072.

 

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Saint Clair Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $26
6+ bottle price : $22/bot

 

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Finesse and Energy: Elegant Old-Vine Chablis.

When vines grow old it presents vignerons with a choice. Older vines mean lower yields, which can squeeze a domaine’s bottom line. But old vines also produce more concentrated and better quality juice, leading to wines of depth and intensity. We are always pleased to find vignerons who sacrifice quantity for quality and allow their vines to continue into old age.

The Domaine Gautheron in Chablis has kept a small plot of their oldest vines, now over 55 years old. The wine from this plot is a harmonious marriage of finesse and energy. There’s the refreshing stony minerality found in the best Chablis, but also an elegant roundness derived from the low-yielding old vines. The result of the combination is superb balance and depth.

 

 

Cyril Gautheron is a rising star here in Chablis. The Gautheron family has made wine in Chablis for 200 years, but Cyril has taken the reins with an unusual passion. Our visits with him regularly run late as he discusses the intricacies of his family’s property, and shows us unblended wines from dozens of plots.

Gautheron’s 2015 wines were all excellent. In a year with abundant sunshine, Cyril managed to maintain a clean freshness that keeps this wine lively. The nose shows chalk and lemon, with bright, clear notes and the faintest whisper of toast. The mouth is everything you want from Chablis — precise, elegant minerality, combined with pure, ripe Chardonnay fruit.

This wine fits beautifully on a Thanksgiving table — its lively mouthfeel and rich tension will keep your guests palates fresh all the way through pie.

 

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Gautheron Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2015

Ansonia Retail: $26
6+ bottle price : $22/bot

 

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Mixed Case: Thanksgiving Dinner Case

With so many different dishes and flavors spread across a Thanksgiving dinner table, wine pairing can be tricky. Our suggestion is to cover all your bases — we recommend having some white, red, and sparkling around to match everyone’s tastes and pairing preferences.

So here’s a sampler of four wines, all crisp and dry: a lively sparkling blend from Burgundy, a dry, zippy Burgundian Chardonnay, and two unoaked reds with low alcohol and refreshing mouthfeels. We’ve got lots of pairing ideas in our Thanksgiving Guide, but if you’re looking for a quick solution for around $20/bot, look no further.

Note: this case ships for free on the East Coast, so if you’re traveling for Thanksgiving we can send right to your hosts.

 

 

Picamelot Crémant “les Terroirs” NV: Crisp, dry sparkling wine from Burgundy; a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté. Look for green apple and brioche.

Thomas Bourgogne blanc 2015: Lively, toasty white Burgundy. This is pure Chardonnay, a classic, energetic white Burgundy. Look for hazelnut and lemon.

Monnet Juliénas Vieilles Vignes 2015: The perfect Thanksgiving red: juicy, crisp, and refreshing. This is pure, old vine gamay from the Beaujolais; violets and earth.

Demois Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2015: Cool, dense, organic, and rich. This is unoaked Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, showing graphite and cranberry.

 

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Mixed Case: Thanksgiving Dinner Case

Ansonia Retail: $306
Sampler price : $250/case

 

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Humble Greatness: Delicious New 92-point Gigondas

Châteauneuf-du-Pape dominates the south of France. No other town is more famous or produces more widely respected wines. But the relative anonymity of the surrounding towns belies the high quality of wine they produce. And while Châteauneuf-du-Pape will always be a more recognizable purchase, Gigondas provides more bang for your buck.

A case in point is Domaine les Goubert’s “Cuvée Florence.” Though it’s grown in Gigondas, in depth, complexity, and ageworthiness it more closely resembles a fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Made from only their best parcels of Grenache and Syrah, Cuvée Florence is noticeably better than many wines from its more famous neighbor.

We’ve been buying the Cuvée Florence for decades, and the quality continues to improve. The family’s thirty-something daughter Florence, whose birth inspired the creation of the cuvée back in the 1980s, is now the principal winemaker. (If you happen to be in Boston next week, Florence herself will be at the Newton Warehouse on Tuesday evening 6-9pm.)

 

 

The 2012 Cuvée Florence is fantastic, and drinking far better at this stage than many other vintages. The nose is deep and woodsy, showing cassis, leather, raspberry and spice. The mouth is cool, dense, and, as Jancis Robinson put it, “very well balanced.” Josh Raynolds awarded 90-92 points, finding “mocha, licorice, and violet.”

This is rich, dark wine that will fit perfectly alongside a fine cut of beef or rack of lamb. If it’s the name on the label you’re after, we have excellent Châteauneuf-du-Pape that will satisfy both palate and need for recognition. But if it’s value you seek, we recommend putting your money on the Cuvée Florence.

 

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Goubert Gigondas “Cuvée Florence” 2012

Ansonia Retail: $54
3+ bottle price : $48/bot

 

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The Perfect Thanksgiving Red: Rich, Inky Old-Vine Juliénas. $19

We work with a lot of winemakers with low profiles, but Jean-Marc Monnet’s might be the lowest. He has no roadsign, no website, and no other American importer. We’ve gotten lost trying to find his domaine two years in a row. Jean-Marc himself is as humble as his winery is hidden, but the wines themselves are a wholly different story.

Beaujolais has long been known for its unserious wines — over-marketed and under-cared-for. But Monnet’s Beaujolais has the complexity of a very good Côte d’Or Bourgogne rouge and the density of a Northern Rhône syrah. And from a rich year like 2015, Monnet’s gamays punch far above their weight and price.

 

 

Beaujolais is the perfect Thanksgiving wine — indeed, we have a whole section of our Thanksgiving Guide devoted to the stuff. It’s juicy and crisp, with fresh fruit and a crackling mouthfeel. It’s lively in the mouth and won’t tire your palate over the long meal.

Monnet’s old vine Juliénas is like his other wines, only more so. From 50+ year old vines and a ripe vintage, the density is exceptional. The color is inky purple, with a dark nose showing raspberry and pure wild cherry. The mouthfeel is intense and smooth with a long, dense finish of cranberry, minerals and violets. This is delicious, but as Jancis Robinson puts it, “meant to be drunk, not contemplated.”

We don’t claim to have discovered the perfection of Beaujolais-Thanksgiving pairing. But our advice is this: stay with Beaujolais but skip the Nouveau — a few bucks more gets you rich, dense, honest gamay.

 

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Monnet Juliénas Vieilles Vignes 2015

Ansonia Retail: $24
6+ bottle price : $19/bot

 

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Mixed Case: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sampler ($105 off, plus Free Map)

Winter is Coming.  Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the perfect wine for cooler weather. Made famous by French popes in the 14th century, and then again by Robert Parker in the 1980s, the area is rich with winemaking history. Today the appellation, which covers only about 12 square miles, produces some of the most sought after wine in the world.

Here are four Chateauneuf-du-Papes from four different producers. They all have between three and six years of bottle age, and show the impressive variety of terroir available from the appellation. With fall here and winter on its way, this is the perfect mixed case to keep you warm.

As a bonus, the buyers of the first few samplers ordered will receive a new detailed map of the appellation (see photo below).

 

 

MESTRE Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012
Christophe Mestre is an up and coming young winemaker from an old Châteauneuf family. His wines are traditional, smooth and easy to enjoy young. Vinous awarded his 2012 91 points, calling it “silky” and “seamless,” and noting its “zesty mineral flourish.”

MAUCOIL Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2014
Château Maucoil is an ancient property on the site of a Roman era spring. Their red Châteauneuf-du-Pape is classic and elegant, with dark plum fruit, and notes of jam, licorice, lavender and earth.

ANDRÉ Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2013
Jacqueline André carefully coaxes an extraordinary wine from her 140-year-old vines. The first domaine certified organic and biodynamic in the appellation, André makes a single, exquisite cuvée from exceptional raw materials. Look for earth, garrigue, and figs.

FONT DU LOUP Chateauneuf “Puy Rolland” 2011
Made exclusively from 100-year old Grenache vines, this special cuvée from the Chateau de la Font du Loup is magnificent. With extremely concentrated fruit and beautiful fine-grained tannins, look for notes of strawberry jam and a very silky mouthfeel.

 

 

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Mixed Case: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sampler

Ansonia Retail: $600
sampler price : $495/case

 

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2015 Pommard: “Highly Seductive,” “Utterly Delicious”

The towns of Volnay and Pommard are the two finest red wine towns in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. Hugh Johnson describes Volnay as “fragrant and ethereal,” Pommard as “dark” and “potent.” Together they’re a perfect example of the power of Burgundian terroir: they share a border and the towns themselves are less than a mile apart, but their identifying characteristics are nearly opposite.

Fall is certainly Pommard season, and with even cooler weather on the way, a smooth, velvety Pommard will be as useful as a wool hat. Roger Belland’s Pommard always drinks well early — the fruits are smooth and full, his vines are 55 years old, and Belland’s style is one of ripe freshness — but in the 2015 vintage, it’s even more delicious than usual.

Many of our winemakers put the 2015 vintage on par with the exceptional vintages of 2005 and 2010. Indeed there are fantastic red Burgundies to be had at every level. This wine is an excellent representative of the vintage — loads of perfectly ripe fruit, cool sturdy tannins, and a balanced, mouth filling palate. Burghound found “fine volume,” and a “balanced finish,” calling it “highly seductive,” and “utterly delicious.”

It’s his last comment that might sum this wine up best — this is smooth, rich, delicious wine that’s easy to like and hard to put down. Pommards age very well, but Belland’s 2015 Pommard is delicious today. The nose is deep and perfumed, with plum, wild cherries, and cinnamon. The palate is rich and mouthfiling, with ripe, punchy tannins and notes of pan drippings, strawberry jam, and faint anise. Pair this with a hearty pasta cacio e pepe or roast short ribs.

 

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Belland Pommard 2015

Ansonia Retail: $62
2+ bottle price : $55/bot

 

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2015 Saint Estèphe: Exceptional Small Batch Left-Bank Bordeaux. $32

We don’t import much Bordeaux. We’ve always taken more readily to the scale and culture of Burgundy, where the estates are much smaller and the atmosphere less formal. But it’s no secret that Bordeaux makes some extraordinary wines, and we like having some in our portfolio.

We’ve added four new Bordeaux chateaux to our lineup in the last year or so, from both right and left banks and with a wide range of prices. None has been a better find than the tiny 1.5 acre plot in Saint-Estèphe called Fleuron de Liot. From a small winery the Negrier family turns out an exceptional red Bordeaux, equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

 

Saint-Estèphe’s clay-rich soils make it perfect for Merlot, and this wine showcases the richness and complexity possible from the grape. At under $35/bot, precise timing isn’t crucial for a satisfying return on investment — but this wine is delicious now and will be even better in five years.

The 2015 has just arrived, and it’s a worthy successor to the popular 2014. Today this wine is inky and dark, with plum and black cherries in the nose. The mouth is dense and full, with solid ripe tannins and low oak, notes of woods and licorice, and a long, velvety texture. The tannins are rich, dense and supple, rather than harsh or dry.

One thing common to Bordeaux and Burgundy is their ability to gain complexity with age. For this wine at least, the choice is yours. Every bottle we open seems to get better, but then every bottle we open is one fewer in the cellar. Whichever you choose, we’re willing to bet you will wish you had more.

 

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Fleuron de Liot Saint-Estèphe 2015

Ansonia Retail: $38
6+ bottle price : $32/bot

 

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Magnum Sale!

It’s hard to justify opening a magnum for a small dinner with a friend or two. But if your guest list numbers more than eight — particularly if they’re the jovial type — you’ll probably need an extra bottle of everything anyway. With less than a month until Thanksgiving and the holidays close behind, entertaining season is upon us. Today we’ll offer a simple suggestion to dress up your holiday dinner table: large format bottles.

There’s just something more festive about serving wine from magnums — perhaps it’s the need for a group to justify pulling the cork. It’s also true that wine often ages better in magnums, where the air-to-wine ratio is lower than a regular bottle. But whether you plan to age them or not, it’s hard to deny they’re simply more fun to enjoy.

We’ve collected 16 magnums, from Burgundy, the Rhône, and the Languedoc. If there’s a party or a family gathering in your future, consider one of these to make it a bit more festive.

 

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October 25-28  |  free shipping for 3+ magnums

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New Grand Cru White Burgundy: “Chablis at its very, very finest.”

Of the 12,000 acres of vineyards planted in Chablis, only 250 (2%) qualify as Grand Cru. This highest tier includes seven distinct vineyards, each famous in its own right. But among the seven, the Grand Cru “Les Clos” is generally considered the finest. As Master of Wine Clive Coates puts it, Les Clos is “Chablis at its very, very finest… combining depth, intensity, and great elegance.”

As you can imagine, there’s not much of Les Clos to go around. So we were surprised and delighted two years ago when one of our Chablis sources, the Domaine Jean Collet, told us that a tiny plot of 65-year-old vines (less than half and acre — enough for about 1,000 bottles) has found its way into the family lineup. Our delight at the new addition was surpassed only by the contents of the glass.

 

 

One whiff of the Collet’s Les Clos, and you’ll understand the hype — it’s among the finest wines we’ve tasted from Collet’s already impressive lineup. The nose shows exquisite lemon, pear, and mineral aromas, and follows with an extraordinarily long, rich, tension-filled palate. It’s hard to imagine more concentration or density in white wine, particularly one with a nearly imperceptible use of oak.

Romain Collet has expertly balanced Chablis’s signature minerality with a richness and intensity that calls to mind Corton-Charlemagne or Montrachet. Allen Meadows (Burghound) awarded 92 points, finding “white orchard fruit,” and a mouthfeel “textured, dense and powerful.”

Les Clos is famously long lived wine, with aging potential stretching out a decade or more; and the longer you can keep your hands off of it, the better it will be. We opened a bottle recently, we’d suggest decanting it (yes, decanting), for a half-hour or so before serving, at least for the next 6-8 months. Give it a year, and you’ll wish you had bought more; but even in its youth, Les Clos is unmistakably in a class of its own.

 

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Collet Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $80
2+ bottle price : $69/bot

 

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Rich, Mouthfilling Chianti Classico: Pure, Cozy Sangiovese. $25

Rich.  Grape varietals often get their names from a visible aspect of their fruit. The name Sauvignon blanc comes from sauvage (“wild”) because its leaves look like those of wild grape vines. Pinot Gris refers to the blue-gray (gris) color of its grapes. But our favorite varietal (etymologically speaking) has to be Sangiovese — a wine so inky and black that it is named for the “blood of Jove.”

With chilly weather outside we can hardly think of a cozier wine than Sangiovese. Our source for this grape is the Fattoria Poggerino, a small winery in the hills of Tuscany producing rich, balanced reds. Today we’re releasing our final few cases of their excellent 2012 Chianti Classico; five years on from the harvest this wine is a refined, nuanced glass of red.

 

 

Roses and smoke.  Poggerino’s 2012 Chianti Classico is among the best we can remember. Jancis Robinson called the 2012 “mouthfilling yet poised,” and “savory yet perfumed,” with “wonderful balance.” We found the signature roasted cherries and smoke in the nose, with chocolate, beef, and rose petals in the mouth. The mouthfeel is sturdy and dense, with young but juicy tannins and lots of energy.

The exceptional balance that impressed Jancis Robinson makes this wine an easy food pairing — a rich tomato sauce on pasta is a near perfect match. With a few years in the bottle, this has rounded into a beautifully elegant wine. It’s certainly among the best $25 bottles in our cellar.

 

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Poggerino Chianti Classico 2012

Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

 

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