Pommard and Volnay are the red Burgundy royalty of the Côte de Beaune. Pommard, the king, produces wines that are sturdy and masculine, drawn from clay and iron rich soils. Volnay, the queen, produces wines of unparalleled elegance, a study in subtlety and grace.
The Clos de Tart is one of Burgundy’s greatest properties. The vineyard has had only four owners since the 12th century, and, unusually for Burgundy, has never been subdivided. Today the wines from this 7.5 hectare monopole start around $500 per bottle.
In a Beaune restaurant last April we stumbled upon that most elusive of wine merchant targets: an unknown Burgundy domaine. Formed in 2002 with just 1.5 hectares of vines, the Domaine Bohrmann has no other importers, zero critical reviews, and hard-to-reach winemaker.
Burgundy has been on a roll of late. Starting in 2014, winemakers have enjoyed excellent quality for five straight vintages. Quantity has been slower to catch up, but in 2017 (at last) Mother Nature delivered a full harvest.
Gautier Desvignes took over his family domaine just a few years ago, but his arrival is already having an impact. He’s rebuilt his winery, replanted with new clones, and tightened up the fermenting and bottling regime. In the last two years Vinous and the Wine Advocate have arrived, calling his wines “superb,” “succulent,” and one of the region’s “five emerging…
A good French restaurant takes pride in its wine list. The restaurateur will curate a thoughtful collection of interesting wines, often from winemaker friends and acquaintances. And so when two of our favorite Beaune restaurants featured several bottles last year from a domaine we’d never heard of, we had to give them a try.
When we first met Gautier Desvignes he was 12. We happened across the Desvignes family domaine in 1998, during our year spent living in Burgundy. Having been fans for over two decades, it warms our hearts to see the Propriété Desvignes begin to receive the acclaim it deserves.
For years we’ve searched for a source in Chambolle-Musigny. The town has both a stellar reputation and miniscule size (population 300), and it hasn’t been easy to find a domaine without existing importing relationships. But this spring we finally stumbled upon the Domaine Boursot, a humble family of winemakers right in the heart of Chambolle.
Burgundies aren’t always the most accessible of wines. The classification system is confusing, many bottles need cellaring, food pairing can be tricky, and there’s often a hefty entry fee. So we’re are always on the lookout for entry-level Burgundy — wine that drinks well young and that won’t break the bank.
The Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard is one of the best known and most respected names in Burgundy. Wine writer Neal Martin of Vinous calls the Gagnard wines “some of my favorite in Chassagne: consistent, well-crafted, and honest.” Since 1989 Caroline Lestimé (daughter of Jean-Noël) has produced wines at the same superlative level as her father: pure, classy, and elegant.
There’s not much left hidden in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. A mere 30 miles long, the region is home to many of the world’s most famous vineyards. Limited supply and increasing demand mean even its most obscure corners receive visitors from around the world.
The 2018 vintage was a warm one in Burgundy. The grapes were ripe and full, and the harvest began in September in 86 degree heat. We visited France around harvest time in 2018, and wondered aloud whether the wines would be warm and missing balance. At least in the Maconnais, we needn’t have worried. The […]
Experienced collectors often say that Burgundy’s best values come from a great winemaker’s simpler wines. Today’s winemaker, Michel Gros, is world famous for his exquisite, high-end red Burgundies – several older vintages of his finer cuvées are listed here.
This April, during a tasting at Domaine des Varoilles with owner Gilbert Hammel, he left the room suddenly, saying “I think I have something you might be interested in.” He returned with a bottle of 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin, but a cuvée we didn’t recognize from his price list or vineyard map.
The Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard is part of the old guard of Chassagne Montrachet. For decades they’ve been among the most recognizable names in white Burgundy, synonymous with class and elegance. Master of Wine Jasper Morris writes that Gagnard’s wines “truly reflect their terroirs and combine intensity and richness with elegance and balance.”