Category: Burgundy

Chablis remains one of the best bargains in the wine world. Forever playing second fiddle to the rest of Burgundy, the brand suffered damage from the jug-wine “California Chablis,” and has yet to recover fully. The wines themselves, however, have never been better.

We’ve been on the hunt for a nice Aligoté for years. Forever in the shadow of the finest Chardonnays in the world, Burgundy’s “other white grape” is neither profound nor expensive. Most of our searches have yielded disappointments: wines with too much acid, too little body, or both.

It’s hard to find inexpensive wine in Burgundy. Demand is high -- the world has celebrated the wines of Burgundy for over a thousand years, and its popularity continues to increase. Supply is low -- Burgundy contributes only about 1.5 million hectolitres a year, compared with 6 million in Bordeaux and nearly 12 million in the Languedoc.

After more than a decade of tasting across Burgundy, we feel we know the area pretty well. But the region still holds surprises, and perhaps none as exciting as the Ladoix Blanc from the Domaine Ravaut. It was this wine, described by wine writer Bill Nanson as a “baby Corton-Charlemagne,” that first drew us to the Ravaut domaine about five…

Nicolas Maillet might be our favorite new source for White Burgundy. His wines are classic examples of the best white Maconnais — cool, round chardonnay with excellent balance and little or no oak. If the Côte d’Or offers Burgundies of pedigree and refinement, then the Maconnais offers Burgundies of vibrancy and joy.

The town of Ladoix is easy to miss. It’s not famous -- most people blow right by it on their way to the Côte de Nuits to the north or the city of Beaune just to the south. But over the years we’ve found excellent values here, and none better than those from the family winemakers at the Domaine Ravaut.

Chardonnay grown in Burgundy has been prized for centuries. Nowhere else in the world does the grape achieve the same balance of richness and freshness. The top white Burgundy cuvées — particularly from the hallowed hillside of Montrachet — will match the region’s finest reds in scarcity, price, and complexity.

The wines of Volnay are all about finesse. Setting a perfect foil to the rich, meaty wines of its neighbor Pommard, Volnay creates subtlety and elegance. The soils of Volnay are unusually rich in limestone, and the resulting wines have a distinctive lace-like minerality. As Rajat Parr puts it, “Volnay makes some of the most charming and delightful red wines…

Many domaines imbue their wines with a distinct style, but at the Domaine Quivy the wines are unusually close expressions of their source. Gérard Quivy is a well dressed fifty-something winemaker, whose domaine is an impeccably restored 18th century manor house in Gevrey Chambertin. Quivy’s wines are similarly polished and elegant, as meticulous and refined as their maker and domaine.

The Côte de Nuits is the northern half of Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or. This narrow 15-mile strip of land is home to nearly all of Burgundy’s greatest red wine vineyards. Wine has been made on this hallowed slope for over a thousand years, and today it produces the world’s finest expression of Pinot Noir.

The French drink much more sparkling wine than we do. Chez nous, we’ve been trying our best to imitate them -- serving sparkling wines at the beginning of a dinner, paired with creamy dish, or just as an after-work aperitif. But if you need a celebration to pop a cork, there’s no shortage of them over the next few weeks.

In France, Saint-Amour is known as the most “romantic” of the Beaujolais Crus. Located at the northern end of the Beaujolais region, it’s neither the richest nor the most tannic wine of the region. But the wines from this Cru possess a silky, enchanting quality. Whether it’s the amorous name or the smooth berry fruit, there’s always something charming about…

The Domaine Ravaut is the ultimate local wine source. For 120 years the family has cultivated a loyal clientele of friends, neighbors, and workers at the stone quarry in thee hamlet of Ladoix. Though they have expanded their reach in recent years, they still sell more than half of their wine to clients who walk in the front door.

Burgundy isn’t known for its inexpensive wines. A limited growing area and perpetually high demand make it hard to find bottles below $30. For most wine drinkers Burgundies are special occasion wines -- elegant and ageworthy, but too pricey for a Wednesday.