News — Chardonnay

The Stars Aligned, Part II:
2014 Genot-Boulanger Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

Genot-Boulanger's 2014s are seriously impressive. It marks the vintage when quality jumped to a profound level. 

"Chiseled and energetic"
2017 Henri Germain Meursault

Henri Germain's Meursaults may cruise under the radar, but they are some of the most exciting examples of the appellation.

"A wonderfully complete wine that impresses for its exceptional balance"
2017 Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons

We have been beating the drum for Moreau-Naudet for the past five years. Still, the dazzling quality of the 2017s shocked us. This is a break out vintage that places them among the best of Chablis.

2018 Coche-Dury Meursault

I'll keep this quick. Coche-Dury's wines possess a singular magic that's obvious.

They are intense, incredibly refined, and are insanely well balanced. The wines offer up an improbable combination of depth, verve, and power. 

Brilliant Equilibrium:
2018 Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot Cuvée Clement et Emma

Pierre-Yves Colin is one of the masters of white Burgundy; he's right up there with Roulot and Coche. He also has a magic touch with Chassagne, and the Abbaye de Morgeot Clement et Emma is a prime place to witness it. 

"Readers who can find the 2012 should not hesitate, as it is truly magical"
2012 Roederer Cristal Rosé

For me, any vintage of Cristal Rosé is one of Champagne's greatest wines. The 2012 is simply brilliant.

It is an utterly beautiful wine delivering finesse, length, and delicacy. 

"One of the finest grower-producers"
Marie-Noëlle Ledru Brut Grand Cru

Ledru produces some of the most lovingly made and terroir-expressive Champagnes around.

"It's no secret that Lamy has been on a roll... "
2017 Lamy Chassagne-Montrachet "Le Concis du Champs"

It's clear that Olivier Lamy is at the top of his game.

Every time that I taste one of Lamy's wines, what's in my glass is thoroughly exciting. They are grandly sculpted wines with eye-opening rigor.

"Punchy and powerful flavors that brim with minerality"
2018 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons

As we said a couple of weeks ago, Dauvissat nailed the 2018 vintage.

Dauvissat's Vaillons always impresses with its pointed minerality and intensity. The 2018 is an extreme expression of the wine. 

The Stars Align:
2014 Génot-Boulanger Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

I jumped all over this parcel. Génot-Boulanger's 2014s are absolutely stunning.

The wines are a pitch-perfect expression of the vintage, with amazing concentration, clarity, and harmony. The lineup perfectly captures all of the precision and lifted elegance that made 2014 a home run for White Burgs. 

Saving The Best For Last:
2018 Tribut Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet

Côte de Léchet has a sleeker and more pointed minerality. It delivers a deeply etched saline minerality and bright cut. 

Burgundy Royalty:
Ramonet 2013-2017

Ramonet is one of the time-tested greats of white Burgundy.

Catch a Ramonet in top form, which is usually the case, and you'll find a case study in tension and intensity.

"There is a really lovely sense of verve"
2018 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

Dauvissat nailed the 2018 vintage.

Vincent Dauvissat compares the vintage to the legendary vintages of 1947 and 1959. 

A Perennial Overachiever:
2018 Tribut Chablis

When it comes to classic Chablis AC, Tribut is one of the most important names to know.

Tribut's Chablis is, without a doubt, one of the best village level wines in the region.

Macle 1993-2015:
Côtes du Jura & Château-Chalon

Macle has long stood as a benchmark for the Jura. The explanation is simple: no one in the region captures elegance the way that they do.

"The only problem with these wines is finding them"
- Lilbert-Fils Le Brut Perle Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs

Production of Lilbert's Perle is somewhere around 165 cases per release - a mere drop in Champagne terms.

It's a shame that finding the wine is so difficult. Perle stands as one of the greatest and most fascinating expressions of the Côte des Blancs.

Brilliance in the Côte des Blancs - 2013 Agrapart:
Mineral, L'Avizoise & Venus

Pascal Agrapart’s Champagnes are some of the most terroir expressive wines being made today.

From his vineyards in Avize, Agrapart makes three wines from what he considers to be the region’s three main terroirs: the up-slope, down-slope, and mid-slope. He then vinifies each wine in the exact same way to highlight their differences in terroir. Today, we focus on these three wines from the stunning 2013 vintage. 

"This is excellent"
- 2017 Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Porusots

Lafon's 2017 Porusots is epic.

The wine is a finely etched and tension-filled powerhouse.  

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow:
2016 Tribut Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy

Coche-Dury 2007-2017:
From Aligoté to Meursault Perrières

It is extremely rare to see so much Coche on one list.

Coche represents one of the pinnacles of Burgundy. When I use the word epic, it is applied just as much to the Bourgogne and his reds as it is to the dazzling Meursault 1er Cru Perrières.

2017 White Burgundy Oasis: 2017 De Montille Saint Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly

Saint Aubin's 1er Cru En Remilly pulls in all sorts of people - collectors, Burgundy fanatics, value hunters, etc.

Not many other places offer white Burgundies at this level for this price. After all, En Remilly sits just behind the Grand Cru, Le Montrachet.

Leflaive Magnums, Lowest Price:
2016 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon Magnums

Stated simply, this is a serious deal on one of Burgundy's iconic estates.

We always look towards Clavoillon for where quality and pricing so irresistibly intersect.

"A classic tightly coiled La Forest that is clearly built-to-age."
2017 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

This is a don't miss vintage of Forest.

In Dauvissat's hands, Forest brims with notes of saline, crushed rocks, sea-breeze minerality, and bright citrus fruits.

Irresistible White Burgundy Value - Revisited:
2014 Lamy Bourgogne Blanc Les Chataigners

Lamy's Bourgogne Blanc Les Chataigners has become one of my go-to white Burgundy values.

We first offered the 2014  Bourgogne Chatagners in February of 2019, and I'm happy to have another opportunity to offer it.