News — France

Loire Benchmark
2020 Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Clos des Briords

Showstopping Champagne
2014 Laherte Freres Les Empreintes Extra Brut

Laherte's Empreintes is among the most impressive and eye-opening Champagnes we've tasted this year. Over the past handful of years, Laherte has emerged as one of the most talented growers in Champagne.

Like No Other
2015 Château d'Yquem Half-Bottles

Curnonsky, the famous 20th century Parisian "Prince of Gastronomes" included Yquem (along with Montrachet) among "the five great white wines of France.”

Unbeatable 2019 Red Burgundy
2019 Fornerol Côte de Nuits - Villages Rouge

Didier Fornerol's Côte de Nuits - Villages offers a rare combination of rigor, deliciousness, and value. For many vintages, the Côte de Nuits - Villages Rouge is a staff and customer favorite. The 2019 takes things to another level.

Loire Royalty - In Top Form
2019 Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc Clos de l'Échelier

The l’Échelier Blanc is always the most incisively mineral of Roches Neuves' whites. Clos de l’Échelier is a 1.8ha clos (a walled vineyard) that has hard limestone soils.

Lowest Price: 2019 White Burgundy Sweet Spot
2019 Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon

By all accounts, Leflaive's 2019s are some of the top white Burgundies of the vintage. The wines have showstopping elegance, incredible complexity, and serious cut and structure. The total package is jaw-dropping.

Red Burgundy:
Barthod, Dujac, Mugneret-Gibourg, Rousseau, & More

Hitting On All Cylinders:
2019 Colin-Morey St. Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Nicholas et Mathis

It wouldn't be out of line to say that Pierre-Yves Colin's work in St. Aubin has been crucial in establishing the domaine's cult status. This speaks volumes about how impressive his work in St. Aubin is. Colin has holdings in Grand Crus and top 1er Crus, yet savvy buyers hunt the En Remilly bottlings down with the same fervor as the Chevalier-Montrachet.

Cotat Rarity
2019 François Cotat Chavignol Rosé

For many rosés, there's a race to drink them within the first year of release. In contrast, Cotat's is in prime form after 6-10 years of age.

The Other Foillard - Enter Agnès and Nadine
2018 Foillard Morgon Elles

Like so many others, we find Foillard's wines totally irresistible. The Morgon Elles is yet another entry of Foillard's that we love to drink, but there's a twist.

Marquis D'Angerville: 2006-2018

Whether it's the stony and intricate raciness of Taillepieds or the singular combination of intensity and breeding of Clos des Ducs, d'Angerville's wines possess a captivating silkiness, finesse, and excellent transparency.

Hiding In Plain Sight Revisited
2018 Pierre Boisson Auxey-Duresses Blanc

Boisson's work in Auxey-Duresses has been "hiding in plain sight". Their Auxey-Duresses Blanc shows a similar tension and cut that makes their Auxey 1er Cru En Reugne so thrilling.

Century Old Vines
2019 Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Les Mémoires

This is very much the story of old vines, ones that are over hundred years old, that dig deep into limestone.

White Burgundy
Colin-Morey, Coche-Dury, De Moor, Lamy-Caillat, Lafon & More

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
2020 Lapierre Morgon Sans Soufre

The unsulphured version of Lapierre's Morgon consistently shows a textural dimension, a clarity of expression, and an intangible depth that sets it apart.

"Nicely Delineated" - Burghound
2017 Domaine Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet

Moreau's wines are explosive, rigorously sculpted, and above all, pure. I'm always taken by their pristine high-toned gracefulness.

"This is lovely" - Burghound
2018 Lafon Meursault

Back-Vintage Allemand
1998 Allemand Cornas Reynard

Allemand's 1998 has an intense and rigorous architecture. There's a wild profile with dark berry fruit, smoke, and a seriously complex presentation of spices and florality.

The Cult of Gonon:
2019 Gonon Vin de Pays l'Ardèche Les Iles Feray

Today, we wrap things up with Gonon's Lies Iles Feray. I should warn you from the beginning that this is a very small parcel that I would only imagine offering over a holiday weekend. 

Mugneret-Gibourg:
From Vosne to Clos Vougeot

Across the range, the wines are texturally beguiling, transparent, and supremely elegant.

2015 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest

Along with Raveneau's Butteaux and Montée de Tonnerre, Dauvissat's Forest is one of the most sought after and ageworthy 1er Crus.

The Pinnacle of Py - Magnum Edition:
2017 Foillard Morgon Cote du Py Cuvee 3.14 Magnums

The 3,14 bottling is only made in special years and is always one of the most exciting releases.

A Study in Grace and Understatement
2017 Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes

Bertheau is making some of the most arrestingly elegant and honest Burgundies around. The whole lineup is impressive, but there's something special about the Chambolle 1er Cru Charmes.

In Top Form:
2019 Chevillon Nuits-St-George Vieilles Vignes

Their Nuits has long been one of my bulletproof village Burgundies. The 2019 ups the ante in a serious way.