News — Grand Cru

Chablisienne To The Extreme:
2021 Testut Chablis Grand Cru Grenouille

Finding Testut's Grenouille presents a challenge.

Their holdings in this tiny 10ha Grand Cru are a mere 0.32ha.

From their tiny parcel, they produce what is very easily my favorite example of Grenouilles (Testut uses the Grenouille spelling).

Burgundy As It Should Be:
François Bertheau Chambolle & Bonnes Mares

What Bertheau does with this Grand Cru is stunning.

"This is a quality Bonnes-Mares of grace" -2019 Bertheau Bonnes-Mares

Bertheau's 2019 Bonnes-Mares is simply profound.

Mugneret-Gibourg:
From Vosne to Clos Vougeot

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

Rugged Majesty:
2017 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche

Lignier's Clos de la Roche is often mentioned in the same breath as the appellation's other benchmarks - Ponsot, Dujac, and Leroy.

Grand Cru Benchmark:
2018 Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin

Bachelet's Charmes is among the rarest treasures of Burgundy.

Bachelet has a mere 0.44ha in Charmes. The vines are 100-years old. In any given vintage, somewhere around 180 cases are produced. 

"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.

2017 Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin

Griotte-Chambertin is one of the most beguiling and elegant of Gevrey's Grand Crus.

It is also one of the smallest and most elusive Grand Crus in Burgundy. Just over a handful of producers even make wine in Griotte.

"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. 

0.36ha, The Pinnacle:
2018 Jouan Clos St-Denis

The Grand Cru Clos Saint-Denis is celebrated for its class, purity, feminine grace, and simultaneously, for its intensity.

It’s a perfect match for Jouan.

"Superb" - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
2017 Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin

Simply put, Mugneret-Gibourg's 2017s are awesome. I've made every effort possible to land enough quantities of the wines for offers. Over the past few months, we've offered Vosne and the Nuits Chaignots. Today, I'm happy to present one of their Grand Crus, Ruchottes-Chambertin. 

Breathtaking Champagne: Regal Elegance - Éric Rodez Blanc de Noir Grand Cru NV

Ambonnay is holy ground for Champagne. Éric Rodez is currently making some of our favorite expressions of this Grand Cru. However, Rodez's work in a renowned terroir is only half of the story. Another important piece is his experience working with Krug.

"A superb edition" - 2013 Agrapart L'Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Grand Cru

Pascal Agrapart’s 2013 L'Avizoise Blanc de Blancs is a show-stopper. L'Avizoise is one of our favorite Champagnes. We love its balance of lavishness and electric minerality. It offers a crystal-clear expression of Chardonnay.

"Silky, dense and concentrated" - 2016 Lambrays Clos des Lambrays

2016 is an epic vintage for Clos des Lambrays. It's clear that Clos des Lambrays is at the top of their game, and seeing Lambrays hitting on all eight cylinders is really exciting.

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

For many years, Lilbert's Perle has stood as one of our absolute favorite expressions of the Côte des Blancs. It's a wine that we immediately became obsessed with. The combination of old-vines, vinous depth and riveting sleek minerality is captivating.

Last Chance, Reference Point Vintage:
2008 Agrapart L'Avizoise Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Grand Cru

Few producers in Champagne capture terroir with the level of mastery that Agrapart does. There's no vintage that proves this point as dramatically as 2008.

"Explosively long" - 2016 Trapet Chambertin

There is likely no grander, more soaring expression of red Burgundy than Chambertin. Few wines have blown my mind the way Chambertin consistently has.

Grand Cru Without Make Up:
2008 Larmandier-Bernier Vieille Vigne du Levant Extra Brut

"Larmandier-Bernier is one of the finest estates in the Côte des Blancs, producing wines of unusual detail and clarity of expression." -Peter Liem

2014 Rousseau Chambertin-Clos de Beze & Chambertin

The heights that Rousseau can achieve are simply magical.

Pure Energy and Tension:
2010 Pierre Peters L'Espirit

It’s no secret that Pierre Peters is one of the top growers in all of Champagne. Peters’ mastery of the Côte des Blancs is nearly unparalleled - the wines flaunt incredible refinement, singularity and mineral-inflected elegance.

“Most impressive and very clearly built-to-age”-
2014 De Montille Corton Charlemagne

Corton-Charlemagne is one of the most captivating, complex and long-lived expressions of Chardonnay on earth. It combines richness and depth with an ethereal, featherweight elegance. The result is absolutely breathtaking.

Rare Sighting:
1979 Mugneret-Gibourg Clos Vougeot

There was a time when we were able to offer Mugneret-Gibourg's wines frequently. Those days have ended. The wines have become painfully hard to locate in quantity. Since the 2005 vintage, Mugneret-Gibourg's wines have blown up.