News — Pinot Noir

Essential Bourgogne:
2018 Barthod Bourgogne Rouge

D'Angerville: 2006-2018

D'Angerville is one of our favorite producers of red Burgundy.

Today, we're very excited to celebrate his benchmark Volnays.

Can't Miss Burgundy Value
2018 Hudelot-Noellat Bourgogne Rouge

The ripeness of the vintage gives this edition an extra amount of punch and a lovely suave texture.

A Study in Grace and Understatement Revisited:
2017 Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny

Bertheau's are some of the Burgundies that I'm most fond of. They thrive on nuance and understatement.

2018 Roumier Chambolle-Musigny

Every year, I put just as much effort into tracking down Roumier's Chambolle AC as I do his top Grand Crus.

Wine of the Year
Bobby's Pick

For my wine of the year, it was imperative for me to choose a top-flight Burgundy for under $100.

"What a wine!"
2002 Dom Pérignon Rosé

At this point, it's clear that the 2002 Dom Pérignon Rosé will go down as one of the absolute greats of all time.

"Impeccably well-balanced... In a word, gorgeous"
2016 Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds

The unfortunate fact is that d’Angerville’s Taillepieds parcel is half the size of their Ducs holdings and a quarter of Champans, making it one of the hardest of d'Angerville's wines to find in quantity.

"Elegant, airy and exceptionally fresh" Revisited
2017 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin VV

Fourrier's Gevrey is a long-standing favorite.

The combination of straight-up deliciousness with breeding is hard to resist.

The Other Side of Coche - Lowest Price:
2015 Coche-Dury Monthelie Rouge

Coche-Dury is world-renowned for his epic white Burgundies. Today, we explore a different side of Coche - his stunning work with Pinot Noir. We need to mention right from the start that the 2015 Coche-Dury Monthelie Rouge is very limited.

NY Times says: “There’s more to German wine than Riesling”
2018 Roterfaden Pinot Noir & Lemberger

A stunning, ancient amphitheater may be producing some of Germany’s most elegant reds. And no one knows anything about this place.

Chambolle Benchmark:
2017 Barthod Chambolle-Musigny

The wines are in a word: bulletproof. Barthod just doesn't miss, and her Chambolles show a shimmering clarity and heartbreakingly silky elegance that makes them pretty much archetypical examples of the region.

"Lovely"
2018 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin VV

Fourrier's Gevrey is a wine that people jump at the chance to buy.

It exists on a special plane amongst villages bottling. It shares this space with few other bottles - Roumier Chambolle, Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée, etc.

"If you love Clos des Ducs, don't miss the '02"
2002 D'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs

The 2002 Ducs is a legend.

For the past couple of weeks, I've been working through a recent purchase of back-vintage d'Angerville. I saved the best for last. 

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.

Volnay Distance Runner:
2008 Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans

Catching d'Angerville's Champans in the right vintage is an extraordinary experience.

Last weekend, we offered the amazing 2010 Champans. Today, I'm happy to offer the 2008, another personal favorite vintage of Champans. These are the only bottles available in the country. 

“I like the balance and transparency”
2016 Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been blown away by a bottle of Drouhin’s Clos des Mouches.

It's a confounding wine. It's a 1er Cru from Beaune, an area known for a certain rusticity. Yet Mouches dazzles with its elegance and overall breeding.

Jouan, The Smart Buy:
2018 Jouan Morey St. Denis

Jouan produces an outstanding lineup of wines, but we find ourselves reaching most often for his village-level wines.

Red Burgundy Masterpieces:
2010 D'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans & 2005 Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée

This is a blatantly idiosyncratic coupling of Burgundies. The only reasoning is that these are two Burgundies that I love to drink.

They offer purity, incredible finesse, and structures that will allow them to age wonderfully and develop the haunting nuance that makes Burgundy so special.

The Loire's King of Fizz, Part II:
2019 Les Capriades “Piège à Filles” Rosé

Les Capriades are absolute masters of pét-nat. When I taste their examples alongside many of their peers, it seems like they know something no one else does.

"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. 

Bulletproof Chambolle:
2016 Barthod Chambolle-Musigny

There are few Burgundy producers that are as time-tested and have as loyal of a following as Barthod.

Barthod seems to always hit the mark, and as the wines age, it only becomes more obvious. 

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.