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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.

Magnificence in Montefalco:
2015 Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva "Pipparello"

The wines of Bea are unforgettable.

There's a wildness to them and yet something undeniably noble about the wines as well.  It's a combination that few wines are able to achieve, and it is seriously compelling. 

Turn Back The Clock Pricing - Long-Haul Beaujolais:
2017 Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive

Roilette's Cuvée Tardive is one of Beaujolais' longest lived and most profound wines. There are few bottles of Beaujolais that have the track record for aging, can deliver incredible value, and are as loved as Tardive.

2018 Dauvissat Chablis

Dauvissat produced an amazing cast of 2018s. They combine power and richness with snap, tension, and Chablisien minerality.

”Genuinely Great”
2017 Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc Magnums

Clos des Mouches is a very important site for Drouhin.

This prime mid-slope vineyard was one of the first purchases of Maurice Drouhin when he essentially established domaine bottlings in the 1920s. 

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. 

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. 

"One of Italy’s most iconic producers"
2015 Valentini Trebbiano D'Abruzzo

Valentini's Trebbiano is a wine that makes its own category.

It's not Trebbiano, it's Valentini's Trebbiano.

Red Burgundy 1996-2018:
Arnoux-Lachaux, Barthod, DRC, Dujac, Fourrier, Leroy, Mugneret-Gibourg, Roumier, Rousseau, & More

I've tried to pull out all of the stops with this list.

There are wines that I rarely get to offer, like DRC and Leroy. 

“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.

"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.

"Damned hills" Sweet Spot - 200 Cases Made:
2018 Boulay Sancerre La Comtesse

Gérard Boulay makes some of the most elegant, complex, and longest-lived Sancerres.

La Comtesse is his top wine. It originates from 50-70-year-old vines in a choice section of Mont Dam­nés in the Chavignol area. Vatan's famous Clos La Neore is close by. 

Barbaresco Crown-Jewel:
2016 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Rabajà

Rabajà is one of Barbaresco's crown jewels.

It is a dazzling wine. The site produces wines of impressive power, but that's only part of the story. Rabajà is above all about completeness and elegance.

"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.

One Hundred-Year-Old Vines, Lapierre On Tiptoe:
2019 Lapierre Morgon Cuvée Marcel Lapierre

The first vintage of cuvée Marcel Lapierre was around a decade ago, and it wowed Beaujolais fans from the start.

Lapierre's Morgon is one of Beaujolais' most wines. The cuvée Marcel takes their work to a much different level of depth and seriousness. 

Côte-Rôtie's Master:
2017 Jamet Côte-Rôtie

Jamet's Côte-Rôties are long-standing benchmarks of the northern Rhône.

The heights that Jamet's Côte-Rôties reach have few peers in the entire northern Rhône.

Indescribable Magic:
2017 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Auslese Half-Bottles & 750s

Line up the top wines of the world, toss an Egon Müller into the mix and watch people's eyes light up when the Müller comes around the table.

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.

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. 

Piedmont Elite, Rosé Edition:
2019 Nervi-Conterno Il Rosato

Roberto Conterno is simply a force of nature and one of the most talented people working in wine today.

As the summer heat rages here, I'm happy to offer Conterno's incredibly refreshing and expertly crafted rosé.

"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.