Burgundy

Bitouzet works a 0.71-hectare parcel of vines in the lieu-dit Les Herbeaux in northern Meursault, adjacent to premier cru Les Malpoiriers, and planted in the early 1950s (with a portion replanted in 2010). Aged 12 months on its fine lees in 228-liter barrels, a maximum of 15% of which are new, the domaine’s Bourgogne Blanc presents as a Meursault in miniature, with sneaky power, pronounced salinity, and a tightly coiled structure that rewards a few years of cellaring. A fresh, direct wine that combines the varietal typicity of Cote d'Or Chardonnay with the broad richness typical of Meursault.

From a parcel of one-third of a hectare in the heart of Chassagne on the eastern side. The vines are 45 years old and they sit with an east-southeast exposure. The cuvaison is about two weeks long and the élevage lasts for 15 to 18 months. Very little new oak is used. This is an assertive wine with strong scents and flavors that tend to the “sous bois” and leather/animal; powerful with a solid backbone of tannins; a humble, honest and satisfying wine.

This wine is from some of the oldest vines in the estate, planted between 45 and 85 years ago. The parcel is about 1.5 hectare in size and sits on a hillside between Saint Aubin and Gamay with an east-southeast exposure. There is an élevage of 15 to 18 months (with very little new oak used). Perhaps the most serious and complex of the red wines of the domaine with a character dominated by red fruits and spices supported by substantial backbone.

Hailing from the nearby commune of Fuissé, this bottling comes from the En Vers Chânes vineyard in which Olivier owns a mere quarter of a hectare of 45-year-old vines. The high altitude (400 meters) and sandy limestone of this site produce a wine of striking poise and penetrating minerality, and Olivier’s measured aging regimen of 50% steel and 50% used barrels contributes a richness of texture without sacrificing zip.

Ecusseaux is situated on the eastern edge of Auxey-Duresses at the bottom of a hillside in a very gently sloped section bordering the village of Monthelie. The parcel was acquired in the 1950s by Robert Ampeau.

An exciting new domaine in Puligny Montrachet! The property has sold fruit for years to top producers (and still sell to cult Burg label Kei Shiogai) but do make just a few barrels of their own wine...and it's stunning...and a stunning value to boot! For now...

96 Points! This is astonishing for the appellation with enveloping black-cherry and summer-flower aromas, so fresh and uplifting. Compelling nuances of mushrooms and forest floor on the very concentrated palate. Ample fine tannins are already almost perfectly integrated. Enormously long and precise finish with a wealth of fruit and mineral detail. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

The forgotten wine? Bouchard's Beaune Greves Vignes de L'Enfant Jesus gets all the run but did you know they made another wine from this site at 1/3 the price? And it's terrific...

This wine, as musicians say, is 'in the pocket'. Straight up fire right now! Spicy, silky, lush but  with just enough austerity to highlight the terroir of the appellation, this one went great with some wild boar. Literally could not stop drinking it...untill the bottle was gone. A deal!

The best wine from Saint Veran? No argument here! Pouilly Fuissé adjacent estate vines in ‘Les Pommards’ face northeast; the plot sits near an ancient limestone quarry near the village of Davayé. Soils are majority limestone, with thin clay topsoils and 50 year-old vines.

Incredible value here. Estate vines sit 1,140 feet in altitude, facing southeast. ‘La Roche’ directly borders Pouilly-Fuissé ‘La Roche,’ that appellation’s highest (and most prized) vineyard. Soils are solid white limestone, with very little topsoil. Vines planted between 1982 and 1985.

Hand-harvested. Pressed full cluster; juice placed in temperature-controlled tanks overnight to settle; transferred via gravity to older French oak barrels to ferment on indigenous yeasts. Aged in barrel for 12 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Perhaps the greatest value in premium white Burgundy today. Located on the slope of the Roche de Solutré (one of two ancient reefs that dramatically mark the landscape of Vergisson), ‘En Buland’ faces northeast (thus excluding it from Premier Cru status though its considered one of the finest sites). Soils mix limestone and clay. Vines planted in 1934.

The only Premier Cru that is 'Grand Cru adjacent', sharing a border with Les Preuses. 

98 Points! As graceful as it is rich, this extraordinary pinot noir is a giant of subtlety. Incredible concentration and underplayed power on the super-silky, medium-bodied palate. Hard to put into words the purity, precision and refinement at the extremely long finish. From vines planted in 1959. From organically grown grapes. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com