FRENCH WINE

The de Villaines farm three appellations within the Côte Chalonaise, namely Bouzeron (Aligoté), Rully (Chardonnay) and Mercurey (Pinot Noir). Their single-vineyard parcels are stunning examples of what this complex and amazing terroir can yield. Though their wines are quite enjoyable young, their ability to age well is what one might expect from a master such as de Villaine. Much of this is due to both the diversity of his vinestock and his organic and biodynamic methodology in the vineyards, both of which Aubert stands by with great conviction. He also ferments his Mercureys in wood cuves, a style adopted from DRC.

Domaine Boisson, located in Meursault, was not very well known until recently. It was a kind of hidden gem. The domaine is part of the family Domaine Boisson-Vadot which is divided into three entities: the parents have Boisson-Vadot, the son Pierre Boisson and the daughter Anne Boisson. The élevage for the wines is long (between 15 and 20 months) and the quality of the wine is regular, with great finesse and infinite finish. The Meursault Sous la Velle has an open bouquet with aromas of citrus and white-fleshed fruit (apple and pear) and acacia notes. It has a fresh, nicely fruity palate with a distinctive mineral quality.

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The 2017 Meursault Sous la Velle reveals inviting aromas of fresh pear and white flowers, complemented by hints of oatmeal and almond paste. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely concentrated, with lively acids and a charming, satiny profile. This will offer a broad drinking window."

Anne Gros simply is one of the top winemakers in Burgundy today, which explains why her wines have inspired such a cult-like following. Importantly for us, Gros personifies the sort of winemaker with whom we have always sought to work: an artisan with a clear vision of her terroir and talents, and the grace to be humble despite the weight of Burgundian tradition and family history.

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "The last vintage that will appear under the old Boisson-Vadot label is the 2016 Meursault Les Chevalières, a lovely wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, orange oil, iodine and toasted nuts. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, firm and chiseled, with a tensile spine of acidity and a chalky, mouthwatering finish."

Since 1998, Domaine Bernard-Bonin has been run in impeccable fashion by Nicolas Bernard and Veronique Bonin, a daughter of the well-known Michelot family. Together, they own and cultivate 17.5 acres, including vineyards in Meursault, Meursault 1er Cru and Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru. The wines are aged in oak barrels for 15–18 months, during which time each barrel is tasted individually to determine the optimum exchange between wine and sediment. The wines are racked from their lees just before bottling, in synchronization with the lunar calendar, to ensure a naturally limpid and stable state, thus avoiding fining and filtration. Once in bottle, the wines mature on the micro-sediment that develops naturally. The results carry the characteristics of the finest wines of Meursault: fresh, rich, mineral and vibrant.

VINOUS 90 POINTS - "The 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay, which had been bottled by the time of my visit, has a clean, precise apple blossom and citrus-scented bouquet that shows impressive definition for a generic white Burgundy. The palate is taut and fresh with a touch of bitter lemon on the entry, superb acidity and a saline finish. You will not find a better white Bourgogne Blanc in 2018."

VINOUS 92-94 POINTS - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Champs Gain 1er Cru, the smallest cuvée of the domaine, this year represented by two barrels, has a gorgeous bouquet of citrus lemon, almond flakes, nectarine and subtle praline aromas. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, sharing the same weight and density as the La Maltroye but leading to a slightly more mineral-edged, almost stoic finish. This will be fascinating to monitor in bottle."

VINOUS 92-94 - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet of yellow plum, linseed and citrus lemon scents complemented by hints of pressed flowers; a suggestion of orange rind appears with aeration. The palate is beautifully balanced with a fine line of acidity, and quite spicy and energetic, revealing touches of pepper and even a dab of curry powder toward the long, complex finish. Another great success for Alex Moreau."

VINOUS 90-92 POINTS - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Village had been blended in July and fined three weeks prior to my visit. It has a delightful bouquet of orange blossom, tinned peach and touches of wild mint, quite intense for a Village Cru. The palate is taut, fresh and spicy on the entry, with touches of white pepper and fennel infusing the citrus fruit. An almost clinical saline finish lingers in the mouth. Superb."

VINOUS 93-95 - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru has a tight, backward, stony bouquet; Alex Moreau mentioned that he strove to pick at the right time to keep a sense of strictness. The palate is taut and fresh on the entry, with a fine bead of acidity. Elegant and refined, without the weight of the Champs Gain or La Maltroye on the midpalate, but conveying a sense of athleticism and poise on the saline finish and an exceptionally persistent aftertaste. Superb."

DECANTER 94 - "Based on heavier, clay-limestone soils than most of Chassagne's Premiers Crus, this plush, powerful white is made with fruit from Les Fairendes and slightly stonier La Cardeuse. Smoky, oatmealy and textured, with beeswax and kitchen spice aromas, a taut mineral core and a palate-coating finish. Alex Moreau calls this a 'wine to lay down' and he's right."

WINE ADVOCATE 92-94 - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot was one of the more reserved wines in the cellar when I tasted it, unwinding with notes of pear, peach, white flowers, mint and petrol. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, textural and precise, but needs time to fill out. Of course, that sense of reserve at this early stage is full of promise for the future."

DECANTER 94 - "Alex Moreau's parcel of Les Vergers faces easy and sits on limestone-rich soils in the northern part of the village close to St. Aubin. This is a wonderful expression of the Premier Cru, aged in 20% new wood and combining understated power with chalky minerality, notes of vanilla spice and dessicated coconut and a long, mineral-fresh finish. Zippy and focused."

WINE ADVOCATE 92-94 - "With a finished pH of 3.19, the 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers is one of the raciest wines in the cellar. Exhibiting scents of almond paste, citrus oil and crisp green orchard fruit, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and chiseled, with a textural attack and lovely mid-palate volume, concluding with a long and precise finish."

VINOUS 92-94 - "The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru has a more reserved and austere bouquet compared to the Clos Saint-Jean, featuring scents of dewy green pasture and mountain streams and more malic in style. The palate is very well balanced with a keen line of acidity, notes of lemon rind mixed with orange pith and a touch of white peach and a little tangerine toward the elegant finish, which brims over with energy. Alex Moreau mentioned that this has the higher acidity of his cuvées, and you can feel it (in a good way)."

WINE ADVOCATE 93-95 - "A new cuvée for Moreau debuts with the 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, the result of an exchange in must from a proprietor with vines in Aloxe-Corton. Offering up aromas of green apple, white flowers, toasted nuts and iodine, the wine is full-bodied, deep and tensile, with a satiny attack that segues into a layered core that's framed by lively acids and chalky extract."

Bernard Moreau’s ‘En Remilly’ never disappoints. This consistently delicious bottle oozes with flavors of green apple skin, lemon cream, brioche, and white flowers, marked by chalky, mineral-driven undertones and a touch of sweet oak. Full-bodied and lively, the wine remains balanced by zesty acidity and a grippy finish.

DECANTER 94 POINTS - "Jean-Claude Bessin only makes 5,000 bottles of this old vine cuvée from a lieu-dit within the larger Fourchaume Premier Cru. Combining stainless steel and oaked components, it's rich, concentrated and appealingly honeyed, with subtle wood spices, a thread of minerality and a pure, focused, enticingly balance finish. These are never wines that have to try too hard."

WINE ENTHUSIAST 92 POINTS: "A subtle, flinty note of reduction gives way to creamy, chalky lemon on this wine's appetizing nose. The palate then sweeps in with unexpected juiciness and ripeness from the hot summer. A leesy, chalky texture lends coolness and anchors the freshness. The finish offers more lovely chalkiness."

VINOUS 91 POINTS: "The 2018 Chablis Tête d’Or has slightly musky, nutty bouquet – much more intriguing than the Chablis Village. The palate is well balanced with lemon, lime and a touch of bitterness on the entry. I appreciate the edginess of this Chablis and the bite on the saline finish. Excellent."

BURGHOUND: "An intensely floral nose also evidences notes of pear and a citrus hint that is picked up by the very fresh and energetic flavors that possess sufficient detail to be interesting on the round, rich and rather forward flavors, all wrapped in an acceptably long finish. The recent bottling has clearly disturbed the balance but it seems as though this should recover quickly."

Domaine Boisson-Vadot, run by father and son team of Bernard and Pierre Boisson, is one of the rising stars in Mersault. The philosophy of the Domaine revolves around careful, hands-on vineyard management to coax the greatest potential of each vintage out of the various plots, and low-impact winemaking in the cellars that allows the unique terroir of each vineyard to surface. New oak is very minimal, no more than 30% for the top cuvées, and much more restraint in the village wines and in Bourgogne Blanc. Pierre Boisson produces a village Meursault from his grandmother’s vineyards (50 year old vines in the lieu-dits of Criots and Perchots) that is hailed an model wine for the appellation. The Domaine also crafts other bottlings, from three of the best lieux à dits in Meursault: Sous la Velle , Grands Charrons (planted in 1988) and Chevalières (planted in 1982). The Grands Charrons is the most expressive, intensely flavoured of the three. The Sous la Velle is a more elegant version of the Grand Charrons. The Chevalières is the most mineral-driven, with a more restraint fruit flavours in its youth but great ageing potential- More like premier crus than village wines. Finally, Boisson-Vadot makes a powerful yet charming Meursault Genevrières premier cru.

DECATNER 94 POINTS "Bouchard Père's Corton-Charlemagne hails from a cool, east-facing site on yellow marls soils in Aloxe-Corton and is one of the last parcels to be picked. Fermented in 20% new wood, it's still a pretty rich Grand Cru white, with breadth, texture and a drizzle of honey, but there's also plenty of balancing acidity, sap and minerality. Appealing stuff."

WINE SPECTATOR - 92 POINTS : A pure, lean style, exhibiting flavors of apple, lemon and sweet baking spices, with a hint of butterscotch. Taut and resonant, featuring a long, expanding finish. Best from 2019 through 2025. 200 cases imported. –BS

A brilliant golden color. There is a very perfumed floral nose of hawthorn mixed with aroma of almond paste and a touch of spices. The palate is big and well rounded with a rich intensity of vanilla and toast flavors. This wine represents a great persistence; it’s rich and expands offering a palate of beautiful complexity and density.