FRENCH WINE

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.

Subtle, harmonious - Burgundy from Domaine Anne Gros is intimately tied with the elegant and poised character of wines from Vosne-Romanée.

While each cru faithfully reflects its terroir, it is terroir as translated through Gros’ expert touch, offering richer aromatics, rounder curves, silkier tannins. The combination is irresistible, so much so that Gros’ very limited production is snapped up by global collectors faster and faster each vintage.

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.

Anne Gros cares for her vineyards according to “lutte raisonée” principles, adhering to organic practices as much as possible depending on the conditions of the growing year. Grapes are always harvested by hand. Juice is fermented on indigenous yeasts in lined (enameled) cement tanks for the reds, and in stainless steel tanks for the whites. Wines are aged in barrel for approximately 16 months, with 80 percent new oak for grand cru wines, 50 percent for village wines and 30 percent for regional wines.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 92 POINTS - "Toasty, oaky hazelnut notes fill the nose on this wine. The palate carries these notions and adds creamy texture and ample concentration. There is a little heat from the warmth of the vintage but also generosity and flow. This wine still needs time to integrate. Drink from 2025."

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."

Bouquet with fragrant notes of berries. Supple, slender, it expresses itself with elegance.

JEB DUNNUCK 91 POINTS - "The 2017 Marsannay is a slightly darker, sappier, spicier wine that still has plenty of richness and depth. Black raspberries, smoked herbs, earth, and violets notes all emerge from the glass, and it's medium-bodied, with good acidity, beautiful balance, and a great finish. This is another beautiful wine from this team."

DECANTER 94 POINTS - "Not all of the terroirs in Vergisson have been classified as future Premiers Crus, alas, but this south-facing site at 300 metres has made the cut thanks to its aspect. Planted in 1985, this sits on limestone soils that suffered a little in the heat of 2018, but has retained good freshness, focus and zip with 20% new wood adding an intriguing layer of nutmeg spice."

WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Exhibiting scents of Meyer lemon, nutmeg and warm pastry, Barraud's 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé Sur La Roche is medium to full-bodied, bright and precise, with a delicate core of fruit, lively acids and a long, mineral finish. Again, this is inherently a site where ripeness comes rapidly, so the harvest date was evidently judiciously chosen."

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "The 2018 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune is showing beautifully, bursting with aromas of sweet berries, rose petals, raw cocoa and woodsmoke. Medium to full-bodied, bright and precise, it's lively and mineral, with a more ethereal profile than the heartier, richer Bourgogne. As I wrote last year, it's produced from vines located directly above the village from a parcel that touches the commune of Volnay."

VINOUS 94 POINTS - "The 2017 Chablis Les Montmains 1er Cru is bright, lifted and finely cut, with tons of energy that give the wine its sense of focus. White flowers, citrus, orchard fruit, mint and pineapple all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's taut feel that stands out most. This is another compelling wine from Laroche."

This plot lies over 7 ha, all in once. A vineyard with all the characteristics of a great terroir of Chablis: sunny exposure, Kimmeridgian limestone soil and 70 year-old vines. Ripeness can be achieved without losing the typical salty character of the terroir..

Food pairing The wine you would dream to have with the best seafish or a farmhouse chicken.

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS: "Aromas of orange rind, green apples and white flowers introduce the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, a medium to full-bodied wine that's quite powerful and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit but lively balancing acids."

WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS - "Gorgeous aromas of black cherry, black currant and violet signal this silky, forthcoming red. It's linear and pure, with fine balance and a long finish. Well-integrated tannins linger."

Located in the Leully area above Nuits, lieu-dit le Champ des Allouettes, south-facing hillside, mostly limestone soil.
100% de-stemmed, 18-21 days indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks with mostly pump-overs (punch-downs at end of fermentation). Aged for 16 months in barrel (33% new oak)

The Gouges family has been vineyard proprietors in Nuits for generations and proprietors of the current domaine since 1919. Domaine Henri Gouges Bourgogne Rouge has a great color and a lovely Pinot nose. Very fresh and earthy on the palate, supple with roasted nut elements.

Allen Meadows - Burghound - "A fresh, cool and distinctly earthy array of red and dark currant precedes punch and sleek middle weight flavors that offer fine length. This is less rustic than it usually is and it's worth considering."

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "Aromas of green pear, fresh peach and hazelnuts introduce the 2018 Saint-Aubin Compendium, a medium to full-bodied, satiny wine that's racy but open-knit. Charming and already expressive, this will drink well on release."

The LAMY family have been vignerons in Saint Aubin in the Bourgogne region since 1640 and the PILLOT family has its origins in 1595 in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet.

WINE ADVOCATE 90-92 POINTS - " Tribut's 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy is very promising, bursting with notes of mandarin orange, green apple, freshly baked bread and oyster shell. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and expansive, with a fleshy, nicely concentrated core, lively acids and a saline finish."

WINE ADVOCATE 91-93 POINTS - "Notes of white flowers, apples, oyster shells and wet stones preface the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and impressively incisive wine in this warm vintage, with plenty of chalky extract and a mineral finish. At this early stage, the Côte de Léchet looks to be one of the premier cru highlights of the vintage."

Brothers Bertrand and Denis Chevillon are the fifth generation managers of this property in Nuits- Saint-Georges, which means they work the vines and make the wines. Their father Robert, for whom the domaine is named, is still active as well. Both brothers bring passion, experience, a tireless work ethic, and intensity to their work at the domaine. Tasting through their palate of Nuits- Saint-Georges is a venerable tour of the appellation. Their Passetoutgrain, a blend of Pinot and Gamay, is a worthy introduction and their rare (two barrels made) Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc made from the “Pinot Gouges” is an exotic treasure that ages just as long as the domaine’s fabled reds. And their Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Chardonnay and Bourgogne Rouge are grown and vinified with the same care as their premier crus. It shows.

WINE ADVOCATE 92+ POINTS - "A generous bouquet of marzipan and ripe pears that's subtly framed by new wood introduces the 2017 Pouilly-Fuissé En Bertillonne, a medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular wine that's textural and blocky in profile, with ripe underlying acids and a heady finish. Its structure and concentration are impressive, but it will merit a little bottle age."