FRENCH WINE

BIODYNAMIC

Fermentation and aging is identical to the Fortune and Digoine except the wine stays in tank for 14-17 days during fermentation In general, this style of fermentation depends exclusively on the quality of the grapes that enters the cellar. The balance and vibrancy in these wines comes from the quality of the grapes, the level of maturity, their cleanliness, and the quality of the skin. If everything is in balance, the wines will express their village of origin to reveal their native terroir.

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.

This comes from four parcels and sees no new oak. It`s bottled early to retain fruit and freshness. This has good concentration and a darker colour. It shows blueberry fruit - something I`ve noticed on a few Grands Crus elsewhere - and it`s delicious.

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "Wafting from the glass with notes of rich dark fruits, baking chocolate, peonies, orange rind and rose, the 2018 Ladoix Les Briquottes is medium to full-bodied, with a pretty core of exquisitely perfumed fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, chalky and aromatic finish."

JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "This is always beautiful with dried strawberries, flowers and hints of rosebush. Medium-to full-bodied with a round yet poignant tannin background and fresh acidity. Lively Mercurey. Drink or hold."

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.

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 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 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."

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The vicissitudes of climate and disease mean that Rapet hasn't produced a viable yield from this site for years, and he opted to retain the excellent 2015 rendition for his personal consumption, so the 2017 Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes marks the return of a cuvée consumers haven't seen for some time. Bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis, wild berries and sweet soil tones, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a rich core of fruit framed by fine tannins and succulent acids. It will be well worth seeking out."

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."

There's not a whole lot of Chardonnay vines planted in Marsannay - who better to farm them than one of the masters of the region - Sylvain Pataille.

Sylvain Pataille is one of those rare vignerons whose hard work and dedication has elevated the overall quality and public perception of the wines in his village. Sylvain, and his brother Laurent, now farm 15 hectares of vineyards located exclusively in Marsannay. They have been pushing hard to designate some of the special terroir there as 1er Cru, and it will likely happen soon. When you shake Sylvain's hands you are reminded that these are hands that work really hard! They are rough as sandpaper because he is out in the vineyards 11 months of the year. Sylvain is also a very talented chemist who so excelled at his classes in Bordeaux that he in the consulting enologist at 15 or so great domaines in Burgundy including Domaine Roumier in Chambolle-Musigny and Chateau de la Tour in Clos Vougeot. He is very passionate and devoted to his domaine in Marsannay which he built from nothing. His first vintage was in 1999. Like Bruno Clair he is an indefatigable champion of the village of Marsannay. Sylvain has been organically certified since 2008, and has been employing biodynamics in the vineyards and cellar for over a decade. With the exception of small amounts of sulphur when needed, there are no additions whatsoever. His wines are both “natural” and completely classic . . . black magic!

Paul-Henri Thillardon started this domaine in Chénas back in 2008, and has built it up piece by piece. They are based in Chessignol and have 4 hectares here, with very old vineyards behind the domaine (80-100 year old vines). This was the first of their vineyards he took to biodynamics, which he started with when he acquired it in 2012. In 2014 Paul-Henri was joined full time by his brother Charles (who is in his early 20s; he began his career with a milk company), and now all their vines are farmed this way. In total they work 12 hectares of vines.