Guillaume and Tomoko of Maison Chanterêves (Courtesy of Grand Cru Selections)

Maison Chanterêves' Electric 2019s

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I have been looking forward to the arrival of the 2019 Burgundy vintage. The best wines in 2018 were produced by growers who kept careful watch on rising sugars and falling acids and picked early enough to maintain balance without making wines that toppled over. In 2019, it seems there were no such concerns. Over the course of many Zoom calls with growers this past year that replaced visiting them in their cellars, there were always discussions of the merits of recent vintages. 2019 often provoked excitement, in particular the combination of intense fruit concentration and high levels of acidity. While the intense dry heat led to small berries and concentrated fruit, the pHs are bafflingly low. Growers have said that they cannot remember the last time they have seen such a juxtaposition.

In this context, I'm doubly excited to offer up some wines from the estimable Maison Chanterêves. Launched in 2010 by the husband-and-wife team of Guillaume Bott and Tomoko Kuriyama, Chanterêves has always produced wines that emphasize energy and drinkability over power. Bott had made his bones as the chef de cave of the legendary Domaine Simon Bize, while Kuriyama cut her teeth at Friedrich Altenberg in the Rheingau. 

Their cumulative experience is keenly felt in the wines. The reds are intensely aromatic (usually fermented 100% whole bunch) and juicy, gently foot-trod and only occasionally pumped over. The mechanics are reflective of a winemaking sensibility that is referred to as infusion, differentiating from the more worked wines common a generation ago. The whites are focused and racy, even bracing in their crispness. Guillaume and Tomoko are using little (if any) new oak for aging at this point and the sulfur levels are extremely minimal. The overall feeling is wines that can be drunk young or tucked away in the cellar and be equally satisfying in both cases.

The wines that I have tasted so far this year have all reflected these opposing extremes to great effect. While I have not yet had the chance to taste the full lineup on offer here today, those I have tried really got my engine going. The quantities available today are limited (the dry conditions in '19 resulted in low yields), so act quickly. We hope you enjoy these exceptional wines! Sam Ehrlich

 

**These wines will arrive Wednesday 5/19**

No Longer Available

Chantereves 2019 Bourgogne Blanc

Sourced from two parcels, one in Maranges and one in Beaujolais, this is my kind of Bourgogne. No oak influence (aged in both smaller barrels and demi-muids) and just jumping from the glass with lemon zest, white stone fruit and sea air. On the palate, there is more of that lemon and saltiness and it has the crisp acidity and racy texture I often associate with Saar Riesling. This is just terrific for the level and will be equally outstanding at the dinner table or on a blanket in the park in the coming months. Sam Ehrlich

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $37.99

  • Low Sulfur

Chanterêves 2019 Bourgogne Rouge

From two parcels, one in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune and one just below Puligny, ranging from fifty to seventy years old. This was fermented 100% whole cluster and aged in barrel (maybe five percent new). The nose is vibrant and redolent with pure cherry and raspberry seed, cinnamon, allspice and white pepper; the palate is juicy and crisp, with more crunchy red fruit. The acid gives the wine great drive and there are gentle, suave tannins. This is another outstanding Bourgogne and a great example of the promise of 2019. Highly recommended. Sam Ehrlich

**Arriving Wednesday 5/19**

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $44.99

  • Low Sulfur

Chanterêves 2019 Hautes Cotes de Beaune L'Hopitâl

Paris L'Hopitâl is one of the few parcels in the lineup farmed by Guillaume and Tomoko. The vines start at about forty-five years old, planted on a combination of sand and granite (unusual for Burgundy!), and the soil is untilled as the site is prone to erosion. Like all of their reds, this is fermented 100% whole cluster.

**Arriving Wednesday 5/19**

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $52.99

  • Organic
  • Low Sulfur

Chanterêves 2019 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Boutiers

Les Boutières sits just below Premiers Crus Vergelesses and Fichots. There is good exposure and the red clay soils add a distinct mineral richness and grip. Fermented 100% whole cluster and little new oak used.

**Arriving Wednesday 5/19**

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $66.99

  • Low Sulfur

Chanterêves 2019 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes

From vines ranging about twenty-five to thirty years old, from the far north of Nuits abutting Vosne. The parcel is beautifully placed and generally yields a really silky and aromatic wine. Fermented 100% whole cluster; minimal new oak.

**Arriving Wednesday 5/19**

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $144.99

  • Low Sulfur