Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) 2022 Beaujolais Chardonnay

Jean-Paul Brun's Chardonnay comes from 35 year-old vines grown on sandy clay and limestone soils in the southern Beaujolais  and is raised in stainless steel (no oak).  Bright aromas of peach, apricot, lemon zest, and thyme lead to flavors of pure white fruits, juicy lime, crisp orange blossom, subtle herbal undertones, and a long chalky finish. Paired with salad, seafood,chicken, goat milk cheeses, or nothing at all, this is a beautiful choice and great value in white Burgundy!

Magnien, Stephane 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté

The 2021 Stéphane Magnien Bourgogne Aligoté is from a small parcel of 30 year-old vines in clay soils below the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. Harvesting is by hand with a severe selection, about 200 cases are made, best to drink over the next 3 to 5 years. Amongst a slew of sub-par Aligotés and highly priced, allocated Aligotés, this one stands out, delivering just enough density and weight to balance the high acidity, mineral and chiseled stony notes. This is a great aperitif, and a perfect accompaniment to herbed fish, or any type of seafood for that matter. "Pale yellow color with silver reflections. Nose with aromas of yellow fruits and citrus fruits. The palate is fresh, aromatic and elegant. Un vin goulayant et agréable, serve cool over the next 2 - 3 years."

Rateau 2022 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc Chardonnay

Jean-Claude Rateau makes lovely Biodynamic wines in the Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune in his east-facing vineyard of clay/limestone and marne soils.  Quite racy and bright even in the ripe 2022 vintage, the wine shows lovely aromas of lemon, almond, stone, spiced pear and apple. The palate is rounder and more ripe than usual, but perfectly balanced with pear, citrus and stone flavors and terrific length. The antithesis of fat, oaky Chardonnays, this food friendly wine will accompany everything from oysters and grilled seafood to roast chicken and mild cheeses. Delicious now or cellar for 5 to 8 years. This is a real Chardonnay of terroir and a great value!  David Lillie

Rateau 2022 Cote de Beaune La Grande Chatelaine

About a kilometer or two northwest of the Beaune 1er Crus, La Grande Chatelaine is a cooler site with soils comprised of clay over limestone. The 2022 Clos de la Grande Chatelain is 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Blanc and Pinot Beurot. This is a great vintage for the Grande Chatelaine - it's classy and elegant wine with fresh cool-toned aromatics of white flowers,  nectarine, rainwater,  and pear skin. The medium-bodied palate is a little warmer toned  offering flavors of nectarine, white peach, and crushed herb with a fairly savory finish. Beautiful wine!

Rateau 2022 Beaune Clos des Mariages Blanc

Located toward the bottom of the slope beneath Beaune Grèves and adjacent to Les Cents Vignes, Clos des Mariages is a mix of young and very old vines planted in clay and limestone soils. The lovely 2022 Blanc shows high-toned aromas of lime-flower, melon, pear, wet stone and honeysuckle. The palate is light and silky with pear, apple and citrus flavors with chalky minerals and herbal notes in the refreshing finish. Superb in 2022, the wine combines lush, lovely fruit with bright acidity and a real mineral presence. Delicious now, but in 5 - 10 years it will be quite special.  David Lillie

Lafouge 2021 Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés Blanc

As easy as it is to forget the quality of Auxey-Duresses Blanc, it's just as easy to overlook the sensational quality of Domaine Lafouge. The Auxey-Duresses Blanc Les Hautés (from the lieu dit situated next to Les Vireuils in Meursault) displays a fine balance of white floral aromas (acacia and honeysuckle) with white orchard fruits on the nose. The palate is racy and mineral with pear and nectarine fruit vying for attention with a good degree of mineral cut. This is pretty and a fine value in white Burgundy.

Bart 2022 Marsannay Rosé

(not certified organic, but we still love it.) A lovely rosé of Pinot Noir from Pierre Bart in Marsannay, the 2022 shows a bit more weight than usual in this very pretty vintage of ripe, forward fruit. Bright pink color. Subtle hints of red currant and strawberry, floral and mineral. The palate shows nice density and a silky texture with sappy berry fruits, blood orange and stone supported by refreshing acidity, finishing with elegant mineral, citrus and strawberry flavors long and quite delicious. Please open this young wine in advance if drinking now, or even put some aside for next year....

Bart 2021 Marsannay Les Ouzeloy

"Les Ouzeloy" is just below "Les Finottes" next to Bas des Longerois. Here the slope has flattened out and the soils are deeper over the limestone below, giving wines with more flesh and weight. The 2021 shows a medium red/garnet color with bright rim. The aromas are floral (rose, violet) with ripe cherry, black raspberry and earth, lush and quite pretty. The palate is supple with a nice chalky texture, not heavy, with ripe morello cherry, strawberry confit, earth, citrus and minerals with nice persistence of citrus and dark fruits in the refreshing finish. Quite delicious now, serve a bit cool, enjoy ever the next 5 years.

Rateau 2022 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Rouge

From a small parcel of 50 year-old vines in AOC Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune, certified Biodynamic, "lyre ouverte" pruning.  The wine shows a bright medium red/garnet color and very floral aromas of berry fruits - crushed raspberry, cranberry and strawberry, quite pretty and beautifully light and fresh, even in 2022, with a bit of orange peel and spice. The palate is bright, and light to medium-bodied with sappy tart cherry and strawberry fruit, finishing with juicy acidity and minerals.  The wine is quite elegant and refreshing and low in alcohol - it's a perfect Pinot for summertime dinners with family and friends. Enjoy!

Rateau 2022 Beaune Les Prevoles

 The 2022 Beaune Les Prévoles (a lieu-dit below 1er Cru Chouacheux and les Tuvilains) is the most structured and dense of the Rateau Beaune "village" reds, which shows beautiful ripe aromas of cherry and black raspberry with rose, earth, citrus and brown spice.  The palate is chalky and sapid, showing the ripeness of the 2022s, with lush berry fruits enveloping firm acidity and mineral flavors. Really a lovely wine and quite delicous now, full enough for grilled meats, as well as chicken and pork dishes and cheeses such as morbier, tomme de savoie. This should benefit from a bit of aging but is quite beautiful as a young wine, drink until 2035.

Rateau 2022 Beaune Clos des Mariages

Located toward the bottom of the slope beneath Beaune Grèves and adjacent to Les Cents Vignes, Clos des Mariages is a mix of young and very old vines planted in clay and brown limestone soils. "This fertile soil gives wines that are open and joyous, with delicate spice notes, giving great pleasure in their youth and capable of long-term aging." (J-C Rateau) Indeed the 2022 Clos des Mariages seems a bit fuller than the 2020 and 2021 but showing lovely brightness and balance, really a beautiful wine,  showing a bright mélange of black cherry, strawberry and raspberry with hints of spice, citrus, licorice and violet. The palate shows dense, chalky fruit, sappy and ripe but with firm acidity and mineral flavors that continue in the very long, juicy finish. This is absolutely delicious now and should drink well continuously over the next ten to fifteen years. David Lillie

Rateau 2017 Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes

(3 btl max, please) Jean-Claude Rateau has a large parcel in the 1er Cru Les Bressandes on a steep slope facing east with pebbly clay/limestone soils*, conducted in biodynamic farming since 1979. . Even with the minimal extraction practiced at the estate, the 2017 Bressandes shows a dense red/black color and aromas of black cherry and ripe strawberry, quite deep with sous-bois, violet, graphite and citrus. The palate is dense and chalky with blackberry, earth, cocoa and minerals with terrific length of red currant, earth and juicy acidity.  This is a beautiful wine that will give great pleasure in its youth - it's a bit softer than the 2016 -  and should be a superb mature wine as well, perhaps until 2035 and beyond.  David Lillie 

Rateau 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes

Jean-Claude Rateau has a large parcel in the 1er Cru Les Bressandes on a steep slope facing east with pebbly clay/limestone soils, conducted in biodynamic farming since 1979. The soil is warm and well-drained giving ripe, structured wines. There is a 21-day cuvaison with manual cap-punching followed by 18 months in old barrels. The 2020 is a superb wine that will age beautifully. The aromas are deep and complex with black fruits, earth, violets and spice. The palate is ripe and intense, elegant and beautifully balanced with red and black fruits, earth and saline mineral flavors. "Precise" is the word that came to mind, a great expression of this terroir, showing a bit more like a Grèves or Teurons in this vintage. Certainly interesting to taste now but best after five years of cellaring, and for many years after that. A great Burgundy for the cellar at a reasonable price!

Rateau 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Les Reversées

From vines grown in the calcareous clay soils of "Les Reversées" premier cru, toward the bottom of the hill in the center of the slope next to "Les Teurons," and  below "Clos de la Mousse," exposed east and slightly north (hence "reversées" - wrong side of the hill.) Mostly young vines, massale selection from the Clos des Epenaux. Tjhe 2022 shows generous black cherry, boysenberry, notes of cherry pit and anise on the nose. Ripe mid-weight palate, lighter than "Bressandes," with ripe black fruits, hints of iodine and iron and other soil beneath supple structure. Succulent acidity and savory mineral notes offset the ripeness and lend energy and drive on a balanced and mineral palate-coating finish.. The purity of fruit and earth notes are finely balanced and this is an excellent Burgundy for the mid-term.

Rateau 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin

The Gevrey-Chambertin by Jean-Claude Rateau is from two small parcels in "Aux Etelois" (below Grand Cru Griottes)  and "les Epointures" (below 1er Cru Clos Prieur) on the more fine and aromatic side of Gevrey, south of the village. The midweight palate is lithe, racy, and offers up vibrant flavors of dark fruits, crushed herbs, game, and salty soil notes. Great lifted acidity and core of minerality overlain by an assortment of wild berry fruits.  Great tension and verve and a bargain at the price. Wonderful with veau aux champignons.

Chantal Lescure 2021 Côte de Beaune Clos des Topes Bizot Rouge

From vines planted in 1960,  high on the slope in Beaune just above the 1er Cru L'Ecu, facing east, in a terroir of clay and pebbles over limestone. (The name refers to "toppe" meaning field or fallow land before planting vines, Bizot is a common family name in Burgundy) The grapes from this high elevation vineyard are harvested late and undergo a short pre-fermentation maceration, aging is in two and three year-old 500 liter barrels. The 2021 shows high-toned aromas of ripe black cherry fruit with rose, black pepper, earth and citrus, quite elegant. The palate is silky and very "calcaire" with sappy black cherry - intensely mineral with firm acidity, earth and black fruits that linger in the long finish. This is a quite elegant and "mineral" Burgundy at a very reasonable price, that will benefit from a few hours open or three to five years of cellaring.  David Lillie

Lafouge 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté

 The 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté from Domaine Lafouge is half barrel-fermented and half fermented in stainless steel and comes from 60 year-old vines. This is a beautiful Aligoté with vibrant aromas of quince and granny smith, citrus, lime-flower and stone. Typical for a 2021, the palate is bright and crisp with subtle white fruits and a long, mineral and refreshing finish. Perfect this summer with oysters, fish, salads or in a kir, of course.

Rateau 2022 Bourgogne Aligoté

The Rateau Aligoté is from Jean-Claude's Biodynamic vineyard in the Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and shows a pretty pale-gold color and aromas of almond, pear and stone - the palate is vibrant, dry and mineral, making this the base of a perfect Kir and a great match for oysters and any mild-flavored fish or chicken dish.

Chazelles (Jean-Marie Chaland) 2021 Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes

Produced at Jean-Marie Chaland's Domaine Sainte-Barbe, the "Les Chazelles Vieilles Vignes"is from 50 to 80 year-old vines on a south-east facing slope that has never been treated with herbicides, certified organic since 2003. The grapes are hand-harvested and ferment with wild yeasts at low temperature, followed by 10 months aging in cuve inox and old barriques. Dense flavors of golden apple and stone fruit with an invigorating touch of acid. This is a great Chardonnay with concentration and freshness that could age beautifully for years.

Goulley 2019 Petit Chablis

Since 1991 the Domaine Jean Goulley has turned to organic farming for their approximately 30 year old vines in Petit Chablis planted on limestone terroir. As they say on their website, there's nothing 'Petit' about this Chablis! (I just had to include that). All puns aside, this is idyllic, mineral-driven Chardonnay from parcels north of Chablis. It delivers freshness, but without too much of a snap. The acid carries through, but doesn't dominate, making this a wine that pairs perfectly with a wide variety of foods, including but certainly not limited to fish and poultry.  -EL

Bart 2021 Marsannay Blanc "Les Etalles"

"Les Etalles" is a large, relatively flat parcel just above the "Route des Grands Crus" where many Marsannay estates grow Chardonnay in deep, rich soils. (The name "Etalles" derives from a description of a flat, calm sea) The color is pale gold, the aromas are opulent with ripe white fruits, citrus, very floral with a touch of oak. Nice weight on the palate with good underlying minerality below the lush stone and citrus fruits. Lovely wine - serve with a full-flavored fish or poultry dish, bring on the lobster rolls!

Rateau 2020 Beaune 1er Cru Les Coucherias

Beaune 1er Cru "Les Coucherias" is  a steep parcel high on the slope, on the site of an old quarry and much of the sub-soil is limestone tailings, permitting root penetration and drainage, with a topsoil of mixed clay and limestone "marnes blanches." In biodynamic agriculture since 1979, the vineyard is a south-facing semi-circle—a very warm spot giving a full, ripe wine. (tasted from a 12 year-old barrel) Light gold/brass color. Lovely aromas of pear, quince, lime-flower and ripe citrus. The palate is  elegant and supple, with white fruits, almond, citrus and caramel framed in firm acidity and mineral flavors, showing good ripeness but finishing with firm stony acidity. Lovely wine. Delicious now, this should age gracefully till 2035 and beyond.

Dangin, Bruno NV Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut

What a difference 2 kilometers makes! Bruno Dangin's Crémant de Bourgogne is made from 100% Pinot Noir from organically farmed vines in Molesme, located just beneath the southern border of Champagne's Aube.The limestone rich soils are the same as those of their pricier neighbor to the north.  Boasting a fine bead and soft mousse and aromas of red fruits and autolyse, one would be hard pressed to spot the difference. The palate offers great depth, pure pinot fruit, and a suave, layered, persistent finish. This is a great value in bubbles and will grace the holiday table nicely. John McIlwain

Bart 2021 Bourgogne Côte D'Or Pinot Noir

The Bourgogne Cote D'Or Pinot Noir from Pierre and Martin Bart is particularly pretty in 2021, and is nicely balanced and ripe with the lower alcohol and  brightness of the vintage. The wine shows aromas of morello cherry, raspberry and forest floor with hints of citrus and spice. The palate is lush and medium-bodied and quite bright with citrusy acids beneath ripe berry fruits with earth and spice flavors. Nice chalky earth and berry fruits continue in the finish. This is a lovely everyday Burgundy to enjoy slightly chilled - please decant or open an hour or two in advance.

Chantal Lescure 2020 Pommard Les Vignots

The Pommard "Les Vignots" is from south-facing vines situated on the Montagne de Pommard, in a terroir of clay-marl. These 35 year-old vines grow in high elevation, about 330 meters above sea-level. (The name stems from a parcel of vines remaining on this site that survived a desvastating insect attack that destroyed much of the Burgundy vineyard in the 1700s) The grapes are hand harvested and undergo a long fermentation in stainless steel tanks, punched-down and vatted for 18-25 days. The wine ages in a cold cellar on lees in barrels, 30% of which are new. The 2020 is a deep purple/red in the glass with aromas of plum and black cherry with some earth and pepper notes. The palate is big, earthy and nicely textured with dark cherry, plum and black raspberry, full-bodied but balanced with nice acidity. This is certainly a big wine for Burgundy, drinking well now but benefits from some air - it will come together nicely with a few years in the cellar. Jeff DiLorenzo