8/7/26 - 

Our team discovered the wines of Stephane Bak at a fair in France this past winter, the wines arrived this week and I got to taste them for the first time and was really impressed by the sheer quality of value here. It inspired me to look at the other Burgundies I have had recently that were of a similar price point, leading us to today’s email highlighting 8 wines from Burgundy that are all below $40 and for this weekend drop even lower with special discounts. Take advantage of 10% off 6+ bottles and 15% off mixed cases, and that includes the Cremant. Use this as an opportunity to build a killer mixed case of some of the best value Burgundy around!

Stephane Bak had a passion for winemaking for most of his life and learned early that he could make his passion his profession. After going to enology school, he spent 15 years working alongside Guy Chaumont, learning the ins and out of organic viticulture. In 2007 he was given the opportunity to begin working his own plot of 1.5 hectares. A decade later, Stephane had grown his holdings to 3.5 hectares and was able to focus solely on his own vines! He has been certified organic since 2016 and now farms 8 hectares of vines across Mercurey, Givry, and Cote Chalonnais. Today we have his Cremant de Bourgogne that is 100% Pinot Noir on limestone and clay soils with Western exposure. The wine spends at least 24 months sur lattes before disgorgement. The wine is fresh and bright with a nice backbone. There’s notes of red berries with roasted sourdough and a touch of citrus. Perfect to be served as an apertif. The Givry Les Mureys is from clay-limestone soils with eastern exposure, and spends 12-16 months in barrel before bottling. It was a touch reductive upon opening but after about 45 minutes was beautiful. There's a lot of complexity here with notes of raspberry, red florals, and a touch of soil. It is elegant with an almost ethereal quality. His Mercurey Les Marcoeurs is from clay-limestone soils with southern exposure and is aged for 16-18 months in barrel. This wine has slightly more body and tannin than the Givry with notes of cherry cola, strawberry, licorice, with a touch of earth. The wine has great freshness and a nice finish. We are really happy with how fantastic these wines are already showing and are excited to share them with you today.

We also have a fantastic duo from Vincent Legou, who spent 10 years working at DRC before returning home to take over his family domaine. He immediately converted all farming to organic and by 2014 the whole 12 hectare domaine was certified. Everything is hand harvested and sorted before being fermented with indigenous yeasts. There is a long maceration and the wines age in used barrel for 12-14 months. His 2022 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuit Le Corton is just delicious. Ripe aromas of black cherry with cranberry open to show violet and a hint of spices. The wine has silky tannins and a long, smooth finish. We also have his 2023 Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuit Blanc which comes from a 2 hectare parcel on clay/limestone soils with eastern exposure,the wine spends 12 months in barrel before bottling. It shows a lovely gold color with floral, ripe aromas of yellow fruits with a bit of honey, stone and spice. The palate is round and supple with a nice bitter mineral aspect beneath the ripe fruit. Delicious as an aperitif or with full flavored fish dishes. These two are huge standouts in today's offer and offer some of the best values for red and white Burgundy!

The 2024 Clos des Rocs Macon-Loché En Pres Foret comes from a small 0.5 hectare plot with 25 year old vines on clay-limestone soils. Fermented and aged in 75% stainless steel and 25% neutral oak. This is a delicious wine from Macon with lovely minerality, medium body and great freshness. This is my favorite sub $30 White Burgundy, and it drinks well above its pricepoint.  

2024 David Trouselle Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Blanc La Couleuvraire comes from clay-limestone soils where David farms organically and works the soils in every other row. Everything is hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts in barrel before spending 10 months in 20% new barrels. The wine has a beautiful touch of reduction opens into a salty, mineral focused wine with bright citrus notes. With a long finish, you would never guess that this was less than $40 as it taste much more expensive. 

2023 Celine Perrin Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a CSW favorite and comes from 70 year-old vines in and around Ladoix. It shows notes of floral high-toned cherry, strawberry and raspberry aromas. There is sappy cherry fruit on the palate with plum skin, citrus, earth and mineral flavors that continue in the refreshing finish. This is a remarkable value - a beautiful, refreshing light-bodied Pinot Noir with gorgeous fruit, purity and length!

-Hanna Krilov Cohen

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