2018 Domaine Dominique Guyon Hautes Cotes De Nuits Les Dames De Vergy

2018 Domaine Dominique Guyon Hautes Cotes De Nuits Les Dames De Vergy

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

DOMAINE DOMINIQUE GUYON 

2018 HAUTES COTES DE NUITS
LES DAMES DE VERGY

2018 Domaine Dominique Guyon Hautes Cotes De Nuits Les Dames De Vergy
Domaine Dominique Guyon (Domaine Antonin Guyon) is a family-owned producer in Burgundy with significant holdings in the Côte d’Or. Brothers Dominique and Michel Guyon lead the operation, and they’re meticulously hands-on, which is not replicable with larger producers and is palpable in the glass. Their 2018 Les Dames de Vergy Cotes de Nuits Red Burgundy has penetrating fruit, restrained with a high level of balance and place. At less than $40, this a joy to behold and a remarkable value.  
 
Dominique accumulated nearly 80 separate parcels in the hills above Nuits-Saint-Georges, in an area known for quality. He combined them into a single 22-hectare vineyard with South facing slopes and limestone, rock, and clay soils that produce a remarkable expression of Pinot Noir. 
 
The Guyon’s are just as meticulous in their winemaking as they are with farming. They sort the grapes by hand in the vineyard, aiming to get the fruit to the vat within just 30 minutes from picking. They age the wine in oak for just 12 months to preserve the natural essence of the fruit, and the results are brilliant. 
 
DOMAINE DOMINIQUE GUYON 
2018 HAUTES COTES DE NUITS
LES DAMES DE VERGY
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“This rich, densely textured wine is impressively ripe. Its tannins are still young and will sustain further development. With plenty of red cherry fruitiness to balance the structure, it will age further. Drink from 2022.”
92 Points “Cellar Selection”
2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy

2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot NoirRed Burgandy

DOMAINE JESSIAUME

SANTENAY 1er CRU
LES GRAVIÈRES
2018 RED BURGUNDY 

2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy
Santenay is an appellation of Côte de Beaune that’s best known for its Pinot Noir production. The region includes a dozen Premier Cru Vineyards, and Les Gravières is classically in the best part of the appellation. It’s located near the border of Chassagne and considered by many the top Cru Vineyard in Santenay. At less than $50, Domaine Jessiaume’s Premier Cru Red Burgundy from Les Gravières shows off the remarkable power, beauty, and complexity for which the site is known.
 
Les Gravières has highly-porous oolitic limestone, marls, and white oolite soils. Domaine Jessiaume sources from 60 years old vines have deep root systems that extract minerals and other composites, beautifully expressing the vineyard’s distinct terroir. 
 
Maison Jessiaume values organic viticulture and a gentle touch to winemaking. Their team intervenes as little as possible during the winemaking processes, ferments with natural yeasts, and relies on gravity to transfer the wine into tanks. The cumulative result is a pure and balanced interpretation of the varietal, location, and vintage.
 
DOMAINE JESSIAUME
SANTENAY 1er CRU
LES GRAVIÈRES
2018 RED BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $49
 
 
“Floral and fresh on the nose, very inviting. Nice mouthfeel, bright, supple, with verve and tension. Complex flavor profile, red stone fruits, clove, cinnamon, nice balance and structure, expansive across the palate. Chewy tannins, very pure. Nice spice on the finish, with blood orange acidity. From vines with an average age of 60 years, aged 14 months in 350L barrels (30% new) before bottling.”
2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets

2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

P. FERRAUD & FILS

JULIENAS CRU BEAUJOLAIS
2018 LES RAVINETS 

2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets
Burgundy’s value region of Beaujolais to the South is becoming increasingly known for more than just fruity, easy-drinking wines, and Ferraud’s 95 Point Cru Beaujolais proves it. Beaujolais has ten villages designated Cru, and it’s where the world produces the best examples of the Gamay variety. Julienas is the oldest village, dating back 2000 years, and named after Julius Caesar. Wines from Julienas have deep color, generous bouquets, powerful fruit, and earthy characteristics. At $28, the quality of this one will make you do a double-take.
 
Julienas is in the far Northwest of Beaujolais, and the region has soils ranging from schist and volcanic rocks to ancient alluvial deposits. The varying soils and wide range of terrain lend to the robust, earthy & weighty wines produced there. 
 
Beaujolais is made with the Gamay grape variety, which spawns from Pinot Noir, and produces a more fruit-forward red with refreshing natural acidity and palpable floral and earthy characteristics. With 95 points and a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards, this rare Cru Beaujolais won’t be around for long.
 
P. FERRAUD & FILS
JULIENAS CRU BEAUJOLAIS
2018 LES RAVINETS
 
Your Price: $28
 
“The Domaine Ferraud Julienas “Les Ravinets” 2018 begins with a complex nose including mixed fresh berries, exotic spices, fresh mushrooms, and purple flowers. On the lively palate, penetrating wild cherries, red currants, iron, earthy minerals, and a mouth-quenching acidity carry through to a long, concentrated and satisfying finish.”
93 Points
 
95 Points
 
Gold Medal
 
Decanter World Wine Awards 2019
2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

MAISON JESSIAUME

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY 

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy
Maison Jessiaume values organic viticulture and a gentle touch to winemaking. This combination means their team intervenes as little as possible during the winemaking processes, ferments with natural yeasts, and relies on gravity to transfer the wine into tanks. The cumulative result is a pure and balanced interpretation of the varietal, location, and vintage, and at just $28, it’s also a stupendous value.
 
Jessiaume is a historic estate constructed in 1850, located in the Santenay region in the Côte de Beaune. The winery has 10 hectares of vines spread over the municipalities of Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Volnay and Pommard. 
 
Santenay has soils rich in limestone, and their Chardonnays often have palpable minerality, floral characteristics, and fresh fruits. Domaine Jessiaume’s 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay is a perfect representation of the area’s values, and with very little imported in the US, don’t hesitate to secure your case. 
 
MAISON JESSIAUME
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $28
 
“Nose of apricots, white flowers. Great mouthfeel, pure, rich, balanced, great structure and expressiveness. Flavors of orange stone fruits, orange citrus, ginger and spice. Hand harvested, aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels and 2 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.”
2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers

2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

FREDERIC MAGNIEN

2017 RED BURGUNDY 
BOURGOGNE GRAVIERS

2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers
In Burgundy, expressing a vineyard’s terroir and the concept that the land the grapes are grown in bestows qualities unique to that site, hold true. Winemaker Frédéric Magnien’s mantra is to bring out the purest translation of Burgundy terroirs. He differentiates himself from other négociants by working closely with partner growers throughout the year and selecting only organically farmed, older-vine parcels cared for to his exacting standards. His Red Burgundy from Graviers offers remarkable insight into this excellent site, and at $33 it’s as Wine & Spirits writes, a “Crazy-good Bourgogne rouge”.
 
Graviers Vineyard is located in the sub-region of Chambolle-Musigny and is planted over soils rich in clay and gravel. The vines average 40 years in age, and the deep root systems help provide a vivid interpretation of the earth beneath and overall individualistic terroir.
 
Frédéric Magnien is a fifth-generation winemaker from Morey-Saint-Denis, who learned his craft from his father Michel Magnien of Domaine Michel Magnien. He furthered his knowledge by coming to California and working with Josh Jensen at Calera Vineyards before traveling to Australia and making his way back to Burgundy to follow his dream of producing wine under his name. 
 
FREDERIC MAGNIEN
2017 RED BURGUNDY 
BOURGOGNE GRAVIERS
 
Your Price: $33
 
“This fruit comes from a single parcel east of the RN74 in Chambolle-Musigny, where Magnien works with a grower farming 40-year-old vines in clay soils over gravel. He destems the grapes, allows a spontaneous fermentation while controlling the temperature, then ages the wine in older barrels, presenting the kind of depth and richness that could stand in for a Villages wine. The flavors are bold and ripe, almost chunky in their cherry intensity, with tart raspberry and apple-like acidity to brighten the finish. Crazy-good Bourgogne rouge.”
91 Points
2018 Domaine Regnaudot Red Burgundy Hautes-Cotes De Beaune

2018 Domaine Regnaudot Red Burgundy Hautes-Cotes De Beaune

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

DOMAINE REGNAUDOT

2018 RED BURGUNDY
HAUTES-COTES DE BEAUNE 

2018 Domaine Regnaudot Red Burgundy Hautes-Cotes De Beaune
Hautes-Côtes de Beaune is a wine-growing region of predominately Pinot Noir, grown up on the hills above the Côte de Beaune. The name translates to “high hillsides of Beaune,” and Pinot Noirs from this area can have concentrated red fruits, intriguing complexity with a soft, well-rounded presence on the palate. Domaine Regnaudot’s 2018 is a textbook example of the quality of wines from this region, and at less than $30, the value is abundant.
 
Domaine Regnaudot is a small family-owned, and operated winery in Burgundy run by a father and son team focused on limiting yields and understanding their 16-acre vineyard’s terroir. They aim to produce their wines in a supple, fresh style focused on the natural essence of the fruit from their vineyard. 
 
Florian Regnaudot and his wife Marion meticulously sort and destem the grape clusters at the winery before they undergo a slow two-week fermentation. They age it for a year in French oak barrels, and now with a little time in the bottle, the 2018 vintage is rocking. 
 
DOMAINE REGNAUDOT
2018 RED BURGUNDY
HAUTES-COTES DE BEAUNE
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The Domaine Regnaudot Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2018 is a gorgeous representation of the region with a beautiful nose of bright pomegranate, red cherries, earthy mushrooms, cola bean and sweet florals. The palate has penetrating red fruits including fresh red currants, ripe red plums, forest floor and light spice. There is a nice tension between the tart red fruits, earthy complexity, and the supple, rich body creating a great overall balance.”
92 Points
2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

DOMAINE GUY ROBIN

2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes
Vieilles Vignes means old vines, and Guy Robin is one of my favorite producers of old vine Chablis. He began collecting old Chablis parcels back in the 60s, and few other Chablis estates have such a rich collection of older vines. As a result, few wineries can deliver Chablis wines of such character and complexity. At $33, his Chablis VV offers dynamic complexity, laser focus, and optimum balance.
 
Guy’s daughter Marie-Ange leads the Estate and shares her father’s passion for old vines. She creates their Vieilles Vignes Chablis from vines averaging four decades in age, and many of the neighboring plots are premier cru sites, sharing similar soils and climate. 
 
Guy Robin hand-harvests their Chardonnay grapes at the pinnacle of ripeness. He immediately presses them at the winery, where they’re held in a tank for 24 hours to settle naturally. The winery ferments in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, and they also age in tanks to preserve the fruit’s most natural expression.
 
DOMAINE GUY ROBIN
2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES
 
Your Price: $33
 
“Bright, citrusy aromas, with liquid minerals and white flowers, immediately grab you in the nose. On approach, the palate has an amazing richness, with concentrated, penetrating flavors including stone fruits, key lime, and an incredibly focused center palate. The finish is mesmerizing, with an amazing balance of richness and freshness. This is certainly one of my favorite Chablis, each vintage.” 94 Points
2016 Chateau De Messey Burgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes

2016 Chateau De Messey Burgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

CHATEAU DE MESSEY

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2016 VIEILLES VIGNES 

2016 Chateau De Messey Burgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes
It’s not easy finding $26 domestic Chardonnays that are powerful, concentrated, and well-balanced, but in Burgundy, we sometimes uncover great values in the broad Bourgogne classification. Bourgogne covers an extensive area and can include any Pinot Noir or Chardonnay produced in Burgundy. Located in the Maconnais region within Burgundy, Chateau de Messey is well-known for producing extraordinary values in Chardonnay, and their Vieilles Vignes (Old Vines) Bourgogne Chardonnay is a brilliant example of a value white Burgundy.  
 
Chateau de Messey was initially constructed as a fortress in the 10th century, and their Chardonnay vineyards are located in the villages of Chardonnay and Cruzille, in the Macon Appellation. 
 
The wine team barrel fermented the 2016 vintage on the lees to give it more richness. It offers concentrated white and citrus fruits intertwined with minerals, white flowers, bright acidity, and a cleansing salinity on the finish. At $26, I wouldn’t miss it. 
 
CHATEAU DE MESSEY
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2016 VIEILLES VIGNES 
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
 
“Pale yellow color with greenish yellow high- lights. The complex nose offers white flowers, grapefruit, peach and mineral aromas. The palate is straightforward, generous with fresh fruits and grapefruit hints. This Chardonnay shows a good intensity with a long length.”
2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtRed Burgandy

MONTHELIE-DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET 

2014 LES DURESSES
PREMIER CRU RED BURGUNDY

2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

 
As hard as it is to find Premier Cru Red Burgundies at an affordable price, finding one made by one of Burgundy’s most renowned winemakers is a lot more difficult… Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret is made by André Porcheret, former winemaker at Domaine Leroy from 1988-1993. Leroy is one of the greatest producers in the world, and some would consider them in the same class as Domaine Romanee Conti. At our price, Monthelie’s Les Duresses is absolutely stunning.
 
The area of Monthelie is known for producing some of Burgundy’s most stunning values, and it neighbors Volnay to the North. The top producer in Monthelie is Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret, and their wines offer sensational levels of pure yet expressive fruit, notable elegance, and sense of place. 
 
Arising from a solid vintage in the Cote de Beaune, and one the Wine Spectator details as the third consecutive year of hail, resulting in low yields, yet the best are complex, juicy and age-worthy. This is an exceptional example of the vintage, which produced powerful, complex wines.
 
MONTHELIE-DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET 
2014 LES DURESSES
PREMIER CRU RED BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $45
Click to Order
 
 
 
 
“The Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret Monthelie Les Duresses 2014 begins with an alluring nose combining tart cherries, asian spices, pomegranate, French lavender, crushed rock and hints of cola. The palate is bright with tart red berries, earthy minerals, exotic spices and a saline quality. It has a medium finish with fine grained tannins that promise a decade of cellaring or more.” 92 Points
2017 Domaine Barat Vaillons Premier Cru Chablis

2017 Domaine Barat Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisFranceKevin VogtUncategorized

DOMAINE BARAT 2017 Domaine Barat Vaillons Premier Cru Chablis

PREMIER CRU CHABLIS
2017 VAILLONS

 
While there’s never a bad time for a glass of White Burgundy, I begin to crave Chablis even more as the weather warms up.  A classically styled Chablis is clean and linear with bright citrus fruits, minerals, refreshing acidity and little to no buttery or oaky characteristics.  One of my favorites is Domaine Barat’s Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons.  The Estate dates back to 1795, and has a reputation for producing some of the most compelling, absolutely brilliant Chablis, and fortunately for us, they do so at a wonderfully realistic price. The only problem is with the minuscule number of cases imported into the US, there’s simply never enough of this wonderful White Burgundy to satisfy demand.
 
Chablis suffered greatly from frost in 2017 which resulted in lower grape yields, however those that survived were of extraordinary quality.  Domaine Barat’s 2017 Premier Cru Vaillons was carved from half-century old Chardonnay vines, grown in soils rich in clay and limestone and the wine is stunningly brilliant.  I strongly recommend securing your case, before it’s too late.
 
DOMAINE BARAT
PREMIER CRU CHABLIS
2017 VAILLONS
 
Your Price: $33/btl

Click to Order

Tasting Notes: “This flashy Chablis is linear and focused with penetrating flavors that cut a swath across your tongue.  The palate has beautiful key lime tart, ripe peach and dried apricot flavors.  It has beautiful complexity with a flinty minerality and hints of crushed oyster shells.  The brilliant acidity carries the balanced flavors through a very long, concentrated finish.”
 
Customers that enjoy Domaine Barat Chablis may also enjoy these two terrific White Burgundies…
2017 Domain La Croix Sancerre Domain Du Grand Pre Macon-Lugny Les Charmes White Burgandy
DOMAINE LA CROIX
SAINT-LAURENT
2018 SANCERRE
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl

Click to Order

Importer’s Tasting Notes: “Great nose, very expressive, stones and flowers. Explosive right from the start, bright, fresh, energetic, structured, focused, with great flavors of orange citrus, green citrus and green melon. Wonderful tension and balance, beautiful mouthfeel and a long, complex, deliciously clean finish.”
DOMAINE du GRAND PRE
2017 MÂCON-LUGNY
LES CHARMES
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl

Click to Order

Winery Notes: “Great nose of minerals and white flowers. Nice richness, balance, acidity and structure in the mouth, with flavors of honeydew, pear, spice and a cleansing salinity on the finish. A harmonious, vibrant wine. ‘Les Charmes’, an 11 hectare vineyard with vines averaging 35 years of age, is located in the prime growing area of Mâcon on clay and limestone soils on east facing slopes, farmed organically…
50 cases imported.“