On sale:

14 Hands Winery Limited Release Unicorn Rose Bubbles, Columbia Valley  Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.  This light, fresh Rosé Wine starts with elegant scents of cranberry, pomegranate and Bing cherry. Delicate red fruit flavors are joined by a pleasant effervescence and a juicy crispness that lead to a refreshing finish.  Perfect for an afternoon picnic, an evening of sunset gazing, a night of binge watching your favorite series or any other occasion where fun is about to happen with family and friends.

FOOD PAIRINGS
Charcuterie, three melon salad with honey and lime, soft and creamy cheeses.

Regular price: $13.99
On sale for a limited time at $6/bottle,
$60 per case of 12!

Two more of my Austria presale wines just arrived and my wine rep who visited the area and tasted through all of the wines wrote to me “a pair of excellent single vineyard wines from a heralded vintage, the Lamm and Heilgenstein that Michael Moosbrugger produced in 2021 will join a handful of others as the crème de la crème of 2021.  These two wines are a great argument for the elevation of these sites to Grand Cru status”!

1) Schloss Gobelsburg Zobing Ried Heiligenstein Riesling 1 otw 2021, Kamptal:  $91.99  Schloss Gobelsburg, a Cistercian monastic estate founded in Austria’s Kamptal Valley in 1171 (1171!), is one of the largest holders of local “Grand Cru” terroirs: Heiligenstein, Gaisberg, Lamm, Renner, and Grub. When you mix all that tradition and terroir with the top-notch winemaking you get brilliant, age-worthy wines of complexity and depth.  Eva and Michael Moosbrugger were granted the winemaking and viticultural contract in 1996, and with the help and guidance of Michael’s mentor, Willi Bründlmayer, the winery has regained its prestige and is considered to be a leader in quality and innovation.  An Austrian Riesling of Distinction: Experience the elegance and depth of this Erste Lage Riesling from Schloss Gobelsburg. This 2021 Heiligenstein bottling offers a harmonious blend of sweetness and acidity, with notes of ripe apricot, honey, and a touch of spice.

2) Schloss Gobelsburg Kammern Ried Lamm 1 otw Gruner Veltliner 2021, Kamptal:  $96.99  IWS 95 pts.  Bright straw color with a light golden hue. Pure and layered with crushed stone, flint, ripe citrus, lemongrass, yellow fruit with some peppery and herbal spiciness. The palate has extraordinary weight and freshness with a fine backbone of extract, layers of unctuous stone fruit, plenty of fine spice – ginger, pepper, cardamom and mint with a very long and powerful finish. Tremendously pure and deep.

3) Araujo Estate Wines Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Napa Valley:  $148.99  At first, the nose reveals rose petal notes with a hint of peony, then it opens up with blackcurrant, dark cherry aromas and a pinch of licorice. The mouthfeel is unctuous and succulent with a savory black fruit sustained by tight tannins and a finish on blond tobacco notes. This may be the finest Altagracia to date, deeper and more concentrated than 2012, with a darker character and a great ageing potential. It is in essence the more approachable little brother of the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec.

4) Marques de Caceres Deusa Nai Albarino 2022, Rias Biaxas:  $23.99  WE 92 pts.  Light straw to the eye, this wine has aromas of grapefruit and orange blossom. It is bright on entry, offering flavors of pineapple, lemon zest and dried apricot alongside shimmering acidity and a hint of chalky minerality.

5) Columna Albarino 2023, Rias Biaxas:  $20.99  This is a generous, approachable expression of Albariño from Condado de Tea, an under sung subzone of Rias Baixas. Grown in warmer conditions, Columna achieves beautiful balance and ripeness under the careful guidance of Rodri Mendez, considered one of the best growers and winemakers in Galicia and a world-class authority on Albariño.  Albariño’s crisp clean flavors are extremely versatile. Seafood, clams, oysters are what the local Galician people eat with this queenly grape. It also pairs like magic with Sushi, Indian, or Thai. Other pairings that are successful include hard-to-pair, popular take-out meals like cold sesame noodles, chicken tikka masala, pad thai, and tacos.

6) Chevalier de la Cree Cote de Beaune Knights Templar Cuvee 2019, Cote d’Or, Cote de Beaune:  $47.99  The 2019 Chevalier de la Crée, Côte de Beaune ‘Knights Templar Cuvée’ Pinot Noir, is extremely expressive upon approach, displaying dried dark cherry and cedar, with hints of citrus peel and brown sugar. The palate is awash with balanced red fruit flavors, finishing with lively floral tones of dried rose petal and pomegranate seeds. Texturally, this young Burgundian Pinot Noir is bright, with soft tannins and balanced acidity that will age to perfection for the next decade.

7) Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia:  $31.99  Bright and brilliant straw yellow with light coppery hues. Complex, subtle and enfolding. Generous and floral, with notes of acacia flowers, jasmine, hawthorn, broom and elderflower, followed by hints of white and yellow fruits like pears, peaches, Golden Delicious apples and apricot, blended with a fresh minerality and a pleasant citrus note. Sweet sensations of lemon cream and crème brûlée are supported by a spicy freshness. Full-bodied, crisp, rounded. A fresh, enfolding, mineral and savory entry. Complex mouthfeel with rich notes of white peaches, lychees, apples and winter melon, complemented by sweet hints of tea biscuits. Fresh, tangy and harmonious. The very long, lingering finish offers a fruity, salty aftertaste.  Particularly suitable for fish dishes, shellfish hors d’oeuvres, risottos and vegetable flans.

8) Von Winning Forster Ungeheuer GG Riesling Trocken 2022, Pfalz:  $83.99  The Ungeheuer of Forst is one of Germany’s most famous vineyard sites. Riesling from here was poured at the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in Egypt in 1869. The soil is based on sandstone with an ancient coral reef and volcanic basalt on top. Fermented and aged in 500l oak barrels for 10 months. Dry apricot, earthy notes, and a hint of smoke on the nose resolve on a palate that is balanced and lengthy, with a strong umami character to balance out the flinty minerality and extremely restrained stone fruit character. This wine explodes on your taste buds and remains there with a never-ending resonance. One of the true pinnacles of German Riesling.

9) Raul Perez La Vizcaina El Rapolao Lomas de Valtuille 2021, Bierzo, Castilla Y Leon:  $44.99  Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, August 2023 95 pts.  They now own 100% of the grapes used for the El Rapolao and the 2021 La Vizcaína El Rapolao, from the youngest vines in the paraje. There is a change from the previous year, as this time they used a 1,500-liter oak foudre to age part of the wine. It’s a very clean year, with some notes of toasty sesame seeds, produced with a short maceration and moderate extraction. They put the wine in barrel after 45 days of maceration, and they feel they have been able to keep more freshness in the wine. It did show very well, with an iron touch and some slightly dusty tannins. It does have a rustic and earthy touch.- LG

10) Monteraponi Chianti Classico 2022,Tuscany:  $33.99  Located in the heart of Tuscany, Monteraponi meshes traditional rusticity and modern elegance in every bottle. Showing a gorgeous ruby color in the glass, floral aromatics give way to a palate full of ripe, dark fruit that are supported by notes of tobacco and spice. This is a beautiful wine, full of bittersweet cherries, earthy, mushroomy umami and fine grained tannins.  95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo.  Organic.

11) Monteraponi Chianti Classico Riserva II Campitello 2020, Tuscany:  $104.99  96 points Kerin O’Keefe: “The 2020 Monteraponi 2020 Campitello Riserva is stellar. A blend of 90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo, 3% Colorino – all organically farmed – it has a heady nose recalling ripe berry, forest floor, grilled herb and eucalyptus. On the elegant, structured palate, firm tannins and vibrant acidity underpin juicy red cherry, raspberry, blood orange and hazelnut before a saline close gives it an almost salty finish. Made the firm’s oldest vines planted in the 1950s, it combines concentration, strength and finesse. Just gorgeous. Drink 2025–2040. (Oct 2023)”

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello emerges from the oldest vines, planted about 55 years ago. It is also one of the very finest wines I have tasted at Monteraponi. Deep and beautifully layered, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of dark fruit mixed with hints of lavender, spice and sage. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s striking inner sweetness and perfume. This vivid, explosive Riserva is endowed with tremendous depth and explosive energy. The 2020 spent 24 months in cask. Drink 2026-2040 (Aug 2023)”

12) Hazelfern Rock Block Chardonnay 2021, Willamette Valley:  $56.99  Texture for days. Ripe fruit flavors of d’anjou pear, honeydew melon, dried wild apple, lemon curd, and mandarin zest are layered with accents of jasmine, orange blossom, lemony thyme, cracked white pepper, allspice, and stoney minerality on the incredibly long finish.  Acclaim: 96 Points (International Wine Report)  Delicious with: bleu cheese, mushrooms, pork chops.

13) Louis Jadot Meursault 2020, Cote d’Or, Cote de Beaune:  $83.99  Ripe, full-fruited aromas and flavors include brioche and hazelnut. A medium body and supple texture carry into a persistent finish.  Pairs with fish, shellfish, poultry and cheeses.

14) Louis Jadot Pommard 2020, Cote d’Or, Cote de Beaune:  $82.99  Pommard is often considered the most “masculine” Côte de Beaune red. This is a firm, full-bodied wine that is nevertheless exceptionally round and generous, with a fruity depth of character and earthy aromas and flavors.  Pairs well with small game, complex beef dishes, pungent cheeses.

15) Agricola Punica Barrua 2019, Isola Dei Nuraghi, Sardinia:  $51.99  Carignano (85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Merlot (5%).  A deep ruby red color, the wine displays aromas of mature red fruits, wild herbs, and spices. On the palate, the wine is soft and elegant with fine tannins and notes of sage, myrtle, rosemary and vanilla. Notes of red fruits, pepper and licorice add an interesting spiciness before a harmonious and persistent finish.

16) Michele Chiarlo Gavi DOCG Del Comune di Gavi Rovereto 2022, Piedmont:  $25.99  The hillside of Rovereto has always been considered the historic Great Cru of Gavi. Located in the municipality of Gavi, it extends over 148 acres. The name Rovereto means oak wood, a name derived from ancient local oak forests. The dark red clay soil is rich in iron and full of stones, imparting greater complexity and minerality than other soils of Gavi. The sea breezes from the Ligurian Sea and cool mountain winds from the Apennine Mountains create a microclimate ideal for growing Cortese grapes to optimal ripeness. The Michele Chiarlo Rovereto vines are 25 years old on average. The vines are thinned of excess bunches at the end of summer, leaving 5-6 bunches per vine on average. A portion of the hand harvested grapes undergo cold pressing to obtain specific aromas. The grapes are soft pressed and then fermented at low temperatures. The wine ages for at least 5 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks before refinement in the bottle.  Straw yellow with green hues, this fragrant wine offers notes of golden apple, chives, white flowers, and minerals. An elegant and well-structured wine with a long and savory finish.

17) Prodotto Da Balan Societa Agricola Mappale 1106 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature 2020:  $29.99  Very fine bubbles that create a silky, caressing sensation on the palate. Fruity aromas with intense mineral notes; floral notes and notes of small aromatic herbs mingle with the classic bread crust. A lively, vibrant, fresh, vertical, saline wine, with no compromise with sweetness and opulence.  It’s from the single highest and steepest vineyard in the entire appellation, with Prosecco’s oldest vines (90 years on average, with many over 100). It takes 12 very skilled pickers 36 hours just to harvest this tiny parcel. (Which is #1106 on the Prosecco map: hence the name.).  No dosage or added sugar.

18) Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Napa Valley:  $57.99  Turnbull is a family-run estate in the heart of the Oakville appellation of Napa Valley known for producing powerful expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, and this organically farmed single varietal Cab is no different. Rich, opulent notes of baked plum, black cherry jam, and dried currants lead into spicy black pepper and savory notes reminiscent of olive tapenade. The time spent on new French oak displays a silky note of vanilla that harmonizes perfectly with the silky tannins that give an elegant and refined mouthfeel.

19) Jax Vineyards Y3 Pinot Noir 2022, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County:  $27.99  Our Y3 Pinot underscores our commitment to wine expression without unnecessary manipulation. Layers of blackberry and Bing cherry… flavors are framed by hints of vanilla and forest floor. The supple tannins and bright acidity showcase balanced precision.  French oak barrels add an additional dimension of complexity.

20) Andrew Will Merlot Two Blondes Vineyard 2020, Yakima Valley:  $35.99  This Merlot has a dark ruby color. On the nose, this medium intensity wine has notes of red cherry, plum, floral notes, and leather. This wine is fully dry and has a medium plus body, with medium acid with notes of black cherry and herbal characteristics. and a long finish tart red fruit notes. This is a classic example of Washington Merlot that has the capacity to age really well over the next decade.

21) Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Napa Valley:  $148.99  “The appellation 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Napa Valley is a rock-solid, unquestionably outstanding Cabernet that’s worth seeking out. Giving up lots of red and black fruits, notes of leather, loamy earth, and dried herbs, medium to full body, and beautiful balance on the palate, drink it over the coming 10-15 years. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, aged 22 months in 61% new French oak. Best After 2022” – Jeb Dunnuck (93 Points)

The land of Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate was once part of the Rancho Carne Humana Spanish land grant given to Edward T. Bale in 1841. Bale married the niece of Mexican General Vallejo and was awarded the grant shortly after. Their daughter, Caroline, married Charles Krug and received a dowry of a 20-acre piece of the Rancho that would eventually become Charles Krug Winery. Gradually, the Rancho was sold and divided into smaller lots. in 1860, our 13-acre parcel was sold for $2,070 to John Howell, a prominent blacksmith in Napa County and for whom Howell Mountain was named.

In modern history, the estate was first planted to grapes by Jim and Nena Talcott in 1975. Under their ownership, a charming stone winery was built to vinify the property’s grapes. The property then served as the Founders Room for the wine portfolio of H. William Harlan and produce the first vintages of The Napa Valley Reserve. After its acquisition by Alejandro Bulgheroni, he began an extensive renovation and enhancement project to upgrade the old stone winery, plant new vineyard blocks, transform the tasting salon and re-envision the future of the property. The winery renovations provided upgraded infrastructure and new equipment, dedicated solely to the vinification of Lithology wines. In future years, additional vineyard blocks will be planted at the highest elevation of the property and a cave will be built for barrel storage and aging.

Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate
Certified organic, the Estate vineyard is at the base of Howell Mountain and the Vaca Mountain range where rich, volcanic soils are found, resulting in wines that are deep and ripe with structure, firm tannins, and acid for long cellaring. The site is comprised of a very thin layer of soil, less than one foot in depth, that rests on igneous rocks and materials weathered from volcanic ash. This well-drained, mineral-rich soil is ideal for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate is planted in two parts, one above and one below the beautiful stone barn and winery on Meadowood Lane in St. Helena. It has had several well-known owners beginning with John Howell, the blacksmith for whom they named the mountain, then Charles Krug. In modern history, the site was first planted to grapes by Jim and Nena Talcott, in 1975. Under their ownership, a charming stone winery was built to vinify the property’s grapes. The property then served as the “Founders Room” for the wine portfolio of H. William Harlan and produced the first vintages of “The Napa Valley Reserve.” Now, under the Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate banner, the vineyard is producing some of the finest Cabernet in the area, and we recently added a small block for Sauvignon Blanc as well.

22) Shafer Hillside Select 2021, Napa Valley:  $399.99  Winemaker’s Comments “The 2021 vintage expresses Hillside Select’s singular elegance, vibrancy, and balance. The aromas lift out of the glass, offering blackberry, cedar, black currant, and just-picked cherry with graceful floral and leather tones. The complexity of the vintage is striking, merging dark fruit with red plum, wet stone, lavender, and black tea. The ripe, seamlessly integrated tannins add depth, precision, and serious structure for decades of aging, all culminating in a long, exquisite finish.” — Elias Fernandez, Shafer Vineyards Winemaker What Others Are Saying “… concentrated and impactful, delivering a firm, grainy texture and well-knit freshness … impressive!” (98 – 100) — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent “… a behemoth of a wine … full-bodied, concentrated, yet pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a great finish.” (97 – 99) — Jeb Dunnuck “Floral and vibrant, the 2021 sizzles with tension and a level of delineation … possesses a notable purity of fruit and exceptional balance.” (96 – 99) — Antonio Galloni, Vinous

So happy this is back in stock!  Definitely a favorite brand!
23) Dalle Valle Vineyards Pietre Rosse 2018, Napa Valley:  $89.99  “The 2018 Pietre Rosse is a rebirth of a wine that my parents made during the 90s as an ode to my father’s Italian heritage and a love letter to the typical red rocks found along the Vaca Mountain range. The label bore a drawing of our home and winery, hand drawn and painted by a dear family friend. It was a painting I always cherished and wanted to one day bring back and share with our friends again. I lost my father in 1995 when I was only 8 years old and have spent most of my life thereafter looking to find different ways to keep his memory alive and keep him close. The search has also given me a space to be creative and explore different ways of making wine.  This inaugural rebirth is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It includes one amphora aged Cabernet Franc, a new technique for aging that I introduced in 2018. This wine has a vibrancy and freshness of bright red fruits combined with a headiness of bramble and earthiness. With this I am excited to present to you the 2018 Pietre Rosse.”

24) Dalle Valle Vineyards Collina 2021:  $158.99  It is safe to say that Dalla Valle Vineyards has always been and remains one of the most influential and revered wines of the Napa Valley. The winery was founded in 1986 by Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle, and over the last 3 decades, they have firmly established themselves as one of the greatest cult wines of all time. Behind Dalla Valle’s treasured and cellar-worthy wines are some of the most celebrated winemakers in the valley, including Heidi Barrett, Mia Klein, Philippe Melka, Andy Erickson, and now today, Gustav & Naoko’s daughter, Maya. The vineyards that make up this iconic estate are planted high in the deep, rich, red soils overlooking Oakville on the eastern hillsides of the Vaca Mountains. Their neighbors include Rudd Estate, Joseph Phelps’s Backus Vineyard, Screaming Eagle, and BOND’s St. Eden Vineyard, and there is no denying that this special corridor of Oakville is destined to create spectacular wines. The convergence of this red clay and gravelly, volcanic soils found throughout the AVA, combined with west-facing, sun-exposed vineyards planted on hillsides and a cooling marine influence, make for wines with intensely concentrated aromatics, pronounced minerality and a lively amount of fresh acidity. With a strong sense of place, we see the lush dark fruit character in these wines, with notes of smoke and gravel complementing the violets, herbs, and sweet tobacco leaves.

Collina, which means “hill” in Italian, was originally produced from the hillside estate’s young vines, but after decades of production, this wine stands all on its own and has earned its placement as the lovely companion to the more serious Dalla Valle Cabernet and Maya. The 2021 Collina is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petite Verdot. This wine presents a deep, alluring garnet hue, displaying a radiant core suggesting both youth and promise. The bouquet opens poised elegance as ripe black cherries and cassis take the lead, accompanied by subtle fragrances of dark plums and blackberries, creating a harmonious symphony of dark fruit. Delicate notes of nuanced cedar and graphite add an alluring complexity to the aromatic profile. A refined entry of luscious black fruits– blackberry, currants, and a hint of dark cherry– unfolds seamlessly, supported by finely integrated, supple tannins. The wine exhibits a brilliant balance, showcasing a vibrant acidity that harmonizes the rich fruit profile and adds a layer of freshness, a continued testament to the terroir and the strength of the 2021 vintage.

25) Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Cru Les Beauroys 2022:  $68.99  Founded in 1850, Domaine Laroche is one of the largest owners of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis and has led movements to raise the quality of the appellation with the creation of a charter of excellence for the Grand Cru producers. Today, Domaine Laroche still produces and ages its Premiers and Grands Crus in the historical cellars of its headquarters, the Obédiencerie.  The most charming Premier Cru located on the upper slopes of a spur overlooking the Beine and Serein valleys. Refined, fruity, and mineral above all, with an elegant finish.  Les Beauroys grow on Kimmeridgian limestone foothills and give Chablis’ minerality to the wine but also a typical richness which makes it a great wine. The vines form a “U” generally facing south. The southwest facing sections where Domaine Laroche’s vines are planted, lies in the Vallée des Vaux, which marks the separation between the Beauroy and the Troesmes vineyard.  Charming, generous. Typical notes of star anise and spices. Subtly saline finish.

26) Roc des Boutires Bourgogne Blanc 2022, Macon:  $44.99  Domaine du Roc des Boutires has 11 acres (4.2 hectares) on an east-west oriented strip at the same latitude of the village of Pouilly on Jurassic limestone interlaced with clay and shale, the same substratum as the Premier and Grands Crus of the Côte d’Or. The vines of Chardonnay, mostly planted in the beginning of the ‘70s, are flowering here with the greatest respect for the natural environment. All wines come from the estate vineyard exclusively.  The Chardonnay grapes are sourced from the commune of Leynes, from the terroirs on the northern slope of the commune of Solutré, on the Bourgogne Blanc appellation.  The wine combines roundness and depth, typical of great Mâcon wines, along with the balance, freshness and elegance of the Chardonnays further north.

27) Kevin et Karine Lauverjat Moulin des Vrilleres Sancerre Rouge 2022, Loire:  $30.99  Made from 100% Pinot Noir, a climate cooler than Burgundy produces wines even lighter in color and body than those of Burgundy, with extraordinarily delicacy and finesse. As well as his superb whites and rosé, Christian Lauverjat also produces this beautifully soft red Sancerre with great purity of fruit and balance.   The concentrated palate, ample and harmonious, prolongs the complexity of aromas and supple tannins, and leads to a persistent finale which leaves you with the feeling of great freshness. Splendid on its own, but also to accompany grilled fish, particularly salmon, white meat dishes, and soft rind cheeses.

28) Thistledown The Vagabond Old Vine Grenache 2021, Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale:  $37.99  Great price!  Sourced from three remarkable sites in the famed Blewitt Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, this wine possesses a beautifully complex, aromatic nose of violets, wild cherry, rosemary and warming spice. The palate is energetic yet polished and smooth with vibrant cherry, spice, wild strawberry and licorice on the palate. Medium bodied but multi-layered and textural with a very long, aromatic finish.

29) Franco Conterno Pietrin Barolo 2019, Piedmont:  $68.99  Pietrin, a wine dedicated to the winery’s founding great-grandfather, is a true traditional Barolo whose grapes come from the best cru located in the communes of Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba and Novello. From soils rich in clay, optimal exposures and plants with an average age of 30 years, Cascina Sciulun produces a wine of great expressiveness, complexity and structure. An earthy wine that exactly captures the clay soils from which the vines come.

30) Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge 2021, Provence:  $68.99  This powerful, Mourvèdre-dominant blend provides a savory surprise from southern France’s rosé-heavy Provence region. Bold flavors of juicy dark fruit, black currants, garrigue spice, crushed flowers, balsamic, and cedar are balanced by robust tannins and truckloads of natural acidity. Serve this intensely flavor-packed wine with burgers, Mediterranean-inspired dishes, or steaks on the grill.

This next wine is interesting for a few reasons but mainly it’s from Irancy, a very unknown AOC (AOC identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the terroir.)

On slopes above the Yonne river valley 15 km from Chablis, a handful of winemakers are growing Pinot Noir at the northernmost limit of its possibility. While Chablis, of course, is famous and white, Irancy has always been red and has always lived in the shadow of the more famous red Burgundies to the south. But since Irancy officially earned its ‘village’ appellation in 1999, something remarkable has happened. Irancy has found its terroir, and it’s an exciting expression of Pinot Noir; it represents an affordable and worthy alternative to big-name wines of the Côte de Nuits, not some pale imitation. Interestingly, the AOC was granted for red wines made from Pinot Noir, with a permitted addition of 10% Cesar grape—dark and tannic, it’s used to bring color and a little backbone to Pinot Noir when needed, and has been grown in these vineyards for hundreds of years.

For the visitor there is much to admire here; the village of Irancy nestles at the bottom of an impressive amphitheatre of hills, which protect the vines from the harsh northerly winds. There is also a grand church and a house which belonged to the architect of the Paris Panthéon. And nearby is the village of Saint Bris. In wine-making geography, Irancy is on the border between still and sparkling. Champagne is the region just to the north, and it thrives on the serendipitous discovery that under-ripe acidic wines can be made to hold bubbles. The flip side is that still wines made from Pinot Noir often struggle to mature. But as Irancy found its ‘terroir’, it also found its voice: a balance between acidity and fruit, a lovely, lacy, ethereal expression of Pinot. Irancy’s terroir is similar to that enjoyed by Chablis; a typical cool climate, with snows in winter and frosty springtime—and of course, the same soils full of fossilized oyster shells which allow the vines good drainage, and impart the famous flinty minerality to the wines.

31) Domaine Bardet & Fils Irancy Rouge 2022:  $38.99  Irancy may be one of the least-seen French appellations. This rural town is far removed, both geographically and culturally, from the famed red Burgundy villages to the south. In fact, Irancy didn’t even get its own appellation until 1999. This is true cool-climate viticulture, where winter snow and spring frosts are a regular occurrence. The same Kimmeridgian limestone responsible for Chablis’ profound minerality runs through Irancy. And for a long time, it was almost more helpful to think of Irancy as a high-acid, low-tannin red version of Chablis. You drank it well-chilled and quickly, if you drank it at all. But in recent years, with seemingly every vintage warmer than the last, the Pinot here has taken on more heft and aromatic complexity. Those who cut their teeth on the more structured and earthy–not to mention more affordable–red Burgundy of yesteryear will find plenty to love in modern-day Irancy.

In 2018, Philippe Bardet’s son Damien purchased a small one-hectare plot of Irancy, and the plot included a few rows of the extremely rare “César” grape, an ancient variety known for deep color and robust tanning. We don’t see much of the Bardet wines stateside, as well over 90% of their production is consumed greedily by locals, but wines like today’s Irancy are wonderfully unadorned expressions of place. Just a few hundred cases were made, and only a precious few are here and ready for your enjoyment.

Irancy’s signature tension is still in play here, though with a little air, the nose unfurls into some beautiful Burgundy classicism. Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, and purple plum flesh fruit lead into black tea and tobacco, violet petals, mushroomy earth, and potting soil savor. The palate is medium-bodied, with moderate tannins providing a fantastic frame for more flavors of deep red fruit and earth. The acidity at play here is a little higher than you find in most modern Burgundy, and it’s totally welcome; this truly feels like the sort of Burgundy we drank a decade or more ago. It’s refreshing, complex, and full of pleasure now, but we strongly suggest stashing away a little Bardet for future exploration; this is going to unfurl into something pretty special. Thankfully, it’s priced reasonably enough to do just that.