There’s no greater pleasure for a wine shop than to see beloved winemakers and estates flourish with success and improve their craft vintage after vintage. As each new release of a vintner’s wines hit our shelves, we have the privileged opportunity to be the curators of another memorable wine experience for our customers and the translator of that vintner’s vision.

 

This is the shop’s absolute favorite Beaujolais producer. Hard stop. A few years ago Dubois’s  wines completely changed our perspective on the trajectory that the region was headed in and the nuance that could be expressed through gamay. Wine nerds en masse have been heralding the ‘Burgundian’ advance of Beujolais for a while now, and this has been spurred on by the upward spiral of prices for pinot noir coming out of the Cote d’Or. However, gamay actually achieving the heights of pinot noir in the glass has been few and far between, with only the best winemakers coming close. The gang of 4 producers (Lapierre, Foillard, Thevenet, Breton) influenced by Jules Chauvet have garnered most of the attention in recent times, and have reinforced the ‘natural’ mantra of most new age producers.

 

Champagne lovers rejoice! We’ve got one of our most adored producers back in stock and an ENTIRE SERIES of vintage bottlings to offer for those that are savvy enough to get in early on our newsletter offer. We’re talking about vintage releases of the wines of Andre Clouet, the master house of the village of Bouzy in Montagne de Reims.

These “Dream Vintage” wines celebrate exceptional harvest years in a blanc de blanc (100% chardonnay) style with grapes sourced from Grand Cru sites. The wines themselves are captivating and extraordinarily delicious, each individually expressing the nuances of Bouzy and the dynamics of each unique harvest. Bouzy Champagnes are known for their profound body and intensity of flavor, all stemming from sunny, southern exposure vineyards that provide ample ripeness to maturing grapes.

 

As a thought experiment, could one simply offer the image above and a list of wines and say no more? Is there really any additional detail needed beyond what that kind of portrait and beauty conveys? The phrase, “A picture paints a thousand words” is most incredibly apt when it comes to the region and wines of Gigondas. But detail we shall provide as this is a region (and a remarkable producer) which deserves your attention.

Butting up against the Dentelles de Montmirail, the vineyards of Gigondas are blessed with a collection of diverse limestone and clay soils, sunkissed vines, and remarkable wines. In contrast to their more famous cousin of Châteauneuf du Pape, these reds are darker in tone with more intense structure and slightly rustic edges.

 

The picturesque hills of Beaujolais

Temperatures are descending from the peak heights of late summer and settling into the refreshing embraces of early autumn. Likewise, our thirsts are evolving from the crisp mineral whites and roses needing to cool us in the heat into lighter reds that bring fruit and comfort. There is no better companion for this transition than the wines of Beaujolais and its magnificently diverse crus. Earlier this week we featured bottlings from Fleurie, the first haven of evolution for palates seeking reds of finesse, lightness, and delicate fruits. Today we will present to you the next step in your palate’s seasonal journey: the wines of Morgon.

Morgon the Cru
Morgon is one of the largest of the 10 crus that make up the broader appellation of Beaujolais.