Laurent Ponsot Cuvée de l'Aulne
Cuvée de lAulne Gevrey-Chambertin A blend of grapes purchased from seven or eight growers, across 10 to 12 different communal parcels smattered throughout the village. Again, this is the approach that Ponsot advocates in order to glean the essence of the regional terroir, in this case that of a single lauded village. Red and dark fruit essences mesh with the smoked meat parlayed by Gevreys heavier, ferrous limestone. A richer wine in the context of Burgundy, without the edges and creases that need too much smoothing with time in the cellar. Accessible across the earlier to mid-term.
Laurent Ponsot Cuvée du Cerisier
Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion Clos des Argillieres, 1er Cru
DOMAINE MICHELE & PATRICE RION Clos des Argillieres, 1er Cru , Nuits-St-Georges
Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion Clos Saint-Marc 1er cru Monopole
DOMAINE MICHELE & PATRICE RION Clos Saint-Marc 1er cru Monopole, Nuits-St-Georges
DOMAINE HERVE SIGAUT
Thierry Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru
THIERRY MORTET Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru
Confuron Cotetidot Vosne Romanee Les Suchots 1er Cru
The domaine has an impressive portfolio of vineyards with several Grands Crus and the revered Premier Cru of Les Suchots. The Confurons have always taken the greatest care in the vineyards, performing their own massale selection of vines (ie selecting and using the healthiest plants for propagation), which are on average 65 years old. Unusually for Burgundy, their vineyards have never been treated with herbicides or pesticides, and the vine roots penetrate deep into the soils, giving the grapes a minerality that defines our terroir.
Craggy Range Winery Aroha Te Muna Pinot Noir
Domaine Jean-Marc et Thomas Bouley Volnay Vieilles Vignes
Thomas Bouley is very much the insiders secret, more famous with his fellow vignerons than with collectors chasing the next 'superstar' seen on social media. That Thomas resists putting his name on the front label of his wines (preferring to keep his father's) is typical of his humble and low key approach. Based in Volnay may also add to his relative anonymity, however we suspect this is changing rapidly as word gets out of just how spectacular his wines are, and of the continual improvement seen since he began working with his father in the early 2000's. Meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyard and winery are notable here, and key to why Thomas is so highly regarded by his peers. Yields are moderate, and in the cellar whole cluster ferments are used more with his clay rich sites (Pommard Fremiers, Volnay Clos des Chenes), while those with thin white soils (Pommard Rugiens-Hauts, Volnay Caillerets) are largely destemmed. New oak use is minimal, and each wine spend two winters on fine lees before bottling.