French Red Burgundies

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

CÔTES D'OR

This is just a small sampling of our red Burgundies!

Cornu-Camus Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge, 2023 ($25.99) - Cornu-Camus is not as well known as it deserves to be. It would probably get more press if it charged higher prices. Good for us! Lydia Cornu & Christophe Pertuzot run the domaine, which was founded in 1981. They have 30 acres of vines in the Hautes Côte d’Or and the Côte de Beaune. Their farming practices are sustainable and lutte raisonnée (semi-organic: chemicals are used only when necessary). 

This red comes from two well-exposed hillside plots. One is in the village of Magny-lès-Villers in a vineyard called En Monte Mon, which was planted in the 1950s. The other, planted in the 2010s, is in Villers la Faye in a lieu-dit called La Tourelle (3.22 acres altogether). Marl formations dominate the substrate, and the sloped portions are covered with limestone scree. The hillside ranges from 1150 to 1312 feet and faces south. The grapes are harvested by hand and undergo a 15-day cold maceration, then fermentation with regular pump-overs and punching of the cap after which the wine ages 10 months in stainless steel. Despite the lack of wood treatment, this is a terrific red Burgundy with a really good depth of fruit. A very attractive Pinot Noir and a remarkable value.

Moissenet-Bonnard Bourgogne Rouge “Cuvée L’Oncle Paul,” 2020 ($29.99) - This newly released red Burgundy is still a little tight and needs a few months to come together. Patience will be well rewarded, for this is a very serious and remarkably priced Pinot Noir. Quality red Burgundies below the Village level used to be rare, but several factors have changed things. Higher standards for the best wines make some very good grapes available for the lesser classifications. With lower yields and climate change, once-marginal vineyards now produce better wines. Emmanuelle-Sophie Moissenet-Bonnard took over this Pommard estate from her father in 2014. With degrees in agronomy, biology, and viticulture (she teaches these at the college level!), she has modernized the estate and made its wines even better. This cuvée comes from three small plots totaling 2.27 acres of 40+ year-old vines just southwest of the Pommard AOP. It ages only in neutral (well-used) barrels.

Cornu-Camus Pernand Vergelesses, 2019 ($29.99) - We’re still amazed when we find high-quality Burgundies available at affordable prices. This is partially because global warming has allowed for better ripening in some of the marginal regions. Partially, it’s because the standards have been raised. The big-name wines are still frightfully expensive, but this is a gorgeous example of French Pinot Noir with killer aromatics and beautiful fruit. It will benefit from airing or aging another year in the bottle. The Cornu family has lived in Echevronne, about seven kilometers northwest of Beaune, since the 13th century. Pierre Cornu joined his parents in grape growing in the late 1970s and was the first in his family to estate-bottle wine. In 1981 he married Bernadette Camus. In 2007, after completing her studies in enology at Beaune, their daughter, Lydia, along with her husband, Christophe Pertuzot (previously of Domaine Leroy!), joined them as co-gerants, ensuring the continuity of this dynamic ten-hectare estate.

Cyprien Arlaud Bourgogne Rouge “Oka,” 2018 ($31.99) - Domaine Arlaud is a reference point for natural Burgundy wines. Established in 1949, the estate holds both organic and biodynamic certifications. This exceptional value comes from purchased fruit from Vosne-Romanée and from higher-altitude vineyards in the Hautes-Côte de Nuits. All the vines are over 40 years of age and are farmed by Arlaud under long-term rental agreements. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in older French barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Oka is the name of and a tribute to the family’s plow horse, an essential member of the Arlaud biodynamic team. It might seem quaint to use a horse instead of a tractor, but soil health is crucial in biodynamic farming, and horses compact the soil less than tractors; they also leave behind organic fertilizer!

Gabin et Félix Richoux Irancy, 2019 ($35.99) - Irancy is one of the least well-known red Burgundy villages because it is closer to Chablis than it is to the Côte d’Or. We don't see its wines often, but they are a bargain! Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 92 “Just bottled, Richoux’s 2019 Irancy is brilliant, bursting with aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with rose petals, spices, and sweet loamy soil. Medium-bodied, supple, and seamless, its melting, structuring tannins are entirely concealed in an ample core of succulent, perfumed fruit. Drink 2021-2035.

“Thierry Richoux—and now his sons Félix and Gabin—prove that Irancy’s wines can be a revelation. Pioneers of organic farming (now certified), they realize the appellation’s potential, limiting their yields, harvesting by hand, and maturing their wines for two years—the first in foudre and tank, the second in smaller oak barrels. Irancy’s amphitheater of hills naturally produces rather powerful, virile wines, despite the village’s northerly latitude, and that tendency was exacerbated by the warm, dry conditions of 2018, 2019, and 2020; of the three, it’s 2019 that retains the most energy and aromatic lift despite its sunny style, but all three are strong successes in their atypically rich register. Readers who privilege sensuality and perfume over weight and power will want to secure some of the 2021s when they are ultimately released.”

Camus-Bruchon Savigny-les-Beaune Narbantons 1er Cru, 2019 ($54.99) - This beautiful red Burgundy can be enjoyed now with decanting or aged. Burghound: 91 “A markedly more expressive nose offers up plenty of floral nuances on the red and dark cherry, plum, and soft spice-inflected aromas. Perfectly good if not exceptional density to the middle-weight flavors that possess a caressing but punchy palate impression, all wrapped in a lingering and balanced finish. Sufficiently structured to reward up to a decade of cellar time and is worth considering.”

Domaine Cruchandeau Haut-Côtes de Nuits Rouge “Les Valançons,” 2021 ($54.99) - High-quality red Burgundies are never cheap, but they do deliver. As does this youngster. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): Julien Cruchandeau launched his small domaine with the 2003 vintage and is now firmly established in the Hautes-Côtes. Working the soils and using minimal treatments, he harvests by hand and often retains some whole clusters with his reds. Characterized by bright, crunchy fruit but with plenty of underlying substance and structure, there’s much to admire here, and improvements continue: Cruchandeau is buying new barrels more discriminatingly. Each new vintage seems to represent another step up in quality.” Certified organic! Valançons is a very steep, 0.8-hectare (2 acres), single vineyard site in Cheyennes (WNW of Nuits-Saint-Georgees) with southern exposure. Yields are kept very low. After manual harvest, the grapes are sorted by hand with 50% to 100% destemming, depending on the vintage. Cold maceration of about ten days with frequent punching down and pumping over. Fermented with native yeast, and aged for one year in 10% new oak. Give it some time. Limited. 

Albert Bichot Beaune “Clos de l’Ermitage,” 2020 ($65.99) - This fine red Burgundy will benefit from further cellaring. The ever-optimistic James Suckling: 95, Wine Spectator: 91 “A tightly wound version, this reveals black cherry, blackberry, and wood shavings in the grip of sinewy tannins. The iron fist, velvet glove analogy fits this red. Best 2024 - 2038. 200 cases made, 43 cases imported.”

Bouchard Père et Fils Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres 1er Cru, 2019 ($67.99) - At a time when even village Burgundies are pushing $100 per bottle (pre-tariff!), Bouchard offers excellent value. This is a Premmier Cru! This producer and négociant is one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, founded in 1731. In 1995, it was sold to Joseph Henriot and became part of Groupe La Vigie along with major brands like Champagne Henriot and Chablis’ William Fèvre. Wine Advocate: 92 “Aromas of peonies, orange rind, wild plums, cherries, and wintergreen. A medium to full-bodied, supple, and perfumed wine that’s lively and enveloping. Routinely one of the most underrated wines in the portfolio, this is always a sumptuous yet lively wine that ages very well.”

Bouchard Père et Fils Nuits St. Georges, 2019 ($69.99) - At a time when even village Burgundies are pushing $100 per bottle (pre-tariff!), Bouchard offers excellent value. This producer and négociant is one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, founded in 1731. In 1995, it was sold to Joseph Henriot and became part of Groupe La Vigie along with major brands like Champagne Henriot and Chablis’ William Fèvre. Wine Spectator: 91 “A pretty red, featuring bright, pure cherry, raspberry, rose, and spice flavors. This well-structured version is more elegant than powerful, offering a line of chalky tannins for support, with fine earth- and mineral-tinged length. Best from 2026 through 2040.”

Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse, 2018 ($79.99) - At a time when even village Burgundies are pushing $100 per bottle (pre-tariff!), Bouchard offers excellent value. This producer and négociant is one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, founded in 1731. In 1995, it was sold to Joseph Henriot and became part of Groupe La Vigie along with major brands like Champagne Henriot and Chablis’ William Fèvre. Wine Spectator: 93 “This red is silky in texture and intense, yet its black cherry and blueberry flavors are restrained. Harmonious and long, with toasted spice and mineral accents adding depth. Best from 2023 through 2035.”

CÔTES DE CHALONNAIS

BEAUJOLAIS

Michel Guignier Beaujolais, 2021 ($16.89) - With our recent emphasis on cru Beaujolais, we may have overlooked the delights of wines from lesser parts of the district. This mouthwatering example bursts with aromas and flavors of Morello cherries, berries, and toasted almonds. It’s as good if not better than many Beaujolais-Villages level wines. Eric Asimov (The New York Times) included it in his recent “20 Wines Under $20” column. “I especially like the ’21 Guig-nier Beaujolais, which rises above the potential of the straightforward Beaujolais appellation, the lowest level of the region’s hierarchy of potential. Made with organically farmed fruit, it has beautiful flavors of red fruit underpinned by earthy minerality that gives it unexpected depth.” Michel Guignier is a fourth-generation vigneron in Villié Morgon, in the heart of the Morgon appellation. He is committed to producing wines in the most natural way possible in order to both protect the environment and create wines that are alive and transmit a sense of place. He is slowly converting his estate to full organic certification. This wine comes from 50-year-old vines and sees 6-7 days of maceration (Nouveau generally sees only 4, his top Morgons up to 15). Vinification is semi-carbonic with the latter stage in cement tanks using indigenous yeast.

√√Domaine Yohan Lardy Gamay Poppy, Vin de France, 2021 ($19.99) - Yohan Lardy tends some very special vines in the Beaujolais cru of Moulin-à-Vent, including some over 100 years old. This 100% Gamay is made from the Beaujolais-Villages appellation as well as some younger vines (only 60 years old!) in M-à-V, but Yohan declassifies it due to its light, easy-drinking nature. Whole clusters are used, and the wine is given semi-carbonic fermentation with native yeast before spending four months in cement. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, and it has a distinctive nose and flavor profile. Easy drinking with a light chill. Tony Cenicola recently listed it in his “20 under 20” New York Times column: “Beaujolais is an archetypal summer red, generally light-bodied, refreshing, and delicious lightly chilled. This bottle, from an excellent Moulin-à-Vent producer, is not technically Beaujolais, even though the organically grown grapes come mostly from Beaujolais-Villages (with a little Moulin-à-Vent). Yohan Lardy uses the Vin de France appellation for this fresh wine with tart dark-fruited flavors. Not complex or structured beyond its lively acidity, but it’s a pleasure to drink.”

Stéphane Aviron Saint-Amour, 2019 ($24.99) – The best Cru Beaujolais producers, like Stéphane Aviron, have moved away from the modern Beaujolais model (think Georges Duboeuf) of simple, quaffing, unstructured wines that boosted sales but robbed the wines of their soul. He has actually returned to tradition, using native yeasts and vines at least 40 years of age! He farms organically and biodynamically! This beauty offers notes of cherry, cassis, strawberry, and potpourri. It’s medium to full-bodied, juicy, and chewy with good concentration and enough firm structure to reward another year or two of patience. Saint-Amour is in the northern part of the Cru Beaujolais area, not far from the Mâconnais. The terroir here starts to shift and become more similar to the soils of northern Burgundy, still with granite, but clay and limestone start to be present as well. The clay and limestone make for wines that are darker in color with more alcohol and structure. The hand-harvested grapes are vinified in a combination of traditional Burgundy and Beaujolais (partial carbonic maceration) styles. Whole bunches are used with seven to eight days of maceration before pressing. The wine is then aged part in old wood and mostly in cement tanks to retain the bright fruit.

Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, 2021 ($25.99) – We continue to increase our selection of Cru Beaujolais because we believe these wines offer so much for so little. This our the second vintage with the wonderful Roilette wines, made by the Courdert family. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 91 “The 2021 Fleurie from Clos de la Roilette is drinking well out of the gates, offering up pretty aromas of spiced plums, petals, and orange rind followed by a medium-bodied, supple, and melting palate. Fleshy and fine-boned, it’s a pretty, demonstrative wine that will show at its best young. 2022-26.” 

Terres Dorees Morgon, 2018 ($25.99) – A classic Cru Beaujolais from a traditional producer. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 92+ “From vines in Bellevue, the 2018 Morgon wafts from the glass with aromas of red plums, mulberries, smoked meat, and spices. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a rich, layered core of fruit, powdery tannins and lively acids. This comes warmly recommended. Drink 2020-2033."

The 2018 vintage is Jean-Paul Brun's 40th, and he can look back with some much deserved satisfaction on a career that has done so much to validate the potential for quality in the southern Beaujolais, as well as a portfolio of wines that exemplify like few others that a more "Burgundian" approach to vinification can be made to work well with the Gamay grape. Destemmed fruit and macerations lasting as much as four weeks, followed by élevage in used barrels, are the order of the day here, and Brun's excellent 2018 portfolio includes several terrific cuvées that Beaujolais lovers will not want to miss.

Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive, 2021 ($29.99) – We continue to increase our selection of Cru Beaujolais because we believe these wines offer so much for so little. This is our second vintage with the wonderful Roilette wines, made by the Courdert family. Wine Advocate: 94 “Fans of old-school Beaujolais will adore the 2021 Fleurie Cuvée Tardive from the Clos de la Roilette. Bursting with aromas of crunchy red berries, peonies, spices, and plums, it’s medium-bodied, ample, and enveloping, with succulent acids, melting tannins, and a pretty, perfumed finish. Despite the challenges of the year, the Coudert family have [sic] produced a lovely classic. 2022-35” 

Julien Sunier Morgon, 2019 ($36.99) - One of the most expensive Cru Beaujolais we have ever carried, but it is still a bargain. Sunier grew up in Dijon but was not part of a wine family His mother cut hair, and one of her regular clients happened to be Christophe Roumier. When Julien graduated from school, he decided to work with Roumier to “see what this wine stuff is all about.” He caught the wine bug and spent his early twenties globe-trotting from New Zealand to California so he could surf and work harvests. When he returned to Burgundy, Julien worked alongside winemakers Nicolas Potel in Nuits Saint-Georges and Jean-Claude Rateau in Beaune, where he solidified a passion for organic and biodynamic viticulture. He was able to secure 3 ha. of vineyards in Fleurie, Morgon, and Régnié, which he converted to organic farming. He ages his wines up to 11 months in used Burgundy barrels. This is great Beaujolais!

Louis Boillot Moulin-a-Vent Brusselion, 2020 ($37.99), Moulin-a-Vent Rouchaux, 2020 ($37.99), and Fleurie Grille-Midi, 2020 ($43.99) are the most expensive cru Beaujolais we have ever carried. Just released, they haven’t been reviewed yet, but they consistently get ratings between 91 and 94 points in the Wine Advocate. They are typically approachable upon release, but they develop over a decade or more. William Kelley: “One of a growing number of Côte d’Or producers to acquire land in the Beaujolais, Louis Boillot—whose wines I taste every year in the cellars in Chambolle-Musigny that he shares with his spouse, Ghislaine Barthod—is producing superb examples of Moulin-à-Vent and Fleurie. Their son, Clément, has taken over the reins. Classically vinified and given an unusually long élevage by the standards of the region, these are serious, elegantly muscular cru Beaujolais built to age with grace, and they come warmly recommended.”