In the rolling hills of Austria’s Thermenregion, just 20 minutes south of Vienna, the Stadlmann family has tended the vine since 1780. Eighth-generation Bernhard Stadlmann, who took the reins from his father Johann with the 2006 vintage, holds three doctoral degrees, but he chose ultimately to dedicate his life to continuing and refining the traditions established by his long chain of predecessors. And Bernhard’s wines—complex, distinctive, and saturated with a sense of place—spoke immediately to our sensibilities.
Along with its neighbors Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet is viewed today as one of white Burgundy’s “big three”—a world-famous village synonymous with layered, mineral-driven, age-worthy Chardonnay…Read More
A source of pure, chiseled red Burgundy for us for over 25 years now, Domaine Jérôme Chezeaux is undergoing a particularly exciting phase. While the wines have always been honest and delicious, the last few vintages show a level of finesse and precision which places them squarely into the top ranks of the Côte d’Or’s elite. Read More
I love when a bottle reaches out and grabs you by the scruff. I taste my wines frequently—heck, I taste lots of wines frequently—so I feel like I usually have my expectations calibrated pretty accurately as to what I’m about to experience when I pull a cork. Read More
Laurent Lignier, now in his fifteenth year at the helm of his family’s hallowed domaine, has achieved an unprecedented level of purity and precision in his 2016s—which are slated to reach our shores in mid-April. During his tenure, he has steered the family’s already impeccable vineyard work towards a fully organic regimen, and the domaine has been certified organic as of the 2018 vintage.
With his impressive array of holdings throughout Chassagne-Montrachet, complemented by parcels in Puligny-Montrachet, Santenay, and Montagny, Jean-Marc Pillot is among our most important suppliers of Burgundy. Since our first vintage together nearly twenty years ago, we have watched Jean-Marc—a fourth generation vigneron—find his way and become a true master of his craft, and today his
We left our afternoon visit with Philippe Gilbert marveling at how far he has come as a vigneron. In the late 1990s, Philippe left a promising career as a dramaturge to take over his father’s estate when he was on the brink of retirement. Philippe gradually converted to biodynamic viticulture (certified in 2013), eschewed the
The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d’Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle.
Wines: Cornalin “Vigne Rovettaz”, Fumin “Vigne Merletta”, Gamay, Muscat a Petit Grain, Petite Arvine “Vigne Rovettaz”:, Pinot Gris “Vigne Creton”, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir “Vigne Tzeriat”, Premetta, Torrette, Torrette Superieur “Vigne Rovettaz”
Kerry and I continually assess our wines by putting each to the ultimate test: drinking wine with our meals. Over the most recent weekend, we explored, with much satisfaction, several wines from the Loire Valley that do not appear regularly at our home table. On New Year’s Eve, our quiet celebration was toasted with the
