A wine with its fair share of prestige, from a vineyard founded centuries ago, and enjoyed in historical courts across all of Europe. Jean-Louis Chave L'Hermitage is Rhône Syrah at its apex, regardless of vintage. That said, 2020 betters most, no small thing.
Recchione's Pinot Noirs are powerful wines from some of the rustic villages at the northern end of the Cote de Nuits. This wine, already with six years of age to it, has smoothed out some of its rough edges and now shows incredible depth and strong tannin for a special dinner.
Jeremy Recchione is a young negociant winemaker in Burgundy working with fruit from all over the region but his cellar is in Gevrey-Chambertin, the village where this wine is grown and raised. For most of his wines only a barrel or two is made every year. This Pinot Noir, from the Creux Brouillard vineyard, is deep and intoxicating with black fruit, spice, and gamey aromas.
The Hautes-Cotes de Nuits Pinot Noir from the village of Segrois is made in a lighter style, easier drinking at younger ages, and in the great vintages compares very well to more famous Burgundy villages.
The Maconnais is the warmest growing region in Burgundy and makes very developed fruity styles of Chardonnay. Recchione's version sees a bit of oak for texture.
The vineyard in Pouilly-Fuisse where this wine was grown has since been upgraded to Premier Cru and this wine gives insight into why. It has an amazing blend of richness and balance, with tropical fruit and flint aromas.
La Stoppa's aged in barrel blend of Barbara and Bonarda, from their oldest vines, with potting soil and leather aromas. The long maceration in this wine gives high tannins that beg for earthy, rich, fatty foods.
This Extra-Brut Champagne comes from young vines of this nearly forgotten grape recently planted in 2014 and 2018. The grapes were picked at full maturity and this multi-vintage bubbly was aged on the lees for 6 months.
Luna is the Lelarge-Pugeot family's strictest Biodynamic Champagne produced in accordance with the lunar calendar. Vol. 1 is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 2018 vinified without sulfur, aged 3 years on lees, and bottled without dosage.
Luna is the Lelarge-Pugeot family's strictest Biodynamic Champagne produced in accordance with the lunar calendar. Vol. 2 is a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 2015 vinified without sulfur, aged 5 years on lees, and bottled without dosage.
Luna is the Lelarge-Pugeot family's strictest Biodynamic Champagne produced in accordance with the lunar calendar. Vol. 3 is a Rosé blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 2018 vinified without sulfur, aged 3 years on lees, and bottled without dosage.
One of Dom. de l'Enclos' three Grand Crus, the Vaudesir valley yields ripe quince and orange citrus notes with a saline edge and acidity that drinks great now, but will by no means suffer from a few years' cellaring.
