Even though Kermit advertised a bottle of Meursault-Blagny in his very first newsletter and has championed this appellation in the five decades since, for a long time, the hamlet of Blagny, high on the hill above Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, never quite garnered the same attention as the exalted sites along these villages’ lower slopes. A few decades ago, only some of the most curious vignerons made wine from Blagny’s vines, bordering the forest at the top of the hill. The grapes up there ripened later and less reliably than those down below. And as Kermit wrote about Jobard’s Meursault-Blagny in 1980, “It has some of the austerity of Chablis, and is always firmer, more reticent than other Meursaults when young.” Today, however, the tables have turned, and these vines are among the most coveted in Meursault and Puligny. This is in large part thanks to Blagny’s greatest proponent, Laurent Martelet, who has put the hamlet on the map over the last three decades. His domaine, Comtesse de Chérisey, is the specialist in Blagny’s incredible terroirs, serving most notably as the sole steward of the Genelotte premier cru.
     We are extraordinarily fortunate that such impressive land has fallen into the hands of such a rigorous and painstaking vigneron as Laurent. In the past few years, Laurent and his daughter Laurette, who recently joined him at the domaine, have performed extensive terroir studies, converted the domaine to be carbon-neutral, experimented with fava planting for better soil retention, committed themselves to sourcing wood for their barrels and vineyard stakes from the Bois de Blagny just above, and built birdhouses among the vines t0 foster more biodiversity. It is impossible for me to imagine better stewards, and of course all of this thoughtfulness translates to awe-inspiring whites and reds.

September is when the Bay Area finally sees its best summer days. Sun-warmed hours stretch long through the afternoon, elongating golden sunsets before fading into late dusk evenings. Depending on where you’re reading this newsletter, you, too, may be savoring the final nights of al fresco dining—or perhaps embracing a brisk turn toward autumn. Whatever the weather, these reds from up and down the Rhône are well suited to all sorts of occasions, from fancy to fanciful.

Gamay lovers, rejoice: the first of our 2024 crus Beaujolais have landed, and as you’ll see with this trio from Charly Thévenet, it is a vintage to get very excited about. The conditions—a cool, rainy start followed by a perfect end to the season—favored the kind of delicate, aromatic wines loaded with lip-smacking fruit that cement this region’s status as undisputed champion of the light red category.
     Meanwhile, Charly has been busy in the cellar fine-tuning the methods passed down by his father, Jean-Paul, and the rest of Morgon’s legendary Gang of Four. His latest releases have a new level of purity and vibrancy, kicking up the pleasure factor to eleven without losing the depth and sophistication bestowed by biodynamically farmed old vines in the Beaujolais’ greatest terroirs.

The word “deck” takes on a whole new meaning when you stand on the elevated platform outside of Guido Porro’s cantina in the small Piemontese hilltop town of Serralunga d’Alba. Standing along the railing at the platform’s edge and looking out at the horizon, you feel as though you’re on the deck of a large ship crossing a massive, stormy ocean with rising and falling waves, only instead of water, the ocean is made of vines in every direction.
     This is Barolo country, so naturally these dramatic hillsides yield majestic Nebbiolo, yet when you stand on Guido’s deck, your jaw can’t help but drop when he points out several rows of Dolcetto and Barbera vines. There they are, at the top of the slope, just above the acres upon acres of Nebbiolo, Italy’s greatest grape. While most vignaioli probably would have ripped them out by now and replaced them with Nebbiolo, Guido is too old-school. That he farms all three varieties within Barolo’s famed Lazzarito cru, granting them all an exceptional terroir, says almost everything you need to know about this Piemonte traditionalist who is dedicated to the region and all its classic diversity.
     In this prime position, Guido’s vines benefit from abundant and direct sunshine. Add to this the limestone-rich soils in which they’re planted and the warmer climate around Serralunga d’Alba, and it’s no surprise that all of his reds bring a little more structure, depth, and ageability, even the traditionally more light-hearted Dolcetto and Barbera. You can open these two, as well as his Langhe Nebbiolo, for pizza or pasta night, but they are also right at home alongside your Saturday night feasts.
     The three Baroli, meanwhile, are beautiful testaments to this epic landscape. Santa Caterina and Lazzairasco are Guido’s original bottlings, showing two different sides of the slope that cascades down just below his winery. Lower on the hill, Lazzairasco yields a powerful expression of Barolo that will evolve beautifully over the next ten or twenty years. Higher up, Santa Caterina yields a more high-toned Barolo. His newest addition, Gianetto, comes from younger vines on the slope opposite his and delivers the most immediate charm.

There’s an old adage: Oysters “R” in season, which refers to the general rule of thumb that oysters are best from September to April—all months containing the letter R. To ring in the return of oyster season this month, our friends at Chez Panisse and The Salty Pearl are popping up on our corner to serve and shuck enough to make you forget the last four months without R’s. Rn’t you excited? We R!

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