Bourgogne, Blanc and Rouge
by Jane Augustine
2021 Bourgogne Blanc
France | Burgundy
Valentin Montanet, now fully at the helm of his family’s winery, says that the lingering memory of the wines he grew up tasting in his parents’ cellar guides his winemaking today. He likes to produce terroir-driven, affable Burgundies with a noticeable nostalgia for the past. He conjures up a “simpler” time, as he puts it, when alcohol levels were lower and there was less fuss over technicalities and fancy equipment. His Bourgogne blanc, made from declassified Mâcon grapes, is Burgundian to its steely core, reliably delicious, and undeniably pleasurable.
2019 Pouilly-Fuissé ”Climat Vieilles Vignes“
France | Burgundy
This bottling from the Robert brothers is exceptional in every sense of the word. The year 2019 yielded a terribly tiny harvest due to tragic frosts, forcing them to blend three single vineyards into one bottling. Most of the fruit comes from La Croix, a parcel that’s remarkable for its schist soil and for ripening earliest in the region. They added to this two premiers crus: Les Cras––a limestone and marl parcel—and Les Reisses––a monopole of older vines. The resulting Climat blend may be the silver lining of this vintage, as it exudes intense concentration and an exotic nose, and showcases their signature long élevages, native yeast fermentation, and multiple layers of varying soil types. Do not miss this gorgeous and rare bottling.
2020 Aloxe-Corton
France | Burgundy
Only four people work the vineyards full time at Domaine Follin-Arbelet in Aloxe-Corton, situated at the northern limit of the Côte-de-Beaune. Franck Follin’s son, Simon, who works alongside his father, says he’s grateful to have a small estate. In this way, they continue to optimize quality control, doing everything by hand and tending to their vines with care and attention to detail. This Aloxe-Corton blends two parcels of old vines and showcases their commitment to hard work and terroir expression. Wines from Aloxe have a reputation for more rusticity and concentration than you’d find farther south, but in the hands of the Follins, they’re charmingly finessed.