Serpentières has always been Guillemot’s proverbial feather in the cap, the cuvée that is the most peacocky, juicy, and delicious in its youth, and that can seemingly age with perfection forever (they’ve been bottling this vineyard for seventy-nine years straight, and there’s still not a tired bottle in sight). The nose is smoky and herbal, the palate awash in robust black fruit with a most satisfying lip-smacking finish. The Guillemot family’s pride is fully justified!

If Burgundy has become France’s most global wine region, along with Bordeaux, drawing wine lovers from every corner of the world, the village of Irancy has proved an exception to the rule, staying off their radar and out of the spotlight. Quiet, even on a beautiful spring day, it feels almost stuck in a former era, which comes with its fair share of advantages. Under no pressure, for instance, to chase any trends, vigneron Benoît Cantin is free to simply let his Pinot Noir faithfully express his incredible Kimmeridgian terroirs on the banks of the Yonne. This river, a tributary of the Seine, which flows through Chablis and past Irancy, helps to moderate the conditions that can otherwise be harsh in this northern Burgundy outpost.
     Hailing from a single vineyard that slopes down toward the Yonne, La Grande Côte enjoys ideal southwestern exposure, its Pinot Noir absorbing as much sunlight as possible to yield this deep, soulful, and vibrant Irancy. Soaring with notes of black cherries and spice, this is a beautiful candidate for your next beef stew, but also a magret de canard, steak frites, or double-layered smashburger with époisses.

You may have heard saxophonist King Curtis revealing the recipe for his famous Memphis Soul Stew: a half teacup of bass, a pound of fatback drums, four tablespoons of boiling Memphis guitars, a pinch of organ, and half a pint of horn. Simple, right? Well, for an equally satisfying blend of soul, try Valentin Montanet’s recipe for his 2023 Bourgogne rouge: a spot of Pinot from Volnay, a dollop from Mercurey, a pinch from Vézelay, keep the clusters whole, and voilà! A nourishing, expressive, everyday rouge that really sings.