Red Burgundy
by Chris Santini
2023 Saint-Aubin Rouge 1er Cru “Sur Le Sentier du Clou”
France | Burgundy
A recent drive through Larue’s vineyards made me recall how atypical Saint-Aubin is compared to its famous neighbors. High-reaching hills, with slopes ever so steep, craggy, and abrupt, are covered in small parcels of vines sandwiched between limestone outcrops every which way. To me, a bottle of Larue conjures up memories of red Burgundy from the turn of the century, with that wonderful dark cherry, earthy typicity coupled with some uplifting acidity—all very exciting, yet never over the top. Its price tag harkens to that era as well!
2022 Chambolle Musigny
France | Burgundy
The Taupenot family is one of the lucky few to have vines in Chambolle, and it’s not something they take lightly. Organically farmed for well over twenty years and vinified with a light hand, the terroir famous for its refinement and delicacy shines through here with brio. Luxurious texture, abundant violet perfume, lacy tannins—this is the essence, and then some, of grand Chambolle.
2023 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Rouge
France | Burgundy
It took twenty years of effort (quite quick by French administration standards) for growers between Dijon and Beaune to finally be allowed to add “Côte d’Or”—the hallowed area where these grapes are grown—to the label of their Bourgogne rouges. The reason they lobbied for the “Golden Slope” to grace the labels is so that you can rest assured all the grapes come exclusively from the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. Although Burgundy might not make a whole lot of wine, the region is broad with Pinot planted far and wide, so now with the new name you know the grapes come from prime real estate. This one, in fact, comes from a single parcel, with vines in Savigny crossing town limits into Chorey. This is classic Guillemot: silky, fragrant, and fun.
More from the December 2025 Newsletter
