While Burgundy may have a reputation for being forever unchanged and locked into traditional ways, the standout domaines are constantly and quietly adapting and evolving, all the while respecting tradition and the past. When done properly, the quest is to never follow a trend, but rather to best express the land from which a wine came, which is and always will be the one element of Burgundy you just can’t recreate anywhere else. A prime example of this process is at Domaine Larue, where some quiet shifts and adjustments have led to a profound flourishing of the wines. To name just a few, the aging of all the wines has been extended by several months, with more lees in the barrel, for a more unctuous palate. This shift is particularly noticeable in the 2024 blancs, where that extra bit of oomph balances perfectly with the bright acidity of the vintage. Sulfur levels are down across the board, remarkably apparent in the reds, which don’t see a drop until the spring following harvest, with explosive fruit aromatics that really make these wines shine in their youth.
     Even the terroir Larue works has seen an evolution during these last few years. The village of Saint-Aubin is nestled below some of the steepest and highest vines in the Côte de Beaune, with some of the poorest soils the Côte has to offer. These factors played against Saint-Aubin for many generations: its grapes struggled to ripen, and its wines had a leaner, greener touch, which explains why the village never attained household-name status like its lower-altitude neighbors. In our warmer modern era, those burdens of the past now provide a terroir with an incredible resistance to heat, drought, and disease, with ideal ripening. The pristine grapes that arrive at harvest time allow Larue to take a step back in the cellar, and also explain a notch up in complexity and greatness you may have noticed these last few vintages.

The entire range of 2024s from Domaine Larue has recently arrived.
Speak to a salesperson to learn more about the availability of the domaine’s other premiers crus from Saint-Aubin and Puligny-Montrachet.

Virtually nobody had heard of Serradenari up until just a few years ago. Even within La Morra, the commune known for making the most delicate and perfumed wines in Barolo, neighboring vineyards typically enjoyed the spotlight, appearing on prominent labels alongside other famous crus like Cannubi, Brunate, Vigna Rionda, and Bussia.
     That was until Giulia Negri came along. Upon assuming management of family vineyards in Serradenari and launching her own label in the 2015 vintage, she has rightfully turned the focus onto the site featuring Barolo’s highest vines, its culminating point reaching 536 meters above sea level. Giulia’s Serradenari holdings also enjoy the unique distinction of being the only Barolo vines surrounded by forest—an oasis of organically farmed Nebbiolo boasting rich biodiversity and a climate all its own. These factors, in conjunction with Giulia’s thoughtful approach to viticulture and winemaking, contribute to the signature purity, vibrancy, and finesse her wines express even in hot, dry years like 2022.
     Between hosting Stanley Tucci for a segment on his show Searching for Italy and welcoming her daughter, Costanza, into this world last year—right at harvest, no less—Giulia has found time to steadily hone her methods and establish herself as one of Piemonte’s brightest stars. Her three Barolo bottlings, sourced from subzones of Serradenari defined by their distinct soil profiles, suggest a Burgundian approach to Barolo, gracefully highlighting the subtleties of each terroir through the lens of strikingly fragrant Nebbiolo. Every bottle is a special treat, and for those of us with access to a cellar, a treasure in the making.

The most difficult balancing act in all of wine is to produce a cuvée that tastes delicious and distinctively of a place, has been conscientiously farmed and vinified, and is so easy on the wallet there’s no need to hesitate. A lot of growers can pull off a few of these at once, but to do all of them at the same time? Almost impossible.
     Enter Les Vignerons d’Estézargues, an avant-garde cave coopérative just west of Avignon, in the Gard region, which has for decades been breaking all of wine’s unwritten rules. Estézargues somehow marries the attention to detail, exacting standards, and artisanal practices of a small, ambitious family domaine with the ability to scale—and price generously—of a more traditional co-op. For instance, Estézargues collaborates with only ten families to make sure the farming is as meticulous as possible (i.e., mostly organic). Once the grapes make it into the cellar, they use only indigenous yeasts because they believe so wholeheartedly in the character of their terroir.
     The proof of all this effort is in the wine. Alive with the essence of the south, it takes you to a patio in northern Provence on a warm summer evening. Black cherries, a touch of tapenade and herbs, everything in perfect proportion—it’s what you want in your glass as the lamb or steak cooks on the grill.
     Whenever I’m tempted to linger on the question, Why doesn’t Les Vignerons d’Estézargues exist in other regions?, I remind myself to think instead: we’re lucky that this exists at all.

For those of you who were able to attend our Summer Market in Berkeley, you not only enjoyed Lambrusco from Fattoria Moretto, but you saw their newest product—Lambrusco Lover hats. Wear it proudly!

Now available for purchase for $30 in our retail shops and online.