Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 106

YEAR'S BEST WHITE BURGUNDIES
(also recommended here). While the 2015
warms toward alcohol, this wine leans into
its acidity, which is why this critic gives it a
slight edge. If you like a tighter wine with
pink-peppercorn spice, check this out. If you
prefer a rounder style, go for the '15. Either
way, you're getting a pretty great deal. § Loosen
Bros. USA, Salem, OR
227062

90 | Maison Roche
de Bellene

$36

2015 St-Aubin (Best Buy) ^ In the context of
contemporary Burgundy prices, this wine
seems like a steal: Cool and racy, with tart
apple flavors and a smoky hint of heady alcohol, this is an honest St-Aubin, not complex,
but clean and a pleasure to drink. § Loosen
Bros. USA, Salem, OR

SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE
228570

91 | Pierre et Jean-Baptiste
Lebreuil
$38

2015 Savigny-lès-Beaune Dessus les
Gollardes (Best Buy) ^ The Lebreuil family
farms this 1.68-acre block high up the slope
in their hometown of Savigny, where the
limestone mother rock is close to the surface and the chardonnay vines are planted
in a mix with pinot blanc, which accounts for
about 30 percent of the plants. They harvest
the varieties together, describing the mix as
an "historical particularity" of the domaine.
Fermented without added yeasts and aged
for a year in oak barrels (20 percent new),
this developed lovely textural grace. It contrasts that silky texture with bitter whiteflower notes, layered under ripe red apple
and honeysuckle scents. It's complex and
delicious, with a whisper of tannic earthiness
that would place it with roast guinea fowl or
braised rabbit. § V.O.S. Selections, NY

VOUGEOT
228526

93 | Domaine de la
Vougeraie

$150

2015 Vougeot 1er Cru Monopole Le Clos
Blanc de Vougeot ^ The Boisset family owns
some of the rare chardonnay vines in Vougeot, farming them under biodynamics and
consistently producing distinctly delicious
white Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits. Of
the 74 plots covering 104 acres, this monopole, across a small road to the north of Clos
de Vougeot, is its most prized. Jasper Morris,
MW, in an article for this magazine (October 2012), compared the soil at this site to
that of Vougeraie's holding directly across the
road, where pinot noir is planted in the Clos
de Vougeot: "The Clos Blanc is much lighter
106

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2018

in color, with more chips of limestone evident. The underlying rock is different too,
being an unusual salmon pink conglomerate
of the Oligocene period, not seen in Clos de
Vougeot or other adjoining vineyards." The
monks who are said to have planted this site
to white grapes in 1110 would have probably donned sunglasses to taste this 2015. It's
powerfully compressed, blinding in its whitelime acidity, a cool, crisp evocation of the
soil. Flinty in its youthful reduction, there's
something ineffably refreshing about this
wine. § Boisset Family Estates, St. Helena, CA
228527

90 | Domaine de
la Vougeraie

$96

2015 Vougeot Monopole Clos du Prieuré ^
North of Clos de Vougeot, close to the village
and the Vouge, the stream that gives the village its name, this two acres of chardonnay
on pebbly limestone produced a juicy 2015
with flavors of fresh-cut pear. It expands from
lean to opulent, finding a sweet and salty balance. Not as long-lived as Le Clos Blanc, this
should be ready to drink after a year or two
in the cellar. § Boisset Family Estates, St. Helena, CA

COTE CHALONNAISE
228598

92 | Domaine Vincent
Dureuil-Janthial

$50

91 | Olivier Chanzy

$25

2015 Rully Maizières ^ Vincent Dureuil's
organic farming and careful, low-sulfur
winemaking raise the level of this wine,
made from young-vine fruit, delivering layers of freshness and complexity. Vivid acidity
drives the finish, lasting with gentle lemon
and seashell-scented coolness. That acidity
integrates with air, as it will with a year or
two in bottle, offering a clean, bright Rully
to serve with Dover sole. § North Berkeley
Imports, Berkeley, CA
228352
2016 Bouzeron ^ This aligoté is friendly and
accessible; even if there's a touch of reduction, a note of onion grass, in the initial
aroma, it quickly gives way to tart and tangy
orange flavors and a savory butterscotch
note. It's a firm, refreshing white to serve
with boudin blanc. § Serge Doré Selections,
Chappaqua, NY
228566

90 | Domaine ChoffletValdenaire

$32

2015 Givry 1er Cru Les Galaffres ^ There's a
cool pear and juicy almond tone to this Givry,
lasting on nutmeg-like spice. It's taut, even as
the toasted-lees flavors begin to soften and

round the texture with air. Pour it with lightly
smoked salmon. § V.O.S. Selections, NY
224354

90 | Dom. Michel Lafarge

$23

89 | Chartron et Trebuchet

$37

2013 Bourgogne Raisins Dorés Aligoté ^
Lafarge's Aligoté vines date to 1937, in a twoacre parcel farmed under biodynamics. As
the "golden raisin" name would imply, this
is honeyed, with notes of quince and ginger
tea that feel, in this vintage, like they have
been touched by botrytis. With its Indian
summer warmth, it's a soft and gentle white
to pair with pork roasted with apples. § Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY
227412
2015 Rully 1er Cru Les Grésigny (Best
Buy) ^ Here's a Rully with a lot of personality,
its fragrant depths of flavor bringing lemony
richness to savory, pale earth tones. The alcohol is a little outsized, needing a chill to bring
it in line and point up the vivid flavors. § Kysela
Père et Fils, Winchester, VA

MAC ONNAIS
228213

91 | Marcel Couturier

$27

2015 Mâcon-Loche Les Longues Terres ^
Marcel Couturier started producing his own
wines in 2005, working from his 27-acre
domaine in the Mâconnais. He completed a
winery in 2014 and this bottling is his flagship, from his younger vines (35 years old),
fermented and aged in oak (20 percent new).
It's an ambitious wine, showing some sweet
vanilla as well as some bitter-almond tannins
from the oak. But there's plenty of taut, juicy
Granny Smith apple freshness to fill it. This is
a clean, modern chardonnay that will benefit
from several years of bottle age. § De Maison
Selections, Chapel Hill, NC

228740

90 | Domaine J.M. Boillot

$31

2015 Mâcon-Villages ^ A gentle, chamomilescented Mâcon, this will bring its sunny disposition to a rainy day, brightening your
mood with its notes of fresh white peach
and cashew. Serve it cellar temperature with
pan-roasted fish. § Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
227308

http://www.vineyardbrands.com/producer.aspx?id=16

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