Chardonnay, the white grape of Burgundy, is a household name, and is typically associated with a rich, bold and oaky style of wine, but across Burgundy there are many styles of Chardonnay. We'll just scratch the surface, but you'll score big time if you taste these; we've got some special bottles here.
Gueguen Bourgogne 'Cotes Salines' 2018
It's not hard to find this wine, but we'd argue its a rather rare bird. How many other $15 estate-grown (on Kimmeridgian limestone no less) Bourgogne Blancs are out there in 2019? Not many. You guys are fans, we know that already, but we got a new vintage, 2018, recently and we're excited to open it for you. Super fresh and mineral, it might as well be Chablis, but it's way cheaper.
Gilbert Picq Chablis Dessus la Carriere 2017
One of the masters of stainless steel raised Chablis (Gueguen, above, is another), the wines of Gilbert Picq are increasingly difficult to find. This single-vineyard wine is regularly cited as equivalent to premier crus in quality, and we wholeheartedly agree. Honestly, there are plenty of Grand Crus from Chablis that we might pass over in favor of this village wine. The Picq family skipped bottling a Dessus la Carriere in 2016 (yields were terribly low), so it's been a couple years since we've tasted this darling.
Guffens-Heynen Macon-Pierreclos 'Le Chavigne' 2001
Jean-Marie Guffens is an iconoclast. The first negociant to pay by acreage instead of weight, Jean-Marie's first priority is the quality of his grapes. This grape buying strategy eliminated the possibility that growers would aim for quantity over quality, and allowed Guffens to dictate farming techniques that would result in low yields and concentrated grapes. Le Chavigne is one of the estate's iconic wines, and at 18 years of age, this 2001 will be fun. The last time we tasted a bottle of 2001 Le Chavigne, it was fully mature, showing an intriguing nutty and caramelized character. Still fresh and crisp, it finished dry and mineral, with notes of poached pears, baked apples, roasted nuts and browned butter.
Francois Carillon St. Aubin 1er cru Murgers des Dents de Chien 2016
If you look at the map of St. Aubin's vineyards there are two major sectors: one swath of vineyards is on the same hill as the Montrachets, while the other is far up the combe (side valley), just above the town of St. Aubin. Needless to say, the vineyards next to the Montrachets are more highly esteemed, and of the two most admired crus, Les Murgers des Dents de Chien has, by far, the more interesting name. Les Murgers des Dents de Chien (the little walls of dog teeth?) is one of Burgundy's most compelling vineyard sites, and the world has been taking notice. Wines from this site and its neighbors are far less expensive than the wines of Chassagne and Puligny, but stylistically can be very similar, and smart wine buyers jump on them. The last time we had this 2016, it was tightly wound and primary. It will be the most powerful and oaky of the line-up, but it still maintains the classic mineral and fresh profile to back up all its richness.