I’ll Never Say “No” to Burgundy

I’ll never say “No” to Burgundy, especially red Burgundy. Love me some Pinot Noir!

Just to offer one reason, these three wines are each strikingly different in both style and price point. Burgundy offers more diversity than most of us expect. Take a look at these and see!

93
SNV des Chezeaux/Domaine Ponsot 2011 Chambolle Musigny PC Les Charmes 13.5% $80
This deeply-colored, burgundy core of a red wine has both impressive color and ripeness for a leaner year like 2011. Overall closed, despite several hours of breathing, this wine at least from the get-go smells of rose petals. Moving on, it tastes of potting soil and blueberries. Moreover and perhaps more profoundly, it caresses the palate. Its tannins are velvety and seductive. Its acidity is integrated with the vaguest clip of citrus zip on the back end. Highly unusual given the lean vintage, this is nonetheless impressively lovely and a more-than-decent value for a charming, if pricey, appellation. Drink: 2016-21

90
Domaine de Suremain 2013 Mercurey $40
This deep, black cherry-colored wine has a forward, fragrant and vibrant nose of bramble, blueberry coulis and candied black cherries. The silk smooth tannins let the mouthwatering acidity do the structural heavy lifting. This wine is terrific now, and its lingering, earthy and harmonious finish suggests it will carry well and even improve over the next three to four years. Considered against the tip-top Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru above, this offers killer value – even if not all that cheap – from a charming, smiles-and-laughs-ready, deep-rooted and dedicated winemaking family. Drink: 2016-20

86
Louis Bouillot NV Crémant de Bourgogne Perle Noire $20
This wine was full-out fun. It is impressively pale for a Blanc de Noirs, which are technically imperfect if they show even a suspicion of pink in their coloring. Soft, smooth and caressing from attack to finish, this wine exudes freshness of red cherries along with white rose petals. It’s good enough to notice it’s very good indeed, and yet it doesn’t demand your attention. I think this wine could have a huge following between style and pricepoint, but old school, gilded packaging likely poses a challenge for label fashionistas. Drink 2016-17 (for its baby-like freshness)