I am constantly buying Burgundy in large volumes, as it is a very popular category in the store, it is not always easy to come by, and it is a personal favorite of mine. Below, you will find 2 wonderful reds and 2 amazing whites at some of the best prices in the US. Supply is limited, and this is an ideal time to stock up, as supplies will be very limited in the frost-plagued 2021 vintage.
I'll start with Red Burgundy, as this is one of the all-time great wines to serve with the classic holiday meal. Good Red Burg is sensual, silky, and bright, making it an ideal Pinot Noir that won't overwhelm your turkey. In addition, the slightly earthy and spicy nuances found in these wines pairs perfectly with earthy root veggies and starchy sides. Best of all, these wines possess a natural brightness and lift (aka acidity) that cleanses your palate after every bite of food, making you want to back and take another bite....then another sip....and another bite. I know you get it!
1. 2019 Domaine Serrigny Savigny-les-Beaune | 36 bottles available
Deep, dark, savory, and intense. This is a powerful Red Burgundy!
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This tiny estate is run by Marie Laure Serrigny, the 4th generation of her family to tend the vine deep in the hollow of Savigny-les-Beaune, a village known for its value-priced (relatively speaking) Red Burgundies. She farms organically, she makes about a total of 2,500 cases of wine per year, and that is spread amongst 9 different wines. This is a small estate. No one is getting filthy rich here. Marie Laure's intention is to carry on her family's name and live a simple and peaceful life.
Her Savigny-les-Beaune Rouge is produced from old vines, and it is crafted and brought up in a very traditional manner -- long, cool, slow fermentations with native yeasts in older oak, followed by 14 months in barrel. These 50 to 60 year-old vines yield a wine that is deliciously rich with earth, fruit, spice, and mineral. There's serious "meat on the bone" here folks -- this is a powerful yet elegant wine that can be summed up with one word: AMAZING! Decant for at least an hour before you serve it.
2. 2018 Capitain-Gagnerot Ladoix Rouge
Silky, complex, and spicy. This is classic Red Burgundy!
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If you've been shopping at Table Wine for any length of time, you know how good Capitain Gagnerot's wines are. This family-run estate got started in 1802 in the village of Ladoix, where the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuit meet. The estate is certified organic and biodynamic, and the decision to farm this way has yielded Capitain-Gagnerot some of their finest wines to date.
I consider this to be one of the best Red Burgundy values in the world. Produced from Pinot Noir plots that were planted just after World War 2, this is fermented in open top vats for about 2 weeks, and is then aged in French oak barriques (10% new) for 13 months. The finished wine is one that always brings me great joy. Flowing with ripe and sweet raspberry, dark cherry, woodsy spice, and dark flowers, it is round and flattering on the palate. I challenge you not to like this wine.
White Burgundy is a natural match with turkey, ham, and all of those lovely sides. With its more zesty and high-toned flavors, compared with the buttery stuff from California, White Burgundy is an incredibly versatile food wine....it doesn't taste too bad as an aperitif either. Both of the wines below offer up nice concentration and richness, but I would not describe them as creamy, buttery, or oaky. I would simply describe them as delicious!
1. 2020 Andre Bonhomme Vire-Clesse 'Cuvee Speciale' 1.5 Liter
Golden fruited, rich yet zesty White Burg from this legendary estate.
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***Please note, this is a 1.5 Liter bottle. There are still great values to be found in White Burgundy, and I consider the whites from Andre Bonhomme to be some of the best. This estate was founded in 1952, and from the start, Andre Bonhomme was determined to bring more recognition and respect to the white wines of the Maconnais. He and his family have certainly achieved that, and then some. Today, they are certified organic, and they produce some of the top white wines of Southern Burgundy.
Bonhomme's Cuvee Speciale is produced from old vine (45-75 years old) sites from their top hillside plots and parcels. As with all of Bonhomme’s wines, there’s tremendous depth and intensity here. The 2020 shows that classic minerality the estate’s wines are known for, but it’s also loaded with ripe and exotic fruit and floral notes too. I get lots of mango, white peach, citrus zest, and floral aromas and flavors. A natural partner to poultry, you will amaze your family and friends if you serve this wine. I guarantee it!
2. 2021 Olivier Savary Chablis
Pure, crystalline, and mineralic, this is sensational Chablis!
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Olivier Savary and his wife, Francine, have been vignerons since 1984. Chardonnay runs strongly through his veins, and Olivier pursued wine school in Dijon. For years, the couple sold off their grapes to negociants, but in the 1980's, they started bottling their own wines. They were introduced to Kermit Lynch by Chablis God Jean-Marie Raveneau, and today, the estate is well respected and recognized. This is also, without a doubt, one of the finest Chablis values out there.
About as crystalline and pure as Chardonnay can get, this is blended from a patchwork of diverse parcels throughout the appellation. Savary's wines possess impeccable sense of place, in the sense that oyster shell minerality is front and center. With air and temperature, beautiful notes of crisp apple, pair, citrus zest, and floral notes emerge. Insanely delicious with oysters or oyster stuffing, this will also meld seamlessly with your turkey, ham, and sides.
Customers have been asking me what I will be drinking with my Thanksgiving meal this year. Here you have it folks, we will be drinking these Burgundies and maybe a few others from my cellar. I can't wait! I recommend you do the same. Deal pricing is good through closing time this Wednesday (11/23/22).
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville