Some of you all might remember this one, but don't feel bad if you don't. We featured the 2020 version of this wine in July of 2022, and we literally sold through our 10 case allocation in less than an hour! It's back, and the 2022 comes from an even better Burgundy vintage
I can say with 100% confidence that this is the best sub-$25 White Burgundy I've ever poured into my glass. From a plot of 105 year-old, organically farmed vines just outside of Vire-Clesse in the Maconnais, the Verpaille Old Vine Macon must be tasted to be believed.
This is the "STUFF" you all; that elusive, extremely high-quality White Burg that has yet to be discovered. Seriously folks, this smells and tastes of a wine that would run $40 to $50+, but it doesn't come anywhere close to that. After testing it out last week, I bought my distributor's last 10 cases.....just 100 cases were made! Act fast on this wine -- it will be gone in no time.
2022 Domaine de la Verpaille Macon-Villages Vieilles Vignes
"The best White Burgundy value I've ever poured into my glass." - 95 points - Josh Spurling
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Husband and wife Baptiste and Estelle Philippe of Domaine de la Verpaille deserve great praise for this incredible bottle of Chardonnay. Being that older vines give us lower yields, their choice to continue nurturing these ancient vines is commendable. They could easily raise the price or replant, but they don't do either of those things. Bravo!
It is these old vines that make this wine so compelling. The Grand Cru-like yields (less than 1 ton/acre) give us a wine with intense flavors and mammoth concentration. Even better, the couple chooses to farm organically, and they bottle with minimal sulfur. It's hard work to operate in this manner, but this minimal interventionist approach is what allows the glory of these old vines to truly shine through.
If the fine folks at Domaine Talmard made a reserve bottling of their Macon, I think it would taste something like this. Fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts, this sees a full 9 months of aging sur lie, and this aging softens the acidity and allows the wine to pick up additional complexity. This also undergoes full malolactic fermentation, which adds a nice creaminess to the finished wine.
So what's it taste like? It tastes like my idea of the perfect Chardonnay, and would I would take with me to a desert island. Rich and full on the palate, this offers up tantalizing notes of golden apple, lemon curd, honeyed citrus, white flowers, and mineral. Full bodied and concentrated, the finish is long and incredibly satisfying. In a nutshell, this packs in tons of flavor and nuance at a way-too-low price.
I could go on, but I think you all can feel my excitement about this wonderful White Burgundy. I wish I could get more, but with just 100 cases produced each year, I'll gladly take what I can get. You all know what to do next!
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Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville