Products

Jeb Dunnuck: Readers looking for the next superstar estate in Châteauneuf du Pape need to get on Raymond Usseglio’s bandwagon ASAP as the quality here is equal to anything out there today. 

This third-generation family domaine, of Italian origin, is today run by Raymond’s son, Stéphane Usseglio. The estate counts 24-hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all of which have been managed biodynamically since 2011. Their vineyards are divided equally between the galet-strewn parcels around Orange, the sandy soils of Courthézon and the alluvial, clay soils of the Crau plateau and the village of Bédarrides. Stéphane continues to innovate, using small, new oak barrels alongside the traditional foudres, as well as experimenting with concrete and terracotta amphorae of varying shapes and sizes.

These winemaking techniques enhance the characteristics of each grape variety, carefully highlighting the particularities of each.

Stéphane’s 2021 wines are a great success, albeit 20-25% down in volume against their average yield. The wines show their trademark power and structure; but as we’ve seen with other producers, they also have lower levels of alcohol and higher acidity than the last two vintages. While this freshness makes them more approachable in youth than in some years, their structure will ensure they are nonetheless worthy of cellar ageing. They are wines to return to throughout their ageing process.

This rich wine has notes of flowers, cherries and spice.

Winemaker Description

Bright and fresh, with signature limestone minerality and bright acidity all wrapped around a core of lemon citrus notes. This wine is ideal paired with fish, shellfish or goat cheese, or as an aperitif.

This Sancerre Blanc was formally called Sancerre "Côtes des Embouffants".  Brothers Éric and Jean-Philippe Neveu produce a fresh-cut-grass-and-citrus-inflected Sauvignon Blanc of incredible precision from this site. They ferment and age it only in tank and rack by gravity to preserve all the juicy, sun-ripened fruit and lively mineral snap conferred by this steep, limestone-covered hillside. Luminous gold in color, the bouquet offers fresh lively citrus aromas as well as a touch of white flowers. Generously perfumed and incredibly refreshing. 

Winemaker Description

The flagship red, Ampodium (formerly known as “Classique”), is assembled from parcels throughout Côte Rôtie. It is a terrific expression of the appellation, and by itself rivals the appellation’s best. 

Expert Review

90 - 91 Points Jeb Dunnuck | Leading off the Côte Rôties from barrel, the 2021 Côte Rôtie Ampodium is rock solid and most likely outstanding. Its healthy ruby/purple color is followed by plenty of red and black fruits as well as notes of spring flowers, forest floor, and pepper. It has a terrific sense of elegant and purity and should drink nicely right out of the gate. (2021). 

Winemaker Description 

The Vacqueyras Les Aubes has substantial fruit and earthy notes mixed with notes of pepper and licorice. A great match for roasted vegetables, and gouda cheese - 

The estate was created in 1874 and since then, six generations of the Gras family have succeeded one another, each making their own contribution to its development. Benjamin has worked hand in hand with his father, Yves, since 2017. After obtaining a degree in oenology at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, his experience was enriched by periods spent in prestigious wine estates such as Domaine de Romanée-Conti and Bodega Vega-Sicilia. He maintains organic farming , converted the entire estate to biodynamic methods in 2016, and is redesigning the wine range to emphasize local terroirs. Just like his father, he favors as little intervention as possible in winemaking and respect for what nature offers.

Vacqueyras Les Aubes is a blend of Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) coming from plots located exclusively in places called Les Aubes and La Ponche in Vacqueyras, over 1.5 hectares. The harvest is manual with sorting in the vineyard, followed by a second on a sorting table and partial destemming. Fermentation lasts 20 to 30 days in stainless steel vats under controlled temperatures with two long daily pumping overs. Malolactic fermentation occurs in vats. The wine is aged for 18 months in 36-hectoliter Stockinger oak barrels and 8-hectoliter terracotta jars .

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

James Suckling 92 Points | This excellent Cotes-du-Rhone combines the richness of the grenache grape with wild berry and herb aromas and an excellent tension for the hot, dry vintage. Impressive depth and black fruit character in the long, zesty finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. 75% whole-cluster fermented.

Winemaker Description 

A collection of plots of vines planted on the Vacqueyras, Rasteau (Crus), Roaix and Seguret (Côtes-du-Rhône Villages) communes. It is this combination that give this cuvée the name "The Four Lands.

Harvest & Vinification:

Manually harvested with a strict selection process. The whole crop ferments for 20 days after a short maceration, with partial destemming. Aged 90% in Stockinger foudres, 10% in terracotta jars (amphora). Bottling without fining or filtration. 

Wine Enthusiast 94 points Editors' Choice  "The savory qualities of the Yamhill Cuvée's aromatics are a mix of red-currant compote, saline and roasted pork shoulder. The blackcap raspberry and blueberry flavors found on the slippery-textured palate are sweet and ripe. Velvety tannins are a nice match for the wine's crisp acidity. Serve with your next Cubano sandwich."

James Suckling 93 points "Full of oak spices and fresh-crushed raspberry and cherry aromas followed by slightly riper red plums and strawberries. Refreshing light tannins, a medium body and the exuberant fruit give a friendly, approachable appeal. One of the winery’s most widely available pinots."

Decanter Magazine 92 points "The Yamhill Cuvée is a blend across the Domaine Serene estates. This wine is blended to arrive at a particular signature with warm red and blue berry fruits, white pepper and rum cake notes. The palate is a balancer of sweet red berries, ripe Italian plums and a hint of savory garrigue."

The Wine Advocate 92 points "The 2021 Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée, has pure scents of cranberry, cinnamon, potpourri and bitters. The medium-bodied palate offers generous layers of dark red, spicy fruit. It has a silky texture, bright acidity and a long, layered finish."

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description

Deep crimson color, refreshing scent of red fruit, a bouquet of finely blended aromas, tannins, and acidity. 

Winemaker Description 

Pale lemon color. On the nose, citrus, tropical and flower blossom notes. Flavors of citrus fruits, peach and mango while emerging hints of white flowers.

Pairs with fish, sea-food, salads, white meat, and fruits. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Decanter 89 Points | Expressive nose with elegan aromas of jasmine, citrus blossom and kiwi. Very elegant, light and crisp. (Bronze) - DWWA 2024.

Winemaker Description 

Fermented in stainless steel vats. Short skin contact, no malolactic fermentation and short aging over fine lees. Flowery, crisp acidity, intense on aromas and flavors in the nose and mouth. White flowers, soft and fresh, honeysuckle, violets, rose petals, crisp acidity. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Notes

Expert Reviews

91 Points James Suckling | Peppery and savory elements here with a black-fruit core and moody, graphite-like minerals. The palate has a very plush, supple and dense core of bright, raspberry and strawberry flavors.

91 Points Wine Spectator | Dark cherry and raspberry fruit melds nicely with anise and black tea notes, showing a tangy mineral edge through the silky, seductive finish. Drink now through 2023. 800 cases imported.

Winemaker Description

Juicy blue and black fruit is mixed with glorious floral and red-berry aromas, as well as a subtle hint of garrigue and black olives. The palate is soft and silky; generous yet with a lasting impression of precision and elegance.

Sourced from fruit grown just south of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, just like its white counterpart, it rivals the quality of the famous name at a fraction of the price.

Winemaker Description

Cathiard is a tiny domain - there never is very much wine. You enter a spick and span white stucco suburban home in the center of the small village of Vosne Romanee. There is a walled vineyard outside the front door. Go down the staircase and you are in a minuscule cuverie and barrel room.

Sebastien Cathiard has been slowly assuming control of this top estate in Vosne-Romanée from his father Sylvain. He is now fully in charge, but the wines have been so good for so long that he wisely has changed very little. They continue to farm meticulously, de-stem and rigorously sort all the fruit prior to fermentation. The only thing he has changed is the gradual reduction of new oak, seeking a bit more purity of terroir expression.

Expert Review

"An ultra-fresh and very bright nose freely offers up its array of red berries, plum and even more floral wisps. There is again a lovely textured to the beautifully delineated and stony middleweight flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere, linear and chiseled finale. This is also really quite good and worth considering."
Allen Meadows-Burghound

Tempier's Blanc, with its delicate florals, subtle note of anise, and stony finish, tastes perfect alongside shellfish or grilled seafood. After a few years in your cellar, pair it with cheeses or serve it alone to appreciate the “honeyed and marine aromas” that develop with age. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description

Drinking superbly, exuding garrigue and subtle sauvage notes. A natural companion to Mediterranean fare, this red can also be cellared for at least 20 years 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan, from 40 year old vines. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Winemaker Description 

This fabulous Bourgogne is a dead ringer for a top quality Meursault, and for good reason. Matrot’s vineyards lie mostly in Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault-Blagny, and the winemaking for the Bourgogne is made with the same special care as the top wines. This delicious 2021 Bourgogne is round and fleshy with flavors and aromas of white peach, pear and nectarine. Plump in the mouth with a delightful mid palate that finishes with lively freshness and and just a shade of toasty oak. Great with chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes.
Bart Hopkins

Matrot Bourgogne Blanc is 100% Chardonnay from vines with an average age of 20 years. Pressed as whole bunches in a pneumatic press. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in oak barrels (20% new) for eight to 10 weeks at temperatures of 18-20°C. Undergoes complete MLF and is matured on lees (no stirring) for 12 months. Spends one month in stainless steel to prepare the wine for bottling.

This white wine is made from Chardonnay harvested by hand near the Meursault appellation vineyards. It offers white-fleshed fruit aromas, with a bold attack on the palate and a round finish. Best tasted young. 

Winemaker Description 

Observing careful cultivation and vinification techniques, Domaine Matrot wines offer purity of fruit and terroir-driven character. The beautifully textured 2021 Meursault is made from a blend of grapes from 12 different plots, which creates a classic representative of village Meursault. A lovely bouquet of peaches, pears and golden apples fills the glass with creamy elegance, with a lovely touch of citrus fruit on the detailed finish. Excellent purity, precision and expression of place.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

Allen Meadows of Burghound | ...a discreet touch of wood can be found on the pretty aromas of mineral reduction, zest and a similar floral top note. There is a bit more volume and richness to the solidly concentrated medium-bodied flavors that flash evident minerality on very clean, bone-dry and nicely complex and persistent finale. This is a quality Meursault villages.

Winemaker Description

Tollot-Beaut’s Les Vercots 1er Cru is rustic and robust with aromas and flavors of red cherries, spice, and earth with substantial weight and ripe tannins. It is aged for 18 months in 50% new Burgundian pièce.

Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review

92 Points Jasper Morris | 11 barrels for one hectare equates to about 25 hl/ha. Because Vercots has a heavy soil they put some extra fine pinot clones in this vineyard, which has paid off in the quality of the fruit. Slightly paler in colour but with some finesse. A savoury sandalwood touch to the oak this time, but the vineyard tannins are not fierce. Made with an agreeably light touch. Drink from 2025-2030.

 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Allen Meadows of Burghound | Ripe and very pretty aromas of both red and dark currant, violet, newly turned earth and a hint of crushed anise lead to rich, generous and round medium weight flavors that possess both fine volume and mid-palate density, all wrapped in a dusty, long and balanced finale where only a trace of rusticity is present. This always seem to outperform relative to its level chez Tollot and 2022 only adds to that reputation.

Winemaker Description 

The Tollot family represents a long lineage of winegrowers dating back to the late 1880s when François Tollot began planting vineyards in Chorey-lès-Beaune. Today, cousins Nathalie, Jean-Paul, and Olivier Tollot are in charge. The wines of Tollot-Beaut are well-known for their serious but pleasing style across a range of appellations from Bourgogne to Grand Cru.

The village of Aloxe-Corton sits at the foot of the Corton hill and is known for giving good-value red Burgundy that performs above its village-level status. A good Aloxe-Corton (pronounced Ahh-losse) will show some of the same structure, weight, and complexity found on the Grand Cru above.

Winemaker Description

Les Grèves is voluptuous and structured with aromas and flavors of bright red fruit and mineral notes. The flavor is intense and powerful but is delivered on the palate with finesse. Aging in 30% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and spice. The vines were planted between 1969 and 1987.

Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami. 

Expert Reviews

93 Points Vinous | The 2021 Beaune Les Grèves 1er Cru, picked on the first day of picking, has slightly darker fruit than the Clos du Roi, but there is still a sense of delineation and transparency that makes it very alluring. The palate is medium-bodied with dark cherries, bergamot and bay leaf. It's nicely structured with a bit of sinew on the finish. This is very promising. (2021). 

92 Points Jasper Morris | Slightly paler in colour, mid crimson. A more reticent bouquet with some substance behind, one suspects. Good intensity here, all in fresh red fruit, acidity adds to the energy and there is enough fruit concentration to sit well with the oak. Agreeably persistent. Drink from 2025-2030. (2021). 

 

Expert Review

Burgound Allen Meadows| This is also quite ripe with similar aromas of poached plum, cassis and earth. The succulent, caressing and seductively textured flavors possess a bit more volume before culminating in a bitter pit fruit-inflected finish that offers better length and depth. This is a lush Chorey that could easily be enjoyed young if desired.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghound 90 Points | An attractively spicy nose freely offers up aromas of dark pinot fruit, Savigny-style earth, violet and an interesting hint of white pepper. There is slightly better verve suffusing the lightly stony middleweight flavors that also possess a caressing but punchy mouthfeel on the lingering finale that is noticeably finer thanks to the fine-grained tannins. This too could be approached young though at least a few years of cellaring should be beneficial.

Winemaker Description 

UBY No. 3 is the ultimate wine for sharing and pleasure, with a drier character than No. 4 but an equally intense aromatic palette. It is the ideal wine for an aperitif with exceptional value for money.

 

Expert Ratings

Wine Advocate 93 Points | Marked by ripe cherries and hints of complex garrigue notes on the nose, it's full-bodied but also really elegant, with fine-grained, silky tannins, ample concentration and a long, surprisingly crisp finish. Barrel Sample: 93-95. 

Decanter 96 Points | Full, generous and broad. Acids are bright and vibrant, and there's a fine but dense weft of tannins through the wine. Great energy and salinity this year, this is particularly fine and balanced, with plenty of concentration and a long finish. All from La Crau and fermented in tronconic wood barrels. Élevage in foudre. Oldest Grenache bunches aren't destemmed.

James Suckling 96 Points | Such a deep and meaty nose with a slew of wild-herb, savory and subtle balsamic notes. Then comes the expansive and very concentrated palate, which reveals so many spicy nuances as it rolls over the palate, the stunning fine tannins pushing the finish out even further. A grenache-based blend from 60-year-old vines. Barrel Sample: 96-97

Winemaker Description 

Sophie and Vincent Morey both come from families of winegrowers in Santenay and Chassagne-Montrachet respectively. After studies at Beaune’s Lycée Viticole and work experience in St-Emilion in the Bordeaux region, Vincent rejoined the family domaine led by his father Bernard Morey in 1986. In the same year Sophie was vinifying her first vintage for the Ménager-Belland domaine in Santenay where she had inherited the tradition of winemaking from her mother. Finally, in 2006 Sophie and Vincent set up their own domaine and had their first harvest in 2007. Treating their vineyards as if they were gardens, Sophie and Vincent agree that fine wines start with good grapes, require attention to detail, and demand the winegrower and winemaker to be adaptable vintage after vintage.