Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Wondering what's your favorite Premier Cru or Grand Cru burgundy these days and favorite producer, possibly under the radar? (Any such thing as Under the radar in burgundy now a days?, but nonetheless interesting to know that sells below $120)...

La Tache. (Never had Romanee-Conti.) Probably not under the radar. Been a looooong time since it was under $120.

Favorite and under the radar are a bit of a paradox in the information age.

I appreciate the old school style; favorites are Pavelot, Bize and Chandon de Briailles as QPR's. Roumier still gets my heart racing, but the sub $120 days are long gone. The Roty Marsannay's are also great as QPR's, but need a lot of age...these are more Gevrey in style. Maybe a little under the radar is Felletig Chambolle...these are beautifully crafted expressions of soil and fruit... if you like Chambolle.

Good luck, buy producers not vintages.

I'm with RPCV, Pavelot brothers in Savigny-les-Beaune are probably producing the best wines around 20-40 $ ( village and 1 er cru level).

I'm also a big fan of Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle Musigny village and Clos de Vougeot.

Nic

JF Mugnier Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses and JF Mugnier Musigny are my favorites, I haven't been able to buy any since the 2001 vintage when these were under $125

Right now it's Bachelet Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes and Bachelet Gevrey Chambertin les Corbeaux, JF Mugnier Nuits St George's Clos de la Maréchale, and d'Angerville Volnay Champans and Taillepieds. All of the above are 1er Crus, all can be found around $100.

Choose the very best villages, i.e. Gevrey, Vosne, Chambolle, Volnay. Select the very best producers, omitting those who command stratospheric prices, e.g. Geantet-Pansiot, Roty, Mugneret, Mugneret-Gibourg, Clavelier, Cathiard, Barthod, Lafarge, Girardin, Lafon. Then go for their village wines in the better vintages. You will have outstanding wines at well under $100 from all of these. They may not be 1er Crus, but they will be a whole lot better than most 1er Crus from other villages or producers, and they will be drinking well some years earlier.

Musigny is my favorite non monopole Grand Cru vineyard, but it is too expensive these days to consider. I do buy some Bonnes-Mares, the second best Grand Cru in Chambolle. Bouchard and Drouhin usual make good ones that are inexpensive by B-M standards.

In the lower price range of Premier Crus, I like Jadot's Beaunes and Chevillon's NSG. Chevillon can excel in weaker vintages such as 2003 and 2004.

Thank you all for your feedback...

Of the wines that are attainable I really like VR Suchots, VR Beaux Monts , and GC Cazetiers and Clos St Jacques. Other favorites are NSG Richemone and CM Cras.

Really interesting varied replies...

Some of the recommended grand cru wines cost (literally) a thousand dollars or more a bottle.
Other people have suggested more affodable categories of Burgundy (village or premier cru wines).
Carlos has yet another take, speaking of specific terroirs...

I might also add minor appellations in good years, plus wine from the Maconnais and Chalonnais are good bets.

Buying Burgundy is difficult. I go there once a year. Growers frequently have you taste wine when there's none left to sell.
Not even one or two bottles!

Alex R.

It is a tragedy what has happened to high end burgundy prices.

My favourite producer is DRC and my favourite wine is Romanee-Conti followed by La Tache.

My favourite white producers are Coche Dury and Ramonet.

But at a more realistic level Louis Jadot is still a reliable steed though my favourite Jadot wine Beaune Clos De Ursules has doubled in price in the last three years.

I like Mugneret Gibourg generic Vosne-Romanee and Dujac generic Morey St-Denis. I also love the old fashioned style of Meaume.

Up and coming producers worth looking out for include:

Francois Bertheau
Confuron-Cotedidot
Taupenot-Maume
Stephane Magnien
Felittig

This is a little dated but is still my favorite resource for understanding Burgundy:

http://www.yakshaya.com/tutorial.htm#appel

For Burgundy under $120, Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee and 1er curs take some beating, as do the Nuits St Goeorges 1ers from Henri Gouges. For whites, JM Boillot are very good.

Based on quantities bought over last 10 years
My top producers : Grivot, Fourrier, Barthod, Mugneret Gibourg, Roumier then Hudelot Noellat
My under the radar: Laurent, Clerget, Voillot, Bichot (for Vosne Malconsorts and a few Amoureuses), Chevillon, Gouges, Bart

Top villages: Fourrier Clos Solon and Gevrey, Grivot Vosne Bossiere, Chambolle Combe orveaux and NSG Charmois, Roumier and Barthod Hudelot Noellat Chambolles. All well below 100$.
(bought at least 40 of each over the last 10 years except Hudelot Noellat (but very close))

Top 1er crus: Fourrier GC Cherbaudes and Chambolle Gruenchers, Grivot NSG Boudots (and other Vosne 1ers), but have gone above 100$ so have stopped buying those, Bichot Malconsorts still just below 100$ (Barthod does not appear as she has 9 different 1er and I get a mix...)...

Top Grand crus: Grivot Clos Vougeot then Echezeaux now beyond budget plus a lot of low number Gd Crus

For under the radar, I am a fan of Guyon, Felettig, and Tortochot (Alex and I have a very different opinion on that last one). Also really like Nudant when recently tasted.

The big names are generally too expensive anymore. I have a few bottles of DRC, etc in the cellar, but I can't see buying more at this point unless the demand drops significantly.

Comte Flaneur

Sure you don't forget one of your favorites?..

By the way Taupenot Merme is the name.Maume is another producer...