The New Wine Review Weekly: March 8, 2024 (copy 01)

Burgundy’s micro-négociants you should know

We’ve entered the era of the micro-négociant, says Jacob Jacobeit, “which, in certain influential wine circles, is now Burgundy’s most attention-grabbing category.”

Micro-négociants are typically, well, small. Some produce only a few barrels from one or two appellations every year. They also tend to share “a certain spontaneous and intuitive approach to vinification” and “a conscious attempt to prioritize pleasure-in-drinking above ‘seriousness,’ which means the vast majority of these wines drink well early.”

So have a look at our list of micro-négociants to seek out before their prices go through the roof (though sadly, in the case of one favorite, they already have).

Jason Wilson on Spain and the (many) vintages of the century

Last week we announced that one of the world’s best wine writers, Jason Wilson, was joining The New Wine Review as our Senior Correspondent. He’s off to a roaring start with two must-read stories:

• Just how many “vintages of the century” can there possibly be? How did Bordeaux have as many as four of them in the course of a decade? Was 2015 the vintage of the century for Brunello, or was 2016? And why has the Loire Valley never had one at all?

• There’s a reason Spanish wine has been popping up more frequently on progressive wine lists: it’s the world’s most exciting wine country right now. The energy comes from a reduced emphasis on oak, more organic and biodynamic farming, and greater attention paid to indigenous varieties over the usual international grapes. All of this exists amidst a healthy tension between “fresher, lighter ‘Atlantic’ wines and the big, traditional ‘Mediterranean’ style that people have been conditioned to expect from Spain.”

COME TALK WITH OUR WHISKEY EDITOR!

Today (Friday, March 8) at 2pm ET, we’ll be hosting a subscribers-only chat with NWR’s Whiskey Editor and all-around cool person, Susannah Skiver Barton.  If you’d like to join, subscribe now and you can participate in our Slack community where Susannah will be discussing her recent story, It’s Time To Join The World Whisky Party, along with many other malted topics.

“THE JOY IS BACK” IN NAPA

After a dismal 2020, Napa’s 2021 wines have put a spring in everyone’s step, says Virginie Boone. The vintage was low-yielding due to ongoing drought conditions, but “that also meant small berries full of intensity and structure, which led to flavorful, delicious wines that will age.”

“If I had to pick one attribute of the 2021 vintage that marks the year, for me, it would definitely be the structure,” says Thomas Rivers Brown, who makes Schrader Cellars and Double Diamond, among other Napa Valley Cabs. “What you’re going to see from this vintage is intensely colored wines, lots of palate impact and abundant, mouth-coating, ripe tannins. These wines will benefit from a few years in the cellar to open up.”

GERMANY’S TOPSY-TURVY 2022

The wines that came from a heat-blasted 2022 aren’t the bold, concentrated powerhouses one might expect, says Anna Lee C. Iijima. In fact, they’re “thrilling flashbacks to German wines of the 1980s — delicate, fresh-fruited and lean.”

Most top producers created “remarkably vibrant, crisp wines” from their 2022 grapes, an interesting contrast to the more bracing, acid- and mineral-driven 2021s. Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) from 2022 are “already exceeding expectations,” but once the reds start hitting the market “it’s possible that Spätburgunder [Pinot Noir] may end up headlining this vintage.”

And if that’s not intriguing enough for you, maybe a plea to join the persistently small ranks of German wine lovers will be.

WINE DEAL OF THE WEEK*

It’s no longer a secret that Oregon’s Walter Scott is producing some of America’s most stunning Chardonnays. The new vintage of his stellar Freedom Hill Vineyard bottling costs more than $90 at many shops. But we found a retailer selling the 2018 for a mere $55.  

*NWR is not compensated for the links in this section.  

AROUND THE WINE (AND WHISKEY) WORLD

🛒 For that 48-bottle vertical of Haut-Brion ($50,000) or a standard six-pack of Petrus ($35,000), head on over to . . . Costco?

♀️  Fine wine’s future growth may be fueled by wealthy women.

🤌  Ancient Roman white wine was highly tannic and tasted like toasted bread, dried apricot, roasted nuts, and green tea.

💒  An idea whose time has come: wine shop gift registries.

As always, thanks for reading! See you next week for much more.

Santé!

The NWR Editors

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