Cellar Book
There are wineries which have been driven by craft, tradition, and just deliciousness for years, decades, and in some instances centuries. These wineries are the pinnacles of fine wine. This is our list of the producers we feel are worthy of collecting, worthy of drinking, and worthy of a bit more reading. Our cellar book is here for you to learn, drool, and of course shop. Cheers.
Table of Contents
Chartogne-Taillet
The buzz right now around small producers making site-specific Champagnes is incredible. Alexandre Chartogne illustrates this as well as anyone. After working at Selosse alongside Olivier Collin and Jerome Prevost, Alexandre took over his family’s winery at the age of 23. Since then, he has been at the forefront of a growing trend, crafting a range of Champagnes that each reflect their individual vineyard in a very Burgundian way.
Comtes Lafon
Dominique Lafon took over this already storied family Domaine in 1985 and has realized the potential of an extraordinary portfolio of vineyards. The white wines here truly number among the greatest in Burgundy, while the reds are fantastic values, comparatively, and still somehow flying under the radar. The vineyards, centered around Meursault (Comtes Lafon is the only property to own vineyards in all premiers crus of the village) are cultivated along with biodynamic principles since 1989. The wines here have taken a turn for a leaner, more elegant style lately, and the results are magnificent.
Domaine Marquis d'Angerville
Volnay is an enigmatic place. It is nestled between villages that make mostly white wines — or robust, hefty reds. But here, perhaps the most elegant and subtle wines in all of Burgundy are made. That reputation owes a lot to the d’Angerville estate, a fixture of the highest quality Volnay for over two centuries. Guillaume d’Angerville, the current proprietor, took over the estate in 2003, after his father Jacques’ death. He continues the philosophy of low intervention, letting the vineyards express themselves without getting in the way. The result is an exceptional lineup that ranges from the delicious Bourgognes to the singular premiers crus, with Fremiets typically being polished and joyful... Champans, curvier and denser... Taillepieds, structured — and for the lover of a classic, nervous Burgundy. The top of the hierarchy is Clos des Ducs, a mythical vineyard and a wine that deserves a few years of cellaring to really blossom out. Few wines in Burgundy can match its beautiful perfume once matured. And forget what you know about Volnays being light, soft wines for easy drinking – almost none have a track record of being age-worthy like the Clos des Ducs.
Auguste Clape
A decade ago, Cornas was still somewhat of an insider’s wine. These wines had a reputation for being burly and rustic in comparison with their northern cousins from Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, but they provided an excellent opportunity to drink pure and hauntingly beautiful Syrah. Auguste Clape (who passed away in 2018, succeeded by son Pierre-Marie and grandson Olivier) was the standard-bearer of traditional winemaking in the appellation. As the pendulum has swung from polish and make-up back to old-school wines, they have gained more of a blue-chip status, but the wines are still frequently good value in comparison, and a must have in any syrah-lover’s cellar.
J.L. Chave
The Chave family is nothing short of royalty in the world of wine. The current Jean-Louis is the 16th generation in father-son succession who have tended vines in St. Joseph and the fabled hill of Hermitage, possibly the birthplace and arguably the pinnacle of the Syrah grape. While several producers now separate out their various plots in Hermitage (perhaps a nod to the more marketing-savvy neighbors in Côte-Rôtie), Chave is all about the art of blending together these components into a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. The results is a wine that captures the soul of the Hermitage, structured and full, with hauntingly wild and floral aromas. In a handful of vintages, there is another label, Cuvée Cathelin. It’s not intended to be a prestige-cuvée, but rather a way for Jean-Louis to express a specific nature of a vintage that may not work in the Hermitage. Worthy of special mention is the wines from St. Joseph, not to be looked down upon as secondary. Remember that this is the ancestral home of the family, and Jean-Louis has been dedicating all his resources to re-establishing the terraced vineyards here. We will wish we had held on to more of these wines soon.
Vietti
If there were an Italian wine hall of fame, Vietti would be an obvious inductee. In Barolo, they were one of the first producers to do single vineyard bottlings. At the time, Barolo wasn’t considered one of the great wine regions so this seemed like a romantic endeavor. Today, these wines are some of the most collectible and cellar worthy wines in Italy. There are eras of experimentation creating wines of different styles. From the early 60s until the 80s they produced certain wines which are no longer made today. You’ll find obscure wines from grapes such as pelaverga and freisa. In the 80s, there was a heroic run of years with ’82, ’85, ’88, and ’89 being the best. Post 1990, they made wines which were better suited for earlier consumption. Beginning around 2010 and under the direction of the founder’s son, Luca Currado, the wines are some of the most elegant and nuanced wines both the winery and Barolo has produced. Pronounced (Vee-Et-Tee).
G. Conterno
Every wine region has its Serena Willams, Derek Jeter, or Lebron equivalent. DRC in Burgundy, Chave in the Rhône, Petrus of Pomerol, and without question the wines of Giacomo Conterno in Barolo have equal notoriety. Today the winery is run by the third generation winemaker— Roberto Conterno. He’s continued the tradition of making Italy’s most collectible wine, Monfortino, while also expanding the winery with new Barolo single- vineyards as well as a project outside of the Barolo zone in Gattinara, where he utilizes the same grape, nebbiolo. The style of Conterno is the epitome of balance in wine: they are never oaky nor rustic. They are pale in color, but have a perfume and taste that linger infinitely.
Roulot
Roulot is on a shortlist of best white wine producers in Burgundy. Led by Jean-Marc Roulot for the last 30+ years, the wines offer vivid looks of the nuances between the most revered vineyards in Meursault. Roulot is known for a precise, mineral-driven style, and is a proponent of reduction, which contributes tell-tale struck-match, gunflinty notes to their whole range of collectible white wines.
Cappellano
Teobaldo Cappellano is one of the most influential figures in the history of Italian wine. Although by no means outside of Barolo is his name a household one, he carved the path for what’s today’s traditional and also natural wine movement in Italy. In the 1980s and 90s as Barolo was gaining international success, many producers began to change their style in an effort to receive high scores and high prices. Reluctant to bend to fads, Cappellano championed traditional winemaking, was an early adopter of organic farming, only used native yeasts, and made decisions based on curiosity and craft rather than economics. Today, under the leadership of Augusto Cappellano, the winery makes two Barolos. “Rupestris” which is from the historic vineyards and the ultra-rare “Piè Franco” which is from vines planted on original rootstock. Both are long-lived, funky, and prove that Teobaldo was ahead of his time.
Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Domaine Jacques Frédéric Mugnier or more commonly known simply as Mugnier is on the shortlist of France’s greatest wineries. Based in the small town of Chambolle-Musigny in Burgundy, this humble winery has become one of the benchmarks of pinot noir in the world. This is a style of light, floral, and ready to drink Burgundy which has increasingly become emulated as we all seek wines which are more refreshing, pure, and just unique. Fred Mugnier, the man behind this estate makes wine from his family’s historic vineyards which up until 1978 were farmed for others. Those vineyards with the exception of Clos de la Maréchale in the nearby town of Nuits Saint Georges are all within walking distance of his estate and are broken up between grand cru, premier cru, and a bit of village. Wines from vineyards such as Musigny and the super premier cru Amoureuses trade at some of the market’s highest while the Chambolle-Musigny and Clos de la Marechale are only increasing.
Bérêche & Fils
Bérêche is a Champagne producer that we recommend to everyone. Looking for something that’s both crowd-pleasing and exceptionally well-made to start the night? The Brut Réserve is one to load up on. Want collectible Champagne from one of the region’s benchmark growers? Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche’s single-vineyard bottlings fit the bill. Either way, you’re going to get some of the best Champagne being made today.
Roagna
Roagna is one of Piedmont’s all-time greats. Over the last decade or so, Luca Roagna - the family’s 5th generation at the helm - has steered the wines in a prettier, fresher, and more immediately approachable direction. His range of single-vineyard Barbarescos now stand amongst the best wines in Piedmont, with the rare Crichët Pajè being one of the most sought-after reds in all of Italy.
Montevertine
Montevertine is one of the most revered producers not just in Italy, but in the world. Founded almost 60 years ago by maverick Sergio Manetti, their wines from the cool, hilltop village of Radda are intense yet finessed and beautifully aromatic - like Tuscany’s answer to elite Red Burgundy. When it comes to sangiovese, only the Brunellos of Soldera rival the class of Pergole Torte. But don’t overlook Montevertine’s other fresh, herbal reds, which showcase the estate’s style and can be enjoyed right out of the gates.
Bernaudeau
Stéphane Bernaudeau makes some of France’s greatest white wines. After working with Loire icon Mark Angeli for the better part of 20 years, Stéphane launched his own winery nearby in Anjou. He makes three single-vineyard chenin blancs - Onglés, Coqueries, Nourrissons - all of which are salty, chiseled, and electric. They’re now the most collectible whites in the Loire.
Ridge
Not only is Ridge one of the ‘California originals’ that set the table in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but they’ve continuously taken American winemaking to new heights ever since. They rejected the ‘maximum fruit’ push of the ‘90s, and they employed a minimal-intervention approach long before ‘natural wine’ was in vogue. With its proximity to the Pacific, as well as more limestone and higher altitudes than Napa or Sonoma, Ridge’s location in the Santa Cruz Mountains yields comparatively fresh, savory, detailed expressions of cabernet sauvignon.
Vincent Dauvissat
Along with Raveneau, Dauvissat has been making the best wines in Chablis for the last 50 years. At the end of the day, they’re alike in many ways: they both tend to pick late, keep yields low, and age in old barrels. The result is a range of salty, richly textured, age-worthy white wines from all of the top vineyards in Chablis.
López de Heredia
When it comes to Rioja, describing López de Heredia always ends up feeling like emptying out a grab-bag of superlatives - most traditional, most important, most age-worthy, and the list goes on. What it really boils down to is this: López is as good as Rioja gets. To drink mature examples is like walking back in time. Immortal reds, singular whites, and truly unique rosé - there are no other wines like these.
G.B. Burlotto
If you’re a fan of the fresh, aromatic, finely etched side of Barolo, then it doesn’t get any better than Burlotto. Under Fabio Alessandria (great-great-grandson of G.B. Burlotto), the benchmark estate of Verduno has been on a historically great run of late. Their single-vineyard Barolos, led by the flagship Monvigliero, are some of Italy’s best red wines.
Bernaudeau
Stéphane Bernaudeau makes some of France’s greatest white wines. After working with Loire icon Mark Angeli for the better part of 20 years, Stéphane launched his own winery nearby in Anjou. He makes three single-vineyard chenin blancs - Onglés, Coqueries, Nourrissons - all of which are salty, chiseled, and electric. They’re now the most collectible whites in the Loire.