There are a lot of red Burgundies that are widely recognized as reaching a tier or two above their officially recognized status but, unfortunately, their prices match. Many come to mind, but a good example is Arnoux-Lachaux Suchots. In my experience, however, there are some red Burgundies that have another gear but which get little play here or elsewhere (even though they are not off the beaten path) and, thus, have relatively attractive prices to match. I will identify a few that come to mind off the top of my head (in no particular order), and ask others to do the same. And, to be clear, I am not thinking of someone’s Les Amoureuses, Malconsorts or Clos St. Jacques, from where no longer come any of the wines that I am talking about. Perhaps a way to describe these would be “sleepers.” I sell or have sold those below and that is why I know them.
Bruno Clavelier Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Cras (old vines, Vosne-like, near grand cru) Harmand-Geoffroy Gevery-Chambertin Champeaux (old vines, saturated and sappy, near grand cru) Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Clos de la Boudriotte (Ramonet’s reds get little attention; all are good, but this one is stellar; top Volnay 1er cru level for me) Rollin and Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses Ile des Vergelesses (for $10 more one gets a wine that towers above other Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-les-Beaune 1er crus) Lucien and Louis Boillot Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes (vines here are now about 100 years-old I believe; they have intensity, weightlessness, and a super fine, luxurious texture) Jerome Chezeaux Nuits-St.-Georges Vaucrains (Chezeaux is going to get found out and the party will be over; I believe that his Vaucrains has been priced like his other 1er crus because the vines were relatively young, but they aren’t anymore (approaching 30 years now); I would take this over all but one other Vaucrains and this bottle is $70; one could include Chezeaux’s Boudots here, as well) Henri Gouges Nuits-St.-Georges Les St. Georges (a complete wine in every way for my palate; I prefer it to many grand cru at twice the price) Jean-Marc Morey Santenay Grand Clos Rousseau (big Jean-Marc makes (or did make) a bevy of 1er crus from the CdB, but this pale, fragrant, savory masterpiece is the jewel for $45) Meo-Camuzet Nuits-St.-Georges AOC (old vines abutting Vosne-Romanee Chaumes; close to the domaine’s 1er crus in quality) Ghislaine Barthod Bourgogne (quite simply village/1er cru quality here for $40)
Good ones, Maureen. What for you separates Porrets in the Gouges portfolio and Champans and Rugiens at Voillot? One might even argue that those are sleeper domaines. Gouges begins at a high level with its Nuits-St.-Georges AOC (one of the best going for me, and its Bourgogne is good too), and Voillot is a great source for old-vine, traditionally made wines if one isn’t looking for razzmatazz early. Thank you for looking past the fight club rules.
there are many grand cru sleepers also. Damoy Chapelle and Chambertins post 93, Serafin Charmes, Livera Chapelle, Tortochot grand crus, St. Martin BM and Chambertin Clos de Beze, to name a few. Often these (older vintages) can be found at pricing less than premier crus and far less than the latest vintage.