Going to Farra in New York tonight. Had a quick look at their (nice) list. Had planned on going for some domestic but some of the red Burgs caught my eye. Leaning towards the Gaudichots but maybe I missed some obvious value on the list? My shortlist below:
2015 Jean-Marc Millot, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru $378
2018 Domaine Forey Père & Fils, Les Gaudichots 1er Cru $378
2016 François Bertheau, Les Charmes 1er Cru $378
2018 Ghislaine Barthod, Les Cras 2018 $378
2016 Domaine Arlaud, Aux Combottes 1er Cru $264
The Stags Leap Wine Cellars ‘94 Fay would be fun. Haven’t had that exact bottle, but still enjoying ‘94 SLVs. Have also had fabulous 95, 99, 00, & 01 Fays in the last 2 years.
Personally, I would go with the Forey and get a good long decant. It’s a good price and I suspect the Barthod will be more closed down; Bertheau maybe not, but Les Gaudichot would interest me more. The Millot and Arlaud are less compelling cites and producers in my book.
Interesting list, though it’s all too young obviously.
Enjoy and please post after the fact.
P.S. If it doesn’t have to be Burgundy the older Chianti riservas, the 2011 Cerbaiona, or the Lopez Heredia Gran Riserva might be the way to go in your price range.
I’d prefer a mature Italian then a too young Burg, but that’s just me.
Since I’d be ordering off the lighter side of the entrees (i.e., no beef or duck), I’d get a Huet 2019. Always happy to see those on the list as even if overpriced, it’s usually a value vs. a White Burg (especially now that Chablis has been getting priceier).
Useless as an answer to the OP’s question but as a white value play, I would love to get the 2010 Jean Rijckaert La Roche Vieilles Vignes. I drank my last in 2016 and really liked it. I’d like to see how it evolved.
Even if the burgundies are well priced, at that young age, you’re just drinking pinot, not Gaudichots etc. You won’t get anything of what makes them special, in my opinion, which makes even a good price not worth it.
Since you’re clearly looking for a red, I’d go with the Ferrando Carema 2014 at $156. It’s got a few years of age on it, is top of the appellation, and is only about twice retail. It should be drinking beautifully and is a fantastic food wine.
If I’ve learned anything from watching this board, it’s that the average upscale restaurant wine list in the USA is somewhere between thoroughly depressing and simply ludicrous.
First I’ve enjoyed Farra several times so I hope you will too. As far as the wines I usually stay away from young burgs when I eat out but as some of the others have mentioned the Arpepe, Carema and the SLV Fay are great choices without subjecting yourself to infanticide with some of the other choices.
I think this is an obvious (over) statement. Will it show like a properly aged Burgundy? No one suggested it would; but you can certainly get real excitement and pleasure from a wine like this and a sense of what it might become, especially after an 1-2 hour decant. I usually cellar’em for a long time also, but see our owh Jeremy Holmes’ remarks on CT: https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3458078 Strikes me as a fun bottle, even now.
The note also states that it’s far too young; if you’re having one bottle with dinner, I’d much rather drink a wine I’d enjoy rather than a wine whose potential I’m excited about. I’d rather drink a 17/19 Forey Vosne village (and have) than an 18 Gaudichots. It’s not, to me, a wine particularly made to be enjoyed young.
Of the list the OP provided, I’d drink the Arlaud - 2016 Chambolle is a very difficult combination of appellation and vintage (plus I’ve had some 2016 Bertheau with less than stellar results) and young Barthod Cras is likely to be a wall of structure.
That said, I strongly concur with drinking the reasonably priced 2017 Fourrier village - it’s a great wine and drinking very well now.
Just my opinion. I don’t enjoy drinking high end burgundies from storied vineyards that young because, as I said, what makes them special doesn’t come through for me at that age generally, even with a decant. I realize that other people don’t share that view, but, when asked for a choice off this list, and there’s an option in prime drinking window for a very good price that will match the food well, then that’s what I’m going to recommend and those are my reasons why.
Edited to add that I agree with Greg and don’t feel the same way about something like the '17 Fourrier Village.
I love village Burg and I am in fact opening a '13 Fourrier G-C V.V. next weekend. But I still think it isn’t that simple. It sounded to me like Jeremy enjoyed both bottles, a lot, AND that they were too young–not the one rather than other. The OP seemed to be looking for something special that they perhaps could not/would not buy otherwise; maybe they don’t have a cellar? My point is only that sometimes you can get something impressive and enjoyable out of a bottle under those circumstances, while making clear, I thought, that I, too, generally would prefer bottles that have been appropriately aged and even enjoyed examples of such. But of course, purists, Jacobins of the wine world, are free to go their own way.
Also depends on vintage. Having gone through a fair number of bottles of ‘18 red burg, odds are you will not get something special but instead you will get good CA pinot.