Just in! | iDealwine’s Summer Finds

First stop, Burgundy

Synonymous with excellence in wine, our summer adventure begins in Burgundy. Our journey begins at the family-owned Domaine Hubert Lamy, a fine ambassador of the Saint-Aubin appellation and a Côte de Beaune must. Approachable, fine wines vinified from well-tended vines and perfected ageing process. Next, in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits we have perfect-for-cellaring wines from Domaine Chantal Lescure. We could keep going but the idea is quite simple: Burgundy is overflowing with properties that produce wines of exceptional quality. Our restock reflects this and you can find 2019 Marsannay Clos du Roy from Domaine Ballorin & F, 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet from the Domaine Joseph Colin, and 2019 Meursault from the François Mikulski. Looking for a domain outside beyond the Côte d’Or? Domaine de la Soufrandière and Bret Brothers produce sumptuous vintages in the Mâconnais, the fruit of very careful viticulture and meticulous vinification. For those who want to know more about this property, don’t miss our French-language masterclass with Jean-Philippe Bret on 20th July via the Zoom.

 

The Loire Valley, the Rhône Valley, and Champagne

In the Loire Valley, beautiful properties abound: Les Poëte, located in the under the radar appellations of Quincy and Reuilly, which offers beautifully mature Sauvignons. Our favourite vintages? The Reuilly Orphée 2017, complex, balanced and rich, and the Quincy Argos 2017, with citrus notes and a lively and precise mouthfeel. The Rocher des Violettes estate offers us here a 2020 orange chenin, which we recommend to those looking for something a little different. If you are looking for a real icon of this region, Belargus might be a name that rings a bell… if not, check out our recent virtual masterclass with Belargus owner Ivan Massonnat, and learn all about their wines (the replay is available here)! Don’t miss his 2018 Anjou Quarts on iDealwine.com, a biodynamic, airy and aromatic wine. Beware, it tends to disappear (very) quickly!

The Rhone Valley is rich in domains and winemakers, each as qualitative as the next. Clos des Papes and Santa Duc, with sumptuous Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Jean-Michel Stephan and his gourmet vin-de-france. We also think of Yves Cuilleron and his fresh and tasty Marsannes, as well as the Domaine des Entrefaux and its dense and silky Crozes-Hermitage. As for the Gallety estate, it produces a red Côtes-du-Vivarais that easily reveals generous notes of black fruit… what will be your choice?

The summer heat is an excellent excuse (if you have no other) to open a good champagne. Don’t hesitate for a moment and melt for the finesse of the bubbles and the freshness of the cuvées from the houses of Drappier or Elemart Robion.