The Others

3-pack price: $114

Skyrocketing prices of Burgundy's fashionable crus and elite producers have left many of us of more modest means to rummage through the sea of remaining Burgundy, searching for the odd gem. But rather than bemoan the exorbitant prices, we at the Source embrace the challenge. Hey, we like to drink Burgundy too! For an importer, nothing satisfies more than unearthing wines that hit well above their weight class, underdogs that can scrap at the highest levels. And the thrill of the chase only makes us more thirsty.

While Burgundy's classical mantra says that terroir is everything ("location, location, location"), we all know a talented producer owning humble vineyards can often outclass the lazy aristocracy. At their best, such wines often compensate for a lack of pedigree with pure natural beauty, character and soul.

This month's mixed box, The Others, offers three different red Burgundies from lesser-known appellations that far exceed their modest expectations. These excellent bottles rank among the best bargains in our portfolio.

Our first red comes from one of Burgundy's northernmost and unheralded appellations, Irancy, just outside Chablis.  Like other fine wines of subtlety and depth, the greatness of Thierry Richoux's 2012 Irancy quietly announces itself before transforming into something truly inspiring.  As this beautiful wine unfolds, its nose blossoms with wild cherry, orange peel, aperol and wet forest notes.  Drink slowly, if you can, and it will reward your patience by stretching to higher and higher  pitches of generosity and expression.  Although our portfolio boasts many bargains, in this range we have nothing more complex and charming.

Given the sheer size of this 17 acre monopole and the diversity of aspect and elevation, Clos Salomon's 2013 Givry has the broadest range of complexities among these three wines.  Vignerons Fabrice Perrotto and Ludovico du Gardin harvest grapes that express nearly all colors, from high-toned reds to dark black wild berries. The warm tones of earth and spice are interwoven with the fruit, charged with vibrant energy by the wild forest that surrounds their vineyards.  Price-wise, this deeply savory, high-toned red would undoubtedly compete for best red premier cru in all of Burgundy.  Yes, it's that good.

Often times Bourgogne-level reds or whites taste more like their grapes than their specific terroirs.  However, exceptions exist. Take Rodolphe Demougeot's 2013 Bourgogne Rouge.  This vineyard, located near Chassagne-Montrachet, generates some of the most underrated reds in the Côte de Beaune.  On her ethereal and feminine frame, charming red and orange fruits are delicately supported by earth and floral notes.  Planted in 1961, the old vines, grown in iron-rich red clay and limestone, flesh out the mid and back-palate providing richness to balance the wine's minerally energy.  Pull the cork, and the Demougeot's charm and congeniality will cause it to quickly disappear.

Special pricing on the 6-Pack good until September 5th.