Flatiron Wines & Spirits NY

Thomas-Labaille’s Monts Damnés Sancerre isn’t just any old Sancerre. It’s from, arguably, the best site in Sancerre, crazy-steep and full of Kimmeridgian limestone .

And it's from inarguably one of its best, low-key producers. Jean-Paul Labaille isn’t out there trying to make the next Le Montrachet. He’s farming the old family vines in the old family way and making a wine that is a delicious, classical expression of that terroir.

We’ve got the new release of Moreau-Naudet’s baby Chablis. But “baby” doesn’t do the wines justice. These are great and complete wines, faithful expressions of their terroir. While there’s no doubt that Moreau-Naudet’s wines reach their “apogee” with their 1er Cru bottlings, great bottles of Foréts and Montée de Tonerre aren’t exactly rare.

As I said last year, if I were told that I could buy, cellar, and drink only one wine for the rest of my life for under $50/bottle, the Barbaresco from the Produttori could well be my choice. It is consistently excellent. It is fun to drink on release. It becomes seriously impressive after just five years of cellaring, but it can really go the distance if you want it to.