2019 Domaine Borgeot, Santenay, Clos de la Comme-Dessus, $52

Winery Info: Brothers Pascal and Laurent Borgeot oversee their namesake domaine, originally founded by their great grandfather, in the small Burgundian commune of Remigny.    

Located in the Saône et Loire department, just outside the Côte d’Or, Remigny does not have a named appellation of its own, although some vineyards from its neighboring appellations, Chassagne and Santenay, lie within the commune of Remigny. The Borgeot brothers have holdings in a number of appellations, including Santenay, from which this wine comes.

Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyard: Comme-Dessus sits above La Comme, historically one of the best Premier Cru vineyards in Santenay. Being at a slightly higher elevation, Comme-Dessus is cooler and hence the fruit has historically been at risk of not ripening reliably. But, as temperatures warm, this once somewhat marginal site now reliably produces top-notch wines, still at great values.

Flavor Profile: Very elegant and complex, with notes of orchard fruit and toast and lovely texture. With fresh, balancing acidity and a long finish.

Availability: We got most of what was left of this wine from the distributor.

Drinking Window: It is drinking well now or you could enjoy it over the next few years.

Food Pairing: Try it with Cornish game hen with mushroom cream sauce, or pork loin.

2015 Forlorn Hope Wines, Sogni della Speccia, Sangiovese, $45

Winery Info: Napa based Forlorn Hope was started by Matthew Rorick in 2005. At the heart of the winery is his Rorick Heritage Vineyard (RHV) in Calaveras County, originally planted in the 1970s and now converted to organic viticulture. Matthew produces a variety of eclectic wines, both from his estate vineyard and from other unique sites in the region. He uses no new oak, only native yeasts for fermentation, and minimal added sulfur in his winemaking.

Grapes: 100% Sangiovese

Vineyard: Shale Peak Vineyard in Solano County’s Suisun Valley, on a west-facing slope on the foothills below Lake Berryessa. The soil is pure shale with thin topsoil and little available water for irrigation.

Flavor Profile: Matthew uses minimal intervention to encourage his wines to reflect the terroir of their origin. Fruit grown in the harsh growing conditions of Shale Peak Vineyard produces wines with great concentration and intensity. This Sangiovese tastes like it could actually have Italian rather than Californian roots. Almost Brunello-like in character, it has aromas and flavors of black cherry, spice, and earth, with juicy tannins and stony minerality.

Availability: There is just a case or two of this vintage left.

Drinking Window: Enjoy anytime over the next few years.

Food Pairing: Perfect for charcuterie, or with rustic or fattier dishes.