Now, for some of you, I’m about to make your day. I suspect what I am going to write next is going to put smiles on the faces of people all over the country.

Red Burgundy!! Gevrey-Chambertin, with 93 points, from the epic 2016 vintage no less! A wine that rivals many a Premier Cru at a price that’s just silly… 42% off?!

Just a few cases of an insider only’ jewel of Gevrey up for grabs today. Nestled across the street from 1er Cru legends Clos St. Jacques and Les Cazetiers, this tiny plot way, WAY overdelivers. Honestly, we did not see it coming until the cork was pulled, and the ethereal red filled our glasses and our hearts up with joy.

Instant visual appeal, bright medium cherry red, with a vibrant circumference of scarlet. Perfumed and ripe on the first impression, with those red cherries again now, this time aromatically, additional layers of plum, grenadine and spices. Lovely traction once sipped, with underlying acidity and refined tannins that coat the palate. Tinges of earth and minerals linger long on the resonating finish, featuring juicy raspberries, and rhubarb. A crown roast of lamb, Boeuf Bourguignon or Coq au Vin, or aged cheeses would all work with this outstanding value.

Why can’t we keep our glasses down dammit, how come this is so, SO delectable?

Both the growing reputation of this Domaine and an exceptional vintage are at play here once again.

“Good news, burgundy lovers!” wrote Jancis Robinson; “2016 is a seriously delicious vintage.” she continued; “Bad news, burgundy lovers: there is a serious shortage of wine.” Vinous added; “Despite extreme weather conditions in both 2016 and 2015, Burgundy’s Côte d’Or has produced an outstanding pair of back-to-back vintages studded with hauntingly beautiful reds.”

Burghound too is fan, “The Livera family has owned Domaine des Tilleuls since 1920 as it was originally created by Philippe Livera’s grandfather when he was only selling grapes to négociant houses. In 1986 Philippe took over and began to bottle the wine under his name. In 2007 the reigns of the estate were passed down to Philippe’s son Damien, then in his 20s, who has improved the vineyard management, upgraded the winery, and raised the overall quality of the wines.”

Grown nearby, pampered EXACTLY the same way, and raised in barrels next door under the same roof, Livera’s Chapelle-Chambertin goes for about $300 per bottle. More tannic and less approachable than the Clos Village, it may age longer, but it sure is not ideal to enjoy now. So, we ask ourselves, and know the answer… with the same budget, is a 6-pack of this not the smarter buy?!

93 Points – Wine & Spirits

“Here’s a lieu-dit that performs at the level of a Premier Cru. Its stature might be due to the 70-year-old vines growing adjacent to Damien Livera’s winery, or to the fact that the grapes don’t go very far before they land in the cold underground cellar, where they develop into a resonant baritone of Gevrey. It’s a wine of meaty intensity, all about game when it isn’t about pressed flowers, with a tannic grip you can breathe as it fades into earthy complexity.”

91+ Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“Philippe Livera described the 2016s as more spicy and the 2015s as more fruity. The ‘16s, he added, are heftier and longer. The Clos Village vineyard is located across from the house and cellar. Saturated bright ruby. Enticing black fruits and dark chocolate on the nose. Densely packed and concentrated but much more backward than the Côte de Nuits-Villages, with its black fruit, licorice and spice flavors conveying an impression of calcaire lift. A dark, precise, primary Gevrey wine with serious tannic backbone and subtle restrained sweetness. Excellent potential here. 2016 was a very successful vintage at this address.”