Some producers in Burgundy are especially known for making wines that age at a glacial pace, and Ghislaine Barthod is a perfect example. Chambolle has a high proportion of active limestone that separates it from just about every other village in the Côte d'Or, save for Volnay, resulting in wines with piano string tension.

I vividly remember Becky Wasserman's 10-year retrospective tasting of the 2002 vintage held at her home in Burgundy in 2012. Top Premier and Grand Cru bottlings filled the tables, but when all was said and done, Barthod's wines held a level of freshness and verve that was in a world of their own. Her eye for transparency and grace put these wines at the top of my wish list!

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If I had to choose one domaine in Burgundy to drink—from Chablis through the Côte de Beaune—it'd be Joseph Drouhin. The name is synonymous with elegance and precision, offering terroir-driven wines founded upon transparency first and foremost.

Drouhin's Beaune 1er Cru Monopole, Clos des Mouches Blanc and Rouge, transcends the reputation of its village. Located at the southern end of Beaune next to Pommard, Clos des Mouches always surprises with the classic Drouhin elegance married with the powerful style of the village. The track record of aging is unmatched in Beaune.

Robert Drouhin was among the first in Burgundy to adopt "culture raisonnée" in the late 1950s. While the relatively large estate purchases grapes from many top growers, their vineyard holdings are fully organic and biodynamic.Grapes are de-stemmed and fermented with native yeasts, and gentle punch-downs are applied once per day for the first half of fermentation, with pump-overs utilized afterward.

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If one Pinot Noir-focused Champagne name has emerged onto the scene with the greatest impact over the last couple of years, it's undoubtedly Frederic Savart. With only 4 hectares in the Montagne de Reims, Savart's style is one which has won over his fervent fan base in sweeping fashion, seemingly overnight. Rarely do a range of these cuvées escape the New York restaurant scene, but...

Enthusiasm is not something capable of being contained by Frederic. He's happy when he meets you, and he's really happy when you see what's up in the glass. He's avid about ensuring we understand terroir expression is the primary objective. But, unlike many who walk that high road, he brings a flair and delicious factor that's compelling immediately.

Located in the Premier Cru village of Ecueil, Savart's parcels have distinct sandy topsoil above clay and chalky bedrock. Certainly, this is part of the story of why finesse is the first thing you recognize. But, in the cellar, larger format aging in wood brings an oxidative influence that's really about soft contours of texture, and not about the flavor of wood. Waxing poetic, easy. Executing, very difficult.

Savart's Champagnes remind me of that rare breed that makes their brilliance known upon first sip, no matter the taster. They are low in dosage (4.5 grams/liter here) and brimming with energy, yet each cuvée has a unique luscious fruit profile that's completely intoxicating.

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