Hey guys!
Happy April! This week weâre covering a lot; all the highlights from La PaulĂ©e weekend, three exciting new openings in New York, and a Burgundy producer whose wines are the real deal. Enjoy!
A Burgundy Weekend to Remember: La PaulĂ©e NYC đ·
This past weekend happened to be built almost entirely around Burgundy, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
The occasion was La PaulĂ©e, the annual celebration that transforms New York into a temporary outpost of Burgundy for a few days each year. This edition was packed: a vertical tasting, a grand tasting, and a wine creator dinner woven in between. Hereâs the highlights:
Friday: Verticals at Hudson Yards
The weekend opened at the SkyLoft at Hudson Yards, a pretty striking setting to say the least. Dozens of producers had gathered to pour verticals spanning the 2010s, 2000s, and even some 1990s. The undeniable highlight for me was François Raveneau, arguably the greatest Chablis producer in the world. Tasting the 2015, 2016, and 2017 side by side from a domaine this coveted was a pretty fun way to start the festivities.
Pictured: Raveneau Lineup
Friday Evening: A RhĂŽne Detour at Parcelle Greenwich
Friday evening brought a full pivot. We sat down to dinner at Parcelle Greenwich, and Burgundy took a backseat to the RhĂŽne Valley, with bottles generously provided by Charlie Fu (@clayfu on IG).
Pictured: A Very Blurry and Dark Photo with Clayfu
The lineup featured 2010s vintages from RhĂŽne legends including Pierre Gonon and Jean-Louis Chave, but the bottle that stopped the table was Marcel Juge.
Pictured: Partial Rhone Lineup
Around us were some of our favorite creators in wine right now: Elle (@uncorked.elle on IG), Sam (@sammydrinkswine on TikTok), and Charlie himself. Equal parts tasting, conversation, and laughter, it was the perfect halftime before Saturday's main event.
Pictured: (Left to Right) Sam, Jamie, Elle
Saturday Afternoon: The Grand Tasting at Pier 60
The grand finale arrived at Pier 60 for La Paulée's Grand Tasting; a loaded, electric afternoon with hundreds of producers pouring current releases alongside an impressive spread of food from restaurants across New York and beyond. Events like this are valuable on two levels: the wines you'd never otherwise encounter, and the people you get to meet while tasting them. Both delivered in full.
Pictured: La Paulee Grand Tasting
The wine that stopped me in my tracks was from Guilbert Gillet, a new age Burgundy producer generating some very serious buzz right now. His Chardonnay was, without question, the single best thing I tasted all weekend.
Pictured: Guilbert Gillet Lineup
An incredible few days of tasting, connection, and full glasses. A sincere thank you to the La Paulée team for putting together such a memorable celebration, already looking forward to next year.
New York Never Stops: Three Openings Worth Getting Excited About đ
Living in New York has many advantages, but few feel as consistently thrilling as the city's relentless parade of exciting new openings. Just this past month, three heavily anticipated spots have opened their doors, and each one is worth your attention.
Balera - East Williamsburg đ
Part pizza joint, part wine bar, part DJ booth, Balera is doing it all, and early signs suggest it's doing it well. The spot was opened by a group of friends, among them Oliviero Lucchetti, former Assistant Wine Director at Chambers, which should be a very good indication about the list. With the kitchen running until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays and a DJ firing up at 9:30pm, this East Williamsburg newcomer has all the makings of a genuine neighborhood staple. I now consider my Spring and Summer hang locked in.
Pictured: Balera. Image by Balera
Gigi's - Greenpoint đ
There are few food and wine pairings in the world quite as perfect as rotisserie chicken and a good bottle of wine. So when the Fulgurances team announced they were building an entire concept around exactly that, it was difficult not to lose my composure a little. The wine program is in the hands of Thibault Dubreuil, longtime sommelier at the beloved Eli's Table, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the wines. Greenpoint continues to win.
Pictured: Gigiâs. Image by Gigiâs
Dean's - West Village đ
The team behind King, Jupiter, and Lei, one of the most dependable restaurant groups in the city, has turned their attention to the British pub, and the result is Dean's. Guinness on draft, craft cocktails, and coastal British food (fish and chips, naturally) in the heart of the West Village. I haven't made it in yet, so the wine program remains something of a mystery to me, but regardless, with a pedigree like theirs, the food and hospitality are going to be exactly what you'd hope for.
Pictured: Deans. Image by Deanâs
Producer Highlight â
One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: weâre constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvĂ©es from our friends. Weâll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!
Pierre-Henri Rougeot đ·
Location: Burgundy, France đ«đ·
Pictured: Burgundy. Image by WineFolly
Rooted in the heart of Meursault, Pierre-Henri Rougeot is one of Burgundy's most compelling vignerons. His family's 18th century cellar now anchors a 13 hectare domaine farmed entirely organically, officially certified since 2018. Pierre-Henri grew up learning viticulture and vinification alongside his father before formal studies in Beaune, then returned to the domaine in 2010. His vineyards lie almost entirely within Meursault or its immediate surroundings, planted largely by his grandfather in the late 1950s and selectively replanted by his father in the early 1980s.
Pictured: Pierre-Henri Rougeot
What sets Pierre-Henri apart is the balance he strikes between Burgundian tradition and a naturalist's touch. Each terroir, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir through premier cru, is bottled as a single vineyard designation. The reds see whole cluster maceration and age in neutral barrels; the whites are pressed directly into barrel and left on their lees without bùtonnage (stirring). Sulfur is used minimally and assessed barrel by barrel, with the purest cuvées bottled entirely sans soufre (without sulfur) under a diagonal stripe label, always in very limited quantities.
Pictured: Rougeot Domaine Wines
In 2017, he launched a small négociant project alongside the family domaine, extending his reach into Volnay, Pommard, and Gevrey-Chambertin, production so micro it rarely exceeds four barrels of any single cuvée. As Pierre-Henri explained to me, this model reflects a growing trend among vignerons who, priced out of owning land across Burgundy's most coveted appellations, instead trade fruit, in his case, exchanging grapes from his Meursault plots to craft wines from other corners of the region.
Pictured: Rougeot NĂ©gociant Wines
I've been lucky enough to taste these wines on a couple of occasions, at an Avant-Garde importer tasting and alongside Pierre-Henri himself at La Paulée, and can say with confidence that they are some of my favorites from all of Burgundy. Both the domaine and négociant cuvées are truly spectacular, and relative to the prestige and prices Burgundy typically commands, they remain remarkably approachable. As a person, Pierre-Henri is every bit as impressive as his wines; generous, thoughtful, and genuinely passionate about what he does. These are wines not to be slept on.
You can find a few at Leon & Son right now!
Wine Club Updates đ· đŠ
Trust me when I say, Aprilâs shipment is going to be really great. Stay tuned for some content for it as well! In the meantime, if you have any questions about your current subscription, email [email protected] and theyâll help you out.
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Thatâs it for today! As always, we sincerely appreciate your consistent support.
Thank so much for reading, and as always, drink responsibly! đ„