Every visit without exception was excellent, an incredible learning experience, compelling wines, and the excitement each time of walking into a dark cellar full of barrels, glass in hand - what wines will they pour and what will they taste like? One of my favorites was our visit to the cellars of Philippe Pacalet in Beaune. MORE >>

Lunch was definitely in order, and so we went to La Toute Petite Auberge in Vosne-Romanée where I ate a wonderful entrecôte of Charolais beef. If money were no object, I would buy that 04 we had with out lunch for my own cellar. I'm happy with the little Burgundy cellar I've amassed, but I'm way over-represented by $50 wines. MORE >>

think of Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romaneé, Gevrey-Chambertin, and the storied villages of the Côte de Nuits, and also of Puligny, Meursault, Volnay, and the other superstars of the Côte de Beaune. There are a few in my cellar, and I agonize over opening them because they are so special and so dear in price. MORE >>

In honor of their 20th anniversary, the Dressner folk dug into the cellar and set out a load of wines from their inaugural vintage. These are piercing wines of great definition, and they can seem like turtles, just their head visible underneath all of that shell. The Gevrey-Chambertin was also muscular but with higher toned fruit. MORE >>