“…do yourself a favor and check them out.”

“Bitouzet has been on fire recently and in both colors; if you don’t know the wines, do yourself a favor and check them out.” – Allen Meadows, Burghound

So many “traditions” have come and gone in my 27 years in the wine business. I remember waiting for the mail to arrive with the latest copy of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, or clients walking in with hard copies of Wine Spectator and trying to shop with the magazine in hand. One tradition that hasn’t gone away, though, is getting that PDF email from Burghound once a quarter.

Call me a nerd if you want, but yes, I still read every essay in the catalog, and I’m always on the hunt for wines I’m not familiar with and what Meadows has to say about them. As a longtime reader and a fan of Burgundy producers that still keep their prices reasonable, I’m thrilled to be writing this offer on Bitouzet-Prieur, a seriously under-the-radar gem of Burgundy that can hang with the best of Meursault and Volnay at a fraction of the price.

I’ve been familiar with these wines for close to 15 years now, and they’ve been consistent in every aspect: quality, value, and somehow remaining totally under the radar! How they’ve managed to stay that way for so long is still shocking, but that just means you have an opportunity to stock up now. Coming from back-to-back terrific vintages, today’s offer is a tremendous opportunity to get introduced to this outstanding hidden gem of a domaine.

The pair of whites both come from terrific terroirs. The Meursault “Les Corbins” is a lieu-dit made from 35- to 50-year-old vines and offers terrific drinking now or later. Meursault Charmes should need no introduction, as it is one of the top sites in the village. This Premier Cru bottling is a little on the young side right now, but with mostly 80-year-old vines providing the backbone of the wine, it should come as no surprise that there is plenty of potential here.

The pair of reds are both Premier Cru, starting with the lesser-known Les Aussy. Situated between Ronceret and Champans, half the vines date back 75 years, while the other half are around 25 years old. That combination creates a fabulously complex early drinker. I had this wine a couple of weeks ago and immediately went back for a second taste!

We follow that with Taillepieds, a vineyard made famous by d’Angerville. With plantings between 25 and 50 years old, this too can give you a bird’s-eye view of its future with an hour in the decanter, while still showing plenty of life ahead of it. If Bitouzet-Prieur isn’t already on your radar, this is a great time to take Allen Meadows’ advice and check them out.