Renegade Wines

Importer Spotlight:
True North Wine Merchants
True North Wine Merchants was founded in 2016 by Sara Beer, a veteran of the wine industry, alongside her husband Jonah Beer. The company specializes in importing and distributing boutique wines, primarily from Burgundy. We came across the company when listening to a SommTV podcast. Jonah was talking about their philosophy, the wines they import from small (tiny really) family-owned wineries, and it hit a note with us. We reached out and placed an order moments after the show ended. What arrived this week are five outstanding wines from Burgundy. As Always...
Read, Relax, Enjoy!
2022 Albert Joly Bourgogne-Aligoté (France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté)
2022 Albert Joly Bourgogne-Aligoté
(France, Burgundy)
$34
2022 Albert Joly Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblots
(France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune)
$105

The Joly estate totals just 11 acres, all of which is in Puligny.
Seven generation of farmers tended these vines stretching back to the founding of the village. What do we love about their wines? Organic. Old-school. Classic.

Sylvie Prevot-Joly took over the estate from her father Albert in 2007 and she is generating some well-deserved praise for her wines. We love the precision of the wines; they speak of place.

Her Aligote shines with a glistening magic. Aromas of white-fleshed fruit, white blossom, peach, lemon, acacia, and green apple. On the palate, there's a wonderful freshness with notable acidity, hints of saline, and a fruity, thirst-quenching finish.
Sylvie's next wine is refined and elegant, showcasing the classic characteristics of Puligny-Montrachet. It offers a delicate and suave profile with energy and finesse. Beautiful stone fruit, mineral undertones, and a streak of spice. A touch of lemon curd adds brightness to its texture. There's precision here, balanced acidity, and purity, making it a quintessential example of Puligny-Montrachet's terroir. Our new favorite Puligny.
2020 Domaine Huber-Verdereau Monthélie La Combe Danay (France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Monthélie)

2020 Domaine Huber-Verdereau Monthélie La Combe Danay (France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Monthélie)
$65

This wine is from Monthélie, an appellation seven kilometers southwest of Beaune. We'd like to say it's an up and coming region but its history goes back over a thousand years.
The village, Monthelie, was so devoted to wine-growing back in the day (1078) that it inspired a local proverb: "a chicken would die of hunger there at harvest time," reflecting its singular focus on vineyards.
Today Domaine Huber-Verdereau is run by Thiébault Huber who in 2005, converted all his holdings to organic and biodynamic farming, and is now Demeter-certified. This man is a rising star in Burgundy and his joyous, thoughtful manner is reflected in his focused wines.
Mmmmmmm...the first sip is all about Pinot spice; it's absolutely gorgeous. A wildly brambly nose, that savory mushroom-earth note that classic red Burgundy can have is present, and an absolute savoriness that begs another sip. Quoting our wines notes, "What a find!"
2020 Joannès Violot-Guillemard Volnay Le Cros Martin (France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay)











2020 Joannès Violot-Guillemard Volnay Le Cros Martin
(France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay)
$76

For six generations Violot-Guillemard – now headed by Joannès – has farmed vineyards in and around the village of Pommard and since 1999 the vineyards have been farmed organically. The joy of Volnay can be tasted (felt) in this bottle. Lovely floral notes of violets, strawberry and cherry, lush mineral-ladden acidity, hints of vibrant salinity and a complexity that is just beginning to unfold. This is a lovely Volnay with much to offer.
2022 Domaine Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras (France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny)
2022 Domaine Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras
(France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny)
$130

We fell in love with this Domaine some years back when at a now-forgotten restaurant we ordered a bottle of their 2010 Chambolle-Musigny. Then they disappeared from our radar. Thanks to True North we are once again happy to have discovered their presence here in California and now at Renegade Wines.
Exquisite comes to mind after the first sip. And time...the wine needs time to open, but the promise, there, on the palate, on the ever-lasting finish, takes one to a very happy place. It's a beautiful wine in the way Chambolle can excel. We are tingling with delight at our next bottle, down the road, a few years, knowing the wait will be worth it.