It’s not just great value that draws us to the Edges of Burgundy. It’s also because it’s in and around the Edges that vignerons feel that they can experiment. What wine producer wants to take a chance on a zero sulfur Clos de Beze? If it doesn’t work out, you are out a lot of revenue. That’s one reason that natural winemaking is so much more popular in Beaujolais or the Loire. Or on the Edges of Burgundy.

For today’s red wine – a fresh red wine – we go not that far from Rully. We return north to dip our toes into the Cote d’Or, but only just. Maranges and Santenay are the last villages of the Cote d’Or, and this is where Isabelle and Jean-Yves Vaney have operated their tiny domaine, the Domaine de Rouges-Queues, since 1998. They have worked as naturally as conditions permit, often adding no sulfur even at bottling but doing so if they feel necessary. Farming is all biodynamic. Vinification is with stems to the greatest extent possible.

They tried very hard—and made delicious wines—but for years nobody cared. The name Maranges just doesn't sell wine... it's too Edgy! But they had the natural wine cred, and they eventually figured out how to use it. They started traveling to natural wine fairs like the Loire's famous Dive Bouteille, and their wines were so pure and tasty that their table would often be among the most crowded. And sure enough, the couple soon had a long waiting list for allocations.

Unfortunately, when wines become famous, prices tend to go up, and that’s what happened to Rouges-Queues. A little too far up, perhaps, as we were just offered a nice parcel of their wines at a price that we haven’t seen in years. 

Domaine des Rouges-Queues Maranges Vigne Blanche 2021 - $39.99