INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 DOMAINE MONTANET-THODEN BOURGOGNE VEZELAY $26.99

The city of Vezelay sits in between the famous Burgundy regions of Chablis and the Cote d'Or, and has rarely brought much wine attention to itself. The historic abbey is a significantly larger draw than the majority of the vineyards, and with the large majority sold to 2-3 co-operatives most wine tourists just zip right by traveling from Auxerre to Beaune. But it only takes a few producers to create a revolution in the wine world, and the Montanet family is at the heart of two of the most important in Vezelay. Their original property, Domaine de la Cadette, emerged from the Cave Cooperative they ran in the 1990s and immediately became one of the most noted houses when they were picked up by importer Kermit Lynch. In 2000 the Montanet-Thoden label was created using the family's original vineyard holdings and some new plantings, which provide a notably different take on the region from the Cadette wines thanks to the varied soils. The wines have more in common with Chablis than those from Beaune, but they would never be considered Chablis clones either, and the efforts of the Montanet family show this region's character and potential brilliantly.

Though cool in climate, the region has good sun exposure which helps get the fruit a consistent ripeness that shows in the rich apple tones on the nose. The soils are not chalky like Chablis so the saline/seashell tone is absent, just vibrant citrus and white fruits.The palate is generous without any signs of oak aging or malolactic fermentation, which allows the zesty fresh apple and lime to fill the mouth through to the long quenching finish. While the Cadette shows a bit more intensity and aging potential, this is immensely approachable and food-friendly, perfect with all sorts of springtime dishes.

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