Wine: France, $15 - 30
Results
Alexandre Pitancier Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
This is a Jenny & Francois house blend! Francois found some organically grown grapes in Touraine and did a blend of two parcels of Sauvignon, both fermented in 300 hl tanks. Organically farmed 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Notes of citrus, lemon verbena, lots of classic Touraine minerality.
Domaine Philemon "Perle" Gaillac Blanc
Domaine Philémon is located in a small village on the Vere river in the Gaillac AOC. The vineyard has been with the Vieules family since 1804. Today Mathieu Vieules grows wheat, sunflowers and grapes in equal proportions, all organically. The yields are kept exceedingly low and the harvest is done entirely by hand. Gaillac "Perlé" is a zippy quaffable wine.
Haut Lavigne Cotes du Duras Sauv Semillon
Nadia Lusseau is the young winemaker who founded this domaine in 2002. Located 10 kilometers from Duras and 25 kilometers from Bergerac—minutes away from the city of Bordeaux. Nadia takes a smart and traditional approach to winemaking and she's been farming organically since ’05. We love this wine for its honest simplicity. A little touch of grapefruit on the nose leads to a round Semillon mouth feel with balanced acidity. Winemaking Details: Unfined, Unfiltered, Vegan, Wild Yeast Fermentation, Low SO2 Added
Chateau Plaisance Fronton Rosé
The Negrette grape variety is thought to have originated in Iraq. Today, it is found in the Gaillac and Fronton appellations—where it has been grown for over 2,000 years. Much more recently, since the 1870’s, the Pénavayres have been growing vines in Fronton, dividing their time between winemaking, livestock and fruit trees. This lovely expression of Negrette, Syrah and Gamay is beautiful light coral in color, with an inviting nose of red fruits, white flowers and spices, round and lively on the palate, it's a rosé to enjoy throughout the Spring and Summer. Only 2000 cases were produced, so try it while you can. Winemaking Details: Unfined and unfiltered
Chateau la Grolet Bordeaux
This is real Bordeaux, with red fruits predominating now, but with a bit more time, the subtle hints of leather and tobacco (that can be achieved nowhere else but Bordeaux) will become more and more pronounced. Too many inexpensive wines from Bordeaux lack this unique complexity that defines the region, and we were thrilled to discover this wine for this price. Jean-Luc and Catherine Hubert manage the estate from the vines to the bottling line, and the family has been growing wine in the area since 1895. Better still, the Hubert’s are the largest biodynamic farmers in the
Gueule de Loup
The winemaker decided to create a distinctive new wine by blending 2 vintages, 2006 and 2009. The result of this balancing act is greater than the sum of its parts; a charming new cuvee that delivers immediate fresh fruit pleasure of Provence. Bright black fruit, but not jammy, balanced with food friendly freshness then a hint of tannins. Joie de Provence!
Chemins de Bassac Pinot Noir
This is an old 19th century estate purchased by Isabelle and Rémy Ducellier in the nineties. They make purely delicious salivating wines. Deep ruby in the glass with pretty scents of strawberry preserves & crushed cherries. The palate opens with flavorful red berry fruit backed by a piquing minerality. This is an easy-drinking wine with impressive backbone and a lingering finish. Winemaking Details: Wild Yeast Fermentation, Unfiltered, Unfined
Nicolas Gonin Altesse
Not yet 40 years old, Nicolas Gonin learned to make wine from quite a diverse group of winemakers including Ridge Vineyards' Paul Draper and Domaine Tempier in Bandol. He has a passion for saving rare indigenous grape varieties like Altesse. Local to the Savoie region of France, Altesse brings exotic aromas of citrus and herbs with a great minerality, plenty of acidity and a rich texture. Not like anything we've tried, this is a great wine to pair with all manner of lighter foods, and it's delicious all by itself too. Winemaking Details:
L'Indigine Sulfureux Rouge Yelen
Although his name does not appear on the label, this wine is made by Eric Texier. We've heard that his sons asked him to make wine for them that didn't give them a headache, and he responded with this cuveé, which contains no added sulfur at all. Dark purple in color, the nose shows smoke and a bit of black olive. This is followed by black berries, black pepper and minerals on the palate. Medium-bodied and quite savory, it finish long with plenty of acidity.
Bernard Vallette Beaujolais Quatre Saisons
In an area dominated by global giants like Georges Dubouef, it's great to see winemakers like Bernard Vallette turning his back on the quantity over quality culture. From a family with a long history of grape-growing in the area, Bernard stopped selling all of his fruit to the big corporations and decided to make wines that are unique expressions of his region. This is a lovely expression of Gamay from limestone soil, with a nose of red berries and violets and flavors of fresh raspberry ending in a long minerally finish.