Newsletter
April 21, 2025 – May 18, 2025
J. Mourat
2024 Val de Loire (J. Mourat)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
J. Mourat’s operation is on the western edge of the Loire Valley in an appellation called Fiefs Vendéens. This bottling is from their Val de Loire Collection series, where they use a mixture of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Négrette. Fragrant with herbs and pepper along with lovely palate presence, this rosé will match well with grilled salmon.
The Color of Chiaretto
2024 Chiaretto di Bardolino (Gorgo)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Sainte-Croix
2024 Côtes de Provence (Château Sainte-Croix)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Alpine Berries
2024 Savoie (Viallet)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Ventoux
2024 Ventoux (Domaine de Fondrèche)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Fondrèche is a terrific organic winery located at the base of Mont Ventoux. Their rosé veers into “serious” territory with its crunchy fruit and crisp minerality. The blend of Cinsault, Syrah, and Grenache may be light in color but it’s deep in flavor. Excellent with a braised lamb dish and couscous.
Galets Rosés
2024 Costières de Nîmes ‘Galets Rosés’
(Château Mourgues du Grès)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Nîmes is one of the warmest and sunniest places on the French mainland, making it easy for Mourgues du Grès to produce such a strikingly full-bodied rosé. The blend of organically grown Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre ensures that your palate is soaked with plummy Mediterranean fruit leading to a dry, stony finish. Great with grilled tuna and olives.
Listed prices are honored through May 18th, 2025. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 49, No. 5
The Beaune négociant firm of Joseph Drouhin is known for quality through its entire range. Of course, the wine we sell the most of is their best value Mâcon-Villages, but we wholeheartedly endorse their foray into biodynamics and keep some of their better bottles in our rare room if you’re looking for a treat. The 2022 is a textbook unoaked Chardonnay with a crisp minerally finish. Excellent with noodles and curry.
La Soeur Cadette is a producer who exploits vineyards in Vézelay and the Mâcon, two rather distant appellations. This month we have their Bourgogne Blanc sourced from villages in the Mâconnais. The style here is light and fresh. This 2023 is a pristine Chardonnay with aromatics of lemon oil and crunchy orchard fruit along with a stony, minerally, dry finish. Despite its low ABV it packs a ton of flavor. Have this with crab cakes.
The Pfalz is Germany’s sunniest winegrowing region, allowing it to grow many varieties, even Chardonnay. This 2023 from Koehler-Ruprecht is a delightful Chardonnay. It is perfectly balanced with penetrating fruit and floral aromas, fine texture, and an exquisite finish. A fine match with baked haddock and new potatoes.
Albariño from Galicia has given Spain a signature white wine to send all over the world. Meanwhile, just to the south of Galicia the twinned Portuguese villages of Monção e Melgaço are producing equally fine Alvarinho at an extremely good price. The 2024 Foral has gorgeous lime leaf aromas, fresh herbal flavors, and a cool, dry finish. A great wine for all kinds of fish and shellfish.
A few years ago we featured Forge’s Classique Riesling, a blend from multiple single vineyard sites around Seneca Lake. While that makes a great introduction to Finger Lakes Riesling, founders Rick Rainey and Louis Barruol (of the Rhône Valley’s Château de Saint Cosme) began their collaboration with a clear intention of exploring different terroirs and soil types through single-vineyard bottlings. Breakneck Creek Vineyard is a steep and rocky site on the eastern side of the lake. The 2021 is a deep and intense dry Riesling with ripe orchard fruit, mint and floral aromas, and distinct salinity. Excellent with steamed mussels in a flavorful broth.
As you may know we are huge fans of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc. The northernmost outpost for Loire Chenin is Jasnières. This cool climate area produces Chenin that could be lean and minerally one year and robust and round the next. Even with this vintage variation the greatness of Chenin Blanc comes through. As far as we know Pascal Janvier is the king of Jasnières. His 2022 is a powerful vintage with jammy pear fruit and a deep underlying strata of minerals. A truly terrific sushi wine, and also a great pairing with aged goat cheese.
As you may also know we are huge fans of Dolcetto. Though it plays third fiddle compared to Nebbiolo and Barbera throughout most of the Piedmont, in the commune of Dogliani it takes center stage and has even earned DOCG status. Pecchenino’s 2022 maintains a fine balance between juicy plum and blackberry fruit, a cool stony backbone, ripe tannins, and a pleasantly bitter finish. A lovely red for a vegetable lasagna.
A few months ago we featured Domaine d’Ansignan’s Petit Grappes after it was just introduced to our market. We tasted this cuvée at the same time and liked it just as much, but decided to wait until the weather was a little warmer to feature it. They crafted this fresh and fruity organic red from mostly Grenache (including Lledoner Pellut, a mutation of Grenache), and the rest Syrah, Carignan, and Maccabeu. Serve well-chilled to highlight the fresh, crunchy red pomegranate and cherry fruit, or at a slightly warmer cellar temperature for ripe strawberry and herbal aromas. A perfect red for cheese and charcuterie on the patio.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence houses the Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus, but just a few kilometers south in the village of Greve is a terraced amphitheater of Sangiovese vines called Lamole that was the birth of Chianti. Susanna Grassi of I Fabbri makes amazing Chianti from this great site. The 2022 is a majestic Sangiovese with gorgeous cherry fruit, amazing structure, and a long bright finish. Have this with a grilled rib eye.
Like all cheeses from Parish Hill, West West Blue is made from the farm’s single herd of grass-fed cows and biologically unique cultures developed on site. This creates a one-of-a-kind cheese with a mildly sweet blue mold that won’t be found in any other aging room. The blue mold adds a satisfying spice along with a slightly tart finish that lifts the flavor and leaves you ready for more. With a drizzle of wildflower honey it is the perfect accompaniment to a selection of dried fruits and nuts, bold wine, and the sunset.
2023 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Sartarelli)