Roche Bleue 2018 Jasnières Le Clos des Molières

From 30 year-old Chenin Blanc vines in a mid-slope parcel of thin clay and silex soils on limestone, yields of 25 hl/ha, certified organic with biodynamic methods as well, fermented and aged in 4 to 6 year-old barriques. The wine shows subtle aromas of lemon verbena, dried pear and apple, chalk and stone, with hints of honeysuckle, almond and anise. The palate is very earthy and mineral with a chalky texture and subtle white fruits, citrus, and anise, scintillating and long, surprisingly delicate for a 2018.  It's a wine of contemplation that will open up nicely with time. "Richer than 2017 while retaining a beautiful freshness, with aromas of spices and very ripe fruits - ideal with white meats and cheeses" says Sébastien. Serve now with a mildly flavored ceviche, grilled fish, white meats and goat cheesees or hold for ten+  years. This is a lovely Jasnières, bravo to Sébastien Cornille.  David Lillie

Tinou (Serge Hondet) 2017 Jurançon Cuvée Speciale

(Was $29.99)  The 2017 Tinou Cuvée Speciale is a magnificent, perfectly balanced Jurançon made from 100% Petit Manseng with approximately 70 grams of RS per liter. The wine shows elegant aromas of pineapple, salty lemon, stone, honeysuckle and brown spice. The palate is dense and complex with lemon, pineapple, lime-flower and stone framed in firm acidity and mineral flavors with white fruits, citrus and earth in the very long finish. This is an outstanding Jurançon to sip by itself or to serve with foie gras, terrines, full-flavored cheeses, chicken in cream, Asian foods and more. Delicous now, this should age beautifully for 20 years or longer. (After two days open the wine really sings!) Thanks to Serge Hondet and his father for 53 years of organic farming!

Tinou (Serge Hondet) 2018 Jurançon Cuvee Tradition

(Was $22.99)  The Domaine Tinou Jurançon Cuvée Tradition is made from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, grown in Serge Hondet's beautiful vineyard near Lasseube, certified organic since 1964. The soils are essentially sandy clays with stones and gravels from the Pyrenees, over the local limestone, "Calcaire de Lasseube." The wine shows lovely pale gold color, vivid aromas of lemon, pineapple, honeysuckle, stone and brown spice, elegant and subtle. Creamy lemon, pear and stone flavors on the palate, balanced by citrusy acids. Around 50 grams of RS per liter, but seems dryer. Lovely finish of lemon, exotic fruit and minerals. Serve this lovely wine with foie gras, patés, full-flavored cheeses and lemony desserts or just sip by itself. Highly recommended.

Tinou (Serge Hondet) 2019 Jurançon Sec

Domaine Tinou's Jurançon Sec will please wine lovers who enjoy bone dry Riesling from the Rheinhessen or the Wachau. Same tension, same weight, just a little variation on the aromatics.  Made from 85% Gros Manseng and 15% "Lauzet," a rare variety with only a few hectares still in production. The wine shows a very pale gold color with subtle aromas of pear and apple with more exotic fruits emerging and hints of hay, stone and white pepper. The palate is fairly dense and sapid with spiced pear and mineral flavors, raw almond, citrus and hay. It seems delicate and powerful at the same time, with nice length and firm acidity. Serve with full-flavored fish and shellfish dishes, chicken, pork and mountain cheeses. Lovely wine.  David Lillie

Sarbèche 2017 Saint-Péray

(Was $32.99) The 2017 Saint-Peray from Cyril Milochevitch at Sarbèche is from 40 year-old Marsanne and Roussanne vines (50% each) in the lieu-dit "Fauterie" on decomposed granite at 400 meters altitude.  18 months of aging in 5 to 10 year-old Burgundy barrels, no soutirage or batonnage, minimal SO2 added. The color is pale gold/bronze with aromas of apricot, baked apple, citrus peel, brown spice, lemon, chamomile, stone and hay. The palate is round and dense with white fruits, almond, peach, spice and stone flavors. Serve with fish in sauce, white meats, mild cheeses. Lovely now but the wine should gain in complexity over the next five to ten years.  This is a lovely and quite "natural" northern Rhone white. David Lillie

Sarbèche 2019 Vin de France Syrah

(Was $19.99)  The 2019 Sarbèche "Comme une Lettre a la Poste" is from 100% Syrah grown in the Saint-Peray AOC on granite soils, vinified by carbonic maceration. The wine shows earthy, ripe blackberry and blueberry aromas with hints of licorice. violet, citrus and spice. The palate has nice grainy texture with dense, ripe black and blue fruits backed by earth and mineral flavors. This shows the density of the 2019 vintage with fascinating complexity of fruit liqueur, licorice and earthy flavors.  Serve with grilled pork and lamb, charcuterie, full flavored  cheeses.  David Lillie

Pierre Andre 2019 Vin de France Clin D'Oeil

 We've been anxiously awaiting the Pierre André "Clin D'Oeil," the much admired "second wine" of this wonderful Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate. It's at the same time serious and fun, it's the Wink of a Eye, it's a superb wine of terroir that's also easy drinking and the perfect accompaniment to a casual meal. Dark red/garnet color with a bright rim, bright  aromas of ripe black cherry, red currant, black plum, spice and earth.  The palate is beautifully structured with firm, very earthy, chalky acidity underlying elegant, subtle, cherry, ripe strawberry and red currant fruit. It's a dense and sapid Rhone red that's light on it's feet and a great food wine, especially for any grilled foods this summer. (From a parcel in Vin de France east of Courthezon  of 75 year-old Grenache and Cinsault; a parcel of CDR Grenache just outside Chateauneuf, and from light-colored very old vine Grenache, "les rouges," within Chateauneuf) Highly recommended!  David Lillie

Domaine des Mathouans 2019 Vin de France Macaline (Macabeo)

(Was $19.99)  "MacAline" is Aline Hock's wine of Macabeu grown biodynamically on the black schist terroirs of the Agly Valley associated with Roussillon's Maury region. Yields were 25 hl/ha in 2019, alcohol is 13.5%.  Aromatically rich and pungent (as fuller-bodied and higher alcohol Macabeu tends to be), it shows generous ripe citrus, honey and dried apricot on the nose. Given the fruit-driven intensity of the aromatics, its full-bodied palate is surprisingly nutty and savory, with notes of almond intermingled with dried apricot, finishing with iodine and sea salt. Drink with crab, shrimp and grits, cheddar cheeses, or bacon-wrapped dates.  Ben Fletcher

Domaine des Mathouans 2019 Vin de France Mine de Rien

(Was $26.99)  This wine from Aline Hock in the Agly Valley of Roussillon is produced from the Muscat Petit Grains grown biodynamically on schist soils. Vinified semi-carbonic on the skins for about 20 days, it pours a hazy yellow in the glass. On the nose it bursts with classic Muscat aromas: orange blossom, fresh grapes, honeydew melon and chamomile. "Mine de Rien" is full-bodied and shows bright mandarin orange, minerality and a gentle herbal note on the palate and finishes dry and saline. The wine has an exciting tension between density and bright citrus and salinity, complemented by its exuberantly fruit and flower driven aromatic character. Drink now with lighter Mediterranean food or warmly spiced chicken dishes: think olives and feta, tagines, or even jerk chicken. Ben Fletcher

Jousset, Lise et Bertrand 2018 Vin de France Menu Pineau

The Lise and Betrand Jousset 2018 Menu Pineau (aka Arbois or Orbois) is a balanced and beautiful expession of this unusual grape, complete with enigmatic label by Michel Tolmer. A probable native of the Loire, similar to Meslier according to some and sharing some characteristics with Savagnin, the grape has generally low acidity but quite distinctive sharp aromas and flavors of bitter citrus, dried herbs, caramel, dried white fruits and white flowers. The Jousset's 2018 version is not a maceration as in 2017, but a more straightforward expression of the grape as noted above with a hint of oxidation and a long stony, citrusy finish. Great with halibut with garlic and dill, perfect with a grilled fish or spicy ceviche. David Lillie

Marie & Florian Curtet 2018 Savoie Frissons des Cimes (Mondeuse)

(Was $39.99)  The 2018 Frissons des Cimes is a Vin de Sovoie made from 100% Mondeuse by Marie & Florian Curtet. Organically farmed 50 year old vines planted to sandstone, with a western to southwestern exposure. In the cellar, whole cluster fermentation, without pump overs or push downs, lasts 4-5 weeks before pressing. The wine is aged in concrete tanks for 11 weeks, filtered lightly, and bottled with just a small dose of SO2. This is a dark wine - with shades of black purple and red in the glass. Starting off with the pungent smells of manure and mulched forest floor, these hearty, heady nose drifts into a calmer character, with very pleasant aromas of black plum, blue berries, pine, kalamata olives, olives, and roasted meat. The palate is full of crunchy, zippy graphite, with additional flavors deep red cherry and salt. If you're a Syrah drinker, this is a must-try. With very solid tannins, that fall mostly on the gums, and medium acidity, boasts fantastic structure. Drink now, or enjoy between now and '26 - though it seems to have the fruit and body to last even longer. David Hatzopoulos

Marie & Florien Curtet 2018 Savoie Tonnerre des Gres

(Was $34.99)  The 2018 Tonnerre Des Gres from Marie & Florian Curtet is a Vin de Savoie from  Jacquère and Altesse. Organically farmed vines, 28 years in age, were planted to Mollassic limestone soils with a west/southwest exposure. The grapes are pressed, and fermentation/aging is done in concrete tanks over 9 months on the lees. The wine is bottled after a light filtration and a small dose of SO2. Brilliant lemon hue in the glass. Aromas do not pounce out, but float - sliced, tart yellow apple and pear, lavender, and bitter, unripe nectarine. There is flinty smoke. As the glass warms, smells of almonds and faint licorice appear. The wine has a wonderful palate, with yellow apples, clementine zest, bitter herbs, and a stony, mineral zing. The fruit on the finish gives way to a lingering saltiness, stiffened by a focused core of acidity. There is a softness in the mouthfeel though. A touch of flesh that is hard to describe. There is something so ethereal about this wine - a ghostly quality, in texture more than anything, that reminds me of a superb Chablis. David Hatzopoulos

Traginer 2018 Collioure Blanc

(Was $29.99)  An outstanding and unusual white made by Jean-François Deu at the organic/Biodynamic estate, Domaine du Traginer (Mule-driver) in Banyuls and Collioure. Made from Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Vermentino grown on low-yielding vines, on steep slopes above the Mediterranean. The 2018 is a superb and complex wine of the south that shows a bright pale gold color and aromas of almond, pear and peach, lime-flower and preserved lemon. The palate is ripe and dense with citrus, almond, peach and stone flavors backed by firm acidity, finishing with mineral flavors citrus and white fruits. Serve this unique wine with a ceviche of scallops or fluke, fish soup or fish in sauce, white meats and goat cheeses. Lovely wine!  David Lillie