Turenne 2020 Cotes de Provence Cuvé Apollon Rosé

The Domaine Turenne "Cuvée Apollon" is a more "serious" Bandol style Rosé made from Mourvedre and Grenache that ages for 6 months in 600-liter acacia barrels before bottling. The wine shows aromas of citrus, white peach and apricot, with a full bodied palate, round and silky, finishing with firm acidity, mineral and white fruit flavors. Drink this lovely rosé over the next few years with white meats, farm chicken, veal milanese and tajines...or sip happily by itself.

Turenne 2021 Cotes de Provence Cuvée Aubregades Rosé

Domaine Turenne makes a tiny quantity of this 100% Grenache rosé - it's a taste of "old Provence" says Philippe Bénézet, simple but delicious, showing pretty flavors of raspberry and strawberry, it's medium-bodied and very dry with a refreshing finish. At $13.99 it's a sensational value. Only 10 cases for the US!

Turenne 2021 Cotes de Provence Cuvée Antoine VV Blanc

(Arrives 9/21)  The Domaine Turenne "Antoine" is an extraordinary Provençal white made with 70% Vermentino with 30% old vines of Petite Clairette du Var, dating from 1903! Organic farming, hand harvesting and wild yeast fermentations. Pale gold color with green hints; aromas of almond, pear, hay, lemon zest, verveine, anise...you get the idea. The palate is very mineral, with firm acidity, showing anise, white fruit liqueur, stone and citrus, supple and long, really a lovely wine and a great value! This refreshing and versatile wine will accompany shellfish and grilled fish, white meats, salads, goat cheeses and much more...  David Lillie

Turenne 2021 Cotes de Provence Cuvée Camille Rosé

Domaine Turenne, northeast of Bandol in Provence, produces this lovely rosé from 40% Cinsault, 50% Grenache and 10% Syrah, certified organic. The terroir is a unique bed of limestone and sandstone debris with small stones called "Gavroches" which bring a pronounced minerality and good drainage to the vines. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with wild yeasts. The 2021 "Camille" is a pretty, very pale pink/orange color with aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, rose and citrus, with a hint of stone fruits as well. The palate is light and elegant with subtle berry fruits, a hint of citrus and stone, and has nice density and length. This is a light and lovely rosé for all year enjoyment, sipped by itself or with grilled fish, white meats, salade Niçoise and mild cheeses - and it's a fabulous value! 

Turenne 2017 IGP Maures Brut Cuvée Cécile Brut Nature

The Domaine Turenne Cuvée Cécile Brut Nature is made from Rolle (aka Vermentino) and Cinsault, aged 18 months on the lees and bottled unfiltered. The wine shows fine bubbles with a pale copper hue and a creamy texture. The nose is redolent with notes of melon, white rocks and herbs whilst the palate has a dry, savory finish with flavors of orange peel, apricot and citrus. Serve this refreshing Provençal "bulles" as an aperitif or with fish, white meats and fruit desserts.

Peybonhomme 2019 Premières Côte de Blaye Cru Bourgeois

Biodynamic farming, native yeasts, wild fermentations, good value –all phrases not typically associated with Bordeaux. Yet, each year the Hubert family provides us with just that in their staple cuvee from the Côte de Blaye. The Cru Bourgeois is a blend of mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a bit of Malbec. Generously aromatic  owing to the rich clay soils in which it is grown, the 2019 offers crushed violets, cassis, and rhubarb on the nose. The palate shows the warm vintage with finesse. Cascades of ripe red fruit, black currant, and spice, with supple tannins and an undercurrent of chalky minerality. This is a great addition to the dinner table alongside grilled meat or sipped on its own.

Peybonhomme 2019 Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Quintessence

The Hubert family are owners of Chateau Peybonhomme-les-Tours in Blaye and Chateau La Grolet in Bourg. The farming here is among the best in Bordeaux, certified organic and biodynamic. The vineyards are a fantastic oasis of greenery compared to the rest of Bordeaux, and are located on slopes of clay over limestone giving the wines good concentration and firm minerality. The Quintessence of Peybonhomme is a selection of the best juice from tastings each year and is primarily Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, a portion of which is aged in new oak. The 2019 is a beautiful and lively Bordeaux showing deep aromas of ripe cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cocoa, spice and earth. The palate is supple and ripe, lifted by cool acidity, with complex black fruits, earth and mineral flavors with a long finish. The wine broadens and gains complexity with time open so decant if possible. A versatile food wine, this beautifully balanced Bordeaux will accompany anything from roast chicken to pork dishes to steak. Put a few in your cellar for a mature experience, best 2025 to 2035+.

Peybonhomme 2020 Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Le Blanc Bonhomme

 This is the twelfth vintage of the Hubert family's "Blanc Bonhomme"which seems to get better every year. The vines are now 17 years old, certified organic and Biodynamic. The grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning, pressed gently, fermented with native yeasts and the wine is aged partly in new oak, mostly in cement vats. Only about 650 cases are made. In 2020, Le Blanc is 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon, and 10% Colombard, and shows elegant pear, lemon, herbal and dried flower aromas, with pear, citrus and chalky mineral flavors on the palate. At 12.5% alcohol, the 2021 is lighter and brighter than the previous 3 vintages and it really shows the terroir with crisp acidity, lovely white fruit, a hint of pineapple and oak and stony flavors in the finish. Really a lovely, balanced and food-friendly wine - serve with anything from oysters to grilled fish to roast chicken.

Grolet 2019 Côtes de Bourg "Origines"

 Chateau La Grolet has been certified organic and Biodynamic since 2000. Double Guyot pruning, spontaneous winter grass cover. Soil tillage during the spring, every other row ploughed. Treatments combining small quantities of Bordeaux mixture with herbal teas such as horsetail or nettle. The blend is 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet-Franc, 5% Malbec.  The Hubert family's great farming creates this sensational value Bordeaux which is truly a subtle, complex and profound wine. When young, it is dominated by red and black fruit aromas, then as the years pass, cocoa and mild tobacco notes combine with hints of spice and earth. Can be drunk young but is also a very good wine for laying down, recommended cellaring time: 5 - 10 years.

Grolet 2018 Côtes de Bourg Tête de Cuvée

 This is the special cuvee of old-vines from Chateau La Grolet. Aromatically extremely ripe and complex, it has cassis liqueur, fig, prune and cedary notes that continue on the palate that is ripe but balanced with good acidty and structure. Long-time biodynamic farming has given this young wine an earthy complexity and depth that is sadly lacking from today's cookie-cutter, oaky, over-extracted Bordeaux. The finish is long with mineral and acid notes balancing the ripe red and black fruits, cocoa and smoke. Lovely to drink now, this wine should be fabulous in 5 to 10 years or more. Congratulatons to our friend Jean-Luc Hubert and family for making the lovely organic wines of Chateau Peybonhomme and Chateau la Grolet!

Peybonhomme 2020 Vin de France Rosita Bomba

(Arrives Feb 2) The new Peybonhomme "Rosita Bomba" is a delicious direct-press rosé made from Biodynamic Cab Franc and Merlot grapes grown in the clay/limestone soils at Peybonhomme-les-Tours. This lovely wine is bone dry, with pretty red currant and raspberry fruit, quite  vibrant and refreshing.

Peybonhomme 2019 Vin de France Les 2 C (Syrah/Touriga)

The Hubert family welcomes newborns Camille and Colette with the new cuvée 2 Cs. "Syrah and Touriga Nacional, unusual among us in the Gironde but which, thanks to Biodynamics, wonderfully reveal our terroir." The wine is supple and ripe with soft tannins, a perfect easy-drinking red to serve cool with grilled foods and picnics this summer. The Syrah, resting on limestone, has a nice expression here, and the subtle leathery character from the Touriga Nacional plays well. The aromas are not dominated by Syrah notes, thankfully, and all in all this is a very nice bottle, even more Atypical than "L'Atipyque!"