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!

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.

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.

Chateau Micalet 2019 Haut Medoc Origine

(Arrives 10/5) The Chateau Micalet Haut-Medoc "Origine" is from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grown on deep beds of gravel in Lamarque. The Fedieu familu created this wine to be a slightly lighter and more ready-to-drink version of their Haut-Medoc, with a shorter cuvaison and without aging in wood. The Origine has a beautiful nose, with ripe blackberries, dried blueberries and an elegant combo of orange peel and clove. On the palate, the wine is full and bold, with black pepper, dark cherry and a zesty accent of cassis and plum peel. Structurally, the wine shows just enough generous texture, a mineral zing, and medium acid. A fantastic buy at under $25! David Hatzopoulos

Peybonhomme 2020 Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Le Blanc Bonhomme

 This is the eleventh vintage of the Hubert family's "Blanc Bonhomme"which seems to get better every year. The vines are now 16 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. This shows good ripeness again in the 2020 vintage, but with better freshness and lower alcohol than the '18 and '19, 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.

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.

Pignard 2016 Morgon

Arrives 10/5 (Our note from 2018) We're very proud to have the lovely Morgons of Roland Pignard at Chambers Street. From high-elevation 50 to 60 year-old vines in the commune of Saint-Joseph north-west of Villié-Morgon,  in sandy clay soils over granite in the lieu-dit "les Charmes."  Biodynamic farming, no SO2 until a minimal dose before bottling, with a relatively short period of carbonic-maceration. The wine shows a bright medium red color with elegant aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and earth with rose and violet. The palate is deep and ripe with firm acidity but stays light on its feet at 12.5% alcohol, with black and red fruits and mineral flavors that continue in the long finish. The "Tradition" cuvée is slightly rounder and deeper, but there is little difference between the wines in this super vintage for the Pignards. Serve cool with chicken and pork dishes, and put a few bottles away for five years as well. Highly recommended.  David Lillie

Jousset, Lise et Bertrand 2019 Vin de France Menu Pineau

The Lise and Betrand Jousset 2019 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. This  2019 version is not a maceration, 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. Lovely wine! David Lillie

Rousset 2020 Saint-Joseph

(Arrives 10/17) The 2020 Rousset Saint-Joseph is from a one-half hectare parcel of 35 to 70 year-old vines in "Les Rivoires" on the lower slope in Tournon, a cool, very steep, late-ripening terroir with clay, sand and stones over firm granite. Aged 12 months, 30% foudre, 70% 1 to 5 year-old barrels.This is prime Saint-Joseph terroir (the Gonons have vines in "Rivoires" as well) giving a dense well-structured wine that is enjoyable young, as most of the grapes are de-stemmed, and that will drink well over the next ten+ years. From drinkrhone: "The Rousset 2020 Saint-Joseph shows a dark robe; has a favourable nose, soaked fruits, black cherries [griottes], sweetness, black olive tapenade. The palate has a soft debut, is fleshy, comes with pliant gras, holds along its path to the finish. There’s a gentle floral theme, a perfumed one. It tightens nice and gradually, gains a compact finish, the length sure, quite solid." This is close to Domain Gonon in quality and will provide serious Northern Rhone pleasure at a moderate price. Highly recommended. David Lillie

Creve Coeur (Pablo Hocht) 2020 Côtes du Rhône Villages Seguret

 Pablo Hocht of Domaine de Creve Coeur has 3 hectares of 60+ year-old vines in Seguret on sandy limestone marl soils, 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah. As with his lovely Sablet, the Seguret is certified biodynamic, fermented slowly with wild yeasts with the stems included. Aging is partly in one to five year-old barriques, partly in vat. In other words, great farming and old-fashioned winemaking, similar to that of the Gonons in Saint-Joseph. The 2020 Seguret shows a deep red/black color and aromas of blackberry liqueur, black cherry and plum, with earth, garrigue, black pepper and cocoa - dark and rich but with a vibrant freshness. The palate is dense and round with a supple, grainy texture, a bit softer than the Sablet this year, with ripe blackberry and black plum liqueur, quite floral and showing the high percentage of Mourvedre, with hints of chocolate, citrus, licorice and provencal herbs. The bright acidity balances the wine and makes it food-friendly. The finish is long with cool acidity and earthy black fruits. Serve this beautiful Seguret a bit cool after a decant of a few hours or cellar five to ten years. Great with stews and tagines, grilled meats and game.

Creve Coeur (Pablo Hocht) 2020 Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet

This blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mouvedre comes from old vines in “Le Planis,” planted just after the Second World War in the Southern Rhone. Creve Coeur’s Pablo Hocht created the Domaine in 2010, with a commitment to organic and Biodynamic farming. His recent vintages have been rich and ripe: just what one wants in Southern Rhone red. The wine undergoes a four-week whole-cluster vinification with wild yeasts followed by 12 months in used barrels. An inky delight in the glass, the aromatics are hedonistic and bold, full of black fruit, olive and smoke. The palate  is dense and dark with firm acidity, and opens up to a generous gift of cassis, dried fruit, mint, and black pepper, with some nice brightness. The grippy tannins provide a good energy to the minerals at play, and it gives a peak into what this wine will look like in a few years’ time - five years in the cellar and this modestly price wine will really sing. Surprisingly structured so perfect with grilled meat, tagines, reblochon or other soft cheeses.

Creve Coeur (Pablo Hocht) 2021 Côtes du Rhône Rosé du Coucou

The young Pablo Hocht makes beautiful wines at his Biodynamic estate in Seguret (southern Rhone) - his "Rosé du Coucou" is a  refreshing direct-press rosé made with  old vines of 60% Grenache and 40% Cinsault. The 2021 shows a very pale rose skin color with floral aromas of raspberry, peach, citrus and stone. The palate is very light, silky and elegant with subtle raspberry fruit with hints of melon, orange rind, spice and earth, finishing with nice length of mineral flavors and refreshing acidity. This is a very lovely wine at a great price! 

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 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! 

Balazu des Vaussières 2017 Vin de France Cuvée Hysope

For lovers of natural wines - The new Rouge from Balazu des Vaussieres is the Cuvée Hysope, recently bottled after a brief passage in wood, then four years aging in tank. It's from 50% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 20% Carignan and 10% Cinsault, grown primarily in Tavel with additional vines in Roquemaure, nearby. The wine needs 1 - 2 hours of aeration (after it's four years in vat) then shows lovely black cherry, plum, violet, citrus peel and earth. The palate shows firm acidity and a dense earthy texture with ripe cherry, red currant and licorice with herbal and citrus notes. The finish is long and complex with earthy red fruits, citrus and brown spice. This is a beautiful living wine which will be fun to taste over many days, recorked in the fridge. Ten years of cellaring should be interesting...

Guion 2020 Bourgueil Rosé

 Last bottles - (Retasted in September 2022 - the wine is showing beautifully, with fabulous complexity of fruit and mineral notes, with a great finish - drink over the next 2 years.) 50 years of organic farming and great traditional winemaking give this refreshing, perfectly balanced rosé from our friend Stephane Guion in Bourgueil. The wine shows bright strawberry/raspberry aromas with citrus, rose and earth. Raspberry, blood orange, melon and earthy flavors on the bone-dry palate which is framed in firm acidity and saline minerals. This is a real rosé of terroir, dry and balanced with moderate alcohol which needs a bit of time to open up. Drink now and through 2024, with grilled tuna, roast chicken, grilled pork and charcuterie.