Tessier 2022 Cheverny Blanc

In the western Sologne, Philippe and now his son Simon Tessier are making some of the best example of Cheverny blanc, highly versatile with a lift and an elegance due to the sandy clay soil over limestone.  In 2022 the blend is 70% Sauvignon blanc and rose, 20% Orbois (Menu Pineau), 10% Chardonnay. 2022 was a warm vintage with drought, so this bottling has more texture and glycerol than usual, without loosing its Loire Valley character. Even if the blend is dominated by the Sauvignon, there is no caricatural expression: it is more a variation on grapefruit zest, sage, and white flowers. The flavors on the palate show notes of pear, apple blossom, anis, lemon zest with a nice subtle bitterness. In this vintage, it is definitely more a Fall bottle  than a brisk summery wine, which is perfect! Serve it in a larger glass, let it open for a little bit and serve it with some black sea bass or of course some goat cheese with an arugula salad dressed with halzenut oil. (23 mg/L SO2, 13.5% alc, 1.61 gr/L RS)

Tessier 2022 Cheverny Rosé (Pinot Noir, Gamay)

This will disappeaar quickly on your table for Thanksgiving! Philippe and now Simon Tessier are making really delicious wines from their organic vineyards in Sologne. Under the Cheverny AOC, they make white and red, but also rosé : the sandy clay soil as well as the grapes (2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Gamay) are perfectly suited for the style. Of course, don't expect a boring, insipid, pale salmon whitish rosé. There is always some serious depth and length in their wine! With the 2022 as in 2020 and 2019, you have on top more texture and power than usual: the warm summer led to ripe, concentrated berries. - the wine is ripe but bone-dry at 13.5% alc, under .5 gr/L RS. This bottling is more aromatic than usual, with notes of dried rose, pink grapefruit and pomegranate. The attack is creamy and rich, but the wine quickly balances out the alcohol but a really nice bitter edge of pomelo, and the acidity kicks in at the end. It is the type of rosé that can pair really with pretty much anything, and that will have the texture you want when the days will start to be chilly. Serve it in a white wine glass and pair it with what you be pleased to cook, be it some fried squids with spicy aioli, a chana masala or any kind of cheese. (16 gr/L total SO2 - what a pleasure to enjoy a pure and delicious rosé with almost no sulfur!)

Tessier 2021 Cheverny Rouge Le Point du Jour

 Tessier's 2021 "Le Point du Jour" is a beautiful expression of Cheverny, a blend of  20% Gamay and 80% Pinot Noir from the oldest vines of the estate planted on two types of terroir, clay and sand and sandy clay over limestone.  Hand-harvested, the grapes are vinified in 80% whole-cluster, macerated for 2 weeks or so before being aged in a mix of barrels, demi-muids and foudres. Aging was longer this year, the wine was blended in January and bottled in July, unfiltered with minimal sulfur dioxide. With yields of only 15 hl/ha in the frost-damaged 2021 vintage, the wine is light and low in alcohol (12%) and bone-dry, really bright and pretty, showing tart cherry with wild strawberry and pomegranate, hints of cinnamon and almond, and refreshing acidity. Serve cool, enjoy over the next five years.

Tessier 2022 Vin de France TOC (Cot)

Toc is a pun for Côt, one of the single-variety cuvées made by Simon and Philippe Tessier in their organic estate of Sologne. Côt, or Malbec, is one of the grapes authorised in the Cheverny AOC but as the appellation has to be a blend, the wine is declassified in Vin de France - one of the meanings of Toc in French is "fake stuff."  Vinified like all the other reds in semi-carbonic maceration for 15 days or so, then aged in 500 liter barrique for 8 months, this bottling has a juicy, plush texture balancing really well the natural high acid spine of the variety. Dark purple - the usual colour of Malbec - the 2022 has a lovely bouquet of violet, blueberry,  blackberry liqueur, dried thyme and a pinch of funk. On the palate, the attack is lush and bright, with blackberry and cherry fruit, then the vibrant acidity appears, and plays with the gentle tannins, finishing with terrific length of ripe, chalky fruit. Despite this ripeness it is not heavy at all, but quite refreshing and lively so serve quite cool.  Delicious wine and highly recommended. Probably best if opened the day before and re-corked.

Tessier 2021 Cour-Cheverny

The 2021 Tessier Cour-Cheverny is 100% Romorantin from vines grown on sandy clay soils over limestone. The wine goes through the malo and is vinified and aged in vats. This is a beautiful Cour-Cheverny showing the leaner profile of the 2021 vintage, with less ripeness than the 2020, with lower alcohol and a more mineral and bright citrus profile. The wine shows distinctive aromas of pear and citrus fruit, lime-flower, toasted almond and hints of spice, really quite lovely. The palate is scintillating and dry with citrus, pear, herbal, stone and nut flavors, with nice ripeness and density and firm refreshing acidity. The finish is very long, with mineral, citrus and pear flavors that linger on the palate. Perfect as an aperitif or serve with full-flavored fish and chicken dishes, Asian foods, and especially with mild cheeses like Morbier or Raclette, or goat cheeses from the Loire. This will be very interesting with 2 to 4 years of cellaring as well. Lovely wine and a great value! 12.5% alc, 0.54 g/l RS, 37 mg/l total SO2.

Tessier 2021 Cour-Cheverny Les Sables

We're happy to have "les Sables" back in stock, even if it's only a few bottles!  This beautiful, rich but dry Romorantin from Tessier is from 25 to 40 year-old vines on sandy clay soils with silex. The wine ages 10 months in tronconic wooden vats and 5 months in cement and was bottled with minimal SO2. This is a rare and beautiful wine, quite concentrated and incredibly vibrant, with lower alcohol and higher acidity in the very difficult 2021 vintage which gave disastrous yields. The nose is complex, with a lot of pear drops, lime zest, wild flower honey, almond and stone. It is in fact quite aromatic for a Romorantin. On the palate, there is a lot happening, mostly mineral, herbal and citrus flavors and the tangy, acidity has such a backbone. It is really lifted for such a dense wine. Get creative, as this unique wine is a great food pairing for a full-flavered fish or shellfish preparation, or with rabbit and other white meats. We have 6 bottles!? Best to hold for 3 - 5 years. (12.5% alc, 0.54 gr/l RS, 8 mg/l SO2.)

Tessier 2020 Cour-Cheverny La Porte Dorée

La Porte Dorée - the Golden Gate - is without a doubt one of the best expressions of dry Romorantin with Hervé Villemade's Les Acacias. This cuvée comes for 80% from a specific vineyard called "Porte Dorée" : there is more clay, the soil is cooler, the limestone is closer. The oldest vines are 60 years old. Because of the late ripeness of this plot, and its concentration, it is always aged in barrels to tame the powerful acidity and help with the aromatic development.  The 2020 "Porte Dorée" is superb, powerful and dry, with firm acidity, showing complex aromas of pear, citrus, lime-flower, white pepper, almond. The palate shows ripe pear, quince, citrus, almond and intense mineral flavors that coat the mouth and are very dense and long. This is a very young wine that will benefit from decanting or 3 to 10 years of cellaring. 14.5% alcohol, 1.46 gr/L RS, 17 gr/L SO2.

Tessier 2022 Cheverny Rouge

(We tasted this wine over 4 days - recorked, in the fridge - it got better and better gaining density and complexity - beautiful wine!) The delicious 2022 Tessier Chevery Rouge is from 15 to 40 year-old vines of 70% Pinot Noir, 25% Gamay and 5% Cot grown in sandy clay soils. Wild yeasts, of course, and aging in old barrels with minimal or zero SO2 added, bottled unfiltered. A bit more Pinot Noir than usual in 2022. The yields were surprisingly good in 2022, but the fruit achieved perfect ripeness in this excellent vintage for Loire reds, showing deep cherry and raspberry with plum, rose, citrus and brown spice. The palate is round, velvety, ripe and vibrantly refreshing with chalky spiced berry fruits, plum skin and mineral flavors, ending with sappy red fruits and bright acidity. Serve quite  cool with charcuterie, chicken and pork dishes and a wide variety of cheeses.  Just delicious! (20 mg/L total SO2, 12.69% alc.)

Tessier 2022 Vin de France Chemin Noir (Pineau d'Aunis)

The 2022 "Chemin Noir" is 100% massale selection Pineau d'Aunis (aka Chenin Noir, even though the two grapes are not related). Semi-carbonic fermentation for two weeks or so, then aging in older barrels. In the glass, the wine is a lovely deep cranberry in color. On the nose, there are high-toned floral scents of wild red berries and crisp pomegranate seeds, snappy dark citrus, with a whisper of black pepper. On the palate, bright and juicy cranberry, strawberry, and lean cherry hug a core of enticing minerality. The structure is incredibly refreshing, with great acid and just a touch of tannin - a light grip down the tongue. The finish is a delicious, full of energy, with an ounce of clean, bitter herb. This wine is dangerously drinkable. 12% alc, 0 RS, 26 mg/L SO2.

Christian Venier 2022 Cheverny "Les Hauts de Madon" Rouge

We love the Venier 'Hauts de Madon' in 2022. Give or take depending on the vintage, this cuvée is 80% Pinot Noir/20% Gamay, with plenty of trademark Venier spice, almost referencing Languedoc aromatics of thyme and rosemary. If you've had Venier's wines over the years, this vintage is a welcome return to some of the lighter and more vibrant bottlings from the earlier part of this decade, and is truly a "Pur Vin." I do believe it will age very nicely over the next 3-5 years, but we don't necessarily see any dire need to age it past a year since it's so lovely already.  -EL

Christian Venier 2022 Cheverny "Le Clos des Carteries"

The cherubic Christian Venier is a cousin of the Puzelat brothers from Clos du Tue Boeuf, and like them, an early proponent of making wines the old fashioned way, without additives or manipulation.  His parcels are meticulously tended, and the wines of the Venier family always have a special vibrancy that I can only ascribe to the magic of the place (or maybe the wild yeast populations in the parcels or cellar). Clos de Carteries is primarily Gamay, from roughly 30 year old vines on clay and limestone with sand and silex. Whole cluster fermentation in open vats for 20 days, followed by 6 months in tank. Violet and floral notes on the nose, great concentration, with subtle peppery notes, and a very graceful finish. It's drinking nicely now, but with the leathery structure that we observed, it should definitely age well too. Of the two Venier reds we have, this is the one to put down for up to 5 years, or to pair with a nice hearty meal this Fall!  ~EL

Les Sablonnettes 2022 VDF Le P'tit Blanc

Le P’tit Blanc comes from biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc vines grown on schist soils in the Coteaux du Layon AOC. The grapes are hand harvested, then the wine undergoes natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks, with around a week of partial skin contact (not to make an orange wine, but to nourish and feed the yeasts and ensure a wine that finishes dry). The wine shows a slightly cloudy pale gold color and aromas of baked apple and pear, a bit of citrus, white pepper, apricot and green tea. The palate is refreshing with brisk acidity with white fruits, lemon zest, apricot and peach with wet stones, and a lovely burst of spicy citrus in the finish. Chenin Unchained! Really unique and delicious. The 2022 is one of the best vintages in a while, stable over several days, with fantastic minerality from the schist terroir playing with the roundness and weight that is at this point a trademark of the wine. Though dry, the density of the wine gives it great versatility. Try it with curries, Thai, anything with some spice, or even salads with balsamic or other high-acid dishes.  //  From the bottle: "Expression commune et populaire pour désigner "le ballon de blanc" qu'on boit sans chichi ni tralala sur le zinc du bistro. Dynamique et rafraichissant, ce vin fera bon vent avec les possions ou autres accords gourmands." Loosely translated: A common and popular expression for the glass of white that we drink at the bar without fuss or 'tralala (razzle-dazzle).' No added SO2. EL/DL

Les Sablonnettes 2022 VDF Zeste (Skin Contact/Orange)

This is a new addition to the Sablonnettes lineup, a skin contact (Blanc de Macération) of Chenin Blanc, with subtle peachy hue, and lovely stone fruit on the palate. From the bottle: "Plus aromatique et plus tannique que son p'tit frère (le p'tit blanc), le zeste qui sauve le vigneron!"  Loosely translated: More aromatic and tannic then its little brother (P'tit Blanc), the zest (alternatively, spark) which saves the winemaker! This would be great with marinated and grilled veggies, cheeses, and fish dishes.   -EL (And there's a play on words here borrowed frm the Pierre and Catherine Breton poster of "Epaulé - Jeté, le geste qui sauve les vignerons")

Les Sablonnettes 2022 VDF Les Copines Aussi

Les Copines Aussi is a blend of Gamay and Chenin Blanc in 2022. It's joyful, fresh, and just a touch wild, showing the lovely ripeness of the 2022 vintage. Pure and delicious, great with a chill.  From the bottle:  "Les lampions brillent à la guinguette et l'accordeon nous rend polissons. A ouvrir entre copains... et copines. Gouleyant et jovial, ce vin vous invitera à partager le plaisir des petits moments et des grands instants" Loosely translated: The lanterns shine at the tavern, and the accordion makes us mischievous, To open with guy friends... and girl friends. Easygoing and jovial, this wine will invite you to share the pleasure of small moments and great moments.

Les Sablonnettes 2022 Vin de France Menard le Rouge

From the label: "Millefeuille de cepages rouges de chez nous. Auguste Ménard, premier vigneron de la famille était surnommé 'Ménard Le Rouge' pour son côté révolutionnaire et sa moustache rousse" Roughly translated: A millefeuille (layered pastry) of grapes from our home. Auguste Ménard, the first winemaker of the family, was nicknamed "Ménard the Red" for his revolutionary side, and his red mustache. This is a delicious and unique red that involves grapes being layered in a vat. 2022 was whole cluster Cabernet Sauvignon, Groslot, Cabernet Franc and Gamay. However it was done, the results are delicious!  Drink with a chill!  -EL