Barth, Laurent NV (2021) Alsace Extra Brut Petillant Naturel

Mostly Pinot Auxerrois with some Pinot Noir in the mix, this is a methode ancestrale "Pet Nat" from Laurent Barth... a wine we never knew existed since most of it is sold in Europe and Laurent keeps a fair amount at home to share with friends. The wine spends 18 months sur latte (sur lie) before disgorging. A fascinating and singular wine, with a beautiful creamy texture and subtle aromas of red berries, citrus and minerals that continue on the elegant, refreshing palate. This is one of the most delicious Pet Nats of France - rarely available, don't delay!

Les Vins Pirouettes (Binner and Friends) 2020 Vin d'Alsace Tutti Frutti de Stephane

Brundlmayer 2021 Kamptal Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Alte Reben Erste Lage

Lichtenberger-Gonzalez 2021 Rotburger Leithaberg Burgenland

Moric 2018 Burgenland Hausmarke Weiss Supernatural

A blend of mostly Gruner Veltliner (75%) and Chardonnay, meant for drinking now. Aged in large old barrels. As with all of Roland's wines, fermentation is with indigenous yeast and minimal SO2 used at bottling.  

Moric 2020 Burgenland Hausmarke Rot

Hausmarket Rot is a blend of 50% Rotburger (zweigelt), 35% Blauufrankisch and 15% Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir). It comes across as Blaufrankisch with a more playful side, fresh and agile, full of notes of currants, plums and berries. There is a backbone of earth, minerality and spice that supports the dark fruit in this easy to drink introduction (House Brand) to the finessed and wonderful wines of Roland Velich. Giselle Hamburg

Ott, Bernhard 2021 Wagram Grüner Veltliner Der Ott

Stadlmann 2019 Thermenregion Pinot Noir Classic

The Stadlmann family has been making wine since the 1780s in the Thermenregion; sheltered from the northern winds by the Vienna Woods, it is one of Austria's warmest wine growing areas. The 'Classic' line of wines are aged in large, used barrels to showcase the true character of the grape and terroir.

Straka 2022 Little Big Mash Welschriesling/Pinot Blanc/Sau

Hailing from the southenrmost reaches in the mountains next to the Hungarian border. This is a new cuvee for Straka in a liter for your gluggable enjoyment: 70% Welschrieling/ 15% Weissburgunder/ 15% Sauvignon Blanc. After 4 days skin contact and several months in tank, the result is refreshing herbaceousness, white flowers and citrus. Your new party wine! GH

Straka 2022 Ready Steady Go! Welschriesling Pet Nat

A delightful Pet Nat from southeastern Austria next to the Hungarian border. Made of 100% Welschriesling from younger vines harvested earlier to preserve freshness. Ready Steady Go! is meant to start off your get togethers and dinners with a bang; Party Starter! GH

Wiederstein, Birgit 2021 Niederosterreich Pinot Noir die Diva

Birgit is a fearless winemaker not afraid to resurrect long forgotten or no longer cultivated varietals in her region of Carnuntum such as Harslevelu or Pinot Noir. The latter needs no introduction but does in her region as the grape's fickleness requires more care than the native easygrowing Zweigelt does. This is her new release of her 100% Pinot Noir aptly called "Diva". I will let her words describe her intentions and this cuvee best: " With Pinot Noir I am immediately reminded of a Diva - a female deity who is extremely talented, with finesse and self confidence. If as a winegrower you wrongly understand her, then you produce a simple red wine but if you accept her identity, then you get a Pinot Noir that "sings" and deeply touches you." . This Diva hails from an old single vineyard Rosenberg from Dijon clones. 30% whole cluster and foot stomped by Birgit's own feet! (She may be petite but has hobbit feet size 41!). Upon tasting, we were all struck by it's effortless elegance and balance of beautiful berry fruit and lush yet structured body with a persistent finish. We even drew parallels with Clos des Lambrays and Chambolle Musignys. Do not miss this opportunity to try this very Burgundian alternative! Giselle Hamburg

Dutraive (Domaine de la Grand Cour) 2022 Fleurie Clos de la Grand Cour

Batailley 2016 Pauillac

Cartier 2019 Saint-Emilion Chateau Cartier

The second label to Chateau Fonroque, Chateau Cartier sees none of the estate's Cabernet Franc. The Merlot that goes into this wine comes from under the limestone plateau of St.-Emilion, picked from biodynamically farmed vines on the limestone-clay and silty clay soils of the slopes and bottom-slopes.  All fruit is picked by hand. The wine was fermented naturally and aged in a mixture of 75% barrel and 25% concrete vats. A very impressive partner to Fonroque, mimicking the minerally character that the estate is known for.  The nose delivers scents of dark flowers and rich baked fruit - strawberry, cherry, blueberry. The palate shows deep red and black cherry and plum, with accents of warm cedar and herbs. There is great minerality, which lends the wine a structure of supreme freshness, but a textural softness making the wine quite delicious now. The 2019 vintage was unusually hot in mid-summer so harvest was early - "the result was a rich, harmonious wine with a silky texture. Its classicism makes 2019 one of our best vintages" says the Fonroque/Cartier website.

Echo de Lynch Bages 2010 Pauillac

Gazin 2016 Pomerol

Château de Pellehaut NV Armagnac Reserve 10 year old

This is the best value traditional Armagnac that we have found. Pellehaut combines the traditional rich Ugni Blanc with some Folle Blanche for a delightful floral lift. JR

Domaine de l'Enclos 2022 Chablis

From the Bouchard bros, a fabulous textbook Chablis even from such a hot vintage! Lovely minerality and yellow apple/citrus aromas on the nose. The palate bursts with juicy lemonade with a chalky undercurrent. An elegant finish clocking in at 12.5%, truly excellent! Giselle Hamburg

Lamy, Hubert 2021 Bourgogne Blanc Chataigners

Rateau 2022 Beaune Clos des Mariages Blanc

Located toward the bottom of the slope beneath Beaune Grèves and adjacent to Les Cents Vignes, Clos des Mariages is a mix of young and very old vines planted in clay and limestone soils. The lovely 2022 Blanc shows high-toned aromas of lime-flower, melon, pear, wet stone and honeysuckle. The palate is light and silky with pear, apple and citrus flavors with chalky minerals and herbal notes in the refreshing finish. Superb in 2022, the wine combines lush, lovely fruit with bright acidity and a real mineral presence. Delicious now, but in 5 - 10 years it will be quite special.  David Lillie

Rougeot, Pere et Fils 2021 Meursault 'Sous la Velle'

Dom Perignon 2008 Champagne Rose

Laval, Georges 2019 Champagne Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature 1.5 L

Marguet 2017 Champagne Brut Grand Cru Ay

Marguet 2018 Champagne Grand Cru Verzenay

From the Grand Cru village of Verzenay on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims, this is a Blanc de Noir of Pinot Noir, disgorged in February '23, with zero dosage. 18 mg/l total sulfites, 2072 bottles produced.

Mouzon Leroux NV (Solera) Verzy Grand Cru L'Ascendant Solera

A perpetual cuvée comprised of 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay from Verzy, farmed organically (certified), and fermented in used barrel. Aged 40 months sur latte.

Nowack, Flavien NV Champagne Extra Brut S.A. (Sans Année) B20

Regnault, Stephane NV Champagne Grand Cru Lydien N65

Sadi Malot NV Champagne 1er Cru Blanc de Blanc "Terre D'Origin

d'Angerville 1996 Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds 1.5 L

Perrin, Céline 2020 Aloxe-Corton "Les Boutières"

The Perrin Aloxe-Corton "Les Boutieres" is from a parcel at the southern tip of Aloxe-Corton, bordering Chorey and Savigny-les-Beaune. The name refers to an ancient road that continued up though Savigny and Pernand-Vergelesses used by mule-drivers carrying "boutes' - goat-skins filled with wine, (sometimes from Etruria and Campania (!) as early as the 2nd century BC). One of the best known village level Aloxe sites, these vines are planted in quite deep clay soils full of iron oxide (red mud that sticks to your shoes). This is a classic Boutieres, with vivid red fruit and a meaty salty character somewhat obscured at present by vigorous tannic structure. The color is quite dark, deep ruby, garnet, it has aromas of small red fruits (raspberry, strawberry, cherry) and black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry). Its accents intensify with air: jams and fruits in brandy, pistachio, prunes, truffle, cinnamon. It's by no means unapproachable but 4-6 years in the cellar will bring everything into high definition. Serve with red meats, grilled or in sauce, roasted poultry, game, without forgetting soft and washed-rind cheeses: Epoisses, Ami du Chambertin, Livarot...

Perrin, Céline 2021 Ladoix 1er Cru "Les Joyeuses"

This excellent parcel is a continuation of the Corton hill, adjacent to the Corton 1er Crus. The Perrin "Joyeuses" shows a brilliant garnet with purplish reflections. Raspberry, cherry, candied or brandy and ripe fruit fill the bouquet. We also encounter spicy notes (clove), coffee or cocoa. On the palate, we find all the finesse of the fruit aromas with good structure and just the right amount of tannins. Serve with jambon cru, rabbit, beef, and feathered game and mild-flavored cheeses such as Vacherin, Reblochon, Cîteaux, etc. Best after 4 to 6 years in the cellar, but delicious now as well.

Perrin, Céline 2021 Ladoix "Les Briquottes"

The Perrin Ladoix "Briquottes" is from another part of the quarries that used to cover this slope, just below the 1er Cru "Les Grechons" - the stone was cut into "briques" that were wrapped in paper and put between the bed covers in the winter. Beautiful garnet color with purplish reflections. On the nose, the bouquet opens with very floral, bright red fruits (raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant) and jam. On the palate, we find an elegant light body with all the finesse of the fruits with silky tannins and a chalky texture with a bit of earth and minerals, finishing with firm acidity and sappy berry fruits. This red Ladoix will go well with beef, poultry and game birds, served a bit cool. Delicious now but best 2025 - 2030.

Perrin, Céline 2022 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Celine Perrin's 2022 Bourgogne Rouge is a delightful wine showing a bright red/garnet color with floral high-toned cherry, strawberry and raspberry aromas. From 70 year-old Pinot Noir vines in and around Ladoix. There is sappy cherry fruit on the palate with plum skin, citrus, earth and mineral flavors that continue in the refreshing finish. This is a remarkable value - a beautiful, refreshing light-bodied Pinot Noir with gorgeous fruit, purity and length!

Rouges Queues 2020 Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc

Rouges Queues 2020 Maranges Blanc

Domaine des Lambrays 2004 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

Domaine des Lambrays 2006 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 1.5 L

Drouhin 2020 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Baudes

Dujac 2002 Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Beaux Monts

Dujac 2008 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

Dujac 2008 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

Dujac 2008 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 1.5 L

Dujac 2008 Clos St Denis Grand Cru

Dujac 2008 Clos St Denis Grand Cru 1.5 L

Dujac 2008 Echezeaux Grand Cru

Dujac 2011 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

Dujac 2011 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

Dujac 2011 Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Beaux Monts

Dujac 2011 Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Malconsorts

Dujac 2013 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

Dujac 2013 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 1.5 L

Dujac 2013 Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Malconsorts

Engel, Rene 2003 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Brulees

Mugneret-Gibourg 2010 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots

Perrin, Céline 2021 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuit

The Perrin Hautes-Cotes de Nuits is from vines in and around Ladoix, including the "Clos des Fourches," a tiny parcel above Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Clos de la Marechale."  Another wine that yielded major dividends over the course of a few hours, this started out all cherry skin and white pepper. But with time in the glass, the fruit turned juicy and round and the white pepper subsided, showing allspice, black pepper and a dusty and compelling mineral note with raspberry, cherry, licorice, and violet. Again, terrific value here.

Potel 2007 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

Potel 2007 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

Potel 2007 Latricieres Chambertin Grand Cru

Prieur, Jacques 2000 Musigny Grand Cru

Adam, A.J. 2021 Mosel Riesling Im Pfarrgarten Feinherb

 Dhron is named for a river that flows into the Mosel. Its steep, slatey vineyards form the tributaries northern bank. There, the sites are steeper and at higher altitude than most of Mosel. The wines are a little wispier and saltier and the fruit skews cooler and whiter. The Pfarrgarten is part of the Dhroner Hofberg. The steep, southwest facing Hofberg was given the top rating in Clotten’s 1868 Vineyard maps and was famous up until the exodus of younger winemakers and generation to the cities and flatter lands easier to machine cultivate and harvest. The soils are all Devonian grey slate and the vines are 50 years old. Herbaceous, wet rocks, faint peach and petrol with a beautiful kiss of juicy lemonade, peach fuzz with vibrant acidity and a lithe body clocking in at 10%abv. No sharp edges on this dreamy number.! Giselle Hamburg

Adam, A.J. 2022 Mosel Riesling Dhroner Hofberg Kabinett

The Grand Cru Hofberg is one of the greatest Mosel vineyards. In 1868 the vineyards of this hill were classified by the Prussians as an extraordinary place to make great Rieslings. It`s in a  lovely quiet side valley on the Dhron river with weathered Devonian slate mixed with quartzite. Riesling vines are 30 to 65 years old and some are still ungrafted. Sun comes out late in the morning and settles early; the perfect microclimate for our Hofberg Kabinett! The grapes from this part of the Hofberg are fermented spontaneously in big stainless steel tanks.

Adam, A.J. 2022 Mosel Riesling Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Kabinett

Recently, Adams brother and sister acquired vineyards in the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, specifically a site called Laychen. “Lay” is the old word for slate, and “chen” is the diminutive, referring to the small, broken slate soils of weathered blue slate, clay & sandstone over 100 years old and ungrafted.

Battenfeld Spanier 2013 Hohen Sulzen Riesling Trocken

Brand 21 Electric Chardonnay Acid Test 2021 Pfalz Chardonnay

From the electric Brand Bros in the northern Pfalz comes the new cuvee of Electric Chardonnay Acid Test. The 2021 vintage is 85%Chardonnay and 15% Riesling, from 30 yr old vines grown in limestone soils with loam and loess. Hand harvested, spontneous fermentation, aged in large , neutral barrels, unfined and unfiltered with very low sulphur at bottling. Flashing a vivd, neon yellow hue, the wine is ELECTRIC with zest and verve, pulsatingly palpable in mouthfeel and will have you seeing the psychedelic rainbow of colors as illustrated in their "Monks on Acid" label ( referring  to 1968"s infamous book The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test  by Thomas Wolf). Giselle Hamburg

Bürgerspital 2020 Franken Würzburger Pfaffenberg Sylvaner Trocken

Incredible gold medal awarded 1er Cru single vineyard Sylvaner from it's home in Franken from one of it's most heralded producers Burgerspital making wines since 1316 !!!!! Need more encouragement because not familiar with Sylvaner? Found mostly in Alsace France, there is a healthy smattering in Germany, Austria & Luxembourg but as far as Germany is concerned, Franken reigns king. Lively herbaceousness with citrus, a crunchy minerality and elegant salinity perfect for all Chablis and crisp, mineral white wine lovers! GH

Enderle and Moll 2021 Baden Pinot Noir 'Muschelkalk'

Gunderloch 2016 Rheinhessen Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG

Pettenthal is one of the three Grand Crus from the Roter Hang region along the Rhine in the Rheinhessen south of Mainz. The coolest and steepest Grosse Lage, 2016 marks the first vintage with Johannes Hasselbach as the main winemaker taking over for his father.  Explosive with notes of tangeine, grapefuit, peaches, exotic spices, herbs, smoke and petrol undersored with salty minerality and ample acidity on a lush, dense and creamy body. Perfect for all manner of holiday dishes , a real showstopper! GH

Gunderloch 2021 Rheinhessen Nackenheim Riesling Roten Schiefer

Gunderloch hails from the Rheinhessen's historical "Roter Hang" (Red Slope) area along the Rhine river just south of Mainz. This historical estate from the mid nineteenth century is now in the hands of the latest generation Johannes Hasselbach, who has converted to organic viticulture, native yeast fermentations and minimal handling and sulfur. The wines now have lower alcohol levels, no deacidification, less RS and are less baroque compared to his forefather's wines.  In Nackenheim, they own the dominant portion of the grand cru Rothenberg (sixty-five percent of the estate’s holdings) which is planted completely to Riesling. Their GG from here is the flagship of the estate; 5 kilometers down the road in Nierstein, they also have the GGs Pettenthal and Hipping. The "Roten Schiefer" (red slate) is sourced from all 3 GGs,. Very dry with the red slate coating the tongue and adding spice and herbaceousness to the palate whilst the 12 hours of skin contact adds tannins and tension. Fruit salad and minty nose with explosive, spicy limeade on the palate. Bring on the spicy Thai papaya salad and jungle curried pork! Giselle Hamburg

Gunderloch 2021 Rheinhessen Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG

Pettenthal is one of the three Grand Crus from the Roter Hang region along the Rhine in the Rheinhessen south of Mainz. The coolest and steepest Grosse Lage, the 2021 is already showing hints of petrol with it's cool mineral, herbacous, flinty frame underscored by great freshness and zesty spices from the red slate soils. Layered, dense and powerful, one could drink now but it would  definitely benefit from several years cellaring. A true stunner! GH

Koehler-Ruprecht 2021 Pfalz Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Kabinett Trocken

Named after the shape of the vineyard, (a large sausage in a pig's stomach casing), Saumagen is the estate's calling card. Planted in 1810 on a former limestone quarry from Roman times, Saumagen is famed for it's soils heavy with chalk and individual limestone, producing wines of great concentration. The 21 vintage is elegant and spicy, clocking in at a sprightly 11.5%. A true dry kabinett, delightful! GH

Kühn, Peter Jakob 2018 Rheingau Sekt Brut Riesling

Harvested from the higher, cooler vineyards at the very start of harvest time and made up of Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois.  The base wine is spontaneously fermented followed by the second fermentation in bottle with 24 months aging on the lees. A minimal dosage of 2.9 grams lends it a pristine, linear profile. Aromas of citrus, faint petrol and wet rocks are followed by flavors of brioche, lemon curd and crunchy minerality with zingy acidity and a sprightly mousse.  Although perfect on its own as an aperitif, it's complexity begs for some food whether it be oyster and shellfish or schnitzel and fried chicken! An elegant alternative to Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne that will make your heart sing and your wallet smile! Giselle Hamburg

Lardot, Philip 2022 Mosel Landwein Kontakt Ries/MT

Lauer, Peter 2022 Ayler Kupp Riesling Trocken #25

From Vom Boden Wines: "Think of this as a dry "Barrel X" - it's the village-level dry wine sourced from two sites (Scheidterberg and Rauberg) that circle around the backside of the village. Historically a bit chilly, these sites are now coming into a glorious place... For 2022 this is cut and clear and vigorous with a pronounced acidity - old-school Saar!"  ///////  From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue #66: "The 2022er Ayler Riesling No. 25 is a dry wine (with 6 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked on the Scheidterberg and Rauberg side hills."

Materne & Schmitt Lehmener 2019 Mosel Lehmener Ausoniusstein

The only single vineyard wine our fave Thelma and Louise dynamic duo bottle. An incredible Grosse Lage, of gray and green slate with pockets of rare limestone from a coral reef speckled with fossilized seashells.  Perched high up on a super steep site above the river, it still manages to have a good water supply, necessary for the 100+ year old un-grafted vines. Vinified in steel to a seriously dry 1.4g RS and 6.6g acid (but it feels way higher than that thanks to the wine's innate minerality and very low RS). An incredible, rare wine of penetrating aromatics, terrific nerve and purity.

Müller, Egon 2009 Saar Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett Auction Alte Reben

Müller, Egon 2019 Saar Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese Auction

Müller, Egon 2020 Saar Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese Auction

Schaefer, Willi 2022 Mosel Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett 1.5 Liter

Stein 2022 Mosel Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Feinherb Alte Reben

Stein, Ulli 2022 Mosel Riesling Weihwasser Feinherb

Ulli knocks it out of the park again with this breathtakingly ethereal "Feinherb". Weihwasser means Holywater and Holy Moly is right; almost imperceptibly off dry clocking in at 11.5%, it wafts slightly saline lemonade, white flowers and pear on the nose. Flavors of wet rocks and honeydew underscored by herbaceous spearmint dance above the lithe body with a long, elegant finish. Dangerously gulpable so buy two for your next picnic! Giselle Hamburg

Thorle 2020 Rheinhessen Saulheimer Trocken Spätburgunder

Thorle is a 16th century estate in the center of the Rheinehessen, under new ownership of the Thorle brothers since 2006 who have converted the estate to being Certified Organic as of 2022. The estate is comprised of  three vineyards on a mix of limestone and clay with loess top soils. All wines are unfiltered, gravity clarified, barrel-aged and bottled with minimal SO2. Their Spatburgunder is serious and dark fruited; spontaneously fermented on the skins for 3-4 weeks with frequent punch downs, aged in french oak for 20 months and bottled unfiltered.

Von Winning NV Pfalz Riesling Sekt Extra Brut

We received this elegant sparkling Riesling  just in time for the Holidays. Von Winning maintains some of the oldest parcels in Grosses Gewächs vineyards scattered across Forst, Deidesheim, and Ruppertsberg in the Pfalz due west from Heidelberg. The Sekt is sourced from different vineyards in Deidesheim, from chalky red sandstone soils. Bone dry and ethereal, it benefits from 2+ years on the lees and a low dosage of 3 grams with a delicate mousse and notes of citrus, peach and chalk. Wunderbar! Giselle Hamburg

Cotswolds Dry Gin

A recent arrival to the US market! Named for the rural area outside of London in where the distillery is located, Cotswolds Gin went into production in 2014. Nine botanicals undergo 18-hour maceration in a base distillate of wheat and these include juniper, coriander, bay, fresh citrus peel, and black pepper, among others. It is beautifully aromatic – juniper heavy, with cool overtones of balsam, mint, rosemary, cucumber, and lime – but maintains a classic, dry profile on the palate with added lift seemingly from the fresh citrus peel. Green herbs and black pepper creep in on the finish. Very balanced and long, this makes a killer Martini, and it is also un-chillfiltered so it clouds up when cold! Tim Gagnon

Fort Hamilton New World Dry Gin

Progressive Hebridean Distillers (Bruichladdich) The Botanist Islay Dry Gin 750ml

Perhaps better known for their single malt Scotch whisky, the Bruichladdich Distillery also creates this expressive and somewhat atypical gin in their small corner of Islay. Master Distiller Jim McEwen works with his old Lomond pot still lovingly known as “Ugly Betty” and a recipe comprised of 9 classic gin ingredients (juniper, coriander seed, orris root, cassia bark, etc.) as well as 22 locally foraged botanicals giving this gin a unique and compelling character. The nose is powerful with luscious aromas of grapefruit peel, green apple, mint, wildflower honey, tropical fruit, anise, and coriander. On the palate it is rich and silky smooth with herbal and citrus notes that carry through onto the finish. This is a truly distinct spirit, and would do well in many interpretations of classic cocktails or sipped neat. Tim Gagnon

Sipsmith London Dry Gin 750ml

London doubled its number of urban gin distilleries several years ago with the addition of Sipsmith’s copper pot stills. Although most gin drinkers are familiar with the phrase “London Dry,” they may be surprised to learn that when Sipsmith opened, the only other distillery within London city limits was Beefeater, and Beefeater makes more gin in a day than Sipsmith will in an entire year. Sipsmith has a richness that immediately distinguishes it from many other gins. This makes it the perfect ingredient in classic cocktails like a Martini or gin-and-tonic, which, when made with Sipsmith, have an enhanced weight and sense of balance. The gin tastes most strongly of fresh juniper, putting it squarely in the “London Dry” camp, but playing in the background are spicy notes of coriander and very lively citrus peel. We hear rumors that the future may bring a Pimm’s Cup-style spirit from Sipsmith… John Rankin

Barale 2018 Barolo di Barolo

Called “Barolo di Barolo” because the fruit comes from vineyards in the town of Barolo, this is labeling that we’re seeing more of these days. The wine shows some of the best aspects of the good 2018s – lovely light weight, savory and easy drinking, with entrancing citrus, rose, and earthy notes. A wine more on the side of finesse than power, it’s nonetheless complete. It will drink very well now and for the next 10+ years. Jamie Wolff

Barale 2020 Barbaresco Serraboella

Barale 2021 Barbera d'Alba Castle

Brezza 2016 Barolo Castellero

Bricco Ernesto 2019 Vino Rosso (Nebbiolo - Roero)

100% Nebbiolo. Soil sand 70%, limestone 20%, clay 10%. De-stemmed, quick four day mecaration on the skin before fermentation. Indigenous yeats in a mix of anfora 50% and large barrels 50% for 35 days. Malolactic fermentation in same barrels for 9 months before resting in the bottle for an additional 3 months. No filtration. One of Italy's first certified organic vineyard, in the Roero area of Piemonte in NW Italy.

Clerico, Domenico 2006 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

Conterno, Giacomo 2008 Barolo Cascina Francia 1.5 L

Conterno, Giacomo 2009 Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia

Conterno, Giacomo 2017 Barolo Francia

Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo del Commune di Verduno 1.5 L

Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo Gramolere

Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo Gramolere 1.5 L

Fratelli Alessandria 2019 Barolo Monvigliero 1.5 L

Produttori del Barbaresco 1962 Barbaresco Riserva (arrives December '23)

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2004 Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2007 Barolo Brunate - le Coste

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2009 Barolo Brunate - Le Coste

We tasted this from barrel in May (barrel meaning really big old ‘botte’ – the barrel in question stands at least 15 feet high) and the wine was spectacular then. Very classic, very pure with great balance and everything desirable present. A wine to love, but a wine for the cellar. Jamie Wolff (2011)

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2009 Barolo Brunate - Le Coste 3L

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2009 Barolo Cannubi - Ravera

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2009 Barolo Cannubi - Ravera 1.5 L

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2011 Barolo Tre Tine

Formerly labeled Cannubi San Lorenzo - Ravera, this is close to same blend / same wine. Early on (from barrel in 2014) the Tre Tine seemed closer in style to Brunate than usual, sharing a dark core of ripe fruit, and very ripe tannin. A year later there was more obvious difference, with the elegance of Cannubi beginning to shine. Out of about 120 Barolos, this is one of the very best 2011s we've tasted. Jamie Wolff

Rinaldi, Giuseppe 2014 Barolo Brunate

Rosso, Giovanni 2016 Barolo La Serra

Settimo, Aurelio 2016 Barolo Rocche d'Annunziata

Sordo 2016 Barolo Monvigliero

Villa Guelpa 2019 Sizzano

70% Nebbiolo with 30% Vespolina (a relation or descendent of Nebbiolo which brings amplified red fruit and spicy / peppery notes to the blend). The soils are allluvial, with  large pepples; the vines are 25-40 years old. Grapes are organic, and fermentation is with indigenous yeasts; 12 days of maceration is followed by aging for 24 months in older 20HL Slavoinian botte. This yields a high-toned vibrant wine, with white pepper (from the Vespolina) and red berries, a hint of orange zest and rose - an elegant, complex, and delicious wine. Jamie Wolff

Villa Guelpa 2020 Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo

This is a ridiculously tasty, charming wine - ready (and easy) to drink; I can imagine it slightly chilled, poured with whatever you have on the grill... At 13 alcohol, it's very fresh and bright, with distinct ripe cherry fruit and wild herbs - just plain delicious, beautifully made wine. Jamie Wolff

Fonterenza 2019 IGT Tosana Rosso Alberello

Truly a Rosso wearing Brunello shoes, this is from a single parcel trained in alberello style. Yields are quite low, with relatively large bunches that have very spaced out grapes, and year after year, the Padovani sisters noted the exceptional quality of the wine coming from this vineyard, so they began bottling it as a single vineyard wine in 2015. 2019 was a great vintage in Tuscany, and a fantastic vintage for this wine, which is by all means on a level if not soaring above many Brunellos in the market. The vines are located just south-east of the town of Montalcino.

Fuoristrada (Monte Bernardi) NV Sangiovese TetraPak Liter 1L

Gioventu 2021 Chianti

Mocali 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

At 17 years of age this hits the sweet spot showing both youthful fruit and mature aromas and flavors. The wine is very aromatic, led by blackberry-like fruit balanced by violet and herbal notes; the palate is rich and suave, layered with subtle flavors of fruit and saline minerals. This is a real treat! Jamie Wolff

Mocali 2018 Brunello di Montalcino

A recent visit to Montalcino proved illuminating: there are a number of exceptional wines to explore. As it happens, I didn't get to meet with Mocali, but I am much better attuned to appreciate Brunello, and the Mocali wines were so good that it was an easy decision to buy them after tasting last week. The wine is quite full bodied, but lifted with juicy black fruit and good acidity. Three years in large barrels (a mix of Slavonian and French oak) lends gravitas - this is a serious wine, but very drinkable now.

Bricco Ernesto 2020 Vino Bianco (Arneis - Roero)

Arneis. 0.6 hectareas only 0.3 in use. Soil sand 70% limestone 20% clay 10%. 4 days maceration. Indigenous yeast. Fermentation: amphora 50% large barrels 50%. Aged for 9 months in the same containers before resting in bottle for 3 aditional months.

La Marca di San Michele 2019 Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi DO Superiore Capovolta

This wine is fresh and bright but has gained complexity with age to the point where it is competing with some of Italy’s best white wines. Aromatically fine and layered, with typical almond, a hint of white flowers, tarragon, fennel, and other green herbs it’s fairly full-bodied and shows no heat (at 13 degrees alcohol); the pleasing vinosity and richness is carried by quite pronounced saline mineralilty and lively hints of fresh lime. All in all this is a perfect moment for this lovely wine. Jamie WolffA truly fantastic wine. On the nose, there is a fresh nuttiness, accented by plush herbs, white blossoms, clementines and apricot. Flavors are generous, and the mouthfeel defies the wine's age. Lemons, orange pith, and zingy white minerals cling to an awesome, filling structure. Great acidity and a little tannin - you lick your gums after you sip it. Powerful wine, and an absolute stand-out at this price point.

Lombardo, Giordano 2022 Gavi di Gavi Vigna San Martino

Montesecondo 2019 Trebbiano Tïn

The ‘Tin’ cuvées are the most innovative wines being made at Montesecondo. The name is an homage to Silvio’s North African heritage (“Tin” means clay in Arabic); the ‘Tin’ wines are fermented and aged in clay amphora. The white 'Tin' is produced from a parcel that is primarily Trebbiano Toscano interplanted with a bit of Malvasia. The grapes are destemmed and placed in 250 to 350-liter unlined amphora to ferment for six months, and then bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine shows aromas of ripe stone fruit and the palate is more lifted than many orange wines made with extended skin contact, perhaps due to the relatively tame personality of Trebbiano Toscano. The texture is soft rather than rugged with crisp acidity and delicate tannins showing flavors of tart white peach and fresh citrus fruit. Fascinating on its own, I think that it would be an easy match for all kinds of food: try it with rich pasta dishes, olives and cheese, white fish, grilled chicken or artichokes. - Andy Paynter  /// This was Andy's old tasting note for the 2016 Trebbiano Tin, which was spot on and consistent on tech, with maceration now averaging between 6-8 months depending on the vintage. I recently opened a bottle of the Tin 2019 and I can say it's the best vintage of the wine I've ever had. Silvio has clearly found a way to utilize skins and amphorae to achieve a delicate mouthfeel and an added layer of complexity to the wine, without overdoing it. All of the flavors and textures are harmonious and balanced, it's a success!

Passofonduto 2022 Sicily Vino Bianco Solfare

This is the best skin-contact wine I’ve tasted in a long time - this might seem like faint praise, but I assure you: this wine is spectacular. Just one day of maceration with the skins lends it distinctly orange wine character, but anyone who thinks they don’t care for skin-contact white will likely change their mind with Solfare. For one thing it’s fresh and clean – no weird mousiness, etc. For another it’s a living text book example of terroir and minerality, showing intense chalk and saline aromas and flavors, with added complexity from savory herbs and resin, and fruit that echoes ripe Chenin Blanc. The wine is very brisky and juicy, wound together with bracing acidity. A brilliant wine and a great addition to the best wines of Sicily. Jamie Wolff //  LDM Notes: "Grillo and Catarratto are destemmed, macerated for one day then fermented and aged half in steel and half in French oak barrels. About 5% of the blend comes from aromatic white grapes Giuseppe does not know the name of...The grapes for this wine come from the Contrada Torre di Salto d'Angio from vines that are over 40 years old in pergola training (converted from albarello). The contrada is at about 500m elevation."

Ronco Severo 2019 Colli Orientali Pinot Grigio

 This is an orange wine made from late-harvest Pinot Grigio, which is fermented on its skins for about a month, gently pressed, and then raised on the lees for an additional 23 months. However, because Pinot Grigio has much more pigment in the skins than other white grapes, the extended skin contact causes it to look and drink like a very light red wine.  A beautiful salmon color in the glass, the nose opens with notes of tropical red fruit and guava, as well as mandarin orange, a hint of red berry fruit, and spice. The palate shows more citrus, with blood orange, ruby red grapefruit, grapefruit peel and more pungent spice. Very well integrated but significant tannins coupled with great acidity.

Sara, Marco 2021 Friuli Colli Orientale Friulano

Friuliano grape. Vinified and aged in steel.

Vignato 2019 Gambellara Classico El Gian

If you love Soave, this is the wine for you without paying the premium of the famous place name! Located about a 15 minute drive from Soave are the volcanic hills of Gambellara. Davide Vignato was the first winemaker to be certified organic and practicing biodynamic in this DOC.  Made from 100% Garganega, the same grape as Soave, "El Gian" is named after the winemaker’s father who planted the vines 25 years ago in these rolling hills using the traditional pergola system. The wine is made in stainless steel tanks and rests on the lees for five months before being bottled. Straw yellow in color, it has both fruity and floral aromas, good minerality and acidity, and is savory with a hint of spice and citrus. Perfect with a meaty white fish, chicken or even a quiche at brunch!

Alexandre Giquel 2021 Vouvray

Baudouin 2019 Anjou Rouge Coteaux d'Ardenay

From vines in Ardenay (Anjou Noir) on volcanic rock, schist, shale and sandstone. 100% de-stemmed. 40-day ambient yeast fermentation with maceration by infusion. Aged 12 months on the lees in Burgundian oak barrels (2-4 years old). Racked and aged another 4 months in tank before bottled. Minimal SO2 additions.

Bertin-Delatte 2022 VDF Argonette (Grolleau)

Bonhomme, Pierre-Olivier 2022 Vin de France La Tesniere Pineau D'Aunis

This is a light and lovely expression of Pineau d'Aunis from Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, from vines near the Cher river  on clay with silex in organic and biodynamic farming. Aged in old futs and demi-muids, bottled without filtration, minimal SO2. The 2022 shows a pretty light red color with subtle aromas of ripe raspberry, citrus, white pepper and violets, really pretty. A touch deeper than the 2021, it nonetheless delivers on the Pineau D'Aunis promise of peppery and bright rustic flavors. Lip-smacking acidity and a beautifully refreshing finish of minerals, earth and pretty red fruits. This is a delightfully refreshing version of Pineau d'Aunis - serve cool!

Bonhomme, Pierre-Olivier 2022 Vin de France Le Telquel

This "poil dur" is wagging its tail again in 2022, showing the ripeness and balance of this good vintage in the Loire Valley, with juicy aromas of blackberry, rose, spice and citrus. It's Gamay with a bit of Cabernet Franc in this vintage, with an extra layer of ripeness, and nice density of bright blackberry fruit, a bit floral and spicy. Quite refreshing with good length of lush berry fruits and citrusy acids in the finish. Serve a bit cool with charcuterie, chicken and pork - just delicious!  David Lillie

Bonnefoy (La Madone) 2022 IGP Urfé Sauvignons Gris/Blanc Volcan

 The Bonnefoy 2022 "Sauvignons" is 60% Sauvignon Gris and 40% Sauvignon Blanc (massale selection) grown in basalt soils on the east face of the volcano of Purchon. Farming is certified organic and Biodynamic, all harvests are by hand, and Gilles Bonnefoy has a low-intervention approach in the cellar, where he eschews additives or new oak. The nose shows flinty stone and ripe citrus notes that continue on the palate,  which shows further notes of gooseberries and a slight tropicality. There's nice density and length here, making it a quite serious expression of Sauvignon, distinguished by its long and dense mineral finish. A lovely wine that should definitely not be served too cold: this is Sauvignon with real substance.

Chevalerie 2014 Bourgueil Bretêche

(In the fall of 2023, this wine is really singing and will be wonderful for Thanksgiving!) Bretêche (Domaine de la Chevalerie is the only estate claiming this vineyard name) is the easternmost vineyard, a rented plot on the border of Ingrandes-de-Touraine. On the southwestern exposed upper part of the mid-slope, the vines are planted on a meter-deep heavier clay with high mica content above the Turonian yellow tuffeau. The vines, biodynamically farmed, are between 25 to 55 years old. More powerful than Busardières with broader tannins, the wine maintains a great freshness. Hand-harvested and destemmed, the grapes are macerated for up to 20 days and aged in large used barrels in the magnificent underground cave dug into the yellow tuffeau for roughly 8 to 10 moths. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.  2014 is considered a great classic vintage in the Loire for Cabernet Franc, and it is indeed very good at Domaine de la Chevalerie, with fruit a little darker than the 2015 (this opposite to a lot of other estates in the region).  Ruby purple in the glass this cuvée as usual has more freshness, tension and a little austerity - 2014 enhances these typical quality of the wine! More open than the 2015, the nose has distinctive black cherry,  elderberry notes, Chinese badiane and spearmint. The palate is still deliciously youthful barely showing any evolution, with lean and brilliant acidity, and oolong-like tannins. It is already very-well structured and poised, not angular at all. Decant it 2 hours and serve it in Bordeaux glasses, or keep it 20 years or so - I would say it will reach another plateau by 2025. Enjoy it with a duck magret, the juice reduced with a touch of raspberry vinegar, or sweetbreads in a madeira sauce. 100% Cabernet Franc. Pascaline Lepeltier 

Chevalerie 2015 Bourgueil Les Galichets

The Chevalerie "Galichets" vineyard is on mid-slope Turonian limestone with clay and alluvial sand and gravel topsoil, rich in silex; the vines average about 60 years of age - similar to the "Chevalerie" parcel but a bit lower on the slope, giving a wine that is more open and easy for early drinking.  The 2015 vintage is excellent, with a bit more ripeness and lower acidity than 2014, while retaining the core of minerals and acidity always found in the Chevalerie wines. The aromas of black raspberry and blackberry fruit are ripe and floral. The palate is dense and silky, very mineral with ripe red and black fruits and a clean vibrant finish. Still quite youthful, but drinking beautifully now.  David Lillie

Foucher Lebrun 2022 Touraine Sauvignon Blanc

(NY Times Twenty Under $20 for Thanksgiving) Made from organically farmed vineyards on the edge of the Touraine territory, this racy and energetic Sauvignon Blanc is the baby brother to the Foucher Sancerre Le Mont. Yet another astonishing Loire value from Maison Foucher.

Guion 2018 Bourgueil Cuvée Prestige

(10 cases left of the 2018 Prestige)  2018 brings us another great Cuvée Prestige from Stéphane Guion in Bourgueil, whose domaine has been certified organic since the 1960s. From vines averaging 45 years old on thin topsoils of sandy clay over limestone (tuffau jaune) in Benais, a terroir that produces some of the most elegant and age-worthy Bourgueils. 2018 is a great vintage for Loire reds, despite the very warm and humid spring that brought attacks of mildew. The summer was perfect, warm and dry, without spikes of heat, and the soils retained enough moisture to bring freshness to the very ripe grapes. Tasted with Stéphane in February 2020, the 2018 Prestige showed elegant intensely perfumed aromas of red and black fruit liqueurs. The palate was complex and earthy, very calcaire, dense but not heavy with beautifully supple ripe red and black fruits, with a long finish of saline and mineral flavors quite present below the sappy fruit. We look forward to a more thorough tasting after the wine rests from its voyage, but it's quite clear that this will be delicious to drink as a young wine, and - although it may seem crazy to cellar a $17 wine for 20 years - those that do will be rewarded with a unique expression of this great terroir. I'm hoping to live to be 100 to have that experience myself!  David Lillie (2010 Prestige 10/28/23 - Red/black color with red rim; aromas of crushed berries, red currant, earth, minerals; palate sapid, dense, black fruits and soil, firm acidity, terrific length of fruit/mineral/acid...)

Guion 2019 Bourgueil Cuvée Authentique

2019 brings us another superb wine from Stéphane Guion in Bourgueil, whose domaine has been certified organic since the 1960s. The new Cuvée Authentique replaces the Cuvée Prestige (we're not sure why?) coming from vines averaging 50 years-old on thin topsoils of sandy clay over limestone (tuffau jaune)  in the parcels "Grand Mont," "les Marquises," le Vlaudons," "le Maupas," "les Caveries," "Petit Mont" and "Chavannes," terroirs that produces some of the most elegant and age-worthy Bourgueils. 2019 was another hot, dry year in the Loire Valley, but light rains in September and early October brought balance to  the grapes, producing wines that are ripe and generous, with firm acidities and moderate alcohol. Tasted in France last February the 2019 Authentique showed gorgeous aromas of red and black fruits with floral, earth  and herbal notes, quite pretty and ripe. The palate showed deeper black fruits, earth, spice and stone with the intense mineral character and firm acidity always present in Stephane's wines, with a moderate 13% alcohol, and a fabulous cool and sapid mineral finish. This superb  wine will benefit from a long decant or a few years in the cellar, it should open up beautifully in five years or so, enjoy until 2040+  David Lillie

Guion 2020 Bourgueil Cuvée Candide

This is another beautiful wine from the shy and affable Stéphane Guion who is quietly making some of the best wines in Bourgueil. His 2020 Cuvèe Candide (Formerly Domaine) is from not-so-young (15 to 40 year-old) vines, on clay/limestone terroir in Benais and is equal to the superb 2018 and 2019 perhaps even better! The balance is just perfect at 12% alcohol. The wine shows a deep, vivid black/red color with bright rim with intense, pure aromas of cassis, black raspberry and blackberry confit (a little bighter than the 2019), stone and violets - very deep and ripe but still bright with earth and minerals as well. The palate is medium-bodied, finely textured, sappy and very fresh with firm acidity and chalky, saline mineral flavors framing the very pure blackberry and black cherry liqueur fruits, which continue in the long chalky finish, which somehow remains light and balanced. Great wine!  Drink now, served cool, with grilled chicken and pork, charcuterie, green vegetables and mild cheeses, or hold 5 to 8 years for a velvety mature experience. This is a brilliant wine, especially given the ridiculous price - enjoy! David Lillie

Lambert, Patrick 2018 Chinon L'Ame d'Antan

This beautiful Chinon is from 70 year-old vines in  clay soils over limestone in Sonnay, near Cravant. The wine ages for 18 months in old barrels, less than 200 cases are made. 2018 is a great vintage for Ame D'Antan, which shows a deep black/garnet color with elegant aromas of ripe blackberry and strawberry with hints of violet, prune, citrus and crushed stone. The palate is dense but bright, with a silky texture, showing pure blackberry fruit with earth and licorice with firm mineral acidity. Good length with lingering berry and mineral flavors. Delicious now, it will age beautifully, probably best 2025 to 2035+. Highly recommended. DL

Lambert, Patrick 2018 Chinon Vieilles Vignes

The delicious Chinon Vieilles Vignes of Patrick Lambert is from 55 - 60 year-old vines on sandy clay soils over limestone. Hand harvested and fermented with wild yeasts, as are all of Lambert's wines, the Vieilles Vignes gets 12 months of aging in old barrels. The wine shows a deep red/black color and ripe blackberry and strawberry aromas with pepper, earth and citrus. The palate is deep and ripe in 2018, showing earthy blackberry and strawberry compote with prune and bitter chocolate and firm structure. This is a complex, old-fashioned Chinon that will accompany roast chicken and anything off the grill, served a bit cool. Age for five to ten years for a mature experience. David Lillie

Lambert, Patrick 2021 Chinon Rosé

(Arrives 4/28) This delightful Chinon Rosé comes from Patrick Lambert's 6 hectares of organic vines in Cravant, around the corner from his friend and mentor, Bernard Baudry. Hand harvested from 25-year-old Cabernet Franc vines on gravel and sandy clay soils over limestone. The 2021 shows lovely aromas of berry fruits with citrus and rose; the palate is silky and ripe with raspberry, cherry, citrus and stone flavors with nice density and texture, with juicy acids, berry flavors and saline minerals in the finish. This is drinking beautifully now and will  be delicious through the summer and into 2024. This is a fabulous value and highly recommended. David Lillie

Lambert, Patrick 2022 Chinon Gourmandise

"Gourmandise" is a beautiful "drink young" cuvée from Patrick Lambert, made from Cabernet Franc vines grown on sandy gravel soils near the Vienne. The wine shows a bright black/red color with lush high-toned aromas of crushed strawberry and black raspberry, with hints of citrus and pepper. The palate is supple and bright with luscious black raspberry and red currant fruit, quite lush and full-bodied in this superb vintage for the Loire but still with refreshing  acidity. Serve this lovely wine quite cool with charcuterie and grilled chicken, pork or burgers, it's a perfect quaffing Cab Franc to drink over the next  year or two...  David Lillie

Le Monde est Petit 2020 Vin de France Chardonnay

This is a fresh and friendly, direct press of Chardonnay, which is aged for 6 months in fiberglass tanks. I think of it as the perfect salad or grilled cheese wine. It is clean, unoaked, with subtle orchard fruit on the nose, crisp finish, a bit like what you'd expect from a Chardonnay mixed with what you'd expect from a Muscadet. Pleasant, stony and well balanced.  -EL

Les Capriades 2022 VdF Méthode Ancestrale Pet'Sec

A delicious, mineral-driven Pet-Nat from Pascal Potaire, "Les Capriades" is all Chardonnay in the '22 vintage. Touraine's limestone soils are on full display in this bottling. Aromas of crushed seashells and lemon zest will have you craving oysters on cue. The body is crackling with vibrant, tart acidity and a crunchy mineral texture that ushers the citrus notes over to a beautiful sweet note that rounds everything into a powerful finish. A wonderful, complex and delicious wine that we highly recommend.

Morin, Pierre 2019 Sancerre "Bellechaume" Rouge

Pierre Morin makes this lovely red Sancerre from a small parcel in Bue on Kimmeridgian "terres blanches" soils. The 2019 "Bellechaume" is a beautiful glass of Pinot Noir with a unique mineral backbone imparted by the Kimmeridgian soils. The aromas are of ripe black cherry and berries with earth, bitter chocolate, citrus and minerals, quite complex and Burgundian. There is delicious ripe cherry  on the palate, which is sapid and long with lovely earth and mineral notes.Fuller bodied and structured from the hot vintage. This is delicious now, especially with some aeration, but will obviously drink well for another 5 to 8 years. Enjoy!

Pépière 2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Briords Vieilles Vignes

100% Melon de Bourgogne. Briords is a 3-hectare lieu-dit in the cru of Château Thébaud. These vines are the estate's oldest plot, planted from massale selection 60-70 years ago. The sandy clay soils are rich in granite de Thébaud, a type differing from granite de Clisson in in its higher feldspar and clay content; it is cooler, holds water well and ripens the fruit more slowly. The farming is certified-biodynamic and the vineyard work including harvest is manual. 2022 was  a vintage of heat and sunshine but with frost in the spring that lowered yields. Much needed light rains in August enabled the grapes to ripen properly, and an early harvest brought in perfectly ripe fruit with somewhat lower acidities than usual. The 2022 "Briords" showed beautifully last winter in Angers - wonderfully elegant and round with terrific density and length. - vivid aromas of dried pear, bitter lemon, anise and herbs with surprising hints of exotic fruit backed with earth and mineral notes. The aromatic ripeness is more restrained on the palate which shows beautifully supple and dense  pear and ripe apple fruit with adequate acidty, quite round and ripe, and finishing with nice grip and mineral flavors that linger on the palate. This is a beautiful "Briords," reminding me of 2009 - irresistible now and over the next 8 to 10 yeaars, but not for long-term aging. Of course serve with oysters and grilled fish, this full-bodied Briords wil also accompany lobster, scallops, chicken and white meats. Highly recommended! David Lillie

Pépière 2019 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Cru Château Thébaud

The Château Thébaud comes from old vines in vineyards with great terroir on slopes overlooking the river Maine. The granite here (Granite de Château Thébaud, oddly enough) is fissured and permeable by the vine roots which have access to water during dry spells and absorb micro-nutrients along the way.  2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 here were among the best of the vintage in Muscadet and the 2019 will stand out as well due to the combination of density and minerality with the firm acidity and great ripeness of this very good vintage year for Muscadet. Our tasting in February revealed a superb Muscadet, not marked by the heat of the vintage, showing crystalline white fruit and stone flavors with firm acidity, fantastic purity, density and length. Of course this will offer briliant drinking as a young wine, but try to put some away for ten years at least. "On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with marvelous depth at the core, superb soil undertow, zesty acids and a very long, poised and beautifully balanced finish. This is drinking quite nicely today, albeit, with far more complexity to come with extended cellaring. A fine, fine bottle"  VFTC

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.

Rougeot, Pere et Fils 2021 Bourgogne 'Les Lameroses' Sans Soufre Ajoute

Argyros Monsignori 2015 Santorini Vin Santo First Release

Perhaps one of the most surprising discoveries I made during my september visit to Santorini was this 2015 First Release Vin Santo. Although Santorini is known mainly for it's insane Caldera views and it's white wine made from Assyrtiko, as a former holding of the Venetian empire and the Catholic Church (!!!), Vin Santos from Italy were well known and appreciated on the island. It wasn't until the late 20th century that the island started producing it's own. As best said by the current owner Mattheos Argyros, who has now completely taken over the estate since his father's recent passing: "My father, Yiannis Argyros, was amongst the first – if not the first – who bottled and labeled Vinsanto. My father’s passion to produce a higher quality Vinsanto prompted him to age our Vinsanto longer and longer to help realize the potential of this very special wine. My father also developed a technique of choosing different parcels to source the grapes for our Vinsanto and of blending different barrels to come up with a recipe that he passed on to me… a family secret!" As per Stefanos Georgas, winery director with whom I visited and tasted with, the First Release is made from a  strict selection of excessively old Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri vineyards in Episkopi, two hundred year old minimum, specifically earmarked for this style. Harvested at very deep ripeness, almost a month after the main picking date, giving insanely low yields. The grapes are sun dried on the ground for ten days, natural fermentation and three years of ageing in old, open concrete vats, with additional aging for four years in old wooden vats. Hence, the colour skews dark amber with a surpisingly light body clocking in at 13% abv with a stunning 250gms of RS! However, due to it's incredible FRESH ACIDITY, THE SUGAR IS BARELY DISCERNABLE with notes of orange zest and fig. At the winery, the wine is paired with an exquisite dark chocolate that they coproduce with an Austrian Chocolatier (!!!) made with dark chocolate and orange zest, a match made in heaven!  I tasted many Vin Santos in Santorini but this one is in a league of it's own! Giselle Hamburg

Chandra Kurt Chasselas Glou Glou 2021 Valais, Switzerland Chasselas

Domaine Douloufakis 2022 Crete (Greece) Dafnios Vidiano

Situated in the heart of the wine-growing zone of Crete, in Dafnes of Heraklion, on hill slopes at an altitude of 350 - 450 meters. The terroir of the Dafnes region is characterized by limestone soil and  has a long viticultural history since the Venetian rule in Crete.  Dafne is the name of the winery's village as well as the laurel tree the nymph Daphne was transformed into after rejecting  Apollo's advances (hence the laurel leaves on the label). Douloufakis is one of the oldest wineries on the island and certified organic. Their Vidiano explodes with aromas of white flowers, herbs, pears, citrus and wet rocks. The palate is medium bodied, citrusy & herbal with ripe pear and a slightly bitter, mineral, long finish. For lovers of Assyrtiko and Albarino. Serve with  pork roast with leeks or octopus with chickpeas and peppers. Giselle Hamburg

Moric 2017 Transdanubia, Hungary Hidden Treasures Somlo No. 2

Hidden Treasure Project No. 2 is a cooperation with Tamas Kis from Somlo. This is a completely dry white wine made from the trio of grapes Hàrslevelü, Furmint and Olaszrizling (or Welschriesling).

Moric 2019 Transdanubia, Hungary Hidden Treasures Balaton No. 3

 No. 3 is from Balaton, a collaboration with Philipp Oser of Villa Tolnay. Philip Oser originates from Switzerland and started Villa Tolnay on the shores of Lake Balaton in 2004. Here, Oser grows Riesling and Furmint in rich basalt soils. The vineyards stretch up Csobanc hill, the remains of a magnificent volcanic mountain surrounded by the sedimentary deposits of the former Pannonian Sea. The distinct minerality in these soils make the Lake Balaton region a very special place to make wine. The wine undergoes spontaneous/native fermentation partly in used Stockinger barrels or Hungarian oak and partly in stainless steel.

Thalassinos 2020 Crete Liatiko Little Troublemaker

Is it an Orange wine? Is it a Rose? It has 3 hours skin contact and 9 months on the lees in amphora...but from a pale red grape called Liatiko (the main red grape of Crete).  Hence the name given to the winemaker by his neighbors: Little Troublemaker! New young blood Isidoros is shaking things up on the Sitia plateau in Crete above the main Capital of Heraklion up in the mountains. Grown on shale and limestone soils at 800m elevation from ancient 100-200 year old vines, they are hand harvested at dawn to avoid the heat and wild fermented. Unfined and unfiltered. after it's 9 months in amphora, it spends another 10 months in bottle with minimal addition of sulfites. Regardless of what you call it, it busts a move right out of the glass full of herbs, rocks and orange zest, tart pomegranate and sheer delightful caprice...Little Troublemaker!!! Giselle Hamburg

Zafeirakis NV Tyrnavos (Thessalia) Prolgue Extra Brut Rose

A newer release from Christos Zafeirakis, Prologue is  a sparkling rosé made with the traditional method and is a 50/50 blend of Limniona and Assyrtiko. Clocking in as an Extra Brut with 4 grams dosage after spending almost 2.5 years on the lees.  Showing a pale salmon robe, Prologue is super zesty and bright with notes of citrus, wild strawberries and yeasty brioche underscored by a cool minerality and  long finsh with a lively mousse. An ethereal yet laser focused sparkler capable of giving your well known rose champagnes a serious run for the money; perfect for Thanksgiving dinner! Giselle Hamburg

Zidianakis 2022 Crete (Greece) Semissis VilanaMalvazia

From a family owned winery up in the hills behind the capital Heraklion in Crete, "Semissis" (meaning "ancient gold coin") is a blend of two aromatic white grapes, Malvazia and Vilana. As per the winery: " Semissis was one of the gold coins of Byzanteum; 2 Semissis were worth one Nomisma, just like the two exquisite varieties in this wine".  Malvazia has an intensely fruity character and the Vilana which is extremely rare, is referred to as the Queen or Riesling of Cretan white varietals bringing high acidity and floral aromatics. After fermentation in stainless, the wine stays on the lees for 4 months before bottling. The result is a golden blend of jamine and ripe peach, a pure delight! Giselle Hamburg

Carmarans, Nicolas 2022 IGP Aveyron Maximus

After running one of the most important wine restaurants in Paris (Le Café de la Nouvelle Mairie), Nicolas Carmarans decided to sell off his business to go back to his roots and revive the vineyards of his grand-parents in Le Bruel, a little hamlet lost in Aveyron. 5th largest department in France, Aveyron is one of the most isolated, mostly populated by sheep and pasture. Yet in the medieval time this was one of the most important vineyard in the country, on the path to Santiago-di-Compostella. Starting in 2002 and rehabilitating slowly but surely the terraces and the vineyards, Nicolas put back the Pays d'Entraygues on the map! His wines are just soulful and delicious. Maximus is an invigorating expression of Fer Servadou from high altitude vineyards on granitic slopes. Vinified in whole-cluster and semi-carbonic maceration in stainless steel with a short aging  (8 months), the wine bursts with pomegranate, wild strawberry and blood orange zest, without loosing its medicinal undertones (gentiane, thai basil and pepper). 2022 being a warm vintage, the wine shows lovely density and ripeness, yet keeps its vibrating tension and slight grippy tannins making it so drinkable! It is a very versatile wine :  pop it up with pizzas, tacos, soy-marinated tuna, or enjoy it by itself! 100% Fer Servadou.

Dupasquier 2018 Roussette de Savoie Altesse

Like all of the wines from David and Veronique Dupasquier, this Roussette de Savoie (Altesse) was fermented and partially aged in undergound concrete vats, then aged on the fine lees for a year in large foudre before spending 18 months in bottle. The robe shows golden straw in the glass and offers vivid aromas of white flowers, mint, dried mango, and faint oxidative notes of walnut. The palate is supple and dynamic with a coiled mineral core beneath layers of ripe apricot, orange peel, and toasted almond. A beautiful introduction to the appellation!

Dupasquier 2018 Roussette de Savoie Marestel (Altesse)

100% Altesse (locally called Roussette) that comes from the steep Marestel Cru situated high above Jongieux on the western side of Mont du Chat; Marestel is one of four appellations within the winding Roussette de Savoie AOC. The steep, southwestern facing slope provides abundant sun exposure for the vines, which aids the ripening in the cool mountain clime. The yields from this site are low and provide very concentrated fruit. The grapes are harvested meticulously by hand and fermented wtih native yeasts in concrete vat before aging on the fine lees in large foudres for a year. After bottling, the wine spends 18 months resting in glass before market release. The palate is characteristically full with distinct flavors of mint, lemon zest, almond, and wildflower honey. This is a bold and fascinating wine that should only improve with age.

Dupasquier 2019 Savoie Jacquère

Jacquere from the Savoie is generally delicate and light with crisp, citrusy acid and powdery minerality. Though there is no lack of acidity here, the wine is more mellow than some and acid isn't all that defines its profile. A thought-provoking wine for the price!

Gonin 2020 Isère - Balmes Dauphinoises Mondeuse

From the no-man's land between the Rhône and the Savoie (Isère, to be specific) comes this delicious Mondeuse, which shows the classic aromas and flavors of the grape: the herbal, black pepper, graphite notes we sometimes find in Syrah, with the high-toned earthiness and crunchy acidity of the light reds of cool-climate eastern France. The nose offers blackberry and blackberry seeds, and purple flower petals. The palate is soft, velvety but with a firm finish. Open and pretty aromatically, with some rusticity but low alcohol and graceful on the palate.

Gonzalvez, France 2022 Vin de Savoie Feer'hic

The Chignin Bergeron (Roussanne) is a medium bodied, acid-forward expression from certified organic vineyards in the Savoie. // France's Notes:  "Native yeasts, direct press, fermentation in concrete with minimal 1gm sulphur at bottling. A deep golden hue with amber reflections. The nose combines notes of elegant oak with refined fruit, herbaceousness and spices such as flint, musk, lemon confit, angelica, dried apricots, iris root and cardamon. The palate is taut with a fine balance of energy and  minerality with a suave ripeness." //  Jeff's notes!: Beautiful Roussanne with some richness but still fresh and airy. Great depth and a mineral streak that gives balance, with precise acidity and lovely texture.

Gravillas 2022 Minervois L'Inattendu Blanc

The Unexpected. A surprising full dry white wine--fresh but mineral and very complex Grenaches (plus a bit of Maccabeu) fermented and aged (10 months) on lees in 500L barrels. Floral, herbal, stone, white peach, dried pear aromas. The palate is dense and mineral with more stone flavors than fruit, with a beautiful finish. Forceful enough to enjoy with good canned sardines, mackerel or veal blanquette, a rare match for organic goat cheese, surprising with Apple Crumble!

Gravillas 2022 Vin de France Retour aux Origines

Ancient grapes Piquepoul gris, Terret gris and Carignan blanc. Our newest quest, to find the true Languedoc white Wine. Plantation sourced from a conservatory of lost pink varietals in the Minervois. Plus a newly acquired Carignan Blanc vineyard. this elegant and complex wine opens with aromas of hazelnut, white peach, lime flower and minerals with a hint of spice. The palate is silky and dense with stone, citrus, white peach and pear, finishing with citrus, mineral, melon and earth notes with terrific length. Beautifull now, we suspect this will age gracefully. Pair with any full-flavored fish or ceviche, white meats and mild cheeses or just sip and enjoy.

Laguerre 2021 Côtes du Roussillon Le Ciste Blanc

The 2021 Laguerre Le Ciste Blanc is comprised of 30% Grenache, 20% Marsanne, 20% Rolle, 20% Roussanne and 10% Macabeu. Showing an intensely mineral nose with aromas of citrus and garrigue, with hints of stone fruits from the Marsanne and Roussanne, the palate also exudes an intense stoniness with flavors of citrus, herbs, bitter melon and white peach. Bright acidity enlivens it's full body leading to a long, concentrated and complex finish. For lovers of white Chateauneuf du Pape at a fraction of the price!

Laguerre 2022 Côtes du Roussillon Eos Blanc

The 2022 Laguerre Eos Blanc is just a beautiful wine, from 60% Grenache Blanc, 30% Maccabeu and 10% Vermentino grown in Eric's high altitude vineyards on granitic soils. The aromas are elegant and distinctive with white flowers, pear, meyer lemon and stone. The palate shows the granite soils with a dense mineral/acid backbone under sapid white and citrus fruits, finishing with peach, lemon and intense mineral flavors, bright and refreshing with terrific length. Wow, all this for $15.99! Highly recommended.  David Lillie

Laguerre 2022 Vin de France "LAG" Orange/Maceration

The 2022 Cuvée LAG Orange, a 10 day maceration of Grenache Gris and Maccabeo that's just delighful, but frankly more pink than orange! The aromas are surpisingly delicate and complex with citrus peel, peach, spice and rose.  The palate is well structured with a bit of skin tannin (not too much) with peach skin, orange peel and dried white fruits, finishing with firm acidity and a very long spiced fruit finish. Delicious wine and a great pairing with full-flavored seafood and vegetable dishes.

Laguerre 2022 Côtes du Roussillon "Lag" Syrah

From their high-elevation vineyards on granite soils, the Laguerre family made this delicious new Syrah with minimal extraction - "This is a lovely light red made with 100% syrah that shows a translucent rubi color. Delicate aromas of young black fruit with a touch of black pepper, high acidity and notes of blackberries with a medium, savory and a little spicey finish. A wonderful great value chillable red that will not leave you indifferent!" Laura Tejuca

Lapuyade 2022 Jurançon Sec

Clos Marie-Louise/Château Lapuyade is a beautiful biodynamic estate deep in the hills of Jurançon, south of Pau. Their wines are harvested by hand, fermented with wild yeasts and aged in old barrels purchased from Yquem and Haut-Brion. This bottle, based on the two better white grapes of Jurancon, Gros and Petit Manseng, seriously over delivers in terms of complexity for the price. You'll find aromas of pineapple, citrus, peach and caramel apple on the nose, along with a light oakiness that would not work for all white wines, but fits perfectly with this one. The palate is essentially dry... but leaves an enticing sense of sweetness that makes it an excellent choice for cheeses, especially the sheep's milk cheeses of the Pyrenees. Flavors of lemon confit, stone, pineapple and oak are backed by very firm acidity. Note: Those with the patience to keep this bottle around for a few days, re-corked in the fridge, will be rewarded with an awesome display of rich, complex exotic fruit. This wine is absolutely sensational! DL The 22 vintage shows surprising notes of herbs, white rocks and dried flowers whilst underscored by ripe melon , rocky minerality and citrus marmalade on a full bodied frame. GH

Navarre 2021 Vin de France Lignieres Blanc

 From a vineyard co-planted with old varieties - Ribeyrenc Blanc, Grenache Gris and Clairette du Languedoc - Thierry Navarre makes his unique and delicious "Lignières." It's a delighful wine with slightly spicy and floral aromas of white peach, lemon peel, almond, pear and honeysuckle,  dry and dense  on the palate, but nicely round and ripe, with mineral, herbal and stone fruit flavors with firm acidity - really lovely, a great aperitif or serve with fish or chicken in sauce, salads, sheep and goat cheeses. Three cheers for Thierry Navarre for making such a delicious, distictive and unusual wine from historic varieties. David Lillie

Saint Pierre 2020 Arbois Les Brulees (Chardonnay)

"Les Brûlées" comes from Fabrice Dodane's vineyard planted on a hill rich with limestone near his cellar in Mathenay. The palate of the wine is dense and textured with powerful mineral acidity that finishes with a lingering salty nuttiness. An expressive wine that is drinking well now but should continue to evolve over the next decade. -AB

Saint Pierre 2020 Arbois Chateau Renard (Chardonnay) 1.5L

Saint Pierre 2020 Arbois Chateau Renard (Chardonnay)

Château Renard is from a parcel of Chardonnay planted in 1985 on limestone and clay soils. The wine is aged 22 months in a mix of 500L and 600L barrels and is made in the topped-up, or ouillé, style of winemaking. On the nose it is crisp and clean with delicate aromas of apricot, lime flower, almond skin, and tropical mango. The palate is much more intense with luscious, juicy green apple, cashew, sea salt, and tangy minerals. Long, textured, and a hint nutty on the finish, this would be perfect pairing with many different kinds of foods, especially roasted poultry.  -TG

Saint Pierre 2020 Arbois Les Brulees (Chardonnay) 1.5L

Saint Pierre 2020 Arbois Les Dalles (Melon Queue Rouge)

Les Dalles is a mixed-variety parcel, though the grape varieties change with soil, in this case it's Melon à Queue Rouge planted in 2017 on limestone with white marl soils. There has been an ongoing geeky debate about whether or not Melon à Queue Rouge is just a synonym for Chardonnay, or an ancient and distinct variety. We're going with the happy medium of "it's most likely an ancient strain of Chardonnay" that might be an old mutation, but is clearly similar! Fabrice has worked with the grape for many vintages and his are probably the most memorable MQR wines we've tried over the years.

Tissot, Bénédicte et Stéphane 2018 Arbois Savagnin Sous Voile

This is an enchanting, old school oxidative Savagnin that spent 36 months sous voile. As Stephane explained to me earlier this year, the "finesse of oxidation starts in the vines. If your grapes are diluted the oxidation has no finesse." The Tissot vineyards are farmed meticulously, that we know, but this remark was not so much to praise his own farming but to point out that not all oxidative wines are alike. There is painstaking and dedicated work that goes into obtaining ideal grapes for oxidative wines, and this dedication to great farming has resulted in a beautiful wine, that we would highly recommend to any fan of Vin Jaune who is also a fan of exquisite white wines. 

Tissot, Stephane 2019 Savagnin En Amphore

Stephane has been borderline obsessed if not at least intrigued and fascinated with amphoras for many years now, and has several in his posession. One can assume that he has the largest amphora collection in the Jura! He began acquiring them between 2005-2010, with some of his first releases in 2009. His approach to the 'Savagnin En Amphore' has typically employed some skin inclusion during aging in amphora, usually between 3-6 months, and the wine is finished in neutral barrel with topping up. We enjoy its spicy, exotic orange peel notes on the nose, and the very pleasant and integrated level of tannins from the skins. // Note on the 2019 from Camille Riviere, Stephane's New York importer: "Fruit comes from parcel en Spois, planted on triassic clay. Hand destemmed, then maceration 60% Amphore (420L clay pot above ground made by now retired clay pot maker Alain Berthéas, who was established in the Rhone. Made with Italian clay, and cooked at 1000c) & 40% Qvevri (lined with wax, because cooked at 700c, so more porous = reductive environment). After 5 months of maceration, the grapes are pressed and the elevage is done in barrels (always topped up) and amphore. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no sulfur added. Rich & concentrated."

Traginer 2021 Collioure Rouge CaracTerre

The new Traginer CaracTerre is made from 25% each of Grenache Noir, Carignan, Mourvedre and Syrah which undergoes a one month fermentation in tronconic foudres, with no added SO2, followed by 10 months in cuve inox. The CaracTerre is a bit lighter in body than the "Vielli Foudre" cuvée, but with beautiful vibrant blackberry/black raspberry fruit. This is a lovely Collioure to serve a bit cool with grilled meats this summer.

Bonavita 2019 Faro (Sicily)

Col di Luna NV Veneto Flora Rosato Raboso

Col di Luna produces sparkling wines at the foot of the Dolomites, with a family tradition and preference for the Brut style. Flora rosato comes from the local grape variety called Raboso, a trifecta of spice, brambly fruit, and a rather energeticacidity! The wine is fermented with a slight maceration on the skins for 12 hours, and then continues to ferment in the tank. Once the wine settles, the producer transfers the juice to the bottle, where it finishes fermentation and creates the magic fizz. This is the traditional col fondo style, and you’ll notice a bit of ‘fondo’, or sediment, in the bottle. For a fresh and fizzy start to your Thanksgiving feast, perfect on its own or with appetizers and lighter fare, or on the table with the meal for a refreshing sip between sides and mains.

Cornelissen, Frank 2022 Terre Siciliane (Etna) Rosato Susucaru

Corte Paglieri DOP Lambrusco Mantovano Viadenese Sabbionetano

Monte Dall' Ora 2022 Valpolicella Classico "Saseti"

Monte Dalle'Ora makes beautiful classically styled wines - biodynamically farmed, with native yeast fermentations - and this hits all the right notes for a light and elegant Valpolicella Classico. The blend is 50% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Molinara & Oseleta. A translucent ruby in the glass, with violets and wild raspberry on the nose, and a delicate fruity lift on the palate. Maceration is for about a week, in concrete and steel tanks, and aging is quite short, with the wine bottled usually in February or March. It's all about freshness here, with minerals and acidity playing a key factor in its versatility with foods, especially upcoming feasts.

Monterosso 2020 Etna Rosato Volcano

Passofonduto 2022 Sicily Vino Rosato Occhio di Sale

Occhio di Sale is a wine we did not have on our shelves when we first introduced Giuseppe Cipolla's wines, so it was a pleasant surprise to try his lovely Rosato, made primarily from Nero D'Avola grapes with small amounts of Catarratto, Insolia, and Moscato d'Alessandria. As the folks at LDM describe: "80% of the blend consists of direct-press Nero d'Avola, with the other 20% a two-day co-maceration of 15% Nero d'Avola and 5% white grapes. Fermentation is in barrel and fiberglass, then blended to age in stainless steel. So unique." We couldn't agree more about how unique the wine is! It's probably the wine I most want to try again as there was a delicacy and density that left me intensely curious. The fruit is faint, more hibiscus or rose water than any red fruit note you might expect from the Nero d'Avola. The aforementioned density was in the mid-palate, giving the wine a lovely length and reminding more of a white wine than a red. -EL

Passofonduto 2022 Sicily Vino Rosso Passofonduta

Passofonduta Rosso is 90% Nero d’Avola with 10% Nerello Mascalese, it’s a rounder, deeper wine, a more contemplative and serious sibling to Le Robbe. It does share Le Robbe’s intensity and lift, balanced with bright, earthy plum, and a host of savory, mineral aromas and flavors. Another candidate for one of the great wines of Sicily - no mean achievement, these days.  My tasting note opens with a highly technical “Wow!” - Jamie Wolff  /// LDM Notes: "Exclusively from the Contrada Passofonduto. The vines were planted by Giuseppe between 2015 and 2017 and are all trained in albarello. The soil is calcareous clay with a heavy presence of gypsum. Altitude varies from 180 to 380m and the exposition is west/north-west. A favorable range of temperatures (night/day) is guaranteed from the nearby Platani River and adjacent forests. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and macerated for six days."

Bosca, Giovanni Cardamaro

Made in the Piedmont region of Italy, the base for Cardamaro is wine as opposed to neutral grain spirit. It is then flavored with cardoon, a relative of the artichoke, and blessed thistle among other herbs and spices. In the glass it is light brown and shares a slightly oxidative note similar to Madeira. Mountain herbs, citrus, brown sugar, and cinnamon come to mind on the nose, and the palate is lighter, pleasantly sweet with hints of toasted hazelnut and citrus. Favored by bartenders for its softer, more aromatic style, it is excellent in a wide array of cocktails and fantastic on its own. It’s also an excellent value! Tim Gagnon

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram 375ml

From its origins in the tropical hills and valleys of Jamaica, the allspice berry has for generations been prized for its exceptional tastes of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg and a pepper note that dazzles the palate. The allspice liqueur, known in classic cocktails as "Pimento Dram," brings together the fine pot-still rum and classic allspice berries of Jamaica. Enjoy St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram in classic cocktails, Wassail and other punches, mulled wine, continental and island cuisine.

Quinta do Popa 2021 Contos da Terra Douro Tinto

Amphores 2022 IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah "Les Iris"

The 2022 Domaine des Amphores Syrah "Les Iris" is from vines in Chavanay, just outside the Saint-Joseph zone, tended organically since planting, in the early 90's, and now  Biodynamic as well. The wine shows a deep red/black color with bright rim, with complex aromas of blackberry, black raspberry and blueberry, ripe and lush with hints of violet, black olive and licorice, but with nice freshness as well. The palate shows dense black fruits, plum skin, licorice and smoke, deep but fresh and balanced at 13% alcohol. Terrific length of black and blue fruits, minerals and firm acidity - a beautiful wine at a bargain price! Serve a bit cool with grilled meats, chicken, lentil stew, full-flavored cheeses. David Lillie

Balazu des Vaussières 2022 Vin de France Rosé "sept syllabes"

Warning - Natural Wine! Delicious, complex, fascinating and a bit unusual...Although within the Tavel appellation, Nadia and Christian Charmasson have long rejected the rules of the AOC in favor a "Vin de France" classification. Balazu des Vaussières is a completely natural estate, using zero additives in winemaking and zero chemcials, and no copper sulfate in the vines - thus living soils that produce vibrant living wines. The 2022 “Sept Syllabes” was made with Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault - it’s a direct press rosé with a short maceration and no added SO2. The wine spent approximately 7 months in vat before bottling. The wine shows a deep pink/garnet color with very ripe cherry and red currant aromas, floral and quite pretty. The palate is ripe and round with dense, sapid cherry and raspberry fruit., supple and long. Slightly squeaky in the finish, but overall this is a  unique and delicious rosé for lovers of natural wine!

Clos Des Boutes 2022 Costieres de Nimes Le Pluriel

The delicious Clos des Boutes "Le Pluriel" is made from Carignan, Syrah and Grenache grown in the "galets roulés" soils of the Costieres de Nimes. Hand harvested into small baskets, fermented with wild yeasts with minimal extraction, aging in vat. This is a fresh, delicious, easy-drinking wine with pure, lovely aromas of cherry and blackberry. The palate is supple and sapid with gorgeous red fruits balanced by refreshing acidity - a simple but superb product of great Biodynamic farming!

Clos du Joncuas 2020 Gigondas

Clos du Joncuas, founded in 1920 by Pierre Auguste Chastan, has always farmed with natural methods and has been officially organic since 1980. Currently run by sisters Dany and Carole Chastan, the estate's Gigondas vines are on slopes below the Dentelles de Montmirail on soils of clay with dolomite and gypsum over the limestone of the Dentelles and average 40 to 90 years old. 80% Grenache with Mourvedre, Cinsault and Syrah, whole cluster fermentation in vat with 12 months aging in large old barrels. 2020 is a great vintage at the Clos du Joncuas, a bit brighter  and more elegant than the 2019, with high-toned black fruit, mineral, spice and licorice aromas. The palate is elegant and fresh showing deep supple black fruits with hints of graphite, garrigue and brown spice. A few days after opening, the wine has deepened impressively with pure blackberry, bitter chocolate and licorice aromas, great density on the palate with black fruit liqueur, red currant, earth and anise. A beautiful wine! Drink this over the next 10 to 15 years, it will give elegant early drinking, served a bit cool. David Lillie

Creve Coeur (Pablo Hocht) 2022 Côtes du Rhône

This beautiful Cotes du Rhone from Pablo Hocht at Creve Coeur is made from 60 to 70 year-old vines of Grenache, with an interesting mix of semi-carbonic and traditional fermentations with whole-cluster and de-stemmed grapes. The 2022 is a deep crimson/purple with some dense plum and blueberry fruit but still lifted and fresh, with a hint of black cherry and cooling herbs. The palate is broad and supple with fine tannins and some good spice, a perfect companion with roasted meats or stews. On day two it was holding up well, even more integrated and showing beautifully for such a reasonably priced wine! It's certainly a crowd-pleaser and an outstanding value.

Creve Coeur (Pablo Hocht) 2022 Côtes du Rhône Seguret Blanc

Wow, Pablo Hocht's new Seguret Blanc is a classy and delicious wine! Made from Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier, Biodynamic farming, vinification and aging in old barrels. The aromas are subtle and complex with almond, citrus, pear, stone, exotic fruit, all in a bright and balanced style. The palate is ripe and really pretty with the Picpoul providing firm acidity underlying the lovely fruit and mineral flavors, finishing with nice ripeness, refreshing and delicious! This is a delightful wine, serve quite cool, enjoy! David Lillie

Gripa 2015 Saint-Peray Les Pins 1.5 Liter (Arrives 11/14)

Domaine Bernard and Fabrice Gripa is one of the top estates in Saint-Joseph and Saint-Peray, with the whites being particularly stylish and well-made. The Saint-Peray Les Pins is from 35 year-old vines on both granite and limestone soils, approximately 75% Marsanne, 25% Roussanne. It's a treat to have an older vintage of this wine in magnum, drinking perfectly now and just in time for Thanksgiving! Here's the drinkrhone review: "shiny yellow robe. The nose gives a fat aroma of flan, apricot, has a ripe fruit presence, with some of the sun’s rays in its slightly baked nature. Oak rides alongside. It’s a big start, demanding of patience. The palate is also on a large scale, is properly structured, holds abundant richness and a real wheel of gras towards the finish. There are salty late notes in with apricot, ginger fabric. This is really well presented wine for la bonne table, with sunshine length. It ends with great purity. 14.5°. Drink through 2025.

Gripa 2020 Saint-Peray Les Pins

70-80% Marsanne, 20-30% Roussanne, av age 35 yrs from limestone & granite soils "shiny yellow robe; the nose is busy, shows peach, apricot, is gently open, has a pleasing roundness. The palate is calm, well styled, comes with a dried fruits flavour, discreet freshness, carries good detail. Airborne, graceful St-Péray here." drinkrhone   Tasted at CSW, the wine showed lovely peach, pear, citrus and floral aromas with saline minerals under the fresh white and yellow fruits on the palate, silky and round, with a hint of oak. Lovely wine to drink over the next 6 to 10 years, quite delicious!

Gripa 2021 Saint-Peray Les Figuiers

This little-known wine from Bernard and Fabrice Gripa is one of the most delicious and fascinating white wines of the Northern Rhône. From 50 to 60 yeal-old vines in Saint-Peray, on granite soils, 60% Roussanne and 40% Marsanne. "fine yellow robe; the bouquet is assured in depth, reserved still, has a camomile tea, toasted nuts, peach tone, a hint of anis de Marseille, good opening to come. The palate is floral, elegant, has dainty acidity, with stylish gras that is centrally placed. It’s a balanced, high grade St-Péray, ends really trimly, great precision there. It’s extremely attractive..." In our experience, The Gripa "Les Figuiers" cellars beautifully - enjoy until 2041, but don't hesitate to drink now with full flavored seafood dishes, white meats, sushi, etc, beautiful wine!

La Florane 2021 CDR Villages St Maurice Echevin "Rouville" Blanc

The "Guillaume de Rouville" from La Florane is made with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc grown in Biodynamic farming in the village of Saint-Maurie at 1200 ft in altitude. This is a Rhone white of great elegance that really impressed at our recent tasting with subtle herbal and white fruit aromas and a silky subtle palate with fabulous balance and length - this will pair beautifully with a full-flavored fish preparation, white meats as well. "a good ensemble of stylish gras and fresh length, very accomplished, a wine for a bonne table" says drinkrhone - well worth trying!

Rayas 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

Rousset 2021 Saint-Joseph

The 2021 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. The 2021 vintage has produced a brighter more floral style than the 2020, with a nicely balanced 13% alcohol. We love the review in drinkrhone: "quite a dark red; this has a country style aroma, wild blackberry, licorice, black pepper, is genuine. The palate gives a cool stream of black cherry fruit, is tasty and natural, with appealing purity, feels hand made, and is silky, elegant on the finish. It’s very fine, very bonny, aromatic St Jo, the balance good - most joli it is."  Yes, most joli it is - quite delicious now, but put a few away to drink in 8 to 10 years as well.  David Lillie

Rousset 2021 Crôzes-Hermitage Les Picaudières

Les Picaudières is perhaps the best vineyard in Crôzes-Hermitage, formerly owned by Raymond Roure and now tended by Stéphane Rousset. It's a steep slope of granite terraces, isolated in an oak forest facing due south and protected from the wind. (In the opinion of Livingston-Learmonth in "Wines of the Northern Rhône" wine from Les Picaudières is "certainly better" than many Hermitage from the eastern part of the hill.) The vines range from 20 to 80 years-old. The grapes are hand-harvested and mostly de-stemmed. The wine ages 16 months, 40% in foudre, 60% in burgundy barrels, 1 to 5 year-old. (no newer oak for the 2021)  In the Northern Rhône, this ranks near the top for bang for your buck, and for terroir expression. The 2021 shows a medium-dark red/garnet color with vivid aromas of black cherry and blackberry with violet, citrus, blueberry and game. The palate shows nice weight and density but remains bright and balanced at 13% alcohol with a core of earth and mineral flavors blending with the fruit - black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry. There is darker fruit with floral notes in the finish, ending with all earth and minerals. Classy and delicious now, but it should be really singing in ten years - as was a 2012 we drank last year. Serve very slightly cool and enjoy! David Lillie

Rousset 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc (Marsanne-Roussanne)

From 85% Marsanne and 15% Roussanne grown on hillsides of powdered granite with clay and gravel - great terroir producing this delightful  wine from the Rousset family.  The Rousset Crozes Blanc is lovely again in 2022 - the fifth vintage to include the new planting of Roussanne - and is a great value!  The wine shows fresh, lush aromas of white peach, apricot, almond and lime-flower with a bit of white pepper. The palate is supple and dense with ripe pear, mineral and citrus flavors, with wet stone and caramel. The finish is ripe and long with firm lemony acidity. Serve with white meats, a ceviche of fluke, mildly-flavored fish dishes and a wide variety of cheeses. David Lillie 

Panama-Pacific Provencia de Herrera Exposicion 9yr Rum

Smith and Cross Jamaican Pot Still Rum Navy Strength

Bruichladdich Islay Single Malt The Laddie Classic Scottish Barley

Mars Shinshu Iwai Tradition Whisky (Japan) - Single Malt style

From the Shinshu Mars Distillery. The 'Tradition' is the homage to Scottish whiskeys, primarily made from Barley (~70%) with some Corn, and aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. 

Mars Shinshu Iwai Whisky Blue Label

Henriquez, Roberto 2021 Itata Valley Rivera del Notro Blanco

A blend of Muscat of Alexandria, Corinto (the Chilean name for Chasselas), and Semillon, this wine comes from vines averaging ninety years in age! Soil types are granitic, which is common through the Bio Bio. Open-top spontaneous fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks, with free run juice fermented separately from pressed juice. Whole berry fermentation is done with no stems. This wine stays three months on the skins. The Muscat produces its classic aromatic fireworks, but this is a much more refined a delicate wine on the palate, with a fine steely structure lain over beautiful, peppery musk character

Adega de Vimbio 2022 Rias Baixas Albarino

Bodegas Akutain 2015 Rioja Gran Reserva

The 2015 Gran Reserva is a tremendous example of really traditional Rioja. The vintage was one of the most incredible ones for the estate in a long time, evidenced by their last Gran Reserva being the 2004. After fermentation, the wine spent 47 months in barrels (American and French). The palate is earthy and full, with ideal acidity, and the wood is perfectly integrated. There are layers and layers of flavor and complexity. When we tasted this at the shop everyone went silent and just nodded to each other! At the outset it's full of baked strawberry and cherry fruit, accented by the dill and vanilla character of old American oak barrels, but as one sits with it in the glass, it takes on a grander dimension. Though impressive now, it is truly meant for aging and is just beginning to show its potential. Of course we wouldn't say no if someone offered to decant a bottle and share, but we'd recommend putting it away for a little while!

Bodegas Akutain 2019 Rioja Crianza

Bodegas Akutain 2021 Rioja Cosecha

Bodegas Cota 45 2022 UBE El Reventon

Celler Escoda Sanahuja 2021 Conca de Barbera Els Bassotets Macabeu, Sumoll Blanc

Winemaker Joan Ramon Escoda makes this fabulous. multi-dimensional orange wine, which is a blend of mostly Maccabeu and Parellada, with Sumoll Blanc, Garnacha Blanca, and Chenin Blanc, fermented with native yeasts, 2 weeks on the skins, and bottled with no added sulfites. Super fresh, fleshy and just a bit funky, perhaps the timer is currently set at 2 hours for our recommended time frame after opening. Our guess is a few more months in bottle should lengthen that, but if you like edgy wines that taste wild and alive and maybe a touch sour, then put a chill on one right now!

Celler Escoda Sanahuja 2021 Vina de Espana La Llopetera

2021 was a really great vintage for the Escoda-Sanahuja wines, across the board, with great acidity levels, purity and vibrance without any flaws or off-aromas or flavors, which can sometimes end up in their natural wines that are always made without added SO2. Llopetera is all Pinot Noir, bright, but not so light in fact. Nice material, pretty florals on the nose and medium body on the palate. Very nice now, but should develop well over then next 5 years. A delicious and pure natural red that is truly in a nice place.  -EL

Celler La Salada 2022 Penedès Roig Boig (Still)

Celler Pardas (R. Parera & J. Arnan) 2018 Penedes Pur Xarel.lo

Celler Pardas 2022 Vino di Mesa Sus Scrofa (Sumoll)

Clos Lentiscus 2017 Penedes Perill Carinyena

Companyia Viticola Sileo 2021 Montsant

This is the newest project from Agusti Torello Roca, focused on producing red wines from the Montsant DO. Mostly Garnacha, with a small percentage of Carignan, from a mixture of limestone, clay and granite soils. Fermentation is in stainless steel and aging is in 500L used French barrels. This is a beautiful Montsant that favors balance and acidity over extraction, new oak, and high alcohol.   -EL

CVNE 2004 Rioja Gran Reserva Imperial

CVNE 2011 Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva

CVNE 2012 Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva

Envinate 2021 Tenerife Migan Tinto 1.5L Mag

Envinate 2022 Almansa Albahra Chingao

Envinate 2022 Tenerife Benje Tinto 1.5L

Envinate 2022 Tenerife Migan Tinto 'Chingao'

While Migan is an amalgam of several parcels, the Chingao is a single section of a parcel called "Tio Luis," which is a 100 year old plot that the Envinate folks consider to be quite special. Compared to some other sites, the Tio Luis parcel has a bit more clay in the soil, perhaps yielding a slightly more concentrated expression. Grapes are typically fermented with a high percentage of whole cluster, with aging in concrete. The wine was bottled directly from tank without filtration, fining or any SO2 additions. The Envinate team has said on one occasion that they find the DO La Orotava to be the most volcanic, and this certainly comes as no surprise with the Migan Chingao!

Envinate 2022 Tenerife Vidueno de Santiago del Teide

Vindueno is from a "single parcel of 90-year-old vines on volcanic soils in the Valle de Arriba at 1000-1200m above sea level. The vines are trained en vaso, and no chemicals are used in the vineyard" (Jose Pastor website).  In 2022 the blend was 55% Listán Prieto (aka Pais, Mision, etc.) and 45% Listán Blanco. I found it to have silky texture, high energy and an almost Lapierre Morgon-like quality this vintage. A lovely, delicate wine, with notes of dried herbs and red fruit, and a long mineral finish.  -EL   *** LIMIT 1 bottle PER CUSTOMER ***

Envinate 2022 Tenerife Vidueno de Santiago del Teide 1.5L

Guímaro 2020 Ribeira Sacra Camiño Real

Guímaro (which means "rebel" in Gallego) was founded by Pedro Rodriguez in 1991, in Amandi, the most celebrated subzone of Ribeira Sacra. Here Mencía and other indigenous varieties (Merenzao, Mouratón, Brancellao, Caiño, Sousón...) are planted on very steep terraced slopes of slate on the northern bank of the river Sil. The vines on these south-facing slopes (almost cliffs, really - we definitely recommend checking out a photograph of these precariously steep vineyards) produce wines of great mineral intensity and character. Camiño Real comes from six terraced vineyards around Amandi, with about 85% of the blend Mencía and 15% other indigenous red varieties. Pedro harvests the grapes by hand  and ferments them together in open-top oak vats with 40 days of maceration on the skins before raising in an foudre and 225L and 500L barrels. 2021 was by all accounts a very special vintage in Ribeira Sacra, and this is one of the most open and immediately charming bottlings of Camino Real that we can remember, with pure red and purple fruit in the mid-palate, medium-body, spice and elegance in the finish.

López de Heredia 1976 Rioja Gran Reserva Bosconia

Lopez de Heredia 1976 Rioja Gran Reserva Tondonia

Lopez de Heredia 1981 Rioja Gran Reserva Bosconia

It's a shame the prices have steadily gone up on these wonderful Gran Reservas. With that being said, I still think that these are relative values in the world of older vintages. I have enjoyed the 1981 on a few occasions, and have always been impressed with it's ethereal and harmonious qualities — bright cherry fruit, strawberry, cedar, soil tones, precision and gorgeously silky texture. Mature now, this will still to continue to cellar for at least 5-10 more years. Just lovely... cb

Lopez de Heredia 1987 Rioja Tondonia Gran Reserva

Lopez de Heredia 1994 Rioja Bosconia Gran Reserva

López de Heredia 1994 Rioja Gran Reserva Tondonia Blanco

López de Heredia 1994 Rioja Gran Reserva Tondonia

75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and 10% Mazuelo and Graciano, aged 9 years in barrel and 9 years in bottle. Sweet, pretty aromas of balsamic, raspberries, coriander and crunchy leaves. Complex and well-structured on the palate with bright red cherry, chewy cranberry skins, woodsy thyme, thorny rose, clove spice, and crunchy leaves that remind us this fresh Rioja has some age. At the same time, its bright acidity and taut tannins alert us to many great years ahead! -Ariana Rolich

Louis-Antoine Luyt X Cellar Frisach 2020 Puny de L'Angel (Catalunya)

Puny de l'Angel was born out of a collaboration between Louis-Antoine Luyt and a Spanish winery from Catalunya called Cellar Frisach. We're not sure who came up with the approach for the wine, though the fact that it could have easily been either Louis-Antoine or the folks from Frisach probably explains why they were collaborating in the first place! This is a co-ferment of mostly Parellada (a local white grape) with about 15% Carignan. Maceration is for five days, and aging is in stainless steel for 6 months before bottling without any sulfur additions. The Parellada gives great acidity and the Carignan offers brambly red fruit notes that dance around on the nose.

Mas del Serral (Pepe Raventos) 2012 Vi Escumos de Qualitat 1.5L Mag

Mixtura 2019 Blanco Castilla y Leon

Nuria Renom 2021 'Donna' Pet-Nat (Chardonnay)

This Pet-Nat is made from Chardonnay vines planted in 1984 on shallow clay over limestone. Grapes were destemmed and pressed, with 60% into stainless steel and 40% in neutral oak barrels for partial fermentation before being bottled as a Methode Ancestral ("Pet-Nat"). The wine is kept for 18 months in bottle before release. Nuria made a joke of some kind about Chardonnay, because there is perhaps a level of pride amongst the small producers in Catalunya for the local grapes like Xarel-lo and Macabeu, but in the end the area has a past and while she could tear up the Chardonnay that was planted in the 80s, middle-aged vines of Chardonnay on limestone might be worth keeping. The wine is certainly very tasty, with chalky and dry orchard fruit notes, nice weight in the mid-palate, and plenty of freshness. 11.8% alc.

Nuria Renom 2021 'La Maca Beu' Pet-Nat Magnum 1.5L

This is a delightful Ancestral style Pet-Nat of 95% Macabeu and 5% Muscat de Alexandria from two different parcels on limestone near Nuria's winery. Grapes are destemmed and see about one week of maceration with the skins, while the free-run juice was partially fermented without skins. The wine was bottled before fermentation was finished, to develop pressure, and was aged on the lees for 9 months before being disgorged. In the world of winemakers who give a damn about their Pet-Nats, we should welcome Nuria Renom! This is a fine example. A living wine, with a refreshing 10% alc, perfect bubbles, lively acidity, a touch of density on the mid-palate, and a long mineral finish. // If you plan to entertain this Thanksgiving, or you're headed to a friendsgiving or family gathering, this is the most energetic and REFRESHING, palate cleansing, gulpable wine that was meant for a party with friends and will keep you coming back for more. At 10% alc, it won't last long!! 

Nuria Renom 2021 'Macavella' (Macabeu)

An impressive bottling of pure Macabeu from 80 year-old vines on rocky clay soils over limestone bedrock, on the Can Barceló property that Nuria took over in 2021. Grapes are destemmed and see 4 days of maceration on the skins in stainless steel, while the free run juice was fermented in tank without skins and then combined, with the final wine aging in 2 old French oak barrels (yes, only 2 barrels). I had a feeling that Nuria was not trying to make an "orange wine" but was instead utilizing the skins to provide nutrients for the yeast and to give a touch of bitterness and structure to the mouthfeel to balance with the lower acidity and fuller weight of the Macabeu. This was the result in the end, with a lovely medium bodied white that has a touch of fleshy texture and is perfectly suited for Fall and Winter time.

Nuria Renom 2022 'Atonit' Xarel-lo

Atonit is one of Nuria's top wines, made from Xarel-lo grapes that Nuria acquired from her friend and winemaker Ton Rimbau. The vineyard is farmed under permaculture with no plowing or working of the soils, and the vines for Atonit are around 50 years old, planted on clay over limestone. The wine was aged in about half stainless steel and half used French oak, and bottled without fining, filtration, or added sulfites. There is a growing interest and passion for Xarel-lo from winemakers who are better understanding it's potential for age-worthy wines, besides it's common role as a regional grape used for sparkling wines. Very GOOD Xarel-lo from older vines, on healthy soils, can make impressive wines and the renaissance of this uniquely Mediterranean grape variety is just beginning! This is very GOOD Xarel-lo, not just for the natural wine aficionados, if anything it's more for the Chablis drinker or lover of unique and singular white wines.

Nuria Renom 2022 'La Maca Beu' Pet-Nat

This is a delightful Ancestral style Pet-Nat of 90% Macabeu and 10% Muscat de Alexandria from two different parcels on limestone near Nuria's winery. Grapes are destemmed and see about one week of maceration with the skins, while the free-run juice was partially fermented without skins. The wine was bottled before fermentation was finished, to develop pressure, and was aged on the lees for 9 months before being disgorged. In the world of winemakers who give a damn about their Pet-Nats, we should welcome Nuria Renom! This is a fine example. A living wine, with a refreshing 10% alc, perfect bubbles, lively acidity, a touch of density on the mid-palate, and a long mineral finish.

Nuria Renom 2022 'Lil' Parellada/Muscat

97% Parellada with 3% Muscat. The Parrellada here is from Nuria's vineyards, 40 year-old vines planted at around 400m. The Parellada grapes were destemmed and pressed directly, while the small amount of Muscat saw 7 days of skin contact. Fermentation and aging was in stainless steel. This is perhaps at a level one step below Nuria's top Xarel-lo and Macabeu bottlings, but it's no slouch! Parellada offers playful, bright notes of white flowers and lively acidity, stone fruit, stones... it's all there. A fantastic wine for an apero, or for salads, appetizers, etc.

Nuria Renom 2022 'The Pinky Way' Tempranillo/Muscat

Pinky Way is a tasty Pet-Nat made from 80% Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) with 20% Muscat, and lands somewhere between a sparkling rosé and a Lambrusco profile. Rustic flavors, crunchy wild red and black fruit, TONS of flavor and nice lift. The Muscat does not impart any floral or perfumey aromatics, and plays perfectly with the Tempranillo, providing a bit more brightness and acidity to the blend. The Tempranillo grapes were macerated on the skins for 4 days, with Muscat seeing 5 days of skin contact, and the two were blended to ferment together, then bottled before fermentation finished, in the Ancestral tradition.

Oriol Artigas 2021 Sammay Negre

Oscar Navas 2021 Terra Alta (Catalunya) La Furtiva

La Furtiva is a project from Oscar Navas, a native of Catalunya, from vines in Terra Alta. The terroir here is primarily limestone, and the blend is Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeu. The grapes are co-fermented, and no SO2 is added. Aging is in French oak and Chestnut barrels for about 10 months, and the wine is aged in bottle for 6 months before release. The style here is light and easy, with freshness, but most impressive is the the subtle texture and depth in the mid-palate.

Oscar Navas 2022 Conca de Barbera (Catalunya) Batussa Red

Batussa is a small negociant (purchased fruit) label from Oscar Navas, who was part of the 4 Kilos winery in Mallorca, but decided to start a small winery in Catalunya, a region with family roots. From 2022 onwards, the vineyards for the Oscar's Batussa project are coming from Conca de Barbera (they were previously from Terra Alta). This is majority Trepat (about 90%) with white grape Macabeu completing the blend. The Batussa red has a partial carbonic maceration providing freshness and lift. A very enjoyable, gritty and light-bodied red, perfect with a light chill.

Pepe Raventos 2021 'Vinya del Noguer' Xarel-lo

A tiny, artisanal side project from our friend Pepe Raventos, this is the wine I tasted in Pepe's basement (essentially a beautiful, serene cellar) under his minimalist home in Sant Sadurni, around 2016 or 2017. Pepe was quite excited to share a wine that was aged in amphora (or maybe it was cement egg in the beginning), made from the local Xarel-lo grape, and vinified and bottled without any added sulfites. I believe I remember Pepe being quite playful about it, as he probably was taught that working without sulfites was dangerous and impossible, so there was a sense of a sneaky glee in breaking the rules. Now, several years later, and after we special ordered 10 cases of this secret zero/zero Xarel-lo for Chambers Street, the Vins Pepe are back! Now employing some old French barrels along with amphora, the Vinya del Noguer Xarel-lo is fantastic in '21, with a long mineral core and leesy, slightly dense texture in the mid-palate. The interplay of weight and cut is perfect, reminding a bit of a Chablis meeting a Mediterranean white.

Pingus 2016 Ribera del Duero Flor de Pingus

Vera de Estenas 2021 Utiel Requena Bobal

Vera de Estenas was founded in 1945 by Francisco Martinez Bermell in Utiel (Valencia, Spain). Under the apellation of Utiel-Requena situated near the Estenas river, around 800m altitude you can find this winery with around 47 hectareas planted in calcareous clay soils. This 100% Bobal is fermented in concrete tanks and old American barrels. This medium bodied red shows a beautiful intense dark cherry color. Notes of dark fruit and plum with some herbaceousness. Medium soft tannins and medium acidity. A very versatile wine and an excellent value. Laura T

Viña Zorzal 2020 Navarra Graciano

Zorzal takes the Graciano grape to new heights with this inexpensive but outrageously delicious 35-year-old, organically-farmed vines in Spain's Navarra region (Rioja's overlooked neighbor). This is a generous, crowd-pleasing, and thirst-quenching red on the fuller side of medium-bodied. It is pretty and perfumed, with flavors of juicy purple plum, ripe red raspberry, and dark cherry, violet flowers, soft funky earth, spearmint leaf, cinnamon spice, smooth tannins, rich texture, and just enough acidity. Unfined, unfiltered, and fermented with native yeasts.

Viña Zorzal 2022 Navarra Garnacha

The 2021 is a NY Times Twenty Under $20 for Thanksgivng - Sorry NYTimes, there's no more 2021, the juicy and delicious 2022 will have to do!

Bedrock 2021 Sonoma Valley Old Vine Zinfandel

This is one of Bedrock's staples, coming from a number of sites they either lease or farm directly. The average vine age is around 80 years, and the grapes are a mix of 85% Zinfandel along with 7% Carignan, 4% Cinsault and small amounts of other field-blended varietals. This is a wine you can enjoy young, with vibrant cherry and blackberry fruit and a lifted character that makes it endlessly enjoyable. There's some spice and dried herbs with subtle but present tannins, and a silky texture perfect for a cool fall night. While open and ready now this will continue to add layers of complexity with a few years in the cellar.

Cameron 2021 Dundee Hills Clos Electrique Rouge

Cameron 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge

Cameron 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Reserve

Chateau Montelena 1990 Napa Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

J Rochioli 2019 Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir

Kelley Fox 2022 Willamette Valley Mirabai Pinot Noir

We rarely suggest judging a book by its cover, but in this case the label speaks so well to its contents! The 'Mirabai' from Kelley Fox blends fruit from two neighboring vineyards, 75% from the Maresh Vineyard and 25% from Weber. The Dundee Hills parcels were both planted in the 1970's so the vines are fully mature, and sit on Jory soil. The quality of the farming coupled with Kelley's intuitive sense and strict aversion to additives in the cellar allows the land to shine through in this bottle. The is a portion of whole cluster here, depending on the vintage, fermentation is in small lots, and aging is around 7 months in neutral French oak. The 2022 is a beautiful wine, brimming with energy but with a seductive side that makes it feel like a treat. It's light enough to work with classic Thanksgiving fare but has the structure and cut to stand up to heartier meats or roasted vegetables. Always a favorite and this vintage is no exception!

Kutch 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Flastaff Vineyard

Maybach 2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

Maybach 2009 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus

Spottswoode 1987 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Valravn 2021 Sonoma County Pinot Noir

This is such a great value for Sonoma Pinot Noir! By creating lasting relationships with high quality, organically farmed  (some certified, all avoid using chemical sprays and employ cover crops where possible) vineyards, the winemakers of Valravn are able to offer a snapshot of the Sonoma County for a really great price. The fruit is fermented in open-top stainless steel with about 15-20% whole clusters used, and then aged in ~20% new French oak for one year. For each vineyards fruit, the wines are fermented separately and then blind-tasted before creating the perfect blend. On the nose are notes of clove, stewed cherry, treebark, red plums, and a touch of black pepper. The palate is juicy and concentrated, with notes of baking spice, red currant, raspberry, sun-baked soil, and even a bit of blueberry. Very tasty California fruit with just the right amount of new oak

Broadside 2020 Central Coast Chardonnay

Chardonnay grape from California. Fermented in tank and transitioned to 30% new French and 8% new American oak post-fermentation.

Cameron 2021 Dundee Hills Clos Electrique Blanc

J Rochioli 2018 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

La Garagista 2022 Barnard VT Harlots and Ruffians

Matthiasson 2014 Napa Valley White Wine 1.5 L

Steve Matthiasson's signature Napa white wine has always been a staff favorite and we were thrilled to come across a parcel of MAGNUMS of the outstanding 2014. Steve has always loved richly textured white wines and consequently was drawn to both Bordeaux Blanc and Friuli. This wine brings the two together, with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grown on gravel and Ribolla Gialla and Friulano on rockier soils. The result shows bright citrus and some fleshier stone fruit up front, with spicier flavors, sea shell notes and a rich beeswax character that is reminiscent of older Chenin Blanc. The development in the bottle also shows in the nose, as the bright yellow fruit character of the wine's youth intermingles with aromas of dates and dried mint. This is one of the most consistently excellent and satisfying whites in California, and the chance to drink it with some age from a big bottle should not be missed this Christmas season. Sam Ehrlich

Maybach 2010 Sonoma Chardonnay Eterium

Ruth Lewandowski 2020 Fox Hill Vineyard Cortese "Chilion" Zero

Chilion is a rare example of Cortese from the United States, grown in the quartz and sandstone rich soils of Fox Hill Vineyard. It sees six months of skin contact, adding incredible complexity and depth. It was pressed on the spring equinox of 2021 followed by another six months in neutral egg-shaped containers. Definitely an orange wine worth your time.

Ruth Lewandowski 2021 Mendocino Gibson Ranch 'Naomi'

Naomi is 100% Grenache Gris from the hundred-year-old bush vines at Gibson Ranch in Mendocino, planted somewhere around 1910. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters with full malolactic conversion taking place, then spend five months on lees, racked once and bottled unfined and unfiltered. It's a dark gold, almost amber in the glass with subtle aromatics of apricot, peach, some earth and faint white flowers. There's a nice texture and firm acidity, making it a great wine for the table, with a clean mineral finish. It gets better as it opens up and is best served chilled but not too cold, where it can really showcase the complex minerality and depth coming from the old vines.

Ultramarine 2018 Russian River Blanc de Blanc Keefer Ranch

Ultramarine 2018 Russian River Blanc de Blanc Michael Mara

Black Maple Hill Oregon Straight Bourbon Whiskey (95 Proof)

Fort Hamilton Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Fort Hamilton Double Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey

Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

West Cork Bourbon Cask Irish Whiskey 750 ml