Articles

7/11/17 - For decades Aligoté has had something of an image problem. Short, sharp, and shocking in its acidity when farmed for high yields in indifferent terrior, it was viewed as a rustic country wine more suitable for a kir (softened with a scandalous amount of cassis,) than for the table. Yet, as a recent article by Eric Asimov, and a series of articles...

7/10/17 - We wouldn't mind being in the Côtes Catalanes right now, drinking regional wines outside under the summer sun. Since that won't be happening any time soon, at least we can share some new arrivals from our friends Carolin and Niko Bantlin, from Domaine Les Enfants Sauvages! This is the second year we've been working with the Bantlins, so some of our customers...

7/5/17 - Gianni Canonica is one of my wine heroes. He makes uncompromising, great wine in every vintage, and he seems happy in his work, taking a calm and harmonious view of the swirling world around him. His wines have been discovered – fundamentally because of their quality, but also because some key Italian tastemakers have a better understanding and feeling for naturally made,...

7/2/17 - Apparently there is a very entertaining video of rapper Action Bronson tasting Susucaru, Frank Cornelissen’s fabulous rosato, and smoking pot. And smoking. And smoking. Or maybe he was smoking in a different video? I haven’t seen it, but it’s clear from his audiences’ response that he loved the wine. The video produced a flood of inquiries, and it’s great that there is...

6/30/17 - Last fall we were graced by a visit from Angelo and Letizia of Azienda Fongoli and I came away from the experience deeply impressed. Not only were they lovely people who were excellent communicators about their land and their philosophy, but their wines were absolutely wonderful. The estate was founded in 1927 by Decio Fongoli Calvani and has passed down through three...

6/22/17 - In the mountains of Bierzo Alto, at the limit of winegrowing possibility, Germán Blanco makes his delicious Casa Aurora wines in the tiny village of Albares de la Ribera. This is the home town of his grandmother and mentor, La Señora Aurora Garcia, who was the first female in the area to work in the coal mines, following the early death of...

6/20/17 - We're very proud to be working with the witty and affable Jean-Francois Deu at Domaine du Traginer, and we have just received a new shipment of these unique and delicious wines that belong on your table this season! Last Friday we tasted all the new arrrivals and customers and staff alike were unanimous in their praise for these superb wines.  While all...

6/19/17 - I first went to see Mount Etna in 1981; I’m sure we drank wine but I have no idea if it was something local. The mountain was most impressive, and I do remember seeing vines amongst the old lava flows; it seemed incredible that anything could grow there. I loved it, and I loved Sicily. I did visit a couple times after,...

6/18/17 - We're thrilled to introduce the natural wines of La Vrille et le Papillon in the Ardeche. A brother and sister team, Meyrl and Géraldinge Crozier started La Vrille et le Papillon in 2012 and now have 5 hectares of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Grenache and Ugni Blanc tended in organic agriculture. They grew up with grandparents on both sides of their...

6/16/17 - We will readily admit to an abiding love for Burgundy. The great names roll off the tongue: Amoureuses, Musigny, Romanée, Richebourg... The thought of these sets the heart racing. And while we'd love to drink these and savor the organoleptic nuances between the terroirs of, say, Latricières-Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin on a regular basis, our budgets simply don't allow for us to do...

6/13/17 - It's a difficult period in Muscadet as most growers lost 50% to 90% of their crop in 2016 due to a terrible frost after a very warm early spring, with many producers suffering similar losses in 2017. Most estates were obliged to buy fruit and produced small quantities of wine in 2016, a terrible economic hardship for the growers as prices in...

6/11/17 - Last winter we  were asking Matthieu and Bernard Baudry about their favorite growers in Chinon (we always need more Chinon!) and they immediately suggested their friend Patrick Lambert, whose domain is around the corner from them, on the hill of Sonnay in Cravant. Luckily, Patrick was showing his wines at the organic show  "La Levée de la Loire" in Angers the following...

5/31/17 - One of the great pleasures of our winter trip to France is La Dive Bouteille in Saumur, where one can taste the great Beaujolais of the Descombes family, Lapierre, Chanudet, Breton, Leonis and others, including the beautiful natural wines of Jean-Claude Lapalu. Currently one of the most respected growers in Beaujolais, Lapalu began his career as a grape grower, only beginning to...

5/25/17 - Our small allocation of 2014s from Sylvie Esmonin has just arrived and the wines are full-bodied, complex and quite beautiful with the perfect balance of ripe fruit and acidity often found in this excellent vintage in Burgundy. During our visits to the estate many years ago, the importance of plowing and good farming to create deep root systems was emphasized frequently, especially...

5/24/17 - Much has already been written about Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, partners and collaborators in their nearly eponymous label, Arnot-Roberts. Started on a shoestring budget in Healdsburg, CA in 2001, both Meyers and Roberts have become emblematic of the new guard of California winemakers. Delving into their personal ties to California is important to understanding the Arnot-Roberts story; one might...