Articles

8/4/2006 - Pierre and Jean Gonon work the family's 9 hectares of vineyards located in Mauves, Tournon and Saint-Jean-de-Muzols.  (7 hectares of Syrah, and 2 hectares of Marsanne and Roussanne in the "les Oliviers" parcel) The massale selection vines average 30 years of age and are densely planted.  The soil is fertilized only with their own composts and is plowed and aerated.  Only natural...

Article from 2008 - This estate has been in the family for several generations. Basically, the Foucault brothers (Nadi and Charlie) tend exceptional vineyards, harvest at small yields, vinify in barrel, let the wines bubble for a couple of years in a glacially cold cellar and bottle without filtration. And what you get is the some of the top red wines of the Loire...

Article from 2008 - La Signora and I have spent a couple of weeks on the wagon; that really nasty cold/cough we both had took all the pleasure out of wine. When we fell off the wagon the other night we had THE BEST BOTTLE OF WINE EVER MADE! How’s that for good luck?!  Since you’ll never guess the wine, here’s the secret: Occhipinti...

[Illustration by Michel Tolmer] Earlier this year, we wrote an article about the untimely passing of Dominique Belluard in June of 2021. A reflection on the context of this tragedy, it was a rather somber piece of writing, but today our tone will be celebratory instead. We are excited to share that there will be a future for Dominique's legendary Gringet vines and a...

The Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet "Les Gras Moutons" is one of the most versatile and crowd-pleasing of all Muscadet! It's especially delicious in the 2022 vintage as the slightly lower acidity makes it immediately ready to drink. It's a glass full of Muscadet pleasure that will accompany just about anything - stock up! "Les Gras Moutons" is a great parcel on gneiss, in layers...

Today we have the great honor of offering a handful of wines from Victoria Torres Pecis, whose wines were previously bottled as 'Matias i Torres' until she recently transitioned to just using her name. When we received most of these wines about a month ago, it seemed odd (or possibly insensitive) to send out a newsletter while wildfires were raging through La Palma in...

7/10/2023 [The Pépière team in 2018 with the youthful Gwénaëlle Croix and Rémi Branger] The Domaine de la Pépière "Briords Vielles Vignes" is one of the greatest values in white wine to be found anywhere in the world offering elegance, complexity, great terroir expression and sensational food pairing with just about anything from the sea, not to mention quiches, salads, mild cheeses and much...

[Dégusté à la veugle or Sors ton Anecdote!] With vineyards dating back to 910 AD that have been farmed organically since the 1950s, and three generations of experience vinifying without additives, Julien Guillot is producing some of the most unique and delicious natural wines of France! Included in today's email are the principal bottlings from the Clos des Vignes du Maynes as well as...

Domaine Bart, Marsannay: Since the 2007 vintage, Chambers Street has been offering the delicious Marsannays (and occasionally the Bonnes Mares and Clos de Beze) from the Bart family estate, currently run by Pierre and his uncle Martin. Our visits have always been a fascinating lesson in vineyard sites and we're happy to be offering 2021s from four different parcels as well as the "Les...

[Very old vines] It's always exciting to get a new drop from one of our favorite California producers and old-vine aficionados Sandlands, if a little bittersweet in that there just never seems to be much wine to go around. The spring release of 2021s is here and while the quantities are miniscule, the wines are as always bursting with energy and big on personality. Sandlands...

5/19/2023 [Raul outside his new winery, Winter 2023] A couple of weeks ago, the legendary Raúl Pérez was in town and I had the chance to taste some rarities and "core classics" with him at the Skurnik Wines office. It was the best and also the most comprehensive tasting I've had with him, and though many of the wines were not available yet in...

I do not have many friends in Burgundy, mostly acquaintances. Visits I've made over the years were primarily to older winemakers, who were always friendly and down to earth, but due to the generally succinct nature of Burgundy visits  (taste, talk about vintage, handshake), there has not always been a lot of time to develop deeper relationships. This all changed when I met Antoine...

3/8/2023 [Jon Peñagaricano points out the Akutain barrel in Haro town square (Photo: Jose Pastor Selections)] Rioja is many things. Probably the best-known wine region in Spain, it has a storied viticultural history, with the modern era of wine-making dating back to the 1850s. For most of that time, Tempranillo has been at the center of this story, and grand bodegas in the towns...

3/3/2023 It may just be me but most of my favorite things in life are generally attainable. My favorite foods are foods that I can eat from time to time, my favorite cocktail is one that I can actually order at any self respecting bar. All this is to say that Selosse may be exquisite, but my favorite Champagne is Marguet. Though I am by no...

2/22/2023 There may be a tendency to romanticize the idea of the winemaker. We imagine men and women at one with nature, the vineyard, and the wildlife around them, tending to the vines and reaping the harvest to then press Mother Nature's bounty into juice that will transform into this exquisite and thought provoking, emotional liquid. Unfortunately it's not always easy for our winemaker friends. Decades ago,...