Years ago, back in the late 2000's, wines from a relatively unknown estate, L'Anglore, began making the rounds in Paris, and by 2010, were brought into New York by our own David Lillie and friend Phillipe “Fifi” Essome. Made by a humble beekeeper and grape-grower named Eric Pfifferling, who had been selling to the local co-op in Tavel/Lirac area until 2002, these wines had a following of wine-nerds, musicians, Parisian hipsters, and the like. By no means widely known, the L'Anglore wines attained a type of cult status among a small circle of wine drinkers. Since beginning to make and independently bottle his own wines, Eric Pfifferling has worked with many up and coming young winemakers in the region, so by way of his collaborations with folks like Nicolas Reynaud and Romain le Bars, we've been able to enjoy a wider range of wines influenced by Pfifferling. Today, we are very happy to introduce a new name, that of Alexandre Hote!

A local from Tavel, Hote's family historically sold grapes to the co-op, and his decision to bottle wines under his own name is fairly recent. Though he has not been officially producing wines for a long time, he has been making wine on a small scale for over a decade, and his 2023 Tavel thoroughly impressed us when we recently tasted it here in New York. Indeed, memories of that first taste of L'Anglore Tavel were activated! -- I feel it's important to take a quick moment to say that this particular wine is fantastic in its own right and does not need the mention of Eric Pfifferling as verification. That said, the style of Pfifferling's wines, with their grit, vibrancy, and immense energy, is one that very few producers in the region ever attain, most likely by choice, as L'Anglore wines are typically hazy, and made with minimal or no addition of sulfites. The 2023 Tavel from Hote is of this very tiny collection of wines, so the reference is more to situate the wine's style than it is a selling point!

We originally intended to just write a "one wine email" about this particular bottle, and believe us it warrants the format, but it seemed only right to include a few bottles from the aforementioned Nicolas Reynaud and Romain le Bars as well, and a special Cinsault-based Tavel from Alexandre Hote that we have not tasted, but are offering on the strength of the 2023 Tavel that is the star of the show.