Cabernet Franc made its way from Bordeaux to the central Loire Valley in the 17th century, where it achieved its apex in Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny. As a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, you... Read More
Château de Halié is a straight-up, fleshy Claret from southeastern Bordeaux within the Entre-Deux-Mers region between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Entre-Deux-Mers is famous for wines that over-deliver for the... Read More
2020 was another great year in Bordeaux with nice ripe Saint-Emilion like Haut-Segottes by 4th-generation winemaker Madame Danielle Meunier and her assistant Florent Caldier. The 22-acre estate has been in operation for 160 years,... Read More
Catherine de Loze crafts Peybrun at her family's 400-year-old, 37-acre Chateau with 72% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Franc. 2020 was a good year for ripe, juicy wine with plenty of blackcurrants, plums, and spice... Read More
Domaine de Fenouillet has been producing wine in the village of Beaumes-de-Venise (one of the classified Rhône villages) for 100 years, and brothers Patrick and Vincent Soard have expanded production to include southerly... Read More
The winery has been around since the 1990s, but it's undergone some significant changes since then: De Montcy was Demeter-certified for biodynamic farming in 2015, and in 2020, the Chevrier family took over the winery and... Read More
La Grange is mostly Grenache with small amounts of Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan blended in, all sourced from vines that are roughly 45 years of age. Dark-fruited but still light on its feet, drinking this is almost too easy.... Read More
Closiers is a new domaine founded in 2018 by Anatole de la Brosse, with Michel Chevré of Clos L’Ecotard and Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard acting as consultants. Their wines are made with organic fruit from 37 acres... Read More
Syrah from the northern Rhône has a purity of expression unmatched by any other region or country. The wines are dry, perfumed, and marked by unmistakable terroir. Within a stone's throw from the grand vineyards of Hermitage,... Read More
As Côtes du Rhône's popularity increased, so did the endless choices. CDR is a great way for winemakers to use purchased fruit and declassified juice while offering the drinker a well-priced bottle of wine. Unfortunately,... Read More
Tradition Rouge is a blend of destemmed, separately-vinified Pinot Noir 60%, Trousseau 35%, and Poulsard grown at about 1000 feet at Jura's northern end within the Arbois and Montigny communes. The wine is fermented with indigenous... Read More
Lilian Duplessis is the 5th-generation winemaker at his family estate of 20 organic acres, where expression of terroir and purity of northern Burgundian Chardonnay are favored over new oak and butter fat. Duplessis makes several... Read More