2015 Domaine de la Pepiere ‘Chateau -Thebaud’ Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Loire Valley, FR
Regular Price $29.99
Sale price $23.99
Most people familiar with Muscadet know it as the fresh, minerally and acidic that pairs well with oysters and is consumed while the wine is young. That perspective might not be wrong, but it is narrow and not entirely accurate either. The grape (Melon de Bourgogne) is typically fermented in concrete vats and then stirred with its lees to promote richness. That happens with this wine as well, but the wine spends a total of 30 months on less! The result is incredible aromatics, complexity and richness as well as enhanced aging potential. The wine is rated WOW!
2016 Domaine Henri Gouges Pinot Blanc
Burgundy, FR
Regular Price $47.99
Sale price $33.99
Pinot Blanc is pretty much nonexistent in Burgundy these days, but a few isolated patches remain and a few committed producers continue to honor the centuries old heritage of the grape and make interesting and intense wine from Pinot Blanc. Domaine Henri Gouges (from Nuit-Saint-Georges) is one of those producers, and their commitment is such that the grape has become known to some as Pinot Gouges. Bold and rich, the wine is earthy and more nutty than fruity with crisp acidity and nice length. It’s a great choice with any pork presentation
2016 Gilles Troullier ‘De-Là’ IGP Cotes Catalanes
Royssillon, FR
Regular Price $21.99
Sale price $27.99
De-Là means “here and there,” a reference to the sourcing of the grapes for this cuvée of Syrah from vineyards on sandy, granite soils near the villages of Lesquerde and Trévillach in the northern Roussillon. Rather than dense and chewy version of Syrah from the northern Rhone Valley, and completely unlike the Syrah/Shiraz fruit bombs of Australia and California, the wine is fresh and floral with gentle, yet persistent fruit, herbal and mineral flavors. Its a wine so confident in its approach, that its doesn’t need to shout at you.
2011 San Fereolo Dogliani
Piedmont, IT
Regular Price $43.99
Sale price $34.99
Arguably, Dogliani is the greatest place to grow Dolcetto in Piedmont (therefore, the world). And this expression of old vine Dolcetto is among the finest produced in Dogliani. And finally, it’s a carefully tended wine that spends 4 years in large wooden vats followed by 4 years in bottle before release. Usually, a wine with that pedigree and care is prohibitively expensive. So, to put a bow on it, this is one of those wines that the ‘connoisseurs’ gush about. Or they would, if they really knew anything about wine.
2017 Planetes de Nin
Priorat, SP
Regular Price $44.99
Sale price $35.99
So generally, we know Priorat produces wines of density, ripeness and structure, with high levels of alcohol and often teeth staining tannins. Full stop. This wine is beautifully elegant, subtle and herbal. Its fresh and bright rather than dense and chewy. It’s quite honestly, a completely different take on Priorat. That’s what makes wine so damn fun!
2017 Saint-Damien ‘Les Souteyrades’ Gigondas
Rhone Valley, FR
Regular Price $39.99
Sale price $31.99
Big and full and lush and rich, but surprisingly bright and fresh with herbal and mineral tones complementing the berry and fig flavors. Comprised of 80% Grenach and 20% Mourvedre it’s not shy or coy, but neither is it monolithic or dull. It probably won’t improve with long term aging, but certainly will delight you throughout this fall and the upcoming winter, at least.