Good luck finding any of Tegan Passalacqua’s wines, all in tiny production, and all extremely expressive. I first met Tegan years back at Abe Schoener’s Napa table and was impressed... read more →
From three parcels of schist and vines between 16–90 years old comes a broad, horizontal, delicious wine. After a touch of pot on the nose comes the orange and tangerine... read more →
Here’s a beauty for those who want to explore chenin done well on schist. But first that name: Camille tells me “Mentule means penis in old French. Matagrabolisée is a... read more →
If only it were kosher, my kosher wine readers would rejoice. But alas, the winemaker is not a religious Jew, so this is merely a good Israeli wine. The viticulture... read more →
Eric Morgat told me that this 2010 was closed. I was like, really? Granted, I watched this dance over a few days and it never gave up. Never. What a... read more →
There’s such good stuff going on those schist-based soils of Rablay/Layon, and this entry from Bruno Richard was stunning. There was plenty flesh and pithy skin firmness and tension. A... read more →
Let’s hear it for fine and thoughtful vignerons who always make wine for the people. This is their bone-dry, stellar sparkling: 100% chenin, vintage 2004. It stays on the lees... read more →
Stéphane Erissé makes subtle wines of elegance from 3 hectares of vines with an average age of 90 in Saint Georges-Sur-Layon. This chenin is subdued and extremely classy. You might... read more →