When I visited with Gilles this summer he said to me, will you taste this? Seems like Regal couldn’t sell it with those wispy clouds floating inside the bottle. That’s not a problem for us. Just shake it up to see it disappear or just don’t care. The wine was lovely. It’s 2013 so the fruit had settled; it had that brilliant 2013 acidity. It’s refreshing. I loved the grainy texture and the touch of salinity and the faintest echo of spring.

Old school alert on Sardinia. Raised in old chestnut casks under flor, this is more super-juicy sherry without the fortification. Intense salty deliciousness, fierce and I can think of all sorts of appetizers this would shock your crowd with. Watch it, 16.5% alcohol.