Out of a sensible cooperative in the southern Rhône comes a classic: full-bodied with good tannin and balance. The fruit is dark bing cherry balanced by spice, licorice, and a... read more →
This is the second time and second vintage this wine has appeared in the TFL, so consider us fans. In 2012, this is a beautifully savory version, a currant-meets-garrique view... read more →
2013 was a hard year in the Anjou, but it was kind to Christine and Joël Ménard, two of the nicest vignerons in all of the Anjou Noir. All of... read more →
Remember the colorful graffiti bottle? That is in the past. Now as Texier’s basic wine we have a not-so-basic Chat Fou. It’s just shy of intense with a quiet grip... read more →
West of Toulouse and east of Bordeaux in Buzet, Magali Tissot and Ludovic Bonnelle do the old fashioned thing, work by hand, foot crush, deeply respect the soil, get silly-low... read more →
Can you imagine if this was given to someone who asked for a malbec? They’d run while screaming, “Where is my fruit?” Gilles Bley’s wine comes from his younger vines... read more →
Olivier is indeed the little brother to the Anjou’s Jo Pithon. He moved to the southwest where he gives us this swell mix of grenache and syrah. Expect a wine... read more →
From the Gironde, this is solid, balanced and heads to the savory with linseed and forest. Its élévage was in concrete tanks for 18 months, its simple pleasure is undeniable,... read more →
Cyril Alonso is the “natural” négoce, who wins the value prize with this entry for a full liter of glou glou deliciousness. The grapes come from near Tavel, vinified in... read more →
Camille Rivière watched as I tasted Jean-François Coutelou’s wines at my kitchen table. Jeff used to be her wine teacher back when she was being a pain in the ass... read more →