Back before there was a craziness for natural wine there was the deeply dimpled, relatively unknown Jacques Carroget working quietly and naturally. This wine was crushed, with a kiss of... read more →
Grégoire Perron’s vines are spread out between Cerdon and Bourg-En-Bresse. So for this wine think Bugey de Cerdon style, but made outside of the Bugey zone. That means a little... read more →
The 12 refers to the vineyard grown on flint and clay. This is a simple, straightforward wine, that is perhaps more simple than the price tag suggests but still, it... read more →
There’s an enclave of winemakers clustered in the Ardeche who work with the kind of cold carbonic maceration used by the early natural winemakers. There, Manuel Cunin and Vincent Fargier... read more →
From a single namesake parcel of 50-year-old garnacha vines on decomposed granite soils in the town of Villena, Alicante. Fermented in steel, raised for 12 months in 2- to 4-year-old... read more →
You’ll see the price on this wine ranging anywhere between $12 and $17 on the shelf. You’ll have to forgive the range and just buy it. A gentle sauvignon, on... read more →
The regular cuvée of Marc Olivier is still only $13, but a few more dollars gets you spectacular bottlings. Like this one from fractured gneiss. It’s lush, saline, deep, refreshing.... 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 →
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 →