Why don’t the Coulaine wines get better representation on the shelves? The 2011 vintage was generous to Etienne and Pascale and this is a gorgeous expression of grapes grown in... read more →
Bonded with the Tasmanians over this one, early in the morning at Le Cercle Rouge in Angers. This is just the thing way past midnight, when the world looks as... read more →
Last stop for rosé. This one is pure fun with that pale color phony Provençal rosés try to emulate. It is a little ripe, a little low on the acid... read more →
Robert Parker Jr. once wrote that grolleau should be yanked out of the Loire, which should make him eligible for high treason. Thank goodness he was ignored. Here’s a stinky... read more →
I received a few samples from a house I used to like but forgot about. While I wasn’t looking they started to convert to biodynamics, which will be complete in... read more →
I’ve been tasting this for a year and now the wine has popped out of the box, or so I thought when I sipped it in Angers this year. Just... read more →
This almost has a little nut, perhaps from a touch of flor, which just deepens my fascination with this salt-meets-honeysuckle wine. Barrel-fermented and then barrel-aged for another 9 to 11... read more →
Tasted in his cellar, the Chaillot had been open for several days (I couldn’t bear to ask him to open up a new bottle for me). This was from the... read more →
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 →
I’ve been a fan of these wines, raised in concrete, ever since the early days. The Bien Luné is smoky and coal-like, it’s a dark drink with herbal and blackberry... read more →