In this issue I’m recommending two wines from this lower rent area in the Northern Rhône, lost after phylloxera and now being resurrected. This basic bottle comes from our friend... read more →
Two syrahs, similar granite soils, similar prices, somewhat similar charms, and similar use of stems. Differences? Personality of the winemaker? This one is a little bit brighter, a little more... 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 →
Serious and brooding. Of course the maker, Olivier Cousin—who embodies joie de vivre—is none of these things, which is kind of fun. Love this wine, it’s got so much earthiness,... read more →
Brothers Fabien and Cyril Boisard have been making wine for a decade and doing beautiful work, so why is this the first time I’ve recommended their complex offering? Mea culpa.... read more →
When my brother was a kid he viewed cherry soda as the elixir of life. He should have been drinking this instead. 7.5% ABV. Keep it in mind for its... read more →
I was in Frankly Wines and Christy said, take! It only gets one night of carbonic then it finishes with alcoholic fermentation, gets moved to enamel-lined stainless (new to me),... read more →
A great score from Zev. It’s a carbonic little refresher from the Auvergne from people I’ve yet to meet. Just so pretty (the wine and the label). What else to... read more →
Rafa! What a special man and a very fine winemaker. Everything made under the Viñedos Culturales label (his project, reviving old vineyards and methods of winemaking) is worth exploring but... read more →
Another Rafa wine, as above, but the polar opposite of the Los Cipreses with more savory on the outside than the in, strong yet silky. Destemmed, steel ferment, returned to... read more →