Author: Thomas Wilcox

If you have trouble finding Saint-Péray on a map, you’re not alone. The tiny Northern Rhône appellation is tucked just south of Cornas on the Rhône River, and covers only three tenths of a square mile. But Vinous’s Josh Raynolds calls it “currently the most exciting appellation in the northern Rhône Valley.”

The wines of Saint-Péray are perfumed and highly expressive, and Raynolds claims the best examples “rival Hermitage blanc for quality.” Made from Marsanne, Roussanne, or a blend of the two, they’re exotic, aromatic white wines that show tropical notes and low acidity, perfect for apéritifs. Saint-Pérays are complex, rare, and, when you can find them, delicious.

Most interesting for us, however, is Raynolds claim that “Stephane Robert, for my money, is making the best St-Perays out there right now.”

 

 

Stephane Robert is the winemaker at the Domaine du Tunnel, our newest source in the Northern Rhône valley. Tunnel is famous as one of the top sources for Cornas, and indeed it was their excellent reds that led us to their door. But we were so taken with their Saint-Péray that we just couldn’t skip it.

Tunnel’s 2016 Saint-Péray explodes from the glass. Peach, honey, tangerine, and apricots mix with tropical flowers and pears. The mouth is rich and intense; it coats the mouth with dried fruits and concludes with a beautifully balanced finish (13.5%) of minerals and zest. Think Condrieu, but with yellower fruits and a slightly sun-baked feel.

We could go on about the complexity and seductiveness of this wine, but to get the complete picture you’ll need a glass yourself.

 

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Tunnel Saint-Péray 2016

bottle price : $45

 

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If Sancerre had a grand cru vineyard, it would be the Monts Damnées. This most famous of Sancerre’s terroirs abuts the hamlet of Chavignol west of the town. Sancerre produces popular wine from every corner of its appellation, but the hillside of the Monts Damnées is special.

And just a half mile to the east along the same slope lies “Les Bouffants.” Its soil is similarly full of “Caillotes” (large limestone stones), and it’s from this plot that today’s wine hails. Bouffants’s slope isn’t quite as steep as its famous neighbor, but you’d want someone who knew what they were doing driving a tractor up the hill from you.

Last week we introduced our exciting new source for Sancerre, the Domaine de la Garenne. Their 2017 regular cuvée is delightful and everything we look for in a Sancerre. But “Bouffants” is truly something special.

 

 

Made from pure, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, Bouffants is more dense and serious than Garenne’s regular cuvée. The 2017 is distilled and long, full of mineral intensity and dried fruit. Look for notes of pears and grapefruits, with a long, clean, very dry finish. Think of the ripe fruitiness of a classic Sauvignon combined with the mineral intensity of a Muscadet.

Bouffants is a perfect food wine and can stand up to a wide range of diverse flavors. Last week we served Garenne’s regular cuvée as an aperitif during the sunset, and the Bouffants with steamed lobster for dinner; each match was superb.

 

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Garenne Sancerre “Bouffants” 2017

bottle price : $28

 

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The Loire Valley is a pastoral land of magnificent chateaux and humble goat cheese makers. The range of wines across its 250 mile expanse is just as dramatic: sparkling and still, dry and sweet, and everything from almost-clear Muscadet to deep purple Chinon. There’s a wine here for every palate.

For this case we’ve selected four wines from across the region: three whites and a red. All four are single varietal wines from four of the Loire’s most famous grapes: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, and Cabernet Franc. Each is pure, unoaked, and delightful — exuberant expressions from the “Garden of France.”

Garenne Sancerre 2017
Pure sauvignon blanc; lively, round, and fresh. Classic and smooth; look for grapefruit and flint.

Martin-Luneau Muscadet “Deux Roches” 2012
Melon de Bourgogne grown near the Atlantic Coast. Very dry and refreshing; melon and salt air.

Paget Chenin “Melodie” 2017
Organic chenin blanc in the style of Vouvray. Dry, floral, complex, exquisite; pear and stones.

Demois Chinon VV 2015
Unoaked old-vine Cabernet Franc from Chinon. Dense, juicy, and balanced; graphite and plums.

 

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Loire Valley Sampler
(3 of each wine)

Suggested retail: $316
sampler price : $250

 

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We think summer wines should be refreshing, affordable, and served cool. Usually this means whites, and we’re thrilled about the new Sancerre we added to our site yesterday. But sometimes the menu or the moment calls for a red.

When that’s the case, we like something simple and chillable, and we’re excited about our newest addition to this category: Domaine Perrachon’s 2017 Beaujolais-Villages. Most of our wines from Perrachon are more serious and sophisticated than your average Beaujolais, but this one is pure uncomplicated enjoyment.

 

 

Most $16 Beaujolais is mass-market, large volume wine rushed to market soon after fermentation. Perrachon’s is a different sort, made with hand picked grapes from 45 year old vines. It shows all of the jubilant, carefree spirit of the region instead of the blandness of much cheap Beaujolais.

Perrachon’s 2017 Beaujolais Villages is juicy and refreshing. Unlike their more serious wines, it’s vat raised, and the vibrant ripe raspberry fruit shows through beautifully. The nose is clean and floral, and the mouth is cool, lively, and refreshing.

And at $16 this is a no brainer for a house summer red. Serve some from the fridge on a muggy afternoon and you’ll forget all about the heat.

 

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Perrachon Beaujolais-Villages 2017

bottle price : $16

 

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The French have a long tradition of eating outdoors. From harvest tables in Burgundy to breezy rooftops in Paris, a French meal en plein air is full of beguiling aromas, clinking glasses, and hearty laughter. In France and at home we like to eat sur terrace, and we find that wine (and really food in general) tastes better outside, with room to breathe and open.

A Spring-Summer favorite of ours is “Les Anémones,” a delightful blend from our friend Francis Muré in the Alsace. It’s a perfect picnic wine, matching nicely with a wide range of foods, from sharp cheeses to crusty bread. It’s a refreshing antidote to a muggy summer afternoon.

 

 

Anémones is a blend of Riesling, Muscat, and Pinot Gris. It’s soft but not sweet, with less sharpness than Riesling, but enough acidity to keep it lively. There are notes of apricot, orange and pear, with a lovely round mouthfeel and good length. Like curry, Muscat sometimes takes over things that it’s a part of; but here it is nicely balanced and not at all overwhelming.

Speaking of curry, Anémones pairs beautifully with food of Indian or Asian style, particularly with a bit of spice. But its best accompaniment is an afternoon outside. This is a simple but delightful and tasty wine with a beautiful bouquet – you’ll be surprised how fast the bottle disappears.

 

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Muré Anémones 2016

bottle price : $19

 

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Oysters are a common sight at French markets. Huitres are a natural pairing for wine, in both the gustatory and philosophical senses. Just like wine, they’re an expression of terroir (or merrior, if you like) whose character changes with their origin. And in matters gustatory, well, it’s a match made in heaven.

Oysters pair well with lots of white wines, but our favorites of late are four dry wines from Chablis, Muscadet, and Austria. So here’s a mixed case designed for oyster lovers. And each case will be packed with an Ansonia Wines Oyster Knives. (If oysters aren’t your thing, it’s a handy slicer for a piece of fromage.)

 

 

Martin-Luneau Muscadet Gorges 2014
Muscadet is near the mouth of the Loire River, not far from France’s finest oyster region. This classic pairing is aged on lees for three years, showing brioche, baked lemon, and stones.

Gautheron Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2016
Gautheron’s old vines produce a Chablis with an extra dose of richness. The classic minerals and lemon peel are there, but there’s a tad more material to round out the mouth.

Salomon-Undhof Grüner Veltliner Wieden 2017
This dry, minerally wine from Austria is a classic Grüner — look for notes of cucumber, lime zest, and saline, with a thick but lively mouthfeel and a clean finish.

Martin-Luneau Muscadet “Gorges” 2013
“Deux Roches” stays on the lees for longer than is allowed in the appellations for Gorges or Clisson. The result is an ultra-dry complex wine with mid acidity and intense dry flavor.

Free Oyster Knife with each case.

 

 

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Oyster Pairing Sampler

Ansonia Retail: $316
sampler price : $265/bot

+ free oyster knife

 

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We often joke that inhabitants of the Beaujolais consider themselves Burgundian, but that the rest of Burgundy isn’t quite as sure. And while differences between the two halves abound — grape varietal, soil type, landscape, etc. — they share a tradition and style as well.

We call today’s wine “Red Burgundy” intentionally. The grape may be gamay and the zip code may be Juliénas, but this wine exhibits many of the characteristics of our favorite Pinot Noirs. It’s a combination of old vines (planted in the 1940s), expert craftsmanship, Burgundian style elevage. At the price, this could easily become your new house red Burgundy.

We’re featuring several new reds from Beaujolais in our July Futures issue, out next weekend. But this one was a favorite, so we’re opening up the bidding early.

 

 

The Domaine Perrachon has made wine in Juliénas since the 1870s. Today we’re enthusiastically suggesting their 2015 Julénas “Clos des Chers.” It’s as serious and sophisticated a Beaujolais as we’ve ever had. Made from south facing vines and raised in large 500L barrels, it marries the jubilant spirit of the Beaujolais with a bit of polish from further north.

This wine is exceptionally pretty, with dark blue fruits, violets, and cool earth in the nose; the mouth is long and intense, with beautiful texture and notes of baked blueberries and roses. Burghound called it “exceptionally pretty,” “rich,” and “caressing,” predicting “it could easily enjoyed now [but] there is plenty of upside development potential.”

We’re hard pressed to find a better value in Burgundy today. It’s not from a fancy town or a “noble” grape, but this is true red Burgundy at a remarkably friendly price.

 

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Perrachon Juliénas “Clos des Chers” 2015

Ansonia Retail: $300
Futures Price : $235/case

 

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AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF-CASE