Filters Sort results
Reset Apply
 | Sanzay also makes more serious reds, with real aging potential and sophistication. Our choice… More (+) Sanzay also makes more serious reds, with real aging potential and sophistication. Our choice in the 2018 vintage is Saumur-Champigny “Les Dares,” from 55 year-old vines and raised in small oak barrels for 15 months. In this wine a pleasant dose of oak joins the fruit. It’s very attractive in the mouth: round in the opening but with plenty of supporting structure and very nice length. Fine grained tannins support the notes of cranberry, cassis and silky minerality. Less (-) | |
 | Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare estate since the 1990s, and it’s… More (+) Winemaker Catherine Dhoye-Deruet has run her small 6-hectare estate since the 1990s, and it’s been in her family since the early 1700s.With 30 grams of residual sugar and excellent minerality, this Demi-Sec is lightly sweet – picture the sweetness in a bowl of ripe berries rather than a slice of cake. The nose is tropical and wonderful, showing quince, pear, and cooked apples. The mouth is smooth, elegant and quite long, with a beautiful velvety texture and almost a hint of tannin. This cuvée probably isn’t sweet enough for dessert – we’d serve it with a spicy Asian dish, sushi with a healthy dose of wasabi, or fish tacos alongside salsa with some authority. Less (-) | |
 | If you like your Loire reds more serious and ageworthy, here’s an exciting find… More (+) If you like your Loire reds more serious and ageworthy, here’s an exciting find. The nose shows smoke and anise, which have both started to integrate beautifully into the fruit; and we expect the trend to continue. The 50+ year old vines contribute impressive richness, which the Sanzay Family have handled masterfully -- despite all of the inky, old-vine material, the shape of the wine remains fine and precise (even angular). This is Cabernet Franc at its most Burgundian -- intense, earthy fruit that somehow retains its lift and sophistication. We expect this to improve for another 3-4 years, and wouldn’t be surprised it it was still impressive in a decade. Lightweight, carefree Cabernet Franc is useful and delicious, but here’s ample proof the grape can perform on a higher level. Less (-) | |
| | Our favorite source for these delicious reds is the Domaine des Sanzay, an organic… More (+) Our favorite source for these delicious reds is the Domaine des Sanzay, an organic fixture of Saumur-Champginy in the central Loire. Their unblended Cabernet Franc wines have become highly popular in our warehouse, with their simple Saumur red and old-vine cuvée opening tasters’ eyes to a new expression of the grape.This year it was Sanzay’s parcellaire cuvée “Les Dares” that grabbed our attention. Drawn from a single plot of 65+ year old cabernet franc, this is an impressive wine. The nose is very fine and detailed, with a distinct note of honeysuckle over the red apple fruits and violet petals. The mouth is fine grained and concentrated with perfectly balanced tannin and a clean, dry finish. Decant for a half hour and serve with stews or duck or steak. Less (-) | |
 | About 20 minutes up the road from the Domaine Dupré-Goujon, Frederic Berne is another… More (+) About 20 minutes up the road from the Domaine Dupré-Goujon, Frederic Berne is another young Beaujolais producer who brings energy and innovation to his winemaking. Like Dupré and Goujon, he is committed to organic and biodynamic viticulture, careful stewardship of his vines and of the biodiversity of his terroir. In style, Berne’s wines are more like classic Beaujolais: dominated by their fruit and offering immediate pleasure.Régnié is lighter and slightly more rugged, with that crunchy, bonvivant character you often find in the Beaujolais. It’s got more intensity than the Lantigné, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The nose is deep red and bursting with cherries and a hint of lavender. The mouth is fresh and concentrated, and just calls for a burger. Neal Martin found “fleshy, fluid tannins and a keen line of acidity,” concluding, “this is a delightful Régnié.” Less (-) | |
 | About 20 minutes up the road from the Domaine Dupré-Goujon, Frederic Berne is another… More (+) About 20 minutes up the road from the Domaine Dupré-Goujon, Frederic Berne is another young Beaujolais producer who brings energy and innovation to his winemaking. Like Dupré and Goujon, he is committed to organic and biodynamic viticulture, careful stewardship of his vines and of the biodiversity of his terroir. In style, Berne’s wines are more like classic Beaujolais: dominated by their fruit and offering immediate pleasure.Our other suggestion from Berne is a more serious wine, his Morgon “Corcellette” 2023. The fruit is darker here, and the wine has a good deal more body. There’s more going in the nose, with a floral touch joining the fruit, and the wine persists well on the palate. Suckling’s reviewer writes “Ripe and powerful but also elegant, this has excellent mineral freshness and a graceful personality that’s hard not to like.” Less (-) | |
 | We love Boursot’s style, which combines Chambolle’s graceful essence with a sturdy, characterful core… More (+) We love Boursot’s style, which combines Chambolle’s graceful essence with a sturdy, characterful core. Their wines get better every year, and no longer fly under the radar of the critics. Bill Nanson (Burgundy Report) calls them “delicious, consistently excellent;” Steen Öhman (Winehog) finds them “forward, quite vivid…truly exciting.”This cuvée doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sure, it’s from vines in Chambolle-Musigny, a town responsible for some of the world’s finest bottles, but Boursot’s is humble, vibrant, and flat out delicious. The wine sees 25% old oak barrels (none new) and shows the faintest touch of earthy wood below the lovely fruit. That subtle Boursot rusticity that draws so many of our customers to this producer is here, but all wrapped up in a friendly, easygoing package. Another winner, and another bargain. Less (-) | |
| | The Loire Valley continues to be one of the most exciting corners of winemaking… More (+) The Loire Valley continues to be one of the most exciting corners of winemaking in France, where organic viticulture, balanced wines, and affordable prices are the rule rather than the exception. Our source for these reds is the Domaine des Sanzay, a fifth generation organic domaine in Saumur-Champigny in the central Loire. Their unblended Cabernet Franc wines have become highly popular in our warehouse, opening tasters’ eyes to a new expression of the grape.Sanzay’s “Beauregard” parcellaire cuvée sees 18 months of elevage and draws concentration from its sand-limestone soils. The nose is beautiful, deep and spiced, with notes of peony and graphite over wild cherry fruit. The mouth is fine grained and concentrated with perfectly balanced tannin and a clean, dry finish. Decant for a half hour and serve with stews or duck or steak. Less (-) |