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March 2024 Newsletter
Receive our Monthly Newsletter and Special Promotions. Stay up to date on new arrivals, sales, and events at our Berkeley shop.
March 2024 Newsletter
Table of Contents
- The Marine Past and Present of Chablis by Tom Wolf
-
A Taste of the Valle D’Aosta
Château Feuillet’s 6-Bottle Sampler by Jane Augustine - Southern French Reds by Jane Augustine and Madison H. Brown
- Chenin Blanc by Anthony Lynch
- Three Islands by Anthony Lynch
- Top Values by Dustin Soiseth
Looking out at the undulating hills of Chablis, littered with ancient marine fossils, it’s hard not to envision the ocean that once covered this lan...
Looking out at the undulating hills of Chablis, littered with ancient marine fossils, it’s hard not to envision the ocean that once covered this land. Row upon row of Chardonnay vines rise and fall along ridges that roll into the horizon like waves of a massive swell.
Chablis is home to arguably France’s greatest union of grape variety and terroir. It’s as if the appellation’s relatively cool climate and 150-million-year-old limestone slopes alchemize the singularly expressive Chardonnay into a bracing, briny elixir that vividly evokes this place and its geological past.
Every last one of these white wines is crisp and mouthwateringly saline, but they also take on their own added dimensions, depending on the producer and their specific place of origin within the appellation of Chablis. Only briefly, once a year, do we have the opportunity to showcase three domaines producing first-rate Chablis at the same time. Do not miss the chance to discover and explore them all!
Buy this collection 6 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Chablis “Les Truffières”
France | Burgundy
Devouring a fresh crab and pairing it with this pure, elegant, chalky, earthy (wet stone), and stunning finish is the perfect combo.
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons”
France | Burgundy
A stunning value from one of Chablis’ oldest premier cru vineyards, with a lovely mouthful of stone fruit and hint of lemongrass.
2022 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Burgundy
Everything about this cuvée, from the delicately briny scent of slick oyster shells to the concentrated, pristinely focused sensation on the palate, is a demonstration of why this domaine has become one of Chablis’ very best.
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Vau de Vey”
France | Burgundy
David Lavantureux describes it as “direct and pure, full of energy”—a perfectly steely Chablis for oysters-on-the-half-shell.
2022 Chablis
France | Burgundy
Sleek, crisp, light, and luminous, with a steely, saline finish.
2022 Bourgogne Epineuil
France | Burgundy
Ethereal and bright, with the notes of cherry and earth that get red-Burgundy lovers’ hearts racing.
Hidden away in the mountainous terrain to the east of Mont Blanc and just north of Piedmont is the Valle d’Aosta, Italy’s smallest region. Not a l...
Hidden away in the mountainous terrain to the east of Mont Blanc and just north of Piedmont is the Valle d’Aosta, Italy’s smallest region. Not a lot of wine gets produced in this tiny outpost. To succeed as a winemaker in the unique, high-elevation microclimate, you must be courageous, committed, and confident of your footing: the terraced granite escarpments are harrowing to work and are all the more treacherous to navigate thanks to a crumbly dusting of sandy topsoil. We work with only one such determined grower, Maurizio Fiorano of Château Feuillet. He produces an array of nervy, glacial whites and silky reds that pull off the acrobatic feat of balancing intensity with freshness, texture with perfume, and drinkability with potential for aging. What is Maurizio’s secret?
A combination of factors contributes to the superb balance in the wines of Château Feuillet. Vineyards enjoy a privileged southern exposition that means long hours of gentle sunlight for an auspiciously slow ripening season. In some years, grapes can be harvested as late as early November without becoming overripe. The temperature shifts between night and day are drastic, which gives buoyancy and freshness to Feuillet’s lineup, along with charm and character. And somehow—a factor we can’t explain with science—each wine is a tonic that captures the intoxicating purity and energizing vigor of the crisp Alpine air.
Buy this sampler 6 bottles
This one is soulful, sunny, and robust. It boasts the same je ne sais quoi and windswept charm we’ve come to expect from his wines: seriously Sout...
Buy this collection 6 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is a strangely beautiful harmony between earth, sun, and man.
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented with herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
France | Southern Rhône
Serve this one cool, from a carafe, with a plain old burger—generously seasoned with herbes de Provence.
2020 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
France | Provence
Soulful and slightly wild, but beautifully balanced, this rouge has an irresistible notes of garrigue.
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, this boasts all of Maxime’s trademark elegance and silkiness.
2022 Alpilles Rouge “Grenache”
France | Provence
A thoroughbred of pure Grenache, this unbridled rouge is fresh and lithe, teeming with juicy dark fruit and ample goût de terroir.
This latest release stands among the most expressive young Savennières that Château d’Epiré has bottled. The fleshiness on the palate reflec...
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Savennières
France | Loire
Savennières is home to some of the greatest terroirs for this grape variety thanks to its soils of schist, sandstone, and blue slate and its proximity to the moderating Loire River.
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
France | Loire
Juicy and open-knit, it mirrors the sensation of biting into fleshy slices of white peach, nectarine, and guava.
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
France | Loire
For this Vouvray, Paul has opted for a demi-sec style utterly unique in its combination of honeyed richness and flinty verve. This bottling is hard to resist on its own, but you might also try serving it with a simple cheese platter.
There is fleshy, golden, sun-ripened fruit, an evocative note of wild herbs and flowers drifting through a summer breeze, and the finish is not just...
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Vermentino Isola dei Nuraghi “Fria”
Italy
A fleshy and savory unfiltered Vermentino from northern Sardinia.
2022 Corse Calvi Rouge “Clos Reginu”
France | Corsica
This bottle is benchmark Corsica at a weeknight price.
2021 Etna Rosso “Sciare Vive”
Italy | Sicily
This red’s satiny texture allows it to gloss over the palate with utter delicacy, while suggestions of smoke, white pepper, and brandied cherries linger after each sip.
A common scenario plays out again and again in wine shops around the country. An affordable wine seemingly comes out of nowhere, wowing wine lovers wi...
Buy this collection 2 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Genuinely reflecting the down-home, country soulfulness we love about the Languedoc.
The Marine Past and Present of Chablis
by Tom Wolf
Looking out at the undulating hills of Chablis, littered with ancient marine fossils, it’s hard not to envision the ocean that once covered this land. Row upon row of Chardonnay vines rise and fall along ridges that roll into the horizon like waves of a massive swell.
Chablis is home to arguably France’s greatest union of grape variety and terroir…
A Taste of the Valle D’Aosta
Château Feuillet’s 6-Bottle Sampler
by Jane Augustine
To succeed as a winemaker in the unique, high-elevation microclimate, you must be courageous, committed, and confident of your footing: the terraced granite escarpments are harrowing to work and are all the more treacherous to navigate thanks to a crumbly dusting of sandy topsoil. We work with only one such determined grower, Maurizio Fiorano of Château Feuillet. He produces an array of nervy, glacial whites and silky reds that pull off the acrobatic feat of balancing intensity with freshness…
Southern French Reds
by Jane Augustine and Madison H. Brown
This one is soulful, sunny, and robust. It boasts the same je ne sais quoi and windswept charm we’ve come to expect from his wines: seriously Southern, a touch renegade, and disarmingly playful…
Chenin Blanc
by Anthony Lynch
This latest release stands among the most expressive young Savennières that Château d’Epiré has bottled. The fleshiness on the palate reflects the Loire’s sunny 2022 summer, yet it finishes dry and chiseled as ever, with lingering notes of acacia blossom and stone...
Three Islands
by Anthony Lynch
There is fleshy, golden, sun-ripened fruit, an evocative note of wild herbs and flowers drifting through a summer breeze, and the finish is not just saline, but full-on salty, as if a Mediterranean storm surge somehow ended up in the tank…
Top Values
by Dustin Soiseth
A common scenario plays out again and again in wine shops around the country. An affordable wine seemingly comes out of nowhere, wowing wine lovers with its deliciousness and value. Customers can’t get enough...
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211