Michele Braganti, the man behind Monteraponi, got up and left dinner early. There was no apology, but there was an explanation: the moon was full, so it was time to rack his wines off the sediment. It had to be that night; if he waited, the wine could end up cloudy, less pure. And Michele's wine, despite never being fined or filtered, is always pure.

Everyone has their “a-ha!” moment wine. For the luckiest among us, it’s the first sip of great Nebbiolo or Burgundy. For one member of the Flatiron Wines team, though, it was a most obscure grape — Pineau d’Aunis.

Much of Sancerre delivers exactly what people have come to expect: crisp, refreshing wine for easy early drinking. Labaille’s Monts Damnés pushes the wine into another register. The southern exposure brings a sun-kissed breadth to the fruit, while the Kimmerigian limestone provides savory grip and texture. The wine is absolutely singing in its energetic youth, but with even just a few years in the cellar, this wine will gain stunning layers of depth and complexity.