Flatiron Wines & Spirits NY

Maxime Magnon’s wines are love letters to the rugged, rocky, high-elevation slopes of Corbières, a tiny village in an obscure corner of the Languedoc. He has an enviable collection of old vines on limestone and schist, from which he makes profoundly elegant, deeply soulful wines that speak clearly of their terroir. They are the definition of deliciousness and an utter joy to drink.

How does Thibault Boudignon, a master of Chenin Blanc, craft one of the Loire Valley's most coveted rosés?

It might seem surprising. After all, pink wine and white wine look pretty different at first glance. But Boudignon makes his rosé much like a traditional white wine. While some winemakers “bleed” a little juice off their red wine while it’s still macerating on the skins (which can make a darker, more powerful rosé), Boudignon works more like he’s making a white wine.

Should the great white wines of Campania be aged? Well, that depends on the grape variety. A top-quality Falanghina can use just a year or two in the cellar to blow off its reductive notes and harmonize its flavors. Fiano, meanwhile, with its coiled minerality and taut structure, is capable of aging beautifully for years.