Back-vintage cru Beaujolais are rare treasures. Most of the great wines get drunk young, simply because they’re so delicious in youth. And what little is cellared usually gets consumed by the smart folks who cellared them. We just don’t see them trading hands very often.
The Aglianico from the Monte Vulture in Basilicata is surely on anybody’s list of best sources of red wine values in the world. Here, you get incredible depth and character from high-altitude volcanic soils — and a quality level that equals what you would get from Piedmont or Tuscany at twice the price.
Bordeaux is where you’ll find some of the world’s most expensive and sought-after wines, but that doesn’t mean every wine coming from this historic region is expensive or needs to be treated with kid gloves. There are still plenty of small, family-run domaines putting out delicious, honestly made wines at incredibly reasonable prices.
Château Belregard-Figeac is one such estate, and a favorite source of Merlot-based wines from the village of Saint-Émilion. It's the kind of soulful, transparent, and utterly delicious Bordeaux that we dream about.
For Beaujolais lovers, few names can conjure as much excitement as Foillard. From peerless holdings in Morgon and Fleurie, the family produces what are arguably the best wines in the region. Foillard wines have incredible lift and elegance with gorgeous, layers of red fruits delivered with unmistakable energy and cut. Though irresistible in their youth, Foillard’s wines age incredibly well, gaining length and silkiness over the years.
How lucky are we to have crisp, refreshing Rieslings made right in our backyard? At their best, these wines are bursting with tropical fruit balanced by gorgeous crushed-rock notes and humming with acidity, and they can represent some of the most amazing values in American wine, period.
Nebbiolo d’Alba is too often an afterthought—produced from young vines, served by-the-glass, and quickly set aside so that the serious work of drinking Barolo can begin. Penna Currado’s San Sebastiano 2023 is the opposite. It doesn’t lead to Barolo; it replaces it.
Jean Foillard’s 2023 Beaujolais-Villages has just landed and it’s another home run for this iconic vigneron. Year after year, this cuvée delivers that uniquely elegant Foillard magic at a fraction of the price of his top Morgon and Fleurie bottlings. The 2023 is absolutely gorgeous right out of the gate, and we couldn’t wait to share it with you.
Domaine Tatsis is run by two brothers: Stergios, who is in charge of the winemaking, and Pericles, who is in charge of vineyard management. Outwardly, they project gruffness: they ride ATVs and wear leather jackets with the swagger of a biker gang member. But who’s to say that bikers can’t be thoughtful and deeply deliberate?
Chartogne-Taillet is one of the essential estates of the grower Champagne movement They produce some of the region's most ridiculously delicious, highly-coveted wines. We typically receive such tiny quantities that it’s virtually impossible to offer anything Chartogne in the newsletter.
But today we're over the moon to share the fresh release of their flagship cuvée, “Sainte Anne,” which delivers the unique, beautifully chiseled Chartogne magic at an approachable price. This is an unmissable opportunity to stock up on one of the very best values in Champagne today.
We love, love, love Chablis not just because it's refreshing: it’s all about transmitting profound terroir, terroir that Jean-Marc Brocard has spent decades mastering. Today, his son Julien runs the show, and has kept pushing even harder in the same direction. Brocard père was one of the first Chablis growers to farm organically, and Brocard fils has made them perhaps Chablis greatest proponent of biodynamics.
Long before rosés began filling American fridges and coolers each summer, Domaine Tempier was bottling its pale pink Provençal wine for a rapt, albeit local, audience.
Among the first estates to be imported by Kermit Lynch, the domaine has gained cult status over the years, especially for its extraordinary, terroir-driven rosé, which many critics have lauded as the world’s best. There's no doubt that many of you agree with these critics, because just about every year we offer this wine, we very quickly sell through our (very generous) allocation.
Our surprise summer superstar: Capmartin's Madiran "L'instant", a charming blend of Tannat and Cabernet that pairs perfectly with savory, summer food — maybe something fresh off the grill. While tasting with the importer, Julia’s note was 50% surprise and 50% advice: “I love Madiran… sometimes! A fun, easy steak taco wine.”
