Other French Red Wines

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON-D'OC 

Domaine La Ferrandiere Cabernet Sauvignon, IGP D’Oc-France, 2023 ($12.99) - Most <$15 Cabs taste cheap and artificial. This one doesn’t! The grapes are grown on an ancient salt lagoon that has long since been drained. The soil is still too salty for vines to thrive, so the vineyard is flooded twice every year with fresh water. (This is also done in much of Mendoza, Argentina.) The flooding kills phylloxera, so these vines do not need to be grafted onto resistant rootstock; instead, they are own-rooted!

Les Vigneron du Pic - Devois de Perret, Languedoc, 2021 ($15.99) - The Languedoc in southern France is a generally warm region that lies west of the Rhône District and typically features the same grapes. The soils are diverse from one parcel to the next; hard and soft limestone, dolomite, marl, and limestone rocks predominate. To the east is the Rhône, Roussillon is to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea constitutes the southern border. This region is considered the cradle of French viticulture, dating back to the Romans who introduced vines between 500-600 B.C.E. Adequate moisture coupled with hot days and cool nights (the median altitude is 500 feet) makes for ideal ripening conditions for the Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Carignan grapes typically grown here. 

Les Vignerons du Pic is a collective (founded in 1939) of winemakers from four villages that share a winery in Pic St. Loup. Each winery bottles independently under its own label. This wine comes from the organically farmed (but not certified) Devois de Perret estate and is made by Brunbo Dereluzzi, the head winemaker of the facility. It is a blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from 17-year-old (average) vines from multiple soil types throughout Pic St. Loup. Yields are a moderate 50 hl/ha (3 tons/acre), and the grapes are hand-harvested at night to maintain fresh aromas. Vinification is traditional with 20 days of maceration in concrete tanks. The wine is filtered but not fined. The result is a wine that is juicy and soft, yet sufficiently structured to stand up to food and to age short term. Quite tasty!

Domaine Lefage Retro, 2020 ($17.99/liter) - Sometimes you just want an unpretentious wine (and plenty of it!) to knock back during the week with burgers, pizza, or (fancy) tapas. Retro, which comes in a full-liter bottle, is a Roussillon (Languedoc) blend of Carignan, Lladoner, Grenache, and Grenache Gris (yes, some white grapes to lighten and freshen it up). With delicate crushing, a short maceration, light extraction, and only 12.5% alcohol, it is a lighter-style red wine for uncomplicated, informal drinking. This is the wine that the Lefage family drinks on an every-night, casual basis. The family has been growing grapes and making wine for more than two centuries. The domaine was started in the 1980s. It is currently run by Jean-Marc and his wife, Eliane. If you haven’t tried their Narassa cuvée (see below), made from Grenache and Syrah (average age 60 years!), you really must.

Château La Roque, Pic Saint-Loup, Languedoc-France, 2019 ($22.99) - Certified organic and biodynamic! Deep in color, quite aromatic, and concentrated in flavor, this is a lovely wine from 40-year-old bush vines tended by horses, not tractors! Youthful but approachable. Pic Saint-Loup is a leading commune in the Languedoc. The appellation takes its name from the distinctive, 2,150 ft Pic Saint-Loup mountain at its center, a dramatic and clear demonstration of the area’s Jurassic limestone soils. The vineyards are located at various elevations around the area. Blessed with a choice of microclimates, vignerons here often plant heat-loving Mourvèdre in the warmer, lower vineyards while using the higher sites to grow a more elegant style of Syrah, which benefits from the cool mountain nights. This a blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah. The vintage hasn’t been reviewed. It’s a little more structured than the reviewed 2016. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 90 “Aged entirely in concrete, the 2016 offers ample spice and mixed berries on the nose and remains fresh and vibrant on the medium to full-bodied palate, finishing long and velvety. It should drink well for 5 or more years.”

Domaine Lafage Narassa 2020 ($23.99) – This is a whole different level from the Lafage Retro one-liter: big, bold, and delicious! Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 91 $30 “A blend of Grenache and Syrah, generally in about a 4:1 ratio, the 2020 IGP Cotes Catalanes Narassa features appealing, complex aromas of violets and plummy fruit, reminiscent of blackberries and blueberries. Picked as two separate harvests—one in September and one in November—and then blended, this is full-bodied, richly concentrated and fleshy, with a velvety finish that shows a touch of warmth. It's winter-weight wine, for sure. 2022-28. Proprietors Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage make a dizzying number of wines, many in collaboration with their American importer, Eric Solomon. Always quite cleanly made—the main Lafage winery is a technical marvel and has always been spotless when I've visited—the wines are fruit-forward yet well balanced, offering considerable value for the generally modest pricing. The energetic Jean-Marc Lafage and his enologist wife, Eliane, continue to turn out a bevy of great values from their extensive holdings across Roussillon. The state-of-the-art winery alone puts them on the leading edge of producers in the region, able to turn out pristine, cold-fermented whites and extravagantly made reds using extensive cold macerations and barrel fermentation. Experiments with  individual vineyard parcels in tiny quantities give some idea of the latent potential in the region.”

RHÔNE 

Tardieu Laurent Côtes du Rhône Rouge “Becs Fins,” 2021 ($13.99) - T-L is a fabulous Rhône producer with very limited distribution. Although we carried some offerings years ago, they have recently only been available at four or five New Jersey outlets. We are thrilled to be added to the list. These basic wines are great values; we expect cru selections (Saint Joseph and Hermitage Blanc, Gigondas VV, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Galets, and C-d-P C.S.) in September.

Wine Spectator: 89 $15 “Bright and elegant with pretty cherry, floral, and graphite shavings on the firm, medium-weight palate. Subtle hints of vanilla and smoke add a touch of roundness to the somewhat austere profile. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2025. 5,000 cases made, 1,400 cases imported.” 

Domaine Paul Autard Côtes du Rhône, 2020 ($17.99) - There are many basic Côtes du Rhônes out there that are pleasant enough but lack character and a sense of place. Jean-Paul Autard makes a more serious wine as he carries on the tradition established by his father, Paul, who founded the family domain in the village of Courthézon in the early 1970s but passed away when Jean-Paul was only 17. Jean-Paul now works with his daughter, Pauline, and cultivates 65 acres, 30 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 25 just outside that prestigious appellation.

Autard Côtes du Rhône is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre. The vines average 45 years of age. Maceration and fermentation with native yeast take place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks over 25 days with a pneumatic punch down of the cap. Two pump-overs are carried out daily for 10 days to enhance extraction and aerate the wine. It is then aged in used oak barrels.

Autard’s Côtes du Rhône is a smoky, structured, and complex wine with nice raspberry fruit. It is not made in a fruit bomb style; instead, it has plenty of flavor but also the stuffing for short-term aging. It is still youthful, but well-balanced and very much in the style of a lighter Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It hasn't been reviewed, but it's very similar to the 2019: Wine Spectator: 89 $18 “Bright and juicy, with engaging cherry, plum, and red licorice notes racing through, keeping good energy through the lightly toasty finish. Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.” We also carry Autard’s wonderful Châteauneuf at $54.

Clos St. Antonin Côtes du Rhône-France, 2022 ($18.99) - CSA is a 37-acre, walled estate outside Jonquières within the Côtes du Rhône Village of Plan de Dieu. The best soil here, at the top of the slope, is similar to that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with red clay, galet (stones), and sand. The grapes for this wine come from younger vines (“only” 30-50 years old) on the mid-slope, with a higher percentage of clay and fine gravel. The walls help, but strong Mistral winds still buffet this open plain year-round. Isabelle Sabon is both proprietor and winemaker. She also owns vines in Châteauneuf. Harvests are manual, and the wine is made at nearby Domaine de la Janasse, which is also owned by the family. This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre was aged for 6-9 months in concrete and foudre, depending on the varietal. It's a surprisingly serious Côtes du Rhône, more structured than most. Prominent tannins should soften within a few months. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 89 “It looks like another fine vintage for this well-run estate. It’s more concentrated than the 2021, with raspberries and black cherries mingling on the nose and soft, dusty tannins framing the medium to full-bodied palate. Drink 2023-2030”

La Reserve Saint Dominique Gigondas, 2023 ($24.99) - The village of Gigondas in the southern Côtes du Rhône is second only to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in reputation. The wines are very similar in style. Both are Grenache-based (50% minimum for Gigondas) for alcoholic power and lush richness. Smaller amounts of Mourvèdre, Syrah, and sometimes a few others add structure, savory tones, and color intensity. The best CdP will always outperform even the best Gigondas, but Gigondas comes very close and is almost always a much better value. (The Tardieu-Laurant 2021 is pretty special). La Reserve is the negoçiant (purchased grapes) arm of Domaine la Bastide Saint Dominique. This blend of 80% Grenache and 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah offers a charming aroma of leather, cherry, and plum. It’s full-bodied and velvety, ending long and plush with hints of mocha. Give this young wine some airing now and enjoy it over the next 5 years or more.

Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2022 ($29.99/375ml) – Wine Advocate: 91 “Even better than when I tasted it the previous year, Mont Redon's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out remarkably youthful, bursting with scents of purple raspberries, sherbet, violet and cassis. It's full-bodied and supple but richly concentrated on the palate, with a long, silky finish. 2022-2035.”

Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Côtes du Rhône, 2019 ($33.99) – The Perrin family makes the wonderful Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape as well as this CdR from literally just across the road. The soil is slightly different, and the wines never attain the heights of the CdP, but they are delicious wines and great values. We still have a small amount of the 2014 and 2016 vintages. Wine Spectator: 92 $35 “Solidly built, with a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit supported by dark licorice and warm earth notes with flashes of worn leather. Offers some eye-opening stuffing for its designation. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault. Drink now through 2029. 5,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.” Limited! We also have a limited amount of the 2014 @ $32.99!

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert - We were very fortunate to receive a small allotment of older vintages of this wonderful northern Rhône wine as well as the current vintage: 2010 ($45.99), 2015 ($45.99), and 2020 ($37.99) - 100% Syrah, 100% delicious. Practicing organic for over a decade, certified starting with the 2016 vintage. Overall, the 2010 and 2015 vintages were exceptionally highly rated. The 2020 vintage was highly rated.

2010 ($49.99) - Wine Advocate: 93 “2010, which I raved about last year, is slightly better than their brilliant 2009. It boasts a dense purple color along with a beautiful perfume of camphor, licorice, forest floor, black currants, and Christmas fruitcake. With tremendous intensity, full body, and supple tannins, it should drink well for 10-15 years, perhaps longer.  This cuvée is always one of the best buys in the Northern Rhône. 2012-27”

2015 ($49.99) - Wine Advocate: 93+ “The 2015 is a super effort, packed with savory notes of black olives and crushed stones. It’s full-bodied and rich, with a hint of cedary oak, but there's plenty of fruit and ripe tannins on the lingering finish. Like some of those fine Thalabert vintages of the past, it should drink well for a couple of decades. 2020-35”

2020 ($38.99) - Vinous: 92-94 “Shimmering ruby. Expressive, spice-accented red and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of olive, espresso, and candied flowers. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering gently sweet cherry and cassis flavors that deepen through the back half. Finishes very long, spicy, and smooth, with even tannins lending final grip.” 2023-33. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 93 "The 2020 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert seems to have put on weight since last tasted from barrel, improving with its élevage. Faint herbal notions and a bit of crushed stone accent black cherries on the nose. In the mouth, this wine is full-bodied, ripe, and round, with supple tannins and a long, velvety finish. It's evolved into a really solid example of the cuvée, with a slightly baked-fruit character, but it works. 2024-35

Tardieu-Laurent Vieilles Vignes Gigondas Rouge, 2021 ($37.99) –  Tardieu-Laurent is one of the finest negoçiants in the Rhône. We just received some of their high-end wines. The 2021 vintage was a difficult one, but as usual, great producers make great wine even in challenging years. The Gigondas village in the southern Rhône is second only to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and its wines often rival those of its more famous brother. Wine Spectator: 92 “A sultry red with dusty earth, singed incense, and red tea atop a base of black currant and cassis. Offers good density on the palate with garrigue, tar, juniper, and a tug of tannins reining in the robust profile. Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2028. 600 cases made, 150 cases imported.”

Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Galets d’Or, 2021 ($44.99) - Tardieu-Laurent is one of the finest negoçiants in the Rhône. We just received some of their high-end wines. The 2021 vintage was a difficult one, but as usual, great producers make great wine even in challenging years. Wine Spectator: 93 $49 “A fruit-forward version with briar notes infusing a ripe base of oozing cherry coulis and raspberry paste. Features fine tannins and red tea bitterness that provide a nice counterpoint to the flavor profile, while juicy acidity keeps this fresh. Builds in mineral intensity through the long, dense finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. Drink now through 2035. 500 cases made, 500 cases imported.”

Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition, 2020 ($47.99) – Domaine Giraud was started in 1974 when Pierre and Mireille Giraud changed careers to grow grapes. Mireille had worked in her family’s distillery business. They started by renting 9 acres of land and selling the grapes to negoçiants and other growers in the region. They doubled the acreage by 1987 and began turning over the reins to their children, Marie and François Giraud, in 1998, which was also the vintage of their first estate-bottled wine. They shifted to 100% organic farming in 2008 and became certified biodynamic in 2011. The family’s holdings now total 42 acres spread over 64 separate parcels in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. The 2021 vintage was marked by frost damage, “places where my 92-year-old grandmother had never seen that [frost damage],” according to Marie. 

Tradition averages 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 5% Mourvèdre from vines in five different lieux-dit that average almost 70 years of age. The grapes are completely destemmed. The Grenache and Mourvèdre are aged in cement vats, while the Syrah is aged in barriques for 12 months. Wine Spectator: 93 $62 'Perfumed and floral, with alluring high-toned cherry pie and raspberry tart interwoven with warm earth, licorice root, and a refined iron mineral streak. The structure sneaks up on the palate, cleaning up the finish and driving good length. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2032.”

Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2019 ($51.99) – Wine Spectator: 93 "Ripe and juicy, with a nice compact feel to the mix of raspberry compote, red licorice, and red currant preserve flavors. Subtle garrigue hints dot the finish, and there's a nice tarry streak as well. Drink 2024-2034"

Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition, 2018 ($57.99) – Slightly damaged labels, impeccable wine, and ready to enjoy. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 92 "Loaded with clean, ripe, succulent red fruit, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape is a mélange of raspberries and cherries borne on a supple, creamy-textured, full-bodied palate. While not overly complex, it's a whole lot of fun to drink, a thrill ride of berries with just enough spice to add a savory component to the finish.  Drink 2020-2028"

Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2018 ($59.99) – Wine Spectator: 93 “Dark and winey, with waves of ganache, steeped plum, blackberry reduction, and melted black licorice rolling through. The finish is scored with warm earth and smoldering tobacco notes, showing ample grip for the cellar. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse, and Cinsault. 2023-2036.”

Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2020 ($59.99) – Wine Advocate: 91+ “Aromas of violet, dark wild berries, lavender and smoke preface the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Mont Redon, a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and structured wine with an assertive tannic frame, velvety tannins and a long and spicy finish. Mainly Grenache Noir with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and other authorized grapes, it's matured only 8% in new barrels and the rest in a combination of used barrels and foudres. 2024-2034.”

Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Speciale, 2021 ($63.99) - Tardieu-Laurent is one of the finest negoçiants in the Rhône. We just received some of their high-end wines. The 2021 vintage was a difficult one, but as usual, great producers make great wine even in challenging years. Wine Spectator: 94 “Density builds in this compact red, with bitter cherry, red currant, mocha, and steeped plum grounded by firm bolts of iron. Still tightly wound, with the tannins holding firm, while notes of tobacco leaf and meatiness bring a sanguine character. Very solid. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Best from 2026 through 2035. 550 cases made, 75 cases imported.”

Alain Voge Cornas Les Chailles, 2020 ($64.99) - Sadly, Alain Voge, one of the great producers of the northern Rhône, passed away in 2020. The domaine is particularly known for wines from Cornas and St. Péray. This is a terrific Syrah. Wine Spectator: 94 “Dark and alluring yet also pretty, with expressive violet, dried lavender, and blackberry paste built atop an underlying freshness. Concentrated on the palate with balsamic, black pepper, and subtle iodine building on the meaty, plump character. A beam of iron and firming tannins dry out the finish, though this is drinking great now. Drink now through 2032. 1,285 cases made, 180 cases imported.”

Charbonnier Châteauneuf-du-Pape VV, 2020 ($75.95) – Very limited, incredibly good. Wine Advocate (Joe Szerwinski): 98! "Even better than I remember it prior to bottling, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes—90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre—boasts bold, concentrated aromas of black cherries, dark chocolate, and red raspberries. It's full-bodied, rich, and expansive, framed by silky tannins that ease into a long, elegant finish. Despite its size, there's a fine sense of proportion to this wine and a notable absence of alcohol-derived heat. Drink 2023-2040"

Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Galimardes, 2020 ($99.95) – Domaine Giraud was started in 1974 when Pierre and Mireille Giraud changed careers to grow grapes. Mireille had worked in her family’s distillery business. They started by renting 9 acres of land and selling the grapes to negoçiants and other growers in the region. They doubled the acreage by 1987 and began turning over the reins to their children, Marie and François Giraud, in 1998, which was also the vintage of their first estate-bottled wine. They shifted to 100% organic farming in 2008 and became certified biodynamic in 2011. The family’s holdings now total 42 acres spread over 64 separate parcels in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. The 2021 vintage was marked by frost damage, “places where my 92-year-old grandmother had never seen that [frost damage],” according to Marie.

The Les Galimardes is named for the commune where the vines are planted. It is a blend of 90% old vine Grenache (averaging almost 100 years old!) and 10% Syrah. Also destemmed, the Grenache is aged in a combination of stainless steel and cement-lined tanks, whereas the Syrah is aged in barrique, 10% new. Wine Spectator: 95 $132 “Offers inviting red currant and cassis flavors up front, layered with licorice root, fruitcake spices, and charred mesquite. Though big-boned, this shows grace and polish, balance, and finely cut texture. Reveals iron shavings and crushed herbes de Provence, which add a refreshing savory edge through a finish that goes on and on. Beautiful. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2038.”

Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Saint-Prefer, 2022 ($109.95) – Wine Spectator: 94 "Supple and mouthfilling, with silky tannins upholding cherry, plum and pretty lavender notes. Grilled garrigue plays out on the finish, which shows sneaky length and elegance. Seductive in feel, with impressive energy, too, for a balanced, harmonious impression. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2040."

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2022 ($104.99) -

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2021 ($104.99) -

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2020 ($109.95) – 

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2016 ($129.95) – 

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2015 ($139.95) – 

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2007 ($139.95) – 

Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis, 2018 ($149.99) - Isabel makes some of the best wines in CdP. Unfortunately, her prices have caught up with the quality. This 2018 is still a relative bargain. It's 100% Grenache. Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski): 97 "At the risk of not being literal enough, tasting Isabel Ferrando's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis is like drinking purple flowers. Deep rose and violet notes are seamlessly joined to purple raspberries in a full-bodied wine that seems almost weightless on the palate. There's terrific inner-mouth perfume, near-ethereal tannins that support the wine's girth via a taut, gossamer structure, and a finish tinged with star anise and black cherries that just won't quit. A tour de force of pure Grenache, it should drink well for a decade, perhaps longer. I'm not sure it's possible to lavish enough superlatives on the red bottlings Ferrando has produced from the 2018 vintage. Drink 2020-30."

OTHER

Lionel Osmin & Cie Fronton Le Pouvoir de Fleurs Rouge, Gascogny, 2022 ($16.99) - Roughly translating as “flower power,” this red wine comes from just south of Cahors. It features a unique, indigenous grape called Negrette (60%). The remainder is Syrah. Wines made from Negrette tends to show versatility in being able to age moderately well and also be drunk young. They tend to be low in tannins and rich in anthocyanins (pigments). The grape is gradually declining in popularity due to its susceptibility to fungal infections. Too bad, because it makes an interesting, flowery wine. This was given a short maceration, then a cool fermentation to accentuate the flowery aromatics. Raspberry, violet, and licorice come to mind. Aging was in concrete. The wine is very fresh and pretty with good intensity. The Syrah adds pepper and spice.

Domaine Olivier Bourgueil Vielles Vignes, Loire, 2020 ($18.99) - Cabernet Franc has both admirers and detractors. It is a major grape worldwide and one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon. But it is much more than that. It is a very important blending grape in Bordeaux and can be vinified alone, as in the Loire’s Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur. It is also grown elsewhere in the world, particularly in the United States (as a blending grape with Cab Sauvignon and Merlot) and in Canada, where it is sometimes made into ice wine! Cab Franc has many similarities to Cab Sauvignon, but it buds and ripens about two weeks earlier, is slightly less pigmented, and has a more pronounced perfume with the raspberry, blackcurrant, violet, and graphite notes of Cab Sauv but also a green, vegetal character than can range from leaves to green bell peppers and can be subtle or overpowering. Riper grapes and lower yields reduce this characteristic that some love and some find off-putting.

This 100% Cab Franc is deliciously ripe with only a hint of the green character. It comes from a few small plots on very calcareous soil. The wine is structured, rich, vivacious, and an excellent example of the appellation at a modest price. It will easily hold for three years, and the recommended drinking temperature is 61 degrees. Technicals: 3.5 hectares, argilo-calcaire soil, yield 44 hl/ha, age of vines over 50 years; and aged 6 months in stainless steel. Domaine Olivier was started in 1959 by Bernard Olivier and his father with 1.5 hectares. After studying viticulture and enology, Bernard’s son, Patrick, came on board. They purchased another 13 hectares of vines vines, fruit trees, asparagus, and livestock before switching over completely to vines at the end of the 1990s. 

Château du Cayrou Cahors “Latour du Cayrou,” 2015 ($26.99) - Certified Organic! We all love a story with a happy ending. This doesn’t have one! But it’s illustrative that grape growers are basically farmers and of how difficult farming is. Georges Douin, a former Renault executive, bought a historic property from the Jouffreau family in 2009. He brought in his son-in-law, Julien Goursaud, to take care of the vineyards and make the wines. Julien had started in finance but switched to wine, learning at several famous Bordeaux châteaux. He immediately slashed the acreage in half (to 37 acres), keeping only the best plots, which sit on well-drained gravel. Some of these parcels are not gravelly enough, so he sells those grapes to one of the most well-known producers in the region. The La Tour du Cayrou bottling is a single-parcel wine from the best site on the property, with 40-year-old vines. It was fermented and aged (two years) in stainless steel. No wood! The 2015 vintage was hot and dry, but Cayrou’s vines are on the 2nd terrace of the right bank of the Lot River where the old vines send their roots deep into the earth for water and nutrients. This 100% Malbec wine is terrific with lots of fruit but also good structure and freshness. So different from the Malbecs of Argentina. 

The sad ending? Douin and Goursaud are calling it quits. This 2015 will be their last vintage. The frosts of 2022 and 2023 were disastrous. They lost their entire 2022 crop and most of the 2023 crop. They decided to sell off their remaining stocks instead of bottling them. Presumably, they will sell off future vintages or look to sell the property.

Picard Sancerre Rouge “Charlaux,” 2018 ($36.99) – Yes, a red wine from Sancerre! Many people don't realize that 20% of Sancerre production is Pinot Noir. On Joel's trip to France in 2022, he visited Picard. This is the "reserve" of their two Pinot Noirs. Delicious!!!

Domaine de Baronarques Grand Vin Rouge, Limoux, 2016 ($39.99) - Although technically in the Languedoc, a southern French region known for its hot, Mediterranean climate, this wine comes from the far western part of the region, inland and in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The elevation here and the significant Atlantic influence make it a perfect place to grow Chardonnay and Bordeaux grapes. The Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (Chateau Mouton-Rothschild!) and her two sons, Philippe Sereys and Julien de Beaumarchais, purchased a large, 17th-century estate in 1998. They replanted the vineyard and began making wine in 2003. Their red is always a blend of Merlot (54% in this vintage), Cabernet Franc (22%), Syrah (17%), Malbec (3%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%). We tasted several vintages. The 2016 is just about at the sweet spot for drinkability. The 2018 and 2019 are still young, the 2010 shows more age character than fruit. The 2016 has deep color and nicely ripened fruit with fine balance. Like the white, it’s very well priced for its quality and class.

Domaine Le Galantin Bandol Rouge Longue Garde, 2014 ($46.99) - Bandol lies along the Mediterranean coast of France, east of Marseilles. It is most famous for fabulous red wines, but rosé (Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo famously enjoyed a glass of Bandol rosé “bien frais.”) and white wines are also produced. The highly desirable French Riviera real estate market is the greatest threat to the future of Bandol wine, not climate change or shifting market trends. Resorts and golf courses already occupy sites once covered with vines. The grapes for the reds and rosés are Mourvèdre (minimum 50%), Grenache, and Cinsault (maximum 20%). The reds are big and ripe wines that deserve to be better known in the U.S. This one is a Longue Garde - essentially a reserve - designed to age. At 10 years, it has just about reached its peak and will easily go for another 10 years. It shows swirls of leather, chocolate, red raspberries, and black cherries on the nose. It’s full-bodied and expansive in the mouth, just lovely, with a long, vibrant finish.

Odyssée, Vin de France, 2020 ($49.99) - Ready for something unique? We are! Always!! This is Bordeaux meets Rhône and revisits the 19th-century tradition of “Hermitagés,” which combined the strength and energy of Médoc Cab Sauvignon with the richness and finesse of Southern Rhône Valley Grenache. From this original alchemy emerges a distinctive wine that perfectly combines power and smoothness, tension and elegance. But it’s not just any old thrown-together blend; it comes from stellar producers and stellar vineyards. Superb star winemaker Pierre Graffeuille, with several 100-point wines at famed Château Léoville Las Cases (2nd growth St.-Julien), is now the Managing Director of Eutopia Estates (2nd growth Château Montrose in Saint-Estephe and Clos Rougeard of Saumur-Champagny). Rhône-based winemaker Matthieu Dumarcher is his partner. It is a very limited production of less than 900 cases. The exact breakdown varies, but the 2020 is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Grenache, and 1% Carignan.

A few reviews: Jeb Dunnuck: 95 “Richer and darker than the 2022 [coming in May], with lots of cassis, blackcurrants, and a touch of minerality. A gorgeous layered feel, plenty of depth, and terrific balance. Seriously elegant, should evolve nicely.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown: 94+ “Full-bodied and coated with expressive black fruits supported by ripe, rounded tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced.” Jane Anson: 94 “Intense! The heat of 2020 seems to capture more Rhône character than Bordeaux. The spice is extremely present, toasted cumin and rosemary, black cherry and damson fruits, all stretched out and enticing. Good quality, with punch.”

Terrebrune Bandol Rouge, 2020 ($54.99) - Certified Organic! Timing is everything. We just happened to get in a new French Mourvèdre at roughly the same time we are featuring a Spanish version (Monastrell) as our Wine of the Month! Georges Delille trained as a sommelier in Paris before purchasing a property just east of Bandol called Gros-Cerveau (Big Brain), in 1963. He spent ten years renovating. He terraced hillsides, refashioned the masonry, replanted vineyards following the advice of Lucien Peyraud, designated soils to lie dormant and regenerate, and built a new cellar. In 1980, his son Reynald joined him after finishing winemaking school and launched Domaine de Terrebrune, which Reynald named in honor of the rich, brown soils they farm. Raynald’s Bandols are more elegant and ethereal than most, partially owing to the Trias limestone beneath the layers of clay and earth (75 acres). They work the soil by plow and hand hoes. Cooling Mediterranean breezes also help provide freshness to the wines. A green harvest limits yields to about 2.75 tons/acre. The wine, actually a blend of 85% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, and 5% Cinsault, ferments in underground, temperature-controlled, gravity-fed cuves (vats) and ages in foudre (large wooden vats). The wine is sleek in feel, offering delicate cassis and raspberry flavors with hints of vanilla, savory, and iron. Very classy. Drink now or over the next five years. A white, a rosé, and a Vin de Pays red from the youngest vines are also made.