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.

ALSACE

Trimbach Riesling Classic, Alsace, 2019 ($16.89) - This is a fantastic opportunity for lovers of dry Riesling. The vintage was closed out to make room for the next batch. Previously (and perhaps a little pricey at) $27, it’s a steal at $17, and it typically lasts 8-10 years after release. Ever optimistic with his ratings, James Suckling nailed it: 92 “Bring on the oysters! This is so fresh and bright with plenty of apple, pear, and citrus to balance the crisp acidity and the minerality that adds so much interest to the finish.” And the Wine Spectator: 90 “A racy white, with a pretty, petrol-laced overtone to the flavors of apricot, lemon wax, and almond blossom. Finely meshed, with good length and a tang of salinity through the mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2029.”

Albert Boxler Edelzwicker Réserve, Alsace, 2022 ($33.99) - Unfortunately, Alsatian wines have lost popularity in recent years, yet these mostly white wines are of very high quality. Alsace has two quality designations, Grand Cru (named for the village) and everything else. And Alsace is the only French wine region that labels wines by varietal. Gewürztraminer and Riesling are the best-known. Edelzwicker, Boxler’s least expensive wine, is a blend that varies each vintage. The 2022 is 40% Pinot Gris, 35% Muscat, and 25% young-vine Riesling Sommerberg (Grand Cru). It’s an amazing wine: floral, balanced, complex, and delicious! Practicing organic.

Jean Boxler, whose ancestors moved to Alsace from Switzerland in 1673, currently rules this incredibly exciting domaine. Intense and serious about his land, craft, and wine, Jean makes some of the finest wines in Alsace (and the world). The end of World War II brought Jean’s grandfather, Albert, back from Montana to the family domaine in the village of Niedermorschwihr. He became the first to bottle the family’s production and commercialize it under the family label. Today, Boxler produces some of Alsace’s finest (and some very expensive) wines.

BORDEAUX

Château Haut Grelot Bordeaux Blanc, Blaye Côte de Bordeaux, 2019 ($14.99) - This is our best inexpensive white Bordeaux. Unlike most of its brethren, which come from the lesser Entre-deux-Mers, this comes from a better part of Bordeaux and states it proudly on the label. The property was established by the Bonneaux family in 1920 in the village of Les Grelots with cattle and grape vines. Joël Bonneaux took over the family estate in 1971 and concentrated exclusively on wine. Today the property is run by Joël’s children, Céline and Julien, with 166 acres of vines, 35% white, average vine age of 25 years. Only 10% Semillon (90% Sauvignon Blanc), but the Semillon makes a big difference, giving the wine more texture and less overt Sauvignon character. Very attractive! 

Clos des Lunes - Lune d’argent Blanc, Bordeaux, 2019 ($19.99 net) - We've carried this fantastic wine for several vintages. It’s never sold well, perhaps because of the dark glass and plain label, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. We believe in it! The force behind it is Olivier Bernard, owner of Domaine de Chevalier, one of the top Graves producers. The grapes come from Sauternes (don’t worry, this is DRY!). The blend is 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, aged 6-7 months in wood, 25% barrique and 75% small vats. Reviewer ratings range from 90 to 93 with comments like “Pure white peach, tart pineapple, white flowers, and chalky mineral notes. Medium-bodied, concentrated, wonderfully textured. This is well worth your time and money, and I suspect it will have a decade of longevity… Picked just short of botrytis. Has a wonderful, sunny bouquet, traces of Sauternes DNA filtering through with aeration. Fresh and vibrant on the entry. Taut, crisp, and quite mineral-driven. The saline finish calls out for seafood… The aromas just jump out of the glass - lime, mandarine peel, candied lemon. Lovely on the palate with great weight, definition, and structure from the Semillon. There's acidity, but it’s really well integrated, giving a rounder, wide, and weighty wine.”

Chateau Graville Lacoste, Graves Blanc, 2023 ($22.49) – This has consistently been one of our best white Bordeaux values. Hervé Dubourdieu’s easy charm and modest disposition are belied by his focus and ferocious perfectionism. He spends most of his time with his family in his modest, tasteful home surrounded by his vineyards. He rarely travels to promote his wines, a factor that keeps them priced below their quality level. In the words of Dixon Brooke, “Hervé is as meticulous a person as I have encountered in France’s vineyards and wineries. Everything is kept in absolutely perfect condition, and the wines showcase the results of this care – impeccable.” The Graville-Lacoste property lies in the Graves district known for its stony soil composition (clay and limestone) and for the fresh minerality of its wines. The vines average a surprisingly old 45-48 years of age. The property is slightly cooler than most of the Graves, and Hervé blends an unusually high proportion of Sémillon (75%) and a splash of Muscadelle (5%) with Sauvignon Blanc (20%), creating a rich, full, aromatic mid-palate to complement the clean finish. There is no oak treatment. This is the perfect go-to white and pairs well with anything from fish to poultry, picnic fare to Indian curries.

R de Rieussec, Bordeaux Blanc, 2021 ($41.99) - This high-quality white Bordeaux is an excellent value. It comes from a noted Sauternes producer, but this is their dry wine. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 90 “Reimagined in a more vibrant style with scents of citrus oil, gooseberry, and botanicals followed by a medium-bodied, bright, and vibrant palate with tangy acids and a nicely defined finish. It’s an attractive middleweight that avoids the pungently varietal, heavily sulfitic caricatural style so prevalent in contemporary Bordeaux, while managing to reinvent what was historically a rather richer, more fruit-driven wine. Drink 2022-30."

OTHER

Dom. La Ferrandiere Chardonnay IGP, D’Oc-France, 2023 ($12.99) and Sauvignon Blanc IGP, D’Oc-France, 2023 ($12.99) - These inexpensive varietal wines are very pleasing and offer good character. The grapes are grown in a vineyard in southern France that was an ancient salt lagoon. It has long since been drained, but the soil is still too salty for grapevines to flourish, so the vineyard is flooded every year with fresh water. As in much of Mendoza, Argentina, the flooding kills phylloxera, so these vines do not have to be grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock; they are own-rooted! 

The Sauv Blanc would never be confused with a Sancerre but offers an excellent alternative to the flamboyant Sauvignons of New Zealand. With notes of figs, melons, & lemon zest, it’s well-made in a light to medium-bodied, fresh, and lively style. The Chard actually could be confused with a basic (but $5 more) Mâcon. It has a spryness with ripe apple and orange blossom flavors plus hints of kiwifruit and melon. It offers a fairly crisp finish and is surprisingly pleasant.

Tardieu Laurent Côtes du Rhône Blanc “Becs Fins,” 2023 ($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.

The new release hasn’t been reviewed yet, but it should be very similar to the 2022: Wine Spectator 89 $15 “Offers nectarine and melon notes that merge with hints of salted butter on a ripe, round palate. Vibrant and light to medium in stature, laced with finely crushed stone and herb accents through the bright finish. Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Clairette. Drink now. 2,500 cases made, 250 cases imported.”

Lionel Osmin & Cie Villa Côte d’Argent Sauvignon Blanc, Gascony-France, 2024 ($13.99) - With tariffs and a weak dollar, it’s getting hard to find values from Europe these days. But along comes an inexpensive wine like this, a Sauvignon Blanc that just shines! Lionel Osmin & Cie is a wine company specializing in the overlooked south-western part of France. This Sauvignon Blanc is superb. The label doesn’t carry an appellation, but the grapes are grown in Gascony, which is best known for Colombard and Ugni Blanc (and Armagnac). The bouquet is varietally intense, but without the aggressiveness that overwhelms some wines. There is plenty of ripe fruit and a very pleasing, soft texture. There’s also sufficient acidity for freshness to pair with all manner of seafood. We’ve tasted many $20 Sauvignons that are no better than this one.

Lafage Côte d'Est Catalanes Blanc, 2023 ($15.95) - Juicy and bright, this is a superb value from Domaine Lafage. We can't say enough about this blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, and 20% Rolle (Vermentino). Just delicious!

La Colline aux Fossiles Chardonnay, Languedoc-Roussillon, 2023 ($19.99) - The new vintage has finally arrived! Chardonnay differs greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp, appley, and minerally (Mâcon and Chablis) to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones (many California versions), Chardonnay runs the gamut. The previous vintage of this wonderful Chard was so successful that we soon ran out. Unfortunately, the importer did too. With Tariff-related ordering and shipping delays, so we had to wait until now to get more!

This joint project by winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage and importer Eric Solomon straddles the two style extremes. It’s an expansion of their Novellum project, which we also carry. Grapes for Novellum are grown on the coastal plain’s alluvial soil. When Jean-Marc and Eric found a red clay and gravel site planted to Chardonnay further inland along the Têt River valley at 1640 feet, they knew that this site would best stand as its own wine. The name Colline Aux Fossiles derives from the hillside slopes where fossils are embedded in the gravelly soils. The Chardonnay vines here are 30+ years of age, producing a densely packed yet elegant wine. Vinification is in a mix of stainless steel (70%) and new French oak barrels (30%) with lees stirring three times a week for three months, preserving the fruit but adding weight and depth. A knock-out success!

Domaine de Baronarques Le Chardonnay, Limoux Blanc, 2015 ($39.99) - Uniquely delicious!!! Although technically in the Languedoc, a region best known for its hot, Mediterranean climate, this wine comes the far western part of the region, inland and in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The elevation and the significant Atlantic influence make it a perfect place for Chardonnay, even though it's 300 miles south of Burgundy (and west). Baroness Philip-pine de Rothschild (Mouton) and her two sons, Philippe Sereys and Julien de Beau-marchais, purchased a large, 17th-century estate in 1998. They replanted the vineyard and began making red and white wine in 2003. This 100% Chard (recent vintages use 2% Chenin Blanc) was barrel fermented and aged 8 months in wood (a requirement for Limoux Blanc, the only such requirement in all of France), 1/3 new. Only 15% of the wine was allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation to preserve its acidity. With age, the wine has integrated and mellowed into something special. It has honeyed aromas of ripe pears and citrus. It’s medium to full-bodied, round and generous in the mouth, but still focused. It’s soft, yet there’s an underlying crispness and an ample finish. We also have the terrific 2017.