2023 French Wine

Lower ABV A wildly delicious warm-weather and party white from equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from France’s southern Rhone Valley. It’s more fruit-filled than floral, showing Sauvignon’s white and yellow... Read More

Lower ABV Savoie's Jacquere grape inclines to salty stone minerality anyway, but in the village of Chignin that's amped up even more. Fourth generation winegrower Guillaume Quenard captures the minerality in spades and... Read More

Pinot Blanc is often the overlooked grape in Alsace, but – especially in these warming times – its ability to hold onto crisp, refreshing, acidity is prized! Done all in tank, this shows pretty scents and flavors of... Read More

Lower ABV This does just what good Languedoc Chardonnay is supposed to do: give you a nice dollop of Chardonnay varietal flavors with no oak or butter to get in the way of thirst-quenching delight. You’ll enjoy the sliced... Read More

From the south of France, this is easy-drinking Pinot Noir that will satisfy at table as well as just sipping with a crowd. Dark black and Bing cherry fruit show on the nose and palate with a fine juiciness that lifts the flavor... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV In Provance, Clairette is often called little salty (le salé) for the white specks that appear on the berries as they are ready for harvest. Here it also refers to the salty minerality you'll... Read More

Sauvignon Blanc is a great summer sipper but it gets even more delicious and versatile in Bordeaux where splashes of Semillon (25%) and Muscadelle (15%) add body, fruit and complexity. This snappy white serves up big aromas and... Read More

Organic/Bio If you've ever wondered why wine geeks are always trying to get people to drink Cru Beaujolais, this is the wine to try. Sure, it will get the 93 and 94 point ratings it gets every year by critics who love the... Read More

Alain Gautheron makes traditional Chablis – meaning stony, clear, a bit salty and with the fruit in the backseat with minerality driving. His old-vines cuvee is done all in steel and even in a richer vintage, delivers the... Read More

Lower ABV Sure, you can call this “baby Sancerre” if you like. After all, it’s 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the same kinds of calcaire (limestone/chalk) soils found in Sancerre and neighboring Pouilly Fume, just... Read More

Like Sancerre across the Loire River, Pouilly Fume is the home of wonderfully minerally dry Sauvignon Blanc grown on a range of soils, each with its own unique character. Here Benoit Chauveau works with vines on loose soils covered... Read More

Lower ABV I certainly wouldn’t try to tell the 2023 Chauveau Pouilly Fume La Charmette apart from a $40+ Sancerre when tasting blind. Not surprising: its from the same Sauvignon Blanc grapes, Kimmeridgian marl and limestone... Read More

Organic/Bio Julien Bertrand grows great Beaujolais and then gets it in the bottle with as little fuss as possible. The approach turbocharges everything we hope for in Bojo, giving plump fruit with just-right crunch and bite, a... Read More

Organic/Bio Just a short distance from Sancerre, Pouilly Fume showcases the smokier, gunflint, side of Sauvignon Blanc. Especially at this outstanding estate run by 8th generation winegrower Katia Mauroy-Gauliez working with some... Read More

Lower ABV All about fresh. Fresh white flowers, freshly squeezed citrus and zest, fresh cut grass, and juicy green grapes all jump from the glass to your nose as soon as you take a sniff. Scents of lemon zest and a little chalky... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV A blend of 60% Viognier, 25% Roussanne, 10% Clairette and 5% Bourboulenc, all planted by Vincent Boyer about 15 years ago and farmed organically. The ripe fruit is harvested in the early morning cool and... Read More

Organic/Bio The little village of Visan in the middle of the Cotes du Rhone always seems to give wines with a sleek black fruit and a hint of something we might call “ink” (but in a good way – really!). The blend... Read More

Organic/Bio The kind of wine we often call “cheerful.” There’s plenty of substance to the ripe red cherry and redcurrant fruit and a whiff of the wild herb and black olive notes the French call “garigue.”... Read More

Lower ABV Think of Coteaux du Giennois as the front door to Sancerre (technically the “back door” since it’s down river, but that doesn’t sound nearly as good!). The limestone soils here were given over... Read More

Look, we’re not going to get all poetic here. From vines outside the Loire Valley, this is just really solid Pinot Noir made clean, fruity, easy and without oak. There’s a nice dollop of red and black cherry fruit... Read More

A Loire Valley Malbec that is frankly funky (maybe the chicken on the label is THE funky chicken?). Cot as it's called in the Loire Valley was the go-to bistro red in Nantes as late as the 1930s before it was crowded out... Read More

Venture off the beaten Loire Valley path to discover the DELICIOUS Sauvignon Blanc. The Coteaux de Giennois appellation is small - under 200 acres in total - and tends to get lost in the shadow of nearby Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.... Read More

Lower ABV A very fine, honest, enjoyable Bourgogne Pinot Noir that definitely doesn't break the bank. It's super fresh right now, almost like a barrel sample, with bright aromas of crushed cherry, raspberry, sweet spice... Read More

Organic/Bio The vineyard’s very steep slope and poor soils want to give highly mineral and structured Chablis, while the root virus that impacts all plantings here naturally suppresses yields and gives deep concentration.... Read More

Organic/Bio Although a warmer site than Fourchaume, this is always a bit less dense and more steely on first taste. Witgh a little air, you can taste the site’s warm in the fruit, which moves more towards stone fruit than... Read More