Bandol: The Aristocrat of Provence. Legacy Domaine de la Bégude with an Assorted Selection in 6-Bottle Package ($242) + Taming of the Bestial Bandol, Eight Seminal Producers + NEW ARRIVAL: The Combined Second White Wines of Twin Sisters Châteaux Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut Brion

Conventional wisdom has taught us that wine grapes fare best in places where nothing else will grow; rocky, water-starved soil on precipitous hillsides make vine roots work harder, ramifying and branching off in a search of nutrients and, in consequence,…

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Posted on 2022.10.27 in Bandol, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, France, Bordeaux, Wine-Aid Packages, Provence  |  Read more...

 

Rhône’s Southern Charm: Seven Elevated Crus Show Distinctive Typicity and Singular Expression. (10-Bottle Pack $299) + NEW ARRIVALS – Domaine Laroche, 2020 Chablis Releases

More than angular Bordeaux or earthy Burgundy, or even the fat, smoky offerings from Northern Rhône, the wines of the Southern Rhône epitomize the notion of ‘user friendly.’ Big and luscious when young, rich and fruit-centered as they age, these…

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Posted on 2022.10.20 in Gigondas, Tavel, Rasteau, Vacqueyras, Lirac, Cairanne, Chablis, Côtes-du-Rhône, Muscat de Beaume de Vanise, France, Burgundy, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

The Particularity In The Soil*: Domaine Santa Duc’s Lieux-dits, In Southern Rhône’s Two Towering Crus, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, Distilled. (6-Bottle Pack $359)

Lieux-dits are a wine lover’s Google Earth; a satellite view of an appellation focused on a tiny, representative parcel. Not all vineyards have lieux-dits, and among those that do, not all are created equal. In general, it’s a term that…

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Posted on 2022.10.08 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Southeast is Southeast, and Southwest is Southwest – Rosés From The Two Southern Opposite Ends of France: The Mediterranean Coast and The Atlantic Coast (A Baker’s Dozen $297)

“A rose is a rose is a rose” is a poetic riff about universal truth by Gertrude Stein, but add an accent aigu to the final ‘e’ and all bets are off. As a style of wine, rosé is as…

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Posted on 2022.08.05 in cassis, Corbières, Bandol, Luberon, Ventoux, Côtes-de-Gascone, Côtes-du-Lot, Tavel, Côtes-du-Rhône, France, Bordeaux, Wine-Aid Packages, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Southern Rhone, South West  |  Read more...

 

2021 Underscored the Challenges Southern Rhône & Provence Producers are Facing Amidst Climatic Extremes, Yet These 9 Makers Produced Easily Drinkable, Unexpectedly Complex Dry Rosé (10-Bottle Pack $264) + (3-Bottle Pack $72)

We can all agree that rosé is ideal for warm weather, and we can probably also agree that climate change is leading to a bit too much warm weather. And that does not necessary lead to more rosé, since the…

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Posted on 2022.06.24 in Anjou, Sancerre, Gigondas, Tavel, Côte-de-Provence, Côtes-du-Rhône, Rosé de Loire, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Loire, Provence, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Quaffable Holiday Dozen. The Hedonistic Wines of The Southern Rhône’s Six Mighty Crus: Hunting Ground for Bounty (4 Reds & 2 Rosés in 12-Bottle Pack $299) + A Dozen of Reds for $150

‘More bang for the buck’ or ‘more bounce to the ounce’? —choose your idiom and see how well it applies in Southern Rhône. Two factors contribute to the ocean of wild, hedonistic and affordable wines from the ground floor of…

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Posted on 2022.05.26 in Lirac, Cairanne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Tavel, Rasteau, Vacqueyras, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Fans of Grenache Are Going to Be Thrilled with 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape! How Did the Vintage Turn Out So Well? (7-Bottle Pack $398) – Twelve Producers & 19 Wines

Like a great character actor in film—the bit player you recognize but can’t name—Grenache is everywhere and nowhere at once; it makes an appearance, leaves an indelible impression, then moves on. Grenache is the Paul Giamatti of grapes. A vigorous…

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Posted on 2022.05.23 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Isabel Ferrando’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Old-Vine Grenache is “The Heart of Our Vineyards and the Soul of Our Wine” and Old-Vine Whites (6-Bottle Assortment, $299)

To Blend or Not to Blend The magic of the blend is the keystone in Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s rock-solid reputation; fifteen varieties are legally permitted in the appellation, and the proportion of each used in the final cuvée is a reflection of…

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Posted on 2022.02.05 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Give the Gift of Membership to ‘The Champagne Society’: Six Months ($279) or Twelve Months ($499) + STANDOUT DOZEN OF THE YEAR: Buy All for $479

  A Membership Subscription to ‘The Champagne Society’ Gift Lily Bollinger once said, “I only drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory; I…

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Posted on 2022.02.02 in Sancerre, Saumur-Champigny, Côte Chalonnaise, Rully, Givry, Pauillac, Moulin-à-Vent, France, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Penedes, Burgundy, Champagne, Wine-Aid Packages, Rioja DOC, Loire, Southern Rhone, Navarra, Ribeiro  |  Read more...

 

The Gesture of Being Natural, All About the Fruit: From Vineyard to Table by 9 Grower-Producers (8-Bottle Pack $230) + Champagne & Pét-Nat in the Raw

In wine, ‘natural’ is a concept before it’s a style. It refers to a philosophy; an attitude. It may involve a regimen of rituals or it may be as simple as a gesture, but the goal, in nearly every case,…

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Posted on 2021.11.30 in Saint-Amour, Muscadet, France, Beaujolais, Spain DO, Champagne, Wine-Aid Packages, Loire, Southern Rhone, South West, Arribes, Tierra de Leon, Valencia, Ribeira Sacra  |  Read more...

 

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