In addition to a noble history stretching back some 1,000 years, Mattes-Sabran epitomizes all we love about the slow pace of life in the sultry south. The main house, once home to dukes, today welcomes international visitors while geese and lazy cats wander. Cicadas buzz in the afternoon heat; a well-worn table welcomes outdoor meals with shared bottles in the shade.
Southern French spirit, Burgundian soul. The partnership of Burgundian winemakers Anne Gros and Jean-Paul Tollot in Minervois sets a new standard for quality and character in the Languedoc. Finesse and precision are the two main characteristics of these Minervois wines—words more often used to describe Gros’ Burgundian crus rather than the concentrated reds of the south.
You can’t ignore the “gryphées,” or seashell fossils, that crunch underfoot as you walk through Pierre Durdilly’s vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent, as if the ocean were just over the next gentle hill. It’s this unique terroir, with its mineral complexity, that sets the family’s wines apart from other more rustic bottles from the region.
When does a non-cru Beaujolais wine taste and age like a fine Burgundy? When it’s crafted by a talented winemaker such as Paul Durdilly from Le Bois d’Oignt in southern Beaujolais. The town’s terroir secret is that many of its vineyards have soils that are pure limestone, the same “mother rock” of the Côte d’Or.
Once you taste the wines of Domaine Calot, you immediately understand the potential of cru Beaujolais. The family’s ancient vines, pure granite vineyards and philosophy in the cellar combine for a Morgon that is serious yet seductive, and certainly made for the long haul. Think fine Burgundy; not simple Beaujolais!
Régnié (reh-NYAY) is one of Beaujolais’ more harmonious crus, combining the floral perfumes of neighboring Brouilly with the complex, black-fruited flesh of Morgon. Two young winemakers are now the new face of Domaine des Braves, and the future looks very bright for great Gamay wines.
For nearly 300 years, the Vesselle family has been tilling the chalky soils of Bouzy and cultivating some of the village’s best-placed Pinot Noir vines. The family’s collection of top terroirs and generations of leadership in championing Pinot Noir is what makes their wines such eloquent examples of Blanc de Noirs Champagnes.
Quietly in the shadows of the larger houses of the Côte de Blancs, vine-growing Champagne artisans such as Jean-Michel Turgy are crafting character-rich, memorable wines based on the traditions and passions of past winemaking generations. For more than 130 years, the Turgy family has grown and harvested Chardonnay grapes on these chalky soils…
Winemaker Michel Chauvet is one of the last artisans who chooses to craft his Champagne exclusively by hand, the way it was made in the early 1900s before machines replaced manual labor. While Chauvet certainly makes “grower” Champagne, his methods are so much more; if you seek truly authentic Champagne, Lancelot-Royer is the obvious choice.
Domaine Egly-Ouriet Champagne is sensual, unforgettable and highly sought after, a “cult” wine for Champagne lovers who crave the power and finesse of Pinot Noir-based wines. What you’ll find at this family “grower” house is truly vinous Champagne, wines striking in their concentration and complexity.