From three sites on the Plateau de Chassis in the village of Mercurol. In the shadow of Hermitage, the land opens up here and there are many fruit orchards alongside the vineyards. Away from the famous steep slopes, the terroir is a mix of sandy clay and round river stones (galets roules). 100%...

100% Syrah from Ampuis and Saint-Cyr, with an “emphasis on the schist areas from the Brune up towards Verenay” (Livingstone-Learmonth, Wines of the Northern Rhône). Eighty-eight percent whole cluster, macerated for twelve days in stainless steel and wood vats. Aged eighteen months in twenty percent...

Saint-Péray is a unique appellation, south of Cornas, that is planted entirely to white grapes, mainly Roussanne and Marsanne. Wines from Saint-Péray remain relatively obscure as the entire appellation is only 98 hectares and not many are imported in the US. A recent Decanter article describes the...

100% Jacquere. On the southwest facing slopes of the Bauges Mountains, Benjamin Ravier works the vines according to HVE 3 standards of sustainability. The grapes are hand harvested, pressed very gently, and fermented without maceration in stainless steel. Three months of lees contact lend a...

Manchuela has been a free standing DO since 2004, previously being an IGT in the Castilla-La-Mancha region.  Here we have a micro-climate situated between 2 rivers, which is very sunny and dry, so striking the right balance between alcohol and polyphenols is a balancing act. Everything cultivated...

Pedro Gonzalez Mittelbrunn has been so committed to the local indigenous grape varietals, Prieto Picudo and Albarin, that he convinced the best wine growers to partner with him and replant these historic indigenous varietals. The oldest vines are 100 years-old, planted in the traditional style...

The Gessler family settled in Gascony after immigrating from Switzerland in 1928. Now in their fourth generation of winemakers, a tiny farm has become a robust family business. The domaine is settled deep in the Bas-Armagnac, where the soil is a mix of red clay and sand. A blend of 50% Colombard,...

100% Jacquere. On the southwest facing slopes of the Bauges Mountains, Benjamin Ravier works the vines according to HVE 3 standards of sustainability. The grapes are hand harvested, pressed very gently, and fermented without maceration in stainless steel. Three months of lees contact lend a...

Buzet was recognized as an Appellation in 1973, as it’s clay limestone soils are ideal for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Christophe tends to these vines with the utmost respect for biodiversity of the terroir and this cuvée is vinified without oak. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Certified...

Little known outside of France, Coteaux du Giennois just received AOP status in 1998 – yet it has been producing wine since the 2nd century. Alice Berthier’s vineyards are planted on hillsides of the Loire extensions of the geologic formations of Sancerrois and Pouilly. The terroir is a mix of 50%...

Originally founded in 1960, Domaine Jourdain has been run since 1990 by Sophie Siadou and her partner Francis Jourdain. Together, they sustainably farm approximately thirty hectares of vines. Reflecting her holistic approach to the ecosystem of the vineyard and her careful attention to the nuances...

On the left bank of the Loire’s tributary river Cher, not far from the stunning Château de Chenonceau, lie the vineyards of our vigneron Luc Poullain. Vines up to 70 years old grow on complex soils of sandy siliceous clay and limestone, sustainably farmed with lush grasses growing between the rows...

Maria Cruz Garcia and her husband, Carlos Aliaga, have run the viticulture and vinification at this independent 80 hectare farm in the Ribera Baja since 1999. There is a lot of pride here in working “the old way” meaning low sulphites and indigenous yeasts. 100% Tempranillo, from vines averaging 50...