Insights

Grower Spotlights

2000 Vieux Château Champs de Mars: a Le Puy-Adjacent Treasure Unearthed

This season, we are thrilled to debut the first library release under the Vieux Château Champs de Mars label itself: the 2000 “Johanna” Castillon-Cotes de Bordeaux.

Tasting Notes

Introducing Crochet’s “La Louisonne”: a Fresh Look at a Singular Site

In 2023, the Crochet family wanted to try something different: a true single-vineyard bottling that prioritized the expression of terroir above that of élevage or ripeness level.

Grower Spotlights

Bufadors Introduction

Ton Mata and his longtime partner Encarna Castillo—together since 1998 when they met as interns in Champagne—yearned to produce sparkling wine on a truly artisanal scale, using the same technology (or lack thereof) with which Ton’s grandfather began Recaredo in 1924. In the late 2000s, Ton and Encarna purchased a modest 19th century house in the residential neighborhood of Can Rossell de la Serra, just 5 kilometers from Recaredo’s village of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, aiming to use its pre-existing cellar as space in which to realize their dream of producing a truly homemade sparkling wine.

Grower Spotlights

Gour de Chaulé’s Paul Fumoso: a Gigondas Superstar in the Making

Since coming home to work at his family’s domaine full-time in 2018, Paul Fumoso—with mom Stéphanie by his side—has steered Gour de Chaulé to new heights, and the wines of this stalwart Gigondas estate are more popular stateside than ever.

Grower Spotlights

The 2020 Vintage from Philippe & Vincent Foreau: Equilibrium Amidst Extreme Conditions

Rather than crafting their lineup to accommodate perceived market demand, Philippe and Vincent allow the character of the growing season to dictate which wines they produce from a given harvest.

Grower Spotlights

2022 Les Matheny: Falling In Love with Poulsard All Over Again

In Jacques’ modest cellar beneath his house in Montigny-les-Arsures, Emeric learned the virtues of restraint and the value in trusting one’s fruit; he learned to act as shepherd rather than “winemaker,” and his wines at Les Matheny embody that philosophy arguably more emphatically than even Puffeney’s did.

Grower Spotlights

The Outstanding 2022 Bourgogne Blanc & Rouge from Buisson

Complex yet friendly, Buisson's 2022 Bourgogne Blanc comes from several sources: young vines in Saint-Romain from plantings on the valley’s northern side; high-altitude Bourgogne-designated Chardonnay from just outside the appellation; and purchased fruit from their friends at the esteemed Domaine Guillot-Broux in the Maconnais, who have practiced organic viticulture since 1954 and became certified in recent years.

Grower Spotlights

Bertrand Graillot’s Domaine de l’Estang: Sancerre with Character

With holdings in Sancerre and the nearby Coteaux du Giennois appellation, young Bertrand Graillot produces wines which combine typicity and individuality in highly appealing fashion.

Grower Spotlights

New Releases from Château de Chaintres in Saumur-Champigny

We stand prepared to receive several new releases from Château de Chaintres, including, notably, a miniscule allocation of the heartwarmingly old-school 1989 Saumur-Champigny which has rested tranquilly in the estate’s cellar since its bottling.

Grower Spotlights

The 2022 Vintage at Domaine Anita: Cru Beaujolais of Power and Clarity

While undoubtedly richer and more powerful than the 2021s with which we commenced our partnership, Anita’s 2022s offer excellent balance, with fine and gorgeously rendered tannins, dark but restrained fruit, and intense minerality.