St. Nicholas de Bourgueil (100% Cabernet Franc), La Mine, Yannick Amarault, 2008, Loire Valley Southampton Publick House, Vic (antique porter aged in oak), New York Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge (100% Pinot Noir), Phillipe Colin, 2008, Côte de Beaune

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On a sunny day this April, we made our way to the château of winemaker, Nicolas Joly*, in France’s Loire Valley.  What transpired was the greatest navigational nightmare I’ve ever fallen prey to.  After hours of being squawked at by a maniacal GPS device, we finally rolled up to his estate…this video documents our day […]

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Years in the making.  Countless hours of dreaming and scheming.  At long last, the portal is within sight.  It’s time for launch. After seeing the idea evolve from kernel to foggy plan, and now from foggy plan to sharpened reality, we are oh so close.  In eight days time, Kat and I board a plane […]

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La Lettre à Élise (100% Chenin Blanc), Domaine Mosse, NV, Loire Valley (13.5 % abv) I’m a ridiculously huge fan of the whites from the Loire Valley.  Just as Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the sound of his bell, simply saying the words “white” and “Loire” in the same sentence around me will cause feverish sweats […]

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Blanc de Franc (100% Cabernet Franc), Couly-Dutheil, NV (but really 2008), Loire Valley The magicians at Couly-Dutheil have performed a trick that baffles the eye. They pulled back their cloak, placed a bunch of red Cabernet Franc grapes behind it, said an incantation to the spirits of the Loire, and, walla kazaam, a le vini, […]

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Bourgueil (100% Cabernet Franc), Les Galichets, C&P Breton, 2007, Loire Valley (12% alc) I found myself sipping on this wine last week and was reminded how hypnotic Cabernet Franc can be.  Fragrant and juicy with crisp acidity, it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in other wine regions, but in Bourgueil (pronounced “boor-geye”) it is […]

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