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Lingering Over The Last Glass

Domaine de La Taille aux Loups (Jacky et J.P. Blot)
Brut Tradition
100% Chenin Blanc
Certified organic, indigenous yeasts, no sugar, hand harvested
Montlouis-sur-Loire, France
Jean-Phillipe Blot

Golden shine with fine bubbles. Sniff and up floats a little croissant or toasty pastry, a zesty bit of lime, lemon cream pie, as it grows there’s also an apple blossom or 2, apple/pear baked, and a scratch of tangelo zest. Sipping…it’s tickling & tingling on my tongue with all of the scents, a crisp & bright clean mineral/stainless elegance, lemon & lime keep dancing but more than just zest with a smidge of kumquat, and on the very back a bit of poached pear or actually maybe quince…yeah, it’s quince. It’s a glass of pure celebration.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Just don’t

Many years ago Jean-Phillipe joined his father in winemaking at the age of 16, and now he is at the helm after his father’s passing in 2023. I never had an opportunity to meet him but through this bottle I think I have a glimpse into his dream. Found out that earlier in his life he was a paratrooper, and thanks to his brother was turned on to wine which led to being a wine broker and then his curiosity and passion led him to become a winemaker. In the late 80s, he picked up 8 ha in Montlouis-sur-Loire (Domaine de La Taille aux Loups) and focused not on Vouvray but Chenin Blanc. There were ups and downs but his resilience and determination paid off. He became an acclaimed winemaker, one of the finest in Loire, and a champion of Chenin Blanc. As brilliant of a wine figure he was, there are so many words people use to describe him in tribute..he’s generous, friendly, welcoming, so very kind, wanting to share his knowledge & joy of tastings, and he was so loved by so many. I’m down to my last glass, savouring it and raising it as a salute to Jacky & also J.P. as he carries on the traditions. 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #brut #sparklingwine #bubbly  #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #loirevalley #cheninblanc  #skurnikwines #domainedelatailleauxloups #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Imagine Better

Gérald Vallée
Mercies-Vallée
La Closerie Imaginaire 2023
Sauvignon Blanc
Touraine AOC
Organic (Ecocert certified now), hand picked
Touraine, Loire Valley, France
Gérald Vallée & family

Light shimmering gold. Scents start popping out of lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit, kumquat, Valencia oranges along with orange blossoms, mineral river rocks, and an old favorite of Orangina. Sipping and there’s a good squeeze of the scents including the rock, pineapple, little scrape of mango with green apples & pears, and a blade of grass.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Easy as pie

Gérald Vallée’s father Claude passed along the love and devotion for their vines (Domaine de la Cotelleraie) and when he took over in 1997, he realized to move forward with his wines, he had to focus more. They had for years cultivated their grapes along with other farming, but he would be the 1st generation to be “devoted itself solely to wine.” This led him toward heading to the organic side in 1999, growing not only in ha but also together in rhythms, setting up “rigorous work schedule of plowing, digging, hoeing and treatment with sulfur or copper from spring to avoid the use of chemical weedkillers, fertilizers and other pesticides”. Well, obviously it has paid off. He’s known & acclaimed for his cabernet francs, so was a bit of a delightful surprise to see this sauvignon blanc that even on the label calls for us to imagine something better for the world…to follow him to a better way of wine life through nature. Oops now I have that classic John Lennon song stuck in my head, so I’m passing this earwig on to you. 

“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one”

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #organic #wineoclock #wineoftheday #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #loirevalley #zevrovineselections #DomainedelaCotelleraie #MerciesVallée #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Do I Need A Decoder Ring?

Fabien Jouves
H@*T€ Côt de Fruit 2023
100% Malbec
Organic
Cahors, France
Winemaker: The man, the legend…FJ

Deep purple with a maroon rim. Breathing in cherry, blackberry, dark plums, a drop of blueberry that swirls into boysenberries, touch of vanilla followed by warm holiday spice, and an earthy depth but not poop wine (you know what I’m talking about). Sipping bright cherry, raspberry, young strawberry, red & black currants, sprig of wild sour grass, rhubarb, and as it breathes there’s more layers that keep emerging so enjoy the ride.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NON NON NON

Let me just simply say, I love Fabien Jouves’ wines. He’s a master of Malbec (Côt), cares more about keeping it biodynamic/natural than following the wine rules, and has a way with words…especially on his labels such as “Soif d’Ailleurs” (translates to “Thirst for Elsewhere”), “You F&@K My Wine ?!”, and “Haute Côt(e) de Fruit” taking a jab at “Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuit”. Leads me to wonder why this one is spelled a bit differently “H@*T€ Côt de Fruit”. I’ve searched, asked & had some answers about labeling, but so far the spelling is still a mystery. If you’re still reading at this point, and have any inkling as to this moniker…please satisfy my curiosity by revealing the secret. Do I need a decoder ring? 🤔 Whatever the reasoning, I hope he keeps them coming because oh do they make me smile.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineoclock #wineoftheday #biodynamic #organic #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #malbec #cahors #zevrovineselections #masdelperiefabienjouves #fabienjouves #docwinebar #docwineshop

 

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You’ll Want To Linger

Domaine Balansa
La Vinhota 2022
VDF
Lledoner Pelut, Grenache Noir
Biodynamic, organic, hand harvested, indigenous yeasts
Hautes-Corbières, Aude, Occitanie, France
Céline Peyre & Alexandre Gressent

Stained glass garnet. Whoa at first the scents are all over the place in a good way. There’s cherry, strawberry, raspberry, pomegrante, violets & tiny flowers, touch of brine (olive), and tomato leaf/plant. Sipping dark & dried cherry, olives & pits, red currants, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, dried & fresh blueberries, red plums with skin, pits & all, and a pinch of white pepper.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: tangy and good

Celine’s family have passed down parcels of old vines through generations, but it wasn’t until she returned to her heritage that the grapes that had been previously headed to a co-op, were now sent in another direction. She & Alexandre decided to keep the grapes, create their own wines, and convert to biodynamic/organic. I’m a big fan of (as many are) of Grenache, but I think this is my first time being introduced to Lledoner Pelut (unless we met accidentally while out & about). It’s a fuzzy leafed mutation of Grenache that is less likely to be affected by rot, and with its location on sunny wind swept hills there’s even less of a chance for disappointment for it and all their other varieties. Speaking of disappointment, there is none here. This wine has been everything lovely, delightful, held up perfectly during tastings over several nights, and you’ll want to linger over each glass because once it’s gone you’ll wish for more. Oh and for those of you now stuck with a Cranberries song in your head, sorry I’m in the same boat.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #biodynamic #organic #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #zevrovineselections #DomaineBalansa #docwineshop #docwinebar

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A Bottle Can Change Your Life

Domaine De L’ange Vin
Opera du Vin
Fêtembulles 2022
VDF
Pét-Nat
100% Chenin Blanc
Natural, organic, unfined & unfiltered
Loire Valley (Jasnieres – Coteaux du Loir), France
Jean-Pierre Robinot & family

During the pour looks like a lager with a big head and as the fizz calms down it’s just a lovely yellow gold with tiny bubbles. Sniff and floating up are brioche & a toasty comfort, pears & apples both fresh & baked, cool spring house smell, light honeysuckle, a squish of mandarin, lemon, & lime, and green spring shoots. Sipping and those apples & pears again but much more crisp with a light brioche bite, lemon/lime crisp, tiny pop of mango & maybe even a little bit of pineapple, mineral water salt/spritz, and a savory twinge of ginger.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: mmmm delicious

Mr. Robinot didn’t grow up in a family that had a vineyard to inherit. Bitten by the wine bug at 22 by a special bottle that rerouted his life path. In Paris he also found like minded friends, and over time opened the natural wine bar L’Ange Vin & started a wine magazine (Le Rouge et Le Blanc) with a friend. So I guess it would only be natural that he would want to take his passion further by making his own wines. He was still juggling time with the bar and taking the train back and forth to his hometown Chahaignes. Eventually his vines & land won his full attention, and the family (wife Noella & daughter Juliette) moved back to his roots. Now they have two wine lines, “Domaine de L’Ange Vin” that’s created from grapes he nurtured is on his own land & “Opera du Vin” made with fruit sourced from friends. Oh and Juliette has joined her father in the vines and also in their artistic creations which you’ll find on their labels that are eye catching & beautiful and of course attract magpies like me. Cheers! 🥂

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #catsofinstagram #cats #wineislove  #winetime #worldbyglass #Pét-nat #petnat #loirevalley #France #zevrovineselections #jeanpierrerobinot #domainedelangevin #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Dancing Tastebuds

Vignobles Gueissard
Les Papilles 2023
Côtes de Provence DOC
Dry Rosé
Mourvèdre 30%, Grenache 30%, Syrah 30%, Cinsault 10%
HVE (working on certification), going through organic conversion, weeding done by sheep & horse, & sustainable
Le Beausset, France
Clément Minne, Pauline Giraud, their son Marcel & their team

Pretty in pink with a swish of salmon. Inhale and here comes a cool blend of honeydew & delightful pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, apples, very ripe cucumbers, salt, wet limestone, and a lemon flies by. Sip and all of the scents along with all sorts of light cherries (pink, red, white, yellow, etc), not fully ripe blackberries, blood orange, and pink watermelon including the fresh green rind…so lively, vibrant and delicious.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Smooooooth

Pauline & Clément have over time collected plots in Bandol and Côtes de Provence, kind of like pieces of a quilt that when they are banded together create a beautiful array of wines. Each piece as they say is diverse with “very different in terms of soil type, exposure and maritime influences” and are also dearly cared for and protected. They’re going through the routes of organic certification, and maybe it’s the sentimental part of my childhood heart that loves seeing all sorts of beneficial trees planted. There’s ones that are magnets for birds & bees, others that give back to the earth & help deal with erosion, and on a personal note I hope there’s a few for climbing too because…well as a kid you could often find me in the orchard perched on a branch. BTW if you’re in their neighborhood on Sept. 26, you might get a chance to raise a glass to the end of summer if you can manage to snag a ticket to their tasting of 5 wines and snack on local delights. Maybe you might even encounter their “Les Papilles” which will keep your tastebuds dancing.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #catsofinstagram #cats #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #organic #France #provence #artisanwineselections #vignoblesgueissard #docwinebar #docwineshop

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“A New Adventure Each Time”

Domaine la Roche Buissière
Le Rosé 2022
VDF
Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre
Organic, hand harvested, unfiltered & unfined
Rhône Valley, France
Antoine & Laurence Joly

Warm sunset rose orange. This enchanting blend speeds up to my nose where it’s faster than thinking the words as a rapid fire collage of pics. There’s tangelo, strawberries, all the berries, pomegranate, a little red currant, peach, fresh rain on concrete, a teeny herby thing that I’m trying to place…the pics went by too fast….and also light hazelnut. All of the scents are on the tip of my tongue with a touch more manzanilla lick at times (it goes in and out), gooseberries, watermelon cubes, and a little chew of bright sourgrass. There’s a full out fun but also a refinement & class. You can take this bottle anywhere from a backyard grilling party to a swanky night dining under the stars.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NO

Antoine & Laurence may be the 2nd generation making wine on their land, but Antoine’s father Pierre had been growing vines for quite a while. The grapes were generally sold to a co-op, but he is also one of the early organic growers in Rhône with certification in the 80s (was already working organic since mid 70s). With so much knowledge to share, it must have been exciting to have Antoine and his wife Laurence join in, and to take the vineyards a step farther into the natural winemaking world. And as each new wine will be a potential surprise, I love this quote from their site, “Winemaking does not follow a predefined recipe: each vintage is different, we accompany the fruit towards its purest expression, it is a new adventure each time!” A great way of life to keep you on your toes & raising a celebratory glass when the time is just right. 🍇

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove  #winetime #Rosé #France #worldbyglass #zevrovine #larochebuissiere #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Fueling The Spark Of Art

La Moulinière
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes from Chateau Loumelat’s vineyards
Sustainable
Bordeaux, France
Famille Lesgourgues

Twinkle twinkle light yellow that warms on the pulse with green highlights starlight. Scents of pear, very fresh apples picked on a warm summer day, lemon, lime, honeydew, a kneaded dough rising smell, tangerine/grapefruit spritz, and light pineapple. Sipping and there’s lemon, lime, a grapefruit splash with a tangerine cocktail of all the citrus, pineapple, lychee (I remember as a kid  from a restaurant that I only got to go to when I got straight As on report card), ripe cucumbers, cool mineral like from our spring house minus the salamanders, a little honeysuckle, and pinch of salt. 

Pairs with Cheez-Its: tart fireworks

The Lesgourgues family has 5 châteaus in total (as far as I know) and the one that these Sauvignon Blancs grapes are sourced from is Chateau Loumelat. What took me with them in particular was not just their wines, but also their passion for contemporary art which is near and dear to my own ❤️. At Château de Laubade (known for their armagnac) they have residencies for artists, and who wouldn’t want to create in such a beautiful place. People working in the vines, cellar, distillery, etc. are also encouraged to engage and collaborate with the artists, so it’s a full winery venture. The public also has the opportunity to view the finished works during their “open houses”. It’s just wonderful that wine, armagnac, & this family fuel the spark for young artists to grow and bloom.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #France #worldbyglass #baronfrancois #LaMoulinière #ChateauLoumelat #ChateaudeLaubade #docwinebar #docwineshop

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Pop Muzik

Domaine Arsac
Pop Color 2022
VDF
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Biodynamic/organic farmed, horses working in the vineyard, compost from their cows, native yeasts
Saint Jean Le Centenier, Ardèche, Rhône Valley, France
Winemaking family: Sebastien & Dimitri Arsac

Lemon yellow with a touch of skin contact orange-ade. Sniffing and there’s lemon, lime, a blend of Valencia & Navel orange. orange blossoms, a refreshing cool mineral rock, and greenery covered in fresh morning dew. Taking a sip and then another and all of the scents are in the sip with a gentle squeeze of light grapefruit, citrus zest with the tiniest touch of thyme on the back, as time passes there’s a bit of green bell pepper, and it all ends in a dry delight. BTW I could see beer drinkers turning to the wine side for this bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: ACK I RAN OUT

This is my 2nd wine from Domaine Arsac, and both have been absolutely delicious & delightful. For those that didn’t read the 1st post on their “Rosé La Chaumette 2023”, here’s a recap on who they are, how they see wine, and their dedication to the land & the whole process. “Wine is an incredible social bond, and in order to introduce it to a wider audience, it is important to have an uninhibited, sharing approach. A glass of wine is a story of the lives of men, of territories, but also a story between friends.” The Arsacs’ shared story on their site took me by surprise. Their history begins with Gaston (the grandfather) and his return to France after being a POW in WWII. Honestly, I can’t even imagine what he saw, went through, and then the feeling of returning to his homeland, getting married and channeling his energy & passion into the farm & vines. The latest generation of Sebastien & Dimitri have followed in their grandfather’s footsteps by adhering to his old school teachings which has led them to becoming organic & practicing biodynamic. I know, I know…everyone says “organic”, but this family really cares about keeping tradition, digging deeper & expanding their natural knowledge for the good of all even in our hectic contemporary times. 🐄🐎❤️

BTW this bottle has given me the gift of M’s “Pop Muzik” stuck on repeat in my head.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #organic #orangewine #France #worldbyglass #Rhone #docwinebar #docwineshop #DomaineArsac #SkinContactWines

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Félines, Fêtes, & A Flamboyance

Domaine Félines Jourdan
Picpoul de Pinet 2022
AOP Picpoul de Pinet
Sustainable
Mèze, France
Winemaker: Claude Jourdan

Shimmering gold with green blips. Scents flow out of apples, pears, tangerine, light grapefruit, fresh cool rained on pavers, lemon, lime, honey & comb, and a touch of mango & lychee. All of the scents are there in the sip with a bit more honey, a little mild (maybe even like how it gets milder when roasted) fennel, that rain is now on river rocks & their mineral fresh lick, a few blades of grass, an extra shot of lime-ade, and a pinch of salt.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: bleh no

Domaine Félines Jourdan is situated in such a beautiful part of Languedoc-Roussillon, where they have 100 hectares in 3 plots of differing terroirs ranging from La Coulette (protected from winds by a forest), Les Cadastres (50m alt & has a view of the Mediterranean sea), and finally Félines which benefits from being so close to the water where the winds carry cool moist breezes & my favorite part…you can catch a sight of flamingos & sea dwellers that can pair so very well with this bottle. (BTW do you know what a group of 🦩🦩is called?) Claude’s lovely Mèze also has quite a celebration coming up very soon with the Festival de Thau, July 10-21. It’s filled with music & culture, local wine & food, and promoting sustainability with a goal of zero single use plastic and sparking eco dialogues. So pick up some tickets, get ready to get your groove on this summer, and kick back a few 🦪🦪 with a glass of Claude’s Picpoul. Cheers! Oh and don’t forget your sunscreen.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #France  #worldbyglass #festivaldethau #baronfrancois #felinesjourdan #docwinebar #docwineshop