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Mélanie Pfister Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut “Breit” NV
Origin: Alsace, France
Retail: $33.95 | Sale: $30.56
Domaine Pfister began life in 1780 during the French Revolutionary War. Mélanie and her father farm 43 parcels totaling ten hectares (twenty-five acres) of vines, twenty-five percent of which is in Riesling. Mélanie “officially” took over from her father with the 2006 vintage, but dad is far from retiring. He very proudly has got his daughter’s back, and works the vines as hard as he ever did. He just no longer sweats the cellar work. Mélanie did internships at some amazing properties before settling in: Zind-Humbrecht, Méo-Camuzet, Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem and Craggy Range. A refined bouquet of apple, white peach, gently musky floral tones, and a nice touch of brioche . On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a fine core and excellent soil signature. Brisk acids and a long balanced and quite dry finish. 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Blanc & 25% Pinot Auxerrois.
Domaine de la Bêche “Regnie” 2020
Origin: Beaujolais, France
Retail: $17.95 | Sale: $16.16
The domain farms ten acres in this high elevation appellation just southwest of Morgon. The vines average 50 years and grow on a steep, south-facing hillside of sandy granitic soil. The grapes are de-stemmed but not crushed, and ferments are spontaneous. The élevage is a relatively short one of six or so months in concrete vats, making for an especially exuberant wine of crisp red berry fruit. Production averages 1,670 cases. oak. The barrels are gently stirred to build texture before finally allowing the wine to settle naturally."
100% Gamay
Les Parcellaires de Saulx Bourgogne Rouge 2018
Origin: Burgundy, France
Retail: $49.95 | Sale: $44.96
Les Parcellaires de Saulx is a small, vénérable maison de vins firm occupying a handsome manor house at the upper end of Meursault. Its cellar stretches on for some 5,000 square feet, and in its depths the house has been élevaging wine since 1908. Isabelle Laurand has been the cellarmaster since the turn of the century. She’s a native Burgundian who back in the day went to school at Beaune’s well known Lycée Viticole (where Jean-Pierre Charlot from Domaine Voillot taught), and she has deep-seated relationships among a who’s who list of growers along the Côte. One could easily be forgiven for thinking that this startlingly delicious Bourgogne was a declassified wine from some hallowed terroir in the Côte de Beaune Raised for 8-10 months in barrel, rather than the 12-15 months that is routine for the rest of the Parcellaires range.
100% Pinot Noir
Domaine Combe-Queyzaire Cotes du Rhone Villages 2020
Origin: Rhône, France
Retail: $22.95 | Sale: $20.67
Domaine Combe-Queyzaire is the personal project of Denis Deschamps, who, from 2002 to 2020, ran the Estezargues cooperative in the southern Rhône. This cooperative is known for its organic winemaking and high quality; they were one of the first co-ops to make wine from organic grapes and native yeasts. After almost 20 years in charge, Denis decided it was time to make wine on an artisanal scale, and he knew just the place: the Ceze Valley, where he found 2 small vineyards of 2.5 hectares total. Beginning with the 2019 vintage, Denis has been crafting wines as naturally as possible, the results of which are stunning. This wine comes primarily from his vines growing in galets roulets, an ancient river terrace of stones, sand and clay. The Syrah is de-stemmed and raised in older barrel; most if not all of the Grenache is whole cluster and raised in concrete. Starting in 2022, Denis began to incorporate larger demi-muids barrels for the Syrah.
80% Grenach & 20% Syrah