Red by the Glass
Producer: Chateau Massereau
Grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Cuvée: ‘Cuvée K’
Region: Bordeaux Superieur
Château Massereau – situated at Barsac (left bank) at about 30 kilometers from Bordeaux – was built in the 16th century and acquired by the Chaigneau family in 2000. The estate extends over 19 hectares in the Barsac, Graves and Bordeaux Superieur appellations. They are well known for aging their wines before release.
In the bottle: Average age of vines are 40-60 years. Vatting for 4 to 6 weeks in cement vats. Aging in barrels, 1/3 renewed every year. Farming is all organic/biodynamic. Soils are rich in gravel, limestone, and sand.
Notes: Classic old-school Bordeaux with depth, complexity, and age-imparted savory flavors like tobacco and leather. Great option for guests who want a glass with some age. Excellent with duck confit, coq au vin, jambon cru.
Producer: Sebastien David
Grape: Cabernet Franc
Cuvée: ‘Hurluberlu’
Region: Loire
Subregion: Saint Nicholas de Bourgueil
Sebastien David, an ardent supporter of biodynamic viticulture, established Domaine Sebastien David, a 12-hectare winery nestled in the heart of France's Loire Valley. Coming from a lineage of winemakers, Sebastien's vision was to craft wines that truly capture the essence of the Loire Valley's terroir, highlighting the distinct qualities of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc grapes. Central to his winemaking philosophy is the belief that harmonious interaction with nature is paramount in creating exceptional wines. This principle is reflected in his practice of biodynamic viticulture, where he employs natural preparations and follows a lunar calendar to ensure the vines thrive in a healthy and balanced environment.
In the bottle: "Hurluberlu" is crafted from 20 distinct parcels and stands as the estate's largest cuvée. The name "Hurluberlu" is Sebastien's nickname, bestowed upon him by the villagers, meaning "someone with their head in the clouds". This wine is crafted in a primeur style, emphasizing vibrant fruit character. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the grapes are meticulously hand-harvested in small crates. The winemaking process involves 25 days of carbonic maceration, with daily racking of the juice to minimize skin contact extraction. After pressing, the free-run and press juices are blended and aged in concrete tanks for several months. True to Sebastien's low-intervention philosophy, the wine is bottled without filtration and zero added sulfites.
Notes: Crunchy, wild, & vibrant. Cherry, raspberry, & cranberry. We serve it chilled.
Producer: Cecile Paquet
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy
Cécile Paquet grew up in a small village in southern Burgundy called Senozan. After more than 20 years working in plant nurseries, she decided to focus all her knowledge and expertise on the grapevine. Cécile works tirelessly in her micro domaine of 1.5 hectares to achieve the maximum expression of the terroir and craft wines of great quality. She works with the greatest of care, showing respect for the principles and rhythms of nature and the soil. The domaine is certified organic by Ecocert and practicing biodynamic.
In the bottle: Grown in clay and limestone soil, the Pinot Noir grapes are hand-picked and macerated for 9 days before being vinified. It is neither fined nor filtered and aged 14 months in used oak.
Notes: Lovely ruby hue. Rich nose with aromas of red fruits (cherry, raspberry). Round on the palate with notes of licorice. Very complex, well-balanced and elegant Pinot Noir, typical from Burgundy.
Producer: Eliza Guerin
Grape: 100% Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Appellation: Beaujolais Villages
Elisa Guérin delivers a fresh new vision for Beaujolais and a reminder of how noble a grape Gamay can be. Elisa crafts not only joyous wines for early drinking—full of violet, cherry and wilted roses—but also intense-yet-harmonious, age-worthy wines with notes of undergrowth and steeped black tea that provide tannin and structure.
In the bottle: Organic grapes purchased from two growers in cool climates. Quincié-en-Beaujolais: blue shist and limestone on a northern exposure; Lantignié: granitic sandy soil on a high southeast exposure at 400m. Grapes are hand-harvested. Traditional Beaujolais fermentation with indigenous yeast; carbonic maceration of whole clusters to obtain an enzymatic fermentation. Minimal mechanical intervention. Soft pump over, twice during the fermentation. No punch-downs. Slow press. Aged one winter in stainless steel tanks.
Notes: aromas of ripe cherry, wild strawberry, rose. On the palate, similar ripe berry fruit and breakfast tea. Silky, perfect Beaujolais. Pair with roasted chicken, steak tartare, jambon cru.
Producer: Mooa
Grapes: 40% Syrah, 40% Carignan, 20% Cinsault
Cuvée: ‘Les Sauriens’
Appellation: Aix-en-Provence (in the town of Jouques)
Region: Provence
Mooa is the project of Jean Luc Lametrie, founder of Wine MC2. Jean Luc spent lots of time in Provence over many years and has an extensive network of winemakers there, like Pierre Michelland of Domaine de la Réaltière.
The fruit for Les Sauriens (sauriens are the tiny lizards that live in the rocks in this area) is purchased from growers in the towns of Jouques and Rians; both very wild and rural places, relatively sparsely farmed areas north of Mount Saint Victoire. The soil is dense red clay with a base of limestone and deposits of calcium. If you are lucky, you can find bits of ancient pottery in the ground. Provence is ostensibly the very first wine region in France. (The Phonecians first settled in what is now Marseille in roughly 600BC, followed by the Romans who expanded into Provence and brought grape vine cultivation in approx. 200 BC).
This part of Provence has a unique micro-climat compared to the areas further south. The vineyards are protected from heavy winds by high hills and receive strong sun during the day. This warms the soil before the respite in the evenings when temperatures fall drastically (even in the height of summer you’ll need a jacket).
In the bottle: The Mooa wines are designed to be lively, fresh and ready to drink now; with no sulfites added and minimal intervention in the winemaking – hence the sourcing of fruit for this natural wine is of the utmost importance.
Notes: Juicy, fresh, with a balanced characteristic of red fruit, game, and herbs. Great with a slight chill. Highly versatile wine – pair with steak tartare, cassoulet, charcuterie.
Producer: Gour de Chaulé
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Gigondas
Domaine Gour de Chaulé, located in the heart of the village of Gigondas, was founded in 1900 by Eugene Bonfils, the great-grandfather of the current proprietor, Stephanie Fumoso. All the wine produced at the estate was sold in bulk to negociants until 1970 when Rolande Beaumet, Eugene’s granddaughter and the grandmother of Stephanie, began to bottle a small percentage of the estate’s wine for sale to private clients. M Beaumont’s daughter, Aline Bonfils, ascended to the head of the domaine in the early 1980s and it was under the direction of Aline that the tradition of estate bottling expanded significantly. The domaine is 15 hectares, 10 of which are within Gigondas and the remaining 5 of which are in Vacqueyras and Violes. 85% of the vineyards are planted with Grenache, 10% to Syrah and Mourvedre, and the remaining 5% for Cinsault. The family has always practiced minimal intervention in the vineyards and the cellar.
In the bottle: The grapes are sourced from multiple vineyard sites; Gour de Chaulé does not destem their red grapes before vinification (aka whole cluster fermentation), resulting in a firmer, more tannic and slightly greener wine, in line with what they believe classic Gigondas wines should taste like. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and is then aged in large oak foudres for 18 months before bottling.
Notes: A firm and structured typical Southern Rhône blend. The wine is braced with sweet, dusty tannins, quite aromatic, with notes of white pepper, oriental spice, and game.