Really a lovely red burgundy with a very nice bit of age. Quite lively at this point - frankly a bit surprisingly so. Ethereal with nice red fruit, some earthy complexity. Very good with a seafood focused meal and a good recommendation by the sommelier at Le Pavillon. — 16 days ago
Vintage 2021 | Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier. Great wine with freshness, spicyness and vibrant character. From Belgium. So glad I followed the advice of the sommelier. Paired with a salad with smoked salmon and grilled dorade afterwards. | Restaurant Fabuleux Den Bosch | — 20 days ago
Day 2: This is killer. Super fresh but firm/structured. Atypical Bordeaux. Organic field blend. 13.5%. —- Domaine de Galouchey has to be one of Bordeaux's most idiosyncratic producers. The vineyards of this domaine were cleared and planted by Jean Terrade and Gérard Pantanacce, but things didn't really start to take off until they partnered with renowned sommelier Marco Peltier. They make two wines from organically grown grapes from their tiny estate and their Vin de Jardin (Wine of the Garden) might be the most exciting thing to come from Bordeaux in a very long time.
Galouchey is in Beychac-and-Caillau, 7 km from Libourne, across the river from Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. They could choose to label their bottle as a Bordeaux but instead choose the simple table wine designation of Vin de France. This is so that they can make a wine that they feel more closely reflect the type of Bordeaux that they want to drink. Something more closely aligned with the region's wines before WW11 when commercial interest and the armies of consultants ushered in an era of homogeneity. This area is mostly known for dry whites and value reds but in the 18th century the wines from in and around the estate were some of the most sought after.
The vineyard sits on land that has never been touched by modern synthetic agricultural additives and has been farmed organically from day one. All the permitted grape varieties of the region – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle – are planted in the vineyard and the wine is made as a blend of all of the grapes, white and red. Merlot plays the lead with white varieties playing very small yet important roles. This was the way it was done many generations ago when most Bordeaux was a field blend.
Each of the nine varieties is separately harvested by hand at very low yields. Top quality Bordeaux estate can regularly produce 7,000 bottles per hectare, but the trio took it further limiting yields and producing only 3,600 bottles. This means sorting at the winery is surgical, with only the grapes going into the vat they would want to eat. Made with almost no sulfur, nothing is added or removed. The result is a masterpiece of Bordeaux and one that you don't have to pay $100 or more for.
Freshness and drinkability are not terms that we associate with Bordeaux but that is the first thing that came to mind after one sip. It’s bright fruit melds into its seamless texture. This is very much Bordeaux with flavors and aromas of tobacco, dark chocolate, graphite, and wild herbs but there is a purity of fruit and incredibly vivid floral notes that take this to another level. — 3 days ago
Dave Phinney is the master…. — 9 days ago
Obviously one of my favourite styles. Between lightness and aromatic intensity in an all-aerial expression typical of evolved gamay. We call this the Beaujolais-bourguignon. JP Brun is definitely a very affordable winemaking master.
Évidemment l’un de mes styles préféré. Entre légèreté et intensité aromatique dans une expression toute aérienne typique des gamay évolué. On appelle ça les Beaujolais-bourguignon. JP Brun est décidément un maître de vinification à prix très abordable. — 15 days ago
What a delightful find with recommendation from the Sommelier at Marea in NYC. I couldn't locate the Barolo that would work and he pointed me here. Great spot, by the way — 18 days ago
I’m not a “natural wine” devotee necessarily, but I am a Martha devotee.
Out to The Meadow is almost always one of my favorites in her line up. Chenin driven, this wine shows the variety’s funkier side on the nose (honeysuckle, wet wool, hay, gray stones). On the palate, it balances sweet (honey, honeysuckle) and sour (incredible tart, barely ripe green apple, white nectarine); fruity, vegetal and just the right amount of bitter (at least for those of us with an bias towards Italian whites) with Vermentino’s unmistakable salty fennel/herbal/grapefruit pith on the finish. Have no idea what “green hungarian” and “chasselas doré” add to the blend, but I trust the master and her modern interpretation of what a century old California field blend would have looked and tasted like. — 10 days ago
A gift from the Sommelier st the Downs Club. Mid crimson with purple edges showing its youth. Fresh red cherries, showing its youth again, on the nose. The palate shows that cherry fruit again with lots of spice and a little white pepper. Barely medium weight. The Gimblett Gravels weaving its magic again for Syrah. I’ve always been a big fan of Trinity Hill from this district. This isn’t as full bodied but just as classy. Best in show for Syrah at the Decanter World Wine Awards. In summary - elegant and fine boned. — a month ago
Maggie Harrison
gorgeous. white floral, subtle shower curtain (IYKYK), long, ever so slight viscosity. — 6 days ago