AMIRAULT BOURGUEIL 2007 LA COUDRAYE

DOMAINE BOUCHIE-CHATELLIER 2007 POUILLY FUME LA RENARDIER

CHAMPALOU 2008 VOUVRAY SEC

CHATEAU DE LA ROULERIE 2008 ANJOU BLANC
CHENIN BLANC SEC

CHEVERNY 2008 DOMAINE SALVARD

CHINON 2005 "CLOS DIOTERIE" JOGUET
Joguet`s top wine produced from old vines (70 to 80 years) grown on the south facing slope on the right hand side of the Loire and aged in cask. Silky velvet and wonder- ful harmonious flavour. A very special `feminine` wine. Decanting is recommended!

COTEAUX DU LAYON 2003 LAMBERT BONNES BLANCHES JO PITHON (375 ML)
WINE SPECTATOR 93
A ripe, rich, showy style, with a burnished texture and notes of date, dried tropical fruit and maple-glazed walnut. Almost shows a rancid note, but gets tugged back with mouthwatering acidity and a long finish filled with smoke and green tea. Drink now through 2017

COTEAUX DU LAYON "CLOS ST. CATHERINE" 2004 DOMAINE BAUMARD
WINE ADVOCATE 93
From a sandy site near Rochefort and showing every sign of rigorous botrytis selection, the Baumard 2004 Coteaux du Layon Clos de Sainte Catherine displays a gorgeous bouquet of gardenia, quince jelly, orange, and pineapple. Succulent and rich yet wafting and dynamic in its palate interchange of mineral, floral, zesty and pungently herbal, and richly fruited elements, this finishes with a levitating, (magic-)carpet-like impression of quince, candied orange rind, quinine, flowers and minerals. Here is the satisfaction of a caper perfectly executed by a fine dusting of botrytis, but where you’ll dust in vain afterward to pick up any finger prints! You can feel confident enjoying this anytime over the next 15 years.

DAGUENEAU 2007 "PUR SANG" POUILLY FUME
Arguably Dagueneau's most popular cuvee, this wine is produced primarily from a vineyard north of Saint Andelain called La Folie. The soil here is deeper clay with some chalky limestone. There is virtually no silex in the soil. The vineyard is gently sloped and has perfect south/southeast exposure. Some smaller plots on the Saint Andelain hill occasionally make it into this cuvee. Barrel fermented and aged mostly in 450L and 600L barrels, some of Dagueneau's famous cigar barrels are used as well. This barrel, designed by Didier, is 350 liters and agressively elongated. He seems to prefer these barrels after they've been used once or twice. Once again, the brilliant, tight structure of high acidity and mineral core dominate the wine initially upon opening. Crystilline and almost gritty, after several minutes of air the wine begins to shine. The high-toned texture remains, but aromatics of citrus, quince and fine minerals begin to waft from the glass. The balance in the mouth is ethereal, but follow through is intense, long and mouth puckering.

DOMAINE DE LA FRUITIERE 2008 "CUVEE PETIT M" MUSCADET
100% Melon de Bourgogne from 25-50 year old vines planted on micha and shcist. Heavy triage before press and slow, controlled fermentation. Aged in stainless steel tanks for 7-9 months.

DE LADOUCETTE 2007 COMTE LAFOND SANCERRE GRAND CUVEE
WINE SPECTATOR INSIDER AUGUST 18TH 91 POINTS: "Pure and racy, with mature notes of paraffin and lemon curd that weave in with the zestier mineral, white asparagus, lemon zest and honeysuckle flavors. The finish is long and stylish. Lovely. Drink now".—J.M.

DAGUENEAU 2007 "BLANC FUME" POUILLY FUME
Produced from holdings of younger vines and from parcels not located on the St. Andelain hill, this is Dagueneau's "entry level" cuvée. Dagueneau's aim here is for the most direct, pure expression of the Sauvignon from a typical Pouilly Fumé vineyard. Minerals, citrus and some floral components are dominant and weight is only secondary. This 2007 is low in alcohol (11.5%), this wine is packed full of chalky, flinty minerals opening up to citrus and melon fruit aromatics after breathing. The texture in the mouth is pure Dagueneau. Lean initially, but more and more beguiling with each taste.

DAGUENEAU 2007 "SILEX" POUILLY FUME
Before Didier's tragic death in September, he described this wine to me as perhaps his favorite of all vintages. For him, the incremental changes made in both the winery and vineyards over the years had come together with a vintage that could best express what he was trying to say. Aromatic ripeness without high alcohol. Massive mineral concentration that will yield over time and marry perfectly with the high-toned fruit components and barrel and bottle complexity that seem in perfect harmony. The most young and backward of the bunch (as usual), this wine has massive acidity that provides the perfect balance to the mineral profile that is so prevalent in the mouth. No shortage of fruit, but for the time being, this wine is all about structure and potential. Sit back and marvel at what the years have in store for this wine, and make sure you save some.

DOMAINE CHANTELEUSERIE 2008 BOURGUEIL

SALVARD UNIQUE 2009 PINOT NOIR
This light to medium body Pinot from the Loire Valley has bright fresh fruit with great acidity! The grapes undergo traditional "Beaujolais" maceration and fermentation temperatures are strictly controlled. Perfect little red to enjoy on a hot summer day!

DOMAINE GILBERT 2008 MENETOU-SALON BLANC If we were to convey our impression of this wine using one word, it would be, “OUTSTANDING!” Those looking to steer a more traditional course for Thanksgiving will adore this incredibly well-done Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley! It delivers a precise, yet generous, package of even-keeled, elegant fruit that combines tangy vectors of lemon-lime, lemon zest and tangerine with generous dollops of ripe melon fruit. Hints of sundry tropical, fine herbs and a persistent minerality provide a backdrop to this wonderfully wrought wine that will definitely open some eyes! It is, without a doubt, the best Menetou-Salon we’ve ever tasted!

DOMAINE HAUTS SANZIER 2009 SAUMUR BLANC Located south of Saumur, the Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers has belonged to the Tessier family for 2 centuries. Today the estate covers 85 hectares in the appellations of Saumur and Saumur-Champigny, all worked organically and covered with grass. The soils there are clay and limestone. More than just a profession, wine is a passion at the Hauts de Sanziers estate, This is why the Tessier’s family motto is “Quality for your Pleasure”. The Chenin Blanc grapes are picked and sorted, then go through a 24-hour skin maceration. The fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 20 days.

DOMAINE HUET 2007 VOUVRAY DEMI-SEC "LE HAUT LIEU" 750ML

DOMAINE LAPORTE 2008 SAUVIGNON BLANC"LE BOUQUET"
It comes across like a Sancere with crisp, minerally, ultra fresh lime fruit and racy acidity and a delicious, mouthwatering finish. Don’t feel like shelling out $20 for a Sancerre? If you love Sauvignon Blanc (and especially if you are a Sancerre fan) and want an outstanding one that over delivers at the price, you’ll definitely want this one.

DOMAINE SAUVETE 2009 LES GRAVOUILLES TOURAINE
Made (100%) from the Gamay grape, this inexpensive little number will impress! It leads off with a delightful nose of red raspberry and currants followed by an equally delightful palate of summer cherry and wild berry accented deftly with sundry hints of spice. Here’s another “picnic perfect” production that will accompany sandwiches and snacks as well as tacos and burgers. Serve with a slight chill and you’ll really get it! Lighter styled, yet flavorful and refreshing, this red wine was made for summer!

LA GRANGE TIPHAINE 2008 TOURAINE ROUGE GAMAY

LAURIERS 2008 VOUVRAY SEC
WINE ENTHUSIAST 89 POINTSIts worth noting the sec on the label, because this is bone-dry Chenin. It does thought have enough richness to bring a fine balance, with green apples, a mineral and steel character and a taut-as-a-string texture. Drink now, or age for 2-3 years.

SANCERRE 2008 LUCIEN CROCHET
Spring is the perfect season for crisp, lively whites emanating from the village of Sancerre in France's Loire Valley. Eric Asimov, wine critic of the New York Times, recently conducted a "Sancerre Showdown" and he notes, "In contrast to Sauvignon Blanc from elsewhere, good Sancerre is characteristically restrained rather than exuberant, perfumed with citrus and chalk rather than bold fruit. The aromas and flavors are of lime, grapefruit and lemon as well as flowers and sometimes of herbs and minerality; a kind of catchall impressionistic description of quality found in many great wines."

Asimov goes on to point out, "They also have a texture and depth to them that belies the widespread notion that Sauvignon Blanc can only produce simple wines. It's interesting to note on a map that Sancerre is much closer to Chablis than its Loire Valley sibling Vouvray and shares some of the same soil characteristics. A good Sancerre can have a lot in common with good Chablis!

LUCIEN CROCHET 2008 SANCERRE "CROIX DE ROY"
"The soil composition in this area yields wines that are highly aromatic with excellent balance; the wines are less rustic than Sancerre from other parts of this appellation. "Clos du Roy" comes from 35 year vines. Highly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc with great balance.

LUCIEN CROCHET 2008 SANCERRE "LE CHENE" Clos du Chene is also made from vines of 35 years average age. This is classic Sancerre from Bue, the smallest of the villages in this district, located in the southern part of the Sancerre appellation. The wines are highly aromatic with excellent balance; the wines are less rustic than Sancerre from other parts of this appellation and express pure citrus fruit and pungent minerality.

2007 DOMAINE LUNEAU-PAPIN MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE
SUR LIE L D'OR
WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Scents of fresh lemon, pear, mint, jasmine, green tea, and lightly-toasted hickory nuts rise from the glass of Luneau-Papin 2007 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie L d’Or which then saturates the palate with succulence of sweet pear and melon unusual for Muscadet. Hints of fruit pip and toasted nut bitterness add interest on a startlingly luscious transparent palate through which shimmer saline, (metaphorically!) crystalline suggestion of things mineral, which it is hard not to ascribe to the eroded granite, serpentine, and mica-schist soils in which these old vines grow. The saline, citric finish tugs relentlessly at the salivary glands. This should be an utter delight to follow for at least the next half dozen years. "

"VIGNE DE BERGE" This estate continues it's string of excellent Sauvignons with the release of this classic rendition. A fragrant nose of gooseberry and grapefruit is followed up by a wonderfully round palate of vibrant lime and gooseberry flavors nuanced by notes of earthy minerality and backed by racy acidity. Finishes long and crisp.