Fevre is possibly the best Chablis producer that is still (almost) affordable, so it was great to try this 1er Cru.  Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is tight but opened with a bit of air to show hay, green apples, slight wax and slight chalk.  Medium to full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, green apples, limes and slight peach with a bit of gun powder.  Long finish.  Still on the young side, this should drink well for the next eight to twelve years.  It is nice on its own and would be perfect with oysters.

Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight peach with a bit of gun powder.  Medium bodied. Good balance.  On the palate, green apples with some minerality.  Good finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for the next five to eight years.  It is nice on its own and also very food friendly.  It would go nicely with smoked Salmon.  

This is a sparkling Rosé from Burgundy made from Pinot Noir grapes.  JCB stands for Jean-Charles Boisset who was born in 1969.  The label states this wine is "Flamboyant-Vibrant-Sensual."  Salmon colored with lots of tiny bubbles, clear and bright.  The nose has cranberries, pomegranate, and a bit of a schmaltz (chicken fat) note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries, some cranberries and a slight bitter cherry note.  Good finish.  This is drinking well on its own but would be better with food.  It would be a nice match with grilled Salmon.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

Bichot is a producer who makes great wines in all price ranges.  This is a lovely sparkling wine from Burgundy. It is a 60/40 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of tiny bubbles.  Clear and Bright.  The nose is toasty with red apples and slight grapefruit.  Medium bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is refreshing with flavors of red apples and slight lemon.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own and also very food friendly.  This would be a nice wine with fried Calamari.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

Chappellet has long been devoted to its Chenin Blanc, even when it wasn’t really in favor. This iteration - frankly the best in years - offers lovely aromatics and a soft mouth feel, a white wine that doesn’t want to be aggressive, but one that seduces you. There are notes of light resin, lemon peel, lime kefir, hints of apricot, tangerine and orange zest. The acidity is what really supports this wine, allowing it to be a food companion for a variety of diverse foods, or even a stand-alone cocktail wine with a cheese platter.

Like Chianti, Vino Nobile wines are mostly Sangiovese grapes and from Tuscany.  The best of them compare with many of the good Chianti's and the price is often less.  Frescobaldi (a famous Chianti producer) expanded into this area by buying this property in 2021.  This wine was made prior to that but recently released by Frescobaldi.  It is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, known locally as Prugnolo Gentile, and 10% other red grape varieties.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, sandalwood, spice and slight sour cherries.  Medium bodied.  Medium tan

Grillo is a grape that we are seeing more often.  It makes excellent white wines and for the most part, the price is reasonable.  Pale yellow gold in color with tinges of green, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with a bit of lemon/lime citrus and some tropical fruit (Mango?) notes and just a bit of minerality.  Light to medium bodied.  Refreshing acidity.  On the palate, the lemon/lime and mango comes thru with just a touch of spice and earth.  Good finish.  This is an easy to drink white that will stand up nice to food.  It would be nice with seafood but also with a plate of cold pasta

Summertime is always a great time for rosé, but of course, all year long is even better. Rosé should always be low alcohol with light, bright fruit, and a wine that works with a variety of foods, and should be a wine that is not overly complicated. Côte Mas, which I have reviewed for several vintages, is a consistently good, inexpensive rosé that works well pretty much whenever. This iteration is comprised of mainly Grenache with Cinsault and Syrah. It offers bright strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate, light rhubarb and fresh cherry.

This is really a classic California Pinot Noir, offering bright expressive fruit, easy drinkability and a good food companion. Black cherry, rhubarb, cherry compote, blackberry jam, dominate and there are back notes of light floral, vanilla, and cherry cream pie. This is not a difficult Pinot to grapple with, it is straightforward enjoyment that makes your day better. An array of oak was used - only 11 months in total - with a variety of new and older barrels, which allows the wine to retain its brightness and liveliness while having structure and light tannins. Enjoy now through 2026.

This is 100% Cabernet Franc aged for a year in Amphorae and bottled with a very non-traditional label.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries and some black cherries, with dust, tobacco, and leather.  Medium to full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Flavors of black cherries, tobacco, cherries, spice and char.  Good finish.  This seems to be just getting to peak but should drink well for another ten years.  Better with food, this went well with Vegan Sausages but real sausages would work, too.