Misty Cove 2020 Landmark Grüner Veltliner  If you know us well you know of our Dutch connections via Frank Poot, and everyone in the Dutch wine trade knows Andrew Bailey as the remarkable professional cricket player who built an equally successful wine distribution business while living there during his sporting career. Andrew grew up in New Zealand, has returned home, and farms 242 hectares of vineyard in what he likes to call the misty coves of Marlborough. The fruit for this Grüner was sourced from the winery’s main plot set atop the Wairau plain. This is an interesting comparison to Austrian Gruner if you have any Felsner kicking around – Exuberantly fresh with lots of orange and stonefruit notes this will be in our pantries all winter for sure.

Domaine Raffaitin 2019 Sancerre Blanc  Remember the good old days? You know, like four years ago when you could hand over a $20 bill for domaine-bottled Sancerre and we’d hand you back CHANGE? Those days are back! Frank Poot, our “man on the ground” in Europe, selected this as his favorite lot from Raffaitin while visiting the winery this Fall. The container just recently arrived in time for these December boxes. A rich, exuberant, and full-bodied example of Sancerre, this is versatile Sauvignon.

Domaine Astruc 2018 d’A Viognier Lot 18 VdP Domaine Astruc sits at the foot of the Pyrenean Mountain range. Jean-Claude Mas sourced grapes here for years and acquired the property in 2002 from the Astruc family. Since then Jean Claude has brought his inimitable enthusiasm and charisma to this property, and over the last fifteen years, Domaine Astruc has emerged as a relentless fountain for us when it comes to IGP Pays d’Oc that over-delivers on value. Bright gold yellow with yellow tints. Rich and elegant with a quintessence of dry fruits, peach and white flower aromas with a hint of vanilla/honey notes. Love this stuff.

Cattin NV Crémant d’Alsace Brut  Cattin is the largest family owned and family operated winery in Alsace and located in Voegtlinshoffen, a small village on the foothills of the Vosges Mountains at 1,091 feet in elevation. The Cattin family has been producing wine since 1720 and today the winery is managed by the 12th generation! The estate is composed of many small plots located in the Southern part of the Colmar region and a staggering 80% of their vineyard land is located on slopes. A broad menu of soils (clay, limestone, sandstone, ferruginous, marl…), combined with big-time diurnal shifts, means an exceptional palate of aromas and flavors. Over the past several decades Cremants have become the house specialty and these are what initially caused us to bang their doors down. This Cremant d’Alsace, produced according to the traditional method, is crisper than most of its peers due to the high concentration of hillside fruit used. 50% Pinot Blanc 50% Pinot Auxerrois

Domaine Dufouleur 2018 Bourgogne  Aligoté  Four hundred years is a long time for any winery, and through the centuries the Dufouleur family has acquired a whopping 28 hectares of prime vineyard sites extending from Fixin to Santenay. Cellar work here is hands-off and their sensory, revelatory wines are a must for anyone interested in distinctive Burgundy. First up for you? How about their 2018 Aligote! A throwback Burgundian varietal, Aligoté produces lively wines with freshness. Layers of citrus here with an interesting hawthorn note. Cook up something creamy and French to match!

Domaine Talmard 2019 Mâcon-Uchizy  The Talmard family estate is made up of 30 hectares of vines in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay. The young Gérald Talmard now runs all aspects of the property, with Dad helping out as needed. His farming and winemaking techniques are ancestral and natural. The big difference here in comparison with other top producers in the appellation is that Talmard picks his fruit slightly earlier giving a brighter, fresher backbone to what are already grapes that show deep-rich fruit expression. This Uchizy bottling is a bit more limited than the Macon-Chardonnay that is such a staple here at Vino, with Uchizy being one of the Macon’s most sought after terroirs.