Daou Cabernet

Georges and Daniel Daou didn’t just buy land in Paso Robles, they bought the old Hoffman Mountain Ranch and its famed barn as well. Founded by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in 1964, this was the site of some legendary wines. I can go on about the 1976 and 1977 HMR Cabernet, but then that would be rude. Let’s just say that Daou wines have an excellent and established pedigree. Their Cabernet is solely from estate fruit; powerful and plump.

Darley Alexander Valley Red

Domaine des Florets Gigondas

Domaine des Florets’ half century old vines are next to the Dentelles Sarrasines on scree from its erosion, facing partly away from the sun, retaining freshness and creating unique Grenache-based wines. Seriously. Check this out.

Domaine Lerys Tradition

The family estate Domaine Lérys was founded in 1861 in Villeneuve les Corbières, with vineyards planted on steep schist soils, not such a different landscape from what you find in Spain’s Priorat. The Rhone grapes like Carignan, Grenache and Syrah grown in Fitou are more generous than they are burly. Their Tradition bottling combines 60% Carignan (tangy and almost cranberry like) with dense and deep Grenache.

Domaine Priou Pinot Noir

François et Jean-François Priou mostly grow Sauvignon Blanc along the River Cher; their Touraine Sauvignon Blanc is a great value. Certain places that didn’t used to be able to ripen certain grapes are finding it easier to show off. While you might not think of the Loire Valley for Pinot Noir, it’s routinely grown there and, if you haven’t had a chance to drink any of the ethereal versions of the grape in this region, now it’s your chance.

Domaine Priou Sauvignon Blanc

Sure, most people think that France is neatly laid out, codified and completely explored but, outside of Burgundy and Bordeaux, there are still plenty of vineyards that deserve more attention. The Loire Valley demands that kind of recognition and, in the era of climate change, it is increasingly a source of delicious wines. Sauvignon Blanc used to be notable only from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. Equal measures of fruit and mineral.

Dosoris Lane Blanc

Sometimes you just have to embrace the mystery of wine; truth be told, we don’t know which grapes are in this wine. They wouldn’t tell us, but we didn’t care after we tasted it. Neither merely crisp or full and rich; the wine straddles a really nice place that is refreshing and patio-perfect, but that has some weight and character to handle rich fish or even grilled chicken.

Dosoris Lane Proprietary Red

Maybe one of the most hyped up wines this year, Dosoris Lane is all about showing what type of crazy quality you can produce for under $15. Think black pepper notes from a little Syrah. The black fruits in the middle suggest a little bit of Cabernet; the red fruits and white pepper hint at Grenache. Put it all together and you have some epic red wine from the sunny south of France, with expansive and bright flavors.

Double Ripasse

Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre are happy bedfellows from anywhere, and the Vellas family has sites throughout Mediterranean France that allow balance as well as intensity to be achieved. But the curiouser element to this wine is the name. My French is pretty damned elementary and “double ripasse” doesn't appear on any of the slang sites I can find. In wine terms, ripasse is to press or to squeeze, and that typically means someone has made wine from grapes but held onto the skins. Then they dump fresh must onto to those once-squeezed skins, using the new juice to soak more flavor (and often tannin and earthiness) from the skins. But then there is the picture on the label and the Vellas propensity to pun – they’ve a lot of those up their sleeves. So if you know why “double ripasse” somehow translates to burning money, please let us know. Until then, enjoy the rich, earthy character and texture.

Ercole Bianco

The Piedmont Guy, an importer, has one love – Piedmont. This obsession has allowed him to put together a rich group of great Piedmont producers but also to have access to dribs and drabs from those greats that he can craft into his own label – Ercole (Hercules to the rest of us). This Cortese based blend has 15% Chardonnay and 5% Sauvignon Blanc to add to the texture and aromatics and it comes in a liter bottle, so you can enjoy even more of it.