If we can’t have another trip to Bordeaux, at least we have wine.
Oh, July. Sticky, sweltering, bipolar July. The weather in New York City couldn’t make up its mind. One day, it was a hundred degrees and 95% humidity followed by torrential rainstorms that paralyzed the region. The next? A beautiful summer day with a soft breeze. Thankfully, my wine picks for the month weren’t half so dramatic as all that. I cut back on tasting following an explosion of wine reviewing in Bordeaux in June, but even so, July had some great juice. Here’s what I loved in my glass this month.
WINE #1: Coteau de la Biche, Vouvray Sec, Domaine Pichot, 2022 (17/20, AOC Selections)
Where I had it: At home with my husband on 4th of July weekend. We were lucky enough to have decent weather, so we popped open this bottle and made the most of it on the patio. It was calm, quiet. Just how we like our 4th of July to be. Reading, talking, no fireworks! (Poor puppy.)
How much a bottle cost me: $0. I received this as a sample from their importer, Vineyard Brands.
How much a bottle would cost you: $20.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 17/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4.5/5 – Tart green apple with a mineral, acid edge – this baby is incredibly drinkable. Fantastic on a hot summer’s day with someone you love on a patio (and that’s certainly how I enjoyed it). So many dry Vouvrays these days have a lot of white floral notes but this one doesn’t mess around with flowers and I honestly kind of love it. There’s just enough round fruit to balance the acidity and it’s a mouthwatering sip. You’ll need another immediately.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4.5/5 – Fabulous with seafood, potato chips, or even pretzels – a great one for the high-low pairing trend. At the same time, it could certainly work with a more sophisticated menu, like aged goat cheeses or chicken in a béchamel sauce. It’s just a delightful wine to have on hand.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – $20 for a Vouvray this lovely?! Sign. Me. Up. The catch is that it’s currently a little hard to find – I was only able to link it to one shop based in Texas – but I’m hoping that changes.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3/5 – 60 hectares of family-owned land is excellent, but all I could find was an HVE certification. I think there’s more that can be done, so I’m holding them to it. For now, they earn three points here.
WINE #2: Bandol Rosé, Hecht & Bannier, 2023 (15/20, Solano Cellars)
Where I had it: Paired it with my husband’s veggie tacos on a hot Tuesday night. If you’ve been following along on these reviews since the beginning, you’ll know that I’ve been needing justice for my veggie tacos. They’ve been spoiled many a time by wines that simply haven’t been able to stand up to the eclectic mix of flavors in a Cali-Mex taco. Suffice it to say, they have have met their match!
How much a bottle cost me: $0. This was also a sample I received.
How much a bottle would cost you: $34.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 15/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 3.5/5 – Very aromatic with notes of orange peel and ripe strawberry. There’s a kind of bitter aftertaste that I often get with wines from Bandol and Provence and I don’t hate it – it’s sign for me that the wine needs food. And in this case, go with food it did. That being said, I felt like something was missing from this wine that could have made it even better, but it’s a solid summer sipper if all you need is a good wine for a party.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – Like I said, what a great match for tacos! There is something juicy about this wine that just pairs wonderfully with the acids and flavors in a classic veggie taco. I could also see this wine doing very well with pulled pork or chicken tacos as well.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – $34 for a bottle of decent Bandol is a pretty good price! The brand is well distributed in the U.S. so you should be able to find it pretty easily. Buy a couple bottles to keep on hand for the summer parties you’re planning and it’ll be a hit.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3.5/5 – B-Corp certified and using organic grapes is good – but I would like to see a bit more movement here from such a larger producer. The bigger you are, the more responsibility you have in ensuring your environmental impact is low, so I would hope to see a fully organic certification in the next couple of years at minimum.
WINE #3: Tradition Royale, Jurançon, Cave de Gan, 2022 (14.5/20)
Where I had it: I filmed a 5 Fast French Wine Facts video about France’s sweet wines that I hope will pique modern interest. These wines were once among France’s most popular but as tastes have changed, they’ve fallen out of favor. Crossing fingers that changes.
How much a bottle cost me: $0. My Airbnb host in Bordeaux gifted this to me as a welcome present, and I was so very touched that I brought it home to make content with.
How much a bottle would cost you: $0. You can’t find it stateside, sadly, but if you were in France, it would cost you around 11€.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 14.5/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – You know those little plastic fruit cups your mom would pack you for lunch when you were in elementary school? They usually had a combination of canned pineapple, mango, and a little mandarin orange? That’s what this wine tasted like for me. It’s nostalgic Millennial flavor in a bottle. It’s not super syrupy by any means but it has a clear, exotic fruit taste. Well-balanced acidity cuts through the sugar to keep things level.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 3.5/5 – I know the French are constantly insisting that sweet wines pair with all kinds of savory dishes, but for me, the jury is still out. I think this would be great with an aged cheese platter or some briny oysters with some lemon but I am not sure I’m sold on much else. Guess I’ll have to keep experimenting with this category to find out for sure.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 3.5/5 – Normally, for a wine that you can find for 11€, I’d rate this one much higher, but it’s kind of a bummer that it’s just not available stateside. Since this is a U.S.-based page, I gotta ding it. Still – if you’re in France – worth a buy to see if you like these sweeter styles. Or really even if you want to relive some of that nostalgia.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3.5/5 – You know I love a cooperative, but the most I could find out about this producer from an environmental perspective was that it’s HVE-certified. Womp womp. There seems to be a trend this month: “Let’s all get HVE certification but not disclose any other environmental commitments!” You can do better, Cave de Gan. (And everyone, for that matter.) Appreciate the effort as I know it’s tough as a larger co-op in a vast region, but still, a lot more can be done here.
WINE #4: “Les Picasses”, Chinon, Olga Raffault, 2018 (16.5/20, Astor Wines)
Where I had it: Cozied up on the couch after a long, long, long week. There have been a lot of those this month. Arguably, all four weeks in the month felt this way. And the heat certainly didn’t do much of anything to abate the feeling.
How much a bottle cost me (and how much it would cost you): $31. That’s a great price for a great Chinon from Raffault, and it’ll just get better as it ages.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 16.5/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – I can’t explain why, but it tastes like the color purple looks (despite decidedly being more of a medium red in color). Majestic like a retired king who rules a nation from an old, rustic country house so he can get his own hunting in on the weekends. Velvet. Indigo flowers with a meaty, gamey edge. They say Côtes du Rhône is amazing in a BBQ but I kind of think this Chinon has got everyone beat.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – With charcuterie? – Wow. With anything on the grill with a bit of umami? – Wow. This is a particular wine and it won’t pair with everything, but it has quite a range and really outdoes itself with the food pairings. What a beauty to keep around for a meal.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – There is so much value in the Loire – almost everywhere – and you’ll find it almost every time you pick up a bottle. I keep waiting for it to change and it never does. A comfort at a time when inflation and price gouging are commonplace for “prestige” wine appellations. I’m grateful to you, Loire Valley producers, for keeping your prices sustainable (and your vines, too).
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3.5/5 – The estate vineyards at Raffault have been certified organic since around 2013. Where things get tricky is that they use about 50% of négoce fruit for certain cuvées, so not everything is organically certified. Still, I get the sense that they’re moving into a fully certified universe, so they get an extra half point for the effort.
WINE #5: “Les Garants”, Fleurie (Beaujolais Cru), Famille Chermette, 2023 (16/20, Gary’s Wine)
Where I had it: At the dinner following my induction ceremony into les Compagnons du Beaujolais at The Roxy in Jersey City.
How much a bottle cost me: $0. This was one of the featured wines at the induction ceremony dinner.
How much a bottle would cost you: $28. For a cru Beaujolais as stunning as this one, it’s an absolute STEAL!
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 16/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – I love Fleurie Les Garants. I first discovered the 2021 vintage during a visit to the producers in Southern Beaujolais when I visited in 2023. This little cuvée just gets better and better and the 2023 – while still very young – was drinking well. Think tart blackberries – maybe a little unripe? – matched with a little blueberry and violet. Perfect with a little chill and generally the best Beaujolais we had that evening (and there were quite a few!).
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – Unfortunately, the strawberry and balsalmic salad meant to pair with this wine that evening was far too drenched in its dressing to balance out the wine properly. (Such is the scourge of Jersey City restaurants. To my chagrin, they mostly lack finesse, and while I have no doubt they will ultimately compete with some of the best food scenes on the East Coast, they just aren’t there yet.) That being said, I know better – this wine is a delight with cheese, roast salmon and potatoes, or a pasta dish with a creamy red sauce. It just can’t work with a drenched dressing salad.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – Major props to Famille Chermette for this one. Getting cru Beaujolais in this day and age for under $30 stateside is kind of insane. I have a funny feeling that this one can age, too, so buy a couple bottles to stash away!
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3/5 – Again with the HVE certifications. Argh. It’s not nothing but I have high expectations and I’m not letting anyone off easy this month. For now, they earn three points here.
As we head into August, don’t forget to chill your reds for all those epic last-hurrah BBQs you’re planning! I’ll be heading up to Maine with my husband for a much needed glamping trip to disconnect, and we’ll certainly be bringing some great wines for everything from barbecue to lobster boils. See you next month!
Looking for more wine reviews? Check out the June Edition or my methodology post on Unfined + Unfiltered. Enjoy, santé !
