A small but mighty round-up and the launch of my limited-edition wine club.
Every year, I get to November and lose it just a little bit. It feels like everything goes a tiny bit wrong – I accidentally post Carousels with typos, I wake up feeling a little off, my stomach can’t cope with the most random things, my sleep schedules lose their consistency, and I always feel like there’s something in my life I’m forgetting to do. Was it laundry? Dishes? Groceries? Paying that one bill I still haven’t set up to be on auto-pay? My world was off-kilter just enough for me to notice this month – and for everyone around me to feel like they were in a strange mood, too.
As a result, the wines I came across were fewer and farther between than in previous months, but with the holidays around the corner, I’m not complaining about accidental moderation. Here’s what I drank in November.
WINE #1: Bordeaux Blanc, Château du Pin-Franc, 2024 (16/20, The Wine Outlets)
Where I had it: At a business dinner at the Beverly Hills location of Mediterranean hot-spot, Bacari. The food here is fantastic and make sure to get a seat on the patio! Even in chilly weather, it’s cozy with heaters and ambiance.
How much a glass cost me: $16.
How much a bottle would cost you: $18.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 16/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 3.5/5 – It’s a solid glass of white wine, but there was some weird interplay with the acidity and the minerality that produced a little bitterness at the end for me, which wasn’t very pleasant. Regardless, a nice mouthfeel and a pretty mix of lemon and pineapple both in the nose and on the palate.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – This is a great wine to have at a Mediterranean-style restaurant. A good Bordeaux Blanc is perfect with so many types of flavor profiles, but especially balances out so many of the yogurt-based dips and complements the green notes in so many of the sauces on the table. Better with food than without!
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – I don’t love the cost per glass being as high as it is, but again my gripe is always moreso with the restaurant industry than anyone else. The per bottle price is a great value and it’s something you should plan on keeping around – especially for the warmer months.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3.5/5 – This is a family-owned and run domaine with an HVE certification, so it gets three and a half points. Take it a step further from the environmental or CSG side and they’ll be at four points in no time.
WINE #2: “Le Mont”, Vouvray Sec, Domaine Huet, 2024 (17/20, Astor Wines)
Where I had it: At home with a cheeseboard and some grilled garlic bread on a chilly night.
How much a bottle cost me (and would cost you): $53.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 17/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – This domaine has been producing textbook Vouvray for decades and I’m pleased to reports its reliability hasn’t changed – particularly for the Le Mont parcel. Bruised yellow apple. A touch of lemon peel. Soft white flowers. It’s layered, complex, and evolving. A standout for the category and one I’ve returned to many, many times.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4.5/5 – Chenin Blanc has got to be one of the underdogs of food pairing. Complex, ever-evolving, and medium-bodied, it’s just one of those wines that makes sense with food – and gets better after a bite. I could even see this pairing well with any number of Thanksgiving dishes or even desserts. This with an apple crisp?! Delicious.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – It’s pricey for a Vouvray, that’s for sure, especially when you consider that there are some more budget-friendly options out there. That being said there is just something about Huet and what they bring to the table, so while I wish this price were closer to $40, I’ll keep them at four points for $53.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 4.5/5 – Domaine Huet is a family-owned multigenerational winery that was a pioneer in organics and biodynamics in the Loire Valley. Their continued commitment to producing stellar wines year after year in concert with their significant contributions to bringing agro-ecology and “green” practices into the conversation are almost unmatched. They are a well-respected winemaking group in France and I can’t wait to see where they go next.
WINE #3: Réserve, Côtes du Rhône, Château Mont-Redon, 2022 (15.5/20, Wine.com)
Where I had it: At home with a Comté-forward cheese platter on a weekend.
How much a bottle cost me: $0. This was a sample I received from the Comté + Côtes du Rhône campaign, which aimed to increase awareness of the two products and highlight the fact they’re a great pairing. I (annoyingly) took some heat for this one as many followers bemoaned that red wine and cheese aren’t good together. Well, to each their own. I thought it was delicious. We all have different tastebuds.
How much a bottle would cost you: $15.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 15.5/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – If you’re looking for a solid Côtes du Rhône, look no further. It’s a crowded marketplace with a lot of unfortunately challenging options, but this one is certainly the most drinkable one I’ve had yet. Think dark berries, a dash of spice, and deep florals. It’s a great one to have around – especially if you really love the classic flavor profile in a great Côtes du Rhône.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 3.5/5 – It was excellent with the comté but I am convinced that the best pairing for any Côtes du Rhône is grilled meat and BBQ sides. They all just work seamlessly together without overpowering one another for a delicious bite. Still, I often feel the category is a little one-dimensional – outside of being the start at a barbecue – so I give it 3.5 points.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – Great price for a bang on Côtes du Rhône. There’s great value to be had in the region in general but I do wish the quality was more consistent. (If you’ve been reading these reviews all year, you know Côtes du Rhône and I have had a bit of a falling out.)
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 3/5 – I could find out next to nothing about this producer’s environmental and sustainability commitments; just a whisper of an Haute Valeur Environnementale level announcement in a website link from 2018. It’s a start but my standards are high for this category, so they stay at 3 points.
WINE #4: “Ultradition”, Champagne Extra Brut, Laherte Frères (17.5/20, Flatiron Wines)
Where I had it: At Thanksgiving apéro before the main event. My little sister surprised me and took a last minute flight to join us for the holiday, so we opened the bottle to celebrate her arrival as my husband made the finishing touches on the evening’s feast. Needless to say, it was a hit.
How much a bottle cost me (and would cost you): $62.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 17.5/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – Being the perfect bottle of bubbly to celebrate your little sister and whet appetites for the forthcoming feast is a tall order. This one was about as close as one could get to perfection for the occasion. Light and bright and full of soft lemon and apple notes, it was a major crowd-pleaser and was gone way too fast.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – We didn’t pair this with the classic Thanksgiving fare as we enjoyed it before the meal but there’s no doubt it would have made an excellent wine for the repast. While we waited, we paired it with some of my sister’s homemade sourdough bread and a few slices of cheese, which of course paired beautifully with this Champagne. A great wine for lighter dishes especially with enough acidity to cut the fat in something more substantial, too.
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 4.5/5 – For biodynamic grower Champagne, this price is pretty exceptional. At a time when everything in the region feels like it costs way too much, this one feels just right. It’s not the cheapest wine you’re saving but it’s also not the most expensive. The result keeps it celebratory without breaking the bank. More of this please!
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 – Laherte Frères ticks all the boxes: family-owned, multi-generational with a modern approach, organic, biodynamic, and committed to the people behind the wine. They practice what they preach and consistently produce solid cuvées from their entire lineup. A great producer to keep on your radar and to search out when you need a good bottle of Champagne.
WINE #5: “Corcelette”, Morgon (Cru Beaujolais), Mee Godard, 2022 (18.5/20, Verve Wine)
Where I had it: At Thanksgiving. It’s a food pairing juggernaut that pairs especially well with stuffing, turkey, and mashed potatoes, but can also hold its own with cranberry sauce and all kinds of other classic dishes. Get a bottle for your next holiday meal and thank me later.
How much a bottle cost me (and would cost you): $50. Cru Beaujolais is starting to get pricy – much to my chagrin, but this one is worth the splurge.
OVERALL COMPOSITE SCORE: 18.5/20
- DRINKABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – I mean, come on. This wine is among the best of the best – in Beaujolais, and Burgundy, and competitive in France as a whole. I picked the 2021 vintage for my wedding and was not disappointed. Silken and warm, with notes of black cherry and blackberry, this is one of my favorite wines of all time to drink.
- PAIRABILITY SCORE: 5/5 – Incredible with almost everything at your table. There is really no better red wine for the holidays and that’s why I’ve featured this one in my Holiday Wine box with SocialSomm. Whether we’re talking main character energy like turkey, ham, or even salmon – or side dishes like stuffing and mashed potatoes, this wine delivers. It has every single time I’ve opened it for a meal!
- WALLET-ABILITY SCORE: 4/5 – It’s getting harder and harder to buy Beaujolais Cru. Between tariffs and the cost of everything – including land in Burgundy and Beaujolais – going up, I get why the prices have begun to soar, but it is pricey for a bottle of Morgon. The product is exceptional, so it’s worth it for me, but I can’t give five points here.
- THE X FACTOR SCORE: 4.5/5 – I’ve loved Mee Godard’s work for years. Woman owned, small scale, organic and regenerative. When I asked her directly about why she’s gone organic but isn’t interested in biodynamic, her response was telling: the most important thing for any winemaker is to keep in touch with what nature tells us, and that doesn’t always mean going full natural or biodynamic makes sense for everyone. Her measured, precise and evolving approach is what makes her wines so extraordinary.
Looking for more wine reviews? Check out the October Edition or my methodology post on Unfined + Unfiltered. Enjoy, santé !
