 Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are the undisputed 'King and Queen' of white varieties in the Loire, with plantings of both up and down the entire length of the river. Doesn't mean there isn't room for the odd Prince, Duke or Lord popping up here and there. The Melon de Bourgogne grape, for example, occupies much of the area around Nantes where the river enters the Atlantic, making the noted wines of Muscadet. Romorantin is an ancient grape with a long history in the Loire, but has fallen out of favor in much of the region with only one appellation featuring it, in Cheverny. Only @150 acres devoted to the variety, but boy do they pop when you can find them. Think of it as a somewhat hypothetical combination of the flavor profile of a Sauvignon Blanc and the textural nuances of a Roussanne from the Rhone, and that gets you in the room. Musky white fruits and pear skin aromas with some grassy citrus notes, clear and pretty but definitely something a little outside the norm. The palate is where the grape really jumps out at you, with long lush white fruits, liquid apples, definite notes of grapeskin tannins in the minerally finish. Lots of evidence that this will keep evolving for quite a few more years, makes you wish more vineyards could champion the variety more.
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INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 TENUTA BELLAFONTE MONTEFALCO ROSSO 'POMONTINO' (Vinous 91points) $26.999/18/2025  The region of Umbria sits between the world famous cities of Florence and Rome, and most people only take note of it as they pass through it from one city to the other. Largely rural and completely landlocked, it has missed out on a lot of the hype and notoriety bestowed on its neighbors, allowing it to be a mostly unspoiled 'bread basket' of central Italy. The wines here are very under-appreciated as well, especially compared to the notoriety Tuscan wines have accumulated over the centuries. Umbria's native red grape is Sagrantino, originally used mostly for making 'dried grape' wines, but now reaches its greatest heights around the town of Montefalco and their DOCG designated wines. The DOC designated Rosso wines will blend Sagrantino and Sangiovese that gives a wonderful window into the local style. Savory and a bit rustic on the aromas, with a dusty 'Old School' style nose of dried flowers, dark red fruits and hints of cedar. The presence of Sagrantino is most noticeable on the palate, where it has a bit more tannin than Sangiovese and a citric acidity note behind the dark fruits. As it opens up it gets more plump but keeps that classic energy all through the finish. This wants food, such as a hearty tomato-y stew or a classic ragu over pasta.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 ANCIENT PEAKS 'RENEGADE' RED BLEND PASO ROBLES (Vinous 92points) $22.999/11/2025  For well over a decade now Ancient Peaks has been one of our very favorite sources in California to get great value AND excellent quality, year in and year out, across many varietals. Their (very large) Santa Margarita Estate supplies the fruit for all their wines, all of which is 'SIP' certified for sustainability in farming and winemaking. Everything is absolutely rock solid from them. About the only thing you could quibble about for this wine is, if you are an absolute purist, this isn't REALY a Rhone blend because they have some Petit Verdot and Malbec-originally Bordeaux grapes- blended with the Syrah. Maybe is you squint your eyes a bit you can imagine them being Mourvedre and Cinsault (which isn't far-fetched, really) and adding that same sort of color to the wine. Or just kick back and enjoy it for being a delicious wine. Dark inky color and fruit character, loads of blackberry and blue tones on the nose, dark spices and licorice pop up an the end. Lots of richness and cocoa-covered fruits on the palate as well, but little bits of dark tannins give it nice energy and some structure, a bit of that Mourvedre vibe. A lot packed in here for the price, great for heartier meals and cooler weather sipping.
 Even with all the things going on that have increased prices on so many things, the Rhone still remains one of the best wine regions in the world for value, quality, and a surprising amount of diversity as well. It's a fairly large area, so there is a lot to go around, and lots of very good producers with generations of experience with their family vineyards. There are also a wider number of grape varieties to blend together, so the wineries have more colors on their palette to paint with and intrigue your palate. Clos du Mont-Olivet and the Sabon family are part of the old guard in the Rhone, described by the Wine Advocate as 'one of the great estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape', and their Cotes du Rhone is just as Old School as their CNDP. A blend of five varietals from vineyards just outside Chateauneuf and across the river in Lirac, this has a lot of the savory rustic side going from the first pour, with lots of pepper and dark cherry skin at first and a gamey, earthy feel to the palate. It rewards patience, even with a few years already under its belt, and over a few hours the red fruits sweeten up and the palate gets more lush and polished. We will leave the cork off this one most of today to help it move along when you taste, and will also benefit from a few extra swirls, but it rewards the extra patience with a higher level of complexity that exceeds its mere Cotes du Rhone-ness.
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The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
January 2026
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