Tatiana Guillot Macon Villages

Macon Villages was once a bigger deal, or at least it was once a wine that absolutely every restaurant had to pour by the glass. In the climate change era, Macon seems to be morphing from light and slightly generic to richer and even slightly buttery. But only slightly. Remember that Chardonnay in France is almost always more about the minerals than the butter; Macon is clean and crisp. We’re not quite to California richness yet, but who knows?

Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Riserva

Located in the Chianti Classico, Arceno is both traditional and modern. Here the region’s grape, Sangiovese, has 10% Cabernet added to it, gaining both some muscle and power but also a sense of flavor familiarity from that grape too. This is one of those wines that we recommend not only because of Arceno’s excellence and the great reviews but because the 2019 vintage is universally considered to be an ideal vintage.

Terrebrune Anjou Blanc

There are few certainties in wine. Opportunities can be vast. Some grapes do okay in lots of places other than their homes but truly shine in only one or two. Aside from South Africa, only in the Loire Valley is Chenin Blanc completely special. But even here, somebody might feel the need to gild the lily; Terrebrune adds 20% Chardonnay to its Chenin but the citric, honeyed intensity remains.

Terrebrune Rose de Loire

Founded in 1986 by Alain Bouleau and Patrice Laurendeau in the southern Loire Valley, this winery focuses primarily on rosé, which makes up two-thirds of their production. Their dry rosés offer more body and depth than the lighter Provençal styles, reflecting the Loire’s strength as a source for structured rosé wines.

The Ascent Gummy

The Palace Thief #2

Most of the Napa OGs have been bought out or at least changed hands numerous times. The winery behind Palace Thief Napa, starting in 1969, has remained owned and run by the same family. Now, it’s a third-generation project but the critical piece, the vineyards, is really what has allowed this family to achieve such demonstrated excellence. The Cabs are firm, powerful and very classically Napa-esque.

The Palace Thief #4

The Pessimist

When the Daou Brothers took their tech dollars a-shopping in Paso Robles they only bought the best: the old Hoffman Mountain Ranch. Founded by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in 1964, this was the site of some legendary wine. I can tell you about the 1976 and 1977 HMR Cabernet, but then that would be rude bragging. Let’s just say that Daou wines have an excellent and established pedigree; this one is a powerful Syrah blend.

The Prisoner

You may know that The Prisoner is a very lush blend of Zin, Cab, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Charbono, and Grenache. You may not know is that this is what your friends called you when you were dating your ex.

Unshackled Cabernet

Veteran winemaker, Chrissy Wittmann, says that there is “something special in Unshackled, which blends together familiar varietals from California’s premier wine regions to create a distinct collection with a personality all its own…” How is it that the Prisoner is so successful? It must be something about the wines because they continue to grow in leaps and bounds attracting not one-time buyers, but upon people who come back and buy it again.