The Best of the Rest of France

While our Cellar Trading spotlight usually shines on Bordeaux and Burgundy, the outstanding bottles from France’s other collectible regions are well worth your attention. All of today’s wines are in stock, and many are priced under $200!

Our perennial favorite (not just of the Jura but all of France!) Domaine du Pélican represents the fascinating modern era of the Jura, developed with the Burgundian know-how of Guillaume d’Angerville. Ian tasted the inaugural release of the Vin Jaune at a trade tasting last week and noted: “This wine is an aromatic thrill ride that keeps getting better. On the palate, it’s an inviting laser beam of acidity with a texture usually seen with more age. A show-stopping Vin Jaune. This wine is flawless.”

Alongside Pélican, rarities from Ganevat and Bruyère & Houillon bring the region’s cult energy. Ganevat’s 2020 En Billat Chardonnay is taut and textural, while the small-parcel 2015 and 2016 Bruyère & Houillon bottlings remain among the Jura’s most coveted wines.

From the Loire, Pascal Cotat’s 2023 La Grande Côte delivers more laser-focused precision, while Edmond Vatan’s 2014 Clos la Néore offers a rare chance to experience one of Sancerre’s all-time greats at maturity. We don’t stock many Provencal wines, but Tempier’s 2024 Bandol Rosé once again outperforms nearly any rosé out there, vivid, structured, and effortlessly elegant, while Baraveou’s 2022 Bandol Rouge provides a savory counterpoint. Both would be fantastic pairings for your Thanksgiving feast.

While we’ve been offering an enviable amount of Chave Hermitage lately, it continues to be a brisk seller for us. Make sure to re-stock before we are sold out again, and don’t miss the remarkably approachable 2022! Rounding out the Rhône selections are master traditionalist Jamet, rare Rayas, and one of my all-time favorites, Bonneau’s extraordinary Réserve des Célestins, perfectly in its prime.