Idee Folle translates to ?crazy idea?. This is an unusual blend of white wine grapes (Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay) which has had an eau-de-vie added to halt fermentation, retaining the wine?s residual sugars.

Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux is a yellow, almost ochre-coloured wine. It has an expressive, vinous nose with notes of lemon, citrus fruit and white flowers. This wine is nicely alcoholic, warm and spicy on the palate. This Bonnezaux has a semi-dry style and a slight taste of peach kernel. Bonnezeaux is 100% Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley.

Jeb Dunnuck - 94 Points 

"Mostly Grenache with 15% Syrah brought up in foudre and old barrels, the 2019 Côtes Du Rhône Les Quartz tastes like a Châteauneuf du Pape as opposed to a Côtes du Rhône and offers a powerful bouquet of red and black fruits, melted licorice, and peppery garrigue. With loads of Provençal charm, full-bodied richness, and supple tannins, it's already hard to resist, and I see no need to delay gratification. Drink this beautiful Côtes du Rhône over the coming 5-7 years."

Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski

Drink Date: 2023 - 2035
A 60-40 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre aged in a combination of demi-muids and new barriques, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Renaissance shows plenty of smoky, toasty nuances laid over the top of roasted cherries. Full-bodied, rich and velvety in texture, it finishes long, with overtones of mocha lingering on the finish. It's oaky now, but it should improve with short-term cellaring. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

I confess to being slightly disappointed in the offerings from this fine domaine this year. The Grangeon family owns vineyards in some superb sandy sites, including the lieux-dits of Cristia and la Font du Loup, but the 2019s and 2020s (to a lesser extent) are too easy in style, and some cuvees are overly marked by wood. Still, there is no denying their commercial appeal. The 2020 white, however, showed well on both occasions I tasted it. Baptiste Grangeon is picking those grapes a bit early "to keep the freshness," then compensating by using a bit more new oak and bâtonnage.

"I was a big fan of 2019 and less of 2020 in the beginning," Grangeon said as we tasted through the range. "But with time, I like '20 more and more." Alcohol levels here were close to 16% in 2019 but more like 15% in 2020. "You can't get in '19 what we got in '16—that was a perfectly balanced vintage. Chateauneuf is supposed to be a fine and elegant wine," Grangeon added in closing.

Looking at the older wines, the 2011 (there was only a single cuvee produced) should be consumed without further delay, and the 2001 came across as tired and of only academic interest at this point (no review given). As a rough rule of thumb, I would suggest drinking these wines within their first decade.

Published: May 06, 2022

100% Syrah from the legendary slopes of Hermitage above the town of Tain in the Northern Rhone. 

The soils here are a fabulous mix of limestone, clay, silt soil and sandy gravel and the vines have an average age of over 30 years. The wine matures in barrel for a whopping 36 months with 50% new oak.

Deep ruby red with violet tinges on the eye opening into a spicy nose with red berries and delicate oak aromas. The palate is powerful and tannic with flavours of blackcurrant, vanilla, licorice and spice

"Composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Chambrun is deep garnet-purple in color with warm blackberries, black cherry pie and blueberry compote with touches of fried herbs and cedar. The palate is medium to full-bodied with bags of vibrant fruit and a firm frame of rounded tannins, finishing long and refreshing."

Rating (90 - 92)+

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

This is a fascinating blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vinified as a white wine. Citrussy, complex and rich, this wine offers great value.

This is a bright, bone dry Pinot Gris with an underlying salinity. The nose is zesty and layered with lemon and grapefruit notes. These flavours continue on the palate, and are met with a mineral touch and bright acidity. 

Domaine Tempier is one of the great wine producers in the southern French appellation of Bandol where the late ripening Mourvedre grape rules the roost. This wine is a blend of 75% Mourvedre blended with Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. Grapes are grown on a range of different soil types in the arid sunny climate of Bandol. The average vine age of grapes that went into this wine was 35 to 40 years old. All grapes were hand harvested then de-stemmed, crushed and fermented in concrete vats for three to four weeks with indigenous yeasts followed by maturation in large oak for 18 months before bottling. Drinks well now, if decanted, and can age for well over 10 years. 

Château Chantalouette is the second wine of Château de Sales. Owned by the same family for over five centuries, the 116 acre estate is the largest in the appellation and boasts the only true castle of Pomerol.

The vineyards here are composed of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon on small gravel and iron-rich loess.

Vinification is managed delicately, leading to beautifully crafted wines that are expressive of their terroir. Traditional racking and light egg-white fining help to preserve the brightness of the fruit.

Chantalouette is named after one of the larger parcels constituting the vineyard of Château de Sales. The wine is charming, round, elegant, and approachable from a young age.

Everything that great Syrah can be is present and accounted for in this plummy, spicy, chocolatey dark red wine from Cote Rotie, the northernmost appellation for Syrah in France's Rhone Valley. 

Full bodied, dry, spicy and rich right now, this impressive red will age well, evolving into a silky, even more seductive red over at least 10 years.