Tastings

Working with petit courbu (and some petit manseng) that he grows in the clay and limestone soils of Château Bouscassé, Alain Brumont crafts a formidable white, giving the wine a year in stainless steel vat on its lees with periodic stirring. It takes a while to wake up, the flavors remaining muted even after four hours. The wine slowly reveals itself to be deeply savory, with a mineral inflection and pear notes softened by age. It lasts, and continues to show more intensity with air, the waxy fruit flavors marshalling around salinity. It’s a quiet wine, for a quiet weekend in as you eat through leftover roast chicken. Regal Wine, Moorestown, NJ

Here’s an elegant 2020, a blend of gros manseng, petit courbu and arrufiac. While the alcohol needs a chill to integrate, even at room temperature, the aromas of wildflower meadow and terra cotta win out. Then, the wine opens up to a rush of tropical intensity and summer stone fruits—greengage plum, white peach and apricot—managing to convey it all without excess. If you’re ordering wine for a table of friends who enjoy light-handed California chardonnay, this is a new direction to go. Serge Doré Selections, Chappaqua, NY

This estate has been in the Bortolussi family since 1952, currently managed by Alain (the second generation) and his daughters, Claire and Marion. Their Sec Séraphin is based on gros manseng with 20 percent each of petit manseng and arrufiac, the wine showing its intensity right off the bat with a zippy acidity reminiscent of verjus. It pulls out of that turn with gentle flavors of white pear and clover honey, nestled in a typically waxy frame. A few years could integrate the acidity, though it would be tasty now with grilled pork. Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ

An attack of white florals transitions into gentle poached-pear flavors in the finish. The combination of salinity and sharp acidity nestled in the middle of the wine had me in mind of a lactobacillus fermentation, an interesting detour that would pair well with stewed beans. Advintage, Charleston, SC

A moelleux with plenty of pear-skin flavor and a gentle, floral finish, this is easygoing stuff for a picnic. It holds its shape after a day, so don't rush to polish it off. Grape Expectations, Richmond, CA

A slight sweetness makes this wine feel richly textured, and rounds the edges of its green apple acidity. It's a crowd-pleaser, and would match any number of settings or spreads with a chill. Vigneron Imports, Oakland, CA

Golden-pear and white-peach flavors come through clearly in a soft, forgiving texture, with just enough acidity at play in the background to refresh an afternoon in the park. Jerome Selection, NY

Driving acidity pulls the flavors in a green direction—apple and almond. It feels refreshing even at room temperature, so bring it along for a picnic. Frederick Wildman & Sons, NY

Pithy grapefruit skin and a slight minerality make the first impression for this wine—a white that has a layer beyond its simple fruit. Jerome Selection, NY

Some rock-salt chunkiness marks this sauvignon’s quince flavors powered by lemony acidity. It's short and a shade simple, but pleasant. Fine Terroir Selections, Greenwich, CT

This half-and-half blend of sauvignons blanc and gris tastes very correct in its grassy aromas and slightly waxy tropical fruit, though it needs a chill to integrate its alcohol. LVC, Las Vegas, NV

Our panel had no complaints on this value-priced wine, its faint citrus and orchard fruit flavors perfect for a cocktail hour. Kindred Vines, Troy, MI

This rosé is made from equal parts syrah and egiodola—a cross of abouriou and negramoll, its Basque name a contraction of egiazko odola, or “true blood.” It may grab your attention with its green, sappy bite—our panel described that as tart, dried plums, lime zest, or chestnut skin—a zesty character that energizes the rest of the wine. It feels intentional from start to finish—harvested early to preserve freshness, giving the wine an integrated green character. Pair it with South Asian fried chickpeas, or a hard cheese. Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, NY

Half merlot and half marselan, this wine’s core of blueberry and white plum flavors has some green complexity at play behind it. It feels vinous and complete, with bright acidity, full flavors and high-toned accents, hitting the mark like a dead-center bullseye. “Just what you want from rosé,” as Jeff Harding of NYC’s The Waverly Inn put it. Final Port Imports, Macon, GA

With plenty of melon flavors and a zesty acidity, this rosé would make for a refreshing sip. Kindred Vines, Troy, MI

I was relieved to find the panel unanimously endorsed this wine—I liked it quite a lot—though it seemed a little volatile, a little sharp, with a lot of pippy raspberry flavors. All that earthy funk made for a rustic, honest country wine. Some of that rusticity might come from the blend (30 percent each of syrah and braucol, the remainder split between merlot and duras), and it may be more accurate to call it “hippy wine”—one of our panelists likened it to “an essential-oil shop,” when another chimed in, “But the patchouli didn’t get in the way.” Jerome Selection, NY

This wine, made from merlot with a quarter cabernet franc, shows some development half a decade into its life. Savory notes of Earl Grey tea and dried branches have integrated into the jammy black-cherry flavors, suggesting this wine is ready to drink now after decanting. Metropolis Wine Merchants, NY

The cabernet franc in this wine feels underbilled in this merlot-based blend (the franc is only 20 percent, and it also includes 15 percent malbec). On the first day open, it reminded me of pinot noir from a marginal climate in its juicy red fruit and green stemminess. On the second day, though, the franc exerted itself, its graphite spice and red- and black-berry flavors announcing themselves with verve, delivering a nervy light red for a saucy Thai noodle dish. USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA

Made from marselan, with ten percent cabernet franc, this wine smells seductive, a deep well of peppery spice and black earth to fall into. It doesn’t show as much depth on the palate, and while the high-toned spice carries through, it falls into lockstep behind a core of sour plum. Still, this wine’s intense flavors buoyed by cranberry acidity work well within its light frame, and would be a good pairing for “meatier” options from the sea, like grilled octopus. Lone Wolf, Portland, OR

Here’s an honest wine, with a pleasant volatility up front that seems to firm up the blueberry-skin flavors. It’s light-bodied, chillable, and it lasts long enough to work past the volatility and resolve itself on black pepper and blackberry jam. The long finish is charming, with developing flavors convincing of its quality. Steep Hill, Madison, NJ

This red packs a lot of flavor into a rather simple frame—plum pit, hibiscus, black olive, wet earth, orange zest. It could handle a chill in the company of crusty bread and semi-firm cheese. Ian Smith Co., Atlanta, GA

Here's a meaty, decadent and dark wine, initially enrobed in oak. Based on braucol with merlot and cabernet sauvignon, its firm grape-skin tannins take over the finish, focusing the wine on its gamey, bloody spice and brooding black fruit. Baron François, NY

Here's a wine with intense, plum-pit tannins. It has some enticing spice-drawer aromas up front, and lasts on plummy concentration, a day of air helping to bring its fruit flavors forward. Martine's Wines, Novato, CA

This wine’s faint smokiness and caramelized red-pepper profile suggest a pairing straight from the glass—take a bottle to your local BYOB Chinese joint and order all the wok-fried vegetable dishes on the menu. If you have room—or wine—left for more, it’d go well with Cantonese barbecue pork. Wine Traditions, Falls Church, VA

A savory tomato-leaf accent persists alongside a core of red currants, berries and cherries in this wine. Three-parts merlot with one-part tannat, its tannins are burly enough to handle a bolognese. Lionstone Int'l, Lake Forest, IL

The Plaimont co-op has been particularly active in ampelographic preservation, efforts which include propagating a plot of manseng noir from one vine over the last several decades. This variety originated in the Basque country, with some plantings stretching to Galicia (where it is called ferròn). This peppery wine has wild berry flavors and a sour-plum acidity that would make it an ideal match for roasted poultry or hamburgers. Serge Doré Selections, Chappaqua, NY

With just enough lift and verve to pull it away from the slightly cooked flavors, this wine's floral accents are easy to miss—but they last longer than the rest of the wine. It tastes more like syrah than its billing (15 percent, the rest négrette), and would pair nicely with hearty Occitan fare. Williams Corner Wines, Charlottesville, VA

There's plenty of power in this wine’s brown-sugar and blueberry cobbler flavors, while some rosy florals mark the edges. Simple, but attractive, it outperforms its price. Summit Selections, Staten Island, NY

This wine's sweet intensity comes across in its hibiscus-tea and pomegranate-molasses character—for ground beef, perhaps in a taco, or seasoned, Thai-style. Garber & Co., Topanga, CA

This wine induced our panel to nostalgia, with this taster thinking back to console gaming sessions in a dusty basement and another to antique shops and cedar boxes. There's a savor to its dark chocolate and strawberry jelly flavors, to be sure, hopefully one that sends you down your own memory lane. L&G Distributors, Kent, WA

This estate’s journey into organics began with the cessation of chemical weed killers in 1992, and culminated in organic certification in 2012. Cahors GC comes from vines that are more than 50 years old, and its approach is super intense, showing some volatility and a touch of Brettanomyces at first, though the silky blueberry flavors and red-pepper spice talk over it from the start. With old-vine intensity, complexity and a mouthwatering, balancing acidity, this comes across with charm and power, a bit like a kindhearted jock, and an excellent example of what careful farming can do with a warm vintage. Martine's Wines, Novato, CA

Here’s a malbec with plenty of intensity, its flavors sitting comfortably inside its suave, polished frame. The Fournié family farms 64 acres of organically certified vineyards in Cahors; age this wine in 225-liter and 600-liter demi-muids. It’s starting to progress out of its youth, so if you open it now, decant it. There’s an old-world stodginess to its fruit: While completely ripe, it avoids jamminess in its powerful black raspberry flavors. Vintage '59, Washington, DC

This wine cuts an elegant line, perfectly weighted to hold its layers of flavor. There’s fruit, sure—subtly spiced plum leather—and an energetic, well-integrated acidity to boot. But my favorite part of it is a sense of humidity—a misty aspect that seems to recall early-morning dew on a forest walk, green-centered twigs snapping under boot. It is a wine that can conjure a different image each time you return to the glass, and a wine that feels more sure of itself on the second day open, suggesting that time in the cellar would reward the drinker. Cynthia Hurley, West Newton, MA

The Bordeaux merchant Hervé Joyaux Fabre’s route to Cahors took a detour through Argentina, where he founded Fabre-Montmayou in 1992. He invested in three properties in Cahors in 2017, including the Château de Grézels, producing a blend of 70 percent malbec with merlot—a succulent berry medley that spans the spectrum from red to blue to black, the combination of tartness and richness coming across like a sorbet. It’s accessibly structured, with firm grape-skin tannins and a lasting finish faintly marked with soft earth. Misa Imports, Dallas, TX

Here’s a rich wine, the broad wash of its structure smoothed by the 18 months it spent in barriques (one-third new). Despite that, the jammy currant fruit and black-pepper spice come together in a powerful chord that drowns out any winemaking by a long shot. Cahors in a ripe mode—powerful and suave. Global Spirits & Wine, Woodinville, WA

This wine’s high-toned flavors of sour cherry and cherry pit play above a rich texture, starting bright before deepening in the finish. It elegantly conveys its depth and complexity without feeling overbearing or inaccessible. A day of air reveals some darker contours and a wild blueberry zip. Decant it with grilled sausages. Vintage '59, Washington, DC

Perfumed and earthy, with a backbone of acidity energizing jammy blueberry flavors, this wine hits—and holds—a gentle, tasty note. It ferments in French oak (80 percent new), where it ages for two years, translating that barrel time into juicy power rather than overt oak, with a velvet-and-violet slickness that refreshes the finish. Martine's Wines, Novato, CA

This wine feels light, with an open structure, allowing its fraise-des-bois flavors to shine through. It’s a bright little number, with plenty of berry complexity, pale enough for a tuna steak or a tartare. Martine's Wines, Novato, CA

From the young vines at the Baldès family’s estate, this wine spends no time in oak. It reminded me of half-cooked cranberry jam, with the fruit tannins adding some shape around the edges. Not quite serious enough for the big day, this would be a good wine to open with a Pilgrim sandwich cobbled together the day after from holiday leftovers. Cynthia Hurley, West Newton, MA

This hits on malbec's balance of intensity and brightness in its violet-scented sour-cherry-jam flavors. For cured meats, and it could handle a chill. Grape Expectations, Richmond, CA

A creamy texture and chocolate notes cover crunchy plum fruit, though some air focuses the wine on the brightness of that fruit. A simple, pleasant wine for a casual dinner party or the by-the-glass list. Global Spirits & Wine, Woodinville, WA

This wine's jammy fruit has a bit of plum-skin bite to it, a sort of country-pie-whole-fruit richness (look out for Little Jack Horner). It's simple, soft and tasty. Scott Levy Selections, Metairie, LA

A youthful rasp of tannins gets in the way of the rich black- and red-fruit core. This could use some animal fat—perhaps dripping-roasted potatoes or Brussel sprouts and bacon. T. Edward, NY

This wine takes a bit of air to wake up, though its finish doesn't deliver on the intriguing promise of earth, charred meat and blackberry. Make it the first bottle of a dinner party, to enjoy with cheese or charcuterie before sitting down to the table. Cuvée Imports, Buffalo, NY

A touch of Brettanomyces brings some complexity to this wine's bright currant and berry fruit. At first, that bacterial texture dominated the finish, and though it receded with air it didn't quite dissipate. Decant it for offal. HB Wine Merchants, Hartly, DE

Pretty around the edges, the violet-perfumed tannins bring some shape to this plush wine with a whisper of sweetness. Cuvée Imports, Buffalo, NY

Cabernet spice shines through the aromas on this wine (the blend includes twenty percent each of franc and sauvignon, the balance being hallmark tannat). Classic Madiran, a half-decade in the cellar has done little to move the wine, its muscular tannins not ceding their ground just yet. The silky blue- and black-fruit flavors form a tight weave with that tannic strength, lasting with freshness. A Bordeaux drinker in an adventurous mood would be pleased with this detour farther south. Regal Wine, Moorestown, NJ

“Accessible young Madiran,” is what Jamal Rayyis of Palate Savvy called this wine. That might sound like an oxymoron. But here’s a full-bodied wine with bright acidity that shows some depth in the lasting finish—smashed blueberries, turned earth, the works. Pull it out of the fridge for well-marbled beef. Cynthia Hurley, West Newton, MA

This tannat has held its freshness well during its three-year repose, air starting to eat through the wall of tannins. The juice has a wild, brambly aspect that comes through clearly, while the structure is as big and intense as one would expect of this appellation. Serge Doré Selections, Chappaqua, NY

Fifth-generation vine grower Christian Roche inherited a portion of his family’s property in 1984, building a cellar in ’89 to bottle his own wines; he certified his 123 acres of vines in organics in 2012. It's hard to overstate the value proposition of this wine—it excited everyone on our panel before any of us looked at the price. It has the whole package—smoky truffle, ginger syrup, intensity, concentration and enough acidity to bring you back to the glass. Air focuses its aromas on white daisy scents, an undercurrent that makes the wine feel crisp. Focus your attention on a glass—or two—after a big dinner. Winedom, Lewes, DE

This has an interesting floral balance—it tastes like Thai iced tea without the milk, lasting with a waxy quality. It's subtle, and would enhance the flavors of a delicate cheese. Old Creek, Atlanta, GA

The intensity of this sweet wine's simple, golden-grape flavors might mask the complexity hiding behind it—Jeff Harding of the Waverly Inn found a vegetal aspect—“tomato leaf and thistle”—that elevated this wine beyond its humble appellation. There's some orange marmalade richness, as well. Grape Expectations, Richmond, CA