French Values
by Jane Augustine
2022 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
France | Loire
Thierry Boucard is the seventh generation in his family making wine in Bourgueil, and reminders of his ancestors are everywhere. For starters, his tasting room is built in his grandfather’s old cellar, and fermentation for all red wines takes place in giant oak vats that are at least 125 years old, in which a century’s worth of harvesters have been doing pigeage the traditional way: by foot. After bottling, wines live in champignonnières—an underground labyrinth of perfectly humid tuffeau caves where locals used to grow mushrooms. Rich in heritage, Alouettes harkens to a different era: it’s pleasantly tannic and chalky, with sleek notes of licorice, cranberry, and prickly instances of cracked black pepper.
2023 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
When strangers learn I work for Kermit Lynch, many reveal they have a reliable hack for browsing their local wine shops: turn the bottle around, and if it has our back label, they know to trust it. With our “Selected by” line of wines, no flipping is required; the guarantee is written on the front! We partnered with the Leydier family (who also makes the beloved wines at Domaine de Durban) to dream up our most quintessentially southern Rhône country red. Black olive, fresh fig, and rosemary abound in this easy-to-love, soulful quaffer and perennial bargain.
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
France | Loire
Sur lie, as mentioned on Brégeon’s appropriately golden label, means Fred Lailler’s crystalline Muscadet keeps contact on a bed of inactive yeast as it matures, undisturbed, in underground cuves. This practice lends a hint of richness in the form of volume and character, plus a subtle ray of warmth, to an otherwise bracingly mineral white. Classic Muscadet aromas endure, especially in a vintage like 2023, but there’s a complexity here that’s uncommon for an appellation known for its simple oyster wines. This one could do much more at table than wash away a few bivalves.