In a story that mimics that of the top grower-producers in Champagne (vs. the Grandes Marques houses), the remarkable quality and distinctive, vinous style of Tesseron’s predominantly XO Cognacs have allowed this artisanal producer to carve out a niche among the giants of Cognac.

This exciting Jura collaboration between Beaune star David Croix and his friend (and local) Damien Courbet is certainly coming to the boil. In today’s email, we offer the pair’s first set of red wines; a Trousseau and a Poulsard from vines sited close to Château-Chalon. We already know how good this project’s whites can be; it will come as little surprise that the reds follow suit. 

By any measure, Philip Togni has led an extraordinary life in wine. Even in his ninth decade, he continues to inspire California’s wine scene. Accolades keep coming. Antoni Galloni noted that, “Many of [Togni’s] recent releases have been positively stellar.” That praise applies not just to the iconic 2021 but also the 2022, a remarkable triumph from a turbulent year for many Napa winegrowers. 
 

When people ask us who they should visit in France to see what is happening at the very cutting edge of quality viticulture, the Bret brothers are always the first names to arise.  

For all its riches, Alto Adige remains one of Italy’s most quietly compelling wine regions. Set amid the sawtooth limestone peaks of South Tyrol, this region’s wine culture has more in common with the neighbouring Austria and Germany than the rest of Italy. 

Organically managed since 2009 and based at the foot of the Côte de Léchet, Domaine Bernard Defaix stands apart in a region still dominated by high yields and conventional farming. The family’s hands-on approach in the vines delivers wines of purity, tension and texture, with an intensity that feels increasingly rare in modern Chablis.