This Saturday we’re pouring some wines from the sunny French countryside that fit perfectly with our lingering summer.  The wines are fresh and expansive and are quite suitable to the other seasons as well.  Come have a taste. 

2012 Joseph Drouhin, Macon Villages  $12
Chardonnay
Joseph Drouhin is so renowned for their Cru Burgundies that it is easy to forget that they make some delicious everyday wines as well.  The Macon Village is lightly floral and fruity.  “Very straightforward and direct on the palate, as if biting into a grape. Fresh and light, with a very pleasant aftertaste”.

2012 D’or et de Gueules Les Cimels Rosé $13 
34% Cinsaut, 33% Grenache, 33% Mourvedre
From the South of France, the Les Cimels is a dry and elegantly full blend with flavors of strawberry, mineral, and sweet herbs.  It is complex enough to drink year round.

2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Villages  $12
Gamay
A truly convivial wine, with great charm, owing to the careful blending of various terroirs. The nose is both refined and intense, with notes of violet, peony and red fruit syrup. As you drink it, it feels fresh and silky. Both freshness and fruit remain for quite a long time on the palate”.

2010 Domaine de Piaugier, Sablet $15
75% Grenache, 25% Syrah 
Domaine de Piaugier is located in the village of Sablet, in the southern Rhône valley. Jean-Marc Autran, whose father and grandfather before him were wine growers, and his wife, Sophie, cultivate 30 hectares of vines. The wine has lots of dark fruit, notes of smoked meats and herbs and a good tannic finish.

2009 Lyonnat Lussac Saint-Emilion $24
85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. 
A long standing family estate in this satellite of St. Emillion Lyonnat is a classic right bank Bordeaux.  It has a nose of spice cake, licorice and red fruit.  The palate is powerful and smooth, with very elegant and blended tannins.