Pinot Noir & Gamay, Loire Valley, France

Like an overly structured (fave) professor who never has so much as a hair out of line. This legendary Loire estate is everlasting, and brothers Jean-Marie and Thierry Puzelat have always held tradition close, while simultaneously riding the natural wine train all the way to the last, lip-smacking stop. From their comfy perch on a rocking chair of flinty-clay soils, this pinot is one of the most age-able and serious of the bunch. ‘La Caillere’ sees whole cluster, semi-carbonic fermentation to keep the bright spots shining, before aging for 8 months in neutral Burgundy barrels to develop into the ruminating beast it truly is. Bay leaf, cherried cough drop, riding crop, mud splatters, dried cranberry, supple undergrowth & a windbreaker ~ light, but with an important job. Pair with anything in a mushroom sauce and lull yourself into a top notch sleep.