2010 Eugène Carrel, Gamay, Vin de Savoie-Jongieux, Cuvée Prestige, Vieilles Vignes, Savoie, France ... 14.99/160.00
Carrel’s 2010 Gamay, from vines averaging forty years, comes across as a sensational fusion of fresh cru Beaujolais fruit and the glacial limestone mineral signature that graces the finest of Savoie’s wines. A bright ruby robe leads to aromas of freshly crushed pie cherries, red raspberries and limestone dust. Vibrant the instant it hits your palate, the Gamay alternates waves of succulent cherry fruit, limestone minerality and bristling acidity. Nervy, sinewy and yet completely satisfying, Carrel’s Jongieux finishes refreshingly tannic and brimming with energy. Choose this as your versatile winter red with all sorts of poultry and game birds. It will also pair nicely with light beef and pork dishes, as well as pastas dressed in rich cream sauces. Drink now and over the next three years. Fabulous wine!

2009 Domaine des Forges (Vignoble Branchereau), L’Audace, Anjou, Loire Valley, France ... 12.99/139.00
Following our customers’ accolades for Domaine des Forges’ sensational Chardonnay, we’re delighted to present the domaine’s dry Chenin Blanc from vines around the village of Saint Aubin de Luigné. Like the brilliant Chardonnay, this wine is infused with the inimitable schistose terroir of the Anjou. Also like the Chardonnay, the Chenin here acts merely as a conduit through which the Anjou’s great terroir speaks. Limpid lemon-gold in the glass, the l’Audace casts smoky, soil-driven aromas of pear, quince and Crenshaw melon. Full and plump on the palate, the wine’s buttery Chenin fruit is lifted and amplified by riveting acidity and undercurrents of terroir. Long, lingering and complex, the wine finishes with further suggestions of tangerine, pear butter and green tea. A terrific accompaniment to fish dishes in beurre blanc, plump, buttery, not-to-saline raw oysters, light veal and pork recipes, and savory winter squash preparations.

2010 Fattoria Laila, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marches, Italy ... 8.99/96.00
Verdicchio is central Italy’s most distinctive white varietal and one of our perennial favorites. Fattoria Laila lies in the rolling hills of Italy’s Marches region overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Thanks to dense plantings, reduced yields and careful viticulture, Fattoria Laila’s 2010 Verdicchio captures vividly the smoky, herbal and mineral facets of this most complex and under-appreciated grape. Laila’s 2010 Verdicchio casts a green-tinged lemon gold color from the glass and complex aromas of lemon curd, honeydew melon and smoky minerals. On the palate, the Verdicchio’s bracing acidity lifts and heightens suggestions of Comice pear, green melon and papaya infused by an undercurrent of smoky minerals. Hints of lime zest, breadfruit and smoky peat emerge on the wine’s long juicy, mineral-laden finish. Serve this classic, affordable white wine now or over the coming year with light pork preparations, freshwater fish dishes, grilled squashes, fresh cheeses and frittatas featuring onions, potatoes and zucchini.