A fresh lively Bordeaux blanc produced from Sauvignon and Semillon, the first vintage of Chateau Cos dEstournel Blanc was made 2005. The grapes are grown north of St. Estèphe, in the Jau-Dignac and Loirac regions. The terroir is a mix of sand, clay, small stones and limestone. The wine is fermented and aged in mostly one-year-old barrels to maintain maximum freshness. Made in small volumes.

Biodynamic. La Moussière is one of the great vineyards of the Loire Valley. Cultivated with incredibly rocky, limestone-rich soils, this gently rolling vineyard lies on the ancient Saint-Doulchard marls, which form a part of the great Kimmeridgian chain (à la Chablis). Coupled with Mellot’s meticulous biodynamic farming and low yields, it’s a terroir responsible for some of Sancerre’s most striking and atypical wines. As usual, 50% of this wine underwent fermentation in huge wooden fermenters and was raised in oak casks—a fact that in no way compromises the fabulous purity and energy on offer. The balance of the wine was fermented and raised in traditional concrete vats before blending. All the wine was aged on fine lees for a period of roughly 12 months, further enhancing the wine’s famously deep and pulpy texture.