June 2026
Clos de gamot
Le Gamotin 2022
Côt (Malbec)
Cahors, France
The Jouffreau family started Clos de Gamot in the 1880s, but their history in the region extends well beyond that. There are records of the Jouffreau family as early as 1290 in the Prayssac region of France, about 18 miles west of Cahors where this wine was made. Many people associate Malbec with Mendoza, Argentina, and for good reason. While Mendoza grows about 75% of the world’s Malbec, the grape originated in Cahors in the 16th century, so winemakers in this area have had a little bit of time to learn how to coax nuance, complexity, and deliciousness from the grape. The Jouffreau family history of winemaking dates back to the 1450s, and the Clos de Gamot domaine was founded in 1610, meaning that 400 years+ of knowledge went into this bottle of wine. In the 1880s, when Phylloxera was ravaging the wine world, Guillaume Jouffreau grafted the last remaining shoots onto an American rootstock, and the vines survived. Those same vines are being used today.
If you’re looking to get into French wines, let us welcome you, and this is a great bottle to start with. Persistent notes of violet flowers wrapped in dark berries. Firm and grippy tannins carry this wine through the whole experience for a pleasant finish, and a desire to have more after the bottle is gone. If Washington wine is your thing, we’re excited to hear what you think of this one, as we think it’s a great segue into the French style of wine.
Pairing: Sesame-Glazed Duck Legs with Spicy Persimmon Salad
Fun fact: The vines used to make wine at this estate are some of the oldest in France.
Tement
Kalk & Kreide 2024
Sauvignon Blanc
Südsteiermark, Austria
Sauvignon Blanc has permeated the wine world so completely that it is grown in every major wine-producing country in the world. We would hazard a guess that you have not tried Sauvignon Blanc from Austria, and we are excited for you to try this one.
The ethos of Tement is to embrace the unknown and the discoveries that lie ahead. Their website says it best: “Those who merely continue what their ancestors did, without questioning, stay spellbound without the chance to ever see something with their own eyes.” We couldn’t agree more, and we love how this philosophy guides their winemaking.
This wine is Tement’s flagship wine. There’s bracing acidity that pushes the wine through, exploring flavors of bright citrus and kiwi, green herbs, salinity, and so much more through the finish. After it’s finished fermenting, they let the spent yeast cells stay in contact with the wine to take away some of the bite and sharp edges. We love this winemaking decision, as it softens the wine and keeps it from leaning overly rigit or lean. This wine is refreshing yet thoughtful. It’s easy to wax poetic about, and we’re excited for the discoveries you will find when drinking this wine.
Pairing: Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart
Fun fact: This estate is built into a 20-million-year-old fossilized coral reef.
Livio Felluga
Sauvignon 2023
Sauvignon Blanc
Collio, Italy
We have been playing around lately with sharing two wines in the same box of the same grape. Terroir is a concept that we are completely obsessed with, and tasting wines of the same grape side by side is the best way to explore terroir. This month, we’re doing a fun experiment by featuring two Sauvignon Blancs, allowing us to recognize the qualities that the grape itself expresses while noticing the differences of place in each wine.
This Sauvignon Blanc is made by Livio Felluga, a second-generation winemaker based out of the Collio region of northeastern Italy. Just like the Tement Sauvignon Blanc, we have a feeling you likely haven’t had an Italian Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauvignon Blancs from this region tend to lean rich, and are absolutely delicious. They are usually a bit rounder on the palate than a New Zealand style, and can have more non-fruit characteristics.
This wine goes a bit more tropical and floral than the Austrian one, while maintaining acidity and freshness. A whisper of skin contact adds extra layers of flavor and complexity. This subtlety is a great example of this producer’s winemaking expertise. We can’t wait for you to try this wine, especially on one of these early summer sunny days. Patio season is here!
Pairing: Slow Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos
Fun fact: The original winemaker and namesake, Livio Felluga, lived to be 102.