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 extends well beyond that. There are records of the Jouffreau family dating back as early as 1290 in the Prayssac region of France. Prayssac lies about 18 miles west of Cahors, which is where this wine comes from. Many people associate malbec with Mendoza, Argentina, and for good reason. Mendoza grows about 75% of the world’s malbec. While they make delicious wines, it’s not the region whence it came. Malbec originated in Cahors in the 16th century, meaning this area has had a little bit of time to find out how to coax out nuance, complexity, and deliciousness from the grape. The Jouffreau family history of winemaking dates back to the 1450s, but the Clos de Gamot domaine dates back to 1610, meaning there’s a mere 400 years and some change of knowledge going 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. These same vines are being used to this day.

If you’re trying to get into French wines, let us welcome you, as this is a great bottle to start to familiarize yourself with France. Persistent notes of violet flowers wrapped in dark berries dot the palate. 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. Drink up, and enjoy.

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 strongly that every major wine producing country in the world grows it to some extent. We would hazard a guess that you might not have ever tried sauvignon blanc from Austria. Well, we are excited for you to try it, as we truly believe this bottle of wine to be world class. 

Tement is a winery that embraces 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.” Chills. It almost sounds like a motivational quote rather than a website about wine. However, it fits perfectly for us because wine is a major motivator of ours.

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 dead yeast cells stay in contact with the wine to take away some of the bite and sharp edges. It was a calculated move that we support because otherwise it might have been too rigid and lean. This wine is refreshing yet still commands respect. 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

A trend that’s been occurring more often in our wine club selections lately is having two wines of the same grape. Terroir is a concept that we are completely infatuated with, and tasting wines of the same grape side by side is the best way to see how terroir is expressed. This month, we’re doing a little terroir expression exhibit by featuring two sauvignon blancs. Recognizing the qualities that the grape itself expresses, while noticing the differences of place, is a fun experiment.

This sauvignon blanc is made by Livio Felluga, a producer now on the second generation of winemakers who is based out of the Collio region of northeastern Italy. Just like the Tement sauvignon blanc, we have a feeling you haven’t heard of a sauvignon blanc from Italy. The sauvignon blancs that come from this region tend to lean more rich and are delicious. They are usually a bit more round on the palate than a New Zealand style, and can have more non-fruit characteristics. 

This wine leans a bit more tropical and floral than the last while still maintaining acidity and freshness. An ever-so-small amount of skin contact adds extra layers of flavor and complexity to this wine. If we hadn’t told you there was a small amount of skin contact, we bet you would have never guessed. It’s a great example of the winemaking prowess this producer displays. We can’t wait for you to try this wine, especially as the weather starts to warm up. Cheers, friends!

Pairing: Slow Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos

Fun fact: The original wine maker, Livio Felluga himself, lived to be 102 years old.