Wine For Normal People - Serge Dore Special - Fall 2024 750 ml

2022 Chateau de Suronde L'Esquisse Anjou Blanc

Château de Suronde’s L'Esquisse Anjou Blanc is a true rarity: a dry white wine from the beating heart of the Quarts de Chaume, the Loire Valley’s sole Grand Cru, one better-known for luscious dessert wines. Top-class, dry Chenin Blanc like this from the Loire Valley is one of France’s single most underappreciated categories. We loved how this wine’s crisp green apple and juicy pear take center stage on both the nose and palate, supported by hints of citrus zest and tropical fruits.

2020 Heritage de Saint-Mont Saint Mont

The dry white wines of France’s Southwest like Saint Mont and Jurançon Sec are a revelation: bracing, unapologetically aromatic and sauvage, they taste like nothing else. That’s why we fell hard for the 2020 Héritage de Saint-Mont Saint Mont. It’s a blend of Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, and Arrufiac, and boasts heady aromas of white flowers, such as jasmine and elderflower, as well as delicate citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit. We had to have this rarity for our Wine for Normal People Club!

2020 Domaine Guegnon Remond Saint-Veran

Surrounded by Pouilly-Fuissé vineyards, the Saint-Véran AOC has long been considered among the greatest values in all of Burgundy. In fact, we learned that Saint-Véran is currently—and justifiably—seeking Premier Cru recognition for some of their vineyards. Based on this bottle, they clearly deserve it.

2019 Alain & Pascal Lorieux Tuffeaux Bourgueil

This marvelously aromatic Bourgueil is the ultimate food wine, and perhaps one of the most criminally under-celebrated red wines in France. With aromas of aromas of ripe red cherries and raspberries, complemented by violet and a touch of tobacco previewing a super-juicy palate built on graceful tannins, it’s a steal for any gourmand looking for a wine to transport them to a rustic country brasserie. Herb-crusted rack of lamb, please.

2021 Ludovic Montginot Cote du Py Morgon Beaujolais

Wineries don’t get more artisan than Ludovic Montginot, a one-man band driven by his passion for the land and biodynamic farming. This former mechanic tends just three hectares—and among them are vines on Morgon’s world-class Côte du Py hillside—some of the most coveted real estate in all of Beaujolais. His 2021 Morgon Côte du Py is an impressively concentrated Gamay, with surprising structure and layers of flavor that will continue to develop and gain stature through 2030.

2020 Domaine Fond Croze Serre de la Garde Cotes du Rhone

Mentored by the late, legendary consulting enologist Philippe Cambie, the Long family of Domaine Fond Croze crafted a sprightly, aromatic, and lively single-vineyard Côtes-du-Rhône from certified organic grapes in 2020. It’s a labor of love from a family with a 100+ year history in viticulture in the Rhône Valley.