Back by popular demand! When you think of Sangiovese (Chianti is made from Sangiovese), you think of brusque, yet soft Italian wines. Well, this wine is soft textured, without the brusqueness. Not a big wine at all, but pleasantly light—more Pinot-like. Noceto is a small boutique winery found in the foothills outside of Sacramento. They are producing some very high-quality wines at very reasonable prices. Supplies are limited, so if you would like to reorder… do it quickly.

Members are loving the Furque, so I was able to obtain more of the Tempranillo (last shipped about a year and half ago). Here is a soulful food wine. It is earthy, a very old-world approach, and with a tad of new-world style thrown in there. Very easy to enjoy.

In 1995, Alberto Furque and his family purchased an old winery and vineyards in an area just south of Mendoza called the Uco Valley. The estate, known as Aconquija, is located in the small town of La Consulta and is being enthusiastically run by Carolina Furque, Alberto’s daughter. They work hard at the highest level to produce these very authentic wines. The Uco Valley is considered the sweet spot in the region of Mendoza. The dry climate has very cool nights, very warm days, and nearly 300 days of sunshine each year. The village of La Consulta and its vineyards average 3,000 feet in elevation. The vines are planted north/south on terraces in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The name Aconquija, which means “snow near the moon,” is named for the Western Hemisphere’s highest snow-covered peak in the Andes Mountains (22,835 ft), just to the north of here. Carolina harvests much later than many other growers in the area, working with an agronomist to be sure that the grapes have achieved physiological ripeness. All hand-harvested, the fruit is de-stemmed and fermentation is temperature-controlled. The wines are aged in insulated concrete tanks. Here are authentic wines without filtration to preserve their intense color and structure.

Domaine Marc Morey is located in the heart of the Côte d’Or, in the center of the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. Although the Morey family name can be traced back for more than five generations in Chassagne, it was in the 1950’s that Marc Morey established this domaine. He constructed the original cellar beneath the family’s 100 year-old home and began vinifying his own wines. His daughter Marie-Jo and her husband Bernard Mollard are the current proprietors. They now own almost 10 hectares of Villages, Premier and Grand Cru vineyards and have twice expanded the domaine and modernized the vinification equipment. Bernard and Marie-Jo’s daughter is studying oenology and has joined her parents to work the estate. The Rully Blanc is simply delicious! —Robert Kacher

Parker, 92 points: “This is a beauty that is limited in production. Made from 90% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre, with two-thirds of it aged in small barrels and the rest in 600-liter demi-muids, the inky/purple 2006 Persia displays creme de cassis and blackberry, and oozes charm and succulence.”

Robert Kacher has worked with Young Sébastien Vincenti for over 15 years now. Bobby first met him while Sébastien worked for André Brunel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The core of this wine is from the 50 acres under vine at Domaine de Fondrèche located in the Ventoux. Sébastien has become a super-star in the Ventoux and is by anyone’s standards the top producer in the appellation. “Persia” is a wine made from 30-40 year-old Syrah vines with a splash of Mourvèdre. The wine is aged completely in barrels, varying from 300 liters to 228 liters. Persia requires 2-3 years aging from its release and can be kept for more than a decade. The wine is inky and displays brawny black fruit and earth with tremendous depth, complexity and length. Only about 800 cases are ever made.

From Kacher: “Fondreche is the reference point for what can be done in the Cotes du Ventoux. This is a source of sensational wines that still sell for incredibly fair prices, and virtually every one of these selections proves that you don’t have to drink luxury-priced Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Napa Cabernets to experience the multiple joys of wine.”

This light and crisp wine is perfect for appetizers, light meats and fish. Made from 100% Cortese grape and all stainless steel, it doesn’t try to be anything other than direct and supportive of salty appetizers. You’ll definitely want to reorder a few bottles of this one. The price is great and it’s handy to have around for you and/or guests.

Pronounced : oaks sur ra
Here’s the perfect pairing to Chef Jay Murray’s Butternut Squash Soup. It has the acid to cut through the body, yet has the body and minerality to support the crab.

Located in the village of Wettolsheim, this small domaine is owned and run by Philippe and Corinne Ehrhart. In the family since 1725, this 21-hectare vineyard produces certified organic wines, a tradition started by Eugène Ehrhart two generations ago. This commitment to promoting and maintaining a diverse eco-system in the vineyards has been continued by François Ehrhart, and now Philippe. The Pinot-Auxerrois grape is considered the finest clone of Pinot Blanc because it is naturally low yielding and smaller size berries which increase the skin to juice ratio. Their vineyard, located at the mouth of the Valley of St. Gregory, is at the top of the slope and bordered by woods. The cool air descending out of the valley combined with the steep, east-facing exposition provides the perfect growing environment for Auxerrois. Philippe presses the fruit immediately after picking to extract the maximum aromatics and retain the bright fruit qualities. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This wine offers up intense scents of apple and peach blossoms, and then in the mouth is round and slightly off-dry, with juicy fresh red apple fruit. Bright and delicious with a long lingering finish, this is a terrific Alsace wine value. —Robert Kacher