Samuel Louis Smith: The Central Coast Winemaker to Watch

When K&L Domestic Buyer Ryan Woodhouse stops a tasting and says "keep an eye on this winemaker," you listen. That was six years ago, and Samuel Louis Smith has been one of our favorite producers ever since. He makes about 1,300 cases a year across Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and cool-climate Syrah from some of the most compelling sites on the Central Coast — all organically farmed, all minimal intervention, all genuinely outstanding. We've visited him in the vineyards, poured his wines at our tent events, and we're re-running our 2019 interview now that new vintages are in stock.

Beyond Sancerre: The Loire’s Next Great Sauvignon Blancs

With its steep hillsides, clay-limestone soils, and legions of passionate devotees, Sancerre remains at the pinnacle of Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire, if not the world. This is the style of Sauvignon Blanc that has set the bar to which all other versions of that animated grape aspire. But hardly to be forgotten are the astonishing wines of its next door neighbor Pouilly-Fumé, where the silex soils lend subtle and engaging aromas of gunflint to the wines.

The Soul of Chinon at Domaine de Pallus

Bertrand's Domaine de Pallus holds prime parcels in Cravant-les-Côteaux, in the heart of what is often called the "golden slope," facing the Vienne River between Chinon and Panzoult. The estate's flagship, Les Pensées de Pallus, represents his vision of classic Chinon, while his limited single-vineyard bottlings each speak to distinct parcels and terroirs. Across the range, Bertrand favors long, gentle extractions and patient aging in neutral Burgundian barrels; it’s a quiet, unhurried approach that lets the land do the talking.

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com