2023 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly (France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly)  $35 As thrilling as the 2022 vintage was, this 2023 is fantastic-plus! Powerful aromatics, dark raspberry, violets, hints of ancient earth, wickedly long finish. All in all a smashing success.

2023 Nicole Chanrion Côte de Brouilly (France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly) $22.50 Our second Gamay (also from Kermit Lynch) is a cursious study. Dark, brooding, white pepper spice, bright mineral acidity, and a bargain to boot! Fun fact: Nicole Chanrion took over her family's estate in 1979 and is the president of the Côte de Brouilly appellation.

2022 Domaine Du Terme Vacqueyras (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras)  $25 Vacqueyras is a tremendously overlooked Southern Rhone appellation. Owner/winemaker Anne-Marie Gaudin is tirelessly promoting the regions praises. She is a spitfire of a woman with all the energy of Bia, a Greek goddess personifying raw force, power, and energy. This 2022 is elegant, refined, and well-balanced, showcasing beautifully ripened Grenache with a distinct Syrah backbone. There's great finesse and beauty here.

2022 Régis Bouvier Bourgogne Rouge (France, Burgundy)  $34 A fresh, lively Pinot with elegant raspberry and red currant fruit. Experience the touch and finesse, the Burgundian soul, the pure deliciousness of this unbeatable Pinot bargain from Régis Bouvier. This one's all about charm and comfort.

2021 Capolino Perlingieri Aglianico Sannio Brizio (Italy, Campania, Sannio)  $24 Alexia Capolino Perlingierit has a gift. She has crafted a 100% Aglianico that is not only approachable now, but endearing.  A complex red here with notes of black plum, leather, Mediterranean herbs, perhaps the faintest hint of licorice. A combination of black fruit and fine tea-like tannins in the mouth, with a savory edge and lengthy finish. This is our new go-to wine with pizza.

2020 Buil & Giné Priorat Giné Giné (Spain, Catalunya, Priorat)  $26.50 There's aromatic intensity here. So what surprised us was it's elegance and deft balance. This is not a big jammy red from Priorat but rather a tender, full-bodied delight. In the hands of Xavi Buil Giné this Grenache and Carignan blend takes on new dimensions.  Red berries, pomegranate, cherry, with undertones of aromatic herbs and a beautiful pepper spice. Emerging a bit later with many more swirls:  wild strawberry, dark cherry, red licorice and a touch of loamy earth. A Priorat treasure at a very fair price. ___________________________________________________

2022 Filipa Pato Bairrada Nossa Calcario Tinto (Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada)  $48 We love the wines from Filipa Pato, characterized by poise, elegance, charm. We've given her the nickname, "Queen of Baga", the most underrated red grape in Portugal. For this wine she has sourced Baga vines that are 100-140 years old! (planted on Jurassic limestone soils with clay and marl only 15 kilometers from the ocean if you must know). While the wine clocks in at a mere 12.5% it packs a wallop; not in terms of density but scope and magnitude. Lot's of elegant red berry fruit with dimensional spice, harmonious acidity, and a lingering impressive finish. ___________________________________________________

That we have no answer to, but the author, Lettie Teague, highlighted one of our favorite wines from Gavi: La Ghibellina. Her notes were much like ours: Chablis-like, beautiful citrus, subtle herbal notes, zesty finish, food friend to boot. In fact this wine is picnic-perfect for the upcoming, very warm weekend. In our books this is a Don't Miss.