2016 Love White, Berkeley, CA ~ $19.99 Chris Brockway, a minimalist, produces the most natural wines he can. His wines are organically produced and vinified with no inoculated yeast or bacteria.  Grapes are sourced only from sustainably, organically, or biodynamically-farmed California vineyards. Grapes are pitchforked whole-cluster into the fermenters, and fermentation is allowed to happen spontaneously in a blend of old wood barrels, steel tanks, and concrete. All wines are basket pressed with little/no sulphur used until bottling.  Chis Brockway, the winemaker states "The fruit is allowed to bare its true soul." Well then.  Located 35 miles south of Yosemite National Park in Madera County at 1,350 feet elevation, its not your "normal" Central Valley vineyard. The soils are made up of granitic schist and farmed organically. The vineyard is minimally farmed.For the whites and reds we keep a good amount of leaves on the vines to protect against the heat.  Unfined and unfiltered, this blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier has aromas of peach and melon. On the palate, it's very fresh with baked peach and pear, melon, spice, orange rind and a hint of minerality. Love this white. You will too!   2015 Calnite, Saint-Pourcain, Auvergne, France  ~ $16.99 The Laurent's claim to be the oldest wine producer in the region and can trace their ancestors back to 1715. The Laurent's were the first in the region to move back to fermenting and ageing some of their wines in barrel, Burgundian style, in 1987, and have a long standing relationship with the tonnellerie Damy in Meursault. The ripe and exotic Calnite is 70% Chardonnay, 25% Tressallier and 5% Sauvignon Blanc which are all grown on granite and limestone. The nose is fairly intense with aromas of lemon, golden apples, white flowers, melon and brioche.  On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with great acidity. There are flavors of white pear, golden apple, green melon and a touch of lemony citrus leading to a clean, stony mineral finish.  There was a lot of mouth-watering acidity, but the flavor profile is pretty broad.  2015 Clos Cibonne, Tibouren, Provence, France  ~ $29.99 Crafted entirely of the rare native varietal Tibouren, this is a dry, savory rosé that ages for a year in large casks prior to release. A gorgeous nose of dried red fruit, orange peel and flowering herbs leads to a subtle but mouth-filling palate of spice and minerals, sweeping you away on a cool Mediterranean breeze. This Cibonne is a wine for food... tuna tartare, scallops with a leek cream, duck a l'orange...what would Julia do?   2014 Arnoux, Savigny-les -Beaune, Burgundy, France ~ $34.99 Pascal Arnoux is the fourth generation to farm his family vineyards in Burgundy. After completing his formal studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune and working for several years with his uncles, Pascal formally took charge of the domaine in 2007. While the cellars are based in the village of Chorey-lès-Beaune, the domaine vineyards encompass 50 acres covering the appellations of Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Beaune and Corton. All of the vineyards are farmed sustainably, with an eye towards preserving the land for future generations. In the cellar all of the fruit is de-stemmed, and oak treatment, while utilized, is always employed judiciously. The results are a range of classically styled wines that admirably reflect the unique characteristics of their provenance.  The soil is gravel, interspersed with ferruginous oolite. I know you probably don't care all that much about the soils, but come on...How often do I get to write 'ferruginous oolite'? Classic, varietally correct Pinot Noir in essence, the 2014 Savigny les Beaune is a magnificent offering for Pinot fans everywhere. A core of bright red raspberries and cherries is layered with loam, mushroom, and tea leaves, handily expressing this varietal's potential - for a fraction of the price of most Burgundy this quality.  2015 Mas de Libian, Khayyam, Rhone, France ~$22.99 In the old days, Mas de Libian was a noble household, used predominately as a hunting lodge. In 1670 the Thibon family acquired the property. In 1970, exactly three hundred years later, Jean-Pierre Thibon took up management of the domain and put in a wine making cellar. The cellar was built with the aid of friend Jean-Pierre de Monmollin, a collaboration that produced the name Caves des Deux Jean-Pierre, which can still be found stamped on the domain's corks. Jean-Pierre Thibon and his wife bore three daughters, all of whom work in wine. In 1995 he created the company Mas de Libian, Libian being the name of the neighborhood.  The majority of the Thibon vineyards grow high on top of an ancient river terrace-the same terroir as much of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its galets roulets, or rounded stones, clay, and sand. This terrace rises up steeply behind the domain. Effectively, it's a giant gravel mound, washed up into a terrace by glacial torrents a bygone era ago. Vines love the drainage given by gravel and the depths offered to roots. The second distinguishing fact is the weather: it's warm, and protected from much of the cool, ripening-retarding winds that whip along the Alpine foothills across the river. These days the domain is certified biodynamic in its farming. This is simply an extension of the practices of the family over generations, for pesticides and herbicides have never been used at Libian. "Wine," says Hélène, "is made from grapes, not wood." Named in honor of the 11th century Persian poet and mathematician, this grenache, syrah, mourvedre blend, this is our most oriental wine, the spiciest, the warmest of all the wines we produce.  It is thus strongly suggested that you invite this cuvée to your table during the cold winter; it will take care of warming everyone back up. Take your time; you can leave it to meditate in your cellar for a few years. For the more impatient, make sure not to push the wine too much: Kayyâm is a poet, he will need a bit of time to open up (the use of a carafe 1-2 hours before the meal is an excellent way to do this). Let time pour slowly like wine; life is sweet.    ____________________________________                Savour Schedule of Events: September   SATURDAY TASTINGS Complimentary   Christopher Hoffman with Oz Wines, October 14, 2017 2 ~ 5 pm Upcoming Wine Dinners $75.00 - all inclusive (Food, wine, tax, gratuity)   Chef Matt Beach is coming back to cook this one! NEW ENGLAND HARVEST Sunday, November 5, 6 PM cranberry, Jerusalem artichoke & hazelnut salad roast loin of lamb swiss chard & leek gratin, roasted vegetables Kathleen's New England multi-grain sourdough bread hazelnut mousse ITALIAN CHRISTMAS IN GLOUCESTER Sunday, December 3, 6 PM antipasto, potato & leek focaccia radicchio, endive salad, truffled pecorino vincigrassi (lasagne from the Marche) ginger lemon tiramisu RESERVATIONS NECESSARY       5-part Wine Series "Become a Wine Expert" $225.00 per person $195.00 if paid in advance   Begining Tuesday, October 3 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. "Elements of Taste" sold out!  Next series starts April 4