This week at the SAQ #9

Well-known for his precise, terroir-driven Cahors wines, Fabien Jouves has been working at Mas del Périé since 2006 and experimenting with biodynamics since 2011. Here, he offers a white 'vin de soif' (thirst-quencher) that calls for spring celebrations.

A true salad of white grape varieties, this wine is naturally charming with a vibrant nose of wax and white flowers, and a dense, smooth, and long citrus-forward palate. Even though Sauvignon Blanc is predominant, it settles down against the aging, while the Chardonnay, Colombard, Sémillon, and Ugni Blanc burst forth as whole bunches. It’s organic and natural, but above all mature, from a winemaker who doesn't do "approximate" and who, year in, year out, adds a score of vintages to his repertoire.

You'll want to drink this Jouves vintage sparingly once it's released, as we suspect the monopoly wasn't exactly over-excited when hitting the order button…

• Pairing suggestion: Smoked salmon in a potato salad with dill and citrus,
• Trivia: The Cahors appellation does not permit white grape varieties, so these must be renamed Côtes du Lot,
• To better understand white grapes: Our grape-variety apéros, which will resume in September…
• For a Périé evening: Fruity Cahors with Fabien Jouves' Haut Côt de Fruit 2022 for $21 at the SAQ (14071934)

Aligoté is often judged by the negociants who mistreated it in the past. For the younger crowd, we’ll explain that Bichot was to Aligoté what Duboeuf was to Gamay: a saving catastrophe…

For the older crowd, we’ll have no shame in presenting this top-tier Aligoté in an affordable little package. Indeed, this Maréchaux (a plot on the plain of Puligny) comes from old vines on clay soil. With its ten months of aging, it retains a surprising mineral structure and promises a wine that can be cellared for a few years.

A fusion of two estates, one in Meursault and the other in Puligny, this 15-hectare house has known its craft for 7 generations, and you won't be disoriented by the classic finish of shells and lemon found on both the nose and palate. Oh, the nostalgia…

• Pairing suggestion: Lobster with butter worked more thoroughly than a day at the branch...
• Trivia: This plot is newly marketed by the house, which previously produced its Aligoté on 'les petits poiriers,' where the vines have since been replanted,
• To better understand Burgundy: We’re waiting for the next season of our workshop on the subject,
•  Just for fun: If there’s any left at a branch near you, we mentioned it a few pages back: Aligoté de Murat at the SAQ (14263485)

Matunei is a young couple in an old region who are looking to the future while safeguarding the past. Alberto and Carla have a saving outlook on their region by practicing a vast and surprising polyculture. Firewood, olive oil, agricultural training, and—for the pleasure of our taste buds—viti-viniculture.

The result is a wine that goes against the grain due to its blend and presentation. Don't be scared off by the crown cap, the label designed by an Irish tattoo artist, the hearty alcohol level, or the plump sugar content. Beyond the anxiety-inducing factors, you’ll have a vibrant wine in your glass.

Red fruits are omnipresent (due to its Freisa), tannins are supple and supported (mastery of the Nebbiolo), resting on nervous muscles (expression of the Barbera), all resulting from aging in stainless steel before resting for four months in old barriques.

Rustic, but clean and well-groomed. Presentable both at the table and for an aperitif. We'll be stocking up…

• Pairing suggestion: BBQ honey-and-citrus glazed chicken thighs,
• Trivia: The lighthouse on the label is in honor of Frida, the couple's daughter,
• To better understand the classic Piedmont at the cottage this summer: "The Twenty-Three Days of the City of Alba" by Beppe Fenoglio or the better-known "The Horseman on the Roof" by Jean Giono,
• For fun and comparison: From the same producer, their non-vintage Macaïa without the Freisa. Still a few bottles in the network at $27 at the SAQ (15074379)