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1.  Bonnet-Huteau Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee La Levraudiere 2009, List Price $10.99, Sale $9.34 – Muscadet, Loire, France – 100% Melon de Bourgogne – 12% abv – Sustainable - Light, bright straw. Dusty minerals, quince and lemon zest on the nose, with a hint of white flowers adding complexity. Dry, sharply focused citrus and mineral flavors show a weightier aspect in the mid-palate and pick up a hint of musky herbs with air. Finishes clean and brisk. – International Wine Cellar

2.  Domaine Richard Leroy Anjou Blanc Le Clos des Rouliers 2007, List Price $26.99, Sale $17.99 – Anjou, Loire, France – 100% Chenin Blanc – 12.5% abv – Organic - Pale Gold. Lemon curd, dried pear, melon and vanilla bean on the nose. Fairly bright and lush and creamy, offering gently sweet and weighty citrus and pit fruit flavors and bracing saline notes. Pliant and broad on the finish, which repeats the lemon and pear notes and lingers with very good spicy intensity. – Rated 90 points, International Wine Cellar

3.  Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Rose Terre de Maimbray 2010, List Price $21.99, Sale $18.69 – Sancerre, Loire, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv – Organic - Offers juicy strawberry and mixed red fruit aromas, with a hint of yellow peach. Dry and refreshing.

4.  Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Rouge 2008, List Price $24.99, Sale $21.24 – Bue, Loire, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv - Sustainable - This Pinot Noir is planted in different parcels all situated in the commune of Bue. The roots of the vines draw from two particular terroirs to imbue the wine with its unique characteristics: “Les Caillottes,” predominantly limestone, brings finess and fruits notes. “Les Marnes,” deeper and with more clay, gives the wine structure and excellent potential as a “vin de garde.” Morin’s manner of working the soil and natural weed-control enhances the effect of the two soils, particularly through their harvesting entirely by hand.

5.  Yannick Amirault, Pavillon du Grand Clos, St.-Nicolas de Bourgueil Les Malgagnes 2006, List Price $31.99, Sale $25.99 – St.-Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc – 13.5% abv – Organic -  Produced from vines planted originally in 1936, with portions of the vineyard replanted in 1973 and 1994. Vinified in wooden vats and then aged in once-used oak demi-muids. Only 583 cases produced. With vibrant flavors of plum, cassis and black berry, tinged by coffee and bittersweet chocolate, and notes of game, minerals and olive, held together by bright acidity.

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The Loire is a region of diversity, both in terms of landscape, and varietal. This week, and again next, we will explore the length of the Loire Valley, sampling outstanding wines, different producers, and contrasting styles and tastes.

Domaine de Beauregard Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 2009, List Price $11.99, Sale $9.99 – Muscadet, Loire, France – 100% Melon de Bourgogne – 12% abv – Sustainable - Laurent Gregoire’s 2009 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie from Domaine de Beauregard (a name that only figures on a neck label, but then, his own is even more hidden-away) delivers the sort of soft, generous satisfaction that was to be derived from his 2005. Suggestions of Persian melon, nut oils, and grapefruit are tinged with salt and herbs, and there is ample juicy refreshment in a finish with alkaline and saline accents. Enjoy it over the coming year. – The Wine Advocate

Domaine Serge Dagueneau et Filles Pouilly-Fumé Les Pentes 2009, List Price $24.99, Sale $19.99 – Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – Organic - Stylish, with straw and lemon curd notes carried by very fresh acidity. The long finish has nice precision, leaving a lingering verbena note. Drink now through 2012. 500 cases imported. – Rated 90 points, Wine Spectator

Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Vieilles Vignes Les Angeslots 2006, List Price $34.99, Sale $29.99 – Sancerre, Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 13.5% abv – Organic - Offers a hint of paraffin, along with honeysuckle, lemon verbena and shortbread notes that all linger gently on the elegant finish. Drink now. 75 cases imported. – Wine Spectator

La Source du Ruault Saumur Champigny 2008, List Price $18.99, Sale $15.99 – Saumur Champigny, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc – 12.5% abv – Biodynamic - Fresh, with a brisk edge to the black cherry, tobacco leaf and iron hints. Slightly crisp finish. Drink now. 200 cases imported. – Wine Spectator

Yannick Amirault Pavillon du Grand Clos Bourgueil Le Grand Clos 2007, List Price $27.99, Sale $23.99 – Bourgueil, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc – 12.5% abv – Organic - Still fresh, despite the mature hints of tea and cedar around the edges. A lively core of mulled red and black cherry fruit is backed by tobacco and olive hints, with a lovely, perfume- and mineral-filled finish. Drink now. 25 cases imported. – Rated 90 points, Wine Spectator; 90 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Yannick Amirault Pavillon du Grand Clos Bourguiel Les Quartiers 2008, List Price $28.99, Sale $24.99 – Bourgueil, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc – 13% abv – Organic - This has just started to soften, as an alluring black tea edge moves in on the core of damson plum, raspberry and black cherry flavors. Long and suave on the finish, offering perfumy spice, incense and sweet tobacco notes. Drink now through 2014. 50 cases imported. – Rated 91 points, Wine Spectator

We’re featuring six of these wines this week at the shop, with special pricing. And join us this Saturday, July 17th, at Weygandt Wines from 1PM until 4PM as we host a tasting where you can try them all before you buy! The Lineup:

Domaine Alary La Grange Daniel Blanc 2009, Regular Price $14.99, Sale Price $11.99 – Rhone, France – 100% Roussanne – 14% abv – Sustainable - Honeysuckle, rose petal, and apricot notes emerge from this tank-fermented and aged white. It exhibits surprising body and flavor intensity along with beautiful richness and length. I wouldn’t age it beyond a year, but it is ideal for current drinking with intensely flavored shellfish and poultry dishes.

Domaine Albert Mann Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes 2009, Regular Price $19.99, Sale Price $15.99 – Alsace, France – 100% Auxerrois – 13% abv – Biodynamic - Pale color. Fresh, pure nose offers peach and flowers. Juicy, fresh and moderately dense, in a rather sweet style for Auxerrois at nine grams of residual sugar. Turns a bit dry and peppery on the end.

Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Chene Marchand 2008, Regular Price $28.99, Sale Price, $22.99 – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 13% abv – Sustainable - A gorgeous nose and subtly oily, lush, yet ultra-bright palate are dominated by hedge flowers, fresh orange, lime, and grapefruit. Chalk, iodine, and salt seem to cling indelibly even as this sensationally concentrated and supremely elegant Sancerre invigorates and refreshes. Here is that perfect paradox one encounters with Sauvignon: its most sublime manifestations are farthest from typicity, and those seeking gooseberry, passion fruit, or cassis will be disappointed by what they find here.

Domaine Servin Chablis Vieilles Vignes Selection Massale, Regular Price $25.99, Sale Price $19.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Chardonnay – 12.5% abv – Sustainable - (50% tank and 50% older barrels) Bright yellow. Less fruity than the Pargues on the nose, showing a menthol element. Dense, ripe and minerally, with excellent lemony cut and serious acidity. Finishes with noteworthy persistence, and the structure to age. These 2008s have 4.7 to 4.8 grams per liter of acidity, according to Francois Servin. Rate 89 points, The International Wine Cellar

Chateau de La Bonneliere Chinon Rive Gauche 2009, Regular Price $14.99, Sale Price $11.99 – Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc – 12.5% abv – Organic - Brimming with tart but ripe cherry and blackberry tinged with baking spices and toasted nuts. Succulent and sappy on the palate, it finishes with bright black fruits and pungent spice and pepper. This would make an excellent, highly affordable introduction to Loire Cabernet Franc as well as a versatile tablemate over the next 12-18 months.

Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Rouge Terre de Maimbray 2008, Regular Price $28.99, Sale Price $22.99 – Loire, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 12.5% abv – Organic - This juicy offering boasts bitter-edged, black pepper-, salt- and cinnamon-tinged mulberry and cassis on an elegant palate and strikingly long finish. The effect of older barrels seems to detract marginally from the purity of fruit, and I would in any case plan to enjoy this over the next 12-18 months.

FireFly Farms formed when a small group of friends decided to join forces and enter the world of domestic goat cheese making. Since its inception in 2002, FireFly Farms artisan goat’s milk cheeses have received 28 individual national and international awards for excellence.

FireFly Farms is dedicated to the art of cheese making. FireFly Farms artisanal goat cheeses are made according to time-honored tradition – they are produced and ripened with handmade care. We take special care to ensure the purity, quality, and clean flavor of our milk. Our aged cheeses are ripened in a specially constructed aging room – we shun short cuts and artificial techniques aimed at increasing yield or shelf life at the expense of taste and quality.

At FireFly Farms, we believe in the interdependence of people with one another and with our environment, and we are committed to caring for the land and protecting biodiversity for today’s communities and future generations. – Firefly Farms

The lineup of wines is as follows:

Caves Plouzeau Chinon Bonneliere Les Devants Touraine  Sauvignon Blanc 2008, $15.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – From chalky, flinty soils along the Cher, Marc Plouzeau has crafted a 2008 Touraine Sauvignon redolent of white peach and passion fruit; lean and quite dense; but finishing with refreshing juiciness, a saline tang, and hints of cherry pit and pistachio. Enjoy it over the next 6-9 months. – WA 87 points

Domaine Villalin Quincy Silex 2007, $19.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – As proprietors Jean-Jacques Smith and his wife Maryline tell it, they are the only growers in their appellation to harvest entirely by hand, and the parcel in which their 2007 Quincy Cuvee Silex originates was already planted a dozen centuries ago. Certainly on the strength of this wine Domaine Villalin can be added to the short list of those that make Quincy worth of the attention of value-hunters and Sauvignon-hounds, and their label’s depiction of donkey and dudelsack (which Smith raises and plays, respectively) is unforgettable. Flowers and crushed stone in the nose mingle with gooseberry, white currant, and lime on a sappy, refreshing, and strikingly saline palate. Hints of toasted almond, caraway, and nettle add to the whiplash and salt wash of a finish in this impressive even though not terribly ripe Sauvignon, which will prove highly invigorating and versatile over the coming year. – WA 89 points

Domaine Serge Dagueneau et Filles Pouilly-Fume Les Pentes 2007, $26.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – Soft, with floral and lemon curd notes and a gentle finish that verges on blowsy. Drink now. 500 cases imported.

Gerard et Pierre Morin Sancerre Vieilles Vignes 2007, $24.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 13% abv – Bracing, with flint and chive flower notes that stay taut through the slightly lean finish. Good length. Drink now. 400 cases imported. – WS 87 points

Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Les Coutes 2008, $22.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 13% abv – On the strength of their 2008 Sancerre Les Coutes Nicolas Reverdy’s widow Sophie and son Pascal are not letting family tragedy or challenging weather interfere with rendering exceptional examples of their appellation. Grapefruit, lime, mint, sage, wood smoke, and crushed stone in the nose lead to a palate of exuberant brightness, delicacy (at 12.6% – natural – alcohol), yet oily richness, and boasting a depth of chalk, salt, iodine, and shellfish-like nuances that simply has to be tasted to be believed. If you don’t want to be left with a mouthful of mineral flavors you can’t wash out, then stay clear of this wine (and leave it for the rest of us)! Like other recent Reverdy bottlings done for the United States, this was neither cold-stabilized nor filtered. You can count on its being worth following for at least the next 3-4 years. – WA 92 points

Domaine Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Neore 2008, $65.99/btl – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 13.5% abv – RMP [Robert M. Parker, Jr.] wanted to add that this summer he has drunk a full case of the 2005 Sancerre Clos la Neore, which he consistently rated between 92 and 94. The wine represents pure liquid minerals! – David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

And the lineup of Firefly Farms Goat’s Milk Cheeses:

Allegheny Chevre – Allegheny Chevre is our fresh, un-ripened goat’s milk cheese. It is a traditional chevre, crumbly in texture with a clean and tangy flavor. It’s a versatile ingredient in everyday cooking or finer cuisines. Crumbled on a salad, spread on sandwich, used in pasta dishes, or blended with spices for use as a spread, it is a perfect creamy addition to your meal.

Aging Notes
Allegheny Chevre is not aged. It generally takes us 3-4 days to make and package this fresh chevre and it is not uncommon to have it in the market within a week’s time. This is FireFly Farms most popular cheese, largely because there are so many uses for it in the kitchen. Like all cheese, it is best brought to room temperature before serving or using in a recipe.

Serving, Wrapping and Cooking
Allegheny Chevre is FireFly Farms most popular cheese, largely because there are so many uses for it in the kitchen. Like all cheese, it is best brought to room temperature before serving or using in a recipe.

We use the Allegheny Chevre as a healthier substitute for cream cheese, or used as a goat’s milk alternative for cheeses like ricotta. We’ve used it cooked in cheesecakes and lasagna, or crumbled on salads, pizzas, and crostini. Hint: If using in heated applications like pizza, add the crumbled chevre when the pizza is removed from the oven, not before. The heat of the oven will liquify this delicate fresh cheese; the heat of your cooling pizza will make it perfectly creamy. Plain or seasoned, it can spread on sandwiches, bagels or breads.

Once you have removed the originally wrapping of your Allegheny Chevre log, you can re-wrap in fresh plastic or put in a plastic containter or even a butter dish. Our chevres can be frozed beautifully. We have done freezer tests on whole and half logs of Allegheny Chevre for up to 4-weeks. Once removed from the freezer, allow the chevre to thaw for 24-hours in the refrigerator. Thawing faster on the counter is not recommended as it will cause water loss in the cheese and change its texture.

Ingredients
Pasteurized goat milk
Bacterials starter cultures (gluten-free)
Vegetable rennet
Salt

Bûche Noire – Bûche Noire is French for “black log.” It is a sophisticated, aged chevre log, first coated in vegetable ash and then aged for several weeks to develop a white-bloomed rind. The result is delicious. A rapidly maturing flavor and texture certain to please the most discerning of palates. The ashed rind is completely edible at any stage of the cheese’s ripening. In fact, the cheese’s fullest flavor is concentrated in its rind.

Awards and Honors
World Cheese Awards – 2006 Silver Medalist
American Dairy Goat Association Cheese Competition – 2006 Third Place
American Cheese Society, Cheese Judging – 2006 Third Place

Aging Notes
Weeks 1-3
Bûche Noire is considered a soft-ripened chevre. It develops its white-bloomed rind within a week’s time in our aging room. We wrap the young Bûche Noires at 2-3 weeks old to ensure that they have the maximum shelf life possible. At this stage, Bûche Noires are firm to the touch and have a clean, uncomplicated taste that is tangy like the Allehgheny Chevre. These young Bûche Noires can be used in cooking, but only with very gentle heat. We love putting a slice of Bûche Noire on the top of a bowl of warm soup.

Weeks 4-8
Because this cheese is a small-format, ripened, higher-moisture chevre, it moves directly from childhood into adulthood with very little “adolescence” to speak of. The ripening work of the white mold happens quickly, particularly at room temperature and the body of the cheese becomes creamy (to the point of finger-licking runny-ness). It’s flavor develops equally fast during this period, developing the earthy spiciness that identifies Bûche Noire. Not for the feint of heart, this delicate star is worth the extra care it requires and has developed a commited following among FireFly afficionados.

Serving, Wrapping and Cooking
Bûche Noire is a lovely addition to your meals. Its character is best suited for appetizer or cheese board, but it can be used mindfully in cooking. We love to spread a ripened Bûche Noire on a day-old crusty baguette and top it with a little sauteed mushroom tapendade. This, served with a nice Pinot Noir, is often dinner.

Once you have removed its original wrapping, DO NOT re-wrap in plastic wrap. This delicate star will suffocate and die a horrible soupy mess. Re-wrap in parchment or wax paper, or store a partially consumed Bûche Noire in a plastic container or on a dessert plate that’s covered in plastic wrap. Both methods allow for a bit of air around the cheese and continued breathing.

Ingredients
Pasteurized goat milk
Vegetable rennet
Bacterials starter cultures (gluten-free)
Vegetable ash
Salt
Enzymes

Merry Goat Round – Merry Goat Round is a surface-ripened goat’s milk round. It is our homage to brie or camembert and shares the same surface ripening mold as these traditional cheeses. It ripens from its rind inwards, growing progressively softer and creamier. The rind is completely edible at any stage of the cheese’s ripening. In fact, the cheese’s fullest flavor is concentrated in its rind.

Awards and Honors
World Cheese Awards – 2008 Silver Medalist, 2007 Bronze Medalist, 2004 Silver Medalist
American Dairy Goat Association Cheese Competition – 2007 Third Place, 2006 First Place
American Cheese Society, Cheese Judging – 2002 Third Place

Aging Notes
Weeks 1-3
Merry Goat Round is considered a soft-ripened cheese. It develops its white-bloomed rind within a week’s time in our aging room. We wrap the young Merry Goat Rounds at 2-3 weeks old to ensure that they have the maximum shelf life possible. At this stage, Merry Goat Round’s are firm to the touch and have a clean, uncomplicated taste that is slightly sharp. These young Merry Goat Rounds can be used in cooking, and will melt nicely.

Weeks 4-6
We think of this period as “adolescence” for Merry Goat Round. The rind is beginning to do its work, and when the cheese is cut you can see the ripening cheese body just below the rind. At room temperature, this ripened portion of the cheese body will be soft (and in the Spring quite creamy). The taste of the cheese is developing rapidly during this period; and the clean sharpness of the young cheese becomes increasingly complex and mushroomy.

Weeks 7-12
During this period, the “adult” Merry Goat Round reaches its fullest and most complex flavor profile. The rind has now ripened the cheese body ¼ to ½ inch toward its center. The cheese will feel soft to the touch, particularly at room temperature. Secondary molds and other “imperfections” may appear on the surface. The white-bloomed rind of youth begins to deepen to lovely orange hues. When unwrapped at this age, the captured ammonia (an exhalation by-product of the rind as it ripens the cheese body) may need to dissipate – allowing these older Merry Goat Rounds the time to “breathe” as they warm before serving is time well spent.

Serving, Wrapping and Cooking
Merry Goat Round is a lovely addition to your meals. It can be served alone as an appetizer, cut for a cheese board, served with crackers and a savory tapenade, or used in finer cuisines. Younger cheeses are definitely better for cooking, as they will withstand the heat of melting better; more mature cheeses shine as “solo-acts” on cheese boards, or served with complimentary stand out ingredients: a beautifully ripened pear, cured olives, sautéed mushrooms, or seasoned pecans.

Once you have removed its original wrapping, take care not to re-wrap too tightly in plastic wrap. This will suffocate the cheese. We store a partially consumed Merry Goat Round in a plastic container or a dessert plate covered in plastic wrap. Both methods allow for a bit of air around the cheese and continued breathing.

Ingredients
Pasteurized goat milk
Vegetable rennet
Bacterials starter cultures (gluten-free)
Salt
Enzymes

Mountain Top Bleu – Mountain Top Bleu is a surface-ripened blue and white mold pyramid. It ripens from its rind inwards, growing progressively softer and creamier. The rind is completely edible at any stage of the cheese’s ripening. In fact, the cheese’s fullest flavor is concentrated in its rind.

Awards and Honors
World Cheese Awards- 2008 Bronze Medalist, 2006 Silver Medalist, 2004 Bronze Medalist
American Dairy Goat Association Cheese Competition – 2009 Second Place, 2007 First Place, 2006 Third Place
American Cheese Society, Cheese Judging – 2006 Second Place, 2005 Third Place Finisher, 2004 Third Place, 2002 First Place
Saveur Magazine, 2005 Editor’s Pick – 50 Favorite American Cheeses

Aging Notes
Weeks 1-3
MountainTop Bleu is considered a soft-ripened cheese. We work hard to balance the white and blue molds to produce a cheese that has the luscious creaminess of a world-class soft-ripened cheeses plus the delicate piquancy of a blue mold cheese. This balancing act changes with the temperature of the seasons and the composition of the milk — as an artisan cheese, you’ll note that sometimes MountainTop’s are more blue; sometimes less. But they will always have that same subtle and distinctive taste.

It develops its white and blue-bloomed rind within a week’s time in our aging room. We wrap the young MountainTop Bleus at 2-3 weeks old to ensure that they have the maximum shelf life possible. At this stage, MountainTop Bleus are firm to the touch. The blue piquancy tends to be more pronouced at this stage — before the white mold has a chance to ripen and soften the cheese body. These young MountainTop Bleus can be used in cooking, and will melt nicely.

Weeks 4-6
We think of this period as “adolescence” for MountainTop Bleus. The rind beginning to do its work and when the cheese is cut, you can see the ripening cheese body just below the rind. At room temperature, this ripened portion of the cheese body will be soft (and in the Spring quite creamy). The taste of the cheese is developing rapidly during this period; and the clean sharpness of the young cheese becomes increasingly complex as white and bluie molds do their work in tandem.

Weeks 7-12
During this period, the “adult” MountainTop Bleu reaches its fullest and most complex flavor profile. The rind has now ripened the cheese body ½ inch or more toward its center. The cheese will feel soft to the touch, particularly at room temperature. Secondary molds and other “imperfections” may appear on the surface. The white and blue-bloomed rind of youth begins to deepen to lovely darker hues. When unwrapped at this age, the captured ammonia (an exhalation by-product of the rind as it ripens the cheese body) may need to dissipate – allowing these older MountainTop Bleus the time to “breathe” as they warm before serving is time well spent.

Serving, Wrapping and Cooking
MountainTop Bleu is a lovely addition to your meals. It can be served alone as an appetizer, cut for a cheese board, served with crackers and a savory tapenade, or used in finer cuisines. Younger cheeses are definitely better for cooking, as they will withstand the heat of melting better; more mature cheeses shine as “solo-acts” on cheese boards, or served with complimentary stand out ingredients: stewed figs, Spanish or Portugese membrillo, or cured olives.

Once you have removed its original wrapping, take care not to re-wrap too tightly in plastic wrap. This will suffocate the cheese. We store a partially consumed MountainTop Bleu in a plastic container or a dessert plate covered in plastic wrap. Both methods allow for a bit of air around the cheese and continued breathing.

Ingredients
Pasteurized goat milk
Vegetable rennet
Bacterials starter cultures (gluten-free)
Salt
Enzymes