Everything I love about Chinon is captured in this glass. A vibrant mix of spiced cherries, violets, and black olive is lifted by notes of wild thyme. The interplay between fruit and savory elements keeps the wine beautifully balanced and makes it incredibly versatile at the table. My favorite pairing? Herb-roasted chicken with potatoes tossed in the pan drippings. Absolute perfection.

This is, seriously, the best Chinon that I have had in at least a year. It is, at once, deep and dark but, it also has a magnificent tartness to back it up. Although I do have a soft spot for "dirty bird" Chinon's, this one hit the sweet spot for opulence. Dark red and black fruits with boysenberry fruit goodness, cola berry, spice and a hint of dried herbs. It pretty much has everything that I can think of and enjoy in a Cabernet Franc. Then there's that tart chalk and minerality to balance the whole thing out. We tasted about 24 Loire Valley wines on that day and although all of them were good or quite outstanding, this one really stood out to me!

'Nature abhors a vacuum'. Good advice from Francois Rabelais, the 15th century doctor, satirist and polymath who was born in a modest hamlet a crow's flight from where these vineyards today lie. To correct any vacuum in your glass, fill it midway with this flagship wine from Domaine de Pallus. Culled from vines grown on the south-facing, limestone rich hillside of Cravant-les-Coteaux, the Pensees is a superbly balanced expression of Chinon’s signature way with Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied, imbued with textural tannins, this lovely wine evokes flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant, herbal and earthy mushroom notes. It spent its first year in older burgundy barrels, then fully three more in bottle before it was released. Coming in at just 13% abv this pure rendering will pair well with herb-roasted chicken, mushroom stroganoff or coq au vin.