JEFF COUTELOU

Just a quick one this week, since it's a holiday.

Two weeks ago I grabbed a bottle of Jeff Coutelou's "Vin des Amis" from our cellar. It was part of the Disco Liquids tasting and I hadn't yet tasted it, though I was familiar with Jeff's wines. Jeff is a natural wine-makers wine-maker. His domaine in the Languedoc has been certified organic since 1987. He long ago gave up adding anything to his wines, even the slightest hint of sulfur. Jeff knows what kinds of wine he wants to make and he knows how to get there. Most of the time. Winemaking like this is a gamble.There's no protections, no corrections to be made you have to be cleanly, thoughtful in both the vineyard and the cellar and even then you will sometimes fail. Weather, vintages, pests, shipping and sometimes just the unknown will turn a wine. There are many mediocre wines (or downright terrible) made this way by growers who don't put the work in, and also by the growers who do, that's just the nature of it. However, in the hands of some who cares, like Jeff, a fourth generation vigneron who's earned the right to make wines as he sees fit, when nothing goes awry, when the sunlight cooperates the wines can be brilliant. Transcendent. This bottle was. It's why I got into these kinds of wines. There's almost nothing between you and the wine. Sure it won't age like a barolo, but Jeff doesn't make his wines like that. I can't guarantee every bottle will sing like it did for me. But some will, I hope y'all get to try a bit.

Enjoy your week, get some rest and drink some good wine with folks you love.

Until next time.

Cory