2022 Mary Taylor's Alice Berthier Rouge, Coteaux du Giennois AOC, Loire, France

On the nose and the palate, flavors of black cherry, wild strawberry, blackberry, and cranberry dance around a pomegranate seed core, with undertones of forest floor, crushed stone, and hints of pepper/baking spice. This wine comes across with a lovely mix of crunchy red and black fruit and rustic earthiness that will pair well with a wide range of savory foods. 

This wine was the first of her MT3 Series, which consists of wines from slightly smaller farms and appellations.

Just north of the famous Loire appellations Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume lies the small and quiet Coteaux du Giennois. Little known outside of France, Coteaux du Giennois just received AOP status in 1998 - yet it has been producing wine since the 2nd century. Vineyards here were given as gifts by the French royal court as early the 800s, and with the establishment of monasteries in the Middle Ages, vineyards and viticulture flourished.