Mary Taylor Cotes de Gascogne 2023

This wine is sourced and imported by our friend Mary Taylor, a modern-day négociant (“wine merchant” in layman’s terms) who seeks out wines from many of Europe’s smaller and more affordable appellations. Mary works exclusively with small, family-owned vineyards and has an affinity for sustainable and biodynamic viticulture. In the case of this Côtes de Gascogne, she travelled to the southwest of France, mostly known for its production of Armagnac, looking for a dry white wine. Olivier Gessler and his family were more than happy to present theirs.

4th-generation immigrants from Switzerland, the Gessler family has produced wine in the southwest since 1928. Olivier is the current proprietor and has recently started the organic certification process for all his vineyards, although sustainable viticulture has been practiced on the property since its inception. The soils here are largely sand and alluvial clay, which is the perfect environment for ripening the Colombard grape. Its high natural acidity and heat resistance make Colombard a warm-weather favorite, both in the vineyard and in the glass! The final blend includes other native white varieties such as Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng, with 10% Sauvignon Blanc rounding out the finished wine.

When you open this wine, you will want to serve it chilled, but far from ice cold; 45-50 degrees should suffice. Simply pull it out of your refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving. On the palate, this wine delivers notes of peeled Golden Delicious apples, Meyer lemon peel, white flowers, and stone fruits. Drink now through 2027 as an aperitif or with sushi, white bean salad, or prosciutto-wrapped melon.