# data[].attributes.body
Ernst Loosen’s family has farmed the steep, blue-slate slopes of the Mosel for over 200 years, and few producers capture the region’s tension between sweetness, acidity, and minerality as precisely as he does. The Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard - “the sundial of Wehlen” - is one of the Mosel’s crown jewels, its south-facing slopes bathing in light that ripens Riesling slowly and evenly while preserving electric freshness.

The 2018 Kabinett is a masterclass in balance. Bright high acidity cuts through delicate sweetness, framing aromas of white peach, lime zest, and spring flowers. The palate glides between juicy citrus and crystalline minerality, finishing with the cool, slate-driven precision that defines Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Light in body but long in flavour, it’s a wine that feels both effortless and exacting - classic Mosel charm with Loosen’s signature clarity.

# data[].attributes.body
Those that have been in the Wine Legionnaires from the very beginning know that August is the month we get to drink some of the best wines of the year. For those that have never attended, be sure to strap in, because you are about to witness one epic selection of bottles.

Don’t be mistaken - these wines should not come to the table solely because of hype, fame or price. Additionally, they should spark curiosity, inspire conversation and tell a story about the person who brought them and/or the people who made them.

If you are still trying to understand what a “baller” wine is, let me share a quote by sir Yida⁩:

“The kind of wine that’s so good you pretend to not feel good, tell your friends they need to leave and start drinking it all by yourself.”

But luckily for us, you’ll bring that wine to share this time. Compared to our standard tastings, this one has unlimited seats, but it would be best to RSVP early so we can book the space for the right amount of people.

Once again, thanks to each and everyone one of you for selflessly sharing your cellar gems with this group and allowing everyone to approach wine with an open mind, couldn’t have asked for a better group of winos.

Full lineup:

Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling 2018

Daniel Sage La Voix du Periscope 2020

Mathieu Allante et Christian Boulanger Phenomaynal 2018*

Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet 2006

Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang 2014

Les Vins du Cabanon Poudre d'Escampette 2018

O2Y Le P'tit Nico 2022

Domaine Sylvain Pataille Clos du Roy Marsannay 2021

Feudi di San Gregorio Irpinia Serpico 2000

Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet La Souteronne 2023

Vignai da Duline Merlot 2019

Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune 2016

Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2010

Matthiasson Phoenix Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Pierre Ménard Chaos 2022

*WOTN

# data[].attributes.body
The Marquis de Laguiche family has owned vines in Montrachet since the late 18th century, making them one of Burgundy’s longest-standing stewards of this hallowed grand cru. Their holdings are farmed and vinified by Maison Joseph Drouhin. In Montrachet, they work a privileged section on the Puligny side - shallow limestone soils that yield some of the most regal expressions of Chardonnay in existence.

The 2006 Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet is a study in power restrained by elegance. The nose opens slowly: warm brioche, honeycomb, hazelnut cream, and ripe stone fruit layered over a core of cool limestone minerality. On the palate, breadth and tension coexist, rounded by moderate alcohol and creamy texture. The finish is expansive and precise, carrying notes of citrus oil, smoke, and crushed rock. At full maturity.

# data[].attributes.body
Mathieu Allante and Christian Boulanger are slowly becoming cult figures from Jura and are part of the region’s small circle of producers pushing low-intervention winemaking to its expressive edge. Working tiny parcels, they farm organically, ferment spontaneously, and bottle with minimal sulphur. Their wines - made in microscopic quantities - blur the line between restraint and eccentricity, showing the Jura’s signature tension.

This Chardonnay comes from 90-yo vines on red marl in the village of Maynal. Christian and Mathieu took the plot over in 2005 at the start of their project - it was previously worked by their mate Fanfan (JF Ganevat). Fermentation and 24 months ageing on fine lees in 10yo demi-muids. This wine has a moreish and voluptuous texture perfectly balanced by zingy bitters. The emblematic and catchy label was drawn by a close friend, the depicted hand combines the sensual side of wine with the rough manual work of a vigneron(ne).

# data[].attributes.body
Few names in Loire Sauvignon carry the mythical status of Didier Dagueneau. Working from his small domaine in Saint-Andelain, Pouilly-Fumé, Dagueneau redefined what Sauvignon Blanc could be - fermenting in oak, farming obsessively by hand, and treating the grape with Burgundian seriousness. After his passing in 2008, his son Louis-Benjamin continued the legacy with the same approach.

Pur Sang (“thoroughbred”) comes from flint and clay soils and represents the estate’s purest expression of Sauvignon’s texture and minerality. The 2014 is linear, with aromas of white peach, grapefruit zest, and crushed nettle lift from a base of wet stone and faint smoke. The palate is taut yet layered - bright high acidity threading through ripe citrus and chalky phenolics, finishing long and saline. Generous fruit framed by flinty austerity, showing why Dagueneau remains the Loire’s benchmark.

# data[].attributes.body
Les Vins du Cabanon is the small, fiercely independent project of Alain Castex, one of the godfathers of natural winemaking in Roussillon. After decades at Le Casot des Mailloles in Banyuls, Castex moved inland to Trouillas, continuing his minimalist philosophy - no chemicals, no additives, no filtration, and a deep respect for the old vines that thrive in the Mediterranean sun. His wines are known for their purity, vibrancy, and honesty, capturing the wild spirit of the region.

Poudre d’Escampette 2018 - literally “a puff of escape” - is a light, vivid red made from Carignan and Grenache grown on sandy clay and schist. The nose bursts with wild raspberry, pomegranate, garrigue, and a hint of iron. The palate is fresh and juicy, carried by bright acidity and powder-fine tannins. There’s no heaviness here - the Mediterranean rendered as a breeze. A wine that feels spontaneous, alive, and profound.

# data[].attributes.body
Sylvain Pataille has become the modern reference point for Marsannay, the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits. A viticulturist by training and a relentless advocate for organic and biodynamic farming, Pataille has elevated Marsannay from an overlooked appellation to one of Burgundy’s most dynamic. His range - from Aligoté to single-vineyard Pinot Noir - shows both scientific precision and intuition, expressing limestone and clay with remarkable transparency.

Clos du Roy 2021 is a poised and detailed expression of this high, limestone-rich climat. The nose opens with redcurrant, wild strawberry, and rose petal, underpinned by crushed stone and faint spice. On the palate, the wine is finely etched: bright high acidity, supple tannins, and moderate alcohol giving a sense of tension rather than weight. The finish lingers on mineral length and floral lift. It’s a reminder that elegance isn’t the absence of power.

# data[].attributes.body
O2Y is the shorthand for Olivier and Yves, two friends-turned-winemakers working in Jura. Their approach sits firmly in the region’s new wave - organic farming, spontaneous fermentations, and minimal sulphur. Their wines are small in scale, big in character: expressive, honest, and reflective of the mountain soils and shifting microclimates that define this corner of eastern France.

Le P’tit Nico 2022 is symbolic of youthful energy. The nose is immediate and pure: underripe blackcurrant, red apple, violets, and a faint note of crushed stone. On the palate, bright high acidity drives a linear, saline profile, with gentle texture rounding the edges. It’s Jura stripped of anything artificial - vivid, unfiltered, and dangerously drinkable, capturing both the place and the people behind it.

# data[].attributes.body
Feudi di San Gregorio, founded in 1986 in Campania’s Avellino province, helped redefine Southern Italy’s fine wine identity. Working with the native Aglianico grape, they brought a new level of modernity to a region once known mainly for rustic power. Serpico is the estate’s flagship red, sourced from centuries-old, pre-phylloxera Aglianico vines in the village of Sorbo Serpico - hence the name.

This is a wine that captures both the volcanic force and the soulful depth of Irpinia’s high-altitude terroir. The 2000 Serpico shows Aglianico at full maturity. The nose moves from black cherry and prune to tobacco leaf, balsamic herbs, and smoky volcanic earth. On the palate, the tannins have melted into a fine, velvety frame, supporting flavours of dried fig, espresso, and cedar. The acidity remains bright, keeping the wine alive despite its density.

# data[].attributes.body
Daniel Sage is one of the radicals of France’s Ardèche - a former engineer who left city life to farm high-altitude vines on granitic slopes above the Rhône. Working without chemicals or additives, Daniel's approach is instinctive and raw, defined by long macerations, spontaneous ferments, and a trust in what the vineyard gives him. His wines are cult not because they chase trend, but because they transmit place like no other.

La Voix du Périscope 2020 is a vivid, untamed Viognier. Aromatically marked with orange peel, lemongrass, and a faint herbal smoke. The palate is energetic and textural, the complexity revealing itself slowly, carried by lifted acidity and fine, gripping tannins.

# data[].attributes.body
Hervé Souhaut founded Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet in the late 1990s in the northern Ardèche, just across the river from Saint-Joseph. Trained as a biologist, Souhaut farms his old vines organically and vinifies with the gentlest of touches - whole-cluster fermentation, semi-carbonic maceration, no new oak, and minimal sulphur. His wines bridge the natural and the classical: vibrant, pure, and full of life, yet structured and true to place.

La Souteronne is made entirely from old-vine Gamay, grown on granite soils at high elevation, offering a rare northern Rhône interpretation of the variety. The 2023 bursts with immediacy - violet, wild strawberry, and crushed granite on the nose, carried by that telltale Souhaut freshness. The palate is silken and lifted, with bright high acidity and featherlight tannins shaping juicy red fruit and peppery minerality. It sits somewhere between Beaujolais and Saint-Joseph in feel.

# data[].attributes.body
Vignai da Duline is one of Friuli’s most soulful estates, run by husband-and-wife team Federica Magrini and Lorenzo Mocchiutti in the Colli Orientali. Since founding the domaine in 1997, they’ve championed biodiversity and deep-rooted old vines, treating their vineyards as living ecosystems rather than production sites. Their Merlot, sourced from the 80-year-old vines of the Ronco Pitotti vineyard, reflects Friuli’s historical connection to the variety - long before Merlot became a global cliché.

The 2019 Merlot is graceful rather than heavy, offering a distinctly Friulian interpretation of the grape. Aromas of ripe plum, bay leaf, graphite, and forest floor unfold with nice depth. The palate is supple yet structured, showing rounded moderate alcohol, fine-grained tannins, and bright acidity that lifts the dark fruit into focus.

# data[].attributes.body
The Barge family has been crafting wine in Ampuis since 1860, making Domaine Barge one of the oldest continuously operating estates in Côte-Rôtie. Today, Gilles Barge continues the legacy with a traditional, vineyard-driven philosophy - whole-cluster fermentation, long maceration, and slow élevage in large, neutral oak. His approach captures the muscular grace of classic Côte-Rôtie: wines that age forever.

The Côte Brune cuvée, from the iron-rich schist slopes north of the village, represents the darker, more powerful side of the appellation. This is profound and tightly coiled Syrah. Aromas of blackberry, smoked meat, olive tapenade, and violets rise from the glass, underpinned by graphite and minerality. The palate is compact - bright high acidity and firm, fine tannins framing layers of dark fruit, pepper, and savoury spice. This is Côte-Rôtie at its most classical.

# data[].attributes.body
Domaine du Pégau stands as one of the defining names of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a bastion of traditional Southern Rhône winemaking led by Laurence Féraud. The family farms old, ungrafted vines across multiple lieux-dits, working organically and fermenting everything with native yeasts in concrete, followed by long ageing in large, old foudres. No destemming, no fining, no filtration.

The Cuvée Réservée is their flagship blend, dominated by Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and a dozen other permitted varieties. This vintage is a monumental yet balanced one - dense, aromatic, and structured for decades. The nose layers black cherry, garrigue, leather, and roasted meat over an undertone of earthy spice and dried lavender. On the palate, it’s full-bodied but not heavy, with rounded moderate alcohol, ripe tannins, and bright acidity giving lift to the depth of fruit.

# data[].attributes.body
Steve and Jill Matthiasson have become leading voices for a new California - one rooted in restraint, farming integrity, and a respect for freshness over opulence. Based in Napa Valley, they farm organically and craft wines that bridge two styles of California. Phoenix Vineyard, located in the alluvial benchlands of Oak Knoll, is one of their cornerstone sites - cooler and wind-exposed, producing Cabernet Sauvignon that ripens slowly and retains natural acidity.

The 2019 Phoenix Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon redefines Napa completely. Aromas of blackcurrant, graphite, dried sage, and crushed violets lead into a finely detailed palate - bright high acidity, moderate alcohol (only 13%!), and taut, powdery tannins. The fruit is vivid, framed by savoury notes of tobacco leaf and cedar. There’s tension where most Cabernets show excess, a sense of energy that recalls classic Bordeaux more than modern Napa.

# data[].attributes.body
Perched high on Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain, Smith-Madrone has been producing some of the region’s most authentic, mountain-born wines since 1971. Founded by brothers Stu and Charlie Smith, the estate remains a small, family-run operation devoted to dry farming, rugged slopes, and old-school winemaking - fermentation in small lots, ageing in mostly neutral oak, and no excess polish.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a snapshot of classic mountain Napa - pure and built to age. The nose opens with cassis, cedar, graphite, and a hint of mountain herbs. On the palate, it’s firm and finely tuned - bright high acidity cutting through ripe black fruit, while grainy tannins and moderate alcohol give shape and tension. The finish lingers with notes of tobacco leaf, crushed rock, and cool mint. A reminder of what Napa once was.

# data[].attributes.body
Pierre Ménard farms a few hectares of old vines on the schist slopes of Anjou. Working entirely by hand and with minimal intervention, he produces tiny cuvées that showcase Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc through amazing precision and tension. His wines are defined by clarity and texture rather than weight, each one a masterclass of terroir.

Chaos 2022 is vibrant, nervy, and alive. A Chenin Blanc that Yida picked when he visited Pierre in 2022. Opens with scents of lemon oil, quince, and flint struck against stone. The palate is taut yet textural - bright high acidity wrapped in faint lees creaminess, carrying flavours of green apple, salted almond, and citrus pith. The sweetness kicks in the door, but is beautifully backed up by the zingy acid. Incredible wine.