Etienne Courtois 'Cuvée des Etourneaux' 2023 Gifts

Etienne Courtois 'Cuvée des Etourneaux' 2023 GiftsA rare cuve from a famous natural producer in the Loire, Claude Courtois and son Etienne, who is now in charge of the domaine. This bottling is a blend of Gamay de Chaudenay, a rare form of Gamay that is semi tenturier, meaning red fleshed in the interior of the grape, combined with Gamay jus blanc, or directly pressed white juice coming off the red grape. This unusual combo is then aged for nearly three years in old barrels, then one year in bottle.

which has been in service since the 1800's

fortified with neutral grain spirit

In conjuction with one last family who worked with the variety

or a really interesting white Manhattan

intensely floral

acid-driven expression of the coastal terroir of northwestern Sicily

Notes of rhubarb

Albert's cellar feels a bit like a tiny alt-music show could just sort of start happening at any moment

Thibault Ducroux farms these Gamay grapes on clay and silt soils himself

so this is a nice way to switch up your drinking from only New Zealand and California Sauvignon Blancs

A specially aged

fresh and floral as a meadow