French Holiday
AUGUST 2025
August is holiday time in France. Like in many parts of Europe, everything shuts down for the month and people take a 3-4 week break from their normal lives. Traditionally, city dwellers pack up and head south to the Mediterranean or to the Atlantic coast, leaving Paris and other cities ghost-towns.
We'll take this spirit and go on a virtual August vacation to France, starting in Pouilly-Fumé, across from the Loire River from Sancerre, then to the farmers markets and wonderful slow pace of the Southern Rhône, and then finally to the rustic, rural Côtes du Roussillon Villages, in the foothills of the Pyrenees on the border to Spain. Enjoy your break!
Photos above: (top) Pesquier Gigondas vineyards // (bottom) Côtes du Roussillon Latour de France vineyards
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Pouilly-Fumé
Loire Valley
This region is right next to Sancerre on the other side (right bank) of the Loire River. They grow Sauvignon Blanc exclusively in the siliceous clay soils which contain little pieces of flint, giving Pouilly-Fumé its trademark gun-flint minerality. The regions of the Center Loire have a continental climate, so hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Pouilly-Fumé is lesser-known than Sancerre, so the wines are a good $5-$10 cheaper, but I'd take Pouilly-Fumé any day. They are subtle, beautifully complex Sauvignon worthy of a good think while you're enjoying them.
Domaine Chauveau
Pouilly-Fumé
Owner/winemaker Benoit Chauveau (second from the right) runs this estate with his wife, Emmanuelle. They have expanded his family's vineyards to 17 hectares, with 15 hectares in Pouilly-Fumé & 2 hectares in Coteaux du Giennois. Their daughter, Lise, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, is in the process of adding 9 hectares of Pouilly-Fumé vineyards. Their soils are made up of Kimeridgian marl, limestone, and clay with flint.
Benoit Chauveau 2022 Pouilly-Fumé Croq Silex • Loire Valley, France • Reg $37.99 | Mixed Case $30.39
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aged on the lees for 4-8 months.
Nose is a stony-earthy cocktail. Pebbles, flint, chalk, granite. Super sexy. Has some fruit, too: white plums, quince, a little nectarine. Ripe nectarine on the palate, white peach, yellow plums with a little citrus on the finish. Medium to lighter in body. Laser-beam acidity through the long, earthy-lemony finish. This winemaker is a genius. The winery says to enjoy as an aperitif or with seafood, especially oysters (our local Hama Hamas pictured below), grilled fish, or dishes with chicken or pork. Drink now to 3 years.
Domaine du Pesquier
Southern Rhône
Located in the Cru Villages of Gigondas, the vineyards on this estate date back to 1556 when they belonged to the Prince of Orange. Today, the winelands around Gigondas are some of the more prestigious in the Rhône Valley, distinguishable by the Dentelles de Montmirail, a small range of jagged, vertical, limestone mountains.
Interestingly, Gigondas is known for high-quality red blends (made from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre), but the region was not allowed to produce white wine until 2022. Today, Gigondas whites are hard to find (and they are expensive!), but if you're curious, we have a few available in Seattle.
The Boutiere family has owned and run the estate since the 1950's. Guy Boutiere (pictured above), currently runs the estate with his son, Mathieu. Today the estate comprises 24 hectares of vines – 17 hectares in Gigondas, 1 hectare in Vacqueyras, 2 hectares in Côtes du Rhône, and 4 hectares in Vin du Pays Vaucluse. Their website says that "respecting terroirs and traditions, they only produce red wines."
Domaine du Pesquier 2019 Côtes-du-Rhône • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
A fun blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre & Carignan – this Côtes-du Rhône is a little deeper. Inviting nose of black cherries, blackberries, garrigue. Nice tannins. Spice. Black pepper on the finish. Great sipper. Great with summer fare off the grill. Drink now to 2 years.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Languedoc-Roussillon
Roussillon is the southernmost area in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which hugs the Mediterranean from Montpellier to the Spanish border. Its climate is drier, and its soils (which are in the foothills of the Pyrenees) have black quartz which gives them a special minerality. They produce richer, drier, fuller-bodied reds that often have the Carignan grape (known as Cariñena in vineyards around Barcelona).
Famous Northern Rhône producer Michel Chapoutier has invested in vineyards (pictured above & below) just to the northwest of the town of Perpignan, and you are going to get to try one of his wines:
Domaine de Bila-Haut 2018 Occultum Lapidem Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France • Languedoc-Roussillon, France • Reg $28.99 | Mixed Case $23.19
Blend of Syrah, Grenache & Carignan from plots located on the slopes of the high Agly Valley. They are composed of gneiss and schist from the Devonian Period with calcareous clay. Half the wine is aged in barrels.
The nose is amazing!! Garrigue, underbrush, herbs, pebbles. Then the fruit: black raspberries, red plums. Super-inviting nose. Blind tasting, you’d think it’s a high-end Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But when you taste it… it’s a little different. Black & red plums, black cherries, black raspberries. Then the acidity just takes you away. Keeps everything going. This wine has life. Enjoy a finish with fine tannins, earthiness, licorice and garrigue to make full circle. Drink now to 2 years. Pair with a juicy steak from Beast & Cleaver.
A Note from Jens:
Your wine club pick-up tasting is always the 2nd Saturday of the month. Hope you can join us for this August Holiday Trip through France. Above is a photo of the the August music festival TÊT En FÊTE in Perpignan, about 30 minutes from the vineyards for your Roussillon wine and about 50 minutes from the Spanish border. The wines in this club take you to France for an August holiday….
As well, you'll be able to taste the Portalis EXPLORES club wines. August theme is Tuscany, featuring a Vermentino & a Chianti (Sangiovese). Also a fun wine trip! Hope you can join.
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online sign-up. You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).