Domaine du Pallus, Chinon, Loire, France 2022

Bertrand Sourdais, owner of Domaine du Pallus, is a Loire native that learned early on to question tradition. After studying in Bordeaux and becoming a renowned winemaker in Spain, he returned to his family estate in the early 2000s to assume the reigns. "Messanges," an old Loire name for Cabernet Franc, is his most lively, accessible expression from the estate. This wine is juicy and approchable, along with many things savory; pepper skin, tobacco, and cedar.