Jolie-Lade Trousseau Noir Blend | 2023

Translating to “Pretty-Ugly” in French, the wines of Jolie-Laide are among the most charming we’ve tasted from California. With total production under 1,000 cases across multiple bottlings, this is truly a micro-winery. Hallmarks of the cellar include whole-cluster fermentation, native yeasts, minimal sulfur, and aging in older barrels. Run by the husband-and-wife team of Scott and Jenny Schultz, Jolie-Laide continues to win over Francophiles while reminding us that California wine is bigger than big-box, neon Cabernet.

This 2023 Trousseau Noir blend brings together spicy Cabernet Pfeffer/Mourtaou (20%), Gamay (30%), and a dollop of Poulsard (8%), sourced from a range of sites along California’s North and Central Coast AVAs—Siletto in San Benito, Las Cimas in Sonoma, and Luchsinger in Lake County. Fermented in tank and aged in neutral oak, the finished wine lands at a breezy 11.6% alcohol. On the palate, it floats with crushed red berries, Concord grape, pink pepper, and crumbles of stone. Thin but ballsy, it shines with a quick ten-minute chill in the fridge. Remember: it doesn’t have to be French to be Frenchie! ~Allegra Angelo