2019 Le Galouchey, Vin de Jardins Rouge "MMXIX"

The tiny Domaine de Galouchey is headquartered in the town of Beychac-et-Caillau, just west of Libourne on the south bank of the Dordogne River. There’s just a single hectare of vines, planted by hand in 2002 on a “virgin” piece of land. In addition to usual suspects like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s also Carmenère, Petit Verdot, and an assortment of whites—all of which (nine varieties in total) are used in the “Le Galouchey” cuvée. Marco Pelletier is a Master Sommelier and restaurateur whose past gigs included stints at major wine meccas like Taillevent and Epicure at Le Bristol. He has a long history with Bordeaux wines, but for this wine, he and his partners (old friends Jean Terrade, and Gérard Pantanacce) aim to produce what they call a “garden wine”—a hand-farmed, handmade wine of deliberately modest, “drink everyday” ambitions. They’ve accomplished a lot more than that with this wine, but you’d never know it from the price. Why You’ll Love it: Each o