Vigneron at Rimons, Entre deux Mers; 50% merlot, 25% each of the cabernets; 30 year old vines. Her wines are nothing if not elegant, and this translucent claret suits the series. It's not as sweet and ripe and many a 2018. It has classic claret refinement, moderation. That's an harmonious presentation of varietals. Balance of sweet/acid too. Gathering the suavity of bottle age. Pleasing flavor, texture, harmony, and current drinkability. Bravo. 91/100.

Grower at Rimons, Entre deux Mers; 95% sauvignon blanc, 5% semillon; 30 year old vines. That's clean as a whistle, modest in alcohol, and doesn't scream sauvignon blanc. Her style preference harkens to old time classicism. Nothing blowsy or overdone. Palate gives added assurance. Not made to impress. Made to be food compatible, which is enough of a positive impression for me. 91/100.

Est. 1968 by Odile Delpon, three years before Cahors was awarded AOC; her son, Didier Pelvaillain, presently presides over the domaine; all malbec; 32 year old vines; native yeasts. It's deep, dense, Cahors forthright, and Mary Taylor clear to the bottom of the glass. In the Cahors realm, its own thing. Sweet fruit elegance and flow. Nothing Black Wine about it. No resistance. Yet Cahors malbec through and through. 91/100.

90% merlot, 10% cab sauv; clay, limestone, flint, and boulbene soils. We mistakenly chilled this (though I suggested a couple of weeks back that the 2020 could be served cool). So maybe no harm. Yes, this still works, even just opened, though the cool temperature suppresses the fruit aroma somewhat. Juicy, fruity, and simply delicious at this temperature. Indeed, this works on the palate. Though it accents the tannin a little. Attendees called the 2020 a Beaujolais like Bordeaux. Apt description here too. 91/100. Only Perigord in the market.

Vigneron at Panjas; 50% colombard, 30% ugni blanc, 15% gros manseng, 5% sauvignon blanc. Clean and crisp, with green colombard and ugni leading the way. Sense of manseng plumpness behind. Palate more aromatic, the manseng and sauvignon throwing in more support. Deliciously well balanced. Both cut and light padding. Better than the 2020. Better acid. 91/100.

12 acres at Le Loroux-Bottereau on amphibolite, metagabbro, and serpentinite soils; 20 year old vines; native yeasts; aged 8-12 months on lees in cisterns, lees stirred 2-3 times. Whoa, is that ever a stony expression! Wet stones all the way. Plus the little green botanicals classic to Muscadet. And ventilating hyssop overtones. 2022 softness up front encounters correct acidity for balance as it flows across the tongue. Great transparency to this, as to all the Mary Taylor directed cuvees. 92/100.

Sourced from vineyards that fall exactly along the border of the two sub-regions of Anjou. Fourth-generation winemaker Pascal Biotteau comes from the village of Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets, situated on the old Roman road from Angers to Poitiers. The western zone lies on limestone, the eastern on dark volcanic schist. Combines the freshness of the former with the fullness of the latter. Ripe melon and suggestions of honey and apricot. Dry, with good acidity for this mild vintage. Quince and lime chime in on the finish. 91/100.

Vines average 30 years. On the left bank of the Cher. Pleasing pungent if not as incisive as the more expensive sauvignons grown farther east. A nice and springy sauvignon gooseberry flavor. Good acid balance. Easy to drink. 91/100.

35% each gamay, cot (malbec), 30% pinot noir; on flint (silex); native yeasts. Third vintage we've had of this and the freshest yet. Gamay lift combines with dark malbec underlayment and pinot's soft and sweet notes. A very refreshing measure of acidity often found in Valencay but not always in 2022. Varietal feels and flavors meld together well. Light dusting of tannin at the end. 91+/100. Attendee remarks and enthusiasm generally paralleled mine. One reviewer got a tobacco note on the finish. The rest of the bottle was enjoyed later with grilled salmon.

At Pougny, Hameau de Montbenoit; 80% pinot noir, 20% gamay; 30 year old vines on silex, limestone, and clay; native yeasts; AOC since 1998. Pretty youthful appearance at age four plus. Maintains a freshness and vitality in this upper Loire take on Bourgogne Passetoutgrains. Total harmony, confidence, and comfort at this stage. Round and soft pinot, with gamay vigor adding vitality. Yet another splendidly crafted Mary Taylor wine selection. 91/100.

Domaine in the Descombe family for 120 years; on bluestone schist. A properly plummy Julienas, that character tweaked nicely by age and given floral overtones by its stylist. Singular and attractive take. Yes, plum and floral perfumes reverberate on the palate. The sweet gentleness of vintage, age, and elevage. Taylor transparent and elegant. Truly its own thing. 92/100.

At Beine; 80 acres spread over 20 plots; vines planted as early as 1950. That's a searingly crisp northern chardonnay take in cool 2021. Mary's wines cut right to the quick. The palate shows more padding and still good acidity. Apple and calcaire define its terroir. 91+/100.

At Beine; 10 acre vineyard of 40 year old vines. Nose fuller but less forthcoming. More body, more extract, and more acidity. This is indeed more-ish, and the tete a tete is a good lesson. Again, the Taylor transparency that takes you right to the terroir, without further manipulation. 92+/100.

70% chardonnay, 30% savagnin. Aged 2 years without topping up. Then 6 months in French oak. Deep color of age and savagnin component. This is correct. Shades of fino sherry. Very dry nose. Again, the fino resemblance. 91/100.

All savagnin. Topped up. Then aged a year in French oak. Deeper color of all savagnin. I like this even better. The year less in barrel and the absence of faster oxidizing chardonnay leaves this a better signature of Jura. More terroir, less winemaker. Yes, varietal character as well as fino relationships. This is more than correct. This is Jura savagnin. 93/100.

All jacquere. 40 year old vines. Native yeasts. No malo. Aged 3 months on lees. Admirably crisp and racy thanks to vintage and malo suppression. Well focused in the Mary Taylor style and good old vines concentration of aroma. Fresh, and old vines concentrated again. Hangs around a long time. About the best Chignin I've tasted. 92/100.

30-40 year old vines. 60% grenache, 20% each syrah, mourvedre. A proper Nimes Rhone middle weight, freshness, moderation. Pleasing flavor spread. Medium bodied. Very light tannin on finish. Good. 90+/100.

All carignan; 40-60 year old vines. Dark purple color. Deep, dark, concentrated, powerful, and clear old vines carignan aroma. Yes, full textured too. A whale of a carignan delivery for this price. 91+/100.

80% mauzac, 20% muscadelle. A fine bead. A pleasing, lifted nose without a trace of mauzac heaviness. Muscadelle does chime in on the aroma set. Great acid verve and fresh, vital feel and flavor. In keeping with Mary's style preferences. 91/100.

At the junction of the Pinhao and Douro in Cima Corgo; 60% touriga nacional, 25% tinta roriz, 15% touriga franca, 50-80 year old vines; on black schist. Very deep and dark and, at the same time, very Mary Taylor elegant. About the most elegant Douro tinto in memory. The varieties play together well, each making a stylistic contribution of its own, in harmony. Well balanced. No tannin obstacles. This is the sort of craftsmanship Mary orders. 92/100.

60% touriga nacional, 40% tinta roriz. Terraced vineyards on granite in the high altitude Seia sub zone. Upon opening, the sample was tasted cold so the nose suppressed. Still, the granitic character of Dao is there. Ample fruit presence in body, texture, and flavor of the class varietals, which are more trans-Portugal than specific to Dao. They give a more yielding interpretation of a Dao at this age. Of course, that's what Mary is looking for. Got to stock this one. 92/100.

In the high altitude Seia subzone; 35% encruzado, 32% malvasia fina, 19% bical, 14% gouveio; native yeasts. Wow, stony. Smell the granite. Classic, timeless. Seems like it will never grow old. Even with the malvasia component, this is much more about terroir than about fruit. It does have a fruity soft spot though. Not at all an austere palate. Well balanced and surely meal worthy. Mary scores on style once again. 91/100. Two hours later, it continued to impress attendees for its stony aroma and flavor. Even earned some fruit aromatics with aeration.

Average age of vines: 50 years. Native yeasts. The lift of Navarra's high altitude take on tempranillo, plus Taylor's pure fruit style. Ideal zone for her. And the palate disposition is just as moderate and fetching. Perfect fit. 91/100.

45 year old moravia agria vines in clay-limestone. Native yeasts. Unique varietal character. Slightly perfumed overtones. Old vines intensity. Yes, very old vines intense in terms of texture as well as flavor. That Taylor regional/varietal clarity. I'm game. 92/100.

60% glera, 40% garganega; 25 year old vines; 1.3 RS. Intensely appley glera. Its own thing, that's for sure. The modest RS is nicely balanced by the drying effect of the mousse, like in an extra dry champagne. Garganega body and stone fruit. Appealing, well priced. Nothing else like it. 91/100.

All nero d'avola; 15 year old vines. Oh that is a sweet, candied cherry NdA nose. A bright as it gets. Echoes on the palate. Just a joyous take on NdA. Good acid, sweet fruit, dusting of tannin. Well balanced and lasting. 91/100.