Mad's Picks
So, what is the Mad Picks wine list? I’m always suggesting to sommeliers preparing for service exams to compile a “Chez Me” wine list, wines that they’ve had in recent memory and can recommend with strong enthusiasm.
Well, here’s my list! These are about 50+ wines that I’ve tasted over the last year and just loved. In my tasting notes, they’ve all gotten 3 checks, my top rating. And I put a long highlight through the names so I don’t forget them!
Here is a video of why I love these wines so much!
[ ▸ ] Watch Here
Wine vintages and prices are subject to change based on market and availability. Not responsible for typographic errors.
SPARKLING WINES
Avinyo Gran Reserva 'La Ticota' Cava 2016 Penedes (Spain)
$39.99
Wonderful quality cava, 5 years on the lees! Made from native grapes in an open, generous style.
Raventós 'De Nit' 2021 Conca del Riu Anoia (Spain)
$29.99
With a similar chalk minerality that you’ll find in Champagne. Cleansing-dry, and asking for oysters!
Parigot Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut "Sentinelle', Crémant de Bourgogne (France)
$19.97
One of the Best Buys in classic method sparkling - sleek, with a light, sophisticated touch. Quite dry.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2019 Loire (France)
$34.99
Refined and lightly sparkling, with subtle apricot-peach flavor, the whisper of Chenin Blanc. Refreshing-dry.
Lancelot Pienne 'Instant Present' Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (France)
$56.99
Crisp and elegant with immediate appeal. A celebration of Chardonnay from a grower in the Côte des Blancs.
Paul Bara Bouzy Grand Cru Brut Réserve Champagne (France)
$79.99
Rich, mouthfilling flavor; Pinot Noir based grower Champagne from the Grand Cru Village of Bouzy.
SAKE, ROSÉ & ORANGE WINE
Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo Sake (Japan)
$49.99
Classy, wine-like sake, with crisp acidity and deep savory-umami flavors. Drinks well at both cold and room temps. Over three-quarters of the rice grain is polished away. An ambassador for premium sake!
Clos Cibonne Tibouren Cru Classé 2022 Côtes de Provence (France)
$27.99
Wonderful quality cava, 5 years on the lees! Made from native grapes in an open, generous style.
Domaine du Bagnol Rosé 2021 Cassis (France)
$39.99
With a similar chalk minerality that you’ll find in Champagne. Cleansing-dry, and asking for oysters!
Advinam "L'Allumée" Orange 2023 Bordeaux (France)
$44.99
As good an orange wine as you’ll meet! Made in Graves from white Bordeaux varietals. Aged on the skins for 3 months, in amphorae. Biodynamic farming, natural techniques.
SPANISH & GREEK WHITE WINES
Ladeiras DO XIL Godello 'O Barreiro' 2022 Valdeorras (Spain)
$22.99
Satiny-smooth, rich dry white from northwestern Spain; Godello is grown throughout Galicia.
Mesquida Mora 'Acrollam' Blanc 2021 Mallorca (Spain)
$37.99
Exotic Find! Floral, dense (leesy), flavorful orange wine. From the island of Mallorca; biodynamic viticulture
Kir Yianni Assyrtiko 'The North, High Altitude Wine' 2021 Florina (Greece)
$21.99
An easy example of the rocky minerality of Greece’s famous white grape; grown in the far northeast.
Theopetra Estate Malagouzia-Assyrtiko 2022 Meteora (Greece)
$22.00
Refined and lightly sparkling, with subtle apricot-peach flavor, the whisper of Chenin Blanc. Refreshing-dry.
ITALIAN WHITE WINES
Luigi Baudana 'Dragon' Langhe Bianco 2023 Piedmont (Italy)
$21.99
A whimsical blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Riesling, Nascetta. Light-bodied, dry, fruit forward, just delicious.
Vie di Romans 'Dessimis' Pinot Grigio 2021 Friuli Isonzo (Italy)
$49.99
An exceptionally lush Pinot Grigio; made by the ramato method, skin-fermented yielding a copper tinge.
Benito Ferrera 'Vigna Cicogna' Greco di Tufo 2023 Campania (Italy)
$29.99
Arguably Italy’s best Greco; from a 1.5 hectare vineyard, named after the local storks! Round, dry, complete.
Tornatore 'Pietrarizzo' Etna Bianco 2021 Sicily (Italy)
$39.97
An ambassador for the white Carricante grape, with the salty sea-spray tone we love in un-oaked quality European whites. Move over Chablis and Assyrtiko!
Köfererhof Kerner 2022 Valle Isarco (Italy)
$24.99
All of dry Riesling ’s best beguiling attributes: peachy and floral aromas and flavors, with a round, easy mouthfeel. Irresistible
Grosjean Petite Arvine 'Vigne Rovettaz' 2021 Vallée d’Aosta (Italy)
$34.99
A mid-palate packed with ripe white tree fruit. Both round and rocky, delish!
FRENCH & AMERICAN WHITE WINES
Arnaud Lambert 'Clos du Midi' Brézé, Saumur 2022 Loire (France)
$21.99
Utterly charming dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire. Lush on the mid-palate, finishing sleek and pleasantly tart.
Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2022 Pessac-Léognan (France)
$21.99
Aromatic Sauvignon blend/ Sémillon, aged in mostly neutral oak; a reminder to remember White Bordeaux!
Château de la Font du Loup Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2023 S. Rhône (France)
$58.99
Delicious, round, unique! Sweet citrus aromas (mandarin orange), dry but plum and smooth. Grenache Blanc based blend from the hands of the exuberant Anne-Charlotte Melia.
Domaine Jean Dauvissat Chablis 2022 (France)
$41.99
A “wowie!” aroma of ripe golden apples & bosc pears, with a smooth-leesy mouthfeel. Ideal for current consumption.
Château de Fleys Chablis 1er Cru 'Mont de Milieu' 2020 (France)
$54.99
A special Chablis that delivers on the spot: deep, classic apple-pear flavor and aroma, and a generous, creamy mouthfeel. Ripe, with signature stoniness. Ready to share!
Lingua Franca ‘Estate’ Chardonnay 2022 Willamette Valley (Oregon)
$39.99
An elegant, Burgundian style Chard that hides in plain sight – no perceptible oak (used barrels) and a creamy-leesy mouthfeel. Classic apple-pear fruit tones. Burgundian star co-founder Dominique Lafon’s touch for sure
Obsidian Ridge 'Poseidon' Chardonnay 2022 Carneros (CA)
$34.99
Restrained, sleek Cali Chard that will lure you back to the category! Aged in the winery’s own Hungarian oak.
Massican ‘Annia’ White Blend 2023 (California)
$29.99
Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Chardonnay, grown in Napa and Sonoma. A ‘Cal-Ital’ blend that’s ripe, lush and smooth – great for the family table. Named after a range of hills in Campania, and the family matriarch
GRENACHE & PINOT NOIR
The Language of Yes 'En Passerillage’ Grenache 2020 S. Maria Valley (CA)
$36.99
Wonderful, tasted repeatedly. Light in color and body, as tender as Grenache gets, with pure, gentle red fruit flavor and fragrance throughout. Dried on paper mats. From the hands of the irrepressible Randall Grahm
Domaine Arnoux Chorey-Lès-Beaune 2021 Burgundy (France)
$34.99
Sleek and true! A lovely medium-weight Pinot, with red and black cherry fruit, and a supple texture. What one could hope for in a red Burg at this price. The whole Arnoux family works this estate in the Côte de Beaune
Dominique Gruhier Bourgogne Épineuil 2022 Burgundy (France)
$26.99
Sleek and tight, but with a welcoming complex aroma of red cherries and flowers, and dusty earth. A steal.
Grojean Pinot Noir 'Vigne Tzeriat' 2022 Vallee d’Aosta (Italy)
$39.99
Forward and sophisticated, with wild strawberry and lavender aromas and an easy flavor. Exotic and very good!
Lioco Pinot Noir 2022 Mendocino County (CA)
$27.99
Tons of appeal with Pinot’s signature strawberry-scented fruit; cinched on the palate with earthiness and a touch of pleasant bitterness. Structured and delish!
Talley Pinot Noir 2022 San Luis Obispo Coast (CA)
$36.99
Gorgeous strawberry-clove aromas beckon to a light-bodied palate. From an ultra-coolest zone for Pinot.
RoseRock Pinot Noir ‘Zéphirine’ 2022 Eola-Amity Hills (Oregon)
$54.97
Rich, deep, structured Oregon Pinot, from the hands of the most admirable Véronique Drouhin Boss
ITALIAN RED WINES
Elio Perrone 'Tasmorcan' Barbera d'Asti 2022 Piedmont (Italy)
$19.99
An artisanal Barbera d’Asti, with enough extraction to stain the glass! From a single vineyard at high altitude. A wonderful lavender-like nose. Smooth and fresh. Value Alert!
G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba Superiore 'Viola delle Viole' 2022 Piedmont (Italy)
$37.99
An ambassador for Barbera’s quality potential: mouthfilling, plummy flavors, smooth texture. A must try
Girolamo Russo 'A Rina' Etna Rosso 2021 Sicily (Italy)
$29.99
Very welcome value in expressive Nerello Mascalese, Etna’s star red varietal. Complex, floral aromas.
Casanova di Neri ‘Pietradonice’ 2021 Toscana (Italy)
$98.99
100 % Cabernet Sauvignon from an exceptional Brunello producer. Pure black fruit, lovely violet/lavender aroma, distinct rocky tones (like Pauillac!). Older, larger barrels, so no heavy wood tones. Beautiful.
SPANISH & GREEK RED WINES
Costers del Priorat 'Rocafosca' 2020 Priorat (Spain)
$39.99
Manages to have concentration and freshness, complexity and lift. Mostly Samsò (old vine Cariñena) with Garnacha. Aged in 500 liter foudres. Plenty of rocky earth, dried and tart fruit. Really fine!
Remelluri Rioja Reserva 2015 (Spain)
$44.99
A rich, sophisticated Rioja Alavesa. Plenty of vanillin oak (French barrels) leads to a super smooth texture. Thank the barrel and bottle age for the wine’s complexity. Will please Cab lovers!
Mercouri Estate Red (Refosco-Mavrodaphne) 2021 Peloponnese (Greece)
$24.99
Mellow crowd-pleaser, with ripe red fruit and a kiss of vanillin oak. Made from a valued Italian red grape.
Thymiopoulos 'Earth & Sky' Xinomavro 2022 Naoussa (Greece)
$37.99
From the original Macedonia in the northeast. An aromatic Xinomavro (ksee-no’mavro), with potpourri and dried red fruit on the nose, much like Nebbiolo. Quite dry, ready for lamb!
FRENCH RED WINES
Danjou Banessy 'Roboul' Mouvèdre-Grenache 2022 Cotes Catalanes (France)
$30.99
Tender and pretty, with floral scents. Beautifully balanced between Mourvèdre’s dark flavor and Grenache’s translucent lift. Neat and complete!
Lampyres 'Anima' Syrah, Espina de L'Agly Rousillon 2022 (France)
$31.99
Great smoky/ dried herb aroma, Syrah’s stamp. Medium-full, from hilly Roussillon near the Spanish border.
Domaine de Châteaumer 'Couvée Vincent' Côtes-du-Rhône 2022 (France)
$18.99
‘Wowie!’ flavor, with equal parts ripe raspberry fruit, earthiness, peppery meat - a polished Syrah that’s a steal. Very long, very good
Domaine Gour de Chaulé Gigondas 2020 Rhône Valley (France)
$37.99
Immediate appeal, with equal parts earth and ripe ‘sweet’ fruit. Packed with flavor. Delish!
Le Petit Smith Haut-Lafitte 2020 Pessac-Léognan (France)
$37.99
The 2nd wine of Chât. Smith Haut Lafitte, very showy! With forward black fruit, leather tones, touch of earth, smooth, balanced. 60% Cab/ 40% Merlot. Great gift.
NEW WORLD RED WINES
Left Foot Charley Blaufränkisch 2022 Old Mission Peninsula (Michigan)
$29.99
As good a Michigan red as you’ll meet! A.K.A Lemberger. Medium-full, rich black fruit, spice, smooth tannins.
Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley (CA)
$54.99
Simply a lot of Napa Cab for the money: smooth, integrated, medium-full, dark fruited, and delish now. Impeccably made and classic to the core.
Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 'Filius' 2021 Margaret River (W. Australia)
$19.99
A staggering value in Cabernet – from the hands of Virginia Wilcock, a pioneer in Margaret River excellence.
Elisabeth Spencer Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Napa Valley (CA)
$54.99
What an elegant, balanced Napa Cab! Beautiful black and red berry fruit, polished but grippy tannins.
Ex Post Facto Syrah, Greg Brewer 2022 Sta. Rita Hills (CA)
$54.99
Dark raspberry fruit, followed by Syrah’s seductive smokiness, and an herbal kiss. Rich, balanced, delish
SWEET TREAT
Château Coutet Premier Grand Cru Classé 2019 Barsac (France)
$34.99 half btl.
Simply gorgeous sweet white Bordeaux/Sauternes. Deep, botrytis-touched aroma (saffron, candied peaches), slick mouthfeel. Made in 50% new oak.
