ABOUT: This dude must have stories! Laurent Saillard worked front of house at Balthazar in NYC, I can only imagine the riotous tales of endless characters. After doing the restaurant thing winemaking inspiration stuck! so he moved back to France and began working with outstanding Loire winemaker Noella Morantin. He started bottling his own wine in 2012, then shortly thereafter Clos Roche Blanche was making the crushing decision to sell its vineyard; Laurent and a friend were there to catch their lucky break. The wines are absolutely top notch, and certified organic, and the labels are pretty cool. You could pick his bottle off the shelf with your eye from thirty feet. TASTE: Laurent Saillard You and Me Chenin Blanc 2021 is made from organic Chenin Blanc grown by his pal Julien Moreau of Domaine de Cambalu. The vines are young and the aromas and flavors are classic Loire Chenin; fresh lemon and green apple, lemon curd, ginger, salt and almonds. There’s a twinge of sweetness and a buzzing needle of acidity. The label and namesake give off an easy going vibe but this is serious Chenin made by a shrewd winemaker. PAIR: Ginger fried rice with bok choy, vegetarian pho topped with pickled garlic, tempura green beans with almonds, Inari stuffed with tofu, Japanese chestnut tea cake, and corn fritters with dill sauce.
