Autumn was in the air. There was a nip to the breeze and Labor Day was closing in. The day was September 2nd and it marked the beginning of trade-tasting season frenzy and what an auspicious start it was at the Jenny & Francois Selections tasting.

I tasted, almost, everything. Among the usually brilliant Claude Courtois (he offers one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had), Plageoles (love that funky-monkey sparkling Mauzac), Tournelle (the Ploussard ‘04 was stunning, mushroomy, earthy and whispered umami), Olivier Cousin (his Grolleau is the definition of earth and purity of fruit), Binner (whose wines are aromatic without being big and perfume-y), Guillot-Broux (whose Gamay is amazingly nervy and mineral) Herve Souhaut (those reds are too beautiful) and Loup Blanc (wines that are generous, sumptuous and taste of place) there were new additions to the portfolio worth getting just as excited over.

There are more sharp, chalky champagnes from Jacques Lessaigne. Joining the Brut Blanc de Blancs NV (my go-to NV champers) there is the Millesime 2002, which has a smidgen of Pinot Noir (6%) and offers an earthier, floral element compared to the Blance de Blanc. Le Cotet is made from a smaller parcel of 40 + year old vines. It was wonderfully weird, earthy and mineral. Colline Inspire is aged in barrel and you can tell. It wasn’t overty woody but I associate Lessaigne with such astute mineral that I found myself instinctively disappointed.

Another newcomer to J&F’s book is the lovely, floral (almost Cru Beauj-like) Mortier St. Nicolas de Bourgeil and it’s a steal too at $163 frontline.

J&F are gently expanding into Italy and Spain. The most memorable bottle at the table was the Colombaia Chianti ’07 – a pretty wine with good structure.

After tasting all this and more I took my stained tongue and near-black teeth to Abraco for a much needed café cortado. It’s all in a day’s work.