I selected the wines for October with gathering together and sharing a meal in mind, jumping on the Come Over October campaign, celebrating friendship and connection that Karen McNeil has initiated. 

To make that easy to do, we have six value wines that are solid, well-made wines, that make it easy to enjoy a glass with friends.  The 2023 Zestos Rosado is dry and fresh, made from old vines Garnacha.  The wine is elegant, smooth and fresh.  It has a lovely mineral element that shows itself as salinity.  It has a vibrancy, likely because of the cold mountain nights.  The weather is extreme and the elevation 2625 ft, but it is these conditions that give the wine its aromatics and character.  There are strawberries and pomegranate coupled with fresh cherry and grapefruit pith. The finish is crisp, so the wine lends itself to rich dishes like the fig, ricotta bruschetta that I mentioned above.  

Keeping it chilled, the 2022 Panoro Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is dry, fresh, and aromatic, which means that the aromas on the nose and on the palate are pronounced.  When you lean into this glass, you will be confronted with fruit, floral, and citrus notes.  It will bring a smile to your face. You cannot help wanting to take a sip.  The balance of pear, apricot with lemon and orange peel, opens up to a jasmine freshness with just a hint of mint.  This wine makes we want a simple risotto with lemon zest and grilled prawns. 

For a little more full-bodied white, try the 2022 Pullus Halozan, which is a blend of Welschriesling, Riesling, Chardonnay, Furmint, and Pinot Blanc.  This may sound like a lot, but it is a typical blend for Slovenia, and it is intended to enjoy with local seafood.  In addition to the liter bottle, which affords you an extra glass, this wine is meant to share with friends. It is, simply put, a crowd pleaser, as it should be.  Blends give winemakers a lot to work with.  This one has five varietals, each with its own character, bringing the wine into harmony.  It is fascinating when you begin to blend and see what each grape brings to the composition.  You just have to pour a glass and enjoy it with lighter meats, risotto, cheese and charcuterie. 

For reds, it is getting a little cooler at night, so I am leaning into reds with a bit more intensity.  I try to select reds from lighter to more full-bodied, so the 2022 Zillamina Red from a Spanish Coop that began in 1932.  They are pioneers in certified organic production and now have more than 600 hectares in production.  Their red is 100% Monastrell and has a vibrant ruby red color, which compels you to lean in and inhale.  The aroma, for me, is all sunshine, warmth and dusty thyme, with berry and red cherry notes.  The earth and spice follow on the palate, which gives the wine a layered flavor profile that far exceeds its modest price point.  It is structured and powerful without weight.  Yes, I love this wine.  Try it with a tapas menu, with which it will shine! 

For a more full bodied expression, grab one of two Cabernet Sauvignon’s included in this month’s selections.  As of late, there are more requests for full-bodied reds.  It is the pendulum swinging back, and it is happening with some modicum of balance, which is to say that there appears to be a correction from the Robert Parker days.  Your palates are more refined then that, and you are seeking bold without “bowl you over.” You have two options at the value level: 2020 Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon from California  and the 202 La Mayne Turon from Bordeaux. Ideally, invite some friends and try them side by side, it is an opportunity to learn.  They are both solid, value wines with interesting flavors, good intensity, and delicious, bold wines.  That said, they are different. The French wine is leaner, with more acidity, and the California wine is smoother, more fruit forward, riper on the midpalate, more plum where the French is more brambly fruit, but also earthy and good tannins on the finish.  I like them both, so you decide, and tell me what you ate with them...I would vote for a steak on an open fire grill. 

For the Select wines, I first included the 2023 Tipsy Rose Rosé of Pinot Noir because I have had wonderful response to the wine, and I am eager to share it with you.  It is a food rosé, meaning that it is more substantial in flavor and body.  It is a direct to press rosé made with 100% Pinot Noir from Carneros, Napa, where Pinot likes to grow because of the cool winds off of the San Pablo Bay. The flavors and aromas of fresh black cherries, raspberry, citrus and a hint of fennel are balanced with a smooth midpalate, from the malolactic ferment. This gives the wine texture and fleshiness.  I would enjoy this with some chunked parmesan and thinly sliced prosciutto. 

For whites this fall, try the 2023 Cheveau Macon-Fuisse for a  Chardonnay that will no doubt, rock your world.  Don’t say it, do not say you don’t like Chardonnay.  Chill this, open it and be prepared for the “Sam, I am.” Moment, and you will laugh and admitthat I might be on to something!  The weight of the fruit—apples, melon, pear, pineapple, and lemon—is offset by stony minerality and crisp, fresh salinity.  There is a supple mouth feel and a savory finish. Just touched judiciously with oak, the wine reveals this with a hint of vanilla and its texture that neutral barrels impart.  I would enjoy this one with a pan-seared salmon.  

If you are thinking leaner in style, grab the 2022 dell’ Angelo Greco di Tartufo Riserva.  It is elegant and intense.  The family holds over 5 hectares, exclusively growing Greco grapes in 2 plots that are located above ancient sulfur mines.  Their soils are rich in minerals and sulphureous materials that give the wines particular characteristics. The family has chosen to work with a low environmental impact, respectful of nature and the healthiness of the soil: for example, weeding is not practiced and all activities in the vineyard are performed manually. The grapes undergo soft pressing and fermentation on indigenous yeasts at low temperature, so as to preserve the integrity of the aromas. Without clarification, it is left to mature naturally in stainless steel containers for 3-4 months before bottling.  The result is a white, stone fruits, pear and citrus with wet stone (I know that sounds weird, but it’s the best way to describe minerality), and if sunshine had a flavor, this is it!  The wine is power without weight.  Enjoy this with roasted lighter meats, grilled fish, white beans with escarole. 

It is not typical of me to include three whites, but it is fall, and the flavors on our table in this shoulder season call for Chenin Blanc, so I am compelled to do this, just this once.  I hope you will indulge me.  If you must have three reds, ask, we will accommodate your request!  Trust me, though, you will want this South African Chenin Blanc produced by Craig and Carla Hawkins in the sandstone soils of the Piketberg. The Testalonga It has a richness that s alluring and very satisfying.  It is a food wine but let the wine shine by accompanying it with a simple dish, some hard cheeses and charcuterie.  In keeping with Chenin Blanc, it has a rising acidity that makes in incredibly food-flexible and friendly.  It would be lovely with a spatchcocked chicken grilled with tomatillo salsa!  Put a little char on that chicken! 

The reds are both intense without a heavy hand, which is a balance that I seek always.  This sounds obvious, but it is not easy to accomplish.  Depth of flavor and intensity come from the ripeness of the grape, so knowing when to pick is vital to the success of balance.  Often, winemakers are tempted by increased ripeness to get more flavor and more intensity, but that can lead to heaviness on the palate.  Good growers and winemakers know their varietal and how to coax out of the grape intensity and satisfying, complex flavors, while keeping a freshness on the wine so we can continue to sip.   

The 2021 Vigneti Massa Terra Rosso is red ruby to the eye, with aromas of plum, violet, berries, and cherry.  There are ample tannins for structure, but the wine remains smooth and accessible. There is a soft spice and black currant on the finish that make you pause and think for a moment. Similarly, the 2022 Davanture Cote Chalonaise has a core flavor of cherry and blackberry that is balanced with spice and pepper, soft round tannins and ample acidity.  Both Barbera and Pinot Noir are considered medium bodied reds, but it is the intensity of flavor and the depth of layered flavor—fruit, spice, earth, and acidity, that give character to these wines.  They are committed to quality, and it shows! 

These wines are food flexible because of their build and intensity of flavors, but I am thinking about a roasted pork loin with a mixed roasted fall vegetable platter—squash, brussels, mushroom, and root vegetables with just olive oil and salt.  

For the Collector Wines are both from one remarkable winemaker, whose story is as compelling as his wines.  Guillaume Guiton, the son of Jean Guiton, is the wine maker now, and he has followed in his father’s tradition of making wines that are true to place.  I met Guillaume with Pascal Schildt, the importer of his wines.  Pascal’s enthusiasm for the Guiton wines is contagious and rightfully so.  Here are the notes from Pascal’s website about the Domaine: 

Jean Guiton tended vines for several producers as an “ouvrier,” until he has the opportunity to buy some vineyards in Ladoix and Aloxe-Corton and start making wine on his parents property in Bligny-Les_Beaune in 1973. Domaine Jean Guiton was born. In 1987, a second opportunity allowed Jean to purchase more vineyards, this time in Savigny, Beaune and Pernand-Vergelesses and soon thereafter in Volnay and Pommard too.  Jean’s son, Guillaume, is at the helm of the Domaine today and the 2nd generation producing wines for his family’s estate. He joined the family business in 1998 (fresh out of the Lycée Viticole de Beaune) and took over the reigns of the Domaine completely in 2009. Jean embraces a lean style of winemaking (no pigéage), while maintaining great structure. Though the vineyards are not certified organic, the entire property is farmed without the use of systemic herbicides or pesticides.  The Domaine consists of 12 hectares of vineyards dotted around the following villages (comprising Village and 1er Cru appellations): Bligny-Les-Beaune, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix. Total production is only around 5,400 cases from 12 appellations. They produce mostly red wines (95%), exclusively from Pinot Noir, with a bit of Aligoté as well as Chardonnay for his Haute-Côtes-de-Beaune white. 

The wines are precise and balanced and have something at the core that reflects Guillames spirit of adventure and generosity. Enjoy these with regional specialties like scallops st. Jaques, roasted duck au poivre, and au gratin potatoes.   

Enjoy the aroma of fall in the air, cheers, Maria 

Pressed for Thought

Over the last month, I have learned so much.  I have bottled my 2023 reds and begun the harvest for my 2024 wines—reds, whites, and rosé! I am reminded why there is a difference between small, independent wine makers and the big, commercial producers.  At the risk of repeating myself, I am just going to say that small is better, full stop. 

Every day, I go to the winery and put my hands on every wine, whether it is to stir the lees to give the wine some texture and a little more weight on the palate or to punch down the cap or to get in the bins and tread on the grapes to extract flavor and aromas. Maybe I stir to give it a little air, to nudge the fermentation along. I look at the surface of the wine, the color, the tiny bubbles that tell me it is fermenting. I take in a big inhalation through my nose to see what I smell—is it still fresh and tangy, which indicates a healthy fermentation.   I put my ear to the whole of the barrel, listening to the whispering buzz.  And, I taste it, again and again.  The flavors are all over the place from very sweet at the start, when it is still just grape juice to the tart, bitterness of the end, when it goes dry. 

At each stage my senses are the gauge of what to do next.  Yes, there are, of course, more high tech scientific testing options that are available, which can tell you about sugar levels, alcohol, your acids and nutrients, but people have been making wine for 8000 years, most of that was well before the laboratories existed, so I prefer to let the wine tell me what it needs to become the style I am looking for. Yes, the winemaker does have a role in this. 

I often say that wine making is not that difficult, and I believe this.  If you begin with healthy, delicious fruit, you don’t have to do much.  Put the grapes in the bin and let them ferment, then press and bottle.  More or less, this is true; however, each step has several small decisions that will shape the outcome.  It is in these moments that a winemaker’s touch informs the style and quality of the wine. 

Today, I decided not to inoculate my Riesling, against the advice of a few far more experienced winemakers. Not that I don’t trust them, I do, but I just have a preference for natural fermentation.  It has always been my preference to allow the native yeast to kick off fermentation.  The main reason is that wines that I like to drink are made this way.  The difference, for me, is twofold—philosophical and practical, both have an impact on the style and quality of the wine.  For one, the less I manipulate, the more pure, more natural, and honest the wine will taste.  This is the philosophical, of course, but there is an impact on flavor, quality and style.  The less manipulated, the less strain on the wine, which allows the wine to express itself. Keeping it simple and using native yeasts, the ones that exist on the grapes and in the winery will almost always ferment more slowly, allowing for more complexity of the aromas and flavors. 

All of this work is inspired by the wines that I have been enjoying over the last sixteen years, and those I continue to find for the wine club.  My apologies for the delay in this list, but here are the September wines! 

The Value wines include the 2021 Stereo Blanco is a blend of Airen ( a local varietal form central Spain, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc.  It is easy, aromatic, and fresh with loads of lemon and lime zest.  The finish has the minerality of wet stone and invokes a little of the aroma of fall in New England when the dry leaves scrap against the pavement in the cool breezes that are pushing summer along. Enjoy it with some pan roasted fish.   

The other Value white hails from South Africa, the 2021 Wightman & Sons Chenin Blanc offers a more full bodied white with stone fruit, honey notes, and rich almond, all balanced by intense acidity that is typical of the varietal.  The Chenin is from three distinct parcels ranging from 15 to nearly 60 year old vines, which gives the wine complexity and layers of flavor and aromatics, as well as character.  Is it possible that a wine can have an old soul? I think so after sipping on this one!  Try this with some roasted summer squashes, slow cooked pork, or vegetable lasagna. 

If you want something cold, but prefer just a touch of color and tannin, then grab the Radley & Finch Rosé.  Yes, this is a return to the club because of its value but also its perfect style for the last days of summer.  It has all the summer berries with the addition of melon and saline, ocean minerality.  Take this one to the beach for a picnic of charcuterie and cheeses. 

For the reds, I selected three the 202 El Mono Tempranillo that is youthful and fresh with wonderful depth of flavor from the twenty-five-year-old vines, red berries and bright cherry aromas with cacoa and spice on the finish.  Smooth and spice enjoy this one with some short rib or grill night.  If you are seeking something a bit more full bodied, try the 2020 Domaine Piquemal Cotes du Rhone, a classic Grenache blend, this one has all the red berry but also plummy notes and wonderful citrus to lighten the intensity on the palate.  Like the Tempranillo, it can handle red meats, but also lovely with roasted lighter fare or with vegetable gratin, which the farmer’s market encourages you to make right now! 

If full bodied is more your vibe tonight, enjoy the 2021 La Raz Barberac, a bold and supple red from the Dordogne in the Southwest of France.  It is a blend of Bordeaux varietals—Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec.  Intense, dark and spicey.  I am clearly in the mood for a little spice, but it is that time of year to warm up our table with some spices.  Maybe it’s time for a cassoulet! 

For the Select Wines, I begin with the 2021 Courtade Blanc, a blend of Rolle (or Vermentino) and Semillon.  I love this combination because it is unique and brilliant.  The Rolle is bright and fresh with floral aromatics, stone fruit and bright acidity, which makes it ideally suited for Semillon, which is round and soft, more melon and pear, but also saline and herbs.  They complement each other beautifully.  It is a wonderful accompaniment for shellfish.  It is time for savory whites, so I also selected the 2022 Frecciarossa Pinot Grigio, and before you say another word, chill it, and try it!  Poor Pinot Grigio has gotten a bad rep, but it is an elegant and delicious easy drinking white ideally suited for shellfish, salad, or a charcuterie platter.  Take this one with its citrus and ripe apple, toasted almond and herbal notes to Polo on Saturday and don’t forget your hat! 

For rosé, I selected the 2023 Big Flower Rosé of Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch.  It is lively and packed with flavor—berry, watermelon, floral, and savory notes-it is dry and impactful.  I suggest enjoying this with some salmon and the last tranche of tomatoes.  Don’t worry it will provide the ideal canvas for the fat of the fish and the bright acidity of the tomatoes.  Just smear a little cultured butter on a slice of fresh bread and dive in! 

Fall flavors lean into the richer styles of cooking, so the reds have a bit more spice.  To begin the 2021 Fram Cinsault is light to medium bodied red that you can chew on.  The importer describes the fruit as “crunchy,” a description that gave me pause for thought.  What does that mean, but as I sipped it, I understood.  The wine tastes of fresh bright, tart berries that are supported by tannins that invoke the stems and seeds more than the barrel.  I can almost imagine biting into one of the grapes and feeling the pop and crackle of the mature seeds inside.  It is one of the indicators that the grapes are ready to harvest.  What better wine to enjoy at the time of our harvest! This one is ideal for roasted butternut squash with crumbled goat cheese and fresh pomegranate seeds. 

If you are preparing some richer, meatier dishes, then grab the 2020 Langa Pasion Garnacha or the 2020 Mas des Infermieres Luberon Rouge.  These wines have an intensity of fruit—berry, blackberry, plum—with pepper and anise. Yes, they share some flavors, but what is different is the style, a result of the work in the winery.  The Pasion has an undeniable modern style, fruit forward and deliciously satisfying.  The Mas des Infermieres is decidedly old world with loads of ripe fruit, it is still the structure and acidity that stands out to me.  I love them both and curious to hear which you like better, or if like me, you are happy on the fence! 

For the more elevated experience, indulge in the Collector picks for September.  Talk about riding the fence!  This month, I selected a California Pinot Noir and a white Burgundy, bit these two wines actually dance very nicely together. 

The 2022 Assiduous Pinot Noir has all that spice that I have been craving, but wrapped inelegance.  The word means made with great care, and that is precsiely how Keegan Mayo works.  He is fastidious about his wine making which allows him to make wonderful wines that are unfiltered, unfined, and unadulterated, to borrow his own description.  Matt Kettman, of WE describes it “Slightly hazy in the glass, this bottling from a historic vineyard in Corralitos enlivens the nose with aromas of freshly smashed melons and raspberry alongside elegant floral elements and a peppery spice. The sharp raspberry compote flavors of the palate are lifted by mace, sumac and rose petals, making for a very engaging sip.” Keegan is as generous personally as he is in his wine making.  This is sure to please in its balance and finesse and tense flavors.  Enjoy it with some roasted duck breast. 

If you are feeling sassy, you might begin the meal with the 2018 Thibert Saint Veran Champ Rond.  This brother and sister team have a wonderful story... “The story of Domaine Thibert reads like a veritable saga. This family of artisan winemakers has been living at the heart of Fuissé village since at least 1668. 

Both from a long line of winemakers, Andrée and René Thibert started with a tiny plot in 1967. In 1991, their son Christophe came back to the Domaine, and his sister Sandrine joined him in managing the Domaine in 1999. Leveraging their deep-seated knowledge of the region’s vineyards, the inter-generational knowledge and their experience, today the wines of Domaine Thibert reflect and express this “savoir-faire”.” 

Indeed, the approach is to allow the wines to be expressive of their natural habitat.  The result is a wine of intense bouquet that is compelling and charming with soft citrus notes, floral aromas, apples, pears and minerality.  It sees time in neutral oak, which is just judiciously used.  The minerality on this wine sings of its limestone and sandstone origins.  Enjoy it with just about anything!  Seriously, it is a food flexible wine, but give it food, it will reward you! 

I promise more timely notes in October, but the harvest is keeping these hands very busy. I hope you are enjoying the fall, wherever you are reading these notes.  Uncork something delicious and take a bite, and continue to support wine makers who are not manipulating the wines, but rather give you an honest, pure, tasty wine to elevate fill up your senses!

Cheers, Maria