January Wine Club Notes

Indulgence

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January 2020

Value Case

NV Pere Mata Cava Brut Sparkling This is not a new wine for the shop, but rather a perennial favorite. I cannot omit bubbles, as it is itself an occasion, so enjoy this bright fresh Cava. The wine maker’s name is Pere Mata, and he is passionate about his wines. Pere only uses the classic grape varieties of Xarello, Macabeu and Parellada, as he feels that these are the grapes most suited to the task of speaking the terroir of Cava. All the wines spend some time on the lees (meaning that during and after the fermentation the wine is allowed to rest with the natural sediment), which imparts the texture of this wine. It is a little bit luscious, but also fresh because of the active bubbles and the acidity. I like this one on it’s own, honestly, but it can handle a lot of food, from cheese boards to a hearty salad.

2016 Petrognano Trebbiano. While this family owns a large vineyard of 85 hectares (about 200 acres), they do so with a very small production philosophy—all hand harvested and all grown and produced on the estate. About twenty five percent of the wine is produced in small batched and this blend is part of that smaller project. Trebbiano is a grape that I think will appeal to Unoaked Chardonnay drinkers because of its richness and fruit forward style with a touch of peach and good minerality on the finish. It would be delicious with a bowl of aglio olio or even some chicken Milanese.

2017 Tikves Rkaciteli A new one for us, that has been very well received. I think it is a crowd pleaser because of its gentle expression on your palate. It is straw to lemon color in the glass, but so delicate, with a crisp and clean vibrancy and a simple finish. It comes to us from Macedonia, which I admittedly had to look up on the map to see where that is! The wine bespeaks the food of the region with its freshness and aromas of nuts and melon. It is screaming for some simple roasted lighter meats with a fresh salad...as are we all after the indulgence of the holidays.

2017 Vera de Estenas Bobal Established in 1945, Vera de Estenas is one of the most traditional producers with some of the oldest vine holdings in the region. The family’s mission is to preserve the production of wines from the local Bobal grape utilizing organic farming and traditional winemaking methods. The DO Utiel-Requena is centered around the two towns which give it its name, and sits at 800 meters elevation about 50 miles inland from the Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia. The vineyards generally sit on slopes running from the northwest to southeast, and although harshly continental in climate, the region possesses two river valleys that help moderate temperatures, along with a cool wind that blows off Spain’s central Meseta called the Solano. Wine production goes back to pre-Roman times. The DO was established in 1957 and is considered the ancestral home to the Bobal grape, which is a variety that has been historically used in anonymous blends of bulk wine. Within the last few decades, a small group of quality-minded producers have revitalized fine wine production from this oft-misunderstood grape. The grapes are harvested by hand, and the wine is fermented in concrete tanks with native yeast, and raised half in concrete and half in used American oak barrels for 8 months. It is medium bodied, ripe, with bright acidity and shows notes of damson plums, spice, and earth.

2018 Anselmi Ca’stele Ribolla Gialla I love the story of this simple inexpensive wine. Ca' Stella di Anselmi was founded in 1928 in Pocenia commune of Friuli about 60 km NW of the port city of Trieste. Now in its fourth generation, the tenuta is run by the original owner’s grandsons, Giuseppe and Luigi. Soils here on this 170 hectare estate are of compact clay and sand with use of sustainable farming and vinification practices. It is a light easy drinking white with a little more body than a pinot grigio, so better for winter months, when you just want an easy sipper while you are cooking. The wine is light, but don’t be fooled the flavors are abundant, with notes of citrus, tangerine, and baked apple, even a little fresh thyme. Sip it on its own, or enjoy with a a white bean and kale soup!

2018 La Val Albarino These vineyards are located in the sub-zone called Condado de Tea and the vines are 20+ years old. The winemaker at La Val was the pioneer in planting vines in this subregion in the 80s with much success. This zone has a special microclimate where they see more hours of sunshine than other areas of the region. The boast favorable exposure and sandy soil with lots of pebbles and slate below, which results in great drainage and strong vines. They use pergola trained vines to allow for better air circulation and ripening and do all hand harvesting. All of this care is followed by gentle ferment and press and wine is aged on the lees and released in May/June the year following harvest. I love this Albarino because it is very high in acid so it can handle rich foods and stews, so it is a wonderful winter white.

2018 Villa Alpini Pinot Grigio. While many will argue that PG is a simple wine not worthy of our contemplation, I will disagree. When Pinot Grigio is done right, it produces a wine that is elegant and delicious, with notes of citrus, apple, melon, and toasted almond. It is refreshing while at the same time flavorful. And this wine is precisely that. It is not complicated, just damn good white wine with more going on that its price tag suggests. I want to try this with a fondata—molten taleggio or fontina and a big green salad.

2018 La Chapiniere Touraine. Gamay is one of my favorites for a variety of reasons. For starters, generally speaking, it is delicious, approachable, and inexpensive. It can be sipped on by itself, or improved by the company of food. It is deceivingly simply, while opening itself up to you slowly, revealing its complexity and charm only after you have given yourself to it. It is a wine that invites you to dance. La Chapiniere is no exception, with a playful fruitiness on the front and mid palate, and a surprising earthiness and herbal quality that invites you to take a bite of your roasted duck...oh, go on, make a special meal for this one😉.

2018 Siete Rioja Tinto. This Tempranillo is not a new one to the shop, but I forgot about her for a little while and then there she was, like an old friend. I love when that happens. It is like when you clean out your closet and find a sweater that you forgot about & you can’t stop wearing it. I have had a few of these lately and am always so thrilled with how much this bottle delivers for a mere $15. It is a medium bodied red, with a lot of character. Riojas can range in style and this one falls right in the middle, not too tannic, fresher and a little lighter than you might expect. It has deep dark brambly fruit flavors that are balanced by the structure of acid and tannins. This will buddy up to a burger or a steak quite well.

2018 Domaine La Remejeanne ‘un Air De Remejeanne’ Certified organic. 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. All of the fruit for Olivier Klein's excellent value Un Air Côtes du Rhône is drawn from the Estate's highland, sandy limestone vineyards set around the hamlet of Sabran. Everything is picked by hand, sorted, and then mostly destemmed. The ferment is natural and the wine then spends seven to eight months in concrete tanks with no fining and only a light filtration prior to bottling. From vines grown at around 250 meters above sea level, the 2018 is a wonderfully aromatic, supple and juicy Côtes du Rhône, that's medium-bodied and filled with plenty of blackberry and dark cherry fruit as well as hints of lavender and thyme, and some anise as well. Although there's some pulpy fruit, the finish is crisp and mouthwatering, courtesy of the wine's high country origins. I enjoyed this with some friends the other night with a simple roasted zucchini pizza and it was terrific together.

2017 Martilde Barbera Antonella Tacci and Raimondo Lombardi left IBM in Milan in 1991 to found Martilde. Combining the names of their two (initial) beloved cats, Matilde and Martina they named the winery Martilde. The estate is very close to the 45th parallel in Lombardy in Oltrepo Pavese in the northwest of Italy. This is a hilly area, about 70 kilometers south of Milan, wedged in between the neighboring regions of Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia Romagna. Located in the the commune of Rovescala, long reputed the birthplace of the Bonarda (Croatina) grape, the estate covers some 15 hectares. While Antonella and Raimondo pay particular attention to Bonarda, they make many types of wine, some traditional, others innovative. Their labels are delightfully whimsical paintings by Antonella, mainly of their beloved animals. Small production of 4-5000 cases. Old vineyards with low yields (30 hl/ha), A couple of new vineyards planted 5000 plants/hectare. Soil is clay with a little limestone (good for producing red grapes with high sugar levels). The rows between the vines are planted to grass, rather than ploughed, for maximal water management, and a degree of competition for the vines. Minimal treatments applied to the vines, and no pesticides, insecticides or chemical weedkillers. I like this one with the mushroom confit recipe from David Tanis’s Market Cookbook. I can share the recipe if you like, just email me and I will send it to you.

2015 Tikves Red. This is the red sibling of the Macedonian white above, and it is equally as delicious and interesting. It begins with a refreshing fruit with a lots of fresh cherry. It is not a rich wine, but it has impact in its flavor. Beyond the cherry, I find a smooth texture in the mouth that gives it a pinot kind of feel, but with more tannins and dry feeling on the palate. It finishes with herbs for me, which make me want food. This one really needs food, and I think best with something strong like mushrooms, roasted meats or braised lamb and couscous or polenta!

Select Case

2017 Segries Tavel Rosé This is a serious rosé, and I am so glad there is some left after the season. Rosé has gained in popularity since I opened, and there is less and less to enjoy during the winter months. And, yes, you should, especially this juicy, full bodied, rosé that you can really sink your teeth into. It is a blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Clairette, and Syrah, and the combination creates a complex wine that delivers all the fruit—watermelon, strawberry, and citrus—but also has razor sharp acidity, deep flavors of blackberry, fig, Asian spice, and smoke. It is curious, and compelling. It is good as a glass, but it is better with food. Enjoy it with Sushi, or something more intense light a roasted pork loin.

2017 Tami Grillo This from the Dressner site, says it so well...”Arianna Occhipinti has built a stellar reputation and following around the world with her eponymously named winery; her Occhipinti wines are a celebration of the Vittoria region's terroir and indigneous varietals, farmed and vinified as naturally as possible, but they are not always easily accessible. Together with a few friends, Arianna got the bug to create something local and organic but more within reach for every-day. The first form of Tami' was and remains a quirky, artsy shop in Siracusa, where artisanally made goods, including wines, are featured; one of the founding friends had a nearby vineyard with which to further the mission of providing inexpensive, delicious, naturally made wines. Arianna had the vineyard converted to organic farming, and the Tami' wine label emerged in the 2009 vintage. Though the wines are not made in her Occhipinti cellar, she does oversee the winemaking, which is carried out with only indigenous yeasts, short macerations and aging only in stainless steel. They are approachable in every way, being more readily available, modestly priced and earlier-drinking, delicious versions of three classic Sicilian varieties: Grillo, Frappato and Nero d'Avola. The name " Tami' " is indicative of the communal nature of the project: it's a contraction of "tra amici", meaning "among friends".”

2015 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White. A Cape white blend, rather than using Chenin as the central variety, John Seccombe has lead with Roussanne, incorporating Chardonnay and Semillon. Grapes were sourced from vineyards in theOverberg, Franschhoek, Voor-Paardeberg and Stellenbosch.The South African allocation sold out in two weeks of being launched, wasn’t long before the jokes about the wine being as ‘rare as rocking horse shit’ came into existence. Lot going on aromatically in this wine, initial blossom, peach and burnt sugar give way to more exotic wax, rosemary, caraway and seashore notes. Layered and complex, evolves beautifully in glass. The palate is fine, structured and rich with flavours of quince and tea-leaf that settle into a long finish.

2017 Domaine Labbe Abymes Vin de Savoie. Run by siblings Alexandra and Jerome Labbe, Domaine Labbe is comprised of a scant 10 hectares in the Savoie, just south of Chambéry. The Savoie region is an alpine region in Eastern France neighboring Switzerland. Many of the region’s vineyards are found close to the Rhone River as it winds its way from Geneva southward. There are 17 crus entitled to append their names to the Vin de Savoie appellation, of which Abymes is one. The appellation comes from the French word “abimé” which means broken and refers to the broken stones in the avalanches from the mountains. The Labbe family farms mostly Jacquere from these rocky slopes, making delicious, saline wines from the indigenous Jacqueres variety. I like this one with Raclette, and we have the cheese in stock, so come get some!

2017 Kruger Rumpf Scheurebe. It is so hard to get folks to try Riesling, but if you try this one, you will be converted to a Riesling Lover, Advocate, no less. This wine is abundant and beautiful. It’s rich texture is balanced by the acidity and minerality. It is no less than gorgeous with ripe stone fruit, apples, and peaches, and an intense biting brightness. You have to have it with something that will let it shine, like a simple roasted chicken and potato au gratin, or a pot of fondue and a green salad.

2016 Couleurs du Breuil “Le Grolleau” This is a light to medium bodied red from the Loire, which is hand’s down one of my favorite regions for wine. I am committed to my polyamorous relationship to food and wine, but if I were pressed for a region that I simply could not live without, Loire would be on the short list. That is why we are beginning our Club events on January 30th with a discussion of Loire wines (5-7, hope you will be there!). This one is an interesting one, with 50% Gamay, and 50% Grolleau, which is a grape I had to look up. I had never heard of it before I tried this wine. It is grown exclusively in the Loire, and like Gamay is not super well known. That is a gift for you and I because this wine is a steal. It is smooth and elegant and fresh, with notes of violets on the nose and supple fruit on the midpalate of berries and cherries, with a mushroomy finish. I love it. try it with beef bourguignon or a mushroom soup.

2018 Le Fraghe Bardolino “Brol Grande” First, let’s begin with the fabulous label. I know, I know! But, it does say something to me sometimes, and we eat with our eyes first. This wine is bright and fresh, with a soft supple feel in the mouth. I like Bardolino, it is like Amarone-Lite, intensity of flavor without the heavy body (I w=sounds like a lite beer commercial!). It is the same grape as they use in Valpolicella, which is shocking to this wine drinker, but true. This is a testimonial to the notion of terroir—the argument that soil and climate shape the taste of the grape. This Corvina has intense berry fruit on the nose and the palate with a hint of spice on the finish. It is elegant and so easy to drink that sipping works just fine, but it is great with some garlic and pasta.

2010 Agliaga Tinto This is a simple but delicious Tempranillo. This is Spain’s most well known grape, and it is the single most planted grape in the world. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, but you want to try something new, Tempranillo is going to excite you. It has the deep dark fruit flavors, with a lot of similar characteristics like tobacco and smoke, and depending on how much time it spends in oak, it can also have similar tannic structure. that said the flavor profile is a little different, so you will be expanding your palate. With a little more cherry and fig, it is just brighter and fruitier, while just as dry. Try it next time you make a burger and your mind will be blown!

2017 Broc Cellars “Vine Starr” Zinfandel No surprise that Chris Broc has created a red Zin under 13% alcohol. It is delicate rather than a bulldozer of power and flavor. I love his wines, and this one is no exception. It has all the wonderful fruit associated with red zin’s--strawberry, plum, blueberry, boysenberry, and fig, and with a lovely floral aromatics on the nose. The finish has a pleasant grainy texture, which is part of the richness of this wine, but the balanced acidity leave the palate cleansed. I would sip on this one after dinner, or enjoy it with a seared filet and some sautéed broccoli rabe.

2017 Cuilleron Syrah Inky, dark and brooding in the glass, this Syrah beckons you. On the nose it is brambly rich in the floral and fruits of the earth. Inhaling the aromatics, your mouth waters. And as the wine passes from the glass to your lips, you have the faintest smile as the corners of your mouth rise and the aroma becomes taste. That wonderful pleasant fruit pours onto the palate. It is unmistakably French Syrah, big, smooth, rich and warming. the tannins dry the back palate, and the acidity makes you pucker just a bit before you take a bite of the roasted duck that you prepared to highlight this wine. Uncork it 30 minutes before you drink it, and swoon immediately upon consumption.

2018 Peyressol La Croix Rouge. Cabernet and Syrah—like Rhone meets Bordeaux, these two grapes dance in this wine together in perfect harmony creating a wonderfully smooth and surprisingly refreshing red with a medium body and a long lingering pleasant finish. The Cab gives it structure and the Syrah its finesse and texture. It is admittedly a go to lunch wine for me, when I indulge at that time of the day. It is lighter than you would expect from these two grapes, but there is something of the dry garrigue of the south of France that lightens the ripeness and gives it freshness. I love this with a whole roasted chicken and smashed potatoes and a salad. Lunch is served!

Collector’s Selections

2014 Tyler Dierberg Vineyard Block 5 Pinot Noir. Justin Willet is a Rockstar in the wine world on California. He is young and he is doing great things, making fantasist wines that are nuanced, subtle and a work of art. This particular pinot, which I am lucky to still have a few bottles of, has reached a little bit of maturity and is drinking beautifully. This from Michael Skurnick, “Few of California’s young winemakers possess the regional mastery that is illustrated by the work of Justin Willett, of Tyler winery. A son of Santa Barbara, Justin began Tyler in 2005 with eight barrels tucked away in the corner of Arcadian Winery, where he honed his approach to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as assistant winemaker. Justin – a champion of old vines – has since engaged the famed historic vineyards of Santa Barbara, including the region-defining Sanford & Benedict, in the Sta. Rita Hills, and more recently, Bien Nacido, in the Santa Maria Valley. He is looking forward, too: just last year, Justin began planting a Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyard – a forty-five acre property, with some twenty-six acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Here, in a winegrowing region defined by its transverse ranges and valleys, where hills glitter with marine sediment and harbor the ocean’s winds, Justin makes wines of clarity and poise. His wines lead with structure and persistence; they evoke confidence, focus, and vibrancy. Justin is the first to tell you that these are virtues of terroir: they are not created in the cellar, but delicately drawn forth.

All grapes – both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – are handpicked at night, before being further sorted by hand at the winery. Pinot Noir is evaluated for stem-inclusion, and then the cold fruit is soaked for three to five days, until a native yeast fermentation begins. Both punch-downs and pump-overs are implemented; maceration often lasts some two weeks before the wine is pressed to tank and then barrel for elevage. The use of new oak varies by vineyard, vine age, and vintage, however most barrels used are neutral. After a year in barrel, the wine is racked, blended, and returned to barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.”

This particular pinot has a quality to it that is unmatched by other wines in its class and price point. On the nose it offers the aromatics of berries and floral notes, violets, anise, and wet leaves. It follows on the palate with smooth soft fruits, fresh cherries and black berry, with a hint of cranberry as the acidity mounts and finishes with a kiss of vanilla and tea leaves. The wine does spend some time in oak, some new and some neutral, but it is subtle, adding texture to the fruit and providing structure that allows the wine to age. It is drinking beautifully now, but will continue to lay down for some time. I want salmon or pan seared halibut, but it can handle richer dishes, too. Pinot is a crowd pleasure when it comes to food pairing.

2015 Keenan Merlot. Michael Keenan is one of my favorite wine makers from California. He is larger than life, both in height and in spirit. When I first met Michael, I was visiting Napa with a girlfriend, many years ago, not a work thing, just fun, and we were recovering from the previous night’s merriment. Yes, we were hungover, (shhh, our secret), and I was laying in the sun on one of the picnic tables contemplating the judgement of going in for the tasting (yes, it was that bad). I saw a man approaching us and sat up, he handed me a glass of Cabernet Franc and said, “that should help.”

I love that Cabernet Franc, as much as I adore this Merlot.

Maria ChiancolaJanuary 16, 2020