Responsible Indulgence--October Wine Notes
Responsible Indulgence—October Wine Notes
Thank you all my club members for your continued support. I know the transition to the new system had a few glitches, and I apologize for that and thank you for your patience. Being part of the club means that you are helping to sustain a small business and advocate for the farmers and winemakers that we represent. You also have been patient about these wine notes! I have been in California for harvest, so I am terribly late. I apologize for that! What you have already figured out, if you have been enjoying the wines, is that I have started to move to more robust, richer bodied wines that are more intensely flavored. It is time to put on a sweater and enjoy wines with more concentration and intensity. I have not completely turned the corner yet, but rather kept a few lighter wines, for when you need to refresh. I love those days that we layer with a sweater & end up with a tank, and for those, I still want crisp and clean, so we have a few of those, too.
To begin, the Value three pack has the 2020 Herdade do Peso, the 2021 Primaterra Pinot Grigio, and the 2022 Radley & Finch Rose. I am not sure why, but I always start with the red and I am too old to change now. This Portuguese juicy little number is going to knock your socks off. Made from Antao Vaz, it has lots of black fruit, rich flavors of black berry, plum, and a touch of raisin. I am impressed with the quality of this red for the buck. It has nice supple tannins, which I adore because it makes me want to eat. With this one, I suggest a little roasted pork, it likes the crispy bits!
You may be enjoying the lingering warm, autumnal sunshine and want something a bit lighter, if so, grab that Primaterra PG for something with a nice hit of forward fruit and crisp lean finish. If you are looking for a bit more tart flavor, the Radley & Finch Cinsault Rosé will deliver. It has a nice burst of fruit on the front palate, but then a tart, somewhere between a raspberry and a cranberry, finish. It is easy to chill and just enjoy while you are cooking, but it has enough going on to handle some food. I served it with a beet risotto the other day and the acidity cut right through the creaminess of the rice, while the fruit was a nice contrast with the earthiness of the beets.
To balance out the Value wines, I included the 2020 Combel la Serre Cahors, 2018 La Cartuja Priorat, and 2020 Oppenauer Gruner Veltliner. These three wines all share an intensity of flavor that I just love and that makes them all food friendly wines, which means that they provide an opportunity to gather with friends. To begin with the Gruner from Oppenauer, a family run organic winery that has been making wine for over 200 years, and they are committed to making wine accessible both in price and style. The wine is fresh, with complex flavors of tropical fruits and stone fruit, bone dry but great fruit and a lot of minerality. I also get a tart finish on this one, which suggests that I am in a more savory and tart mood for my fall table.
The two reds are both fairly full flavored, intense in their styles but medium in body, so not overwhelming their potential food companions. The Cahor is a Dressner treat! This one didn’t even make it to the shelves—it is just for club members. It is 100% Malbec, but French not South American, so think ripe black fruits, tobacco, cocoa and leather, with cedar and spice, but good acidity and nice tannins to balance it out. The interesting thing is that they use 20% whole cluster direct to press, so this keeps the wine lighter and fresh. They are 30-year-old vines, so this is a serious wine that outshines its value price point.
For those who want a little more power, grab the 2018 La Cartuja Priorat! It has bright brilliant color that draws your eye in first, and then aromas of black berry and licorice with a touch of smoke, and a gentle perfume. On the palate it is juicy, fleshy and luscious, with a long mineral finish. It has a youthful approach, and would age well, if you can resist her charms! Try it with some grilled steak and veggies!
For the Select wines, you are getting a nice dose of Dressner with the 2019 D'Oupia Minervois red, the 2020 Luneau Papin, and from Kermit’s remaining stash of pink the 2021 Joguet Rosé. Let’s start with the rosé because it is one of my favorites. I resist this word generally, but this wine rocks my world! It is 100% Cabernet Franc, rich and bold, and fleshy in the mouth. You want a pork roast –or better yet, save this one for Thanksgiving because it would be great with Turkey.
The Luneau Papin is one of the best Muscadet that you will find—in value, quality, flavor, and its reflection of the specific soil type of its vineyard site. It has a wonderful granite quality. The vigneron, Marie Chartier-Luneau explains that she isolates each cuvee, producing a dozen different wines, rather than blending, because she wants to highlight the individual terroir that each vineyard expresses.
The D’Oupia Minervois is a perennial favorite around here. For this time of year, you need a powerful red with a little body and this one will deliver that for you. Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah from older vines of the estate, including some of the hillside plantings that are up to 100 years old. They ferment in concrete for texture and body, and the wine has loads of dark fruit and supple tannins. It is ideal for a burger and some fries!
To round out those Select wines, you get a real treat with the 2021 Majas Blanc, the 2021 Majas Rouge, and the 2020 Domaine Richaud Terres D’Aigles. These are all Dressner allocations, which went straight to my club members. I look forward to these wines each year and many of you do, too. This is your reward for being part of the club! These three wines are all form the southwest of France, and each one is unique, but they are all grown in clay and limestone soils in the heat of the region. To begin, the white, Majas Blanc is a more weighty white made with Macabeu, Rolle, and Carignan Blanc that goes direct to press. The wine is fermented on the lees in concrete eggs, which gives it texture and weight. I love the balance of ripe tropical fruit with minerality and savory notes on the finish. The Majas Rouge, also from Roussillon, is made with Carignan and Grenache Noir in a 50/50 blend. The whole cluster fermentation in concrete gives the wine a lot of fresh berry notes, but the access to oxygen through the concrete while small, allows for malo to take place. That gives texture and also creaminess of flavor. Both of these wines will be on my table this week when I roast my weekly chicken—yes, it is perfect for this meal.
The Domaine Richaud is a brand new one for us. Here are the wine makers notes “The first cuvée is called Terres d'Aigles, from younger Grenache and Carignan vines growing on alluvial soil along the river Aigues. This wine is fresh and fruity, with lovely cherry notes. The Côtes-du-Rhône les Garrigues comes from a mix of plots and vines of Syrah and Grenache 10 to 40 years of age growing on red clay and round stones. It is spicy, ripe and peppery, with more structure.” I am excited to try this one!
For the Collector’s among you, I have a couple New World rockstars that I only get a case of, so wanted you to have first dibs! The 2017 Day Zinfandel is Failla’s second label, and the 2021 Testalonga Sweet Cheeks Chenin comes by way of South Africa from a young and up and coming wine maker who is worth keeping an eye on.
Day is the Zinfandel project of Ehren Jordan, the wine maker behind Failla, Neyer's, and Turley wines. In 2004 he decided to start his own project and did so with his first love, Red Zin. It is a delicious expression that is full-flavored and bodied, but also balanced and nuanced. Ehren knows what he is doing! This wine begins in the El Diablo vineyard, head trained old vines that yields smaller amounts of grapes, but better quality of flavor and complexity. You will get loads of delicious mid palate black fruit, some herbs that remind me of the garrigue of southern French reds, and a brightness that leaves the palate refreshed and ready for a bite. I would suggest that you try this with lamb or a rich mushroom risotto—or both!
Testalonga comes to us from South Africa, the northern most reaches of the Swartland to be more specific. It is here that you will find Craig & Carla Hawkins, who are pushing boundaries of wine making in the region with natural production and traditional techniques. Sweet Cheeks is a Muscat d’Alexandre, farmed and produced organically from bush vines planted in 1952. They are situated in a wet region of Paardberg which allows for ripening the berries fully. There is skin contact on this one, but the skins were light in this vintage, so the color is still very light and golden to the eye. The wine goes through a full malo, so while it is very fresh and clean, it has a lovely creamy texture and flavor that balances it out. this wine would be stunning with some roasted fish, lighter meats, or a vegetable stew.
I hope you enjoy your selections!
Eat, drink, and think!!
Cheers, Maria