NWCG Wine Club
December 2021 Wine Notes
First and foremost, it is a time for celebration, so we have some sparkling wine in the mix this month. Between Thanksgiving and New Years, there are so many occasions to toast—holidays and spiritual moments, cultural commemorations, my birthday (don’t worry, you will know), and just the general merriment when the world is brightened by lights, boxes are trimmed, trees are adorned, candles are lit, and corks are popping!
The Value 3-pack includes a bottle of Le Berceau from Domaine de Martinolles in the western most point of the Languedoc in a unique area that has the influence of both the Atlantic ocean’s cooling temperatures and the hot dry conditions from the Mediterranean. That gives the wine a complexity of freshness and rich flavors. Additionally, the wine is fermented on the lees before being disgorged, and the presence of the fine sediment and yeast nutrients give the wine texture and elegance. You will want to grab a few extra of these for the holidays!
Seeking wines for the Value 3 pack is not always easy. I want them to be seasonally appropriate, well made, delicious, and very inexpensive but still with some interesting complexity of flavor. I find myself often in the southwest of France for this combination. Yes, it happens elsewhere, but this broader region seems to have endless options. The 2019 Chateau Clamens Rouge is another example of a delicious wine that over delivers for its mid-teen price point. Our tables have richer foods right now, while the weather gets cooler and our fresh local options shift, we are making foods that need more full flavored and complex wines. Dominated by a local grape called Négrette, the wine is perfumed with ripe juicy black fruit that translates onto the palate, and its ripeness is balanced with bright acidity and good tannins. The lingering flavor is pleasant and warming with just a hint of spice.
We still want a cold white now and again in the winter months, to cleanse the palate and refresh. The 2019 Chateau de Crannes Bordeaux Blanc is largely Sauvignon Gris, which is a rare bird to see in this region of Bordeaux which usually produces Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Semillon. This varietal is very elegant and less “edgy” than SB, with floral fruit aromatics. On the palate, I get melon and tropical fruits, with bright refreshing acidity and herbal qualities on the finish. It has a very smooth texture and taste, but a bright puckering acidity, as well, that would make it perfect for some fresh goat cheese or a big harvest salad.
Similarly, the 2020 Kobal Furmint, which comes to us from Posavje, Slovenia, on the hills of the Bizeljsko-Sremic wine region. This white has an added lemony quality, both in color and on the nose. It is zesty, with white floral aromas, and I get a little nuttiness, too. I love that combination. Citrus and apricot dominate the palate and bright acidity balances the ripe fruit. I like this as a starter before the meal or with a smile charcuterie plate. And, I prefer this white a touch closer to room (or cellar, to me more exact) temperature, around 60ish, so take it out and let it sit rather than sticking it back in the fridge.
The two other Value reds are ideally suited for richer winter stews, chilis, soups, roasts, and the like. Both the 2020 Melea Tempranillo and 2019 Rugolin Classico Valpolicella have appealing silky texture. They have a tasty juicy quality with cherry and plum aromas and flavors. These are both medium bodied wines, but they are impactful in flavor. The Tempranillo will give you a bit of anise on the finish.
For the Select Wines, your rosé this month is sparkling and delightful. The NV Montcontour Crémant Rosé is salmon on color, with rising bubbles that attack the palate in the most wonderful way. You sense the refreshment before it even hits your tongue. It is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, so you get earthy and dark cherry from one and apricots and almonds and honey from the other—just pop it and enjoy with friends celebrating anything that brings you joy.
For the whites, I was thinking about celebratory meals, and my menus typically start light with oysters, simply shucked and with just a squeeze for fresh lemon juice. There is no better pairing for oysters than Muscadet. The 2019 Jo Landron La Louvetrie Muscadet is in fact begging for some oysters. This wine is bone dry, light in body, but so charismatic and alluring. This particular wine has a bit of a cult following, and once you drink it, you will know why. First and foremost, it just tastes so good! Yes, the citrus you expect, but also a deep minerality, a nuttiness that has the rich, smooth, hazelnut character, and a puckering acidity that give you the impulse to kiss someone! Your mouth will water, and the edges of your lips will rise!
For something with the meal, I suggest that you give the 2018 Lieu Dit Chenin Blanc a try. These wines are made by a team of two—both well known winemakers in the US, who have made a name for themselves by having intention when the work, and their resulting wines have character and elegance. This project focuses entirely on Loire Valley varietals grown in Santa Barbara County, where the micro-climates and the marine based soils create a condition that is ideal for this set of grapes. I like all of their wines (a lot), but this Chenin is ideally suited for fall flavors. Apples, pears, honey, and herbal tea swirl around the glass, aromas gently approaching first, and then with a rich suppleness on the palate. The wine is dry, but more full mouth feel that makes it perfect for a sautéed ed greens, a harvest salad, or if you are ambitious a cheese soufflé with a mushroom pate. Chenin has a lot of acidity, so go rich, it will handle it and prepare for the next bite!
For the reds, I was thinking about this impulse I get, when I am walking to a restaurant, there is a crisp breeze against the back of my neck and I want a glass of wine that feels as though it is embracing me, wrapping me up in warmth and welcome. The 2019 Bitouzet-Prieur Passetoutgrains is one of those wines for me. It is silky smooth, fruity, but not summer berries, more dark ripe cherry and stewed cranberries. This wine can come from all over Burgundy, and it is the love child of the regions two grapes—Pinot Noir and Gamay. It way over delivers for the price point . It is flavorful and complex, but uncomplicated. I know that sounds impossible, but trust me on this one, it is going to wow you. Imagine if jazz were a wine, I think this would be it.
2019 Dei Rosso is equally comforting to me, perhaps because as an Italian, Sangiovese is coursing through my veins. Or perhaps, and more likely, because Caterina Dei is a gifted wine maker who makes wonderful Rosso, blending Sangiovese with Canaiolo, Mammolo and a pinch of Merlot. The wine is smooth with fruity cherry and plum, soft and round, with good tannins structure to support all that flesh. Make lasagna, buy two bottles, drink one while you cook!
Another project that is the collaboration of two good friends is the 2019 La Comarcal Delmoro Tinto that comes from the combined efforts of Javi Revert and Victor Marques in the mountainous village of Venta del Moro in Valencia. The wine is playful and fun. It is very expressive and will likely surprise your palate. For me this Garnacha is lighter and fresher than I would expect. Still impactful flavor, fruit driven as the varietal tends to be, but with a lightness that is sort of ephemeral. This is all the more interesting because there is a fair bit of Syrah in there, about 15%, but they harvest intentionally a bit earlier for lower alcohol and less sugar, they vinify whole cluster and very gently, and ferment in stainless steel and concrete—all of which produces a playful red that will pair well with a wide variety of dishes. If you are ambitious, make a paella, it will be worth the effort.
For the Collectors among you, you have two serious American wines to chew on. Both will give you pause for thought and for the same reason—these wines are made with the intention of producing an old world style wine and they have succeeded. I have been a fan of both of these wineries because of their philosophy to produce wine of character that emphasizes expression and purity of the varietal and the place. They are not trying to produce Burgundian flavors, but rather to follow in the approach to wine making of old school wine makers who believed that you should be able to taste the grape and sense its origin.
The 2020 Matthaisson Chardonnay will prove to any nay-sayer that California can and does produce fantastic Chardonnays. The wine is fleshy and complex, with rich golden delicious apples, candied lemon, and loads of minerality. You can absolutely lay this one down, if you can resist, but it is drinking beautifully now.
And, being a bit of a purist myself, I figured go for the classic partner for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir. There are few who do it better than Hirsch in the US. The 2019 Hirsch Pinot Bohan-Dillon
David Hirsch created this wine as an homage to the great villages wines of France, a wine that has character of place and its own unique personality. It is now made by his daughter Jasmine who took over production at the winery in 2015. The wine is truly remarkable. It has aromas of ripe strawberries and pine with herbal notes. The wine has a subtle fruit forwardness that is compelling and full of black cherry flavors, but it also has tannins that are supple but support the fruit. The acidity is bright now, but that will soften with some time, so lay it down. Or decant and give it some air, and enjoy it with your next roasted chicken and potatoes. You may think that a simple meal, but I never tire of it and the pairing is spectacular.
Cheers! I hope you enjoy my picks. Remember that your subscription to my wine club helps to support what I do and the small producers that I believe in, so thank you for that. Please tell your friends who love wine—the best compliment is your recommendation.
And, watch your email for opportunities to learn in 2022 with a series of Wine Webinars that will be free for club members. Please join in the conversations.
Happy Holidays, Maria
