Newsletter
September 17, 2021 – October 17, 2021
Barbera
2017 Barbera del Monferrato ‘Rosso Pietro’ (Cantine Valpane)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Falanghina
2020 Beneventano Falanghina ‘I Vigneti di Bruma’ (Fattoria La Rivolta)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Spicy Speziale
2020 Verduno Pelaverga (Fratelli Alessandria)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
Rescued from extinction by growers in the village of Verduno, Pelaverga has established itself as a light, spicy grape of real culinary interest. The Alessandria family makes a luminous version with lively raspberry fruit and delightful flecks of red chili flavor. Perfect for ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms.
Hail Cesanese
2017 Olevano Romano Cesanese ‘Collepazzo’ (Riccardi/Reale)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
The not-so-dirty little secret to Roman cuisine is guanciale, a salted pork cheek. This delicious fatty piece of meat adds uncommon depth to pasta and beans, and the red Cesanese from Riccardi/Reale is a juicy foil to these hearty dishes. Its cherry fruit and smooth tannins will also make it suitable for a filet of seared salmon.
Il Frappato
2018 Vittoria Frappato ‘Il Frappato’ (Valle dell’Acate)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Sicilian wines have come a long way in a very short time. Fortunately, they are affordable and absolutely food friendly. While the farmers markets are still open, get some eggplant and make a pasta sauce alla Norma to serve with dell’Acate’s Frappato. This medium-weight red has a fine balance of fruit and tannin to stand up to a spicy vegetarian pasta dish.
Tuscan Trio
2017 Toscana Rosso ‘Trittico’ (Poggio al Sole)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Listed prices are honored through October 17th, 2021. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 45, No. 10
With producers like Baudry, Raffault, and Couly-Dutheil, our Loire Valley selection is blessed with Chinon. Our favorite Chinon rosé is the deep and dark version from Couly-Dutheil. Their 2020 features a nose full of crushed aromatic violets, a palate drenched with berry fruit, and a long, slithering, dry finish. Don’t serve it too cold because this is a sensational rosé that drinks like a light red. Have this with spicy noodles in a mushroom broth.
Larrivaux has become one of our favorite Bordeaux. The quality keeps rising and for now the prices remain reasonable. This 2018 is gorgeous. The nose is so good that you should indulge it for a while before taking a sip. The palate is soaked by dark fruit and ripe, tactile tannins, and the finish is long and zesty. Try this lively young Haut-Médoc with a lamb curry. 
Kaseler Dominikanerberg is a single vineyard site that has been in the Nell-Breuning family for eleven generations. It sits high above the Ruwer River, which is a tributary of the Mosel and has the same steep slopes. The blue slate soil gives this bone-dry Riesling a nice mineral backbone, while the late-harvest fruit offers plenty of ripe pear notes. The oily mouthfeel and mouthwatering acidity make it the perfect refreshment for brats and warm German potato salad with lots of crunchy bacon. 
Despite Oregon’s production being dwarfed by California’s, producers there have provided some of the best values in Pinot Noir. This month we have the 2017 from Kate Arnold, a lovely cherry-scented red with spice and length. A great wine with seared salmon on a bed of lentils and spinach.
It’s not too often we come across wine from Cyprus, so it’s even more exciting to find one that is this delicious and offered at a fair price. Made with the native white grape Xynisteri, this is a true Mediterranean island wine. The 2020 Tsiakkas is bright and zesty, with generous grapefruit, peach, and floral aromas and a dry, herbal finish. Wonderfully refreshing when paired with seared squid with garlic, lemon, and parsley. 
The Roussanne grape has two homes in France: one in the Southern Rhône Valley and one in the mountains of Savoie. Really, a rather nice existence. In the Rhône it’s usually part of a blend, but in the Savoie it shines on its own as Chignin Bergeron. The most striking feature of the 2018 from Berthollier is its rich, honeyed mouthfeel. It also has a lovely floral aroma and charming peachy fruit. This will make a fine match with a spicy Thai green curry and spring rolls. 
Chiroubles is one of the most charming Crus of Beaujolais. Somehow the combination of minerality and fruitiness leads to aromatic delight, and the 2019 La Grosse Pierre is packed with all of that. There’s a smokiness to the raspberry fruit, and the earthy, dry finish is poised and cool. Great with a spicy couscous.
Quincy is a teardrop-sized appellation on the banks of the Cher River southwest of Sancerre. Domaine Sylvain Bailly produces some Sancerre but also makes this precocious Sauvignon Blanc in Quincy. The 2020 is lively and aromatic with apricot and lemon fruit. It finishes very dry and will be a delight with all manner of fish and shellfish.
Though cheeses from La Casera have been staples at the Wine Cask for years, it has not been easy to find information (in English, at least) about this new one. What we do know is that it is modeled after Castelmagno, a traditional cheese from the Piedmont. Made with pasteurized cow’s milk and molded into a large drum shape, Castel-J’s most notable feature is its dry and crumbly texture. Though the rind can look very rustic (and it’s not uncommon for blue veins to form in cracks in the wheel), the cheese is highly approachable, pleasant, and flavorful. We’ve taken to describing this table cheese as simply ‘crushable.’ It would do well on a spread with fruit, nuts, and honey.
2019 Piemonte Rosso (Tintero) 