Newsletter
July 15, 2015 – August 14, 2015
Cave Vendôme
2014 Coteaux du Vendômois Rosé ‘Cocagne’ (Cave de
Vendômois)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Pineau d’Aunis. This ancient Loire valley red grape makes distinctive, savory, peppery rosés. Locally called Gris, these wines have striking aromatics and a spicy dry finish. The Cave Cooperative in Vendôme excels with its single vineyard ‘Cocagne’ bottling. The 2014 is deep, dry, and delicious.
The Granite Accord
2014 Côte Roannaise ‘Eclat de Granite’ (Domaine Sérol)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
The first wine we adored from Domaine Serol was their 2012 ‘Old Vines’ bottling. Honest folks that they are, they moved some of the old vines juice into a single vineyard bottling and now produce an equally good wine from Gamay grown in granite called ‘Eclat de Granite.’ In the Côte Roannaise their
Gamay is called Saint Romain and it is has adapted to the cooler climate. This 2014 is spicy and minerally, with perfect raspberry fruit. For the geographically curious the Côte Roannaise is the Loire Valley’s southern outpost near the source of the river. This versatile red will pair as well with salmon and lentils as it will with steak and spuds.
Gneiss Muscadet
2014 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine ‘Gneiss de Bel Abord’
(Domaine de la Fruitière)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
A Site to Behold
2014 Saumur-Champigny ‘Les Poyeux’ (Cave de Saumur)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Touraine
2014 Touraine Sauvignon ‘L’Arpent des Vaudons’
(Jean-François Mérieau)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Of all the Loire Valley grapes to have a worldwide impact, Sauvignon
Blanc is singular. But we still adhere to the style and value of not-too-aromatic, crisp and dry Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine. Jean-François Mérieau’s 2014 is a classic, very French and very Sauvignon Blanc with its bracing dryness and quince-like fruit. Great with a salad of warmed chèvre and summer-fresh green beans.
Vouvray Sec
2014 Vouvray Sec ‘Les Aumones’ (Domaine Le Capitaine)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Most Vouvray sold in the U.S. is called Demi-Sec, a medium-dry style that captures the gentle fruit of Chenin Blanc, but still retains the fine chalky character of Vouvray. In the 2014 vintage we have both the Sec and Demi-Sec versions from Le Capitaine. The Sec is very dry, but retains the soft body of Vouvray and its fine mineral contents. When someone asks for a white that is not too dry nor acidic, Vouvray delivers.
Listed prices are honored through August 14th, 2015. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 39, No. 8
Rosé season is far from over, but we have ramped down our newsletter offerings for fear of saturation. We still have dozens of rosés in the store, but this month’s solitary southern French offering is the delightfully dry Languedoc Rosé from Flaugergues, which rolls onto your palate much better than the name rolls off the tongue. Genial peach fruit merges with a minerally dry finish. Beautiful with a steaming pot of mussels.
Kékfrankos is the literal Hungarian translation of the German Blaufränkisch, the great red wine from the Pannonian plain of central Europe. Fritz Weninger makes wine on both sides of the Austro-Hungarian border. Balf hails from Sopron in Hungary. This is a savory, mellow red with a lively, peppery finish. Try this with a spicy grilled chicken.
When we were in Rome we drank Frascati, but it was not as good as this one. While not far from the center of Rome, Principe Pallavicini produces an intense and balanced Frascati based on the ancient Malvasia grape variety. Its herbal aroma of sage leads to crisp pear-like fruit and a long, lively finish. A great wine for a tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad. Followed by the Pasta Carbonara.
Valdeorras, Galicia’s inland province for white wine, produces superb Godello, especially in the hands of Rafael Palacios. A few months ago we featured his ‘Bolo’ made from purchased grapes. This month we have his ‘Louro’ made from his own vineyards and raised in barrel. The intensity of the Godello grapes renders the barrels a textural enhancement. The real flavor interest is the brisk lime fruit and the deep whirlpool of minerals. Rafael is making some of the best white wines in Spain today, and this is truly amazing for the price. Have this with scallops, lobster, etc
Is Dolcetto the greatest Piedmontese wine? Certainly not, but it is among the most affordable ones, and the one you want when you have a food-matching dilemma. The 2013 Oddero won’t steal the show from your labor intensive mushroom risotto, but it will provide a stridently ripe, black fruitiness and a firm buttress of tannin. And if you are having it with cheeseburgers, its fruit and tannins will be the perfect foil for the juicy cheese and meat.
For many years, we’ve carried the wines of Colterenzio, a 300-member-strong cooperative in Italy’s Alto Adige, because they consistently provide delicious wines made from indigenous varieties at great prices. Their 2014 Lagrein is one such wine. It’s a savory, chewy, dry red that speaks of dark berries and black plums, with a hint of vetiver and spice. It’s also one of those reds that taste wonderful when slightly chilled, especially on these warmer summer nights. This is a fine red to go with either grilled lamb chops or a casual repast of cured meats and alpine cheeses.
Not just for dessert or for drinkers with a sweet tooth, this Moscato is delightfully frothy, delicate, and quietly sweet. Its charming aromas of elderflower, orange, and honeysuckle blossoms are an immediate mood elevator. In the mouth the perfume of flowers blends with flavors of peaches and lemon curd. This is the perfect aperitivo: low enough in alcohol (5%) to be recklessly drinkable, with a touch of sweetness to stimulate the juices. NB: Don’t let the crown cap fool you into thinking you can dispense with a corkscrew, as there’s a cork hiding underneath.
The resilient Riesling survives harsh winters in the Mosel and rewards long aging in the bottle. The trend for trocken is here, and we enjoy it, but the soul of German Riesling is the satisfying transformation of Spätlese-level ripened grapes into a palate-stretching flavor at ten years of age. Stored at the winery until its recent arrival, this is a gorgeous aged Riesling in which spiced fruit merges with mineral-inflected custard. This does not need to be paired with food, but will do amazing things when matched will almost anything.
Cantine Valpane honors its matriarch Lydia by aging their best Barbera for five years in vat and then further aging in bottle before release. This spicy, zesty Barbera is a wild ride of muddled raspberry fruit and savory, foresty flavor. At ten years of age this is delivering amazing balance and depth at a crazily affordable price. Probably best with an aged cheese, but will be superb with a fresh pesto, pasta affair.
If you’ve tried the Challerhocker and are as obsessed as we are, you need to try this cheese immediately! As fun to eat as it is to say, it’s named after the peak of the highest mountain in the region, the Schnebelhorn, which rises1300 meters on the border of Canton St. Gallen and Canton Zurich. Crafted by third generation cheesemaker Reto Güntensperger at his family’s Butschwil dairy, this is a complex alpine-style raw cow’s milk cheese with a lingering spiciness cushioned in cream.
A great new addition to our grab and go fridge is this outstanding fresh salsa made locally in Jamaica Plain. The Salsa Fresca is a traditional Mexican style salsa made with seven raw blended ingredients. It’s fresh tasting with a subtle kick at the end. The Fire Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa is a combination of blended raw ingredients and roasted tomatoes, non-GMO corn, black beans, and cumin. All natural ingredients with no added sugars, oil, tomato paste, or preservatives. 
2013 Malbec ‘Camila’ (Nieto Senetiner)
Full flavored, full bodied Garnatxa Blanca from a remote high-elevation Catalan vineyard. This earthy dry white is ideal for a spicy seafood and rice stew.
2014 Custoza (Gorgo)
2014 Saumur Blanc ‘Les Epinats’ (Cave de Saumur)