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October 15, 2017 – November 14, 2017

South by Southwest

This month we’re exploring the south and southwest of France. These six reds, two from Languedoc, two from Bordeaux, one from the southern Rhone, and one from Madiran, offer superb expressions of the varieties of red grapes of their regions.

Corbières
2015 Corbières ‘Valensol’ (Domaine La Bouysse)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Domaine La Bouysse Corbières Valensol The landscape of Corbières is frequently described as rugged, as are the wines. Carignan is the mainstay grape of the appellation, but this cuvée from Domaine La Bouysse includes 50% Mourvèdre to give it a dark, smoky, blackberry fruit character. This round and generous red is made with organic grapes and contains only naturally occurring sulfites.

Faugères
2015 Faugères ‘Vieilles Vignes’ (Château de la Liquière)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Château de la Liquière Faugères Vieilles Vignes The glory of Faugères is the schist, the stony soil that dominates the vineyards. At Château de la Liquière, a red, iron-rich schist predominates. Little but vines and olives can grow in this soil, but the old Grenache and Carignan vines thrive here and create zesty, earthy dry reds. The 2015 is packed with ripe cherry fruit and fine-grained tannins. This is a favorite Languedoc red and perfect for a lamb stew.

Blaye
2015 Blaye (Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
We’ve long thought that the wines of Blaye punch well above their weight in the Bordeaux world. Peybonhomme-les-Tours has harnessed the excellent 2015 vintage and delivered a lively, structured, deep red with nuanced, ripe, plummy fruit. It is based on Merlot and the Cabernets but includes a little bit of Malbec. Approachable now with a nicely seared ribeye and garlic mashed potatoes.

Madiran
2011 Madiran (Château Bouscassé)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
Château Bouscassé Madiran For much of its history Madiran has been known as a very tannic, rustic red. This outpost of the Tannat grape variety is located in the far southwest of France in the foothills of the Pyrenees. We know that the words ‘tannic’ and ‘rustic’ don’t sell a lot of wine and so do the producers of 21st century Madiran. So in order to tame the tannins and mellow the rusticity producers started using a technique called micro-oxygenation, deliberately bubbling small amounts of oxygen into the wine while in vat to soften the tannins. Even after this treatment the intense Tannat still has something to say. Alain Brumont is recognized as being the most important Madiran producer at his two Châteaux. This month we are featuring the less expensive 2011 Château Bouscassé. The blend here is 60% Tannat, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15 % Cabernet Sauvignon. This dark, formidable wine has a fascinating mix of dark fruits, earthy dryness, and seamless structure. This amazing wine is the perfect foil for a confit of duck and pommes Anna.

Graves
2012 Graves Rouge (Château La Tuilerie)
Sale Price $12.99 – $132.50 case of twelve
Château La Tuilerie Graves Rouge Red Graves are some of our favorite Bordeaux. Their earthy, savory dryness and rapid maturation make them ideal partners for delicately prepared lighter cuisine. The 2012 La Tuilerie is a finely scented, elegant red that will match well with roasted striped bass and root vegetables.

La Garrigue
Domaine “La Garrigue“ Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Romaine 2015 Côtes du Rhône ‘Cuvée Romaine’ (Domaine “La Garrigue“)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Once again Domaine “La Garrigue“ delivers on what it promises, lots of ripe, herbally accented fruit delivered in a bold, full-bodied, rich package. This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre is as big and pleasing as one can expect in a ‘basic’ Côtes du Rhône.

Listed prices are honored through November 14th, 2017. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 41, No. 10

Guidobono Barbera d’Alba Due Gelsi Guido’s Big Barbera
2015 Barbera d’Alba ‘Due Gelsi’ (Guidobono)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
The immensely popular entry-level Barbera from Guidobono is an easygoing delight of an everyday wine. But their single vineyard old-vine ‘Due Gelsi’ is a Barbera of a much higher level. It is a darker, richer wine that is given some barrel age. The 2015 is packed with ripe raspberry fruit along with hints of spice and oak. The finish is deep and precise, with firm length and dryness. Terrific with a mushroom lasagna.

Savennières
2015 Savennières (Chateau du Breuil)
Sale Price $29.99 – $305.90 case of twelve
Chateau du Breuil Savennières For much of its long history Savennières has been a wine with a great reputation and little appreciation. This dry Loire Valley Chenin Blanc grown in a very rocky soil requires both a good growing season and a producer willing to restrict yields. Chateau du Breuil’s 2015 is a thorough and complete Savennières, with its quince and hawthorn aromas, its subtle yet persistent stone fruit flavors, and its chiseled, minerally finish. A perfect match with salmon.

Oregon Organic
2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (Cooper Mountain)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Cooper Mountain Willamette Valley Pinot Noir The Cooper Mountain winery is of an age that they can boast about vineyards planted in the 1980s. They are truly pioneers. With this long experience their adherence to biodynamic and organic viticulture could be described as hyper-natural. The 2014 vintage in Oregon yielded a warm, dry harvest resulting in exceptional Pinot Noir. This flavorful Pinot Noir is light in weight, but long in flavor. Perfect for a chicken stew with mushrooms.

Ballarin Barolo
2012 Barolo (Cascina Ballarin)
Sale Price $27.99 – $285.50 case of twelve
Cascina Ballarin Barolo While we hesitate to call Barolo a wine of the people, Ballarin does make a terrific value in a ready to drink Barolo. This classically structured Barolo has ripe tannic structure and a lovely, leafy autumnal aroma. The youthful fruit on the palate is like a compote of strawberries laced with clove and pepper. Have this beauty with braised brisket and polenta.

Trittenheim on the Mosel
2015 Trittenheimer Riesling (Bollig-Lehnert)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
Bollig-Lehnert Trittenheimer Riesling A far as affordability and flavor goes this Mosel Riesling is measured perfection. Bollig-Lehnert’s Trittenheimer Riesling has pristine slate and apple aromatics, nicely textured body, and a wonderfully persistent, almost dry finish. The bottle price is $9.99 and the modest alcohol level is 9%. This delightful Riesling will go with anything, anywhere, and at any time.

Bierzo
2015 Bierzo (Pago de Valdoneje)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Pago de Valdoneje Bierzo We liked the first vintage of this from the get-go. The 2014 was like a good story, with a beginning, middle, and end. When we first tasted the more powerful 2015, the opening was clunky, the middle had excess tannin, and the finish was too dry. So we didn’t put it on the shelf. Months later, at another tasting, the wine had come into focus. This Mencia was still powerful, but now settled into a rich, ripe, polished Bierzo. Give this fine Spanish red a try with a nicely aged Manchego and some grilled eggplant.

Vermentino From Tuscany
La Selva Vermentino 2016 Vermentino (La Selva)
Sale Price $12.99 – $132.50 case of twelve
Vermentino from the island of Sardinia has become very popular. So much so that producers on the Tuscan coast are now growing it as well. La Selva’s 2016 has fresh green apple fruit, nicely weighted texture, and a crisp, dry finish. Have this beauty with a sautéed sole and caper sauce.

Rive Droite
2016 Coteaux du Giennois ‘Rive Droite’ (Domaine de Villegeai)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
We normally dislike selling wine based on scarcity, but due to frost the 2016 vintage in the Loire Valley was severely diminished. We are already seeing reductions in allocations of Sancerre, so we are rounding up some of our favorite affordable Loire Sauvignons while we can. While the vintage was quantitatively short, the grapes that survived produced excellent fruit. The Giennois, a region to the northwest of Sancerre, is a good place to look for crisp, lively, value-laden Sauvignon. This Domaine’s 2016 is full of citrus and gooseberry fruit and fine, lively minerality.

Burgenland Blau
Iby Burgenland Blaufräänkisch 2015 Burgenland Blaufränkisch (Iby)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
As in much of Europe 2015 was a great vintage in Austria. Some winemakers are saying that it is the best vintage for Austrian red wines in a generation. We believed it after tasting Iby’s 2015 Blaufränkisch. This is smooth and rich, with ample black plum fruit and a hint of smoky spice. Try this with a pork loin stuffed with dried fruit.

Extra Brut
Cremant de Bourgogne ‘Les Bulles’ (Terres de Velle)
Sale Price $21.99 – $237.50 case of twelve
Terres de Velle Cremant de Bourgogne Les Bulles It is surprising how many high quality wineries have a hankering to make sparkling wine. In the heart of Burgundy, Terres de Velle make a fine fizz with a previously unheard of combination of Aligoté, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. The result is a totally dry Extra Brut with a ruddy complexion and long, persistent bubbles and flavors. This is a wonderful new expression of Cremant de Bourgogne.

Specialty Foods

Grafton Village Clothbound Cheddar $18.99 per lb.
(Regular price $21.99)
Here’s something splendid from one of our favorite local cheesemakers, Grafton Village Cheese out of Grafton, VT. Though they produce a number of different cheddars, their clothbound cheddar stands out for its rich, well balanced flavors and creamy texture. Made with raw cow’s milk from a herd of primarily Jersey cows, the cheese is wrapped in cheesecloth and aged on-site for at least 6 months. The nutty and earthy flavors make this a great cheddar to complement the season’s bountiful apple harvest, or to enjoy simply alongside a crisp cider.

Seal Cove Farm Chevrotin $23.99 per lb.
(Regular price $25.99)
Barbara Brooks has been making artisan goat’s milk cheeses in Maine since 1976, well ahead of the current boom in American farmstead cheesemaking. Though the farm has primarily produced fresh goat’s milk cheeses, they have recently been experimenting with aging, and Chevrotin is one of the notable results. Tangy and salty with a bright, yogurty flavor and a crumbly texture, the cheese pairs well with cider or a dry Riesling.

Blue Ledge Farm Middlebury Blue $16.99 per lb.
(Regular price $17.99)
Middlebury Blue from Blue Ledge Farm in Salisbury, VT is everything we look for in a blue cheese— this rustic blue is made with raw Ayrshire cow’s milk, and it straddles the line between creamy and crumbly in texture. The flavor is earthy and mellow, with subtle notes of salted caramel, hay, nuts, and cultured butter. The finish is alluringly sweet and peppery.

First Light Farm Moonshot $15.99 per lb. (Regular price $17.99)
First Light Farm Moonshot cheese Brothers Trystan and Max Sandvoss make farmstead and organic cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses in East Bethany, NY. They produce a variety of cheeses which they encourage their customers to enjoy with wine, and two of their flagship cheeses are actually brined with red wine from the Finger Lakes region. Moonshot is the goat’s milk version, featuring milk from their grass-fed herd. For a semi firm cheese, it is bright, buttery, and subtle, and would feature nicely on a cheese plate.

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Wines of the Month —October 15, 2017 through November 14, 2017