Newsletter
May 15, 2019 – June 14, 2019
Armas de Bierzo
2018 Bierzo Rosado (Armas de Guerra)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
Le Fraghe di Lago Garda
2018 Bardolino Chiaretto ‘Ròdon’ (Le Fraghe)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
Le Fraghe’s delicious wines are also incredible values. The Chiaretto is a perfect balance of floral, fruity aromas and crisp dryness. Serve this organic beauty with a light pasta dish or a spring vegetable risotto.
Franc de Bourgueil
2018 Bourgueil Rosé (Lamé Delisle Boucard)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Levant de Luberon
2018 Luberon Rosé ‘Coté Levant’ (Domaine Le Novi)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Cocagne du Vendômois
2018 Coteaux du Vendômois ‘Cocagne’ (Cave de Vendômois)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
Cistercien of Kamptal
2018 Cistercien Rosé (Gobelsburg)
Sale Price $15.99 – $163.10 case of twelve
Listed prices are honored through June14th, 2019. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 43, No. 6
For a transcendent meal, whisk us off to the village of Getaria along the Cantabrian Sea in the Basque country. The restaurant may have a fantastic wine list, but we’ll drink Txakoli (aka Chacoli), a cidery, spritzy white that is perfect for fresh seafood. Our favorite is made by Txomin Etxaniz. The hyper-local Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza grapes provide a blast of primary fruit and zesty acidity, and finish with flavors of a quarry of salty stone. This is meant to be served with the best and freshest seafood you can find.
A first glance at the faintly yellow hue of this Portuguese Pétillant Naturel from the Douro will make you wonder if this is really a rosé. It is indeed a rosé, but the organically grown Pinot Noir grapes behind this wine were given hardly any time with their skins, which would have added pigment. Wild yeasts kickstarted fermentation, and because it is a ‘Pet Nat,’ fermentation was finished in the bottle, trapping carbon dioxide. The wine was not fined or filtered to preserve flavors and textures. The result is a delightfully fizzy, low-alcohol (11.5%) sipper with delicate aromas and flavors of flowers, savory fruit, and herbs. It is just sparkling enough to create a creamy mouthfeel, and surprisingly agile with a tortellini en brodo and the spring season’s bounty of fresh fava beans. 
Most Argentine wine comes from Mendoza, but the region of Salta is worth noting. Located in the northwest corner that borders Bolivia and Chile, Salta is on a high alpine plain. The vineyard for this Torrontés is located at 5,740 feet above sea level. At this altitude grapes bask in warm, extremely sunny days and very cool nighttime temperatures. This swing creates very ripe grapes with zesty acids. With its lively aroma and silky texture, Torrontés requires a crisp finish to maintain balance. El Porvenir’s Amauta does just this. Fresh and exuberant, this is a full-flavored, fruity, peppery white that will match well with a ceviche, guacamole, or fish tacos.
2018 Grüner Veltliner (Mantlerhof) 
Producers in Alto Adige are content to export boatloads of Pinot Grigio, but their passion is for Pinot Bianco. St. Michael-Eppan Kellermeister Hans Terzer states, “I believe in Pinot Bianco – it is our reality. It’s the market that doesn’t believe.” Among the many wines produced by this excellent Cooperative, Schulthauser is Terzer’s favorite, noting that it “succeeds best in expressing both the essential quality of Alto Adige white wine and the production philosophy of our winery.” We couldn’t agree more and are happy it’s back after a long absence. This is a powerfully rich white with beautiful penetrating fruit flavor and a transparently clean finish.
We knew that it would only be a matter of time before the producers of this wine would realize how underpriced it is. Well, that time has come. When we found out that a drastic jump would accompany the next vintage, we had to buy as much of the current vintage as possible. And because we bought up almost all of the distributor’s inventory, we were given a price break that we can pass on. Being one of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions, Priorat is always priced north of $20. With the next vintage, La Cartuja will join its fellow reds in that price range. At its future price, it will still be worth it. At its current sale price, it’s a steal. As its back label describes, La Cartuja is full of ‘graphite, blueberries, and raspberries.’ We would add that there are also subtle dusty cocoa notes. It has a freshness that other more expensive reds from Priorat lack. This gives it a bit more flexibility with lighter fare than is usually associated with the concentrated reds of Priorat. Yet a classic partner like a leg of lamb with roasted heads of garlic will always be a reliably delicious marriage.
Domaine de Fondrèche’s organic Ventoux rouge is a Southern Rhône red through and through. 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre, it is big and brambly — generous blackberry and cassis are complemented by a peppery spice on the palate and fine tannins. Despite the 14.5% alcohol, it boasts balanced freshness and finesse. Pair with grilled flank steak.
At one time the Scavinos thought that the two vineyards in La Morra that provide the fruit for their Langhe Nebbiolo would end up in their Barolo. Having farmed these vineyards since the 90s, they finally realized that these east-facing, cooler vineyards would make a superb early-drinking Nebbiolo. By shortening the fermentation, easing up on the tannins, and giving it a quick 10-month stay in oak, they have created a Nebbiolo that captures the dark berry fruit and dusty tannins of Barolo without the usual aging. If they could legally market this as La Morra Nebbiolo it would sell out in seconds. As it is now it sells out in a month. 
Givry is a small appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise, a small valley of southern Burgundy. While not immune to market forces, Parize Père et Fils has long provided us with red Burgundy that is as affordably delicious as any we know. Their 2017 Vieilles Vignes Cuvée is not a wine to wait for. It is a wine to drink with a roast chicken on a platter with blistered fingerling potatoes and wilted watercress.
This excellent goat cheese from Blue Ledge Farm in Salisbury, Vermont is only made seasonally with milk from their own mixed herd of goats. Striking in appearance, it is a soft bloomy-rind cheese coated with vegetable ash and aged for at least 3 weeks. The dramatic line of ash through the center makes it similar in appearance to Humboldt Fog, but the flavor is distinct. Clean and bright, with a milky sweetness and almost no sour aftertaste, Lake’s Edge is an approachable but zesty cheese that you won’t be able to get again until late next spring! 
2018 Verdicchio di Matelica (Fontezoppa)