Newsletter
January 15, 2021 – February 14, 2021
Shiraz
2018 Shiraz (Woop Woop)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Bobal
2018 Utiel-Requena ‘Pasión de Bobal’ (Bodega Sierra Norte)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Spain’s province of Valencia is nicknamed ‘La Huerta’ because it is such a productive agricultural region. The most planted red grape is Bobal, and the best Bobal comes from the region of Utiel-Requena. Here, the higher elevation gives a cooler micro-climate and a longer growing season. Bodega Sierra Norte’s Pasión de Bobal is an excellent introduction to the grape. This has delicious cherry fruit along with a stony dryness. Have with a Valencian rice dish with artichokes and tomato.
Carmignano
2016 Carmignano ‘Santa Cristina in Pilli’ (Ambra)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Carmignano is a small Tuscan denominazione that has long been allowed to add a little Cabernet Sauvignon into the mix of Sangiovese and Canaiolo, well before the term “Super Tuscan” entered the wine lexicon. Ambra’s 2016 is brick colored and delightfully fruity and savory. It certainly is a Super food-friendly Tuscan. Try with ribollita, bean soups, or a simple pork roast stuffed with rosemary.
Dolcetto
2018 Dolcetto d’Alba (Guido Porro)
Sale Price $17.99 per bottle – $183.50 case of twelve
Vins de Vienne
2017 Côtes du Rhône ‘Les Cranilles’ (Vins de Vienne) Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Schulthauser
2019 Pinot Bianco ‘Schulthauser’ (St. Michael-Eppan)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Listed prices are honored through February 14th, 2021. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 45, No. 2
Since 1580 ownership and management of Château Larrivaux has been in the hands of women. On an estate of 75 hectares, 19 are devoted to vineyards, while the rest consists of fields, quarries, and forest. To protect the microsystem, no insecticides are used, so the fields flourish with insects, the quarries teem with bats, and the forest thrives with flora and fauna, all to the benefit of the vines. In the 2015 vintage, owner and winemaker Bérangère Tesseron made a complete and delicious red Bordeaux with 41% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot. This is a smooth, rich, and elegant blend that is just beginning to mature. A great wine to have with a winter salad of spicy greens and goat cheese. 
When asked what has changed at his Domaine in the last thirty years, the 80+ year old Paul Pernot replies simply “Rien.” This is a Puligny-Montrachet producer steeped in tradition. We’ve loved the wines over many years, but like all wines in Burgundy prices keep going up. But after years of asking, we were finally able to buy their more affordable Aligoté. It’s not Puligny, but the 2019 is a ripe, full white that still retains the fine streak of acidity and minerality that we adore from Aligoté. A great Burgundy to drink with seafood and shellfish. 
The Viberti family has not entirely lost their sharecropper roots in Piedmont, when they grew fruit, nuts, and grains amidst the vines to scrape together a living. Today they produce a delicious and affordable Barolo from their prime Nebbiolo vines in La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, and Novello. The 2016 vintage spent 26 months in barrels and another 12 in bottle to create an immediately pleasurable dry red with lovely flavors of cherries, cacao, and toasted hazelnuts. It’s wonderful right out of the bottle, but even better when left to breathe for a couple of hours. 
With producers like Saint Cosme and Saint Damien, Gigondas has broken away from its identity as a poor man’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Plus, a good Gigondas is almost always ready to drink from the get-go. That is just one of many things to recommend from the 2018 Saint Damien Vieilles Vignes, made from vines that are older than 40 years. The Grenache (80%) and Mourvèdre are fermented in tanks and then aged for a year in large barrels. The dark, powerful wine is packed with fully ripe fruit, savory herbs, and scents of olive and licorice. This is big yet balanced, and ready to drink with a hearty lamb stew followed by blue-veined cheese. If you want the crème de la crème from 2018 Saint Damien, we also have a couple of cases of their older vine Gigondas cuvée ‘La Louisiane’ priced at $39.99.
Given their contribution to Santa Barbara County viticulture, Au Bon Climat has every right to slap a ‘Historic Vineyard Collection’ tag onto this bottle of terrific Chardonnay. The 2017 Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay delivers a lively, balanced palate. It begins with tropical fruit aromas, then delivers a rich, buttery texture and finishes cool and crisp. Great with crab cakes and a spicy aioli. 
We tend to promote this wine in every good vintage because it is affordable and entirely true to its roots: Chenin Blanc vines burrowed into the chalky soil of Vouvray. While the 2018 was a full-on Demi-Sec with a lovely soft sweetness, the 2019 is a little drier, with just a touch of peachy sweetness along with the telltale Vouvray earthiness. In any case, expect this great value to exceed expectations, and if you buy a case every bottle will be better than the last. If you accidentally cellar it for five or more years you will be even more greatly rewarded. Right now, it’s terrific with an herb encrusted roasted salmon with a fruit salsa. Or give it a go with fondue. 
While it would be great to have a cellar full of Vintage Port, a more practical approach would be to pay attention to the availability of Colheita Tawny Ports. A Colheita Port is a wine from a single vintage that is aged in barrel for at least seven years. When released to the market these wines are ready to drink, and surprisingly affordable given their age and expenditure in producing them. We’d lost track of Barros, a Colheita specialist, but recently rediscovered their 2006. Bottled in 2015, this is as smooth as Port gets; its refined dried fruit and roasted nut flavors last long but do not overpower. Great with an aged Cheddar. 
Don’t believe for a moment that we have been sitting on the sidelines of the Vermouth revolution. We raised a fist and a glass when Casa Mariol’s Vermut Negre returned to our shelves after a too-long hiatus. This Catalan specialty is based on white Macabeu wine, then infused with green walnuts and wild herbs and spices. The delightful, etched-on glass label gives schematic details showing how to mix and serve, but within this Liter bottle, there are many more delicious discoveries to be made. Salut! 
2019 Vinho Verde (Muralhas de Monção) 