newsletter

July 20, 2022 – August 17, 2022

Shark Sightings: Six Great Whites

To those who only drink red wine, we promise you a better newsletter next month. This month it’s time to have some great whites for all that is deliciously fresh from the sea and shore.

Ventoux
2021 Ventoux Blanc ‘Terrasses’ (Château Pesquié)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Château Pesquié Ventoux Blanc Terrasses The first time you see Mont Ventoux it looks like it’s covered in snow, but it’s actually a dome of limestone. Further down the mountain this limestone, combined with clay, makes a fine terroir for many grape varieties associated with the Rhône and Provence. From a sampling of Pesquié’s red, white, and rosé, the 2021 white stood out. This blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette, and Grenache Blanc is fresh, lively, and delicious. It’s a full-flavored white poised for grilled swordfish brushed with tapenade.

La Pépie
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine (La Pépie)
Sale Price $16.99 – $173.30 case of twelve
La Pépie Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Marc Ollivier is retired. Long live Domaine de la Pépière. His able chosen heirs have been handed some difficult vintages but have soldiered on. The 2020 La Pépie is a blend of purchased fruit and grapes from Pépière. Due to low yields the 2020 was allocated mainly to restaurants, but luckily we landed a few cases. This is a classic mineral-driven Muscadet with exquisite balance.

Vom Kalk
2020 Niersteiner Riesling Kabinett Trocken ‘Vom Kalk’ (Schneider)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Schneider Vom Kalk Niersteiner Riesling Kabinett Trocken Vintage after vintage, one of our favorite dry Rieslings comes from Schneider in the village of Nierstein in the under-rated Rheinhessen. Their 2020 vom Kalk is a limestone-inflected white with a rich palate of orchard fruits and a pronounced dry and minerally finish. A great wine for a spicy papaya salad.

Verdicchio
2021 Marche Bianco ‘Il Casolare’ (San Lorenzo)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
San Lorenzo Marche Bianco Il Casolare Fattoria San Lorenzo sits about 20 miles from the Adriatic Coast and is currently in the hands of Natalino Crognaletti, a third-generation winemaker who grew up on the land he now tends. It has always been farmed organically, but recently biodynamic practices have been put into place and all work is done by hand (with a little help from the family rabbits and geese). 100% Verdicchio, the nose is crisp pear and almond, and the palate is wet stones with a slight grapefruit pith bitterness on the end. This works well with snacks on the porch or a clam linguini with lots of fresh parsley.

Monopole Clásico
2018 Rioja Blanco ‘Monopole Clásico’ (C.V.N.E.)
Sale Price $27.99 – $285.50 case of twelve
C V N E Rioja Blanco Monopole Clásico The venerable C.V.N.E winery has long been a brand leader with their fresh, young white Rioja simply called Monopole. But after a forty-year absence, they resurrected the Monopole Clásico from an old recipe. This old version involves 80% Viura from Rioja aged in large oak barrels for 8 months; then, with special dispensation from the authorities, it is blended with Manzanilla Sherry from Andalucía. The result is a topsy-turvy mix of lean, chalky flavors that extend into a palate of chamomile, apples, and an expansive, long, minerally finish. This truly one-of-a-kind wine will be great with all kinds of shellfish.

Sicily
2021 Grillo ‘Timpa’ (Feudo Montoni)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Feudo Montoni Grillo Timpa Feudo Montoni’s wines please us in many ways. They farm organically and maintain the ancient rootstocks of their native Sicilian vines. The newly released 2021 Grillo is alive with floral flavors, pristine fruit, and a salty mineral finish. Have this with a sweet and sour eggplant caponata and a simple grilled fish.

Listed prices are honored through August 17th, 2022. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 46, No. 8

Royal Rosés

These delicious rosés are admittedly on the higher end, but we still have a good supply of our previous pink values from earlier newsletters.

Nahe
2021 Pinot Noir Rosé (Kruger-Rumpf)
Sale Price $18.99 – $193.70 case of twelve
Kruger-Rump Pinot Noir Rosé Last year we were pleasantly surprised by our first taste of Kruger-Rumpf’s rosé, and this year it again delivers. Made with Pinot Noir from Germany’s Nahe region, the 2021 is bright and crisp, with flavors of apricot and orange zest with a dry, peppery finish. Have with a vibrant garden salad topped with Fishwife smoked salmon.

Tavel
Trinquevedel Tavel 2021 Tavel (Trinquevedel)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 of twelve
Trinquevedel’s thoroughly delightful Tavel is a rich, full Grenache-based rosé made for a peppery seared tuna steak and tapenade-tossed green beans.

Bandol
Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2021 Bandol Rosé (Bastide Blanche)
Sale Price $29.99 – $305.90 of twelve
Like the Tavel above, this Bandol rosé is weighted and delicious. Based on the Mourvèdre grape, it has a peppery spice in addition to its dense fruit. A Mediterranean classic with Bouillabaisse.

Cava Plus One
2017 Cava Brut Nature Gran Reserva (Juvé & Camps)
NV Cava Brut Rosé Pinot Noir (Juvé & Camps)
Sale Price $15.99 – $172.69 case of twelve
Juvé & Camps is a reference point for Cava, Catalan Spain’s excellent sparkling wine. If you’re not sure what to bring to that summer cookout, you can’t go wrong with these.

Juvé and Camps Cava The Brut Nature is fabulously dry with a deep, yeasty flavor. This has flavor and dry intensity well beyond its cost, and is a good choice if seafood is being served. The Brut Rosé based on Pinot Noir is a charmer. It’s a pillow of berry fruit, yet deceptively long in flavor. Bring this to a burgers-and-barbecue affair.

Dueling Dolcetto
2020 Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Coste & Fossati’ (G.D. Vajra)
Sale Price $24.99 – $254.90 case of twelve
2020 Dolcetto d’Alba (Roagna)
Sale Price $29.99 – $305.90 case of twelve
Roagna Dolcetto d’Alba The Barolos from Vajra and the Barbarescos from Roagna are some of Piedmont’s greatest treasures. Yet both producers also make some of the region’s best Dolcetto, a much more ready-to-drink and affordable red. Dolcetto is always charming and easy to drink, but in the hands of these producers it attains more aroma and depth than usual.

G D Vajra Dolcetto d’Alba Coste and Fossati The Coste & Fossati from Vajra, a blend of two old vineyards, is consciously made to be a very refined, earthy, and lean style of Dolcetto. The fruit is restrained and elegant with beautifully balanced tannins and a lovely forest loam finish. A terrific match with mushrooms and pasta. Roagna’s is sourced from forty-year-old vines from two Barbaresco vineyards, fermented in wooden casks and aged for a year before release. This 2020 is a darkly fruited, round Dolcetto with ripe, soft tannins. Have this with a flash-grilled rib eye with gorgonzola butter.

Summer Spirits
This month we introduce a few lighter spirits for summer fun.

Acqua di Cedro (Nardini)
Sale Price $24.99 per 700ml
Cedro is a thick-skinned Mediterranean citron that Nardini distills into a low alcohol eau de vie. This can be served chilled as a drier version of Limoncello or made into a spritz with Prosecco and mint over ice.
Pastis (Henri Bardouin)
Sale Price $29.99 per 750ml
Henri Bardouin is an artisanal Pastis made with an array of Provençal herbs and spices. Based on anise, it is balanced with thyme, star anise, and rosemary among many other wild herbs. This is a classic Mediterranean aperitif served in a tall glass with an ice cube and a splash of water.
Suze
Sale Price $29.99 per 750ml
Suze is an old French aperitif whose popularity has waxed and waned over more than a century. Today the Pernod Ricard group and attention from bartenders have given it a new boost. This infusion of alpine gentian root is refreshingly bitter with a splash of tonic served over ice.
Amaro dello Stelvio (Braulio)
Sale Price $49.99 per Liter
Braulio’s Amaro is based on herbs, roots, and berries foraged from the Italian Alps. This is a cool after dinner drink, or can be used as the bitter component in many cocktail recipes.

Cool Mountain Mondeuse
2019 Savoie Mondeuse (Carrel)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50
Carrel Savoie Mondeuse We’ve recently featured a number of refreshing whites and rosés from the Savoie, but we also value the fresh red wines of the region. Eugène Carrel’s 2019 Mondeuse is a juicy and supple medium-bodied red. Wild blueberries and blackberries meet mountain herbs and a savory black olive finish. Be careful not to serve it too warm by giving it a few minutes in the fridge before opening, and enjoy with a simple cheese board featuring alpine cheese and saucisson.

Specialty Foods

Fishwife Tinned Seafood

Relatively new to the tinned fish scene, Fishwife aims “to bring the vibrance of conservas culture to the North American table.” They certainly do so, with eye-catching packaging and delicious, high-quality products. All of their offerings are either traceable to sustainable fisheries or sourced from responsibly managed aquaculture farms.
It’s hard to resist eating them straight out of the can, but try to be patient and save some to top a salad or tartine. Even better, choose one of the recipes on their website and grab one of the featured rosés to complete dinner.

Fishwife Wild-Caught Smoked Albacore Tuna Wild-Caught Smoked Albacore Tuna $9.99/3.5 oz
Their tuna is hook-and-line caught in the Northwest Pacific by small boat fisherman; brined with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and garlic; smoked over alderwood; and canned by a family-owned cannery on the coast of Oregon.

Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout Smoked Rainbow Trout $9.99/3.5 oz
The rainbow trout is raised in Idaho without antibiotics or hormones, and fed a sustainable diet; brined with extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and garlic; smoked in small batches over alderwood; and canned by a family-owned cannery on the coast of Washington.

Fishwife Smoked Atlantic Salmon Smoked Atlantic Salmon $13.99/3.5 oz
Fishwife sources salmon raised in Norway by third-generation family farmers, without antibiotics or chemicals. It’s brined in extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, garlic salt, and brown sugar; smoked in small batches over a mix of beech, maple, and birch wood; and canned by a fifth-generation family-run cannery on the central coast of Washington.

Fishwife Limited Edition Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp *Limited Edition* Smoked Salmon with Sichuan Chili Crisp $17.99/3.2 oz
The same delicious smoked Atlantic salmon, but perfectly married with Sichuan chili crisp made by LA-based Fly By Jing. Get it while it lasts.

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Wines of the Month — July 20, 2022 through August 17, 2022