November 2018

THE FUTURE OF GERMAN RIESLING: FEINHERB

The direction of German Riesling has changed dramatically over the last decade. There are lots of reasons. Part of it is market perception. In general, anything that is perceived to have any residual sugar is frowned upon by the new populace. Spätlese is viewed as ‘sweet’, even though the elevated acidity strikes an amazing balance with the complex hillside fruit of traditional German estate Riesling. Chardonnay is ‘dry’. Never mind that many of the Chardonnays the populace drinks have substantial sugars woven into their makeup, and much lower acidity.

The sommelier set, particularly those in Germany that have the ears of the vintners, claim that traditionally styled Rieslings don’t go with food. We’d love to debate that but the point is that they have been demanding searingly dry, skeletal trocken Riesling as the solution. Do they go better with food? Well some food, as long as you don’t care what the wine tastes like. The best examples of the genre are generally the ‘Grand Cru’ Trockens, designated as GG (großes gewächs). But while they have the peripheral fruit flesh that makes the style viable, they are erratic as a genre and typically cost $50 and up.

As we have stated many times, grapes should be made into the type of wine that best serves the varietal and the site. In this part of the world where it is colder, leaner structures and some sweetness are magic together. That may change with global warming, but it hasn’t yet. In the meantime some very talented German estates have figured out what we think is a way to please everyone. Over the years we have seen better and better examples of what are referred to as halbtrockens (literally ‘half dry’) a.k.a. feinherb, and this effort will be a game changer for a lot of folks.

The feinherbs have the firm backbone of great Riesling and, in concert with that acidity, have barely perceptible sweetness and finish dry. Perhaps more important is that, with just a bit more ‘fat’ on the ‘bones’, the palate feel is much rounder and there is a place where the remarkable fruit and complexity of some of these historic vineyards have a platform to express those qualities. To us, these are the answer to Riesling’s identity problem and a fantastic and versatile option for both food and non-food applications. We wouldn’t think of making a pitch like this unless we had a stellar example of the breed to make our case. This A. J. Adam Feinherb is uncommonly good for the genre and pretty sensational juice by any standard.

While we have been big promoters of German wines since the 1980s, and have worked with some producers for that entire stretch, we only became acquainted with A.J. Adam with the 2010 vintage. He has since become one of our favorite Häuser. The A J Adam Riesling Mosel in der Sangerei Feinherb 2017 can be considered a ‘best of breed’. Some folks might balk at a $40 fare for Riesling, but you can pay a lot more for wines that cannot touch this one. To us, this should be the future of the trocken movement…back off the trocken a little and make something that’s both enjoyable and food friendly.

Importer Terry Theise’s comments on this one are, “A cadaster parcel within the Hofberg, this has often been a beloved wine for me. This ’17 is quite serious, in the vintage way, not as suave as usual but with a different kind of grip and length. Half was lost to frost, so there’s just one Fuder, of an earnest, dark-toned mineral wine, with a pointed acidity that sucks up every one of the 25g/l RS.”

While perhaps less cerebral, Stuart Piggott’s comments on James Suckling’s website are certainly more to the heart of the matter, “Super peachy with great brilliance and refinement. This is a great Spätlese that’s dry enough for the finest lobster dish, but it is also powerful enough to cope with the spiciest curry. The very long finish keeps pumping out fruit and minerals. Drink or hold…96 points.”

This is the type of effort that will please people on both sides of the Riesling debate. By the way, if you are a fan of the more traditional Spätlese style, these guys make one of the best.

Sneaky Good Buy on Cali Chard from Santa Rita Hills

First of all, we must make the point that this Pence has nothing to do with politics that we know of. Blair Pence owns a 200-acre working ranch in the western part of the Santa Rita hills with his vines situated on rocky soils . By their own description, “Seen from above, it appears as an island on an elevated plateau, which has been slowly eroded over time on all sides and is thus fully exposed to merciless cold ocean winds, morning fog and other Pacific Ocean influences. It is this combination of stressful conditions that provides the character considered essential to making great wines from our location.”

Thing is it seems like everybody has some sort of angle to assert that their wine is better. This one actually is. The Pence Ranch Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2016 is one of the best under $20 Chardonnays we have tasted from California in quite some time. To some people that means something that is ‘rich and round, mouth-filling and oaky’ (and probably pumped up with residual sugar and wood chips). If you are looking for that kind of in-your-face style, this is not that.

This one surprised us because it had sufficient size, a great palate feel, nuanced flavors of pear, ‘butter’, and apple, and bright acidity. In other words, it tasted like Chardonnay, with the kind of fruit, purity, balance and nuance that engages rather than overwhelms. We’re going to go out on a limb and presume that the winemaking probably has a lot to do with this.

As soon as we tasted this one, we were pretty sure whoever made it knew what they were doing. The winemaker of record here is one Sashi Moorman, a talented fellow involved in a few side projects as well as his own PiedraSassi, Sandhi and Domaine de la Côte labels. The stuff coming out of Sandhi now is quite impressive, and his touche seems to have worked beautifully with Pence’s ocean-influenced Chardonnay.

Yeah we can produce a review from Jeb Dunnuck, “92 Points! The 2016 Chardonnay Estate has some caramelized notes as well as ripe orchard fruits and brioche, lip-smacking acidity, a rounded, beautifully textured feel, and a great finish. Aged 9 months in 25% new Ermitage barrels, drink it over the coming 3-5 years.”

But one on one, as opposed to some kind of multi-item blind review tasting, one will be able to sense a lot going on.

This is a beautiful option in today’s varied Chardonnay world. But it wasn’t made to win a tasting with added bell and whistles. It was instead made to be what it is supposed to be, a well-made, tasty, versatile, personality-filled ‘real’ Chardonnay made by a guy who is well acquainted with what great Chardonnay is supposed to taste like. A sneaky value, we could try and make a big splash but, frankly, that’s not the format to sell a wine like this. This Chardonnay speaks for itself without yelling and enough people should ‘get it’.

AN ALBARINO STORY

*This is a little unusual for us, but something we might start doing a little more often. In the course of our ongoing research to support the emails and writeups we do, we try to include as much information as we can without every article looking like “War & Peace” or something ‘Micheneresque’. Occasionally we do run a across a story done by somebody else that has great information or teaches a lot about some aspect of the world of wine. We are of a mind to publish them for your consideration.

This article was written for the importer for Raul Perez’ new Albariño project (Atalier) by Andrew Mulligan, the Spanish portfolio manager for the company. Naturally, it is a bit of a sales pitch but we thought the history aspects, etc. are pretty cool here. Yeah, it’s geeky stuff, but pretty informative. We’re going to do a more concise email offering on this outstanding new Albariño moving forward. But we couldn’t possibly include this much detail and this is an article that few consumers would ever find, or even know to look for.

=========================AN ALBARINO STORY (Andrew Mulligan)

We are very pleased to announce the arrival of the 2017 vintage of ‘A Cruz das Ánimas’, the Albariño from Atalier by Raúl Pérez. While this is the second vintage produced under this label, it should be considered the first vintage in which the vision of the project has been fully realized. The 2016, while terrific, was cobbled together from myriad sources, whereas the 2017 comes from three dedicated coastal sites that were specifically chosen to carry the project into the future.

The Rías Baixas is an unusual appellation in that it is not geographically contiguous. In the north, around the town of Cambados, there is the Val do Salnés sub-zone. In the south, along the Miño River (which forms the natural border with Portugal), are O Rosal and Condado do Tea. Less well-known and more recently established are Soutomaior, located between Pontevedra and Vigo, and Ribeira de Ulla, which lies to the south of Santiago de Compostela.

In the past, there was a tremendous amount of varietal diversity in the region. Indeed, there are twelve authorized varieties in the appellation – a half dozen each of white and red. Since the establishment of the D.O. in 1988, however, Albariño has risen to near complete dominance, now accounting for 96% of the planted acreage.

The origins of Albariño are not universally agreed upon, either by ampelographers or winegrowers. Some believe that the variety is native to this corner of the Iberian Peninsula (insomuch as any grape can be considered truly “native” to Western Europe). Others believe that it was brought over by French monks in the 11th and 12th centuries via the Camino de Santiago. Still others believe its origins to be Germanic. “Alba” is a Latinate root for “white” and ”Rin” is the Rhine River, so it’s possible to interpret the name Albariño as “White of the Rhine”.

Wherever it came from originally, there is no dispute as to Albariño’s ancestral home in Spain: the Val do Salnés. The southern zones of the appellation were historically planted more to red varieties like Caiño Tinto, Loureiro Tinto and Espadeiro, and white varieties like Caiño Blanco, Treixadura and Loureiro Blanco (the latter two of which are still widely planted just over the border in Portugal), but the vast majority of those plantations were pulled up to make way for Albariño over the last three to four decades. With very few exceptions, Albariño vineyards that are referred to as “old” in Condado do Tea or O Rosal top out around 35-40 years of age. In Val do Salnés, however, it is still possible to find some very old parcels. Owing to the predominance of sandy soils in the coastal areas, there are even some plots that survived the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th century, thus making them some of the oldest un-grafted vitis vinifera plantings in the world. The 2017 Atalier comes from a trio of such vineyards, all within a kilometer of the coast in the village of Dena.

These 150-year-old Albariño vines are trained in the traditional pergola style. Rodri Méndez, the unofficial conservationist-in-chief of the Salnés Valley, is the person responsible for scouting the vineyards and establishing the agreements with the owners, whom he has known all his life. Rodri’s bonafides are rock solid: he’s a member of the family that founded Do Ferreiro, one of the first commercial wine brands in the Rías Baixas. Its founding pre-dates the formal establishment of the D.O. by at least fifteen years, and it remains a reference point domaine, not just in the Rías Baixas, but in all of Galicia. Rodri has since split off to launch his own projects, but he remains almost religiously committed to seeking out, recuperating and preserving historic sites such as the ones that go into Atalier. You see, old vines are not very sought after in this new world of commodified Albariño. Most folks these days want to farm for kilos, and old vines are notoriously miserly with their yields. Almost every year, parcels of un-grafted, pre-phylloxera Albariño vines are either abandoned by people of advanced age or plowed under to make way for new plantations. My colleague Max and I got to visit the largest of the three sites this past month, and it was, without a doubt, one of the most moving vineyard visits of my career. I have certainly visited more visually arresting sites: Knights Valley in the shadow of Mt. St. Helena; the bleached and blasted moonscape of Santorini; the vertiginous slopes of Amandi in the Ribeira Sacra. But this visit was different. The vineyard lies exactly at sea level and is totally flat, so there’s no real drama to the landscape. It was what this site represents that was at once both inspiring and poignant.

Vicente has worked this plot his entire life. We didn’t ask Vicente, the vineyard’s owner, his exact age, but I’m guessing he lands somewhere between 80 and 90 years old. He has looked after this vineyard for his entire life, like his father and grandfather before him. Though he’s not entirely sure, he surmises that the vineyard was planted before his grandfather was born. Rodri Méndez estimates that the Albariño vines are somewhere around 150-160 years old on average, based on the breadth of the trunks and the paucity of the yield. There is at least one vine on the property that is an order of magnitude older than that: a single Caiño Tinto vine with a trunk as wide as a dogwood’s and limbs that extend far and wide enough over its trellis to provide shade for a large patio. Vicente’s children chose other vocations, leaving him without any heirs to carry on the family tradition of cultivating the vine, so Rodri now takes responsibility for the vineyard management and pays him for the agreed-upon share of the grapes at harvest. Vicente keeps a small portion of the yield to make a wine for home consumption.

Rodri and Marcial Dorado, another scion of an old northwest Iberian vine-growing family, accompanied Max and I for the visit. Though it was immediately obvious to us Americans, they still took great pains to emphasize how special a site this was. “This is the real thing, Andrew! This is the way of our ancestors! Look at this! Look at it!” Their inarticulate exhortations were fitting for the moment. Anyone who works in this business long enough will eventually become at least slightly desensitized to the wonder that a visit to a vineyard can occasion. Some will become downright cynical. But while we’ll never get back to the state of mind we enjoyed on those early trips, when we were seeing everything for the first time, we are still occasionally privileged to feel that wonder break through again.

“When these vines were planted,” I thought to myself, “My mother’s ancestors were breeding horses for the Polish cavalry and my father’s ancestors were being greeted in America by NINA signs.” How much has changed for my family since then! And how little has changed for Vicente’s. These vines we were walking amongst – after all these years, with their famines and diseases and wars and scourges; their marriages and births and innovations and poems and songs – they would still produce fruit! And my friend Raúl would turn that fruit into wine, and my other friends and I would get to sell that wine to yet other friends, and those friends would sell it to friends and strangers alike…when you take the time to reflect on it, this is remarkable!

With raw material like this, there’s not really much to do but stay out of the way, and despite the abundance of accolades Raúl and his wines have received, staying out of the way is probably the thing he does best. There are two key decisions, however, that affected the way the wine came to show the character it does. The first concerns malic acid. There are certainly counterexamples, but the vast majority of Albariño on the market goes through at least partial malolactic conversion. The grapes have a very high level of naturally-occurring malic acid, so when picked at the usual time, they need a little bit of that conversion to avoid coming out shrill. Raúl, however, eschews malolactic in Albariño. In order to naturally lower the malic acid levels in the grapes and obviate the need for even partial conversion, he waits to harvest for as long as two or three weeks after most everyone in the zone has finished. This is not so much time that the grapes raisinate or arrive at unreasonable levels of potential alcohol (the finished wine is around 12.8% or 13%), but their malic acid levels do drop considerably. Raúl and Rodri like to say that they pick on the same day every year: “The day before it rains.”

The other decision is to elaborate the wine in oak, standard practice for all the wines – white and red – that Raúl produces. These days, oak fermentation and aging are often disparaged out of hand as “modern” techniques, representing what the great Robert Haas would call “some tragic falling off from a first world / of undivided light” – some ideal of purity that is almost entirely apocryphal. This is especially true for white varieties that are expected to be made in a fresh, reductive style. But as with any polarizing issue in the wine world – sulfur comes to mind – context is of paramount importance. Putting Albariño into a new French 225L HT and racking it after six months into another one is modern (and sounds gross). Putting Albariño into large, used foudres to stimulate oxygen exchange during élevage is something that’s been done for generations. The style we think of now when we think of Albariño – fresh, easy, fruity – is actually quite new. The first stainless steel tanks didn’t arrive to the region until the 1980s! The prevalence of reductively raised Albariños in the market these days is almost purely a function of economics: stainless steel élevages save time, money and labor – simple as that. And the commodification of Albariño wines over the last twenty or thirty years has led to a philosophy of “pick, crush, ferment, bottle, sell” that has all but relegated this noble variety to the “cheap and cheerful” bin along with Verdejo.

The 2017 ‘A Cruz das Ánimas’ from Atalier by Raúl Pérez is an example of the ecstatic heights that old-vine Albariño can reach when treated with the respect, care, and patience it deserves. It is also is something that is becoming vanishingly rare in the world of wine today. Sites like these represent an ever more endangered piece of the cultural patrimony of Galicia. When I speak of the poignancy of visiting a site like this, it’s not simply about un-grafted vines. Apart from the vines themselves, it’s the tradition of passing jealously guarded parcels of land from generation to generation that is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain in the new global economy. A wine like this provides us with an opportunity to partake of this legacy and play a part in keeping what’s left of it alive.

SANDHI PINOT NOIR 2016: SANTA RITA AS IT SHOULD BE

As the old saying goes, nothing is perfect. Now all of that may have changed with the advent of the ‘100 point scale’ which occasionally has wines awarded 100 points. Isn’t 100 points on a ‘100 point’ scale, well, perfection? In theory it would seem so, but what defines perfection? Simply it is the ability to fulfill all of the parameters in the best possible way. But it is also relevant to understand that someone has to decide what those parameters are. Obviously you can‘t judge Pinot Noir and Chardonnay by the same standard.

Even with the same varietal, there are stylistic preferences that some might judge more enthusiastically than others. The origins also make a difference. Willamette Pinots, those from Russian River, Santa Rita Hills or Santa Lucia Highlands each have their own charm, but they also have long-established traits that define their appellation. All have very different profiles.

So that being said, within the very specific subset of Santa Rita Hills, it doesn’t get much better than the Sandhi Pinot Noir Santa Rita 2016. Beautifully orchestrated throughout, this is a textbook example of the appellation like few we have ever seen. The aromatics show the cool dark red fruits, rhubarb, and wild herbs. In the mouth there is plenty of refined, well-meshed, ample cranberry and mulberry fruit, a tapestry of earth, anise, and touches of oak in the finish.

To quote Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media,“… the 2016 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is positively stellar. Powerful and deep in the glass, with unusual depth, the 2016 has so much to offer. There is a level of sheer richness I have never seen in this bottling before. Blue and purplish berry fruit, lavender and spice flavors are all amped up. This is a very serious wine at the appellation level. Then again, the core of this wine is now composed of vineyards that belong to Domaine de la Côte. If there is one wine that over delivers big time in 2016, Sandhi’s Santa Rita Hills Pinot is it. Don’t miss it…93 Points! “

In any case, we haven’t experienced a better standard-bearer for the appellation than this one. If you are a fan of the Santa Rita Hills, this wine hits all the right notes. Does that mean perfection? Under a certain set of parameters, maybe so. But at the very least, it’s seriously good, ‘Burgundy styled’ Pinot Noir crafted by guys (Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman) that have great experience with real Burgundy, and, at $29.98, delivers a lot of value on a wine that plays at a high level. Like the man said, ‘don’t miss it!’

WELCOME BACK, POWELL

We have been at the Aussie game for nearly three decades now, and can honesty say that we were involved in the earliest days of the boutique influx. We were among the very first customers for groundbreaking importers like the late John Larchet (Australian Premium Wine Collection) and Dan Philips (Grateful Palate). We can still recall looking at a status report from an early shipment from Grateful Palate where a wine that we had never heard of called Torbreck RunRig (1994 vintage if memory serves) was on our manifest. We asked Dan about it and he simply said, “you want it.”

Turned out it was sensational and the first step in a long and successful run for the Torbreck label. The mind behind it was one Dave Powell, clearly a man of enormous winemaking talents and great ambition. Over the years he continued to amaze with one distinctive, deliciously well-conceived bottling after another. His winemaking associate at the time was Dan Standish, who has spun off to create a sensational label of his own.

Torbreck is now in the capable hands of former Peter Lehmann winemaker Ian Hongell. What happened to Dave? Well the story of his personal life would probably make a pretty good cable series on one of the edgier channels. But the key elements were that Dave got into a situation where he needed a serious infusion of capital to keep the label afloat and subsequently made his investment arm so distraught with some of his antics that he was essentially kicked out of the company he founded.

People have said all kinds of salty things about Powell. But no one, even his detractors, could honestly say that he wasn’t a brilliant winemaker. Well after the Torbreck debacle, the supremely confident Powell kind of disappeared from view. Apparently he spent some time teaching his son, Callum, the ropes and, clearly, the guy hasn’t lost a step. Whether or not this new duo will be able to equal the pinnacle of success that Torbreck enjoyed remains to be seen. But if you are looking for great purity of fruit, expressive personality, and unique profiles, why not go with one of the best winemakers in all of Australia.

Dave believes most of the work happens in the vineyard and this is where Dave and Callum spend most of their time. The resulting wines have the same kind of flair that those early Torbreck wines showed. The short story is that Dave is back, and doing what he does best in creating distinctive, hand-made wines. It doesn’t hurt that these debut wines are from 2016 which was an exceptional vintage Down Under.

Powell and Son Riverside Grenache Mataro Shiraz Barossa Valley 2016–It starts here with The Powells’ entry-level red, the 2016 Riverside Grenache Mataro Shiraz, a 70% Grenache, 20% Mataro and 10% Shiraz blend that spent 15 months in large foudres and concrete prior to bottling. A Wine Advocate 91, the comments are, “It’s full-bodied but floral and fine, with a silky texture, cherry fruit and a bit of earthy depth. It should drink well for 3-4 years, possibly more.” It’s like the old Torbreck Woodcutters value bottling only more engaging and packed with fruit. It’s kind of ‘old World’, as is Dave’s bent, but there’s an appealing lift and new World freshness. At $17.98 it’s a buy.

Powell and Son Shiraz Barossa and Eden Valleys 2016– The Barossa & Eden Valleys Shiraz “epitomises the philosophy of Powell & Son to marry the greatness of the Barossa and Eden Valleys”. Barossa supplies the rich middle with the higher elevation, cooler Eden Valley giving the wine a lift and freshness that people don’t typically think is a part of Australian reds. A 50/50 blend of Eden Valley Shiraz from 40+ year-old vines and Barossa Valley Shiraz from 60+ year-old vines, the fruit is fermented separately in concrete vats before spending 15 months in 4,500 liter French oak foudres.

The aroma of this wine shows kirsch, lavender, sage and charred meats. It has a dark, brooding character to add further complexity. The palate is dense and deep with ripe black fruits: plum, blackberry compote as well as a cured meats and black olive.

Wine Advocate was quite supportive with a 94 point score and notes, “Taking price into account, the GMS and this wine, the 2016 Barossa & Eden Valleys Shiraz, are my favorites in the Powells’ lineup. The blend is 50-50, as there was a single foudre from each region used in the blend. The nose is more floral and garrigue-like than the straight Barossa Shiraz, with mulberry and blueberry fruit mingling easily on the palate. It’s full-bodied, creamy-textured and rich, with a concentrated, velvety finish that’s a clear step up from the entry-level wines.”

Wine Spectator was equally enthusiastic with a 93 point score and comments, “Whiffs of eucalyptus and white pepper announce the massive, dense and concentrated blueberry and blackberry flavors, with Earl Grey tea— and clove-scented notes on the finish. There’s no denying the power here. A good candidate to evolve with mid-term cellaring.” The $44.98 price is serious, but so is the wine.

Powell and Son Grenache Shiraz Mataro Barossa Valley 2016– The Barossa Valley GSM takes the various ‘parts’ and hones it into a complete new world Chateauneuf type wine. The blend is about 2/3 Grenache from mature Barossa Valley Grenache bush vines, with Shiraz and Mataro making up the balance. Again the maturing in big foudres harmonizes everything while not allowing the wood to get in the way of the fruit. Engaging, expressive, and intense, yet never overblown.

Again impressive words from Wine Advocate, “…One of the best values and flat-out sexiest wines in the lineup is the 2016 Grenache-Shiraz-Mataro. Driven by the 1901-planted Grenache from Seppeltsfield that makes up 60% of the blend, it’s richer, darker and deeper than the Riverside bottling. Sage and licorice notes add nuance to the black cherries on the nose and palate of this full-bodied, richly concentrated and layered offering. 94 Points!”

Dave is back and this line with his son is an important new (old?) face on the Aussie scene.

STOLPMAN: TASTY VALUE-PRICED REDS FROM UNIQUE BLENDS

We have watched as Stolpman experimented with viticulture and winemaking ideas until they got it figured out. The Stolpmans had the passion and they also had Sashi Moorman on the payroll and, through him, a connection to a larger group of vintners with a ‘higher calling’ wine-wise. The common mindset here as they worked towards their goals was not visions of other domestic producers, but of some of France’s greatest Rhone producers (the Stolpmans named their child Augie, in deference to August Clape of Cornas, for example).

There’s a saying in sports about how one must ‘play the right way’. Well these folks did that with wine. They experimented, they learned, and they got better and better. Yet they never lost sight of the fact that people will be drinking their wine and clearly, given their pricing, the Stolpmans left their egos at the door. Now, with Syrah as their major focus, they make some of the most compelling and unique blends in California. The care that goes into these wines in both the vineyards and the cellar is far above the prices charged. To further enhance the individual wines’ identity, they give them individual labels and stories.

On top of it all, the Stolpmans produce these wines in partnership with the Solarzano family, who manage the viticultural duties for the entire estate, and permanent staff. It’s kind of a ‘family’ affair where everyone cares a great deal about what’s in the bottle. We can vividly recall a number of new labels from corporate type wineries where we asked about the source of the wine and were told, essentially, that the ‘story’ came first and they found some juice to fill the bottle. These are well conceived, purely made wines where the story on the label is from the ‘heart’ and the juice is first rate and unfettered.

As we mentioned, great Syrah is the recurring theme through this lineup. We’ll start with the newest edition, the Stolpman La Cuadrilla 2016. When Tom Stolpman originally bought the property, he wanted his workers on site year-round, so the team members could have a steady job, a career, and raise their families with security. To further that goal, Ruben Solarzano divvied up parcels among the workers for them to maintain and thus learn the growing cycle ‘hands on’. This wine includes the crew’s plots (called Cuadras) in a unique and tasty blend of 72% Syrah, 16% Sangiovese and 12% Grenache. Not to get too technical, but 80% of the grapes are destemmed and 20% are done whole cluster to give the fruit some ‘pop’. Afterwards it sees time in neutral oak just to round out the edges.

This is a juicy and accessible wine with an uncanny purity to the fruit that reminds us of times long past, with lively dark cherry, blueberry and plum. There’s a little spice and a pleasing savory streak to add interest to the blend, and all is integrated for current ‘applications’ and well-priced for what it delivers. You rarely get this caliber of juice for this kind of price here in California. Notes from Wine Advocate coincide with ours and demonstrate how far this sophisticated project has come, “…the unabashedly delicious 2016 La Cuadrilla is a beautiful wine, jumping from the glass with notes of roses, violets, wild berry fruits and pomegranate. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied with an ample core of juicy fruit, satiny tannins and a pure finish. This is an amazing value….92 Points”.

The name, the blend, and the winemaking are pretty daring on the Stolpman Para Maria de los Tecolotes 2017, but they are a key part of the reason why this wine is so unique. The blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petit Verdot is quirky enough. But the ‘process’ takes it up a notch. By their own description this wine is done with 40% of the Syrah done via whole cluster (carbonic maceration) in a sealed tank, 40% Syrah destemmed and done by a traditional open top fermentation. The Petit Verdot also is destemmed and done open top. It’s a bit of work for a wine in this price range, but the results are beyond impressive.

We liked it a lot for its texture, density of flavor, and the cool underpinning to the dark Syrah fruit provided by the Petit Verdot, which plays not unlike Mourvedre in this mix. Again we are talking a unique, seriously complex wine from California for under $20, which we must again mention doesn’t happen every day. But Antonio Galloni of Vinous took it up a couple of notches from there. His words, “…another attractive wine from Stolpman. Here, too, the fruit is bright, precise and articulate, which is to say quite a departure from the style of the 2016. Generous and pliant on the palate, with no hard edges and striking aromatics…it is shaping up to be a real beauty…Don’t miss it….92-95 points”

As long as we’re at it, we feel compelled to mention their Stolpman Vineyards Estate Syrah Ballard Canyon 2016, definitely a bottling they are well known for and one of California’s best bargains on serious Syrah year in and year out. This wine gets plenty of love consistently and it did here again. It’s a Wine Advocate 92 and, in their words “keenly priced.” Vinous offers up a 93 with comments, “The 2016 Syrah Estate is dense and powerful in the glass, with plenty of fruit intensity. Even so, the shift towards a more polished, subtle style that is so evident in the 2017s is already quite evident here. Today, the Estate is a bit shy, but all the elements are very nicely balanced. I especially admire the wine’s persistence.”

Their program with their employees is enlightened and productive, and each wine is special in its own way. But they all share the aspect of being intriguing juice that performs well above their modest prices. Their hard work has paid off as has their thinking outside the cuadra. Now you get to take advantage.

WHITE BURGUNDY’S ‘NEXT BIG THING’

As most of you who have been with us for a while know, we have been standard bearers for Beaujolais. We have brought you amazing values like some of the single-vineyard bottlings from Dubouef, promoted the classics like Thevanet, Lapierre, and Burgaud and chronicled the Cote d’Or invasion from the likes Girardin and Liger-Belair. For us, Beaujolais has always been important. In doing our research for the wines we were going to promote, we kept running across the name Jules Desjourneys. Often when we would be reading extensive critical notes on the genre, Desjourneys wines were on another level review-wise.

It is simply in our DNA to have a look at everything thing we could, but at the time there was no West Coast distribution for Desjourneys. Some years later, we were finally presented with the wines from this esteemed producer. They were, as advertised, spectacular and unique examples of the genre. But the prices really put a clamp on what we could do with the wines, with some of the bottlings hitting $60-70 for Beaujolais. There was clearly enough sizzle for us to keep on top of it to look for opportunities. But for something selling for nearly double names like Lapierre and Thevenin, we had to pick our battles carefully.

It long ago we were given the opportunity to review the newest lineup from Desjourneys, this time including a couple of white wines. Before we go on, around here after years of tasting, we often use the terminology ‘white wine from a red wine guy’, or vice versa. In our experience, there is a high probability that a producer that is best known for red wines, for example, simply doesn’t have quite the same touch with whites. They are usually solid but lack that certain, special something that puts them on that top level. It has been generally true from little producers all the way up to legends like Coche-Dury and Ramonet. This was going through our minds as we looked down the lineup of Desjourneys, and we figured we would politely taste the whites and move on.

No one was more surprised than we were at how impressive these whites were! As we worked through the reds, we kept thinking about how much we loved the whites. Yes they were from southern Burgundy, and it’s hard to convince people that Pouilly Fuisse could perform at the level of something from the Cote d’Or given how many ordinary examples they had run across in their experience. However there are notable exceptions that come along every once in a while. You might recall several fabulous releases wee sold a while back from Robert-Denogent. Well, ‘red wine guy’ or not, these Chardonnays from Dejourneys amazed.

First a little background. Fabien Duperray was an agent for some of the Cote d’Or biggest stars and, presumably by association, had the mindset to create an estate that would be on the level of what he was accustomed to. Starting in 2007, he found some small plots in Beaujolais and accumulated 7+ hectares of choice, steep hillside plots in Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent, Morgan and Chénas with vines ranging from 65 to 140 years old. He improved his own winemaking in leaps, and now farms in a way one writer called ‘beyond biodynamic’. He runs the place like a Cote d’Or estate, right down to the best corks, and it shows in the wines.

There are stories about how miniscule his yields are, and how he employed as many as 50 people to harvest and hand sort this tiny estate so that everything was optimally ripe. The result has been wines that David Schildknecht, then of Wine Advocate, called, “…some of the most remarkable Beaujolais wines of my experience, and perhaps ever rendered.” He has become something of a rock star in Beaujolais. Clearly the guy is destined to be a white wine superstar once people find out about it. But there isn’t much wine out there and even less information (even on Desjournays own web site).

What we can say is that, from the first taste, that whole ‘red wine guy making white wine’ went out
la fenêtre. There is clear viticulture/winemaking mastery going on here and these whites are profound beverages and unique in their expression. For less than the price of an ordinary Chassagne you can have some of the most intriguing Chardonnays we’ve ever had out of the southern part of Burgundy…ever. These are very special and more than fairly priced for what they are.

Jules Desjourneys Saint Veran 2014- Not only were we bowled over by these wines but were thrilled to find some from such a sensational vintage. From 60 year-old vines in clay and limestone soils, it all starts in the nose with this floral apple and yellow fruit impression but soon complexing notes of spice, limestone minerality, hints of wild herbs and toast began to evolve. On the palate it is at once mouth-filling and crisp with streaks of earth, spice, mineral and toast subtly interwoven with no single element sticking out of the core of yellow stone fruit and ripe apple. You are left with a lingering impression of spice and just the right cut of saliva-tickling acidity. Can’t say we have ever had a Saint Veran this serious or quite like this.

Jules Desjourneys Pouilly Vinzelles 2014-A notch up with perhaps a bit more incisive aromatics and a touch more of a toasty element evident, there’s a touch of citrus (oranges?) as well to the white and yellow peach fruit center. Again we have richness without thickness and the palate is fully engaged with the spice, mineral, and a little grilled almond nuance. It is seriously engaging again, maybe with a couple more ‘notes’ to the ‘music’ but that same presence on the palate and that almost lightly ‘pulpy’ texture. The few notes we have say that this one is done in 100% stainless steel, and that Fabien is a minimalist almost to the extreme, yet all aspects are orchestrated precisely. Delicious.

We also have bits of the Jules Desjourneys Pouilly Loche 2015 and Jules Desjourneys Pouilly Fuisse 2015. While we have been less excited about the 2015 vintage for whites overall, our objection is usually that they are a little flaccid. Not so here as these have a brightness that is definitely more identifiable structurally with 2014s, though they are slightly weightier. We could go on but there really isn’t that much wine and we could find no reviews of the whites anywhere. So for now they are our little secret. Suffice it to say these need to be tasted and they provided us with the kind of Burgundy ‘aha’ moment we rarely have.

Like we said, there wasn’t anything written about this vintage. But a look ahead suggests that this exciting new source is about to get some serious attention.

Marvelous Muscadet: Classic Oyster Wine A Cut Above

Most people who have had any extended exposure to French wine eventually run across Muscadet. The overwhelming image is of a crisp, dry,relatively serviceable wine to wash down some oysters or a chilled seafood plate popular in French bistros. That’s pretty much what we knew about it until one day our world was seriously rocked by a wine from a fellow named Pèpiére. It had more body and density than any Muscadet we had ever run across, and delivered an unforgettable palate experience. ‘Great’ Muscadet? Who knew?

The ‘old knowledge’ also reinforced the idea that Muscadet was at its absolute best when it was at its freshest. For the typical mass produced Muscadets that populate the majority of the marketplace, that is probably true. But we came in contact with some remarkable examples that were given extended lees contact that enriched the wine and gave them the structure to last a decade or more. These ‘super-Muscadets’ took the genre to unexpected heights and today’s offering is one of those that will give you a whole new perspective on the subject.

Founded in 2005 by the talented winemaking duo of Jérémie Huchet and Jérémie Mourat, Les Betes Curieuses (literally translated ‘The Curious Beasts’) is a collaboration to explore the distinct terroirs of Muscadet and showcase a more serious and age-worthy side of the region. Jérémie Mourat, from the Vendee (south of Nantes) initially met Jérémie Huchet, whose winery is located in Muscadet at Chateau Thebaud, through a shared interest in organic viticulture. Huchet was heavily influenced in his approach to farming and winemaking by Marc Olivier (of Domane Pepiere). Besides their technical skills, the partners draw on generations of experience in knowing the best sites of the region. They make four different single cru bottlings.

This is not your grandfather’s Muscadet. While Muscadet has long been recognized as one of the world’s great value wines, there is much more to the region. The cru communaux (communal crus) were initially set up in 2011 and now total 11 in number (as of 2017). These are distinct crus (think cru Beaujolais as a comparison) that were associated with unique soil types where exceptional examples of Muscadet’s grape, Melon de Bourgogne, were consistently harvested. Lower yields and longer aging sur lie (a minimum of 18 months on the lees and 2 years total elevage is required) help to ensure only the very best wines carry the cru names on them. Only 1% of all Muscadet is cru communaux!

The ‘Curious Beasts’ vinify the crus separately using the same farming and winemaking techniques for each. They focus on old, head-trained vines (most are more than 50 years old), organic farming, and minimal intervention winemaking. After fermentation the wines are aged for long periods of time in underground cement tanks on the lees. By keeping everything the same between plots, they clearly demonstrate the differences in terroir. Chateau-Thebaud is comprised of 50-year-old vines planted at a dense 7000 vines/ha on clay gravel atop granite. The grapes are hand harvested, slowly pressed and cold settled. The native yeast fermentation occurs in underground tanks with no lees stirring and the wine is aged on those lees solids for 5 years before bottling.

The result is this riveting white. The Jérémie’s Chateau Thebaud Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2010, at age eight, is remarkably vigorous, and shows no sign of tapering off. The bright flavor band hurls intense stony minerality, skin-on pear, lime, honey, orange and almond, with a changing profile every sip. High pitched yet creamy through the middle, this engages all of the palate and finishes with a snappy salinity. It gets your attention, shows invigorating complexity, and has plenty of tension and grip to keep everything nicely humming along.

Great producer, outstanding ‘cru’, exceptional vintage, this is Muscadet at its very best. This is Muscadet that can play with the ‘big boys’ from anywhere and change people’s expectations of what the region can do, even though only a handful of vignerons work at this level. If you are a fan of Chablis, northern Italian or Austrian whites, or crisp whites in particular, this will be right in your wheel house. The best part is that you can get this ‘game changer’ for under $20.

The Big Book of Bubbles: 2018

NO1 FAMILY ESTATE CUVEE NO1 BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS MARLBOROUGH NV – We figured the perfect place to start our bubbly piece was with No1. It was only logical. Actually it might seem a little audacious to call themselves that, but then Daniel Le Brun is from Champagne where the Le Brun family can trace its roots back to the mid-1700s. The knowledge came with Daniel, instilled in him by his father in Champagne. It was simply a matter of finding the fruit. The Wairau Valley in Marlborough was where they found Chardonnay grapes they could turn into a world class sparkler, and they use only their own estate fruit. By controlling the viticulture, like a grower Champagne in France, they get the fruit exactly the way they want it.

To be honest, we were a little skeptical going in but the wine speaks for itself and can hold its own with ‘real’ Champagne. The Wine Advocate comments make the point, “The NV Cuvee No 1 is 100% Chardonnay and stays on the lees for two years prior to disgorgement. It’s light-bodied and delicate, with toasty, biscuity and faintly nutty notes over lemon-lime fruit. It would be great with oysters on the half shell now, but you might also hold it for a few years to let it develop richer, nuttier nuances. Dosage is seven grams per liter, so the wine finishes crisp and quite dry… 91 Points.”

Made in the methode champenoise (fermented in bottle) it is super clean, with a fresh, insistent, surprisingly fine bead and creamy-yet bright-texture. If you are going to step outside the box, this one delivers, and that’s from folks (us) that are ‘Champagne first’. ($29.98)

LUCIEN ALBRECHT BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS CREMANT D’ALSACE NV–For years this was a go-to for us in the value sparkling arena. Then there was a period of, um, financial unrest where the wines really weren’t delivering the way they had previously. We kind of forgot about Albrecht for a while, but a recent tasting showed they had found their mojo again. They were one of the pioneers of this genre here, beginning production in 1971. Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay are the workhorses here with the grapes harvested by hand early in the vintage mainly from the Orschwihr area.

Fine bead, creamy mouth feel, a little more weight to the mid-palate than most probably as a function of the grape blend, this plays big with citrus, apple and pear notes highlighted with notes of terroir. It was kind of our little secret as the press didn’t talk much about it. But the Brits know a good buy when they see it and this one got some kudos from the prestigious Decanter Magazine. Their panel, made up of a number of MWs, said, “Clean, light but aromatic nose – lemon, grapefruit, with a slight yeasty character. Vigorous ripe fruit flavours mingle within a gently creamy texture, balanced by crisp acidity and fine bubbles on the long, citrusy finish…92 points.”

At about half the price (or less) of most Champagnes, this will fill the bill nicely. ($15.98)

LASSALLE BRUT CACHET D’OR NV– The ladies of Lassalle have been a part of our program in various capacities for a long time. Lately it has been their Cachet d’Or that has been a winner in our tastings. Made from roughly one-third each Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, all from estate vineyards, this is a brisk, yeastier, more citrus-focused flavor profile with some volume to the mid-palate and pleasing lift to the finish. The vines here average 50 years old situated in limestone and clay, and there’s a sneaky depth to the fruit probably as a result of those older vines.

There is a verve to this bubbly and florality to the nose. Wine Spectator had some positive notes, “There’s an open-knit, almost airy feel to this vibrant Champagne, which carries a concentrated range of juicy pear and black raspberry fruit, with hints of crystallized honey. Shows gingersnap biscuit and verbena flavors on the chalky texture, gaining momentum on the racy, zesty finish. Drink now through 2022…92 points.” While this is fine on its own, it definitely elevates with some nibbles and again, offers excellent value for the genre. ($34.98)

HENRI BILLIOT BRUT RESERVE GRAND CRU- This house is one of those where our lasting impression is that, if you don’t like Billiot, you probably don’t like puppies or rainbows either. There were a couple of turbulent years but this is the first front to back vintage for Laetitia Billiot who spent a few years cleaning up the cellars after dad pretty much coasted into retirement. In its normal mode, this is a round, mouthfilling, creamy offering that highlights broad engaging apple and pear fruit, with flecks of spice and toast.

As importer Terry Theise correctly stated, “This calling-card wine is 50% 2015 (and without grassiness) and 25% each ’14 and ’13, … mostly Pinot Noir, and it’s 98% of the (quality of) Billiot some of us remember (so fondly); lively, animated, fruit-driven and spicy. Essentially this is Laetitia’s first wine—that is, the first wine she controlled entirely from harvest to vinification to tirage to disgorgement.” Billiot, as it should be, is a lovely thing…a full flavored, expressive bubbly that will grab your attention. ($44.98)

HENRIOT BRUT SOUVERAIN NV––If there is anything that can serve as an example of how wine is constantly in motion, it is Champagne. The whole idea of a non-vintage cuvee is to have something that tastes virtually the same every year. It’s a great concept but with the variation of vintages in the blend and how those blends interact and develop over time make it near impossible to have it come across exactly the same. Some wines vary year to year more than others. Henriot’s Brut Souverain is one of those Champagnes. Sometimes it’s a near miss, other years it is pandering and pleasing mouthful. This is one of those exceptional years where it makes for a rather joyous beverage.

The mix here is 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and 5% Pinot Meunier, and 2/3 of the blend comes from Grand and Premier Cru sites. It is on the lees for a minimum of three years and the dosage is on the drier side at 8 g/l. To illustrate our point here’s the description from the 90-point Spectator review from a couple years ago, “A firm Champagne, with a lively bead and a minerally undertow, this offers flavors of fresh-cut apple, lemon pith, spring blossom and smoke.” This version is much more outgoing but still has a serious side. Their verbiage is much more appealing, too, “A finely balanced and creamy Champagne. Smoky mineral and toast notes on the nose lead to flavors of crunchy white peach and lemon curd, with a green waft of spring blossom on the fresh palate…91 points.” The difference on the ‘scoreboard’ is only a point, but in the glass is another matter. Delicious fizz. ($39.98)

SANGER BRUT GRAND CRU NV BLANC DE BLANCS TERROIR NATAL–It’s not often you get to tell a story like this one and it’s also important to understand that this probably couldn’t happen here. True we don’t have Champagne vineyards close by like the high school that is the center of this story does. But, honestly, high school students being allowed to get involved with the production of alcoholic beverages simply wouldn’t play in America. Anyway, in 1919, the war and phylloxera had pretty much trashed many wine producing areas in France. The Puisards, a successful merchant couple with no heirs, decided to donate their lands to the government on the condition that there would be a winemaking school created in Avise. That school, Avize Viti Campus, was officially founded in 1927 and, in 1952, the students and teachers along with local cellarmasters and winemakers, collaborated to produce a Champagne at the school.

Champagne Sanger is that Champagne, and it is a nod to the success of the school and the collaborative process. Sanger is 100% Chardonnay, coming exclusively from the Grand Cru vineyards belonging to the school and from the areas of Cramant, Oger and Avize, some owned by the school and some from local growers who are alumni. It sees 60 months en triage (the minimum is only 15 months for the appellation) and is finished to a dosage of 6g/l.

It is extra brut without being overly aggressive, comes off as bone dry yet shows plenty of fruit (so many low dosage efforts are painfully dry) and plays sensationally with both food and by itself. This is truly Champagne made by Champenois and we recommend it highly for its price performance (all Grand Cru fruit for under $45!) and distinctive styling. It also has some unique character points as, along with the typical brioche, citrus and apple elements one typically finds from the area, there is also and engaging spice nuance and notes that remind one of red berries. Very cool bubbles from a very unique source. ($44.98)

DELAMOTTE BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS LE MESNIL 2008– Since we got the early word that the 2008 vintage was something special, wee have been patiently waiting (OK, maybe not that patiently) for the single harvest bubbles to come along. Here we have this rather marvelous vintage, some of the best dirt in all of Champagne in the esteemed Grand Cru Le Mesnil, and at the helm the Delamotte team who also dabble in another project called Salon. We and others have always promoted the low-keyed Delamotte as ‘the best Champagne you never heard of”. Given it’s exceptional vineyards, the winery sticks to a very simple formula of reflecting the site in the wine. That means that instead of the rather fat, ripe styled bubbly that seems to be more broadly popular in the marketplace, Delamotte by contrast is sleek, racy and refined. It isn’t necessarily for everyone, but for true Champagne aficionados it is a very special choice.

Considering the whole great vintage, great vineyard and great producer we posed, it certainly will encourage great expectations. In that rather demanding spot, it succeeds admirably. A pair of 93 point scores from Vinous Media and Wine Enthusiast (very good scores for non Grand Marques), the words tell the real story. From Antonio Galloni, “The 2008 Delamotte is a deep, resonant Champagne endowed with stunning lays of depth. In 2008 Delamotte has all of the kaleidoscopic, multi-dimensional personality of the vintage, but the full malolactic fermentation softens some of the natural angularity of the year. Pastry, vanillin, baked apple, dried flowers and chamomile are all beautifully sculpted in the glass. This is one of the most accessible young 2008 Champagnes readers will come across, but there is real staying power and more than enough depth to support many years of fine drinking. Dosage is 6.5 grams per liter.” ($79.98)

ROEDERER BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS 2010– In truth, sometimes we wonder why we do things like this. For most of the world Roederer is about their broad market offering, Brut Premier, and the iconic Cristal. It’s actually a common problem in Champagne where some pretty fantastic work in between the entry-level and the ultra-premium simply gets ignored. Maybe it is the pricing that people don’t reconcile, perhaps the fact that these specialty efforts reflect a different style and expression than the mainstream offerings, but it is certain that getting people to pay attention to wines like this represents something of a challenge. Undaunted, however, we will continue to try.

People don’t typically think about Roederer as a Blanc de Blancs producer, and this represents somewhat of a step away from what people think is a typical Roederer profile that relies heavily on Pinot Noir. The 2010 was not a cachet vintage either. But Champagne is a big place and the Cote des Blancs is a unique spot, so you can’t presume you know without tasting and this sleek gem really caught our attention not only for its exceptional ‘performance’ but for its well-executed departure from the house style. A delicious surprise, one could make the point that Champagne types are artists too and like to work different canvases and there wouldn’t be much point in making several different bottlings if they all tasted the same. Antonio Galloni seems to have found a lot to like here as well, but touches on the same subject, “An overachiever in this range, the 2010 Brut Blanc de Blancs is terrific. Green apple, mint, white flowers and mineral-driven notes give the 2010 freshness vivacity and lift. The Blanc de Blancs is one of the hidden gems in the Roederer lineup and does not seem to get much attention. That is a shame, as it is a first class wine all the way.”

By the way, no Cristal was produced in 2010 so the Chardonnay used for that cuvee found its way into this little gem…($74.98)

HUET PETILLANT RESERVE 2009– We have repeatedly stated our love for outstanding sparkling wines. We would also not be afraid to put forth the statement that there are few people on the planet that are bigger fans of Vouvray Huet than we are. But those have always been separate issues. Huet’s ‘petillant’ has been on our shelf on a few occasions simply as one of the best versions of the eclectic category sparkling Vouvray. But prior examples have been just that, good examples of the genre but not necessarily transcendent. So given that, no one was more surprised than we were when this version caused our jaws to drop. We kept going back and retasting it to see if we had just had a moment or the wine was really that amazing. The wine performed every time.

We have never had a sparkling Chenin Blanc this good. Not even close. These wines are usually serviceable and clean, if a bit on the lean side and not overly expressive. The Huet 2009 simply had more of everything. It was vigorous and zesty as one would expect from the category. But the expression of the varietal aspects of Chenin here were extraordinary. Peach, lemon drop, apple skin, hints of honey and cinnamon, a pure and clear expression of the varietal which created a lot of interesting nuance and a rounder palate feel. Not sure what elevated this particular version above the previous renditions, but the 2009 Petillant Reserve is at a level far above anything we have ever had from this category in general or even Huet in particular. Based on our tastings, we’d go so far as to say this is a consideration even against Champagne. That is a rare statement for us.

The grapes for this sparkler in 2009 came from the younger vines of all three of their storied parcels; Le Mont, Clos du Bourgand Haut Lieu. The largest portion came from Haut Lieu where the average vine age was younger overall in 2009. The grapes were then sorted on the table to separate bunches destined for the vintage pétillant and for the reserve. Their petillant spends a minimum of 6 years on lees. Bear in mind it says ‘minimum’ as the wines are disgorged as orders come in. So the later into the release period, the longer that bottle has on its lees. This applies to all pétillant, and is often a reason why there is such a vast difference between the prior vintage and the new release.

In the end of course, it’s the product of some pretty outstanding fruit. As Stephan Reinhardt of Wine Advocate calls it, “The golden-yellow colored 2009 Vouvray Pétillant Brut Réserve offers a beautifully pure, deep, rich, intense and refreshing mineral bouquet of perfectly ripe (tropical) fruits and chalky flavors. Full-bodied, highly complex and very long, this is a gorgeous sparkling wine from Vouvray. Dry, firmly structured, mouth-filling and finesse-full, with great elegance and a delicate mousse, the 2009 has a persistently intense and fruity finish with a stimulatingly salinity and grip in the aftertaste. This Réserve should have an excellent aging potential….93 points.” As we said, this one caught us completely off guard, and, if you are going to step outside the box bubbly-wise, this is the direction to go first.

MICHEL GONET BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS GRAND CRU- This is something of a throwback in today’s world of ‘low’ and ‘no’ dosage, single vineyard, sometimes painful Champagnes. This is a beautifully put together expression of Chardonnay from the finest terroirs in Champagne such as of Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil sur Oger. Classic toasted brioche and citrus in the nose, the same through the palate with the addition of a little apple and pear and the expected subtle but insistent minerality. Perhaps most important, there’s a nice lift to the finish which is definitely a plus as toasty styles don’t always end cleanly. Simply put, even with our hard and fast rules, this one was too good to leave out.

Champagne Gonet was founded in 1802 and since then, six generations of family members have kept the project on an upward path. In 1973, Michel Gonet, whose Champagnes bear his name today, modernized and enlarged the cellars with the goal of further improving the quality of the wine making. Today, the estate covers 40 hectares of the best champagne soil stretching from South of Epernay Grand Cru villages to the hillsides of Sezannes to Vindey. Because the fruit is all from Grand Cru sites, this non-vintage Brut can carry the title Grand Cru and the Champagnes demeanor clearly demonstrates the pedigree of the fruit.

Even with the centuries of history, the family seems to be doing what it takes to get better and better. Daughter Sophie is now at the helm and they have brought in Marco Pelletier, sommelier extraordinaire, Paris restaurateur, and a partner in the avant guard Bordeaux project Le Jardin de Galouchey (we did an offer on it some months back) to be involved in the assemblage. A precise, racy, fresh, and very classy Champagne with a very low 3g/l dosage, this can play alone or with lighter dishes. Given the pedigree, the price is another plus.

BUENA VISTA CHAMPAGNE BRUT LA VICTOIRE NV- Say what? Isn’t Buena Vista a California wine and therefore unable to call itself Champagne? Well the story here is anything but ordinary. It starts with Agoston Haraszthy, most recognized as being the Father of California viticulture. He was also the father of six children and his third son, Arpad, spent over two years studying in Champagne to learn the craft of sparkling wine. He later became the first to introduce Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wine into California winemaking. Arpad’s sparkling wine, Eclipse, was one of the most celebrated in the nineteenth century.

The wine itself is made up of 70% Pinot Noir, from Premier Cru vineyards from the Montagne de Reims, and 30% Chardonnay, mostly from Grand Cru in Le Mesnil sur Oger and Chouilly. The wine received a dosage of 8.7 g/L and was aged for more than three years (the law in Champagne requires aging 15 months minimum for non-vintage wines). The nose here is fresh apple, stone fruits, and pear with a touch of honey and a whiff of brioche though far from ‘doughy’. In the mouth, it is the freshness that impresses, all of the flavors bright and lively without being the least bit shrill.

This is, as one might expect from Buena Vista, something true to type but made to appeal to a broader audience. If we were making a slogan, here it would be ‘you don’t have to think, you can just drink’. Most of the new things we see coming out these days are zero or near-zero dosage focused on esoteric elements of terroir. They are often angry and aggressive, the small dosage a clear attempt to avoid ‘masking’ those terroir notes. Mean-spirited wine ‘gurus’ aside, Jean-Claude Boisset, like us, sees Champagne as a beverage of pleasure. He tailored this bubbly with that in mind.

As you can probably imagine, it wasn’t easy for an American company (albeit one owned by a French dude!) to be able market something as Champagne. French ‘authorities’ weren’t particularly receptive at first even though it came from the appropriate dirt and was made in Champagne. In the end, the bottle is here, Boisset won. We imagine that’s what the term ‘la Victoire’ (the victory) on the label refers to. It’s a fine choice for under $40.