February 2020

RANDOM ROSÉ RANT PLUS A KILLER PINK

The other night, a decision had to be made about what to serve with a couple disparate of dishes that could play well with both. A white simply would get overwhelmed but a red was a little too heavy. The answer, which worked beautifully, was a pink wine. Rosé in the winter? Why not? Granted winters here in Southern California aren’t necessarily all that severe. This year, so far, it has been a particularly mild one. But, consistent with our message, pink wines can play all year long as aperitifs or perfect solutions with a variety of dishes, even ones consumed indoors!

The industry itself has done a marginal job handling the explosion in popularity of rosé wines. Far too many folks have gotten involved in rose production with no experience and have littered the landscape with pinks that are flabby, alcoholic, and not particularly distinctive. The ‘good guys’, the proven performers responsible for initiating the craze in the first place, are still doing great work and it is those that we focus on.

Cavalchina has been on our shelves in various colors over the years…red, white, and pink. They are a quality producer in the Veneto that makes consistently exciting wines in a place that, by and large, is mainly seen as the source of mass marketed, innocuous efforts from wine ‘factories’ destined for red-checkered tablecloth eateries…Bardolino. The Cavalchina folks are shining stars in a region that is largely uninspired. The Chiaretto (key-ar-et-to)is what they call their rosé. This is a winery that has been around since 1948 and Vinous Media’s Ian D’Agata calls them, “…a recognized master in the making of Chiarettos.”

A brief word about pinks in general. The industry as a whole has created an image in the public’s mid that buying rosé is like buying fish. You want it as fresh as possible. That is true to a point. You won’t necessarily get the best experience out of a 5 or six year old pink. But some rosés aren’t even released until they are a year old, and others (like Tavel, for example) don’t hit their full potential until year two and cruise into year three.

In fact, a lot pinks hit the shelves these days too early, before they are really settled in. We are keenly aware of that as we have been tasting 2019s since mid-January. Our point is that this offering isn’t about ‘unloading’ one of the best rosé values on the floor like yesterday’s bread. We simply had so much other stuff come our way over the last six moths that we never got around to doing this piece. This little beauty has enough verve, texture, and subtle minerality to waltz through the next summer and beyond. It’s a little less ‘fizzy’ than it was last spring, but we don’t see that as an issue. All of the fresh citrus/melon flavors and mineral/saline augments are perfectly on point.

D’Agata’s narrative explains a lot about the technical aspects of the Cavalchina Bardolino Chiaretto 2018, besides providing a rather impressive score for a pink wine, “Straw-pink with a copper tinge. The very clean nose offers fresh pomegranate, apple, pear and herb aromas. Then also clean and fresh in the mouth, with some hints of residual sweetness enrobing the melon and pink grapefruit flavors. A lovely Rosé from a recognized master in the making of Chiarettos. Made with a blend of (native varietals) 55% Corvina, 35% Rondinella and 10% Molinara; the presence of the latter grape is absolutely key in explaining this wine’s freshness and saline bent (plus the fact that many of this estate’s vines are extremely old, planted back in 1911)…93 points.”

Our little meal last week reaffirmed the idea that it is great to have some pink wine around all the time. For aperitif, and a great many food ‘applications,’ this outstanding pink makes a lot of sense year round. It belongs in everyone’s working wine matrix. The price ($14.98), given the performance, only enhances the proposition. We apologize for getting to this one a little later than we wanted. But, trust us, this is a value gem and a bright, stylish ‘winner’ who’s ‘expiration date’ is still quite a ways off.

MORE MAGIC FROM CHIANTI

It has been a great run for Chianti over the last couple vintages. There has been any number of epic performances by ‘the usual suspects.’ But perhaps more exciting is the energy running through the whole category, and the appearance of a few newer faces that have a lot to offer. This pair of Chiantis aren’t necessarily ‘famous’ from a media standout. But they are everything else you could want…distinctive, elegant, and possessed of excellent expression of ‘enlightened traditional.’

We were familiar with the Bibbiano label mostly from noticing it in and among rather extensive consorzio tasting events in Europe. This is the first time we were ever presented the wine by the current importer and the Bibbiano Chianti Classico 2016 is the first version to be on the floor. These are not newcomers in general though, having been founded in 1865. Bibbiano is located in the historic Chianti region, in the municipality of Castellina in Chianti, overlooking the Elsa Valley towards the castle of Monteriggioni. Today’s owners, Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, represent the fifth generation to operate the estate.

Bibbiano’s current winemaker was trained under the long-standing consultancy of famed winemaker Giulio Gambelli, also famous for his long relationships with Montevertine and Case Basse di Soldera. The estate was certified organic in 2011. The Chianti Classico 2016 is 100% Sangiovese with grapes harvested by hand and fermented in accordance with their position on hill as the grapes come from both sides of the property. The fermentation is done entirely in concrete to preserve the terroir notes but also soften the profile of the wine. The flavors run from dark cherry to plum, with elements of earth and stony minerality, and a touch of spice.

The wine has a pleasing touch of rusticity in among the fruit, definitely giving it a bit of an ‘old school’ vibe, and presents a relatively fruit-forward demeanor. Having had past vintages sporadically, we’d proffer that the 2016 vintage gave this one a bit more flesh than normally, kicking it into another level. Wine Spectator said of this wine, “A racy style whose vibrant acidity drives flavors of black cherry, black currant, iron, earth and soy. Still very firm, with the acidity acting in tandem with refined tannins. Fine length. Drink now through 2033… 91 Points.”

Not sure we’d use the term ‘racy’. We’d describe it as a slight ‘chewiness’ that is quite pleasing. But, all in all, the Bibbiano is certainly tasty and satisfying, as well as a Chianti that plays very well for its moderate tab. A well-made ‘workhorse’ in a bit of a throwback style.

The Castello Romitorio Chianti Colli Senesi 2017 was something of a surprise. Not because we didn’t know the house. On the contrary, we have been selling Romitorio’s Brunellos for years. The estate is well known for their historic castle (the foundations of which may date to Roman times), their highly-regarded Brunellos, and the occasional controversial label from artist/owner Sando Chia. What we hadn’t seen before was a Chianti Colli Senesi from this notable estate.

Sando’s son, Fillipo, spoke with great enthusiasm about the Chianti project as a way to put a more affordable version of the Romitorio name into the marketplace to cast a wider net. The idea here is to make a polished version of the genre, with the estate’s tech sheet speaking about the hills around Siena and making the statement that, “This area has been known since ancient times for knowing how to produce very high quality reds that rival Burgundy for elegance.”

The grapes are hand harvested, and sorted twice, both before and after destemming. This 100% Sangiovese sees ten months in oak. We’re perfectly capable of writing notes but as we researched this piece, we found a somewhat over-the-top literary effort by MW Anne Krebiehl , “Just smell it to be transported to the ocher-colored countryside of Tuscany: the scent of parched earth and oak woods is there, together with the characteristic, harsh hint of Sangiovese marasca cherries. The body presents structure and tension without being heavy, it is fresh and pungent, a wine born for the table. Good persistence, sincere, and impactful but agile at the same time. The fruit, red currant, cranberry and Morello cherry, looks clear in the finish. It has charm and character to sell.”

Artists. In truth there is something of an ethereal sense to this very sleek Chianti that is modern yet at the same time has tradition in full view. Like the Bibbiano, it is a very classy effort for under $20, though stylistically quite different. It is also a ‘little’ wine made big time folks, a long adhered-to axiom of ours. Wee found no mention of it anywhere in the media but are happy to have discovered this beauty and anxious to see where it goes in future vintages.

MORE VALUE ‘TINTOS’ FROM PORTUGAL

Portugal has had some bright moments in this market over the years. There was a period in the early 70s where the fizzy rosés in funny bottles were all the rage. In the 90s, there was flash popularity with certain casual reds, in particular ‘periquitas’ from Jose Maria da Fonseca. Later on we did a lot with the emerging series of gutsy, well priced dry reds from Portuguese Port houses starting with Quinta do Crasto. We have recently had some good runs with crisp, easy vinho verdes.

But while a number of Portuguese wines have had their day, there hasn’t been any consistency to the category in terms of consumer demand. Still, while Portugal has yet to reach the kind of market saturation the quality and value of the genre in general should merit, we still keep finding remarkably expressive, well made, well priced individual efforts that not only should find fans but eventually elevate the category as a whole. Here are a couple of recent finds from a new importer that has taken the challenge of nudging Portugal into the mainstream.

The Quinta Dos Capuchos comes from an area northwest of Lisbon. Long and narrow running along the Atlantic Ocean, there is plenty of wind to mediate the temperature and in some vintages it is maybe a little too cool. This producer is situated in an area that is a little further inland and protected by hills and mountains. Grapes do well here and traditional winemaking here dates back centuries, orchestrated by monks initially ‘Capuchos’ is Portuguese for ‘Capucins’).

The soils are clay and limestone, with plenty of dense stone, on slopes no less. That makes working the vineyard a bit of a chore. But this unique microclimate delivers a ripe juicy character-filled red made from Castelao, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Syrah. The grapes are hand-harvested and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. A non-vintage blend, this is plush, punchy, and packed with lively dark red fruits and flavors that remind one of grenadine with a little pepper and spice. Ample and surprisingly versatile, this is a fruit-driven, easy drinker at a great price. Portugal is really good at producing engaging reds at almost silly low prices provided you can find the right ones. This one got our attention.

The same tasting presented us with a rather juicy example of 100% Touriga Nacional from Alentejo on the eastern side of the country. This particular spot in upper Alentejo was abandoned for a period of time. But, the pristine beauty of this remote region lured the Atunes family to revive the estate in 2001. The Herdade do Arrepiado Touriga 2016 has a lot of the character of some of the big time (read that expensive) Touriga-dominant reserve blends from the Douro. But it doesn’t show wood notes nor the price. This reminds us a lot of some of those early, bold Douro dry reds we loved back some two decades ago.

Lots of urgent red berry, red plum, spice, and floral notes, a touch of vanilla, this is a plush, fruit-forward wine with plenty of character but the kind of lift and freshness that gives it a feel of sophistication. Again, this is a lot of wine for the money and versatile with a wide range of foods. For a lot of reasons, critics will not likely pay a lot of attention to these wines, or the category. But consumers definitely should.

SUPERB ‘BURGUNDIAN’ RIOJA

The wines of La Rioja Alta have been ‘fan favorites’ around here for quite some time, with the majority of the rather impressive sales numbers coming from their La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Viña Ardanza and Gran Reserva 904. But this group owns three other estates as well, one in Rias Baixas to make Albariño, one in Ribera del Duero, and another separate estate in Rioja Alavesa called Torre de Oña. The Torre de Oña estate hasn’t gotten near as much attention over the years, but that may be about to change as they have significantly kicked up their game with a new project.

The main La Rioja Alta estate was founded in 1890. But more than a century later, in 1995, they decided to create a new estate in the cooler, higher, and arguably more prestigious Rioja Alavesa. Here the intent was to employ a ‘chateau’ concept, controlling the viticulture and making wine from their estate grapes. We’ve had interesting efforts on occasion from Torre de Oña but nothing really groundbreaking. All the while, they were studying the specific parcels on the estate that produced the best grapes with the intent of bottling a single vineyard effort that best reflected their unique terroir.

While that doesn’t sound all that innovative, the ‘chateau’ type operation wasn’t all that common in Rioja until recently. Now folks like Artadi and Telmo Rodriguez are lobbying to have even more specific delineations to village areas and specific parcels. In any case, the folks at Torre de Oña decided that, in 2012, it was time to pull the trigger on their first single vineyard bottling from the estate. The reviews were encouraging for seemed something of an experimental first-swing. It got supportive words and a 92 point score from Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez.

The winery skipped 2013 but deemed the conditions near perfect in 2014 to create the sequel, and what a revelation it turned out to be! Since the Advocate review explains all of the technical details, we’ll defer a moment. From Luis Gutierrez, “The 2014 Martelo is produced with the grapes from their oldest vines, mostly Tempranillo (95%, the balance Mazuelo, Garnacha and Viura), put through a cold soak after alcoholic fermentation then in barrique for a slow malolactic fermentation of 96 days. This was followed by an élevage in 80% American and 20% French oak barrels for two years, during which time it was racked four times…

“It has incredible aromatics with surprising notes of beef blood, iron and meat with tons of fruit, as Martelo is the vineyard where they find more fruit. This is a very elegant, aromatic and fine Rioja (they decided to bottle it in a Burgundy bottle) and it’s not a coincidence, because that is what they are looking for. The palate follows the same path of finesse, balance and freshness. A very impressive Rioja. Bravo!…94 points”

Bravo, indeed. The Burgundian comparisons hold remarkably true. Texturally, this is silky, elegant, feminine (can we say that any more?), and supremely satisfying. The fruit leans a little bluer than a ‘real’ Burgundy but the finesse, tender mouth feel, and fresh undercurrent of the palate seduces and the delicate spice and mineral tones add complexity. Thoroughly delicious right out of the gate, and a bottle one won’t want to end. The comparison with Burgundy kind of stops there because, in reality, you would be hard pressed to find a Burgundy as good as the Torre de Ona Rioja Reserva Finca Martino 2014 for this kind of price. Simply gorgeous.

A FRIULANO TO REMEMBER

Wines like this are why we come to work. Finding something new and special, something unique and one of a kind, is one of the things that makes wine exciting to us. As we have confessed a few times, we are particular fans of the whites of northeastern Italy in general, and Kerner and Friulano in particular. Truth be told we would love to be in a world where we could send out an email on something like this and share it with a large group of folks. However, in truth, we have a lot of other more commercially viable goodies in our bag and there isn’t much of this to buy (only about 250 cases per year production) even if it did ‘light it up’ in an offer.

Suffice it to say that, as we did the research on this wine, one of the quotes from the importer was, “One of the best white wines I’ve drunk from Italy.” Hey there are a lot of folks in our industry that consistently overstate their case. But this experienced British ex-pat is not one of them. We can say without reservation that it is one of the best Italian whites we have had in quite a while.

The I Clivi Friulano Brazan 2016 is 100% Friulano from a single hillside vineyard in Collio with marl and sandstone soils, located in the far northeast of Italy near the border with Slovenia. The vineyard has vines that are 80-years-old and the yields are very low. All of the wines are grown organically, and are cleanly but very naturally made using only native yeasts and minimal intervention winemaking. This Friulano is not macerated on the skins and sees 18 months on the lees. This producer makes whites with surprising longevity. The day we tasted this one we also had one from the 2000 vintage that was quite expressive still, though our preference was for this brighter effort with a bit more cut to the finish.

The aromatics and entry are reminiscent of a premier Cru Chablis with citrus and mineral tones, with the more unctuous, dried apricot character more common with this grape working in concert on the palate. Expressive, distinctive and mouthwatering, a sensation with food (though we had no trouble enjoying it by itself), and a sleek, deceptively long finish, this Friulano got our attention the way few such whites do. It’s a little more money than typical ‘market’ Friulanos but takes the experience to another level. A must.

TARDIEU LAURENT CDP AT NEARLY HALF OFF? BON!

Things can happen for any number of reasons. We have to presume this curious opportunity is one of those that is simply a function of a variety of events. We could likely figure out the scenarios that led to this striking value, but in the end doesn’t really matter. It all starts with Tardieu-Laurent, the Rhone focused partnership between former patissier/ Burgundy virtuoso Dominique Laurent and Rhone native/insider Michel Tardieu. We have been following Laurent since the mid-90s when he became a sensation in Burgundy and were all-over this Rhone project from the get go.

It has been a remarkable source of exciting wines, Laurent’s talent in the cellar matched with Tardieu’s savvy and intimate knowledge of the Rhone teroirs. The only issue early on is that the prices were a bit above the market for the various appellation bottlings. Given the performance, the higher fares were more than justified. But also, for no doubt several reasons, they didn’t necessarily always have distribution in this market. They changed horses a time or two, and sometimes weren’t available at all. It took a little extra effort to sell the wines because of the elevated pricing, but we were always on board because the wines always performed at very high levels. Great old vine fruit, careful, polished winemaking, they never disappointed in the glass.

After one fairly long period of absence, the wines reappeared. The match of importer and vigneron was not, however, ‘made in heaven’. Not sure how it came together, but a producer that was never shy about pricing hooking up with an importer that took predictably high margins didn’t seem like the best fit. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work. The house now has a new, more ‘down-to-earth’ distribution scenario who, besides reintroducing the wines to the market in earnest, is in the process of cleaning up a few ‘odds and ends’. The Tardieu Laurent Chateau-du-Pape Vielles Vignes 2012 was quite the surprise in that process.

At face value, the vintage itself was not any kind of indicator. While a ripe and warm vintage that the critics seemed to like a little more than we did, there were a number of notable releases that were the best following 2010 until 2015. They were generally ripe, jammy and broad on the palate, but all too often bordered on too ripe. On the plus side they had weight and plenty of fruit, but lacked the kind of freshness a truly grand vintage possessed to give the wines drive. Based on our extensive tasting, we had kind of the same expectations for this wine. That turned out to be completely wrong.

This might well be the best effort we have tasted from the 2012 vintage, with the rich, expressive dark red fruit in abundance but also a purity to the flavors and a great tension and freshness on the palate. Now under the control of the Tardieu family, from Grenache vines that were 80 years old, it is broad, lifted and gregarious across the palate, with the kind of energy atypical for the 2012 vintage. Intense dark red fruits, layered elements to the flavors, this wine plays above even its exalted station for a 2012.

We loved the wine ‘straight up’ but weren’t surprised to find some nice words about it when we went looking. Josh Raynolds of Vinous Media offered, “Dark ruby. Deeply pitched cherry, black raspberry and Indian spice aromas are lifted by a sexy floral oil quality. Juicy and densely packed, showing excellent depth to its red and dark berry liqueur, cherry-cola and spicecake flavors. Stains the palate while coming across as energetic and precise. Closes with very good vivacity and length, with silky tannins adding structure and grip…93 Points.”

Even more from Wine Advocate, “Superb and with loads of potential, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, with the Grenache aged in older barrel and the Syrah in new barrels) is more deep and layered than the Cuvee Speciale. Offering up impressive notes of mineral, new leather and smoky black fruits, this full-bodied, layered and textured 2012 has superb mid-palate depth, fine tannin and an all-around concentrated, backwards feel. It will require 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more…93-95+ (barrel score).”

The most recent of the two reviews was nearly five years ago, and clearly this Chateauneuf has gotten its 3-4 years of bottle age and has evolved marvelously. Given our negotiated ‘closeout’ price is substantially less than the lower of the only two prices we saw online, all is as it should be. This is a spectacular performer, particularly for the vintage, that is in peak form for current ‘applications’. A rare treat.