Steve Zanotti – Page 29

RESERVE CAB AT ‘REGULAR’ PRICE FROM GORDON BROS.

One of the descriptions that someone here proffered with regards to the offer of Gordon’s Cabernet at a price like this is like just walking along minding your own business and a $20 bill is just sitting on the ground in front of you waiting to be picked up. Imagine sitting quietly at your computer and a new email pops up that isn’t trying to sell you insurance, diet pills, or new phone service.

This email is about wine. In fact, it’s about a Washington State Cabernet that, thanks to a set of events, is one of the best values that you’re going to come across on a quality Cab. Are you seeing sunshine, rainbows, cherubs and puppies? Maybe hearing a harp? Well certainly that is a bit of an endorsement for a Cabernet that isn’t from the Napa Valley.

Yeah, over the decades we have learned about trying never to ‘oversell’ anything. So instead we’re going to calmly, rationally explain why you should be excited to find a quality Washington Cabernet to add to your holdings with summer ahead of you and barbecue season in full swing.

Gordon’s wines have graced our pages, particularly for their relative value and varietally true style. But this particular offer bears special attention. The 2013 Gordon Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Columbia Valley, Washington, an area that long ago earned its wings as a source for excellent Cabernet.

Gordon Brothers pride themselves on being the oldest family estate winery in the region (starting grape planting back in 1980). They have been dependable producers that have relied on innovative farming to create fine wines. In baseball terms, these folks would be solid performers that could occasionally get the big hit. The 2013 vintage was one that provided such an opportunity.

The 2013 growing season was one of the hottest on records, right in stride with 1998 and 2003. Hot, 90-degree temperatures came on in early spring, prompting an earlier than average bud break. This heat spell was followed up by welcome spring rains that helped establish healthy canopies early in the season with bloom occurring early in June. Intense heat hung around from late June into mid-September when a dramatic shift in weather brought us a nice cool, but dry fall allowing for good hang time and a great finish for the harvest.

All of that lead to a riper than normal (for Washington) vintage that provided more amplitude and flesh to the this blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. Tasted by a broader collection of our team, descriptors ran the gamut of melted grape Jolly Rancher kiss, new saddle leather, fresh turned earth, rose/floral bouquet and baking spices. The secondary aromatics are beautiful, pretty and “happy” with notes of nutmeg, fresh tobacco leaf, blackberry, pencil shavings, dark cocoa powder and toast. The wine shows more open drinkability and palate impressions of confectionary black cherry, caramel, and black tea.

The best part is that, while this is a well-performing wine at its original $36.50 fare, some ‘market factors’ allowed us to pick off the last few cases of this reserve Cabernet at a greatly reduced fare. The Columbia Valley has come a long way since the Gordons put down roots here. A little cooler stylistically than typical Cali Cab and positioned somewhere between that and a Bordeaux in weight, getting a reserve level Cabernet for under $20 ($19.98 to be exact) is a great ‘score’ for Cabernet fans.

‘PRODIGAL’ DEAL: 96 points, for $19.98?

Remelluri has been on our radar since the first ‘Spanish invasion’ in the 90s. We originally became aware of them through Jorge Ordonez who was the importer at the time. Two of the WInex team visited the property separately about four years apart on an importer tour and the notes were consistent. First, it was way up the hill. Remelluri’s vineyards are located along the slopes of the Sierra de Toloño mountains in the valleys of Valderemelluri, Villaescusa and La Granja at the highest elevation in the region.

Second, we were treated to something we had never experienced before. People from the winery brought out bundles of cut grapevines and built a bonfire in the courtyard. They then took the smoldering sticks, spread them out on the ground and proceeded to cook dinner over them. It was a great show, the meat was delicious, and the wines were spectacular. We still remember the event some two decades later, although we have seen this meat-cooked-on-sticks elsewhere in Spain since then. But you always ‘remember the first time’ and none of that would be relevant if we didn’t really like the wines.

We were big fans back in the day, though there were some distribution changes and a few wines that were a ‘walk on the wild’ side in the years that followed. Remelluri became a solid option but not a slam dunk, and then we didn’t see it at all for a while. Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, one of the emerging hot winemakers of the era, and someone that was followed by enthusiasts thereafter, was a guy named Telmo Rodriguez. His story, in a sense, is similar to the one we have told about Alvaro Palacios.

Telmo, like Alvaro, left his Rioja home (Remelluri) to learn and create his own name. He has achieved something of a ‘rock star’ status among Spanish winemakers, advises on a number of project all over Spain, and has a number of his own labels (Gago, Basa, and Lanzaga among them). Like Palacios, Telmo Rodriguez has returned to his family’s winery after years of perfecting his craft and gaining international recognition for his winemaking abilities.

The Remelluri Farm itself has origins that date back to the 10th Century, and there are local documents that make account of winemaking here since 1596. Labastida Town Hall has records of pitchers of wine made by the Nuestra Senora de Remelluri Farm for every year up to the last century. The modern winery was established in 1967 when Jaime Rodríguez Salis purchased the vineyards at the heart of the former estate. Poor, stony soil, with layers of clay help to retain freshness, with the Atlantic influence providing adequate rainfall and lower temperatures than there are in the rest of the region, this is a great environment for Tempranillo. Remelluri also uses an integrated system of agriculture with great respect for the environment and is currently in the process of gaining organic certification.

With Telmo, of course, comes ‘Telmo’s way’. He is a great proponent of terroir and terroir based bottlings. Remelluri’s newest project is Lindes de Remelluri which means “the borders of Remelluri.” This is one of two specific bottlings now produced, this one from San Vincente and the other from Labastida. The overall plan is for the sites themselves to be the primary focus, with winemaking, trellising, and even varietal decisions based entirely on the best expression of the vineyard. We’ll see how that manifests down the road, but in the meantime this current offering is a screamer and, because of our acquisition scenario, a remarkable buy.

The Remelluri Rioja Lindes de Remelluri Vinedos de San Vicente 2014 is a striking Rioja that toes the line between traditional and modern. You’ve got outgoing, lifted, ripe, insistent plum, currant, and mulberry fruit that exudes freshness but also classic notes of dusty spice and damp earth. It is simply a beautiful, versatile bottle of Rioja . James Suckling was pretty taken with it as well writing, “Some richer, darker and deeper fruit character with plums, blackberries and a dark, earthy streak. The tannins are more upright, more elevated, and the fruit is richer and darker than in the Labastida. This has real presence, grip and energy…96 points.”

Because we purchased this in a way that eliminated a good chunk of ‘extra’ markup, we are able to offer this $32 list wine at a substantially lower fare and post one of our best price/review interplays (referred here as ‘the delta) so far this year. The name is kind of long, as is the story though it is one that needed to be told. Thanks for reading, but we probably had a lot of folks just with the ‘numbers’ at 96 points for $19.98! We bought all there was but we expect it will fly. Good hunting and welcome back Remelluri.

SERIOUS VALUE RED? JUST SAY SUL

We spoken over the years about the South African enigma and why, after all this time, does the category only move when there is some promotion. It seems any kind of continuous market traction is fleeting. We realized the same could be said about Portugal to some extent. Sure, in the 60s and 70s everyone was drinking fizzy rosés, then there was Periquita, followed by dry Duoros sometime later. But, other than the tried and true dessert areas of Port and Madeira, there seems to be little lasting interest.

There are the occasional hits. We have done well with certain Vinho Verdes and upscale versions like those from Soalheiro. They sell and people like them. But in the end people don’t come in and ask where the Portuguese section is. Granted, historically, overall quality has been, um, sporadic. Unfamiliar varietals and regions don’t make it any easier. The Portuguese government has gotten involved in raising the quality levels overall, and the ‘hit’ ratio has definitely increased. But the prices of some of the potential ‘game changers’ severely limits their potential audience. With all due respect to Bruno Prats, wines like an $80 Chryseia aren’t likely to get a lot of new wine drinkers to take a flyer on it for the sake of learning.

For our part, the door is always open. Bring us your Alentejos, Daos, Bairradas and dry Douros and, if they excite, we will deliver the message. Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Sausao, Baga, Trincadeira,are not household names, but they can make compelling wine under the right circumstances. To carry the message, there needs to be something that those people will want to give a whirl. Something that is character-filled, delicious, and laughably inexpensive has a much better chance of turning heads towards Portugal. We have found one of those.

Heredade de Sao Miguel is owned by the Relvas family who purchased it in 1997. It is located in Alentejo, an appellation southeast of Lisbon almost to the Spanish border, and within the subregion of Redondo at the northeastern end of the appellation. The estate it self covers 175 hectares, 35 of which are planted to vines setting soils of loam and schist, with 97h/a planted to cork trees. They also dedicated part of the property to reviving and breeding of near extinct local species, the ‘Mirandela’ donkey and the ‘Garrano’ horses of Gerês.

The story isn’t complicated. The family farms sustainably and makes the wine in an efficient ‘minimalist’ facility they built in the middle of the vineyard. They state that all of the fruit in Sul (Portuguese for ‘south’) comes from the estate. These folks are all about the land and their aim with all of their wines (they make 10 different bottlings) is to showcase the unique terroir of this far-from-the-crowd region. We were presented with a number of their wines a few weeks back. We kept coming back to this one for its plush texture, unabashed purity, and honest flavors. We asked the question, “how much did you say this was?” more than once.

If there are wines that can carry the banner for Portugal and make a lasting impression, this is certainly one of them. The blend here is 50 % Aragonez (the local name for Tempranillo), 30% Alicante Bouschet, 15% Trincadeira (indigenous varietal also known as Tinta Amarela in the Douro…yeah this part can get a little complicated), and 5% good old Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is cold-soaked then vacuum pressed and fermented in stainless steel where it sees some exposure to staves plus 10% in 400L barrels. Sure we can do the geek-speak, but that is not the story here.

The unfettered juice is the star, and the Herdad de Sao Miguel delivers well above its station with a mouthful of dark red fruit tinged with spice and dusty notes, relatively low acidity and modest ripe tannins. The pleasing mid-palate lots of inviting fruit and it’s very Portuguese in that it’s a delicious wine on the table alongside some grilled meats and some lively conversation. In short order, you’ll wonder where that bottle went and, at $10, there are few financial consequences. It’s a fine ambassador for Alentejo, and Portugal, and a great choice for a go-to value ‘house red’ without qualification.

THE ‘SAC’ IS BACK

It seemed like only yesterday (it was actually November, 2017) we were excitedly jabbering on about the return of one of our favorite go-to Riojas after a long absence from the marketplace. At the time, probably a decade or so ago, we were presented with the Valsacro Dioro 2001. It was love at first sip and we kept a few bottles back for ourselves (though not enough) that we consumed with gusto over the next few years.

Our reunion offer that aforementioned November involved the 2010 Vinsacro Dioro (which had subsequently been renamed Vinsacro for reasons unknown to us). The 2010 was a most pleasant déjà vu because it was the same fruit driven, polished, creamy, supple, hedonistic red we had remembered from our first experience all those years ago.

The first time around (the 2001) we don’t remember seeing any press at the time. But the 2010 had also caught the attention of Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez who launched a rather detailed piece describing this unique estate in Rioja Baja that had been owned by the same family for four generations. The short story is that the vineyard is up to a century old and the grapes are planted to a field blend that the family refers to as ‘Vidau’. The fruit is hand harvested into small crates and the Dioro goes through four separate steps in the selection process, ending up as a ‘best barrels’ cuvee.

Luis’ notes say, “The 2010 Vinsacro Dioro opens to an explosion of flowers and ripe blueberries that is very perfumed. It feels quite modern and aromatic with well-integrated oak and a luscious palate. This is produced from a field blend they call Vidau, which, in their case it is approximately 50% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo and a myriad of other grapes like Graciano and even Monastrell…92 points.” Yeah it’s that whole explosion of berries and ‘luscious palate’ that keeps us coming back, plus we were selling at more than 50% off Luis’ stated ‘retail’ price.

Good times were had by all then, and when we waltzed through a slug of the winery’s 2015 Vinsacro Dioro in August of the following year. Similar story, 92 point, shamelessly engaging, supple Rioja redolent with dark plum/blueberry fruit tinged by spice, lead pencil, notes of cocoa being sold for a fraction of its original retail. Again, here’s an extremely pretty wine from a clearly committed producer, from a great vintage, for pennies on the dollar? We love the story line…it’s so Winex!

But mostly we love the wine.

So when we were approached with the 2005, another great vintage (this one was still labeled Valsacro), the choice was easy. Where had this wine been for the last decade plus? No clue, but it is in a verygood place now. Thanks to the additional time in bottle the 2005 Valsacro Dioro is a harmonious, hedonistic marvel. We found reviews from back in the day, dueling ‘92s’ from Vinous’ (then IWC) Josh Raynolds and Advocate’s reviewer at the time Jay Miller, significantly different palates.

From Jay Miller, June, 2010, “The 2005 Dioro was produced from a stricter selection and was aged in new French oak for 12-14 months. A saturated purple color, it displays a brooding bouquet of wood smoke, pencil lead, espresso, truffle, and blackberry. Dense and loaded on the palate, it has gobs of ripe black fruit, excellent balance, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will continue to blossom over the next 3-4 years and have a drinking window extending from 2014 to 2025…92 points. (list $57). “

From Josh Raynolds, September, 2011, “(aged in new French oak): Glass-staining ruby. Extremely perfumed, oak-accented nose displays cherry-vanilla and blackberry preserves, with a sexy floral note and building spiciness. Full-bodied and velvety, offering palate-coating flavors of macerated cherry, dark berries and vanilla bean. Finishes very long and sweet, with persistent spiciness and a hint of smoke. An extremely attractive and balanced example of the modern style…92 points.”

The plush, creamy texture, integrated fruit and terroir components, superb balance, and silky finish are like few wines in the marketplace at any price. We have consumed a good bit of this already and have plans to do a lot more. Once again we are able to offer this absolutely delicious wine, bottle age included, for under $20!

We have stocked a bit more for ourselves this time around because the stuff doesn’t seem to last long in the cellar (not that it wouldn’t if we left it alone). The 2005 Valsacro Rioja Dioro 2005 one to buy by the case.

The same could be said for the 2015 Vinsacro Rioja Dioro, of which we recently got a reload. The short story here is that this is another offering from this very appealing house that was a Wine Advocate 92 for this wine, at a list price of $65, only we are also selling it for a ridiculous$19.98!

SOUTH AFRICA: CHARDONNAY HOTBED?

At the end of last year one of the key points we made was that Chardonnay was going to be an important topic in the wine world, but “not the Chardonnays you think”. A lot of folks here are moving past the biggest and blowsiest wines stylistically, and a number of newer California bottlings are showing much more precision and verve. Oregon is making Chardonnays like they never have before. But it seems, for the time being, the biggest news is south of the Equator.

The critics will continue to buzz about those $100+ ‘drama’ California Chardonnays that ring up 99 points every year that you can’t buy. Hey, that’s what critics do. But for real people who have to spend their own money, there is a lot more to like and better value from places like Australia, Argentina and the origin for today’s compelling value offer, South Africa.

Most people may not realize it, but the closest climate to California on the planet can be found in…South Africa. Lots of sunshine, warm days near the coast but never scorching. The temperatures and soils make for Chardonnay that manifests like some of the finest from California and France, but with their own unique edge. It’s all about the limestone, that definitive dirt that has much to do with the vinous success of estates in both Burgundy and Bordeaux, as well as very specific sites in Mount Harlan (think Calera), westside Paso, and parts of the Santa Rita Hills. Of course the price tags for things from those magical soils can be a bit dear. Character costs.

But that’s what makes knowing about little secrets like De Wetshof all the more exciting. If we can get both the sunshine, and the stones, combine that with perfect vines and top winemaking, and good things are likely to happen.

The De Wetshof Estate is, in fact, one of the pioneers of Chardonnay in South Africa. We fondly remember looking back and tasting some of the very first South African wines to arrive here post-apartheid and even back then we noted that De Wetshof was one of the labels to watch. The family continues to pioneer Chardonnay, with no less than a half-dozen different site-specific bottlings. All are noteworthy, but it is easiest to make the case for the purity and definition of the De Wetshof Estate Chardonnay Bon Vallon Robertson 2018 at a sub $15 fare.

What a wine for the money! The vines are 10-20 years old and sit in soils of broken mountain rock and limestone with a little bit of clay that aids in water retention. The resulting juice has surprising palate authority and tension that whisks the palate clean with every sip, but still has enough mid-palate weight to deliver in an aperitif role. It’s the perfect fusion of old world and new world styles. This particular rendition also sees no oak, which is an additional plus for some folks.

We offered with the DeWetshof’s Lesca bottling not long ago and, like we said, have worked with these wines for a long time. We actually tasted this little number alongside the newest Lesca (2018, we still have a little of the 93-point 2017). They were both excellent examples of terroir driven, clean Chardonnay and both of these 2018s got 92 points from Wine Spectator. However, the price difference made our choice clear. The ‘delta’ was strong with this one (WS 92 points, $14.98) and it is a fantastic candidate for house Chardonnay particularly given its food versatility.

Wine Spectator’s succinct prose tells a pretty concise story, “A flash of matchstick gives way quickly to a bright core of green and yellow apple flavors laced liberally with honeysuckle and verbena notes through the nicely detailed finish. Very, very solid. Drink now through 2021.” We’d also note a subtle streak of minerality running through the wine adds more dimension. We’d have to say the Bon Vallon 2018 is one of the better unoaked Chardonnays out there and pretty much unequalled for style and character in the price range.

Most people don’t think of South Africa as a ‘hotbed’ for Chardonnay. But offerings this good for this kind of price will do a lot to change that.

SIERRA CANTABRIA UNICA 2014: MUY TASTY

The Eguren brothers have their fingers in a lot of pies including Dominio de Eguren in Manchuela, the single vineyard estate Senorio de San Vincente, and Teso la Monja, an estate they started after they sold their previous Toro project, Numanthia. Yeah the boys are busy (they currently operate six wineries), but it all centers around the original property founded five generations earlier in 1870, Sierra Cantabria. They started as growers that for decades sold their grapes to other wineries and they still see themselves as viticulturists first. But they clearly know what to do with the juice.

Sierra Cantabriamakes a number of different wines but this series (which started in 2008 if memory serves) has been perhaps one of the best performers all things considered. Made from vines planted in 1985 in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, the wine itself is made from 98% Tempranillo with a pinch (2%) ‘older vine Grenache’. The wine sees 24 months in 60% French and 40% American oak, 30% of which is new. There’s no pretense at ‘traditional’ styling here even though it qualifies under the law.

This is a big, ripe mouthful of plush, ripe black fruits, spice cake, earthy minerality and hints of smoke. The bottle age is clearly sufficient to take whatever edge off this wine it might have had, and it now presents itself as an open, fruit driven wave of flavor. It’s very well put together but in a more ‘bottoms up’ style that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. In other words lush, easy to like stuff. The critics seemed to like it well enough. Both Vinous’ Josh Raynolds and Wine Spectator hung 92s on this one. Raynolds said, “…Sappy and focused on the palate, offering juicy raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that put on weight with air. Shows excellent precision on the clinging finish, which features sweet red fruit liqueur and floral elements and harmonious, silky tannins.”

Wine Spectator’s Thomas Mathews offered, “Vanilla, sandalwood and cedar notes lend a spicy accent to the cherry, tangerine, underbrush and licorice flavors in this round red. Shows good density, with well-integrated tannins and lively acidity imparting focus. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2026.”

The highest praise, and a bit of explanation, came from Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2014 Sierra Cantabria Reserva Única is a cellar selection of the best barrels of the Reserve, selected with the idea of making a big, rich wine that can drink well in its youth yet also age. Blackberry, blueberry, violet, peach pit, graphite, and lead pencil notes all flow to a rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced red that has good acidity, fine tannin, and a great finish. This sexy, decadent, layered beauty shouldn’t be missed! …94 points.”

It is absolutely “big, rich wine that can drink well in its youth” which will definitely make a few new friends for Spain but not at the exclusion of long time fans of Rioja.

EVENING LAND’S SALEM WINE CO PINOT NOIR EOLA-AMITY 2017

The whole story of the evolution of Seven Springs Vineyard over the last four decades has been a varied and interesting one reaching back to the ‘formative years’ of Oregon Pinot Noir. But under the winemaking team of Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr, it may be that the best times are still ahead for Evening Land. Certainly the wines under the primary label continue to get critical acclaim, and they are at the forefront of the ‘hey we make pretty darn good Chardonnay in Oregon these days’ movement as well. Certainly their credentials are in order. But this time around we are talking about a relatively new offering that provides a classic demonstration of why we pay a lot of attention to the ‘small’ wines from important producers.

The Salem Wine Company Pinot Noir Eola-Amity 2017 is a more attractively priced version of what these guys do regularly, produce Pinot Noirs that are pure, fruit driven, unfettered and expressive. The ‘Eola-Amity’ comes from three vineyards that are dry-farmed, sustainable and bio-dynamic…Eola Springs, Rocky Hill and the ‘home turf’ itself, Seven Springs Vineyard. The soils are all volcanic. The grapes are destemmed, fermented only with the indigenous yeasts, and the juice sees an 18-month sojourn in neutral oak.

This doesn’t come off as a ‘junior’ version but rather a more direct expression of the pure, intense, spicy dark red fruit character that makes this vineyard a special place. There plenty of fruit intensity, nice lift to the finish, and engaging cherry and dark berry flavors as the central theme. This isn’t geared as a Cabernet substitute, but rather a well proportioned Pinot made by guys who love Pinot and its Burgundian manifestations, for people of like minds. In that respect it succeeds admirably, attractive right out of the gate and pretty accessible price-wise at $22.98.

If you need critical acclaim, we couldn’t find any. This stuff is pretty new to the market (starting with the 2014) and will likely never get a huge score because it will usually be tasted by the press alongside the bigger, fussier, more famous bottlings that come from here. If, however, you are looking for an expressive, user friendly, purposeful expression of Pinot Noir, the Salem Wine Company Pinot Noir Eola-Amity 2017 will do quite nicely.

BRIEFS 5-28-19

~~They grow Sauvignon Blanc in a lot of places world-wide, from the Loire to Australia, South Africa and the Americas. But some of the most intriguing come from the high country of northeast Italy. There’s a distinctive take on the varietal with aromas of tomato leaf, grapefruit, wild herbs, and yellow stone fruits. The flavors are hauntingly insistent but also delicate. When it’s on, it is a lovely and unique take on Sauvignon Blanc, pretty unlike anything else from this varietal. Some of our favorites are Vie de Romans, Venica, and Venica, and Terlano’s Quarz. In that vein of elite level, captivating, almost haunting ‘high country’ Sauvignons, add the Tiare Sauvignon Collio 2017, a beautiful example of exactly what we are talking about and a “tre bicchierre” selection from Gambero Rosso.

~~Not all Pinot Grigios are created equal, and some of them are even pink. As many of you know, Pinot Grigio grapes actually have a pinkish tint. Through a process called ramato, the Pinot Grigio grapes spend some extra time in contact with the skins which changes the phenolic feel of the wine in the mouth, adds a little punch to the mid palate and, depending on the length of the contact, imparts a pinkish hue to the wine itself. There aren’t a lot of folks that do it this way and it takes a certain level of talent to pull it off. But done right, it is a delicious, distinctive take on the varietal that most folks haven’t tried. Definitely for adults, the Specogna Pinot Grigio Ramato Friuli Colli Orientali 2017 ($22.99) is a marvelous example of this style. Who knew Pinot Grigio could be this interesting?

~~Vintages play an important part in most of what we do. A new vintage of something is news in itself. Not so for sparkling and fortified wines that are non-vintage. So unless there is some sort of seasonal or event-related relevance, things like the Mikulski Cremant de Bourgogne, which we highlighted this year, the Perez Barquero Gran Barquero Amontillado Sherry that we highlighted last year, and the Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsula (that we highlighted a long time ago) or the Drusian Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene Extra Dry, a house favorite that we have been selling for more than a decade, will be forgotten. We’re going to use things like the ‘Briefs’ section to mention products like these again because the whole way wine is being marketed has changed. In the past, there were conversations where walk-in consumers would ask about products and categories from people on the floor. Buying online with a mouse click is a completely different dynamic. Items like these were exciting enough for us to buy them initially, and still are. No reason not to remind people about them once in a while and possibly introduce a few new folks that missed it the first time in the process.

DOMINE de la FOLIE RULLY 1ER CRU CLOS DU CHAIGNE BLANC

Most folks are familiar with the concept of supply and demand, where an increase in demand for a category that cannot substantially change its production will predictably cause a rise in acquisition costs. White Burgundy is something of a poster child for this. What used to buy a good Premier Cru will now get you only a village bottling and even those are quite a bit more than they used to be. The solution has been to find the lesser known sections of the Cote d’Or, like Saint Romain and Saint Aubin where a top producer can make some pretty compelling wines, and the area didn’t necessarily command super-premium prices. Sadly the ‘good stuff’ from such appellations has escalated over the last few years.

What to do if you want great white Burgundy? Look south to the top sources in the Cotes Chalonnaise. One can still find the occasional domaine that is making exciting Chardonnay for considerably more palatable prices. Rully, at the northern end of the Cote Chalonnaise, certainly offers some fine options. According to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley, Domaine de la Folie is one of those. His notes, “Once renowned as the source of some of the appellation’s finest white wines, this 14-hectare domaine in Rully flies somewhat under the radar, but its pure and elegant offerings are still well worth seeking out. Classy but flavorful, they’re dependably delicious.”

Domaine de la Folie is unique in the Rully appellation in that it is the northernmost in the AC and its 32 acres of vines are the highest in elevation. Moreover, all but one of its vineyards are monopoles (which means the estate owns the entire vineyard). Lastly, unlike the main body of vineyards in the central part of Rully to the south, this northern end of the Montagne de la Folie sits on the same vein of limestone as the commune of Puligny-Montrachet, just over three miles away.

The estate has been in the care of the Noël-Bouton family for three centuries now. The domaine’s two flagship holdings are facing east on the hill with the Rully 1er Cru Clos du Chaigne sitting next to but higher on the hill than the Rully 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques. We sold the Clos St. Jacques last year but this time around, tasting the two side by side, the racier, more insistent Clos du Chaigne won the day, though both were impressive. The Clos du Chaigne’s eight acres of vines were planted in 1971. So you’ve got vines nearly a half-century old sitting in limestone soils facing east in an elevated exposure. That’s a pretty impressive recipe for success.

The grapes are farmed lute resonee (which means they won’t do anything like spray unless it’s absolutely unavoidable) and the wine is raised roughly 60% in tank and 40% in oak, part of which is new. The minerality and florality show in the nose with a little bit of a honeyed tone to broaden the spectrum. In the mouth, you get apples, pears, a touch of honey, and well infused, delicate minerality, with plenty of flesh but a nice lift to the mid-palate and great drive through the finish. The wines of Domaine de La Folie are decidedly classical in profile and the whites always put fresh fruit and clear minerality front and center. The Domaine de La Folie Rully 1er Cru Clos du Chaigne 2017 is serious, character-filled white Burgundy and, in today’s heated market, rather a deal as well.

GO FOR THE BOLD

It’s pretty common for sommeliers and even Masters of Wine to try their hand at winemaking. The results have been, ahem, varied to say the least. But if you try enough of them, you will eventually run across someone who ‘gets it’. In this particular case, master Sommelier Chris Miller, and the winery he founded called Seabold Cellars, were sent our way by a sommelier friend here in the OC who thought we should check these out.

Miller established Seabold in 2014 with the focus on producing small lot site-specific Burgundian and Rhône varietals from the Monterey Bay region. He believes that cooler is better for certain varietals and such vineyards produce balanced wines that showcase their origin more than their winemaking. Miller learned winemaking working with the folks at Gramercy Cellars, Brewer-Clifton and Melville.

The Seabold wines impressed as they were both tender and lifted, and each one showed a few nuances that were definitely site specific. They were very pleasing examples of cool climate juice that showcased the style yet were tender enough and possessed enough flesh to be engaging in the glass rather than, as so many are, more ‘intellectually challenging’ then enjoyable. Had we not already had quite a selection of serious wines in the $40-50 range, we certainly would have bit on these. We still might. But we couldn’t pass up the Bold wines which were superior stylistically and well priced given the juice.

The concept of Bold was rather unique. First one must understand that, while a lot of people say the same thing, these guys really are about the dirt. Part of their ‘mission statement’ is “…During the year, more time is spent in vineyards than the winery. Our winemaking is as hands-off as possible, respecting traditional techniques and practices without being beholden to them.” It shows in the wines.

Where Bold diverts from the typical ‘second line’ scenario is quite specific. The Bold wines are not made from the leftovers of the Seabold wines, but rather are ‘first run’ efforts with vineyards the winery has not worked with before. They like to get really comfortable with the vineyard before they slap a Seabold label on a wine with that designation, and Bold is part of that “getting to know you” process.

No one we know thinks of the Arroyo Seco area as a hotbed for Sauvignon Blanc. But maybe that’s because they haven’t been looking in the right place. Miller found Zabala Vineyards in one of the warmest subsections of this narrow west-facing valley shielded by the Santa Lucia Mountains. Planted in 1972, it is one of Monterey County’s oldest vineyards with soils of sandy loam covered with round riverbed stones. The vineyard is family-owned, impeccably cared-for, and certified organic.

The Bold Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Monterey 2018 itself is an intriguing expression of the varietal. There is plenty of richness in the herb-laced grapefruit, melon and pear fruit, plenty of freshness while the acids are not overly aggressive, and a remarkable sense of harmony. It lacks the edgy bite that a lot of California Sauvignons possess and rather presents a rounder yet still lifted presentation of the varietal. For under $20, it is an excellent choice and given the production (a mere 268 cases of wine) we’d consider this pretty much ‘insider trading’.

The same holds true for the Bold Wine Co. Pinot Noir Monterey 2017. The story here seems typical of this producer, and focuses on the Balestra Vineyard which lies just north of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, on a very cold climate benchland property owned and farmed by a multi-generational family of farmers. Because it is closer to the valley to the sea, the wines from the property always show a certain bright, fruit-forward character which is often balanced out by a judicious inclusion of whole clusters during fermentation.

There’s a lovely texture here and a dusty, musky presentation of dark cherry and ripe cranberry fruit kissed with a little bit of woodsiness and some elements of spice. For a generally savory Pinot, the edges are rounded and engaging and the wine has both flesh and lift to create a very pleasing experience in the glasss. The terroir nuances rise above anything you can typically buy at this kind ofrprcie. We think the ‘Bold’ wines present a pretty exciting option in a price range like this and there is legitimate excitement as to whether Miller has do with these in the purchases moving forwards. They are certainly off to an impressive start given what we see here. With only a few hundred cases this isn’t going to be a game changer for the market as a whole. But it will certainly prove shrewd value ‘harvest’ for those that move quickly.