Steve Zanotti – Page 8

BEAUTIFUL ‘OLD SCHOOL’ RED BURGUNDY

The first paragraph of the importer’s reference to this domaine read like this, ” One of the best-kept secrets in the historic Burgundy village of Vosne-Romanée is the husband and wife team of Fabrice and Christine Vigot. Their humble demeanor and low profile belie their outsized talent and influence on some of Vosne’s most famous Pinot Noir wines – and it is past time that their wines received the attention they’ve for so long deserved.”

His appraisel is spot in. We couldn’t find anything is the old familiar places except a couple reviews that were a decade old. It’s almost like these folks were in witness protection even though they the family has been a backbone in a rather famous domaine. Most Burgundy collectors should know the name Mugneret-Gibourg. In the 1960s, Dr. Georges Mugneret hired Fabrice Vigot’s father to tend a number of his prized vineyards in a crop-sharing agreement, including grand cru Echezeaux and plots in Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. The contract was passed down to Fabrice, who with his wife, Christine, continued his father’s exacting work.

Burgundy wine begins in the vineyard. Everyone will tell you that . That Mugneret-Gibourg Burgundy wines are legend is news to no one who is into Burgundy. But that the foundation upon which that legend stands was actually supported by a modest grower couple down the road. That gives us a good foundation for introducing this label that is in the U.S. of A. forthe first time.

Fabrice and Christine started their own domaine in 1990, combining some of Fabrice’s family’s land in Vosne and Nuits-Saint-Georges with vineyards that Christine inherited from her family in Gevrey-Chambertin, along with the addition of the metayage land from the Mugnerets.

From the importer, “What’s important to note is that this hard-working, generations-deep Burgundian family – particularly among the rarified air of Vosne-Romanée – are hands-in-the-soil growers, first and foremost. Caring for their few acres according to organic principles (with a more recent focus on biodynamics), Fabrice and Christine craft Burgundy wines that are earthy and soulful and utterly transparent to their underlying terroir. Crucially, each of their older-vine plots – all villages-level vineyards – perform far above their station…”

They no longer work for the Mugnerets because the whims of Nature (a frost in 2016) made it difficult for them to continue. Today the family farms only their own vineyards, some six acres across Vosne, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin. The Fabrice Vigot Gevrey Chambertin Le Etelois 2019 is from a beautifully situated lieu dit, ‘low profile’ parcel that touches both Grand Cru Chappelle Chambertin and Premier Cru Petite Chappelle. The oldest vines date back to the 1960s.

The Vigot Gevrey Le Etelois 2019 shows the classic ‘old school’ Burgundy nose of persistent cherry with overtones of forest floor, spice, and wild herbs. One the palate there is a broad, layered center of red and black cherry with elements of spice, clove, earth, and smokey oak adding to the tapestry of flavors. You’ve got it all…substance, focus, terroir, sweet fruit, elegance, and balance. There’s a pleasing hint of rusticity and little more restraint than a lot of the overtly giving, ‘hey sailor’ 2019 red Burgundies.

You might call this a beautiful anachronism, something of a throwback, terroir driven style in the sense of overall personality but with modern cleanliness, and purity of fruit. This won’t jump out of a tasting of 2019s because it is a more restrained style. But it is deceptively loaded and built to please real Burgundy aficionados. We’re confident it could hang with most Premier Crus at twice the price.

BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF A RARE, ECLECTIC FRENCH WHITE

First, a statement. We are not masochists and do not go out of our way to find things that are obscure and hard to say. But we don’t have any fears of going down that path if the juice merits the interest. This one ‘has it all’…a difficult name, from a relatively small segment of an already tiny category made with grapes that relatively few people are familiar with. Nevertheless, its delicious.

Sure it would be much easier to promote some mainstream grape like Chardonnay with an accompanying score from a well known media source. We’ll do that when the time comes. But if we didn’t pay attention to special wines like this and give them their moment, we would be doing a disservice to you as wine merchants.

The region is Madiran, inland and southeast of Bordeaux and best known for big brooding reds with bold tannins and high levels of resveratrol, the ‘life prolonging’ compound in Tannat based wines that was the groundbreaking discovery in a ‘Sixty Minutes’ piece called the “French Paradox” many years ago. But they make a bit of white wine there, too, mostly out of blends with grapes Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu. Most of those are sweet, but there is a small portion of dry renditions, which it will state on the label (sec is French for dry).

All that said, the Montus Blanc Sec Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2014, made by the acknowledged ‘top gun’ in Madiran for both ‘colors’, Alain Brumont, is a rare example of an outstanding example of this obscure category at what appears to be the prefect place in its history. Their description of the process is, ‘this wine’s special character is due to its vinification and ageing in 600 liter barrels, called demi-muids, made from wooden staves that are more than four centimeters thick. The impact of the wood on the wine is reduced, with a more mellow woodiness, beneficial to the preservation of the fruity aromas, while maintaining a perfect balance, for a very expressive, high quality wine.”

Add eight years of bottle age to the equation and you have something that hits notes that are rare and special in our experience. Probably the closest comparison we could make wouldn’t really bring it home for a lot of people but it has elements that remind us of an aged white Hermitage (the vines here, coincidentally, are on terraced hillsides). The palate is seamless and supple, with ample richness atop what is still a nice lift of acidity. The texture is creamy with pear, apple, and tropical fruit tones laced with subtle minerality, spice, and a slightly honeyed finished. Seductive and complex, this is a must try.

The genre of dry white Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh is a tiny category to be sure. We’ve tasted and carried the bottling from prior vintages, but we don’t recall a performance at quite this level. You can ponder this one on its own or serve it anywhere a dry, fairly rich while will do. Either way, it’s a treat.

THE ‘LITTLE BOAT’ HAS LANDED

As much time as we spend researching and tasting in our never ending quest for exceptional wines, there are times when it can just take a little luck. We would likely never have crossed paths with Jose, the proprietor of these wines, had it not been for random chance. The wine has been almost exclusively sold in elite eateries like French Laundry, Daniel Boulud, Jose Andres and Spago.

The short story is that Jose Ignacio Cuerco, a native of Spain, was scratching his ‘homesick’ itch at a Saturday paella lunch offered at one of our favorite food sources, La Espanola Market. Randomly, someone whom we knew from a consulting gig happened to sit next to him at the lunch and they began to talk. He told Jose about these wildly passionate wine merchants that he knew and, as a result of the conversation, we got a call asking if we might be interested in checking out his wines. “Of course”, we said.

Jose picks the sourcing and, having worked with a few top flight sommeliers who were instrumental in developing the program, is very hands on about the stylistic results of the wine. He is not in the wine biz per se. But this is not an ego project either. This is a ‘passion’ project and speaks of his wines as if they were his actual children, clearly very emotionally involved in where they go. The name “The Little Boat” was chosen with reference to a song Barquito de Papel (‘Little Paper Boat’), an ode to peace and friendship. The project is dedicated to his son Mateo.

Jose brought in three wines and we bought all three of them, something that people who know us know that is a rare occurrence. The thing is that they hit all of the parameters we look for. They were tasty, well conceived and well made, and the prices were quite reasonable for the quality in today’s market. Most important perhaps is that they are classically styled, varietally pure, easy to like and food friendly. The style isn’t to bowl you over. This is California fruit with Old World sensibility.

The Little Boat Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2020 had the classic Russian River nose of peach/pear fruit, spice, and toasty oak. In the mouth, you get that same impression of delicate but insistent peach and pear, with just the right touch of toasty accents and a little underlying minerality, but the well proportioned acidity lifts at the finish a leaves the palate ready for the next bite.

The Little Boat Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2019 offers up aromas of baking spice and ripe strawberries with a little touch of cocoa. In the mouth it is silky and seamless with the spicy berries as the elegant center of attention. Great purity of fruit here but also the added bonus of drinkability. So many things from the vaunted but loosely defined Sonoma Coast can be very ungiving. This one is tender and ready for prime time.

Sometimes random chance can work in one’s favor. Enjoy these classy Cali efforts. We also have a small quantity of a Spanish Rioja called Barquito Rioja Gran Reserva 2014 (barquito is Spanish for ‘little boat’) that was made for him by La Rioja Alta, the first time the winery had done a contract bottling for someone else in 150 years we are told. We have big plans for that one, too, but must wait for the ‘big boat’ to come in to have enough stock.

SAKE RETURNS

In the old location, we used to have a pretty good selection of sake. We decided to start playing with the category again here. We could go into the whole rant about how sake is made and the difference the water, type of rice, and brewing styles can make. But, heck, we figure folks just want to drink the stuff so we’re not going to get too technical.

As we did before, we re focusing on premium sakes. That’s not the stuff that comes in big drums that you serve warm in sushi bars. These distinctive, delicate sakes are product of the water and special rice grown in their various areas. They show best when served slightly chilled. They are also remarkably versatile with a variety of foods from fish dishes to grilled meats. The top quality designations represent a very small percentage of the total production.

For those trying sakes for the first time, there are a couple of terms to know. The highest quality sakes come from rice that is polished more. The polishing removes the lesser parts of the grain to focus more on the better core. That process is reflected as seimaibuai, or the percentage of the rice that is left after polishing. The lower the number, typically between 50-70%, the better quality the sake. That quality level is also reflected in the grade, with Junmai, Jumai Ginjo, and Junmai Daiginjo being the escalating levels of premium sake and where we are going to concentrate our selection.

There is also a new word for us, Tokubetsu, which nebulously refers to a ‘special brewing process’ that the various brewers might employ in a given batch, though there are no specifics to what that process might be. Around here, like everything else, we simply go by taste. Our preference is for bright, crisp, clean styles. We tasted a number of sakes to create this focused mix, with a few more that will trickle in as they arrive. ‘Supply chain issues’ are a fact of life in this category as well. Enjoy.

Check out the new sake selection

THERE’S A NEW KID IN TOWN: WITH RAVISHING BEAUJOLAIS

We’ve been crusaders for Beaujolais for a long time as most of you know. Thew region has been seeing quite a revival recently as some new faces are starting to appear. While we have been long acquainted with Bernard Burgaud, one of the blue chip names in Beaujolais, this Burgaud is new to us but definitely got our attention.

Alexandre Burgaud is, relatively speaking, new to the wine scene in Beaujolais, having purchased vines in 2013. A rising star, his property comprises 12 hectares which were purchased from among plots that the family had worked for generations. Alexandre has it in mind to purchase additional parcels, some of which he currently rents.

The style here is very traditional. A semi-carbonic vinification in concrete vats, using all the stems, creates wines that are fruit forward and, in this case, gushing with character. It is finished in older barrels.

This particular wine is from a section of Beaujolais called Lantignié, where Alexandre’s best parcels are located. The vines exceed 50 years-of-age and are situated in rocky, blue granite soils that bear a resemblance to those of the Cote de Py, one of Beaujolais’ most renowned vineyards.

Some suggest this particular small vineyard could receive Cru status some day, which of course goes beyond winemaking into politics. But given our limited experience with this source, we’ll suggest Alexandre can make a pretty good case.

This wine had the kind of layered, sweet, dark fruits that would win friends easily. As an example from the appealing 2019 vintage, it also carried that plush texture that brings one back for more. It was too easy to drink and, clearly, one didn’t have to be any kind of wine genius to ‘get’ this Beaujolais.

William Kelley of WIne Advocate had good things to say about the domaine, “I identified this 12-hectare domaine, founded in 2013, as one to watch in my last Beaujolais report, and this more extensive tasting confirmed Alexandre Burgaud’s talents…Fleshy and flavorful, with the substance to age but plenty of near-term appeal, these are nicely made wines which come recommended.”

Kelley’s notes on this Alexandre Burgaud Beaujolais Villages Lantignié 2019 definitely coincide with our impressions, especially the use of the term ‘bursting’, “Bursting with aromas of cherries, berries and spices, the 2019 Beaujolais-Villages Lantignié is medium to full-bodied, round and succulent, with lively acids, melting tannins and a generous core of fruit. Slightly more dynamic and lively than the rounder, more gourmand 2018, this has turned out very well…92 points.”

‘Turned out very well’ seems a bit of an understatement, but suffice it so say this is a versatile, hedonistic, and well priced ($18.98) beverage that everyone should check out. The ‘new kid’ has got chops.

CAB ALERT AND REDUB OF THREAD FEATHER ‘STAG’S’

We’ve mentioned this in passing in a number of articles and emails but felt we should take a moment to make the point specifically here as well. There are shortages on the horizon of some of your favorite beverages. Thanks to the wildfires in northern California in 2020, which occurred rather late in the growing season, a number of vineyards containing later harvested varietals like Cabernet were affected by smoke taint.

There are those that will tell you that smoke taint in grapes can be ‘handled’ in the cellar. That is a subject for debate and we definitely don’t agree. Neither do most producers and most of the quality Napa vintners will not be bottling Cabernets from the 2020 vintage.

Bottom line? There will be less Cabernet to go around, obviously, if you eliminate the majority of an entire vintage. Some vintners will choose to the conserve and stretch the ’18 and ’19 vintages to cover the gap. Others will simply clamp down and protect the wines for restaurants (so you can pay more for them) or raise prices. Other simply won’t have anything to sell. In short, there will be much less to choose from for what we estimate to be a period of 18 to 24 months.

So what does one do? Simply, by a little more now and put it aside. The 2018 and 2019 vintages are quite good and still fairly available, so the old adage of a ‘bird in the hand’ is very appropriate right now. We are doing to do our best to build our own back stocks of reds to ride the storm, but there is only so much we can do.

While we’re on that subject, we went back an bought out the rest of the delightful Thread Feather Cabernet Napa Valley Stag’s Leap 2019 which we offered via email late last year. A high-quality $69-list Napa Cabernet for under $40 is a good place to start your Cabernet ‘survival kit’. Thread Feather Winemaker Niel Koch has trained at elite places, with Philip Melka at Seavey Vineyards, Bryant Family and Vineyard 29, as well as a stint as Assistant Winemaker at Lewis Cellars. He knows what great wine is supposed to taste like.

This particular bottling is important for a lot of reasons, though a Cabernet this good for this kind of price is always relevant. This, and the 2018 Howell Mountain, were the elite efforts of a serious run of excellent Cabernets from Thread Feather. The blend is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc grown on an eastern facing slope on the west side of the Silverado Trail.

The Thread Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Stag’s Leap is bright and opulent with dark fruit notes of dark cherry and blueberry compote and hints of baking spice, cedar, violet, crushed stone and a slight whiff of mint. It is rich with beautiful structure, superb balance, polished tannins, and luscious layers of fruit that represent the nuances of Stag’s Leap, the appellation, to a tee. Simply put, this wine blew us away, and you know we don’t say that kind of thing all that often.

We’ve seen plenty of top-end, ‘reserve’ bottlings from Stag’s Leap wineries at three to five times the price that don’t deliver this much character and joy. A gorgeous, hedonistic Cabernet even in its impetuous youth, at $39.98, you’ll feel like you got away with something that was mismarked.

NOTABLE UNDER-$10 REDS

When we started back in 1982, the world was a different place. The internet didn’t exist, nor did emails or social media and shipping to consumers beyond the local neighborhood was out of the ordinary. Most everything was sold by someone coming to an establishment and physically picking up the bottle. A lot has changed over the years, but a handy, go-to, well-made, and well priced offering still has value in the marketplace.

We keep tabs on all price ranges here, but admittedly have little tolerance for clearly manipulated wines in any price range. Unfortunately, in the lower price rungs, the majority of offerings seem to fall into that category. We are looking for wines that are honest and varietal at every level.

We became aware of Shannon Ridge wines many years ago but, in truth, the wines weren’t particularly memorable. A lot has changed since then. It is unique in a few ways. This family-owned winery is in Lake County, which has seen a lot of development in recent years. Also the vineyards from which the Shannon Ridge wines come are situated at 2200 foot elevation and the winery is committed to sustainable farming. If you start with good fruit, odds are you can do something exciting with it. Wines like this, with honest, unfettered fruit and a sub-$10 price are exciting to a lot of people.

The winery is working on offerings in a variety of styles and price points, but it was this pair of reds under the ‘High Elevation’ banner at the value end of the spectrum that presented the most potential. Such wines are not abundant in the marketplace. Good color, good weight, varietal character and this kind of pricing may not ‘shock the world’, but they will make a lot of friends.

The Shannon Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County 2019 , all from mountain fruit, is a direct presentation of ripe blackberry and dark cherry, some spice and woodsy notes, and honest flavors. It got a 92 point nod from Wine Enthusiast with comments, “Bold and nicely spicy, this full-bodied wine wraps delicious black-cherry and blackberry flavors in moderate tannins, while hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla weave in and out of the fruit.”

The Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah Lake County 2019 is definitely something of a throwback style and has the punchy, full throttle black fruit one expects from the varietal. Pretty much a fast ball down the middle for fans of Petite Sirah, with flecks of pepper and spice woven into the aromatics and flavors. Wine Enthusaist said of this, “Quite ripe and jammy, this deeply colored wine also sports nicely integrated tannins that balance the intense blueberry and blackberry flavors. Being relatively smooth and polished for the varietal, it’s ready to drink through 2026…90 points.”

Will these wines change your life? Probably not. But do they show the potential of Lake County ‘done right’ and deliver exceptional value? Absolutely. Stuff like this never goes out of style.

ANOTHER GREAT ‘UNDER-THE-RADAR” NAPA CAB

We’re always looking for another sneaky good Napa Cabernet at a great price no matter what. The upcoming shortage of Napa Cabernet (and a few other things) thanks to the 2020 wildfires has made the search even more urgent. A lot of folks haven’t really taken our message that seriously but, as an example of what we are talking about, our supplier just informed us that there will be no Cakebread Chardonnay available for retail until September! Armagedden? Maybe not quite, but certainly worth noting.

This one is a bit unique in a “French connection” sort of way. Winemaker Christine Barbe was born and raised in Bordeaux France. She studied biochemistry and received her doctorate degree in Enology and Viticulture from the Bordeaux Institute of Enology. Her knowledge of Sauvignon Blanc is extensive as she made wine at Chateau Carbonnieux and La Louviere in Pessac-Leognan as well as the renowned Denis Dubourdieu.

WHile the winery seems to be best known for Sauvignon Blanc, which has a style that mimics a white Bordeaux, clearly she picked up a few nuggets on Cabernet while she was at it. The style of the Terroir Coquerel Cabernet Sauvignon Walnut Wash 2019 definitely shows a Bordeaux sensibility and elegance, but still has the richness and body of something New World.

Plush and tender for its age and definitely in that value price range for Napa Cabernet, there’s a seamless presentation of blue fruits with notes of of savory spice, cocoa, and toast that delivers a nicely proportioned mouthful that will deliver substance alongside grilled red meats while not being s0 ‘big’ that it will overpower food. Nicely defined, lovely Cabernet, there aren’t any current reviews on this bottling but, in the upcoming Cabernet crisis, this is a fantastic option to have on hand from both a performance and price perspective.

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND-THE GREATEST CROZES EVER?

Something we never talk about is what goes on behind the scenes. As you might imagine, doing emails and prearrivals involves a lot more accounting than just selling the wine and having someone carry out the door. We have to keep track of the stock while its here. We’re pretty on top of it but, being human, there are occasional mistakes. Not often, mind you, but it can happen. In this particular instance, it was a fabulous bit of good fortune. What if, after doing our due diligence, we found we had ‘leftovers’ of one of the greatest Crozes Hermitages ever made.

We did three shots offering the Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Domaine Thalabert 2015, arguably the best example yet from this legendary series that is also a house favorite from a historical perspective, with great success. We can’t explain exactly how we miscounted, but we’re sure the numbers are correct to which we are happy to say “woohoo!”.

From top, specific parcels in this fairly large estate, from 40-60+ year old Syrah vines, it resembles a kinder, gentler Hermitage. At present, the nose of blackberries and spice soar from the glass, that same redolent blackberry fruit character rolling across the palate with highlights of olive, pepper, and some smoked meat. It is a notable effort in a storied history. There’s plenty going on right out of the gate and the wine grows from there.

Jeb Dunnuck’s review encapsulates our feelings, “The finest vintage to date, better even than the stellar 2010, the 2015 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert is a gorgeous, deep, layered, and incredibly satisfying Crozes. Blackcurrants, olive tapenade, truffles and earthy notes all emerge from this full-bodied, gorgeously textured and seamless 2015. With fine tannin and no hard edges, it can be drunk today or cellaring for 15-20 years…97 points”

You would be remiss without a few bottles of this living legend in your cellar. If you have some, you likely need more. If you don’t, this is a must. This is a special bottle in a special vintage and an exceptional effort from both a historic and hedonistic perspective. As usual, quantities are finite.

BRIEFS

-You have another brief opportunity to pick up some of the stylish 2019 Cristom Pinot Noir Cuvee Jefferson, a delicious Pinot from one of our favorite sources in that part of the world. The wholesaler got in a last shipment and we grabbed some more. Their 2019 lineup as a group got exceptional reviews with this particular effort getting 97 points from James Suckling and the following notes, “This is very seductive on the nose with ripe strawberry, spice, flowers and hints of cloves. Full-bodied, but very reserved and tight with chewy, polished tannins and a long, long finish. Racy and structured. Try after 2024.”

Add to that a 95 point nod from Wine Advocate, and a sub-$40 price, and you’ve got a pretty sweet buy on an exceptional Pinot. Limited this time around.

-The exceptional efforts from one of Argentina’s superstars, Matias Riccitelli, continues. We just received a limited shipment of his 2018 Riccitelli & Father blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Franc. Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez tells the story, “Matías Riccitelli keeps turning out some of the most exciting wines from Argentina, this time with the addition of some “natural” wines. He also keeps exploring the zone of La Carrera, a high-altitude zone of Mendoza where he started with some Sauvignon Blanc but has since planted four more hectares, looking for diversity of soils and altitudes, and hopes to reach 20 hectares in total. They are planting from 1,600 meters in altitude and hope to reach as high as 2,000 meters. Exciting!”

His take on the Matias Riccitelli Riccitelli and Father Mendoza 2018, “The most impressive 2018 Riccitelli & Father is a collaboration between Matías Riccitelli and his father, Jorge, for many years winemaker at Norton (among other things). The wine combines classical and modern characteristics, quite clean and fruit-driven but with a core of deep and ripe fruit and high-quality oak. It’s ripe without excess (14.5% alcohol) and reveals fine-grained and abundant tannins that give it structure and clout. This wine is always serious and concentrated but with very good balance. It should be long lived…95 points.”

We also, amazingly, still have some stock of his “lights out” Matias Riccitelli Malbec Viñas Viejas En Pie Franco 2018 (JS 95, VM 95) and Matias Riccitelli Cabernet Franc Viñedos de Montaña 2018 (JS 94, VM 94, WA 94). These are benchmark efforts and some of the most compelling and interesting efforts we have tasted from Argentina in quite a while.