INSIDER TRADE: CLOS NOLY

Marie-Pierre Manciat was born into a family of vignerons that have been making wine since 1871. From a very young age, she spent her school vacations in the cellars and vineyards, soaking up knowledge and experience, all of which helped her when she took over the reins of her family’s estate in 2002 and became a sixth-generation winemaker. Her family has instilled in her a strong sense of tradition, time-honored winemaking practices, and the value of quality over quantity.

Her father, Claude Manciat, was one of the top producers in the Maconnais area. Up until the early 1980s when he took over, the Manciat wines were mainly sold in bulk to local negociants.  But Claude decided that he wanted to focus on making and bottling his own wines. As the result of his meticulous viticulture and vinification techniques, he has been able to attain a high level of quality, translating into exceptional purity and texture apparent in the wines produced. In addition to practicing sustainable agriculture, the Manciats are among the few remaining vignerons in the Macon that still harvest by hand.

Marie Pierre is a ‘chip off the old block’, created riveting whites that perform far above the crowd by virtue of her attention to detail in the vineyard and the cellar.  That purity of fruit and touch is particularly visible in this effort. The yields at this domaine are routinely 20-30 percent lower than what is allowed in each given appellation allowing Marie-Pierre to craft wines that are rich and powerful while remaining focused with an emphasis on the calcaire rich soils of each terroir.  The goal is to harvest fruit as near to ‘perfect’ as possible and that definitely happened here.

Clos Noly is named after the oldest vineyard at Domaine Manciat-Poncet which is based in Chaintré. There are 23 total hectares spread out among 5 villages but this particular site, which touches the far better-known appellation of Pouilly Fuisse, is only .28 hectare (7/10 of an acre).  There are only 15 domaines in the entire Pouilly Vinzelles appellation.  The Clos Noly Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Longeays 2017 comes from a 40-year-old Chardonnay vineyard composed of clay and limestone soils with a western exposure.

Marie-Pierre lets each area express itself according to its personality, and each of her wines are aged differently, in either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels. In the end, she believes that wine is above all else, a refreshing drink. This is why she strives to create a harmony between depth, complexity, minerality, and drinkability in all of her wines.  This Les Longeays got our attention at first sip and the description is going to sound like we are trying to say all the right words.

There’s weight and substance on the entry, and deceptive but clearly very polished richness to the fruit component of apple, citrus, and peach mingled with subtle streaks of stony minerality and a faint tinge of honey.  The mesh of fruit, texture, and bright acidity harmonize in a way few wines do, and the wine glides over the tongue and finishes with a near-perfect cut.    It sees 10% new oak with the balance in neutral barrels.  To borrow a phrase from the Army of ‘be all that you can be’, we can’t imagine that this wine, from this place, could have been any better than it is.  Bravo!

 Not only is it a poised, delicious, beautiful bottle of Chardonnay, it is remarkably under-priced given the performance.  This is an ‘insiders’ play simply because we don’t have enough to support a full-blown email.  You probably guessed that from the size of the vineyard. But the value here is off the charts, and it is not only super tasty but lifted and refreshing.  You can bet some of this will be going to our houses.

‘IMMORTAL’ CABERNET

They did it to themselves.  If you call yourself ‘Immortal Cabernet,’ you had best be ready for some raised eyebrows and tough judgements.  With a name like that, you have to bring you’re ‘A game’ every time and make an impression.  Anything less than great simply will not due.  Well there is definitely intent behind every aspect of this wine because even making great wine doesn’t guarantee success. 

The story starts with a unique piece of land on the western side of the Mayacamas Mountains that is actually in Sonoma right on the border with Napa.  The depth, authority, luxurious palate and exceptional complexity of the wines from here rival anything produced on the Napa side.  The only differences are a county line and the inability of the previous owner to get peoples attention even though he made spectacular juice. 

We discovered Hidden Ridge, the former name of this spectacular vineyard planted on a 55-degree slope, some years ago. Everything seemed to be perfectly in place for these folks to become the next big thing.  The 50-acre vineyard, on a terraced hillside, was planted by respected Napa winemaker Marco Digiulio, Timothy Milos (who has a fine resume of his own and is the current winemaker), and former owner Mark Hofacket in 2004.  The sunlight, wind currents, exposure, etc. are a unique combination that seem to guarantee spectacular fruit in this plot planted to over 92% Cabernet.  We heard the story, tasted the wine (maybe an ’08?), and were suitably impressed. 

The winery’s stock should have gone up as time passed and it continued to garner huge press from Robert Parker including a couple of 97s and a vaunted ‘100’ on the Hidden Ridge Cabernet Impassable Mountain 2013.  Yet as a piece we discovered in Forbes written by a style and fashion writer, “Yet despite such critical accolades and high remarks, the vineyard and its compelling wines went largely unrecognized. The problem wasn’t the wine, but rather the branding or lack thereof.”

Sadly the original owner passed in 2016 and the property was taken over by one Tim Martin, who spent a decade with Robin Lail at Lail and founded his own targeted ‘branding’ consultancy.  The whole immortal things didn’t come about because Martin watched too many superhero or Samurai movies, but rather made reference to the immortal jellyfish.

From the same Forbes article by Stephan Rabimov, “As the only immortal being on the planet, the jellyfish is able to reset itself and transform back into an adolescent state to essentially start over. With this in mind, Martin made the mysterious creature the focal point of the vineyard’s new branding. ‘Like the immortal jellyfish on our labels, we want clients’ memories with Immortal Estate wines to live forever.”

That’s a little out there from our perspective but, hey, it’s addressing that whole ‘if a tree falls in the forest..’ thing.  Meanwhile ‘branding’ doesn’t mean much if you don’t have the goods, and the Immortal Cabernet Slope 2014 is pretty sensational juice.  Broad, deep, extracted but refined, lavishly textured, it is loaded with cassis, black cherry, baking spice, chocolate, and absolutely captivating. 

The following barrel notes from Robert Parker posted March, 2016, tell the same story:  ”As for the 2014s, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Slope from the Hidden Ridge vineyard does not suffer in comparison with the extraordinary efforts of 2013. Still a barrel sample, its riveting richness, concentration, texture and density represent another legend in the making. Crème de cassis, licorice, blackberry, earthiness and spice are all present in this magnificent example of Cabernet Sauvignon that should age beautifully for 25-30+ years. When I first started doing my centralized tastings of the many wineries that I could not possibly have time to visit, one of the remarkable standouts for Cabernet Sauvignon was Hidden Ridge. These are clearly world-class Cabernet Sauvignons and should be considered by any serious collector for their cellars… 95-97+.”

For our part we are happy to get involved with this vineyard again, and definitely see that the juice has gotten even better over the years.  And, in true Winex fashion, we’ve come up with a special price at checkout to soften the perfectly justifiable $75 price, one that would be 2-3 times higher had it come from the Napa side of the line.

ROSE TIME: PART TWO

As we said last time, the whole rosé program got started late this year thanks to dual mitigating factors, the early threat of tariffs which interrupted the normal flow of goods (importers did not want to be caught with stuff ‘on the water’ they couldn’t divert) and COVID-19 which screwed up everything. Things are finally starting to dribble in and, thus far, we really like 2019 as a vintage for pinks. Here are some new ones to consider.

The Leoube Rosé Cotes De Provence 2019 has been a steady presence on our shelves for six of the last seven vintages since we first found it, and this edition is particularly appealing. To refresh the memory, the folks that bought the Chateau in 1997 made their money in organic groceries. So their attitude towards organic farming is pretty much ‘hard wired’. Also the property is located next to one of the top vineyard sites for the famous Domaine Ott. As a matter of fact, Jean-Jacques Ott of Domaine Ott wanted to sell his property (and did) but still wanted to stay in the business. The new owners of Leoube just so happened to be looking for a winemaker at the exact same moment. So, Jean-Jacques and his son Romain headed over to Leoube after selling their eponymous property to Roederer Champagne and boom, the magie began.

Now, father and son Ott work the vineyards and make the wine at their next-door neighbor’s place. A crisper and more delicate style with a pale salmon hue, it is mainly Grenache and Cinsault with bits of Syrah and Mourvedre. Light, dry, fresh, berries, apricot, and citrus, and a touch of salinity in the finish, it is quite civilized and feels even a bit more fruit driven and weightier than last year’s very successful model.

Based on our tastings of a wide range of 2019s, we had great expectations for the ‘house favorite’ Leoube. At the same time we were presented the Proprieta Sperino Rosato Piemonte Rosa del Rosa 2019 that we knew nothing about (we had seen the estate before from another small supplier but not this rosé). A unique blend (Nebbiolo and Vespolina) from an area certainly not famous for pink wine ( the Castello quarter of Lessona (Biella) in the foothills of the North Piedmont Alps), it made quite the impression even alongside a very engaging version of a perennial favorite. . 

It turned out to be something of a revelation with bright yet piquant red melon and berry fruit, something of a ‘mountain’ texture, an entertaining interplay between the fresh, ripe fruit and savory/mineral notes with a little kick of salinity on the finish. Every sip offers a little different twist and it is both delightful and thought provoking. Only a week later, this wine came out on top of a tasting of Italian pinks on Vinous Media.

The review was as good as any sales pitch we could write, “The 2019 Sperino Rosa del Rosa is stunning, opening to reveal depths of ripe peach and strawberry, with hints of cumin, ginger, dried orange, and roses. It floods the palate with silky textures, tugging at the cheeks as zesty acids settle in, then soothing through sweet liquid florals and ripe fruit. The finish is long, showing a hint of fine tannins, yet not austere; instead tactile, perfectly balanced with a hint of savory spice and just begging me to take another sip. This is a blend of Nebbiolo and Vespolina, which is gorgeous right now, but it may even get better with a little time in the cellar. Frankly, it was hard to put the glass down…93 points.”

We are big fans of Bandol rosés, those Mourvedre-based pinks that have a charm all their own. The problem is that a lot of them sell for $30 and up. That definitely drives up the cost of ‘casual’ warm weather quaffing. That made the discovery of the Moulin de la Roque Bandol Rosé 2019 all the more timely. It’s definitely a legit example of the breed with that slightly musky red melon edge to the predominantly red berry fruit and the requisite little bite at the end. In the middle, thanks to the vintage, it’s pretty direct and fruit driven, and definitely plays well at the table. This blend of 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Cinsault should only become more complex over the coming months. A Wine Enthusiast ’90’ already, very early in the game with comments, ” Attractively structured with a layer of tannins from the Mourvèdre, this wine has bite as well as red-berry acidity. Richness gives the wine weight and makes it an ideal partner at the table.”

The Penya Rosé Vin De Pays Des Cotes Catalanes 2019 is something of a throwback. Dan Kravitz of hand-picked selections is particularly adept at finding value, and you couldn’t ask for more from something that’s under $10. Admittedly location can add to the price without necessarily adding value. Provence is the ‘proven’ source for pink wine, and commends a bit of a premium. On the other side of the country, in Cotes Catalanes in the Roussillon (the ‘other’ South of France), they have distinctive soils and Mediterranean influence, and can do the rose thing as well. This blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah is boisterous and outgoing, sporting cherry, berry and red melon fruit with flecks of savory and a touch of stone. Unlike most things you will find in this price range, the fruit is clean and genuine. Superb value party pink.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?: REMARKABLE 2016 RHONE

What’s in a name?  Well, with wine, a couple of words on the label can make an enormous difference in one’s expectations of the bottle, and the price.  Sometimes those ‘words’ can work against you.  Take the term ‘Cotes du Rhone’.  Thanks to years of history, a Cotes de Rhone is considered to suggest a wine is an ‘entry level’ offering, and a lot of people do not have great expectations of something with such a title.  Exceptions to that thinking abound in the Rhone, however, where a few feet and an invisible line drawn can totally change what the wine from a particular place is allowed to call itself, but not what is in the bottle. 

We don’t mid working a little harder to get our point across.  Things like Chateau Rayas’ Fonsalette or Vieille Julienne’s Clavin are notable exceptions that don’t fit neatly into the standard definition of Cotes du Rhone.  They are exceptional wines that come from exceptional parcels that happen to be just outside the line.   A few feet over and they could be called Chateauneuf, and the price would be substantially higher.  Today’s offer, the Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone Les Garrigues 2016 is another of those that is exceptional ‘Chateauneuf’ in everything but name.

Les Garrigues is a 2.5 hectare plot of 100 year old Grenache vines located in the village of Courthézon and just outside the boundary of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The soils here are a fine, pebbly, red clay covered with gnarled, mistral-blown vines. In terms of terroir, this is more classically Châteauneuf than Côtes-du-Rhône and the Garrigues is made in a similar fashion as the estate’s Châteauneufs – 25% whole cluster fermentation in oak vats, a 21 day maceration and daily, manual pigeage followed by aging in foudre. 

This is a powerful mouthful showing deep kirsch and even rolling into blue fruits which gave us the impression there was Syrah in it (there isn’t).  Absolutely packed, flecked with notes of anise, spice, and a little garrigue, this is a muscular version that conforms to this once-in-a-lifetime vintage’s profile with layered fruit that is at once plush and lifted, supple tannins and well tucked in acidity.  It definitely ‘scored’ as well as a lot of ‘real’ Chateauneufs, and one has to even give it a little upward room as it was tasted alongside two ‘wine-of-the-vintage’ candidates in Jansse’s Chaupin and Vieille Vignes offerings and their best regular cuvee ever in 2016. 

This was as high a number as Jeb Dunnuck has thrown Garrigue going back to his Advocate days, “Bottled in February (slightly earlier than the Terre d’Argile), the 100% Grenache 2016 Côtes du Rhône Les Garrigues boasts awesome notes of kirsch liqueur, crushed rocks, framboise, pepper, and graphite. This sexy, full-bodied, yet incredibly elegant red has building tannin, a seamless, silky texture, and no hard edges. Pure, elegant and seamless, it’s a thrillingly satisfying wine…94 Points.”

From Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, “There was only one 32-hectoliter foudre (now bottled) of the 2016 Cotes du Rhone Les Garrigues, an all-Grenache cuvée vinified with 50% whole clusters. It’s floral and herbal on the nose, with bold flavors of blackberries and licorice. Full-bodied and richly concentrated, it boasts supple tannins balanced by hints of brine and fresh acids. It’s easily the equal of many Châteauneufs… 93 Points.”  

That last line is exactly our point.  It is the equal of many Chateauneufs (better than a lot of them, too) and a spectacular effort even within the context of this historic vintage.  At $39.98 it is priced like a lot of Chateauneufs, granted.  But what a wine!  In our minds it is Chateauneuf in the glass even if it doesn’t say it on the label.  Just another superb effort from Janasse and a bargain in their lineup.  Good hunting.

‘LOVE’ MADE US DO IT: FINE OLD BURGUNDY VALUE

We have rambled on many times over the year about what a cruel mistress Burgundy can be. High prices, small quantities, tie-in buys, vintage variation, bottle variation, there are multiple reasons to stay away. But in the end, our ‘love’ for the wines keeps us coming back. Our game however is to look in places where most others won’t look, armed with our knowledge of the subject and our tenacious never ending search for special ‘situations’ where the producer, vintage, price and bottle condition all fall into line. As they say, ‘seek and ye shall find’. We do seek and we do find though sometimes we have to ‘kiss a lot of frogs’ to find a star.

Vintage knowledge is particularly important here. The 2000 and 2001 vintages have been excellent sources for surprising Burgundy gems over the years. Sandwiched between two very flashy and critically ordained vintages (1999 and 2002), and a bit reticent out of the gate, these very good, classic vintages were virtually ignored by those acknowledged as ‘Burgundy collectors’. We have been plucking little jewels from those vintages for years and now they are hitting a lovely stride.

Our topic today is the Roche de Bellane Geverey ChambertinPetite Chapelle 2000 which we purchased direct from a source in Burgundy. Petite Chapelle is located in a very exclusive neighborhood right below the Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru with which it shares a border. Now 20 years old, this 1er Cru Gevrey still shows plenty of freshness to the classic dark cherry fruit but also resolved tannins and acidity and a tender, suave palate feel. It is drinking beautifully now, epitomizing everything that is so special about Gevrey, elegance, power, minerality and the essence of the soil in the finished wine.

This would have been the subject of an email offer except for that ever present issue with Burgundy in general, and older Burgundies in particular…there’s usually not a lot of wine to work with. Thanks to our rooting around to find this and bringing it in directly (eliminating a couple of steps in the ‘supply chain’), here is a gorgeous 20-year-old Gevrey 1er Cru from the seriously-under-rated 2000 vintage for under $70! That’s what you’d pay for a lot of villages bottlings from a current vintage and there’s ‘no waiting’ for it to hit its groove.

OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH VALUE GEM

One could say that we are practicing ‘inclusion’ here.  This is an exceptional wine and an amazing value that deserves serious attention.  But at a time when the wine world is filled with panic selling because of a number of current pandemic/economic reasons, and there are enough wild offers to fill the airwaves for the foreseeable future, a wine like this little gem has much less of a chance of getting the attention it deserves.

First off, the name is both foreign and unfamiliar.  The name Edetaria Terra Alta Via Edetana Negra doesn’t just roll off tongue.  It comes from a somewhat obscure appellation called Terra Alta, south of Priorat and Monsant and arguably less highly regarded as a region.  As much Spanish wine as we work with, even we don’t see a lot of stuff specifically from this appellation, and most of what we do is rustic, closed, and requires extensive aeration and patience.

The Edetaria Terra Alta Via Edetana Negra 2017 is a notable exception, the proverbial ‘needle’ in a ‘haystack’ that few people bother to even sift through.  Wouldn’t it be easier for us to find someone panicked to unload a Cabernet at half price?  Sure.  There’s plenty of that going around these days, and we will do more than our share.  But that is exactly the point.  A wine like this a year ago was a stunning deal, and still holds its own even in the current tumult.  Down the road, when all of this uncertainly subsides and things return to normal (however that will be defined), wines like this will still be exceptional value choices.

Joan Àngel Lliberia grew up here, studied Agricultural Engineering in Lleida and earned a Master of Science in Wine Management, whereupon he worked at several wine companies in France.  He moved back to Catalunya, where he continued his career in the wine sector and later on multinational corporations.  But his dream come true was to establish this winery in central Tierra Alta as an homage to his grandfather oenologist Llorens and viticulturist parents .    The goal is making true terroir wines out of his family vineyards in a ‘genuine style’.

The story is relatively simple because these folks are all about the land which was already there.  Winemaking in this part of Catalonia predates Roman times (the name of the winery is a reference to an old Roman road that stretched between Torotosa and Zaragoza).  They keep it simple by farming organically and fermenting the grapes from the varied soil types separately, giving them 12 months in 300 liter barrels and then blending.

The blend here is 60% Garnacha Fina and Garnacha Peluda,  30% Syrah and 10% Cariñena from 20 to 40 year-old vineyards in different terroirs:   The Garnachas and Syrah come from soils they call “tapàs” (silty soils with clay materials),   and Carignan from ”tapàs blanc” (shallow soils with marl carbonated fragments).  The unique soils really suit the Grenaches and the cool, expressive dark cherry character is the highlight of the show.  The Syrah adds muscle and some blue fruits, and the Carignane dashes in some earth tones.

The wine shows great purity of fruit with the impression fluctuating between a kinder, gentler Priorat and something from the northern part of the southern Rhone.  The 2017 was one of a string of excellent vintages in this part of Spain, and this wine’s layered, juicy, cool flavors and tender-but-bright demeanor deliver far beyond the sub-$20 fare.  We have tasted a lot of wines from this part of the world and few are this ‘together’, clearly demonstrating the character of the region in an open, engaging way, but doing so with the polish of a serious, boutique label aimed at discriminating buyers.

James Suckling took a shine to this one as well, writing “I love the licorice accents here, which work so well with the overtones of blueberries, citrus, boysenberries and brambles. Firm and tight on the taut palate, which is medium-bodied and so lithe and restrained. Clear-cut and precise. Drink now… 94 points.” 

Like we said, it would be easy for a wine like this to get lost in the shuffle of the here and now.  But it would also be a shame.  This is a soulful, personality-filled effort at a great price, and the kind of delicious, off-the-beaten-path find everyone needs in their life.  The flash deals of today won’t last forever and this is a potential friend for the long haul. There’s also a small amount of their expressive all-Grenache Edetaria Via Terra Garnatxa Negra Terra Alta 2018 (James Suckling 92, $11.98!).

GET IN EARLY ON WHAT MAY BE BUYS OF THE YEAR

What goes around, comes around they say.  Well we have been doing this long enough that we have witnessed the entire cycle of more than a few wineries play out over time.  It was kind of amusing as we were being presented these wines, and the purveyor started to explain the Rutz story, we told him, “Yeah we know Rutz.  We sold buckets of it 20 years ago.  Where have they been?” For us it was a delightful déjà vu in a number of ways. 

The Rutz label was started in 1991 with the main purpose to showcase the Russian River region.  This they did with great aplomb, focusing on the characteristics of the region for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  The Rutz winemaking style back then was classic to us, the kind of wines we appreciated from California that showcased the fruit and the nuance of an appellation and used winemaking and oak to augment that presentation rather than dominate.  This was before the trend towards overly stylized, even blowsy juice started to dominate the scene with the aim of garnering impressive reviews from the most influential media of the time.

Keith Rutz never went down that road then, and he still doesn’t.  But we’ll get to that in a moment.  We had a few Rutz items in the Stock Report around the ‘turn of the century’, six as a matter of fact (four Chardonnays and two Pinots at a variety of price points) including the wine on our front page in February, 2000, the Rutz Chardonnay 1997.  We were fans of the house.  The pretense for that legendary Chardonnay deal (we sold it for $8!) was that the winery was going through a package change from the at-the-time greenish label depicting a man emerging from (or descending into?) a pile of rocks.  We understood the winery’s marketing logic.  More important, we have a good instinct for a screaming buy and threw this opportunity into high gear.

Though we didn’t really think about it back then (so many wines, so little time), after blowing through a substantial chuck of wine, we lost touch with Rutz for, well, the better part of two decades.  Was he avoiding us because we were too aggressive?  We were asked to sell wine and we did.   Was he involved in some kind of winery witness protection program?  Who can say?  Was this sudden reemergence due to COVID-19?  We didn’t ask.  Given what we were presented, Rutz couldn’t have reappeared at a better time with a chance to recreate its own history at Winex. 

The new wines are exactly what they used to be.  That isn’t necessarily as surprise as many of the hottest winemakers are dialing it back to the more classic, unfettered style.  In truth, even though we didn’t taste Rutz’s wines for a long time, we’re pretty confident Rutz was never a slave to ‘fashion’.  This Burgundy mojo is his calling.

The Rutz Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay 2018 ($9.98!) is a beautiful rendition of the classic California Chardonnays of yesteryear.  The fruit takes center stage presenting lovely scents of fresh apple, pear, and an undertone of citrus, accented with a touch of stony minerality and the well embedded brown baking spices one associates with the Russian River.  Only a kiss of oak shows in support of the fruit, and while it has weight, the flavors are bright and the edges are appropriately crisp.  This is a focused, well made offering that one can drink all night long because it is never tiresome on the palate. 

The Rutz Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Noir 2018 ($10.98!) demonstrates why the Russian River is our California AVA of choice for Pinot.  Boisterous, energetic seasonal ripe cherry and dark berry fruit tones accented with cinnamon, clove, a hint of fresh herb and a note of pepper.  An engaging Pinot, this has the stuffing and thrust to play off a variety of dishes, but is supple enough to play by itself.  Again, this isn’t a wine that will bore you after half a glass.  There is plenty going on to keep your attention over the long game. 

You want scores and highlights?  Rutz did a fine job of keeping out of the public eye as well.  We did a quick search and the most recent review we could find in the larger media names was on a 2006.  He did quote a reviewer on these wines but it was someone we have not ever heard of.  Points are not ‘the point’ here however.

The problem with this tasty pair is that they are too easy to settle in with.  Both are competent choices in today’s market that are well worth the $30+ list prices on their website.  At the prices we are offering them for today, however, they blow the doors off the competition!   Of course these wines were not made to sell at these prices and therein lies the magic of the deal.

It seems like old times, or like “déjà vu all over again” because we are able to offer these at incredible prices.   These Proprietor’s Reserves are Rutz as we remember them, only better.  That’s fine by us. They are screaming deals by any meaasure.  Here we are, twenty years later, offering one of the most exceptional buys we have seen in quite a while, and as you are aware from our emails, we have seen a lot eye-popping offers!   We’ll leave you with the closing ‘quote’ of the article we wrote some two decades ago because it is still just as appropriate.   “It’s value craziness! Take care of your summer, party, and household needs for 2020 in one fell swoop.  While they last.” 

‘THROWBACK’ ZIN VALUE

Nick Goldschmidt has traveled the wine world. This New-Zealand born winemaker has worked in New Zealand, Australia, and South America, eventually landing in California where he settled in Healdsberg back in 1990. He became the assistant, and then chief winemaker at Simi back in the early 1990s back when Simi was still a sought after label. He is still involved in a number of bigger projects with large wineries but also has his own stable of releases, many of which are dedicated to his family, wife Yolyn and five children who are all occasionally getting some ‘hands on’ training in the vineyards .  He still makes wine in New Zealand as well under his Forefathers label.  Guess you need something to do when it is winter here. 

Yeah, Nick’s a busy guy and a proven performer. Has he made that consummate 100 case, ‘98 point’ red that seems to be what gets a winemaker’s name up in lights?  No, but our rebuttal to that is that it takes more skill to make lots of good wine on a consistent basis than to make a couple of barrels of something special.  An important thing about Nick’s own wines is that he never seems to forget that most people don’t necessarily want to plunk down $60, $100, or more, every time they want a bottle of wine.  This isn’t some guy who landed in a G6 and proclaimed he was going to be the next Harlan. This is a guy who came up through the ranks based on talent and makes wines that have typically been well-priced, outgoing, and easy-to-like stylistically. 

We have sold a number of Goldschmidt wines over the years, mostly Cabernets Nick has sourced from unique vineyard spots and sold at very reasonable fares.  It’s great when someone like that gets a shot at exceptional fruit and doesn’t let his ego get in the way when he is figuring out how to price it.  Today’s offer however is with a varietal that we don’t necessarily associate with Goldschmidt, Zinfandel, from fruit that is sourced from vines planted in 1983 in his own Railway Vineyards in the Alexander Valley.  Beyond that, it is the usual Goldschmidt story.  You’ve got your plump, pure, honest fruit crafted in a round, likeable style, and you’ve got a really attractive price. 

This is a little bit of a different spin than we are used with all of the other Goldschmidt wines we have sold in the past.  Far too often Nick’s wines end up being ‘scored’ in the no-man’s-land of the upper 80s, which is fine for us since we like to sell the wines based on their value and appeal.  However, this Zinfandel actually got noticed by the media.  It is one of only three times a Goldschmidt wine has gotten a 92 from Wine Spectator.  The other two, specialty Cabernets, sold for over $60.  The Goldschmidt Zinfandel Fidelity Nick Goldschmidt Railyard Alexander Valley 2018 sells for less than $20!  It also got a Spectator ‘smart buy’ because, duh, it is!

The description of this tasty Zin itself in the Wine Spectator is succinct but accurate, “ Supple and sleek, with polished, multilayered fruit, showing raspberry and toasty spice flavors that glide on the lasting finish…92 points.”  The description is pretty much the character of every Goldschmidt wine we have ever presented.  Ripe, round, engaging, varietal, user-friendly and hedonistic, pretty much a pleasure to consume, is the Goldschmidt style.  His wines may not always get the attention of the critics, but they more than deliver in the glass where it counts. 

We decided to do a little query by asking how many Zins got 92 points or better from Wine Spectator so far this year.  The answer was 37, with many past $40 and a couple over $60.  When we put in a price ceiling of $30, only three remained.  Under $20, there was but one…this one.  Talk about exclusive company!  This kind of recognition could be a dangerous precedent.  We’re glad to see Nick get some love.  But if he is no longer under the radar, there’s a risk that future prices will escalate, or availability will be sorely compromised.  Zin lovers, or fans of affable reds in general, should buy up this juicy value while they can.

IT’S ROSE TIME: PART ONE

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner.  Pandemics can screw up a lot of things but most of us can still walk outside, sit under a tree or umbrella (properly distanced, of course), and drink pink.  It has been a curious year, pandemic notwithstanding, as the threat of tariffs early on caused the wheels of vinous commerce to grind to a halt until the ‘game plan’ became clear.  We would have expected to physically have a larger group of wines by now but they will get here soon enough for the most part, and there are a lot of things we haven’t seen yet because, well, you know. 

We have had the opportunity to taste a number of the 2019s and we are generally pleased.  Thus far we have seen mainly labels we have been familiar with but we like what we have seen and if we had to get through a season with this kind of small lineup, we’d be all right.  For the most part the colors strike us as a little more delicate, the wines have bright fruit and fresh flavors.  We’ve seen reviews on a few Southern Hemisphere pinks but there has been little yet on Europe and America.  These will definitely hit the spot. Enjoy.

Chateau Routas Rosé Coteaux Varois en Provence 2019– Cinsault is the lead here (nearly half) with Grenache, Syrah, and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Red melon, yellow stone fruits, a touch of earth and a refreshing savory streak (probably from the Cab), with the finish showing a little minerality and a faint kiss of garrigue.  Delicate, bright, well done in an old school style and well priced also.

Chateau de Pampelonne Cotes de Provence Rosé 2019–Pampleonne is one that seems to make the cut most yearsbased on performanceand value.  Made to specifications for an American importer, it is a single estate bottling made by a cooperative in Saint Tropez.  Grenache gives the wine a rounder feel in the end but it is light on its feet and fresh, followed by Cinsault, Syrah, and Tibouren (an ancient varietal).  Citrus is the first impression followed by berry and white peach, with a pleasing little tactile note to the finish.

Caves D’Esclans Whispering Angel Cotes de Provence Rosé 2019–Sasha Lichine’s mega-producing winery has a very large footprint in the region.  Usually bigger does not mean better in wine, but the consistency here has been laudible.  Now that LVMH has a 55% stake we’ll see what happens but they are pretty quality oriented themselves.  It starts with the ‘usual suspects’ of Grenache and Cinsault but the inclusion of Rolle (a.k.a. Vermentino) and Tibouren add distinct elements.  The high pitched aromatics, palate liveliness, and certain ‘white wine’ flavors like grapefruit are explained by the Vermentino, and acts as an energizer to the more expected melon and peach tones.  They are big, but the are good at what they do.

Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé Argali 2019-Some will find the frosted bottle attractive, others gimmicky.  But anything this producer does inside the bottle has to be taken seriously.  This is a straight forward 60% Grenache and 40% Cinsault, the color is quite pale and the flavors runs from citrus to strawberry to peach, with a pleasing little kick of garrigue at the end.  Far to easy to drink.

Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé 2019–Bargemone is another label that has been with us for many seasons, but we dare say this is one of the most pleasing in memory.  Definitely more of a red berry feel to the profile here.  Older vines (30 year average) and a broad mix of grapes (the 2017 was 30% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cinsault, 5% Rolle, 2% Carignan, 2% Counoise).  Organic farming here, this one shows dark berries and yellow melon, a little spice and florality in the nose and a really palatable price.

Clos Alivu Patrimonio Rosé 2019–If you are looking for something a little different, get thee to Corsica.  Corsican pinks are a breed unto themselves.  They can be a little misdirected, sometimes curious, but one year the best rose we had in the store was Corsican.  Thrill of victory, agony of defeat, you bet.  Anyway when they hit they are not only quite tasty but maybe a little cerebral.  The grape here is Neillucio, from 50 year old vines on terraced vineyards.  The flavors run from strawberry to watermelon, and maybe a touch of yellow pit fruit, plus a distinct-but-subtle background of salty minerality that puts a different spin on it.

UNIQUE ‘HOUSE WHITE’ STEAL FROM ARGENTINA

We surely understand the passion some people have in wine that makes them want to do it for a living.  We had and still have the same fire.  But the reason they call it the wine ‘business’ is because it is just that.  We have seen a number of people get in only to find out that, for any number of reasons, they have to get out. 

The nice lady importer that sold us this wine was one of those stories.  But the uncertainly of the last year (tariffs, pandemics, and politics, oh my) will ultimately claim a lot of casualties.   But kudos to her that she hooked up with a couple of pretty sensational labels while she was at it.  Onofri was one of those ‘winners’.  But even under perfect market scenarios selling a blended white from Argentina with a long name wasn’t going to be any picnic.  But this was a true diamond in the rough that just needed a little understanding. 

We were not familiar with the winery or the wine when it was presented to us, but we became fans immediately.  The term ‘white filed blend from Argentina’ had no meaning to us.  It isn’t a particularly common practice.  But we were intrigued with the juice.  The nose showed tropical fruits, green banana, floral notes, and that whiff of lemon drop and peach that called to mind something from the Loire Valley.

In the mouth there was ample fruit and texture, but also great lift and just the right nip of acidity to the finish, surprising complexity of flavors and a compelling delicacy and presence.  This is somewhere between a Vouvray and a ‘big kid’s’ Vinho Verde, yet it shares none of the grape varieties with either of those. Delicious and dangerously quaffable, as we did our research, it turned out that the actual composition of the wine was a complete surprise. 

The grapes come from Los Chacayes near Tunuyán in the central Uco Valley at about 3000 ft. elevation. The blend is pretty unique for this part of the world, 50% Chardonnay, 25% Marsanne, and 25% Rousanne (we haven’t seen a lot of white Rhone varietals from there, period).  This tasty little gem spent 12 months in French oak, 20% new, the rest 3rd and 4th pass, though we found the oak almost imperceptible (that’s good).

There’s the usual script about how Mariana Onofri “has worked with some of the top winemakers in Argentina”, and she spent a decade “making wine for various private vineyard ownership projects.”  That doesn’t tell us a lot but what’s in the bottle sure does.  There wasn’t a lot of information out there (the first name that appeared on our Google search for the wine was…ours) but somehow this small production project cast a wide net getting reviews from both James Suckling and Decanter Magazine.

From Decanter, “Creamy, silky texture and rich finish. Appealing stone fruit character with hints of dried apricot. Finish is persistent and delicious…91 points.”

From James Suckling, “This has a very attractive array of fresh white peaches with almonds and a mealy note. Smooth, lemon and peach-flavored finish. Drink now…93 points.”

‘Persistent and delicious’, si!  For our part we are able to offer the delightful Onofri Alma Gemela White Field Blend Valle de Uco 2017, perfectly worth its $22 list tab, for the silly price of $9.98.  A perfectly intriguing ‘house white’ candidate, while it lasts.