2017

‘BOUND & DETERMINED’ TO DELIVER CAB VALUE

As we have mentioned many times, finding good, well-priced Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly from Napa, is a priority. It’s good business. Cabernet is still king for most wine drinkers and we are well aware of that fact. This latest find came from a winery called “Roots Run Deep” which makes a number of wines We had never seen this one before, a well priced Napa Cab with kind of a funny name, ‘Bound and Determined’, from a vintage that has proven to be somewhat erratic among Napa Cabs, 2017. You may know ‘Roots Run Deep’ from their bottlings that have a label that looks like a chalkboard in an engineer’s office covered with ‘equations’ and is called called “Educated Guess.”

We knew those labels as proper, value-driven bottlings that are competent, but not necessarily thrilling, and the consummate 87-88 scorers. Given those visuals, we didn’t have any preconceived notions or expectations about Bound and Determined. But, as we so often say, that’s why we taste. That’s how you find things and find something we did. Given our experience with the vintage, we were keenly aware to look for hard tannins to poke out from underneath the fruit. There weren’t any, which immediately put this Cabernet in the upper echelon of what we tasted for the vintage.

There was also a deep, sturdy, very attractive core of blackberry and plum with notes of pepper, toast, and cinnamon. The flavors were pure and showed considerable breeding. It had some chew to the finish, but not at all in a bad way. It was more like an honest throwback to another era when Cabernets were less overblown yet it is still bursting with fruit. It delivered everything one could expect from a Napa Cabernet and did so for under $30. That is something worth paying attention to.

The juice for Bound & Determined Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 came from some serious sites in Oakville and Rutherford (which of course we can’t mention), and the ‘breeding’ is clear in the wine’s depth of flavor and healthy, saturated color. We can’t point to massive reviews as the winery doesn’t get a lot of media coverage. We did find a few words from James Suckling however on this and what we presume was the inaugural 2016, “A generous, medium-to-full-bodied red with aromas and flavors of grilled black plums, burnt orange, black peppercorn, praline and toffee. Firm, chewy tannins. Flavorful. Drink or hold…90 points.”

We actually think that 90 point score is a little low but we understand moderately priced ‘unknowns’ aren’t likely to pull down big reviews from the press, even of they are from Napa. We’re more on about price performance, however, and this one excels in that arena. A definite diamond in the rough, this tasty Napa Cab for under $30 is definitely newsworthy.

JAMET: NO ORDINARY COTES DU RHONE

First off, yes it’s that Jamet, one of the elite producers of Cote Rotie whose bottlings sell for $200 and up if you are lucky enough to come across it at all. It was a revered house favorite back at the old location but has become more scarce as time has passed. As to the Cotes du Rhone, we never got a sniff of this from the U.S. importer but consistently ran across it when we were traveling n France. We kept our eyes open for an opportunity and jumped when a small lot popped up on an offer sheet.

Since we hadn’t worked with this before, we suspect a lot of you haven’t seen it either. We thought a little explanation was in order because, even with an iconic name on the label, people might want to know why something labeled Cotes du Rhone would sell for $40. Our response is that this Cotes du Rhone tastes like a great Cote Rotie from the perspective of terroir.

Stick your nose in the glass and there are abundant elements of the classic Cote Rotie profile…blackberry, red plum, granite like minerality, sausage and uncooked meat. You get that same glorious matrix across the palate. The big difference? Size and price. In the glass, this is Cote Rotie in every way except the name.

Sure the ‘big dog’ is a denser, more layered mouthful. But it should be for five times the price! This is a beautiful demonstration of the appellation and the refined, elegant style of the house. It comes from schist filled soils around the town of Ampuis, specifically from the following plots: Lézardes, Cognet, Plomb, Champrond, and Tartaras. The 100% Syrah grapes are destemmed and given a long maceration then put in neutral barrels for 12 months.

Joe Czerwinski, the current and somewhat more conservative scoring editor for Wine Advocate for Rhones, had this to say, “Slightly bigger, richer and riper than the IGP Syrah, the 2017 Cotes du Rhone is medium to full-bodied, creamy and supple, with similar notes of crushed stone, a fumé-like character. But it also has blackberries, black olives and hints of espresso. It finishes silky and long. Jean-Paul Jamet points out that it comes from schist soils identical to Côte Rôtie but from younger vines. Like the IGP, it’s destemmed and aged in old barrels…For folks looking for lower prices and more immediate gratification, don’t overlook Jamet’s…Côte du Rhône offering, which offer a taste of Côte Rôtie without the same outlay of time or money…91 points.”

A JUICY VALUE FROM DOWN UNDER

The wine world seems to still be trying to leave Australia for dead on the big stage, but Oz keeps rolling out hits that fly in the face of the standard rumors about the balance, performance and aging potential that seem to effectively counter them. As people who were in at the beginning of the great Australian invasion at the turn of the century, we are still among those that think the category holds too much promise to ignore. Here we are with ‘public enemy number one’, the category most pointed to in facilitating the decline in Australian wine’s fall from grace, Barossa Shiraz and, to that, we say ‘nonsense’.

We’ll give you a short analysis of the main reasons we think Australian wines fell from grace in the marketplace. First was the breakdown of the classic ‘big Shiraz’ wines but, as we have said, a lot of the blame there has to fall on growers with old vines that decided they needed to have their own labels. We have proven on many occasions that ‘the players’ have excellent balance and age just fine (like the older Greenock Creeks we offered recently). Then there was a period where everything that came in seemed to be another leafy, undernourished red that was supposed to show restraint and be food friendly. The problem was that they weren’t very engaging in the first place.

We are doing our best to ‘make Australians great again’ in the minds of consumers because we believe in the wines and have long time relationships with a number of labels. Today’s offer is one of those. The Kalleskes have been working their Greenock farm for longer than anyone we know in California, some 150 years or seven generations. They farm sustainably and not only organically but biodynamically. They were certified back in 1998, long before it was the topic it is today. Winemaker Troy Kalleske has been at the winemaking helm of his family’s winery for almost two decades . It was Troy and his brother Tony that created the Kalleske label back in 2002. They’ve had plenty of time to figure things out.

That same Troy Kalleske makes the Nietschke wines. Johann Nietschke and Johann Kalleske both arrived in Barossa to established vineyards in 1838. Somewhere around 1968 the families came together with the marriage of John Kalleske and Lorraine Nietschke, hence the connection here. A number of years after the establishment of Kalleske Wines, Troy wanted to showcase some of the dedicated high-quality growers from across the Barossa Valley so the Nietschke Shiraz was born, named in honor of his mother Lorraine.

The winery calls the Nietschke Jack Shiraz 2017 (named for ‘great uncle’ Jack) a ‘modern Shiraz with a twist’. There’s a little something extra with a dash of Petite Sirah (5%) blended in for added complexity. All grapes are from the Barossa Valley including the renowned Greenock sub-region where vines are low-yielding and are grown in shallow, sandy loam soil over deep red clay, providing ideal conditions for these varieties. The juice spent a year in a combination of French and American hogsheads (300L barrels), some new and once used. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

We know a lot of you will think this an ‘unwieldy red’ when you see Barossa Shiraz. That is the conditioned response that the media has encouraged. Not true. Sure, this wine has some muscle and a ton of dark red fruits. But the weight and richness here present themselves with polish and balance. The Petite Sirah adds a little black pepper to the mix and threads of darker fruits. Full throttle, yes. But under control and packed with character. Nice notes from James Suckling, “Blackberry crumble, elderberry pie, vanilla and baking spices. Full body, some nice juicy tannins and a chewy finish. .. 91 Points.” All that and a sub-$20 price tag.

BRITTAN-QUIETLY AMONG OREGON’S ELITE

This project has been afforded great respect pretty much since ‘Day One’. True, Robert Brittan came from California with a resume of being the winemaker and estate manager at Stags’ Leap Winery for 16 years. His wife Ellen was highly involved with a variety of marketing aspects with respect to rolling out the Rudd Winery program. These Napa veterans came to the Willamette Valley with reputations and great expectations.

They were afforded great credibility right of the bat. Examine this excerpt from one of the longest footnotes on a producer we’ve seen in the Wine Advocate as the reviewer talked about their very first releases, “…A personal encounter with these singular wines should be high on the to-do list of any wine lover – not just Pinotphile – who hasn’t yet had the experience. Over and beyond his Pinot Noirs (soon to be sourced in part from old California vine selections), Brittan’s estate essays in Chardonnay and Syrah have been nothing less than revelatory…”

In this article great attention was paid to the Brittan’s ‘scientific’ process and caring a lot about what many would consider minutia. Noting the different consistencies of the basalt soils in various parts of the vineyard, studying the interfaces between rock, root, soil, and plant metabolism, studying and encouraging diversity of flora and fauna across his property to enhance the microorganisms that populate his grapes’ skins, this is attention to detail at a rare level and it shows in the wine.

Subsequent to that initial review, Brittan wines only failed to crack the 90 point (and usually higher) level twice over 35 wines dating back to that original 2007 vintage in Wine Advocate, a testament to the quality that everyone seemed to expect out of this Oregon project from the beginning. The Pinots have always shown tremendous detail and filigree, purity of fruit and distinctive style and complexity. We have been quiet fans of Brittan’s wines for a long time.

The fruit in the Brittan Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Willamette Valley 2017 shines expressing vibrant blue and dark red fruits, notes of lifted spice, and subtle but insistent streaks of white stone minerality. The fruit all comes from the original estate vineyard planted in 2001, though only eight of the original 18 acres planted in this rugged terrain in ultra-thin topsoils survived. Clearly the remaining plants are happy enough to produce some distinctive fruit.

To be honest, the style of the house isn’t necessarily ‘pop-and-serve’. This wine has a lot of layers to unravel. Note the comments from Wine Advocate reviewer Erin Brooks, “Drinking these wines on my own for pleasure, I notice that the Pinot Noirs, especially, take several hours to open and show their stuff once the cork is pulled. Consider giving these wines more time than usual in bottle—or at least a long decant—before enjoying.” There’s a lot to love here but giving the wine a little time to stretch out gives you a more complete experience.

As we have pointed out on occasion, reviewers are people, too. This piece from Josh Reynolds sums up the bullet points rather succinctly, “Shimmering red. Spice-accented raspberry, cherry and floral aromas are complemented by hints of cola, succulent herbs and smoky minerals. Sweet and pliant on the palate, the Estate offers nicely concentrated red and dark berry preserve and rose pastille flavors. A spicy nuance builds steadily on the back half. Supple, fruit-driven and accessible, this wine delivers solid finishing thrust, well-knit tannins and strong, floral-tinged persistence. Aged in 15% new oak…92 points.”

Nice review, and certainly a respectable score. But our point here is that this is one of those wines that isn’t necessarily fully explained with just a number. There’s a lot of cool nuance here that cannot be ‘digitally’ expressed. In other words, we think, all in all, this is an even better wine than the score indicates. There is a certain ‘touch’ that Brittan Pinots show that we don’t see all that often and some ‘bonus’ complexity you might miss if you aren’t paying full attention. They are quietly on another level. Only 517 cases produced. (*There is a special price at checkout).

GREAT ‘EVERYDAY’ BARBERA FROM AN ELITE SOURCE

Scavino is a big time label that is currently performing at the top of their game. They have an expansive list of ‘cru’ bottlings that collectors should be looking for, in particular the 2016s. But often lost in the breadth of their bottlings are the’ little’ wines. Something like a Barbera, within the context of Scavino’s high powered lineup, often gets lost in the shuffle. Also, to be fair, the folks looking over the Scavino lineup aren’t necessarily looking for Barbera. But this wine’s performance should merit its own set of fans and part of our job is to point stuff like that out. A delicious, supple, serviceable Barbera for well under $20 deserves a lot of attention on its own.

In a world that seems rather focused on ratings, and offers touting something as a best ever, this is just a really pleasing, food-friendly red wine, at an attractive price, that you can enjoy every day. Critics are people, too, and this delightful Barbera got pushed out of the 90s (it was an ‘89’) probably because it was tasted alongside an impressive battery of Barolos. But the words hold true for the Scavino Barbera d’Alba 2017, “The 2017 Barbera d’Alba is another tasty, entry-level offering from Scavino. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and dark spice all flesh out in this supple, juicy Barbera. All the elements are in the right place.” Indeed they are, and at $14.98, its an easy choice on the wallet as well.

PRIORAT PERFECTION?

The modern era in Priorat started with a guy named Rene Barbier (II for future reference) in 1989, and this 2017 effort made by his son may redefine it. Both the Barbier family and Priorat have long histories. Barbier was part of a winemaking family whose origins in the trade can be traced back to somewhere in the 1200s. In the 19^th Century the Barbiers owned some 1500 hectares in the southern Rhone but phylloxera took its toll and the family looked to Spain to secure grapes. Subsequent World Wars caused them to eventually move to Catalonia. Rene II was born in Tarragona in 1950.

The land had been a source for wine since Roman times, but before Rene started what they call the ‘Priorat revolution’, the territory was virtually unknown and the juice from these rugged hillsides were mostly used to make wine for the locals. Rene (II) bought his first vineyard in 1979 and a decade later released his first wine. Others have come (Clos Erasmus, Clos Martinet, Alvaro Palacios, Mas Doix) that have helped elevate the region’s status

A lot of outstanding wines have indeed come from this difficult to work, mountainous area covered by a special black schist the locals refer to as llicorella. The media has, by and large, received the wines well over the years, and we were on board early with Mogador, Erasmus, Palacios, and many others. We love the well-infused minerality that is the hallmark of the region’s best wines. We respect the power and presence that these wines, based generally on old vine Grenache and Carignan (often with dollops of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah), have.

We also realize that while a lot of folks have come to appreciate this appellation, we think that there are a lot more people that would get on board if given a reasonable chance to have a great experience. We are very well aware that Priorats can be rustic and inward, in other words downright moody. In addition, they are not inexpensive. For a lot of you who expect ‘love at the first sip’ given all of the glowing words written about some of these wines, there have been some disappointments. Our message today is to have a little patience because the newest effort from Clos Mogador, the 2017, expresses itself in a way that few Priorats we have seen have been able to do.

The Clos Mogador Priorat 2017 is a blend of 46% Grenache, 29% Carignan, 15% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that is estate grown and farmed organically, and matured in a combination of foudres and 300 liter casks for 18 months. It just hit the market so there has not been a lot of media attention thus far. If you want to talk track record, however, the last five bottlings were 98, 98, 98, 97, 98 from Wine Advocate. There aren’t many Bordeaux in this kind of price range that have that kind of scoresheet.

The purveyor poured the 2017 for our buying team, and we looked at each other in amazement. Is this really that good or was this one of those ‘on any given day’ scenarios? As it happened, we had a bottle of the 98-point Clos Mogador 2016 on hand , so we opened it for comparison (hey, somebody has to do this stuff!). Allowing for the year of bottle age, the 2017 had all of the classic ‘infused minerality’ and layers of spicy red fruits that defines the estate and the region. It also possessed great tension and lift, exceptional balance and impressive energy and length.

The edition had a brightness and freshness that we have rarely seen historically in Priorat. Luis Gutierrez, in his notes on the 2016 said, “…It has a meaty touch and feels really young , despite the long élevage. There is a strong mineral sensation on the palate, something that is a texture and mouthfeel rather than a flavor. This is an unusual, fresh vintage…”

If he thought that was an ‘unusual, fresh vintage’, what will he think of this one? Side by side it had more energy, plenty of punch, layers of complexity, and didn’t show a lick of its 15+% alcohol. On this day, it bested the proven performer.

Did we get a look at a possible 100 pointer? While we know better than to try and predict the whimsy of the press, maybe we did. In any case, this is a great one, and you know we don’t fling that word about lightly.

Moreover it presents a newer, friendlier, fresher face of Priorat. Is it a new direction for Priorat, a function of the vintages, or just something stylistic that the very talented Rene III, son of founder Rene II, has initiated himself? Time will tell. But in the meantime, this is very special juice and, if this is the new face of Priorat, we like it and believe it will make a lot of new friends! A brilliant effort.

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!).

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 3^rd and 4^th 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.

‘COACHED’ BY A LEGEND

From the outset, we have said that we believe 2016 was the best vintage of Chateauneuf we have ever tasted. We will not stray from that until another such vintage comes along. That could be in a couple of years, or never, given the wacky weather patterns of this century. Who knows? At least with us, unlike politicians, we say what we mean. You might also recall that we said of 2017 that, in any other decade, it would have people dancing in the streets. It is an outstanding vintage that followed a ‘vintage for the ages’. Incumbent with that, we also said that given the overall high quality of 2017, there would be exceptional individual efforts. This is one of those.

Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape 2017 is classically old school. They only make small quantities of one wine, a Chateauneuf. No luxury cuvée, no specialty blend, no Cotes du Rhone, just one really tasty, pure Chateauneuf. The estate itself is only eight hectares in size, and the wine is composed of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre from old vines that average 60 years of age. There’s a long history here with the great grandfather of owner Claude Courtil having bottled a wine under the label ‘Clos Courtil’ way back around 1900, a rarity in those days. For the most part, however, the produce was sold to negociants until 1996.

There are a couple of things very unique abut this property. First, as we said, they only make one single wine. The other is a bit less obvious. Owner Claude Courtil is the godson of none other than Henri Bonneau, one of the most legendary and revered producers in the region. Claude learned everything he knows about winemaking from his godfather. Bonneau and Claude share a deeply held commitment to natural winemaking, manual vineyard work, traditional aging in large foudres, and bottling without fining and filtration. Claude’s two sons, David and Jêrome were coached by their father, who was coached by a legend, to take charge of the domain which they did in 2015. Pretty sweet vintages to start with (2015-17) wouldn’t you say?

Maybe it was ‘beginner’s luck’, and maybe it was great coaching, but the lads got back to back 94s from Vinous’ Josh Raynolds in 2016 and 2017, not a reviewer who passes out big scores like chocolate Easter eggs. We would actually give the nod to the 2017 in our minds as possibly the best Clos des Brusquieres ever. Classic Chateauneuf. Josh Raynolds notes, “Deep brilliant red. An assertively perfumed bouquet evokes red berry preserves, exotic spices and candied lavender, along with a chalky mineral quality that builds as the wine opens up. Sweet, seamless and energetic in style, offering lithe raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that show wonderful clarity and back-end cut. The mineral and floral components drive a very long, appealingly sweet finish shaped by smooth, harmonious tannins…94 points.”

It’s also well priced for the category, another bonus.

A VIOGNIER TALE

We wanted this remarkable tale to be available to search and keep the wine available for as long as we can so we republished here in the Stock Report.

We have been telling stories about wine for nearly four decades. But few rival that of former T.V. writer, California native Samantha O’Keefe. It all started when Sam and her then husband decided they wanted to get away. No, not like those old airline commercials where they just leaves for a vacation. This was moving out of California to ‘someplace else’ with the intent of going on a great life ad venture. After a journey, the couple, with a baby, ended up in South Africa, just about as far away as one could get from Southern California.

They ended up driving into the mountains in the area of Greton and falling in love with a visually spectacular site named Riversonderend, a 300-hectare property that was a dairy ranch. It had never been a wine farm, nor had Sam ever made wine, but the connection subsequently became serendipitous. This was literally the ‘middle of nowhere’, or as Sam put it in an interview we did here, ‘an hour past nowhere’. From the farm, for example, it is more than an hour’s drive just to get groceries. But the couple decided this remote, untested area would be an excellent place to grow grapes. Turned out to be a good call.

The challenges were enormous, so much so that Sam’s husband made an early exit. O’Keefe built a house and a winery, and the vineyards were planted in 2003. The first commercial release was 2008. The Overberg region is unique in South African viticulture as it is a particularly cool growing area, with grapes taking as much as 3 to 4 weeks longer to mature. The combination of cool temperatures and altitude was a unique and emerging trend in South Africa. This particular project just happened the furthest out. As it turned out, Riversonderend was particularly suited for four of the five grapes Sam planted, particularly Viognier, and it was the Viognier that created immediate critical acclaim.

Besides the normal array of issues like weather and disease that can face any vintner, this distinct plot of land had a few additional challenges. Because this was a remote, even somewhat ‘wild’ area, the threat from abundant numbers of voracious birds to the final crop added more uncertainty. There was even another ‘wild card’ to this winery’s story that we can’t recall ever hearing in all of our years doing this…baboons. Yes, baboons. Apparently they show up in numbers when the crop is reaching optimum time to pick. Samantha says they are good indicators of when it is time to harvest.

It seems a mighty task to make wine in such a place, but the quality and distinctiveness of the juice has fueled the passion to succeed. Another local vintner visited Samantha and tasted the Viognier out of barrel, proclaiming it the best he had ever tasted from South Africa. We are huge fans of Viognier, and consider Condrieu (and Ch. Grillete of course) to be the unrivaled source for great examples of the varietal. We have also told the story many times about how difficult the grape can be. There is a very narrow band of success where all of the components work in harmony. But, like the man said, Lismore Viognier is very special. The fruit shimmers, and the spice, honeysuckle, florality, and vanillan tones are all super expressive as well as remarkably well meshed and driven by just the right cut of acidity.

Enthusiastic notes from Vinous’ Neal Martin, who spends a lot of time tasting verticals of Latour and Romanee Conti and who could arguably be understandably jaded, speak volumes, “The 2017 (Lismore) Estate Reserve Viognier is matured for 15 months in barrel (20% new oak). It has a seductive and very well-defined bouquet, with dried honey, mirabelle and light apricot blossom scents developing with aeration. The well-balanced palate is clean and precise, displaying fine delineation and a captivating mineral-driven finish that is top-drawer. Quite brilliant… 96 Points.”

Quite brilliant, indeed. For us to say something could hold its own with top flight Condrieu, while still maintaining it unique notion of terroir, is about as high a compliment as we could pay any effort with this varietal. This one could. While all of the Lismore wines were ‘top-drawer’, it was the Viognier that got our attention. Both the story and the wine deserved time in the limelight, particularly given the fortuitous unfolding of events that brought this unique project together and the tenacity with which Sam, with her two children, has manned this unique vinous outpost. It was always our intent to do a feature on her wine, but events conspired to move us to up the timetable and commitment .

As it happened, Sam’s amazing estate was mostly destroyed last December in a wildfire believed to have been set by two children. Given that, our mission to spread the word has been amplified. We want to sell as much of her Viognier as we can to support this tenacious pioneer in whatever she decides to do next. Great story, exceptional wine, and now a cause, it’s one of the most compelling tales we have ever told.