2018 – Page 2

A NEW ‘OLD FRIEND’ IN NAPA

One thing we have been repeatedly reminded of over the years is that things can change. The most recent demonstration occurred recently with a Napa Valley winery called Amici. This was a winery that we had tasted on few occasions over the years and came to the conclusion that the label was largely forgettable. Yet across a board the in Amici lineup we were presented recently, virtually every offering impressed. So did the prices.

Amici started back in 1991 as a project among friends (amici is ‘friends’ in Italian). Clearly things have changed quite a bit since our earlier encounters. Starting as a virtual winery (a label that owned no vineyards or building as so many are these days), over time owner John Harris has forged long standing relationships with some serious fruit sources. They now make a number of single vineyard wines from some very recognizable vineyard sources and we have to presume that at some so of that juice trickles down into this Amici Cabernet Napa Valley 2018.

The current winemaking team of Anthony Biagi and Jesse Fox likely had a lot to do with the current high level of performance here. Biagi has an impressive resume including Cade, Hourglass, Odette, Plumpjack and Senegal, and joined Amici/Olema in 2015. Fox started at the French Laundry as a Cordon-Bleu trained chef but the wine bug bit him hard. He did some winemaking work internationally then spent a decade with Harlan, The Napa Valley Reserve and Ram’s Gate. He came to Amici/Olema in 2016 and teams with Biagi on both the Amici and their value oriented Olena projects. Certainly, the jump in quality we see here has a bit to do with them.

A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that sees 18 months in 75% new French oak, there the promise of some pretty serious fruit in this wine. There is also a serious lineup of reviews which are all made more significant by this wine’s very modest tab (by Napa Standards). We’ll get to that in a minute.

It all started with a barrel review from Jeb Dunnuck, “…this is a vintage loved by winemaker Tony Biagi…Starting with the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, it could end up being one of the values of the year if it shows this well from bottle, displaying classic cassis, tobacco, and crushed rock-like minerality. With medium to full-bodied richness and depth, ripe, polished tannins, and great purity of fruit, it’s tastes like it cost three times the price…93-95.”

Given the other reviews, it apparently did get into the bottle in fine shape, as the across the board kudos would attest (James Suckling 93, Vinous 92, Wine Advocate 92). From Suckling, “A cooler style of Napa cab with blackcurrants, hot stones and violets that follow through to a full-bodied palate with creamy, polished tannins that integrate nicely on the palate and provide a delicious combination of fruit and character…”

From Wine Advocate, ““The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with expressive notes of warm cassis, black cherries, blackberries and fragrant earth with hints of bay leaves and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-coating cassis flavors with compelling herbal sparks, framed by a lively backbone and wonderfully velvety tannins, finishing long.”

From Vinous Media, “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is fabulous. Rich, plummy and forward, the Amici Napa Valley Cabernet makes a terrific introduction to the vintage. Even better, it is incredibly fairly priced. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and licorice are kicked up in this fleshy, open-knit Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Given all of that, one would not expect to pay less than $50, yet that is the reality. The Amici Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 is one of the true sleeper Cabernet deals from this part of the world.

RANDOM NOTES: PHILIPPE MILAN MARSANNAY 2018

The trouble with Burgundy is that it’s confusing enough on the surface and then there are a whole bunch of folks fighting over a few hallowed labels. The critics don’t help a lot in that they are fighting to post scores on rare, pricey things like Romanee Conti and Roumier, and virtually everything falls in line with established historic hierarchies as far as reviews go. Who’s looking out for the guy that just wants a tasty bottle of Pinot without sacrificing a couple of house payments? We are! We’re with you and get pretty thrilled when we find something plush and tasty for under $30.

If you rush to your review books, you aren’t likely to find anything on Domaine Philippe Milan, even though the domaine was founded in 1950 by Philippe Milan, grandfather of the current proprietor Karl Milan. They farm 27 acres in southern end of Burgundy, the Cote Chalonnaise, an area that we always look to in warm vintages for sneaky value. Why? As we have explained many times, these typically cooler areas don’t hit the ‘high notes’ every year and, for that reason, can’t get top dollar for their wares because they aren’t necessarily consistent year in and year out.

However in warmer vintages, the grapes get a little riper in these places and the wines become richer and more plush. But the prices are still modest thanks to their history. With global warming, places like Maranges, Givry, and at the other end of the Cote d’Or, Marsannay, will be treasure troves of delicious, moderately priced red Burgundies.

Most of Milan’s production is sold in France. Only about 10% is exported. But in a warm, ripe vintage like 2018, the Philippe Milan Marsannay 2018 shines. Plenty of engaging cherry fruit to be the focus, hints of spice and minerality to add interest, and enough weight and richness to keep you coming back for more, this has all the requisites. Medium weight, sweet middle, tender edges, this is quite the satisfying beverage. At $21.98, it’s a bargain for even this modest neighborhood. A Burgundy for the people.

PICARO RIBERA DEL DUERO VINES VIEJAS 2018

One thinks typically of the Ribera del Duero as a more ‘serious’, what with the neighborhood harboring such heavyweights as Vega Sicilia, Hacienda del Monasterio, Pingus, and Pesquera. The term ‘Picaro’, the brainchild of Dominio di Aguila, refers to someone who is a rascal, or a rogue. The question posed by Picaro is, can a Ribera be, well, fun? While they are clearly deadly serious about their winemaking, they seem to be able to be a lot more light-hearted with their winery persona.

Picaro definitely operates ‘outside the box’ for an area like the Ribera. Sure you’ve got your Tempranillo here, the backbone grape of the region, and the specific clone that the region hangs it hat on. But here it is co-fermented with an unusual mixture of Garnacha, Bobal (a grape we associate with climes further south), and Albillo (the rare, indigenous white of the Ribera). So what do you get? Well, let’s call it a rogue within the typical confines of the region, but more accurately it is Ribera with its ‘party hat’ on yet with the complexity and dimension to be taken seriously alongside the icons of the region.

There’s plenty of richness here, but there is also a lift to the flavors that is unlike anything else we have tasted from the Ribera, as well as a certain ‘old school’ demeanor that speaks more of Rioja than the Ribera. Gushing berry and cassis flavors steal the show, but there are also streaks that are like a marinated black cherry, some (Rioja-like) dusty spice, and refined tannins to let you know that this is no ordinary Ribera.

The vine age here is somewhere north of 50-years-old, and the property is farmed organically/biodynamically, with grapes trodden by foot before being put in French oak for malo-lactic fermentation and a sojourn of 12-20 months in wood. The vineyards here are north-facing, which give the wine a little cooler profile to begin with. It all sounds formal enough yet the wine’s wild fruit notes, more lifted personality, and outgoing spiciness can only be described as…fun. Sure there are structural things that you can point to with wine aficionados that will present the appropriate level of gravitas. But you could just haul off and drink this with reckless abandon (responsibly of course) in a way that would seem inappropriate with most, admittedly more ‘modern’ Riberas.

Jorge Monzon and Elizabeth Rodero founded the winery only in 2010 after Jorge spent years selling his produce to ‘several high profile neighbors’. The winemaking is pretty serious here as well and they have definitely separated themselves from the pack in a very good way. We can only marvel at their successful new approach and how Aguila takes such a stylistic diversion and makes you wonder why more people haven’t done it in this way.

We aren’t the only fans either. Their stock has gone up with Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez who wrote, “I tasted two vintages of the entry-level red, of which the young 2018 Pícaro del Águila Tinto had just been bottled and should be released soon. This is their most approachable red, and it has the depth, concentration and nuance of the best wines from many wineries. It’s produced in a more jovial style, but the wine comes from old vines that always have a field blend with small percentages of whatever grapes that are all fermented together, and these vines always produce a serious and deep wine. In 2018, it matured in French oak barrels for 11 months. This is very young and tender, expressive and aromatic, very much in line with the 2016. It has lots of energy and power, more than you might think, and it’s serious. It’s drinkable now, but it should get even better with some time in bottle….94 points.”

‘Aguila’ is Spanish for ‘eagle’, and this eagle is flying high, if maybe a little bit outside the typical stylistic boundaries of typical Riberas. But this is a bold, exciting twist and a welcome addition to the genre as Jorge Monzon is a breed apart from ‘typical’. A rogue? Yeah, maybe. Delicious? Absolutely.

THE LATEST STYLISH CAB FROM THREAD FEATHER

Thread Feather continues to a people’s choice. Clearly this label resulted from the rivers of unsold juice at some of the elite addresses in the Napa. Throw in a pandemic and things would have gone on for a long time, but the fires in Napa in 2020 will definitely have an effect moving forward. Clearly, we have learned that ‘the bird is the word’. We have made the point long ago that California vintners, particularly in Napa, have continued to raise prices and pretend that everything is just rosy. If that were the case, a label like this wouldn’t exist. For us it has been a fantastic source of intriguing, very polished Cabernets that taste like they had much higher price aspirations.

Given the current state of affairs, owner/winemaker Niel Koch has dialed himself in to get some remarkable juice. His company called Flight Wine Company has developed an impressive program of ‘one-offs’. He specializes in small lots of 100-500 cases of what he calls ‘sub AVA’ wines. Everything we have seen thus far has been a ‘district’ bottling, as is today’s menu item, the Thread Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2018. Koch clearly knows what great wine is supposed to taste like. He learned from the best having trained under Philip Melka at Seavey Vineyards, Bryant Family and Vineyard 29, as well as a stint as Assistant Winemaker at Lewis Cellars.

The Thread Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2017 comes from a single vineyard (they can’t tell us which one) situated at 1000 feet above sea level on the eastern slopes of Mount Veeder on the western side of the Napa Valley just south of Oakville. The grapes, 91% Cabernet and 9% Merlot, were handpicked, sorted and then optically sorted. After a 3-day cold soak, and 14 day fermentation with extended skin contact the wine was moved into 100% French oak, 30% new. As has been the practice, production is limited and the original retail in this case stood at $65.

As with the other Thread Feather wines we have offered, this Cabernet speaks of its origins. The flavors start with urgent cassis and plum fruit laced with Veeder’s telltale insistent baking spice character. There are ticks of graphite, tobacco, and earth, but the spice wins the day as it so often does in this part of the Valley.

This is mountain fruit, so it sits a little firmer out of the gate. A little air time makes a big difference. But the tannins are ripe and supple. This is a 2017 as well, so there is more structure and a little more reserved personality. It’ll take a touch more coaxing but you will be rewarded. It impressed the buyers more on the second day as the air had really allowed this one to expand.

There’s a lot to like here, particularly for the price. We aren’t talking the previously mentioned fare either as we are offering this ‘reserve level’ effort for a modest $34.98. It’s another winner from Thread Feather as well as a great buy on serious Napa Cabernet.

DOLCETTO: THE FORGOTTEN CHOICE

There is so much to choose from out in the wine world these days, it is easy to see how consumers can get confused. It truth, in trying to cover all of the choices out there, we still neglect categories ourselves. With the holiday season upon us, there are lots of choices for feasts. But we must apologize that we haven’t really given any attention to one of the more versatile reds out there for this time of year…Dolcetto.

If you want a simple handle for the wine, think of it as Piemontese ‘Beaujolais’, not so much in flavor profile but in function. Dogliani, at its best self, is a fruit driven, bright, easy drinking quaff to wash down some pasta, meat, or plate of charcuterie. No one speaks of them in the terms of the icons of the region, Barolo and Barbaresco. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have an important place.

With the exception of Dogliani, where Dolcetto is king, Dolectto isn’t planted on the best part of the ‘bricco’ in most of Piedmont. But they serve well as the ‘house pour’, along with Barbera, at the table. There are many versions out there. Some can be a little too nervy, which will definitely narrow their appeal. But the gregarious, forward style in a warm vintage, in the hands of a talented winemaker, creates some excellent, well-priced all-purpose candidates for the table.

Italian aficionados already know this, but we think Dolcetto should have a broader audience because it has the potential to fill many niches. We happen to have a couple that we think will make friends and influence people because of their quality/price relationship and easy going, versatile styles. We usually don’t get a lot of help from the critics because Dolcettos are usually tasted in context from producers that are also trotting out a lineup single-vineyard Barolos. Often they don’t get mentioned at all. Are there 99 point Dolcettos? Not that we have ever seen, but that is totally not the point.

Beppe Ca’Viola is one of the most ‘important’ winemaking consultants in Italy. His own winery, opened in 1991, is in Dogliani where there aren’t ‘cru’ Nebbiolo vineyards. He has some small parcels in Barolo but his personal wines have been more recognized for flashy versions of the ‘lesser’ varietals like Dolcetto. The guy has a way of jamming a lot of fruit into his wine and the Ca’Viola Dolcetto D’Alba Vilot 2018, a single vineyard Dolcetto, harvested from 20-year-old vines, is a great demonstration of the Ca’Viola style.

Lifted, bright, juicy black fruits, medium weight but vigorous on the palate, just the right touch of acidity, this outgoing red will play beautifully alongside a variety of fare, even that holiday bird. All done in stainless, this is expressive, fruit driven, and easy to like. Since Beppe is more known for these types of wines, we even have a review from James Suckling, “Sour cherries, blueberries and lemon peel here. Medium body, fine, silky tannins and a fruity finish. Drink now… 91 Points.” We didn’t really get ‘lemon peel’ but we’re all over the ‘drink now.’ Like most of what we have tasted from Ca’Viola, this is a joy to drink.

We have been fans of Brovia for a long time, though we haven’t always had access to the wines. They have multiple Barolos that the critics are going to be much more attentive to, so we can’t roll out any reviews on this newly arrived Dolcetto. Unlike Ca’Viola, this is more of an ‘old school’ affair founded in 1863 with the fourth generation firmly in charge. Harvested from classic clay-limestone soils from plots in serious dirt (Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba) some planted in 1981 and the other portion in 1993, the Brovia Dolcetto D’Alba Vignavillej 2018 has, again, inviting, deep color, volume on the palate, and is done entirely in stainless steel to preserve the gregarious fruit.

The profile here is more black cherry fruits as well as notes of plum, anise, and a touch of mocha. Sometimes this house can be a little rustic, but this time around it’s fleshy, fruit forward, and ready for action. Deep Color, aromas of dark cherry and mulberry, notes of violet and anise, reasonable size for the genre but a forward, juicy demeanor that encourages quaffing.

Both of these can be had for under $20, will play with a variety of fare as mentioned, and can be served with a slight chill if that is preferred. It can play with that American holiday bird as well.

FALL, FIRE, and IMPRESSSIVE 2018 NICKEL & NICKEL

Tis the season for Cabernet. As an overview, we have to look at the current plight of the Napa Valley. We haven’t hidden our distaste for the high-handed marketing and undermining of the retail trade for the last three decades or so. But the current ‘rock and a hard place’ that the region in general is facing is historically significant. You have the pandemic that wiped out most of the restaurant business as current ‘on-sale’ customers have been operating at diminished capacity or have been closed. Then you have the current wildfires, right during harvest, that threaten to greatly diminish, and in many cases wipe out the 2020 harvest. Who knows what kind of ‘marketing’ decisions Napa vintners will be made regarding the ‘current birds in hand,’ the generally very good 2017, 2018, and 2019 vintages moving forward.

The 2017s have been solid, though not on par with 2014 and 2016. There have been a few cases where edgy tannins have gotten in the way. Thus far the 2018s reflect well on the vintage as the wines have been plush, engaging and packed with fruit. The quantities for the 2018 harvest were also good. We’re hearing great things about 2019 as well. With the general business climate less than ideal, and great, fairly abundant vintages in the pipeline, it promised to be wild times for both consumers and us. But the fires may, and likely will change the dynamic. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, let’s look at that crowd-pleasing, well endowed 2018 Cabernets. Anybody who got a hold of the luscious Thread Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2018 knows exactly what we mean, and the coming Chappellet Cabernet Signature 2018 was one of the most compelling examples we have had in that series. Today we’re going to give you a little heads up on the best lineup we can recall tasting from Nickel & Nickel.

Some of the vineyards in this current single-vineyard focused lineup may be unfamiliar as there have been changes in sourcing through the years. But as a group, they were pretty flashy. As usual we pick a few favorites out of the gate, but we reserve the right to expand our offerings and work up an email down the road. In the meantime, these were our favorites in a really good lineup…

Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard Oakville 2018 ($89.98)-The home vineyard of Nickel & Nickel, Sullenger Vineyard is situated behind the winery in the heart of Oakville and is named for John C. Sullenger, who settled the farmstead in the 1880’s. The vineyard’s 30 acres of clay loam soil are planted exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon, with 2 rootstocks and a few different clones which each add a unique element to the resulting wine. This is one of the bottlings that has made the selection virtually every vintage. Bigger middle than most, with the classic black fruit of Oakville and cool earth and spice notes, this isn’t necessarily the ‘biggest’ Sullinger we have had, but it is one of the prettiest out of the gate we can recall. The fact that it didn’t dominate the tasting this time is more of a statement about the lineup than suggestive of any shortfalls in this bottling.

Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch Vineyard Yountville 2018 ($89.98)– State Ranch is located northeast of the town of Yountville. The 23-acre vineyard is divided into two parcels by State Lane Road and consists of both older and younger vines. Many excellent wines are produced from this area, in part due to the rocky, loam soil which has excellent drainage throughout the year. The vines, as well as the clusters, are moderate in size and the vineyard gets full sun throughout the day. As the young vines mature, we will be harvesting many different clones to make the final wine. Nickel & Nickel selects fruit from 14.5 acres of the vineyard. Also known as State Lane Vineyard, this is the same site used by Kapcsandy and others for their compelling 100-point wines.

Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon DeCarle Vineyard Rutherford 2018 ($89.98)–DeCarle Vineyard is a newcomer to the lineup and planted on the west side of Rutherford, in the dusty soils for which the area is known. This Cabernet Sauvignon offers a silky palate that complements the wine’s juicy berry and black cherry flavors and finishes with a subtle minerality. This was earlier in the tasting lineup but impressed with its display of bright, slippery red fruits and light on its feet demeanor. A very pretty Cab with a more Bordeaux demeanor by comparison to the others.

Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon Quarry Vineyard Rutherford 2018 ($89.98)–Quarry is one of the longer term team members. The 25-acre Quarry Vineyard climbs the slopes above the Silverado Trail on the east side of Rutherford. The name comes from the old quarry that was the source of a white rock used in the ghost winery that still stands beside the vineyard. Three distinct hillside blocks, each experiencing its own unique soil and exposure, are harvested from this vineyard. The white, rocky loam soils are well drained, and the vines are of moderate vigor. Cluster and berry size varies from block to block, but all are small to moderate. This vineyard has full exposure to the afternoon sun. Polished and pedigreed, expressive and integrated, this is a complete but, again, not necessarily ‘big’ Cab.

Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Track Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 ($89.98)– The Bear Track Vineyard showed well on a couple of occasions, and is perhaps the most impressive of the newcomers in that it has the requisite size to please most Cabernet drinkers. The vineyard is planted in three terraced blocks on the eastern hillsides of Napa Valley, just outside of the Howell Mountain AVA. The cool climate and iron-rich, volcanic ash soils result in small, tight clusters of concentrated fruit. Ample hang time before harvest yields a Cabernet Sauvignon with intense, dark fruit flavors and integrated tannins. This one is a bit broader on the palate, and respectably ‘Howelly’ (showing subtle mineral/gravel notes) but not overly so. Lots of black fruits make an impression here.

RARE ‘LOCAL’ VIOGNIER VALUE

As we have said many times, Viognier is a cruel mistress to begin with, particularly here in California. There is a magic place where there’s just the right touch of acidity supporting expressive, layered, highly spiced, fleshy fruit. But most of the time, the varietal fails to hit that mark, either falling lean and short on the fruit end or, more often, coming out a flabby mass of overripe, directionless fruit. In all fairness to the winemakers, hitting that narrow ‘sweet spot’ in the varietal profile is extremely difficult. But when it does, it is a special treat.

If you had told us that one of the most striking Viognier buys to come along from California in many years came from Paso Robles, we ‘d have had a hard time believing it. But the proof was in the glass. The San Simeon Viognier Stefano Vineyard 2018 delivered beautifully nuanced, classically varietal, even bright varietal fruit. The nose was subtly infused with that floral, honeysuckle, and peach character that we associate with top flight efforts of this varietal from the northern Rhone. The fruit is tender and round, but has the required ‘sizzle’ to deliver that special character that makes people fans of the varietal in the first place.

A good part of the game here is location. The Stefano Vineyard is located in the El Pomar District AVA of Paso Robles. Yeah, it’s warm here, but there is great maritime influence via the cool afternoon breezes from the Templeton Gap. The area’s Arbuckle-Positas soils are filled with multicolored rocks of all shapes and sizes and there are steep hillsides that naturally control vine vigor. During 2018, the weather was ideal with a long growing season that provided great “hang time” for the grapes. That allows the flavors to develop slowly and steadily while maintaining the tension in the juice to keep everything lifted. It all came together in 2018.

The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks at 55˚ F for several weeks. The long, cold fermentation process preserves the delicate flavors and aromas of this variety. Immediately after the fermentation, 12% of the wine was transferred

to neutral French oak barrels in which the lees were stirred for several months to add texture and depth. The result is this personality-filled, unfettered, expressive, unpretentiously joyful white.

Since we decided we were going to promote this tasty example, we jumped into our usual research. We were a little surprised to find a 92 point score from Wine Spectator only because Wine Spectator typically doesn’t hand out scores like that on domestic Viogniers (Sauvignon Blancs also have a upper limit on scores but that’s another story). We set our Spectator ratings query at ‘Viogniers that got 92 point scores and cost less than $30 over the last three years’. There were three…this one, one from Alban, and a French Collines Rhodaniennes from the Northern Rhone.

When we narrowed the Spectator search to the last 12 months, the San Simeon Viognier was an ‘army of one’. How’s that for rarity? The words were inviting as well as Spectator clearly had the same impression we did. They wrote, “Powerful and elegant, featuring peach cobbler, ripe melon and dried apricot flavors that are rich and concentrated, set on a light and lithe frame, with bright and juicy acidity. Finishes with details of white flowers. Drink now.”

We’re all about that last part, ‘drink now’. This is bright enough to enjoy with the lighter fare of the season or entertain a broad audience as an aperitif all by itself. For our part, with a little help from the current times, we were able to work a bit with the $24 list price. Like we said, it’s hard enough to find a really engaging Viognier at all, let alone for less than $15!

‘OLD’ CHABLIS LABEL IS NEW TO US

There is always room for another classy Chablis around here, and this one has all the right stuff. The 2018 vintage has been an interesting one for white Burgundies in general. There was plenty of ripe fruit like 2015, a vintage where the wines generally suffered a lack of acidity and focus. But unlike 2015, you can’t make sweeping generalizations about 2018s. Sure we have run across some of those. But there are also many that have just barely enough acidity to hold them together and, because they do, are enormously pleasurable to drink, if a little atypical.

The Domaine de la Meuliere is different yet again. You would describe it as a slightly riper version of ‘classic’ Chablis, with all of the traditional trapping of green apple and citrus fruit foiled succinctly by a more restrained version of the chalky, flinty salinity that makes Chablis what it is. The slightly more tender palate feel makes this an ideal example to serve folks who aren’t as experienced with the genre, yet there is plenty to love for hardcore Chablis fans like us.

This Laroche family (there are others) has been producing in Chablis from their 24-hectare property since 1780. Claude Laroche was the one that got the inspiration to create a domaine in 1984. Now sons Nicolas and Vincent are running the show, updating the prior seven generations’ knowledge with more modern takes on winemaking. The soils of the vineyard are classic Kimmerigeon with vines averaging 25 years of age.

The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted, and done completely in stainless steel where the wine subsequently rests for nine months. This is our first ‘dance’ with Meuliere, but the delicacy, purity and authenticity of this wine compelled us to add it to the lineup, and the relative tenderness of the 2018 vintage gives it a broader appeal while still being true to type.

AN ASSYRTIKO FOR THE AGES

The title is a little tongue-in-cheek, though we are completely serious about this remarkable effort. Years ago someone trying to hustle up business for a company that was a essentially Greek grocery wholesaler rolled in and showed us a few Greek wines. We were surprised at how good some of them were and were particularly taken with one in particular, a Santorini Assyrtiko from a winery called Sigalas. The grape was unfamiliar to us, as was the island appellation of Santorini, and this crisp white from Sigalas (which we sold for like $14-15 back then) became a regular item that sort of ‘anchored’ our Greek wine section, such as it was. Clearly there was more to Greek wine than Retsina.

Fast forward probably a decade and a half, and Sigalas now sells for around $40, and has been on the Wine Spectator Top 100. Not only that, from being an addendum to a Greek grocery company’s line, several wine importers have made commitments to an extensive Greek wine program. Given our love of these unique varietal, which comes off like a crisp white from, say, Alto Adige with even more minerality and aromas of the sea, we have been very receptive to being presented such wines and have found some real definitive beauties.

That said, the Santo Assyrtiko Santorini Selection Cuvee 2018 took us aback in a way that few examples ever have. Super intense on the palate, with bright white stone fruit, citrus, and pineapple center stage, but vivid acidity and penetrating minerality and salinity balancing it perfectly, this was a sizable white that was light on its feet but carried big flavors all woven together harmoniously. As we were doing some research for information on this breakthrough wine, we ran across a review from a source that we don’t regularly follow.

The piece, from Wine & Spirits, tells the story eloquently and provides some key details as well as a ‘quotable’ 95 point score. “Founded in 1947, this cooperative has some 1,200 grower-members, giving winemaker Nikos Varvarigos access to a wide variety of terroirs. For this cuvee, he prioritized fruit from Pirgos and Imerovigli, two of the highest points on the island, where the grapes ripen more slowly. This was particularly relevant in 2018, the earliest harvest he’d ever seen in his 33 years of winemaking. Vinified in stainless steel and left for 14 months on its lees, it’s a lush, expansive Santorini from its sunny lemon scents to its mouthfilling texture.

“The flavors are ripe, from pineapple to golden raisin, yet they’re balanced by a strong mineral impression, like the scent of hot sand. It holds its form and flavors for days after the bottle is opened, the powerful structure promising that this will just get more complex with age. Whenever you open it, make sure you have some lamb or meaty fish on hand.”

We doubt there will be a lot written about this wine as there wasn’t a lot of it, and that’s too bad. It is special. As to the article, a couple of comments. True or not, the purveyor told us that the 14 months time on lees was something of an error, a forgotten tank that was discovered later on and, once they tasted it, created a special cuvee bottling. Either way, this is an epic example of this distinctive varietal and terroir that should not be missed!

We don’t see it going with lamb necessarily as it is a crisp, high-toned white. A plate of fresh things from the sea would be our ideal match, or all by itself to appreciate all that is going on in the glass. We cannot comment on the assertion that it will “hold its form and flavor for days”. It would never be around “for days”(or even hours) at our house. It’s simply too good.

ANOTHER OVER-THE-LINE BURGUNDY VALUE

Burgundy is sometimes a ‘game of inches’ as in a short distance one way or the other can determine a lot about quality, and price. As the demarcation of vineyards or appellations go, you have to draw a line somewhere. We’ve had good success finding little wines from top producers where the grapes are sourced in very close proximity to where the elite bottlings come from, but the prices are substantially less because the wine doesn’t carry the name of the top site.

Domaine Philippe Bouzereau et Fils has been one of the places where we have consistently found a very classy Bourgogne that is sourced from a plot ‘just over the line’ from their flagship Chateau Clos de Citeaux in the heart of Meursault. The Bouzereau family has been in Meursault since the 18th Century and this particular domaine was established in the 1960s by Philippe Bouzereau (senior). Philippe Bouzereau (Junior) took over in 2006 and runs this 18 hectares of vines on ‘lutte raisonee’ (meaning only intervening in the vineyard when absolutely necessary).

Like many of the ‘next gen’ vignerons, he is judicious with the use of oak and is all about letting the vineyard shine through. While it sounds a little trite, the term mini-Meursault is quite applicable here. The texture of the wine is consistent with the broader, more open profile of the 2018 white Burgundies in general, but there is sufficient acidity to keep everything bright. The flavors run from white peach to apple fruit-wise with classic flecks of grilled nuts and spice that is the signature of Meursault. A delicious choice for current Chardonnay applications, the Philippe Bouzereau Bourgogne Chardonnay 2018 is well priced ($24.98) given the pedigree it shows in the glass.