2019 – Page 4

ANOTHER WINNER FROM THIVIN

This respected house was one of our first experiences with the 2019s from Beaujolais and, based on this ‘early return’, it looks to be a sensational harvest for this part of the world. Thivin is one of the iconic estates in Cotes de Brouilly and one with considerable history. It is the oldest estate on Mount Brouilly, circa the 15^th Century, and has been in the hands of the Geoffrey family since 1877. The vines are an average of 50-years-old and this crazy steep vineyard (an average 48% slope) is farmed organically.

As we have stressed in the past, there are front-loaded carbonic Beaujolais and there are estate producers that produce with the utmost care and work more like great Burgundy. Thivin is a poster child of that second group. The wines are always good, and occasionally brilliant examples. They can also be a bit inward on release. That is what was striking here. We don’t recall a deeper, richer, friendlier version of this wine out of the gate. Saturated color, ripe berry and plum on the nose and an expansive, broad, polished feel on the palate, this has fruit and character to burn. They have been on quite a roll, averaging 93 points from Wine Advocate for the last six, very different vintages.

Wine Advocate Burgundy guy William Kelly was on the same page, “Bottled a mere week before I tasted it, Thivin’s 2019 Côte de Brouilly unwinds in the glass with inviting aromas of plums, red berries, warm spices and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, it’s bright and precise, with fine depth at the core and real energy, concluding with a long, gently tannic finish. A touch finer-boned and more dynamic than the gourmand, demonstrative 2018, this is showing very well…93+.”

It is showing well, indeed, yet history tells us that this wil age and develop for a decade at least, maybe longer, if you can keep your hands off it. At $26.98, it delivers well above its class and reaffirms our point that Beaujolais is still the source for some of the best value reds on the planet. It’s hard to say this is their best ever because they have had an impressive string of sensational efforts. But this Thivin Cote de Brouilly 2019 is definitely the sexiest.

ONE OF A KIND CALI WHITE

Wine is an industry that casts a broad net, from extreme traditionalists to incurable tinkerers, and all points in between. On the more experimental end of the biz, there are plenty of ‘thrills of victory’ and even more ‘agonies of defeat’. But it is through this process of innovation and experimentation that new ideas are born. Take for example Dave Phinney, who essentially turned a stuck fermentation into one of the most important new faces in the wine industry years ago, The Prisoner, via clever blending and creative marketing. There are dozens of wineries now trying to reproduce the success of that wine with a variety of ‘Prisoner look-alikes’.

Today’s story isn’t about Prisoner, or even a widely imitated bottling. We’ll get to that shortly. Wine Exchange and Qupe Winery connected in the early 80’s when both were pretty new on the scene. With all of the fuss about the California ‘Rhone Rangers’ years back, a lot of folks credit Randall Grahm with founding the movement. But the first winery we ever tasted that hung their hat on Syrah, circa 1982-83, was Qupe. Even today those early, breakthrough Syrah bottlings still have a place in how we see California wine history.

Qupe owner at the time, Bob Lindquist, worked in a spot affectionately known as ‘the Shed’ along with Au Bon Climat and, over the years, a number of other aspiring winemakers in Santa Maria. Besides his Syrah lineup, and a consistently good Chardonnay from Sierra Madre Vineyard, we credit Bob with creating a wine that was both innovative and delightful, a 50-50 blend of Viognier and Chardonnay. Fresh, bright, and floral from the Viognier, with the midpalate thrust and structure provided by the Chardonny, it was a winner and we sold buckets of the stuff.

Our key point is that we had never seen anything like it before, nor effectively since (yeah there was one Viognier- Chardonnay from southern France some years later, but that was it). Bob visited the store not long ago with his newest efforts from his current project, Lindquist Wines (he sold Qupe in part to Terroir Wines who sold it to Vintage Wine Estates). Among the wines he presented was a 50-50 blend of Viognier and Chardonnay under the Lindquist label. This was once again as exciting as the first efforts we tasted way back when.

The harmony and interplay between the floral, honeysuckle, and peach aspects of Vioginer and the punch of the apple/pear core of the early harvest Chardonnay through the midpalate made for a delightful mouthful, with layers of varied flavors, plenty of weight and lift, and uncanny freshness for a wine of that composition. To us, the Quoe was a breakthrough blend back in the day, and the Lindquist Family Viognier-Chardonnay Bland Edna Valley 2019 still is. Bob was quick to give credit for the idea to mutual favorite Mas Dumas Gassac. But in that wine, Viognier and Chardonnay account for only about half the blend, the balance being Petit Manseng, Chenin Blanc, and ‘other’. This is a delicious, truly one-of-a-kind white.

Antonio Galloni apparently shares our enthusiasm for this very special blend, “The 2019 Viognier 50%/Chardonnay 50% is another terrific wine in this range from Bob Lindquist. Interestingly, the blend of Viognier and Chardonnay yields a wine that is crisp and steely. Viognier aromatics add an intriguing layer of florality to the citrus peel, crushed rock and white pepper flavors. I would prefer to drink this steely white over the next few years, while the flavors remain bright. The 2019 is incredibly distinctive…93 points.”

There don’t appear to be many (any?) folks trying to imitate this gem, but that’s fine as long as this one performs at this level. There is, literally, nothing like it. As for comparisons, Mas Dumas white also costs nearly twice as much. For under $20, the Lindquist Family is a particularly compelling choice.

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.

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.