As much time as we spend researching and tasting in our never ending quest for exceptional wines, there are times when it can just take a little luck. We would likely never have crossed paths with Jose, the proprietor of these wines, had it not been for random chance. The wine has been almost exclusively sold in elite eateries like French Laundry, Daniel Boulud, Jose Andres and Spago.
The short story is that Jose Ignacio Cuerco, a native of Spain, was scratching his ‘homesick’ itch at a Saturday paella lunch offered at one of our favorite food sources, La Espanola Market. Randomly, someone whom we knew from a consulting gig happened to sit next to him at the lunch and they began to talk. He told Jose about these wildly passionate wine merchants that he knew and, as a result of the conversation, we got a call asking if we might be interested in checking out his wines. “Of course”, we said.
Jose picks the sourcing and, having worked with a few top flight sommeliers who were instrumental in developing the program, is very hands on about the stylistic results of the wine. He is not in the wine biz per se. But this is not an ego project either. This is a ‘passion’ project and speaks of his wines as if they were his actual children, clearly very emotionally involved in where they go. The name “The Little Boat” was chosen with reference to a song Barquito de Papel (‘Little Paper Boat’), an ode to peace and friendship. The project is dedicated to his son Mateo.
Jose brought in three wines and we bought all three of them, something that people who know us know that is a rare occurrence. The thing is that they hit all of the parameters we look for. They were tasty, well conceived and well made, and the prices were quite reasonable for the quality in today’s market. Most important perhaps is that they are classically styled, varietally pure, easy to like and food friendly. The style isn’t to bowl you over. This is California fruit with Old World sensibility.
The Little Boat Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2020 had the classic Russian River nose of peach/pear fruit, spice, and toasty oak. In the mouth, you get that same impression of delicate but insistent peach and pear, with just the right touch of toasty accents and a little underlying minerality, but the well proportioned acidity lifts at the finish a leaves the palate ready for the next bite.
The Little Boat Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2019 offers up aromas of baking spice and ripe strawberries with a little touch of cocoa. In the mouth it is silky and seamless with the spicy berries as the elegant center of attention. Great purity of fruit here but also the added bonus of drinkability. So many things from the vaunted but loosely defined Sonoma Coast can be very ungiving. This one is tender and ready for prime time.
Sometimes random chance can work in one’s favor. Enjoy these classy Cali efforts. We also have a small quantity of a Spanish Rioja called Barquito Rioja Gran Reserva 2014 (barquito is Spanish for ‘little boat’) that was made for him by La Rioja Alta, the first time the winery had done a contract bottling for someone else in 150 years we are told. We have big plans for that one, too, but must wait for the ‘big boat’ to come in to have enough stock.