November Wine Club
WINES
NV Vilmart & Cie, Cuvée Rubis, Brut Rosé, Champagne, France
2002 Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
Vilmart & Cie, Cuvée Rubis, Brut Rosé NV
Champagne, France
Pinot Noir (90%) / Chardonnay (10%)
A tremendous Grower-Producer, Vilmart & Cie has been crafting top-tier Champagne since the 1890s. All of their Chardonnay is classified Premier Cru in the area of Rilly-la-Montagne. Vilmart & Cie practices environmentally-friendly agriculture, eschewing the use of pesticides and herbicides, which is not the most common thing in the Champagne region. Their wines exude sophistication and elegance and are crafted in a way that is singular to the estate, and, in my opinion, vastly superior to the mass-market Champagne houses. Te Cuvée Rubis Rosé is perhaps the most beautiful sparkling wine I have ever poured into a glass. An incredible salmon color, its bouquet is powerful with notes of wild red fruits like strawberries and raspberries. Gorgeous floral aromas then take hold, and on the palate, a crisp acidity is marked with a roundness that is absolutely special. The bubbles themselves are as fine and delicate as any out there, and the wine deserves to be enjoyed from an elegant glass. Don’t stifle this juice in a small flute! The use of 90% Pinot Noir grapes is notable in that includes a portion of actual finished red wine which contributes to the incredible color. In addition, the base wine for the cuvée is aged for 10 months in oak barrels, lending softness and aromatics. The base wines for the cuvée come from the 2017 and 2018 vintages. The cuvée is assembled, aged, and then bottles with it’s yeast for 3 years before the disgorgement as is the rule for Champagne.
Serve well chilled (43-46º)
Drink: now-2030
Food pairings: This Champagne is an exceptional food wine as well as a celebratory drink. The wine will go with anything from turkey, chicken, or goose, to seafood (notably lightly sautéed shrimp or scallops), a range of cheeses, or desserts provided they aren’t lusciously sweet.
Glassware
The common Champagne flute is finally falling out of favor. It traps the bouquet of these gorgeous wines. Instead, reach for a tulip glass or even pour this into either a standard white wine glass or a large Pinot Noir glass! Treat it like a wine. Enjoy the aromas and let it evolve.
About Champagne
Three grapes are allowed in the production of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Most wines are a blend of two or all three of these grapes. A base wine is made in the traditional manner. The wine is then bottled and a small amount of yeast and sugar are added into bottle which is sealed with a crown cap. The bottle is then laid down in the cellar where it ages a minimum of 3 years for non-vintage Champagne (which means the base wine comes from multiple vintages). A second fermentation happens and the Carbon Dioxide cannot escape the bottle, thus producing bubbles! When the time is right, the bottle is removed from the cellar and the disgorgement takes place in which the cap is released and the yeast is expelled from the bottle. A small bit of reserve wine is added, along with sugar to the desired level for the wine. The wine is sealed with the traditional cork and wire cage and is either laid down for further aging or is released on the market. Champagne containing all Chardonnay is labeled Blanc de Blancs. Champagne made entire from Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier is labeled Bland de Noirs. Sparkling wines outside of France are often made in the ‘champagne method’ but may not write the word ‘Champagne’ on the bottle. The method will be listed as ‘traditional method’ or some similar phrase. These wines include all Cava from Spain, all Franciacorta from Italy, and most high-end sparkling wines from the United States. Sparkling wines such as Prosecco are traditionally made using the tank or Charmant method in which the second fermentation takes place in large tanks rather than in the bottle.
2004 CHÂTEAU GABY
Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
Merlot (80%) - Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) - Cabernet Franc (10%)
This is the 2nd offering from Château Gaby for the Stem & Flute Society (going with the 2008 from the September offering). Canon-Fronsac is part of the famed Right-Bank in Bordeaux, near the communes of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. While Left Bank Bordeaux wines are known for their powerful and graphite-laded Cabernet Sauvignon based blends, the Right Bank is the home of some of the world’s finest Merlot and Cabernet Franc-based wines in the world. Château Gaby has long been a leading property in the region, making wines since the 1600s. The winemaking and growing is all organic and the Merlot thrives on the clay-rich soil of the region. 2004 was an outstanding vintage that produced a very aromatic wine here. Very delicate and lots of finesse on the palate.
Open at 60º-65ºF and let the wine interact with some oxygen or decant.
Drink: now-2027
Food pairings: Pork chops, hamburgers, steak frites, duck. Can work with a fatty fish like salmon if sauced and seasoned appropriately. Avoid spicy food pairings.
2018 ODDERO
Barbaresco ‘Gallina’, Piemonte, Italy
Nebbiolo (100%)
Despite its moniker as ‘the Queen of Wine’ (or perhaps because of it), Barbaresco tends to hide in the shadow of its ‘big brother’ Barolo. In truth, Barbaresco plays second to fiddle to no wines anywhere in the world. The wines of Barbaresco are just as powerful, elegant, and profound as their neighbors and are among the most expressive examples of Nebbiolo in the world. Located around the three townships of Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso, the hills of Barbaresco are mixtures of limestone, sand, and clay soils, often with marine fossils lurking near the surface. The best Crus are identified as single vineyard wines, and the Gallina cru counts among them. The Gallina vineyard is located near the town of Neive, and there are several producers who make cru Barbaresco from the site. Oddero is an historic producer in Piemonte and produces a classically elegant Barbaresco here. A 25-day maceration and fermentation lends way to aging in 40hL large oak barrels of French and Austrian oak. The wine has strong tannins, typical of traditional Nebbiolo production. The tannins are met with bright acidity and a gorgeous floral bouquet. Notes of cherries, mocha, and sweet spices integrate with the tannins, creating a fantastic drinking experience.
Serve at 60ºF. The wine will open up beautiful over several hours in the bottle or in the glass.
Drink: now-2040.
Food pairings: A great wine to meditate on! Best wish lean, roasted meats and game, aged cheeses or blue cheeses/roquefort, hearty soups, roasted vegetables.
