January 2024 Wine Club
Wine Club, January 2024
• Sandhi, Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021
• Domaine de la Cote, ‘Bloom’s Field’ Pinot Noir 2021
WINES
Wine Club Selections, January 2024
• Sandhi, Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021 (Santa Barbara County, California)
• Domaine de la Côte, ‘Blooms Field’ Pinot Noir 2019 (Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California)
The two wines featured in this month’s wine club are the result of my recent visit to Santa Barbara County, where I was visiting with some of the top producers and wineries in the area and learning more about this extraordinary wine region. My trip focused on the wines of the Sta. Rita Hills, just over 30 minutes from Santa Barbara. This is a magical place with a climate, terroir, and energy that is truly unique in the American viticultural landscape. I have read about the ‘transverse mountains’ (mountain ranges that run West-East instead of North-South) that define the general geography here, but standing on the high elevation vineyards here and feeling the cold breeze blowing through the corridor from the Pacific Ocean just 7-10 miles away really drives home both the challenges and the excitement of winemaking here.
These two wines are made by the same team of extraordinary winemakers and human beings: Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr. Together, they have become a true force in the winemaking industry, working hard on regenerative farming practices, and producing American wines that truly speak to terroir. Sashi is a classic winemaker who works on a number of projects, both with Raj and with other companies, that all have his stamp of authentic, honest, and precise winemaking. Raj was previously one of the world’s great sommeliers with a reputation as one of the best blind tasters anyone has ever seen. Together, they purchased the Domaine de la Côte Estate on the far western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills in 2013, after Sashi planted the vineyards in 2007 to select California heritage clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This vineyard area of just 40 acres sits on top of diatomaceous earth and silex that were formerly seabeds. This kind of soil provides distinct minerality to the wines here, and is different from the mostly sandy soils that cover Santa Barbara County and the Sta. Rita Hills. The diatomaceous earth pops in and out of very select vineyards and offers an immediate sensation on tasting. It is so cool here, that the temperature during the growing season for the 2023 vintage never got above 75ºF! The Sta. Rita Hills are fascinating in that for every one mile you progress inland (to the East), the high temperature rises 1º F. As the AVA itself is some 20 miles long from West-East, this results in vineyards with extraordinary climatic differences. Many of the vineyards on the far East edges will grow grapes ranging from Syrah and Grenache to traditional Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc as opposed to the Eastern sites that focus primarily on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
I fell in love with the energy of the wines here. They are bright, expressive, and have tremendous emotion behind them. I was able to visit and test at nearly a dozen estates, and the overall quality is extraordinary. That said, the wines of Domaine de la Côte are truly on another level and are some of the great wines made in the United States.
Sandhi, Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021
(Santa Barbara County, California)
100% Chardonnay
Drink: Now-2028
Serving temperature: 50º-55º
Food pairings: Fish, oysters, mussels, roast chicken, sautéed mushrooms, cheese, roast pork, salads
Domaine de la Côte, ‘Bloom’s Field’ Pinot Noir 2021
(Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California)
100% Pinot Noir
‘Bloom’s Field’ is one of the 6 single vineyards that make up the Domaine de la Côte property. It came to ‘fame’ through the 2014 film Somm III which created a blind tasting event pitting Pinot Noir from New World countries (USA, Australia, etc) agains classic Burgundian Pinots. The tasting panel selected the 2014 vintage of Bloom’s Field as the best of the best, tying for to marks with one of Burgundy’s most classic producers, Marquis d’Angerville. While this doesn’t mean it is the ‘best’ Pinot Noir in the world, what the film confirmed was that delicious, pure, and elevated Pinot Noir was being produced outside of the grape’s original home. Production here is miniscule with just 650 cases produced from this vineyard. The grapes undergo whole cluster fermentation and the wine is aged for 12 months in 30% new French oak. It is tremendous in every way and will absolutely improve with several more years in the bottle.
Drink: 2028-2035
Serving temperature: 54º-58º
Food pairings: Grilled or roasted meats, sauces with red fruit, Tandoori chicken, Salmon/Halibut, Sushi, Wild Mushrooms
December 2023 Wine Club
Wine Club, December 2023
• Joseph Drouhin, Savigny-Les-Beaune 2019
• Vilmart & Cie, Grand Cellier NV
WINES
Wine Club Selections, December 2023
• Joseph Drouhin, Savigny-Les-Beaune 2019, Burgundy, France
• Vilmart & Cie, Grand Cellier NV, Champagne, France
Joseph Drouhin, Savigny-Les-Beaune 2019, Burgundy, France
100% Pinot Noir
Drink: Now-2028
Serving temperature: 58º-60º
Food pairings: Lean meat, poultry, boeuf bourguignon, soft cheeses, fatty fish, mushrooms
Vilmart & Cie, Grand Cellier NV, Champagne, France
70% Chardonnay / 30% Pinot Noir
Drink: Now- 2030
Serving Temp: 40º-44º (fridge or cool cellar)
Food Pairings: Camembert and brie, fried chicken, oysters, almond cake, seafood, beef tenderloin
November Wine Club
Wine Club, November 2023
• Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2019
• Tommaso Bussola, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018
WINES
Wine Club Selections, November 2023
• Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo ‘Bussia’ 2019, Piemonte, Italy
• Tommaso Bussola, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018, Veneto, Italy
Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo 'Bussia' 2019, Piemonte, Italy
100% Nebbiolo
Founded in 1864, the Giacomo Fenocchio estate is among the oldest in Barolo. Their vineyards cover just 14 total hectares in the Langhe, with premiere Barolo sites in the crus of Castellero, Villero (Castiglione Falletto), Cannubi (Barolo), and Bussia (Monforte d'Alba). Stallworts of traditional winemaking, they exemplify the old school of Barolo and the wines often need considerable time in bottle to fully express themselves.
The famed 'Bussia' MGA is the most prestigious (and largest) cru in the Barolo zone of Monforte d'Alba. This southern edge of Barolo traditionally produces some of the most structured and powerful wines of the region. The 'Bussia' cru itself is actually best understood as a large site with many smaller single crus that make up the whole. Fenocchio's 5 hectares are in the the prestigious subzone of Bussia Sottana. The soil is classic Marl of Sant'Agata with a mix of clay and chalk and notable presence of iron. This is a wine that has become one the very top expressions of the Bussia vineyard, rivaling the great wines of Aldo Conterno and Mascarello.
The traditional process is intense at Giacomo Fenocchio. A long maceration without added yeast of 40 days leads to the strong tannins that fill the final wine. Aging of 30 months in large Slavonian oak casks of up to 50 hl, followed by maturation in bottle. This is a big wine! Deep garnet in color with a gorgeous aroma of spices, rose, and licorice. Very dry and full-bodied, the wine can be austere in its youth but has a long and persistent finish. It is classic Barolo in its desire for time, and patience will be rewarded. The 2019 Barolo vintage is sensational, and Pane e Vino received the only case of this wine in the state of Kansas. I am thrilled to share it with you.
Drink: If you open this wine now, you must let it breathe slowly for several hours. Best after 2030 and will age beautifully until at least 2045.
Serving temperature: 60º-64º F
Food pairings: Braised pork, grilled meat, prime rib, roast and stews, rich/hearty dishes and food with nice fat and salt content.
Tommaso Bussola, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018, Veneto, Italy
35% Corvina – 30% Corvinone - 30% Rondinella - 5% Molinara
If asked what wine I want to drink in the cold, dark days of winter, I will almost immediately respond joyously with the word, 'Amarone'. No wine on the planet has the richness, warmth, concentration, and intensity of a beautiful Amarone. Powerful, high in alcohol, and full of flavors and aromas ranging from cherry to chocolate to tobacco, they can be haunting and mesmorizing, and always put a smile on my face.
I visited the region once back in 2014, enjoying the opportunity to taste at arguably the greatest producer in the region, Giuseppe Quintarelli. He had passed a few years prior and I tasted with his son, enjoying some of the finest sips of wine I've ever had. Just prior to his passing, he was asked who would be the one to carry on and take the reins for the region. He replied instatnly with the name Tommaso Bussola. Bussola makes incredible wines with sustainable farming practices in the hills around Negrar, the central hub of the Valpolicella region.
Few wines are as complex and require as much effort to produce as Amarone. The grapes used in the wines of this region are Corvinone, Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. The most special part of the process, is that the wines under the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG are required to be made using the appasimento process. Producers will keep the top grapes on the vine for an extended period of time, concentrating the sugars and ripenss. After picking the grapes, usually near the end of October, the grapes are then laid in bins or on mats where they dry for 4 months. In this drying process, the grapes shrivel like raisings, losing up to 60% of their water content. This concentrates the sugars even more. In many cases, this process is used to make sweet wines such as Vin Santo. However, in Amarone, the wines are powerful and dry with some residual sugar. The dried grapes are taken in January and placed in tanks. After 15 days of maceration, fermentation is started and continues for a remarkable 50 days, during which the juice is pumped over and the cap is pressed and submerged multiple times. The resulting wine is drained and the gross lees (large yeast/sediment) is decanted off and the wine rests for a short period in stainless steel tanks. It is then moved into a mix of barrels, including used 500L tonneaux, 225L barriques, and 25HL botti where it ages for 4 years! Finally, the wine is bottled and stored for another 6 months before release. The resulting wine, because of the high sugar content, is almost always between 15%-17% abv—among the highest alcohol levels of any wine.
Amarone is special wine that lends itself beautifully to fatty foods that like sauces with fruit such as duck and lamb. It is also brilliant with a fatty ribeye. These are wines that can be incredibly meditative and should be enjoyed slowly, and are especially magical by a warm fire shared with those you love.
Drink: Can drink now or hold for 15 years.
Serving Temp: Amarone is best served slightly warmer than most other wines at around 65ºF. If serving from the cellar, let it warm in the glass.
Food Pairings: Duck, lamb, fatty steaks, cheese, chocolate. Works wonderfully in conjunction with cherry or balsamic glazes/syrups.
December Wine Club
Wine Club, December 2022
Pax, 2021 Lyman Ranch Chenin Blanc, Amador County, CA
Poliziano, 2019 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
Aldo Conterno, 2018 Barolo ‘Bussia’, Piemonte, Italy
WINES
2021 Pax, Lyman Ranch Chenin Blanc, Amador County, CA
2019 Poliziano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
2018 Aldo Conterno, Barolo ‘Bussia’, Piemonte, Italy
PAX
2021 Lyman Ranch Chenin Blanc, Amador County, CA
Chenin Blanc (100%)
Pax Mahle has been producing some of the most well-crafted and thoughtful wines in California for over two decades. His eponymous winery in Sebastopol has become one of America’s most celebrated homes for Northern-Rhône-style Syrah, and his work with grapes ranging from Chenin Blanc, to Gamay, to Trousseau have produced some of the most interesting and exciting wines I have enjoyed over the last two years. There is a certain lack of pretension to all of Pax’s wines. The winery itself is a warehouse that is actually a cooperative. About 5 different winemakers use the site to age and produce wines, all in a similar natural style. Grapes tend to be harvested slightly underripe to preserve acidity and keep alcohol levels lower. Fermentations and winemaking are all natural on native yeasts and the vineyards are tended organically. His Chenin Blancs are bright, racy, and filled with a charm that is sure to leave a smile!
Grown in red granitic soils at 1400’within Amador County, this warm mountainous site grows a unique expression of Chenin Blanc. The ferrous soils and exposure ripen these thick-skinned golden grapes quickly and with loads of tropical fruit. The cold foothill nights help the grapes retain their acidity and freshness and we pick early to balance the tropical fruit flavors with all that fresh alpine acidity. Apple, stone fruits, pear, and citrus fill the bouquet and the palate. A long finish and delightful opportunities to age (but why wait!)
Serve chilled (48º)
Drink: now-2026
Food pairings: Salads with goat cheese/fruit, fish, roast chicken, soft cheeses.
POLIZIANO
2019 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
Prugnolo Gentile (85-95%%) - Colorino/Canaiolo/Merlot (5%-15%)
Montepulciano is one of the most staggeringly exciting hill towns in all of Tuscany. Walking through its ancient arched gate leads up a steep and narrow road lined with shops holding some of the most beautiful wines, charcuterie, art, and leather products in the world. When you enter the top of the town, you are surrounded by a magnificent clock tower, the unfinished edifice of the ancient duomo, and beautiful music from the local conservatory. There are often a handful of Ferraris parked there to stare at as well! Poliziano is one of the oldest and among my very favorite wineries in the region. Still a family-owned estate, they make a range of wines including their classic Vino Nobile di Montepulciano along with several Super-Tuscans and a reserve Vino Nobile called ‘Asinone’. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is the regions answer to Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico. Based on the Sangiovese grape (called Prugnolo Gentile in Montepulciano), the wines are aged 12-18 months in oak (traditionally larger barrels or used oak), and released to market. They tend to drink beautifully anytime during their first 8 years, but have wonderful potential for aging in great vintages—especially the riservas.
This is classic Sangiovese with beautiful aromas of cedar spice, cherry, plums, and herbs, bright acidity, and ripe, juicy fruit on the palate. Absolutely delicious by itself, or enjoy it with anything from burgers to pizza, steaks, fish, cheese, or any number of pasta dishes. This is a wine for pure enjoyment!
Serve at 60º
Drink: now-2030
ALDO CONTERNO
2018 Barolo ‘Bussia’, Piemonte, Italy
Nebbiolo (100%)
Aldo Conterno is among the greatest of the traditional Barolo producers. Their magnificent estate in Monforte d’Alba overlooks the prized single vineyard cru called Bussia. Among the largest crus in Barolo, this vineyard site sits on a bed of clay and calcareous soil that is particularly rich in iron. The wines here can be incredibly powerful and have extremely long aging potential. In a vineyard of Bussia’s size, there are a number of variations in quality. Being one of the oldest producers here, Conterno’s vines are located in the very best sub-sections of the Bussia Cru. In the map below, you will see that there are many sub-crus located inside the larger Bussia. Among these are the Granbussia, Bussia Soprano, Colonnelo, Cicala, and Romirasco, all located in the corner of the vineyard, at the point where the most intense soils come together, and having perfect south/southwest exposure. Conterno makes small bottling from each of the five mentioned sub-crus, but also makes a ‘traditional’ Barolo which uses grapes from each of the 5 subcrus and is called simply ‘Bussia’. This is still a single vineyard cru, but takes the best bits from all of these slightly smaller vineyard areas. Traditional barolos were always made blending vineyards from around the region into a single wine. The single vineyard movement did not begin until the 1970s. Conterno’s use of smaller vineyards inside the larger area remains traditional in the fact that all of his vines are located in this one magical spot!
Following harvest, the grapes are fermented for nearly 30 days in stainless steel before aging in large Slavonian oak barrels for 26 months and another year in bottle at the estate before release. This is beautiful fruit from a gorgeous vintage. Barolo is a wine for patient people. It is extremely powerful with big tannins and powerful acidity—among the reasons for its incredible longevity. On tasting, I was blown away by the depth of flavor in this wine even in its youth. While it is truly delicious now, you will be rewarded by waiting another few years to enjoy this bottle (or come in and buy a second bottle to hold onto!). Rich plums, figs, and dark cherries mingle with aromas of sweet tobacco, roses, and wet asphalt. The tannins coat your mouth and are absorbed by the acid as the wine pulses through the palate and down your throat. The lingering flavors last for many seconds and make your eyes roll back in your head as you contemplate how lucky you are to enjoy wines this beautiful.
Serve at 60ºF. The wine will open up beautiful over several hours in the bottle or in the glass.
Drink: 2025-2040.
Food pairings: Braised beef, roast duck, lamb, pepper-crusted ribeye, cheese, mushroom/truffles, pastas with hearty ragú or even rich cream sauces.
