July Wine Club
Wine Club, June 2023
Smith-Madrone, Riesling 2018
Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, 2021
La Rioja Alta, ‘Viña Ardanza’ Reserva 2016
WINES
2018 Smith-Madrone, Riesling, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, California
2021 Marcel Lapierre, Morgon, Beaujolais, France
2016 La Rioja Alta, ‘Viña Ardanza’ Reserva, La Rioja, Spain
SMITH-MADRONE
2018 Riesling, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, California
100% Riesling
For more information on Smith-Madrone, please read our June Wine Club post to learn a bit about this iconic producer. However, I will say here that I am overjoyed that these wines are now available in the State of Kansas! Smith-Madrone has been a ‘darling’ for sommeliers for over 30 years, but most people outside of California and few other markets are relatively unfamiliar with this producer. And while I am a huge fan of their Cabernet Sauvignon, it is really this Riesling that sets Smith-Madrone apart.
Riesling is perhaps the most under appreciated varietal in the United States. The assumption from the general public that it is always sweet and lacks depth and complexity is simply a falsehood. Riesling is one of the world’s noble grapes and is maybe the most exciting varietal in the world for sommeliers when it comes to food and wine pairing. While Germany is regarded as the home of Riesling, there are hamlets around the world where the grape also has incredible success. Napa Valley rarely gets spoken of as one of these places. However, Smith-Madrone, who planted their Riesling vines in their beginning along with Cabernet Sauvignon, is the great exception. This Riesling is completely dry and filled with depth, minerality, finesse, and fantastic persistence. Present is the characteristic Riesling acid, but here we also see ripe and sweet citrus notes ranging from lemons to oranges, and beautiful floral aromas. The 2018 vintage is the current release for this wine and it is built for a long life!
Serve at 45º-48º
Can drink now, BUT…. Riesling has tremendous aging potential because of its fantastic acidity. This wine has the potential to develop for as long as 20-30 years….my advice–drink this bottle and then buy a lot more to keep in your cellar!
Food pairings: all the classic white wine dishes are great here from salads to seafood. Also - pork tenderloin, roast chicken, sushi, oysters, clam chowder.
MARCEL LAPIERRE
2021 Morgon, Beaujolais, France
100% Gamay
It is possible that the wines of Marcel Lapierre are my favorite in the world. They are just so damn delicious and so versatile! Marcel Lapierre is part of a generation of French winemakers that started the natural wine revolution in the 1970s. Their understanding of the importance of a diverse ecosystem to provide nutrients and energy to the vines, and then the ability to the grapes and wine evolve naturally with limited intervention from manmade chemicals seems obvious. However, it requires commitment and precision both in the vineyard and in the cellar to make wines of quality and character while limiting the use of chemicals and manmade compounds. One of the issues with the ‘natural wine movement’ is that too many winemakers us the marketing opportunities of the ‘natural’ moniker while not having the raw materials or skills to truly make outstanding wine. These include the right sites, high-quality and/or old vines, and exceptional, clean, and scientifically-sound wine making. At Marcel Lapierre, all of these issues are moot.
Located in the Beaujolais village of Morgon, one of the 10 Crus of the Beaujolais Appellation, Marcel Lapierre has vineyards with the best exposition, vines averaging 45 years in age, and a cellar that is pristine. Their wines, made with 100% Gamay grapes as required by the AOC, are among the most structured and expressive of all of Beaujolais.
A word on Beaujolais
The wines of Beaujolais have been maligned in much of the world by the marketing phenomenon that was and is Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is the quickly made and released wine that hits the market on the 3rd Thursday of November each year, from grapes harvested just a few months prior. These wines, candied and filled with bubblegum notes, are not the wines that exemplify Beaujolais or the noble Gamay grape. Rather, the wines from the 10 cru villages (Saint. Amour, Juliénas, Fleurie, Chenas, Moulin-a-Vent, Chiroubles, Morgon, Brouilly, Côtes-de-Brouilly, Régnié) raise Gamay to its fullest potential as a fine wine with tremendous fruit, spice, finesse, and depth. These are some of the most food-friendly red wines on the planet and are pure happiness in a glass.
The Morgon of Marcel Lapierre is now made by his son Matthieu and daughter Camille who follow in their father’s footsteps, making wines with organic farming practices in the vineyard and natural, non-interventionist techniques in the cellar. The final wines are bottles with either very low or zero sulfite additions, no added sugars, and no filtration. The grapes are brought to winery where the whole clusters are placed in large oak vats to begin the alcoholic fermentation. However, in Beaujolais, this is done by Carbonic Maceration—a process in which the tanks are sealed and a layer of CO2 forms above the clusters as the weight of the bunches presses the grapes slowly. Following the fermentation, the clusters are slowly crushed and the juice is moved into used wood barrels for 12 months aging. The wine is bottled with no sulfur addition (or very minimal in the case of some of the exported wine) and held at the winery before release. The final wine is an example of some of the most delicious, and interesting wine on the planet. Full of red fruits that range from sour cherry, to raspberry, to strawberry, spices from cinnamon to cardamum, and a range of floral, earthy, and mineral notes. The combination of bright acid and fine tannins make give the wine a beautiful mouthfeel and long, finish.
On my visit to the estate in June 2023, I observed a winery and community of people with a spirit and joy for the wines, the earth, and hospitality. Our tasting included not only the low-sulfite Morgon, but also the zero sulfite version which was fascinating to taste side by side. In addition, we enjoyed their special cuvées including the single vineyard wine from the Côte-du-Py and a 2010 Morgon. I simply love everything this wine is. It does not pretend. It just is…delicious.
Serve at 55º-58º - you can actually chill this wine a touch if you like but it is definitely best at cellar temp or a little below.
Drink now or hold up to 10 years.
Food Pairing: Everything! This wine goes with any fish (especially fatty fish like salmon) and ranges all the way to chicken, roast pork, lamb, tenderloin steaks, burgers, pizza, hard/soft cheese, and more!
LA RIOJA ALTA
2016 ‘Viña Ardanza’ Reserva
80% Tempranillo, 20 % Grenache
La Rioja Alta produces some of the most exciting wines in all of Spain. Located in Haro, the capital of the Rioja DO (Denominacion de Origen) La Rioja Alta creates a perfect balance between tradition and modernity in the region. The dominant grape in the region, as in Ribera del Duero, is Tempranillo—spicy, high acid, and complex. As is customary here, the wines are aged in American oak which provides hallmark aromas of coconut and dill that support the fruit and mineral structure of the wines. The region’s warmth helps produce wines of richness and ripeness, while the cooling breezes that enter the Ebro valley help support the acid that gives the wines their longevity.
In the Rioja, wines are traditional identified by three markers for the amount of time they age in oak barrels. They are:
Crianza: aged a minimum of 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottle (2 years total required) before release
Reserva: aged a minimum of 12 months in oak and 6 months in bottle (3 years total required) before release
Gran Reserva: aged a minimum of 24 months in oak and 24 months in bottle (5 years total required) before release
La Rioja Alta’s aging process goes beyond the required minimums, spending 36 months in oak for the Tempranillo and 30 months in oak for the Garnacha. The oak protocol at La Rioja Alta sets them in a more traditional camp, using 4-year old American oak barrels for the Tempranillo and 2nd or 3rd passage oak for the Garnache. What results here is a wine that is almost perfect on release with fantastic potential to age and develop.
The 2016 vintage was tremendous, and this wine is a showstopper right out of the bottle. A huge bouquet with spice and red fruit jumps out of the glass. Hints of cigar and smoked meat combine with lovely toast notes, cedar, and dried coconut. On the palate, the acid and tannin hit simultaneously, integrating with a rich and round mouthfeel. The finish is long with new flavors of earth and spice revealing themselves every second. As the wine ages, more and more of these earthy elements appear, revealing forrest floor, dried leaves, and cured meat.
Serve at 58º-65ºF
Drink now or hold up to 15 years.
Food Pairing: This wine begs for smoked and cured meat, hard cheeses, and anything off the grill.
May Wine Club
Wine Club, May 2023
Domaine du Pégau, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2020
Archery Summit, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021
WINES
2020 Domaine du Pégau, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, France
2021 Archery Summit, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
DOMAINE DU PEGAU
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Réservée
Grenache (80%) / Syrah (6%) / Mourvèdre (4%) / Other (10%)
Of all the world’s fine wines, my longest obsession has been with this of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Powerful, spicy, elegant, and decadent, these wines are among the most captivating in the world. While living in New York in 2002, the wines from this spectacular region were the very first I purchased for my own collection, and were the wines on the table at my first dates with my future wife.
The AOC of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a small area in France’s Southern Rhône Valley, and was the first French AOC established in 1936. The region is one of the most unique and historic in the world. Located just north of the Papal city of Avignon, the region’s name translates to ‘New Castle of the Pope’. In the 13th Century, the papacy moved briefly from the Vatican to Avignon, and the wines from ‘just north’ were favorites of the bishops. Today, this region covers just 10 square miles with around 7,500 acres of vines owned by just over 300 producers. Compare this with Napa Valley’s 45,000 acres of vines and you see how small and special this little area is! The wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are primarily blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, but there are actually 18 different grape varieties that are permitted for use in the region’s wines. Grenache is a dark skinned grape known for high alcohol content, and aromas of ripe red berries, plums, spices, herbs, white pepper, and leather. Syrah produces more purple-colored juice and offers black and blue fruits with notes of black pepper and chocolate. Mourvèdre, often used in smaller percentages, is another late-ripening and high-alcohol grape that adds blackberry aromas along with high tannins. The most common other grapes include Cinsault and Counoise, as well as the white grapes Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. The grapes are grown most often in so-called ‘bush vines’ where each plant acts like an individual tree with no trellising. Grapes are harvested by hand, and usually a mix of destemmed and whole-cluster fruit is used for fermentation. Aging takes place in a range of vessels from cement tanks, to small barriques, to traditional large barrels. The final blending is different from producer-to-producers and ranges from 100% Grenache in the case of the legendary Château Rayas, to blends of 3-4 grapes, to the blend of all 13 traditional varietals as is found in Château Beaucastel.
The most unique aspect of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is its legendary terroir. The soil here is a blend of dry sands, limestone and clay, and the famous galets stones—large rounded stones that cover entire vineyards with an iron-rich clay subsoil. These soils help to hold heat and moisture to allow the late-ripening varietals here to fully ripen, and force the vines to dig deep to reach the nutrient-rich sub-layers and water reserves that provide the incredible structure and minerality in the wines.
Domaine du Pegau is one of the most important producers in the region and is today operated by Laurence Féraud, the daughter of the estate’s founder. They make three distinct Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines: the classic Cuvée Réservée, aged in the traditional manner with large oak barrels and 2 years aging, a special Cuvée Laurence with 4 years aging, and their collectible cult-wine Cuvée da Capo that can cost over $1,000 per bottle and has only been produced 8 times. They also make of Côtes-du-Rhône wines and some Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. The estate is humble, and on my visit to CdP in 2011, we stumbled upon their cellar in the town of Châteauneuf which was essentially a garage on a side street. We strolled in for a tasting with a man smoking a cigarette and wearing a white tank top and were blown away at the quality of every wine—from the €4 vin de table to the Cuvée Laurence. This has been one of my favorite wine in the world ever since and I am thrilled to offer it to you!
This wine is from the tremendous 2020 vintage and features a blend of mostly Grenache (80%), with Syrah (6%), Mourvèdre (4%), and then 10% of the wine coming from the other minor grapes of CdP. The wine is whole-cluster fermented and then aged in large used foudres. A stunning Châteauneuf with tremendous power and spice, and rich, ripe red fruit and herbal notes.
Serve at 62º-65ºF
Can drink now, but will be best starting in 2025. Will be at its peak 2030-2040 and likely can be held all the way to 2050!
Food pairings: This is a big, spicy, and high alcohol wine so fatty foods are great, as is anything with a hint of grill smoke. Leaner meats when seasoned well with spicy herbs like oregano and rosemary or the full complement of herbs-de-provence. Rich stews like Boeuf Bourguignon work wonderfully as well. Big, slightly pungent cheeses also work wonderfully. The complexity of the wine requires depth and complexity in the food.
ARCHERY SUMMIT
2021 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir
I am very excited to offer that I will be the only place in Kansas that will carry Archery Summit for at least the next 4-6 months! I have worked very hard with the winery and the Kansas wholesaler to get the wines registered here, and have been given the entirety of the state’s small allocation for the time being, meaning just a few cases of this wine will likely be available, and I am thrilled to share these bottles with my club members!
Archery Summit has been among my favorite Oregon producers for nearly two decades. Not only do they make some the most objectively delicious and special pinot in the Willamette Valley, but they were one of the first wineries in Oregon that I visited many years ago. I have had opportunities to enjoy their wines on many occasions, including bottles with more than 20 years of age, and have found them to always be exciting and energizing wines. They have a certain depth and magic that sometimes is better felt than described! They remain one of three wineries that I personally belong to their wine club.
Archery Summit is located just outside of the town of Dundee in the heart of the Willamette Valley. The property rises up above the valley with a beautiful collection of vineyards with different aspect and elevations, both surrounding the Archery Summit estate and in the prestigious Arcus vineyard in the Eastern part of Dundee Hills AVA. The most dominant soil type in the Dundee Hills is the classic volcanic Jory soil. This soil is rich in iron and clay and has a deep reddish color. It gives Dundee Hills Pinots fantastic spice, beautiful cherry notes, and lots of minerality. The second soil we find is a sandy sedimentary soil that adds power and structure. The texture is like talcum-powder and it tends to be very dry, forcing vines to go very deep for nutrients and water. Wines from sedimentary areas tend to be more austere and can take a bit of extra aging or time to open up. Making wines like the Dundee Hills Pinot with a blend of both of these soil types gives us the best of both worlds.
The vineyard management and winemaking at Archery Summit is top-tier. The vineyards are truly spectacular in their beauty and are all farmed sustainably with LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) certification. In the cellar, the Dundee Hills Pinot is fermented in a mix of stainless steel, cement, and open-top tanks. 15% of the fruit is whole-clusters. Fermentation starts after a 4-5 day cold soak which helps to extract additional polyphenols and gives the wine its beautiful color and expressive mouthfeel. During fermentation, the wine is pumped over twice a day for the first half and then a combination of pumping over and pushing down of the cap is used to continue extracting color and tannin from the grapes and encouraging phenolic expression. The wine is pressed and aged for about 8 months in mostly used barrels, and then is racked and filtered, and finally bottled.
2021 was a magical vintage in the Willamette Vally and was much needed following the Oregon fires of 2020 that eliminated almost the entire Pinot Noir production. The 2021 vintage was marked by abnormally hot weather, including days reaching as high as 116ºF in parts of the area. The heat helped intensify the ripening of the grapes, and the vines were able to source fantastic water deep underground to survive. Because of the heat and dryness, ripening was early and harvest was a bit earlier. In addition, this limited yields focusing energy into the best bunches. What resulted were wines with fantastic ripeness that were buoyed by cold nights in September that preserved the essential acidity for great Pinot Noir.
The Archery Summit Dundee Hills Pinot is a standout and features a gorgeous nose with bright maraschino cherry notes mingled with cardamum, cocoa, and blossoms. On the palate, the fruit is ripe and elegant, with excellent acidity and a tannins that are fully integrated into every drop. The hallmark minerality and spice of the Jory soil lingers in the mouth on the finish, resulting in an almost perfect expression of Oregon Pinot Noir. This wine was recently awarded 97 points from Decanter and was one of 50 wines worldwide to be named Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards. This is a wine of pure pleasure that can be drunk now, or held for 10 years.
Serve at 58º-62º F
Drinking beautifully now. Will continue developing for 10 years.
Food Pairing: Soft cheeses, wild duck, roast pork or chicken, sous-vide tenderloin steaks, salmon in red wine sauce, chocolate-covered cherries.
November Wine Club
Wine Club, November 2022
Vilmart & Cie, Cuvée Rubis Brut Rosé NV, Champagne, France
2004, Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
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.
October Wine Club
Wine Club, October 2022
2017, Domaine de Pallus, ‘Les Pensees de Pallus’, Chinon, France
2006, Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
2018, Oddero, Barbaresco ‘Gallina’, Piemonte, Italy
WINES
2017 Domaine de Pallus, ‘Les Pensees de Pallus’, Chinon, France
2006 Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
2018 Oddero, Barbaresco ‘Gallina’, Piemonte, Italy
2017 DOMAINE DE PALLUS
’Les Pensees de Pallus’, Chinon, Loire Valley, France
Cabernet Franc (100%)
On the South bank of the Loire River and surrounding the tributary river the Vienne, Chinon represents the pinnacle of red wine production in the Loire Valley, and the home of some of the most classic and elegant Cabernet Franc wines in the world. Red wines from Chinon are 100% Cabernet Franc by law and exhibit the purity of this area’s soil and climate. While the climate here is slightly warmer and more continental than the coastal Loire regions, it is still a markedly cooler and drier area than the other major Cabernet Franc regions of the world, namely in Bordeaux, California, and Tuscany. This produces Cabernet Franc with typically higher acidity and more elegance/softer tannins. The wines can be truly beautiful and still have excellent aging potential from the top producers. As the parent grape of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, Cab Franc possesses natural pyrazine qualities (think bell pepper) that spread into both of these other grapes. Classic notes of red fruits, herbs, and gravelly minerality can often be found.
Domaine de Pallus cultivates 15 hectares of grand cru vineyard sites in the region, and Les Pensees de Pallus comes from one of the very top vineyards. Farmed biodynamically, the vines grow in soil comprised of sand and rocks rich in iron and calcareous clay. The wine has a slow fermentation and then ages 12 months in Burgundy barrels and another 6 months in concrete vats. This wine is incredibly expressive with gorgeous floral aromas mixing with the hallmark red fruits. Touches of Cabernet Franc’s hallmark ‘earthiness’ linger in the finish. The wine has wonderful aging potential. It drinks beautiful today and will continue to do so for another 10 years without problem!
Serve at cool room temperature/cellar temperature 55º-60ºF
Drink: 2022-2035
Food pairings: Pepper-crusted steak, salmon, game, grilled or roasted meats, or drink alone.
About the Loire Valley
Known primarily for its white wines, the Loire Valley stretches from the Atlantic Coast to the central plateau of France. The Loire is comprised of 4 large zones, within which are the communal designations for the major AOC level wines. Chinon is located in Touraine, as is Vouvray where some of the best Chenin Blanc is produced. Sancerre, home of the world’s great Sauvignon Blancs, is part of the Central Vineyards, and the magical Chenin Blanc’s of Savennières can be found in Anjou-Saumur. It is a region marked by historic and mesmerizing châteaux, fantastic seafood, and also the birthplace of Joan of Arc (Orléans).
2006 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. 2008 was an under-the-radar vintage for wines from Bordeaux squeezed in between the historic vintages of 2005 and 2009. The sunny and dry summer without extreme temperatures led to ripe and happy grapes that produced wines of elegance and subtlety rather than intensity and power. There is still plenty to grab your attention in this wine, though! Classic velvet-like tannins from the Merlot are bolstered by the earthiness of the Cabernet Franc and the color and structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of plum, blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, and notes of wet earth make the wine almost ‘Burgundian’. The wine is in the midst of a great period in its evolution and should continue aging well over the next decade.
Open at 60º-65ºF and let the wine interact with some oxygen or decant.
Drink: now-2030
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.
September Wine Club
Wine Club, September 2022
2020 Tenuta San Marzano, ‘Edda’ Bianco, Salento IGP
2008 Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux
2018 Tenuta di Biserno, ‘Il Pino’, Toscana IGT
WINES
2020 Tenuta San Marzano, ‘Edda’ Bianco, Salento IGP, Italy
2008 Château Gaby, Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
2018 Tenuta di Biserno, ‘Il Pino’, Toscana IGT, Italy
2020 TENUTA SAN MARZANO
’Edda’ Bianco, Salento IGP, Puglia, Italy
Chardonnay (60%) - Fiano (20%) - Wild Muscatel (20%)
Located around the Salento area in Puglia on the heel of Italy’s boot, Tenuta San Marzano produces fantastic wines from a range of grapes including both international and native Italian varietals. The ‘Edda’ Bianco is one of the most surprising and delightful Chardonnay-based wines to hit my tongue in the last two years. Bright, crisp, and full of surprising mineralogy, this wine is a very interesting and unique take on Chardonnay. The blending of local grapes like Fiano and Wild Muscatel help to provide the wildness and acidity that makes this wine such a special surprise. Four months aging in French oak and on the lees (the dead yeast cells leftover after the fermentation), the wine boasts a full-bodied mouthfeel and feels like a ripe melon in your mouth. Aromas of peaches, lemon, and dried apricots dance with light floral notes, ultimately mixing with soft and sweet spices and an expressive acidity. This sun-baked region of Southern Italy may not be known for Chardonnay, and while this is not a ‘classic’ Chardonnay in the Burgundian sense, it is a truly delightful sensory experience! It’s a favorite.
Serve chilled, around 50ºF
Drink: 2022-2025
Food pairings: Fish, roast chicken, cheese, complex salads or drink alone.
Puglia / Salento IGP
Salento is the larger area within Puglia that essentially makes up the entire heel of the boot of Italy. It is noted for its intense limestone soils and warm, sun-drenched mediterranean climate that give the regions wines incredible ripeness and mineralogy. As an IGP wine (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) and not a DOC/DOCG wine, producers are able to create wines from a wine range of grapes and in any number of styles from white and red to rosé or sparkling.
2008 CHÂTEAU GABY
Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, France
Merlot (80%) - Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) - Cabernet Franc (10%)
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. 2008 was an under-the-radar vintage for wines from Bordeaux squeezed in between the historic vintages of 2005 and 2009. The sunny and dry summer without extreme temperatures led to ripe and happy grapes that produced wines of elegance and subtlety rather than intensity and power. There is still plenty to grab your attention in this wine, though! Classic velvet-like tannins from the Merlot are bolstered by the earthiness of the Cabernet Franc and the color and structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of plum, blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, and notes of wet earth make the wine almost ‘Burgundian’. The wine is in the midst of a great period in its evolution and should continue aging well over the next decade.
Open at 60º-65ºF and let the wine interact with some oxygen or decant.
Drink: now-2030
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 TENUTA DI BISERNO
’Il Pino’, Toscana IGT, Italy
Merlot (38%) - Cabernet Franc (27%) - Petit Verdot (23%) - Cabernet Sauvignon (12%)
The landscape of wine in Tuscany is no doubt dominated by Sangiovese. In the 1960s and 70s, a group of winemakers began to change that with the creation of the ‘Super Tuscans’. These were wines that utilized international varietals, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc to create Bordeaux-styled wines in the unique soils and microclimates of Tuscany. While many of the wines incorporated native Italian varietals (including Sangiovese), others were pure Bordeaux-style blends. Such is the case with the ‘Il Pino’ from Tenuta di Biserno. Within view of the Thyrrhenian Sea and the island of Corsica on the west coast of Tuscany, Tenuta di Biserno’s wines are full of ripeness, minerality, and an incredible amount of depth and complexity. The soils here are a mix of ancient sea beds, iron-rich clay, and a volcanic base layer. While temperatures can be quite warm to hot in the summer, the proximity to the sea and the constant breezes help to provide moderation and keep a good level of acidity in the grapes while allowing them to get fully ripe every year. These elements contribute to the uniqueness of the Bordeaux varietals when they come from this part of the world. A beautiful ruby color introduces this wine. Powerful aromas of plum, cedar, tobacco, pepper, cherries, blackcurrants, and a bouquet of herbs erupt from the glass. On the palate, the spices are very present with the earthiness of the Cabernet Franc making itself known as well. Give this wine time to open and it is a showstopper. A long finish leaves one thirsting for another sip.
Serve at 60º-65ºF. Decanting is possible but let this wine mature slowly. Perhaps open an hour or two before service and enjoy a sip as you wait for dinner, or just slowly work through the bottle over a period of time, letting it change with each fresh pour.
Drink: best after 2024-2032 but excellent now with some time.
Food pairings: Rich and fatty meats on the grill, herb crusts, smoked and cured meat as well. This wine begs for food along with it.
