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.
March Wine Club
Wine Club, March 2023
Lopez de Heredia, Viña Tondnia Reserva, 2011
Clos du Val, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019
Château Pégau, Cuvée Maclura, 2020
WINES
2011 Lopez de Heredia, Viña Tondonia, Reserva, La Rioja, Spain
2021 Clos du Val, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
2020 Château Pégau, ‘Cuvée Maclura’, Côtes-du-Rhône, France
LOPEZ DE HEREDIA
2011 Viña Tondonia, Reserva, La Rioja, Spain
Tempranillo (70%) – Garnacho (20%) – Graciano/Mazuelo (10%)
Over the past 3 months, we have offered the full range of wines from Lopez de Heredia, featuring their 2014 'Cubillo' Crianza, 2011 'Bosconia' Reserva, and finally their prestige wine, the 2011 'Viña Tondonia'. For over 145 years, this estate has been a benchmark in La Rioja and the wine is now made by Maria Lopez de Heredia, the great-great-grandaughter of the estate's founder. All of the wines here are magical and absolutely traditional. Fermentation is done in 140+ year old wood vats, and aging takes place for extended periods of time in American oak barrels which are made in the estate's own cooperage. The 'Viña Tondonia' is their prestigious single vineyard located at a bend in the Ebro river just on the edge of Haro, the center for wine production in La Rioja and a few hundred meters from the estate itself. The soil here is a mix of alluvial sand and limestone with lots of poplar trees, dotted with square plots of vines growing as 'gobelets' (individual plants/bushes rather than vines tied to a trellis system).
The Tondonia vineyard is the source for all of the fruit for the estate's top wines, including the rare Gran Reservas which have only been produced 20 times in 140 years, despite the estate's aging regimen that technically makes all of their wines Gran Reservas. The general rule for a Gran Reserva wine in La Rioja is that it much undergo at least 5 years of total aging, with a minimum of 2 years in oak. The standard is 3 years in oak and 2 years of bottle aging. Following the fermentation in the oak vats on wild/native yeasts, ‘Viña Tondonia’ ages for an incredible 6 years in American oak barrels allowing for a slow oxidative process to develop an incredible depth of flavor and aroma in the wine, plus additional time in bottle in the estate’s cellars. Each year, the wine is racked twice meaning it is moved from one barrel to another, and there is traditional fining done using egg whites that help to bind large particles that can be easily filtered out. This aging protocol is remarkable and is one of the things that contributes to the very long life and ageability of the ‘Viña Tondonia’. As a point of reference, the Gran Reserva when it is made, ages for 10 years in oak barrels and might stay at the estate for another 5 or 10 before release! The 2011 vintage is the CURRENT release for the Tondonia Reserva.
I adore this wine for its depth and incredible warmth. It always feels special to enjoy it with friends, whether sipping alone or with some grilled/smoked meat, charcuterie, or aged cheese. I recently had the opportunity to share a bottle of 1991 Tondonia Reserva around a fire pit with a cigar (a very rare thing for me) and new friends and it was nothing short of extraordinary.
Like all red wines from La Rioja, the primary grape here is Tempranillo blended and supported by the other primary red grapes of the region Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. Tempranillo is famous for its red fruit profile and outstanding acidity and tannic structure. The aging in American oak lends these wines hallmark aromas of coconut and dill that bring a fantastic roundness to the other sweet spices that come from the extended aging. You will not find the powerful vanilla notes here as the barrels are all well-used. Instead, the wines fruit profile turns more to dried and dessicated instead of ripe and we note a pronounced sense of earthiness, dried flowers, smoke, tobacco, leather, and game qualities. This is definitely a wine for meditation that can be perfectly enjoyed today or held for 30 years in good conditions. I encourage you to take an opportunity and purchase extra bottles to keep in the cellar. Enjoy one now, and taste others as the wine continues to develop. You will not be disappointed!
Serve just above cellar temperature 58º-62ºF
Drink: will drink beautifully right now but will continue to age for at least 30 years.
Food pairings: see above
CLOS DU VAL
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
One of the most historic estates in Napa Vally, Clos du Val produces classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignon in the Stags Leap District. Founded in 1972, the estate was founded, and the inaugural 1972 vintage was among the 6 California red wines selected for the famous 'Judgment of Paris' Blind Tasting held in 1976. This benchmark wine sets a standard against which other Cabernet Sauvignons continue to be measured. The wine is an expression of the French influences here, featuring Cabernet Sauvignon blended with small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Aged for 16 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak, the wine exemplifies what I consider 'classic' Napa Valley style: ripe black fruit along with notes of plum and blueberries; freshness and acidity alongside the firm tannins rather than just jamminess; touches of cedar, baking spice, and savory herbs. I love this producer and think these wines are delicious now, but will continue to improve for a few years and drink beautifully for at least a decade.
Serve at 60º-65º F
Can drink now but best after 2024. Hold 10-20 years.
Food Pairing: Big wines call for big food. Steak, juicy burgers, grilled vegetables. This wine can also go with slightly leaner meats like pork chops or rack of lamb.
CHÂTEAU PÉGAU
2020 ‘Cuvée Maclura’, Côtes-du-Rhône, France
Grenache (60%) / Syrah (20%) / Mourvedre (10%) / Cinsault (10%)
Château Pégau and Domaine du Pégau produce some of the most storied wines in France's Southern Rhône Valley. This region is the home of some the world's finest Grenache, primarily used in the famous GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) Blends of the Côtes-du-Rhône and the mighty Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate is operated by Laurence Ferrand, the daughter of the founder. Wines are all organic and made with a special care and attention. The purchase of Château Pégau was recent (2012) and it is there that they produce their Côtes-du-Rhône and Rosé wines. The Domaine du Pégau, where the Châteauneuf is made, is like walking into your neighbors home-brew operation in the garage. The caveau is located on a side street in the town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and when I visited in 2011, an old Frenchman in a white tank top met us, smoking a cigarette. We then enjoyed a tasting of some truly astonishing wines, and the domaine has been one of my favorites ever since. While the estates premiere wines are the three profound Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées (2 of which are on the menu here), their Côtes-du-Rhône are among the best everyday wines of the region. The 'Cuvée Maclura' is a blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (20%), Mourvèdre (10%), and Cinsault (10%). It has a very generous nose and the ripeness of the fruit is evident immediately. Aromas of cassis and licorice are met on the palate by smooth tannins. The wine is fresh with a bright 'aliveness' and is fermented on natural yeasts, entirely whole-cluster, and aged for one year in a neutral tank rather than oak.
Serve at 60ºF.
Drink: Drink now - will hold for 3-5 years
Food pairings: bacon, grilled meats, creamy cheeses, barbecue
February Wine Club
Wine Club, February 2023
Lopez de Heredia, Viña Bosconia 2011
Trombetta, ‘Gap’s Crown’ Pinot Noir 2014
Pax, Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah 2021
WINES
2011 Lopez de Heredia, Viña Bosconia, Reserva, La Rioja, Spain
2014 Trombetta Family Wines, ‘Gap’s Crown’ Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma
2021 Pax, Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah, Sonoma
LOPEZ DE HEREDIA
2011 Viña Bosconia, Reserva, La Rioja, Spain
Tempranillo (80%) – Garnacho (10%) – Graciano (5%) – Mazuelo (5%)
It is not an exaggeration to say that Lopez de Heredia is among the most important and historic wine producers not only in Spain, but in the entire world. They have been the model for traditional Rioja wines for over 140 years, producing some of the most historic, age worthy, and magical wines on the planet. Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael de Heredia, the estate is now run by his great granddaughters Maria-José (who is also the winemaker) and Mercedes, and has always been family owned and operated. So many things about this producer are truly unique:
They only estate fruit for their wines (most producers in La Rioja purchase fruit from growers or lease land for their grapes).
All of their wines are single vineyard ‘crus’, not blends from different parts of the region.
Aging protocols go far beyond the standards for Spanish DO laws.
All of their wines, including the whites, are fermented in LARGE oak vats as old as 130 years which are continually maintained and repaired by the estates own coopers.
They age all of their wines exclusively in American oak, and for extended periods of time. All of the oak barrels are built in the estates own cooperage which produces some 30,000 new barrels each year!
While the two white wines, Tondonia and Gravonia, are among the rarest and most transcendent whites on the planet, their three red wines represent the model for traditional Rioja winemaking. These three wines, Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosconia, and Viña Cubillo, offer a deep look into the role of time in winemaking and wine enjoyment. In La Rioja, red wines are generally aged to result in one of three designations: Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. These indications are a guide to how the wines were aged, and typically explain not only pricing, but quality and longevity. The aging standards for the La Rioja DO are:
Crianza: Minimum 1 year in oak / 2 years total aging
Reserva: Minimum 1 year in oak / Minimum 6 months in bottle / 3 years total aging (typically 2 years in oak and 1 in bottle)
Gran Reserva: Minimum 2 years in oak / minimum 2 years in bottle / 5 years total aging (typically 3 years in oak and 2 in bottle)
Lopez de Heredia ages ALL of their red wines to nearly a Gran Reserva level, but the only wine they put the ‘Gran Reserva’ label on is the Viña Tondonia, and they have only done so 20 times in 140 years! This kind of quality control and desire for a recognition of the truly great vintages makes them incredibly unique in the entire wine world. The Viña Tondonia will regularly spend 5 years aging in wood before spending more time in bottle at the estate prior to release.
Last month, you received the 2014 Viña Cubillo Crianza. The 2011 Viña Bosconia is another single vineyard offering that enjoys an even longer aging in American oak (5 years). Like all of the Heredia wines, the wine is fermented in giant 140+ year-old wood barrels! As wines from Lopez de Heredia age, they take on more earthy notes and hallmark cigar box and dried flowers are present. Outstanding with smoked meat, aged cheeses, or just outside by the firepit!
Serve just above cellar temperature 58º-62ºF
Drink: will drink beautifully right now but will continue to age for at least 10 years.
Food pairings: see above
Trombetta Family Wines
2014 ‘Gap’s Crown’ Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap AVA, Sonoma County, California
Pinot Noir (100%)
Trombetta Family Wines is a fantastic small producer run by the mother-daughter team of Rickey Trombetta and Erica Stancliff. These are wines that express the beauty of cool-climate California Pinot Noir with absolute precision and elegance. Erica Stancliff has acted as head winemaker since 2014 and is a rising star in the California wine industry. Trombetta produces wine from some of the best vineyards in the Petaluma Gap AVA which is a pristine West-East trough in the Coastal Range that draws cool air from the Pacific Ocean. The AVA was officially established in 2017 and is in the southern part of Sonoma County, just 25 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge. These cool winds help the area to have a dramatic diurnal temperature range that can swing 50º in a single day. The area is known mostly for tremendous Pinot Noir, especially at the ‘Gap’s Crown’ vineyard. This vineyard of just over 100 acres is home to some of the greatest Pinot Noirs in all of California.
Serve at 60º F
Drink now or hold for up to 10 years.
Food Pairing: delicious with salmon, duck, lamb, lean red meat, roasted carrots, mushrooms, earthy cheese
PAX
2021 Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah, Sonoma, California
Syrah (100%)
What can I say about this wine, but ‘Yay’! This has been one of my favorites since I first experienced their 100-point 2017 version. The new 2021 vintage has already garnered great praise, with 98-point reviews, and incredible press from critics and sommeliers alike. Pax Mahle makes wines that are just special. His Syrahs are new-world representation of the great Syrahs from the Northern Rhône Valley. Grapes are typically picked slightly underripe which helps to boost the acid and keep the alcohol levels lower than what might be expected from California Syrah. Entirely made with whole-cluster fermentation, and crushed using the traditional pied-de-cuvée (the foot stomp!), there is an incredible complexity to this wine. The Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah is a blend of several of Pax’s top single vineyards and produces a classic and exciting example of the grape. Rich and earthy, with notes of black olives, wild game, black pepper, leather, smoke, sweet cigar, and a gorgeous mix of blackberry, blueberry, and plum. Aromas of purple flowers round it out and the rich body is cut by the bright acid that lifts the wine as it crosses the palate. This is a delicious wine now, but will continue improving for 10-20 years.
Serve at 60ºF.
Drink: now-2040
Food pairings: pepper-crusted steak, tapenade, smoked meat, barbecue, hearty stews
January Wine Club
Wine Club, January 2023
Lopez de Heredia, Viña Cubillo, 2014
Caparzo, Brunello di Montalcino 2017
Chateau Musar, Rouge 2016
WINES
2014 Lopez de Heredia, Viña Cubillo, Crianza, La Rioja, Spain
2017 Caparzo, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany
2016 Chateau Musar, Rouge, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
LOPEZ DE HEREDIA
2014 Viña Cubillo, Crianza, La Rioja, Spain
Tempranillo (65%) – Garnacho (25%) – Graciano/Mazuelo (10%)
It is not an exaggeration to say that Lopez de Heredia is among the most important and historic wine producers not only in Spain, but in the entire world. They have been the model for traditional Rioja wines for over 140 years, producing some of the most historic, age worthy, and magical wines on the planet. Founded in 1877 by Don Rafael de Heredia, the estate is now run by his great granddaughters Maria-José (who is also the winemaker) and Mercedes, and has always been family owned and operated. So many things about this producer are truly unique:
They only estate fruit for their wines (most producers in La Rioja purchase fruit from growers or lease land for their grapes).
All of their wines are single vineyard ‘crus’, not blends from different parts of the region.
Aging protocols go far beyond the standards for Spanish DO laws.
All of their wines, including the whites, are fermented in LARGE oak vats as old as 130 years which are continually maintained and repaired by the estates own coopers.
They age all of their wines exclusively in American oak, and for extended periods of time. All of the oak barrels are built in the estates own cooperage which produces some 30,000 new barrels each year!
While the two white wines, Tondonia and Gravonia, are among the rarest and most transcendent whites on the planet, their three red wines represent the model for traditional Rioja winemaking. These three wines, Viña Tondonia, Viña Bosconia, and Viña Cubillo, offer a deep look into the role of time in winemaking and wine enjoyment. In La Rioja, red wines are generally aged to result in one of three designations: Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. These indications are a guide to how the wines were aged, and typically explain not only pricing, but quality and longevity. The aging standards for the La Rioja DO are:
Crianza: Minimum 1 year in oak / 2 years total aging
Reserva: Minimum 1 year in oak / Minimum 6 months in bottle / 3 years total aging (typically 2 years in oak and 1 in bottle)
Gran Reserva: Minimum 2 years in oak / minimum 2 years in bottle / 5 years total aging (typically 3 years in oak and 2 in bottle)
Lopez de Heredia ages ALL of their red wines to nearly a Gran Reserva level, but the only wine they put the ‘Gran Reserva’ label on is the Viña Tondonia, and they have only done so 20 times in 140 years! This kind of quality control and desire for a recognition of the truly great vintages makes them incredibly unique in the entire wine world. The Viña Tondonia will regularly spend 5 years aging in wood before spending more time in bottle at the estate prior to release.
In the case of this month’s wine, the Viña Cubillo, we are enjoying a remarkable wine that, while labeled a ‘crianza’, ages for 2 years in oak barrels and 2 more in bottle at the estate, making it almost eligible for Gran Reserva status. That said, this 2014 vintage is the CURRENT RELEASE from the estate. The use of old, neutral barrels for this extended period of time helps to produce an amazing earthiness in the wine, combined with beautiful acid and riper fruit components than in the Bosconia or Tondonia. Their are amazing elements of tobacco, dried citrus, and lovely hints of coconut and dill from the oak. This is a wine that can be sipped on alone or enjoyed with any kind of meat from pork to smoked meats or grilled steaks. Some Manchego, olives, jamon, and a cigar wouldn’t be bad either!
Serve just above cellar temperature 58º-62ºF
Drink: will drink beautifully right now but will continue to age. Open this one up soon and come back for more!
Food pairings: see above
CAPARZO
2017 Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Sangiovese Grosso (100%)
Brunello di Montalcino is to Tuscany what Barolo is to Piemonte. In great vintages, Brunello can be one of the world’s most dynamic and age-worthy wines living easily 50 years and beyond. It is also remarkably diverse in style and in variation from vintage to vintage as it is so receptive to different soils, elevations, aspects, and weather. That said, it is, in my opinion, among the most consistent wines/regions for high quality year-in, year-out provided you select wines from the esteemed and historic producers of the region. I am never disappointed in a Brunello, and more often than not, I am enthralled.
Montalcino is a small hill town in Tuscany, about 40 minutes south of Siena. The hills that surround this tiny hamlet hold some 250 wineries in an area of about 90 square miles, of which only 15% is planted to vines. The city of Topeka is just over 60 square miles for a frame of reference. The places where vines grow best are thick with them, rolling up and down slopes facing every direction, all protected in the south by Monte Amiata, a large extinct volcano on which locals can ski in the winter! The soils in Montalcino are extremely varied because they were formed over a number geological ages. The bottoms parts of the hills and valleys tend be loose and sandy, while as you climb, you encounter dense stony bits from decomposed marl (clay) and limestone. These higher parts reach elevations as high 650m, while the lower vineyards are at 120m. This range produces wide swings in ripeness and acidity as the combination of heat and wind can change the constitution of a grape significantly. All of that simply means that, as with most real estate, location matters a great deal. While their is not one ‘best’ site for Brunello, each corner of the region tends to produce a certain style, from the more powerful high elevation wines near Sant’Antimo in the south of the region to the more floral and earthy profile of wines on the north side of the town of Montalcino itself. Many producers will actually have vineyards located in different parts of the region so that they can blend them together and create a wine with all elements. This is what happens in the green label Brunello of Caparzo.
While Caparzo makes a few single-vineyard bottlings from around their property, their base Brunello (the green label) is a tremendous example of classic Brunello style. All Brunello di Montalcino is produced from 100% Sangiovese grapes, locally called Sangiovese Grosso from the clone created by Biondi-Santi in the 1850s. This is a slightly larger version of Sangiovese than we find in Chianti Classico and helps producer richer, more powerful wines. Sangiovese here can be quite tannic and produces higher alcohol wines than in other parts of Tuscany. The hallmark acidity of the grape is its ‘super power’ as this balances the wines and gives them the energy to have such amazing aging potential. In order to be called a Brunello, the wines must age for a minimum of 5 years, of which at least 2 years must be in barrels. Barrels can range from the traditional large Slavonian oak barrels (as big as 5000L) to small French oak barriques of just 250L. This is one of the differences in traditional vs. modern winemaking in this region (and throughout Italy in general).
Caparzo’s Brunello di Montalcino ages in a mix of these larger and smaller barrels for 2-3 years, then is bottled and rests in the cellars until its release. This is classic Brunello with a ruby color and hints of garnet, aromas of cherry and wild berries, firm tannins, bright acidity, and a persistent finish that changes as the wines sits in the glass. A delicious introductory wine to the region and a longtime personal favorite for its incredible quality and value.
Serve at 60-65ºF
Can drink now - will continue improving over the next 7-10 years and will hold for 15
Food pairings: roast meats, game, hard cheese, pasta
CHATEAU MUSAR
2016 Rouge, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Cabernet Sauvignon (33%) – Carignan (33%) – Cinsault (33%)
Amazing wine from Lebanon you ask???? ABSOLUTELY! Chateau Musar is absolutely legendary. Founded in 1930, Chateau Musar is among the leading estates in this incredible country, not well-known in the West for its amazing tradition of winemaking. Wine in the region dates back to Biblical times, and one of the best preserve Roman temples in the world, dedicated to Bacchus, is located in the area. Situated at an average altitude of 1000m above sea level, the Bekaa Valley is the heart of Lebanese wine country. Wines here are noted for their elegance, acidity, and freshness. A mix of Bordeaux varietals, notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Rhône varietals such as Carignan, Cinsault, and Grenache, and ancient native grapes make up the bulk of Lebanese wine production.
Chateau Musar has been the leading wine on the export market for several decades. These wines are famous for their longevity and their value. Among my favorite wine memories include drinking 25 year old bottles of Chateau Musar that still taste youthful and alive. The 2016 vintage is a gorgeous wine that slowly opens up over time in the glass or in a decanter. The black fruit aromas mingle with fantastic notes of cedar, figs, mint, and a full cabinet of spices. Open it early and enjoy it with a peppery steak, spicy hummus, olives, herb-crusted lamb, or even on its own!
Serve at 60ºF. Decant or pour 30 minutes to 2 hours prior to dinner. Or enjoy from the glass slowly over the evening.
Drink: now-2040.
Food pairings: See above
