August Wine Club
Wine Club, August 2023
Contratto, Blanc de Blancs ‘Pas Dosé’ 2016
Carmelo Patti, Malbec 2018
Tenuta San Guido, ‘Guidalberto’ 2021
WINES
2016 Contratto, Blanc de Blancs ‘Pas Dosé’, Alta Langa DOCG
2018 Carmelo Patti, Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
2021 Tenuta San Guido, ‘Guidalberto’ 2021, Bolgheri DOC, Tuscany, Italy
CONTRATTO
Blanc de Blancs 'Pas Dosé' 2016, Alta Langa DOC, Italy
100% Chardonnay
Sadly, when asked about Sparkling Wine from Italy, most people are familiar with just Prosecco. While the wines of Prosecco are delicious, they are a far cry from the prestigious bubbles of Champagne and other parts of the world making wines following the 'Champagne Method'. In Italy, there are actually two regions which produce Sparkling Wine that must be made in the method champennois to qualify for DOC/DOCG status. The most famous of these is Franciacorta but perhaps the most exciting is the Alta Langa DOCG. Established as a DOCG in 2011, it was actually the first region in Italy to make traditional method sparkling wine back in the mid-19th century. The appellation name is reserved exclusively for the production of sparkling wine and stretches through the provinces of Cuneo, Asti, and Alessandria, just to the South and East of Barolo and Barbaresco. Production rules here are strict and the requirements include:
· wines must be produced using the 'traditional method' (2nd fermentation in the bottle)
· grapes must be 90% Chardonnay or Pinot Noir (or a blend of the two
· up to 10% of the grapes may be local/indigenous white grapes
· vineyards must be at an elevation of at least 250m (820ft)
· minimum of 30 months aging on lees / riserva must age for a minimum of 36 months
· all wines must be single vintage (in Champagne, non-vintage wines may have reserve wines from other vintages)
In 1867 Contratto was the first producer in the region to produce these 'traditional method' sparkling wines. The estate was family owned until 1993 and was purchased by the great Piemontese producer Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta in 2011. The cellar at Contratto is official a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known as the 'Wine Cathedral'—entirely excavated by hand and covering 5,000 square meters with a depth up to 38 meters underground! These are joyous sparkling wines that 'know they are Italian'! They are just as delicious as their French counterparts but they lack the prentention. On our travels through Piemonte last June, almost every meal was started effortless with bubbles from the Alta Langa.
The wine presented here is the 2016 Blanc de Blancs 'Pas Dosé'. 100% Chardonnay grapes are used and the wine undergoes 40 months of aging on lees! An extremely generous and floral nose is accompanied by notes of hazelnut and exotic fruits.
A note on glassware
Do not serve this wine a coup or in a flute! In fact, save the coupes just for cocktails, and the flutes - reserve them for Kir or a big party. Champagne and high-quality Sparkling Wine needs to be treated more like a wine and should be served in a glass that allows the aromas and the bubbles to speak. For wines like this, if you want a more traditional style glass, opt for a tulip-shaped Champagne glass, or serve them in traditional wine glasses with bowls that allow the aromas to open and provide just enough width to allow the bubbles to percolate.
The Champagne Method
The Champagne Method/Traditional Method/method champennois/metodo classico is used to make almost all of the world's prestigious sparkling wines. Below is the method with some descriptions of differences in certain steps.
1. Make a still wine: Grapes (which grapes are controlled by local laws) are harvested and brought back to the winery where still wines are made following normal practices. They will likely be aged either in steel tanks or in wood for about 9 months before the real process of creating a sparkling wine begins. The wine here will likely only be 7%-9% abv.
2. Assemblage: The winemakers will create the blend for the planned wine based on the house style or the vintage. In the case of a vintage wine, all of the grapes and juice must come from the same vintage harvest. In the case of a non-vintage wine, producers often use a base or reserve wine that holds still wine from previous vintages to be blended with new vintages, creating a uniform style year after year. Some producers, such as Pierre Peters, have a reserve wine system going back as far as 20 years.
3. Tirage: The blended wine, now called the cuvée, is bottled and the liqueur de tirage is added. The liqueur de tirage is a combination of sugar and yeast that is added into the bottle. The bottle is covered with a traditional crown cap (or now in some cases cork is being used), and laid in the cellar to age.
4. Aging on lees: Lees is the word used to describe the dead yeast cells that are created through the process of alcoholic fermentation. In alcoholic fermentation, yeast eats sugar, converting it into both ethyl alcohol and Carbon Dioxide. In normal winemaking, the CO2 is expelled into the air while the sugar is converted into the alcohol. In the case of sparkling wine, the crown cap on the bottle prohibits the CO2 from escaping. Instead, it stays in the bottle, carbonating the liquid as the sugar is converted into alcohol, raising the wine's abv to 11.5%-14%. In Champagne, this aging must happen for a mimimun of 15 months for non-vintage wines and 36 months for vintage wines (although it is often much longer). In Alta Langa DOCG, the required minimum is 30 months as all wines are vintage.
5. Riddling/Rémouage: Riddling is the amazing process of taking the dead yeast cells and moving them to the neck of the bottle. Traditionally this was done by hand in a pupitre–an A-frame piece of wood with holes in which the necks of the bottles are held. A 'riddler' is the highly-trained cellar worker who will give each bottle light corner turns that slowly move the bottles from a horizontal position to a near vertical position, allowing the yeast to collect near the cap. By hand, this process can take 4-6 weeks. Skilled riddlers can do as many as 40,000 bottles a day. Sadly, the practice is dying and only a few Champagne houses still employ riddlers. Today there is a device called 'gyropallette' that holds hundreds of bottles and it moves them in a cradle accomplishing the task in 7-10 days as it works 24/7.
6. Digorgement: With aging and riddling complete, the dead yeast/lees is now at the end of the bottle neck. The bottles are moved carefully in a vertical position (pointed down) so that the yeast remains as the cap and the neck is frozen in a super cold nitrogen bath freezing just the area where the lees have collected. A machine is used (a few wineries still do this by hand) that quickly pops off the crown cap and the frozen lees are expelled by the pressure in the bottle. A touch of wine may be lost here as well.
7. Dosage/Liqueur d'expédition: As this point, the winery makes the decision of the final style for the wine. Will it be fully dry or will it be slightly sweet? The liqueur d'expédition is a blend of the original still wine with an added amount of sugar. This is added back into the bottle and the traditional cork and cage are applied. The wine is laid down to settle and perhaps age longer at the cellar, and is then ready for release and consumption.
Dosage amounts
Brut Nature/Pas Dosage/Pas Dosé: 0-3g/L sugar added
Extra Brut: 0-6g/L sugar added
Brut: 0g-12g/L sugar added (normal is around 8g/L)
Extra Dry/Extra Sec: 12-17g/L sugar added
Sec: 17-32g/L sugar added
Demi-Sec: 32-50g/L sugar added
Doux: >50g/L sugar added
Serve at 40º-43ºF
Drink: now-2030
Food pairings: Wonderful on its own or with cheese, charcuterie, seafood.
CARMELO PATTI
2018 Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
100% Malbec
A disclaimer: Malbec is not one of my favorite grapes. I typically find it underwhelming and rather boring. So, when I find one that excites me or highlights something new and interesting, it sticks out! Carmelo Patti has been making almost artisanal wine in Mendoza for decades. He truly is one of the pioneers here and has avoided the trends and influences have made Argentinian Malbec into both a consumer favorite and critical darling. These trends include the extensive (and often excessive) use of new oak, conventional farming practices to increase yields, and broad sourcing of grapes from less than ideal plots. Instead, Carmelo Patti continues making wine from premiere vineyard sites with limited interventions both in the vineyard and the cellar. This includes perhaps his most unique trait which is the holding back of wines in the cellar until they reach a bottle age that he feels allows the wines to express themselves. Most Argentinian Malbecs will be released to the market within 2 years of harvest. Patti holds his wines back for an average of 5 years before releasing them, allowing them to come to the world already possessing a sense of maturity. In the case of his Cabernet Sauvignon, it can even be 10 years!
In the case of his Malbec, the wine comes from vineyards in the Lujan de Cuyo GI of Mendoza. This historic area is home to some of the most acclaimed wines of the country, and sits at an average of 1,000m (3,300ft) in elevation, with its highest points at 1,300m. While not as high as the Uco Valley, these vines are much older here and offer greater structure and concentration. The wine is fermented with native yeast and aged in concrete for 12 months and is then moved into used oak barrels for 12 more months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered and stored at the winery typically for another 3 years until it is deemed 'ready' for the market.
I enjoy this wine because of its roundness. Malbec is often very direct and can too easily be described as 'smooth'. This wine has a certain volume that blends its silky tannins and richness together on the palate. Flavors and aromas are classic rather than modern: red currants, a touch of wet earth, subtle dried fruit notes, a touch of smoke, and elegant baking spices. A nice but not aggressive amount of acid adds backbone and support.
Drink now. Can hold for another 10 years.
Serving Temperature: 60º-65ºF
Food Pairings: Burgers, grilled meat, roasted lamb.
Tenuta San Guido
2021 ‘Guidalberto’, Bolgheri DOC, Toscana IGT
80% Cabernet, 20% Merlot
Few producers in Italy can claim a level of true significance and consistent excellence to rival Tenuta San Guido. The Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta came to Maremma on the West coast of Tuscany in the 1940s and took the bold step to plant Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Few could see the significance this decision would have a few decades later. For over 20 years, the wine made here was simply a family product and passion. However, in 1968, the landscape of Italian wine was changed forever with the official release of Sassicaia, and the creation of the 'Super-Tuscan'.
Della Rocchetta's vision of planting French grapes in Tuscany was remarkable. The soil type on his estate reminded him of the gravel, pebble, and clay soils of Bordeaux, and the style of these wines was what he was looking for. Sassicaia has become one of the most important and consistently great wines in the world. Today is is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and is the only wine whose vineyard itself is its own DOC (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC). It is expensive, ageworthy, and iconic.
In the years after Sassicaia, the Maremma region of Tuscany has become home to the Bolgheri DOC where producers make wines from French varietals with a clear Tuscan flare. The proximity of the sea to the West (just 40 meters from some vineyards) and the low coastal mountains to the east creates an incredible microclimate both in terms of weather conditions and overall terroir. The best wines from here are truly among the top versions of Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah in the world and rival those of the French and Californian superstars (often at a fraction of the price). Most producers make a top wine that showcases their oldest vines or a pure single-varietal expression as well as a medium priced ($50-$100btl) wine that expresses the complete essence of the estate. Many also have entry level wines that offer incredible value and deliciousness under $30btl.
In 2000, Tenuta San Guido released its first 'second wine': Guidalberto. Designed to be more approachable when young and more affordable, the wine has its own style and profile and is really a perfect introduction to the Sassicaia style. Rather than using the Cabernet Franc, Guidalberto is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (60% and 40% respectively). The softness of the Merlot calms the powerful Bolgheri Cabernet and makes this wine pure pleasure. Aging is in a mix of new and 2nd/3rd passage oak, which includes a small percentage of American oak. The 2021 vintage is absolutely stunning, and considered by many to be the best vintage of this wine every made. Red fruits from the Merlot mix effortlessly with ripe blackberry and cassis, and the intense spice of Bolgheri Cabernet is everpresent. Chocolate, and blueberry round the wine out. Earthy without funk, the wine is truly classic.
In May, we enjoyed an epic lunch at Enoteca San Guido, the Michelin recommended restaurant owned by Tenuta San Guido. The 5-course meal included each of their 3 wines: Le Difese, Guidalberto, and Sassicaia. Sassicaia is, of course, tremendous, but the Guidalberto was the surprise of the day. It rivaled the Sassicaia and on the day, was the better wine. The Sassicaia will likely suprass it with time, but the immediacy and effortless way the Guidalberto passes across the palate is astonishing. It is a thrilling wine.
Drink: Now-2035
Serving Temp: 60º-65ºF - it's nice to taste this wine just above cellar temp and let it warm in the glass.
Food Pairings: Hearty pasta sauces (wild boar), fatty cuts of meat (ribeye), hard cheeses, fois gras, chocolate.
June Wine Club
Wine Club, June 2023
Lamole di Lamole, Chianti Classico ‘Maggiole’ 2021
Viette, Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Perbacco’ 2021
Smith-Madrone, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
WINES
2021 Lamole di Lamole, Chianti Classico ‘Maggiolo’, Tuscany, Italy
2021 Vietti, Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Perbacco’, Piemonte, Italy
2019 Smith-Madrone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, CA
LAMOLE DI LAMOLE
2021 ‘Maggiolo’ Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
With an elevation of 650m above sea level, the highest elevation in Chianti Classico, and the highest range that Sangiovese can legally grow in Tuscany, the village of Lamole represents one of the most unique microclimates in Tuscany. Vineyards here are often planted on terraces and the soil itself is unique to the region, with large sandstone boulders called 'Macigno toscano’ mixed with schist, galestro stone, and albarese limestone. The wines here are highly perfumed and elegant, and many say they are the only Chianti Classico wines that are truly identifiable geographically in a blind tasting.
Aromas of blackberries and blueberries surprise here where you expect more bright cherry. Sweet spices and flowers round it out and on the palette, marked acidity is complemented with fine and integrated tannins and additional red fruit components plus a bit of cocoa.
Serve at 58º-62ºF
Drink now. This wine can be cellared for up to 10 years, but is truly a gem right now.
Food pairings: Traditional Italian foods are perfect, so think about tomato-sauce based pastas, pizzas, beans, and roasted meats or vegetables. This is a lighter and more aromatic style of Chianti, so intensely grilled or smoked meats might be better paired with slightly bigger styles, but don’t hesitate to drink this with a lovely grilled ribeye.
VIETTI
2021 Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Perbacco’
100% Nebbiolo
Vietti is one of the truly great domains in all of Piemonte. Their Barolos include some of the most sought-after and long-lived wines in the region, most notably their single vineyard Ravera cru. Founded over 150 years ago by Carlo Vietti, the estate was recently named winery of the year by Antonio Galloni of Vinous. The estate was family-owned until 2016, with the Vietti family finally handing over full control in 2023 to the new owners.
In Piemonte, the Nebbiolo grape is supreme. Langhe Nebbiolo or and Nebbiolo d’Alba are often referred to as ‘baby Barolo’. In truth, this moniker doesn’t really capture the wine for what it truly is. So often, the big Nebbiolo wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are so tannic and powerful that they don’t showcase the best of the grape until they have several years of bottle age. Langhe Nebbiolo is produced in such a way as to take the powerful Nebbiolo grape and highlight its acid and fruit qualities while preserving the tannic structure, but offering the final wine in a way that makes it absolutely delicious on release. Many of the best Langhe Nebbiolos still possess the potential to age for even a decade or more.
Typically, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown either outside the major zones of Barolo or Barbaresco, or from vineyard sites not suited to these ‘superstar’ wines. The Langhe DOC allows grapes to come from anywhere within the large Langhe zone. Vietti, like a few other great producers, chooses Nebbiolo grapes from prestigious vineyards both in Barolo and Barbaresco, and then completes a traditional long fermentation of nearly a month. The wine is then aged 18-20 months in a mix or barriques and large barrels. The nose is classic Nebbiolo with cassis, cherry, raspberry, rose, and tea aromas. Notes of spice and toast round the wine out. It can be powerful in its youth and soften much like a Barolo with several years in the bottle.
Serve at 60º-63º F
Drinking now and over the next 10 years.
Food Pairing: Hearty stew, wild game, roasted red meats and sharp, aged cheeses.
SMITH-MADRONE
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc
Founded in 1972, Smith-Madrone is an iconic producer in Napa Valley, even if they remain relatively less well-known than many of the larger producers in the region. Family owned and operated by Stuart and Charles Smith, the estate produces wines of incredible class and quality on Spring Mountain. Spring Mountain is an iconic area in the Mayacamas Mountain Range that forms the Western boundary of Napa Valley. Vineyards at this estate range from 1,300 to 2,000 feet in elevation and are planted not only to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also to Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and arguable the most important Riesling in the region.
In general, Napa Valley Cabernet falls into one of three camps:
1) Highly concentrated, powerful wines with juicy fruit, high alcohol, ripe tannins, and a distinct presence of new oak
2) Dusty, woven wines with power, earthiness, and black fruits with pepper and spice
3) Wines with a strong mineral quality, higher acid, and ripe but not overripe fruit.
Smith-Madrone, being located on Spring Mountain tends to produce Cabernet with a more pronounced acid profile from the elevation. In addition, their practice of dry-farming (not irrigating the vines after they come of age) helps to produce a more complex and mineral-driven style. The fruits have a complex balance of ripeness and earthiness, likely attributed again to the elevation which keeps the grapes cooler and allows them to ripen more slowly than on the valley floor. While the use of new French oak is truly essential for aging high-quality Cabernet, Smith-Madrone carefully balances the new and used oak profile in their wines. This vintage spends 18 months in oak, 55% of which is new. The blending of Cabernet Franc helps to provide more floral and earthy aromas in the wine. While there is no doubt an intense amount of pleasure and immediacy to the hedonistic ripe style found from many of the Cult producers and valley floor Cabernets, I have a soft spot for wines produced in the Smith-Madrone style with a more restrained use of new oak and higher acid. There is an elegance in this Cabernet that speaks to the way most of the wines here were made in the 1980s and 1990s.
Spring Mountain was significantly impacted by the 2020 Glass Fire. Photos can be seen below of the fire at Smith-Madrone.
Serve at 60º-63º F
Drinking now and over the next 15 years
Food Pairing: Steaks, smoked and grilled meat, blue cheese, and even lighter
