Sparkling

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NV Jo Landron ‘Cuvee Atmospheres’ Extra Brut Cremant, Loire Valley, France $33

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Famously photogenic thanks to his extraordinary mustache, Jo Landron is the creative and hard working man behind the farming and winemaking at Domaine de La Louvetrie. The domaine located in La Haye Fouassiere, a tiny town in the heart of Muscadet Sevre et Maine near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast of France, focuses on the production of distinct Muscadets from diverse parcels. Jo took control of the domaine in the 1990’s after working for many years with his father, Pierre, and in 1999 began converting the estate to organic and biodynamic practices, earning certification in both.  Jo is well known for his decades long devotion to elevating the status of the Melon de Bourgogne grape grown almost exclusively in the region of Muscadet in the far western Loire Valley.  The estate is located close to the part of the Atlantic defined by cold, salty waters, perfect for the production of oysters, coupled with rich grasses seasoning local lambs as they graze, and the cultivation of the Melon de Bourgogne grape.

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While the majority of Jo’s vineyards are devoted to Melon de Bourgogne, he also plants small quantities of Folle Blanche, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay for his sparkling wine, Cuvee Atmospheres, because he found Melon de Bourgogne to be unsuitable for sparkling wine.  Brilliantly crafted in the methode traditionnelle (same production method used in Champagne), the 100% estate biodynamically grown fruit from 18-30 year old vines is hand-harvested, naturally fermented using wild yeast with secondary fermentation in the bottle, and finished with a low dosage of 5g/l (extra brut) after which it spends 24 months on its lees.

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The list of attributes accompanying this wine rivals some of the great growers of Champagne, and with no surprise Cuvee Atmospheres delivers impressive depth and a graceful style. This cremant would not be mistaken for a wine from anywhere but the Loire Valley, with its racy citrus, fresh peach, yellow and green apple, honeycomb, musty floral character, toasted brioche, and plenty of rocky, earthy complexity. On the palate the wine has a delicate petillance and an attractive acidic grip with delicious white stone fruit and bready texture.

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Rosé

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2016 Sesti, Rosato 'Castello di Argiano, Montalcino, Italy $39

 

Although Giuseppe Maria “Giugi” Sesti always enjoyed visiting vineyards and attending tastings, he did not initially choose a career in wine. Instead, his Venetian upbringing inspired him to study music, art, and astronomy, the last of which became his profession. While writing a book on astronomy in North Wales, Giugi met his future wife, Sarah, and in 1975 they moved their family to Tuscany, where they bought and created the breathtaking estate seen today. Giugi was now a father of four, vice-director of a local Baroque opera festival, and actively writing books on astronomy, but he miraculously found spare time to visit local wineries and help his neighbors in the vineyards and cellar. His passion for wine grew along with his experience, and in 1991 he planted his own vineyards on the slopes around the castle. In 1999 the couple’s only daughter, Elisa, joined the estate full time, and today she is an active partner in all aspects of the vineyard management and winemaking.

 

Sesti Rosato was born out of the family’s desire to have something light and fresh to drink under the hot summer sun. Crafted from a 3 ha vineyard of Sangiovese vines, averaging 15 years of age, grown on oceanic sedimentary soil, this wine is elegant and refreshing with scented flowers on the nose and delicate berry fruit coupled with earthy flavors on the palate.  It has a mouth filling texture perfect for a hot day or cool summer night.

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White

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2016 Bellus, Falanghina 'Caldera', Campania, Italy $37

 

Bellus Wines, founded by Jordan Salcito (then sommelier at Eleven Madison Park; now Beverage Director at Momofuku) is a socially and environmentally conscious wine company that makes organically grown, terroir driven wines in collaboration with partner wineries around the globe.

 

Often featured at the Boulder Wine Merchant, Jordan’s wines are of superb quality and outstanding value.

 

The ‘Caldera’ wine is made from 100% Falanghina grapes grown without chemicals or pesticides in the hills of Campania. Nearby Mount Vesuvius, whose violent explosions have released more than 100,000 times the thermal energy of an atomic bomb, is responsible for Campania's geological identity. Claudia Wu, the artist for the label, has reimagined this smoke and ash.

 

In addition, Bellus Wines donates a percentage of ‘Caldera proceeds’ (Jordan’s other wines donate to different causes) to Earth Justice, an organization that works to preserve the environment and battle climate change.

 

2016 Bellus Falanghina is notable for its bright citrus flavor and strong mineral backbone.  A combination of savory and sweet notes on the nose, orange flower water, crystallized tangerine peel and a light herbal tone lead you to a palate with medium weight and racy acidity displaying tart apple, pear, light tropical fruit tones and distinct minerality.  
 

2015 Van Volxem, Saar Riesling QBA, Mosel, Germany $46

 

Van Volxem is located at the centre of Wiltingen, the most celebrated commune of the Saar Valley. Rising in the Vosges Mountains and joining the more famous Mosel near Trier, the Saar river is home to some of the finest and most dramatic slate vineyards in Germany.

 

Located on the site of a Jesuit monastery, Van Volxem has been restored to its former glories by the investment, initiative and flair of Roman Niewodniczanski. Standing tall at close to 7 feet and not without lofty ambitions, Roman is determined to make this the finest property in Germany.

 

Very ripe grapes from at least 30 year old vines in the finest steep slate sites bring a beguiling DRY riesling with a fruit cocktail of plum, elderberry blossoms, and white peach. It’s an estate wine that has a long dry finish and perfectly defines in each vintage the value of our old vines and the mineral-rich steep slate slopes of the Saar region. On the palate, the wine has a persistent taste of ripe peaches and slate with a  rich, silky texture, concentration, length, and finesse.  

 

2015 Domaine Eleni et Edouard Vocoret, Chablis “Bas de Chapelot”, Burgundy, France $65

 

Edouard and Eleni met while working the 2010 harvest in New Zealand but returned to Chablis to take over a small piece of Edouard's family domaine. Edouard's family owns Domaine Vocoret & Fils, a large and established domaine, with over 50 hectares planted. The couple’s primary focus with their first 4.9 hectares was farming. The first couple of vintages were sold off in bulk shortly after harvest as they converted the farming to lutte raisonnée (sustainable farming) and committed to hand harvesting. They are currently producing two wines: Chablis "Bas de Chapelot" and Chablis 1er Cru "Butteaux."

 

“Bas de Chapelot” (100% Chardonnay) comes from a 3.2ha parcel just beneath Montée de Tonnerre.   An abundance of stone fruits and citrus on the nose and palate with beautiful minerality and refreshing acidity, this wine is finely balanced with a steely finish.  

 

Both Eleni and Edouard exude passion and with already a couple of vintages under their belt, they have a very bright future ahead.

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Red

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2015 Emmanuel Darnaud, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France $23

 

A young man with a bright future, Emmanuel Darnaud is well on his way toward making a strong name for himself as one of the most talented young winemakers to emerge from the Rhone Valley in the last handful of years, as acknowledged by leading Rhone Valley wine guru John Livingstone-Learmonth. His winemaking education came at the foot of the best, noted Hermitage producer Bernard Faurie, where Emmanuel spent 4 years alongside the artisan vigneron. He started out with just 1.5 hectares and in 2001 produced his first vintage. Fortunately, the domaine has grown in size and as of 2015, with the addition of a single Saint Joseph parcel belonging to now father-in law Bernard Faurie, and currently stands at 15 hectares, mostly scattered about the southern sector of the appellation.  This area is notable for its presence of alluvial stones in the vineyards, not unlike those found in Châteauneuf du Pape further to the south, with pockets of brown clay subsoil underneath, making for supple, round, fruit driven wines.

 

The Crozes-Hermitage Mis en Bouche is 100% Syrah from vines that are 20-25 years of age.  The vineyards are planted to alluvial stones and red clay, with the Mis en Bouche sourced from the younger vines.  The target for this wine is early drinking with vibrant, dark, fresh fruit and expressive violet and mineral aromatics.  The wine is detailed and pure with precise fruit and earth flavors.

 

2013 Iuli, 'Rossore' Barbera Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy $39

 

The Iuli winery is located in a small town called Montaldo in the region of Monferrato in Piedmont, Italy.  The winemaker Fabrizio Iuli calls himself a barberista, for his love, focus, and dedication to the Barbera grape.  In his vineyard, Barbera is grown on a vein of limestone that runs directly through his property giving an amazing acidity and special character to his wines.

The Iuli wines are created with the idea of the traditional methods of producing Barbera in this region. In the past, Barbera was aged in used oak of varying sizes and the origin of the wood depended upon the availability of trees from the forests around the village. Fabrizio’s grandfather had barrels made from Almond trees! Now the size and the provenance of the barrels have changed, but they are all used barrels. A modern interpretation of a traditional method.

 

100% Barbera from certified organic vines, aged 22 months in used french oak barrels, this wine has beautiful acidity, fruit and texture. Notes of dark cherry, dried strawberry, plum, blackberry and violets with a hint of incense and anise will intrigue your nose and palate with every sip.  The wine is after all named 'Rossore' because 'Rossore'(blush or crimson) is likely to be the color of your cheeks after drinking a bottle of this wine.  

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2012 Petrussa, 'Rosso Petrussa' Merlot, Friuli, Italy  $59

 

Gianni and Paolo Petrussa, 4th generation of the Petrussa family,  both had the opportunity to work jobs with salaried positions upon coming of age.  Throwing caution to the wind, the brothers declined these jobs and instead followed in their parents’ footsteps. A decision initially not supported by their parents as they remembered the hard life spent in the fields and the economic difficulties they faced, the brothers set out to prove to their parents that they too had perseverance.   With passion, determination and investment, the brothers updated the winery equipment, replanted the vineyards and added the use of French oak barrels.  Today Petrussa is a leading producer in Friuli.  

 

Merlot has been cultivated in Prepotto, Friuli for many years, and exhibits an exceptional adaptability in this valley. Considered indigenous to the territory, Merlot, perhaps more than any other, conveys the peculiar characteristics of the land. Merlot of Prepotto is not only full bodied, but also rich in spices. Its intense aroma and delicate palate of red apple skin, black cherry, plum, and graphite reflects the uniqueness of the terroir.