Sparkling

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2015 Renardat-Fache Bugey-Cerdon, Savoie, France $37

 

Bugey, an  appellation in France very close to the Swiss border, is a small but diverse region producing wines from grapes shared by the surrounding regions of Burgundy, the Jura and the Savoie.  Many still wines are produced here but the area’s star, coming from the even tinier commune within Bugey, Cerdon, is a Methode Ancestrale sparkling wine.  

 

A respected vigneron in Cerdon, Alain Renardat along with his son Elie, craft a delicious Bugey-Cerdon sparkling rose from Gamay and Poulsard grapes.  To make this Methode Ancestrale sparkling wine (also known in the market today as a “Pet Nat”) the grapes are picked by hand, pressed and partially fermented in cold vats.  Then, after a light filtration that leaves most of the active yeast in the unfinished wine, it is bottled and continues its fermentation in the bottle, reaching about 7.5 or 8 degrees of alcohol and retaining a small amount of its original sugar. It has softer bubbles and more primary grape aromas than most Champagne, since there is neither dosage, addition of yeast nor secondary fermentation.

 

Renardat’s Bugey-Cerdon sparkling rose is delicate, berry-scented, refreshing, and makes for a delicious aperitif or dessert wine.  

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Rosé

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2016 Chateau Peyrassol, 'Commanderie' Rose, Cotes de Provence, France $38

 

Located in the heart of Provence, near routes traveled by Crusaders in the early Middle Ages, the Commanderie de Peyrassol was founded by the Knights of Templar. The Chateau’s first recorded harvest took place in 1256 and winemaking has continued uninterrupted throughout the centuries. When the Templars were brought down in 1311 by the King of France, who was nervous of their power and jealous of their wealth, the Knights of Malta became the fortunate owners of the Commanderie. They remained in control, flawlessly maintaining the vineyards, until the French Revolution when it was taken over by the State.

 

The Rigord family purchased the estate in 1870, but it was not until 1977 when Francoise Rigord, wife of Yves, took over that the wines of the estate were bottled and marketed. The first vintage bottled for sale to the public was 1981. Francoise continued to produce ground-breaking wines for the next two decades, elevating the reputation of the Cotes de Provence in all three colors: white, red and rosé.

 

In 2001, the Rigord family sold the property to Philippe Austruy who has aggressively invested in this exceptional property, modernizing the cellars and expanding the holdings. His nephew, Alban Cacaret, is responsible for the daily operations of the domaine. Today the “Commanderie”, now known as Chateau Peyrassol, is an 850 hectares estate surrounded by 165 hectares of Mediterranean forest.

 

A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, the 2016 ‘Commanderie’ Rose is a pale rose color, lively, fresh and full bodied. With fruit blossoms on the nose and delicate red berry tones on the palate, this wine has a dry, crisp and stony mineral finish.

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White

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2015 Gregory Perez, Brezo Blanco, Bierzo, Spain $26

 

Nestled against the Cantabrian Mountains in northwestern Spain, Bierzo is a region comprised of gentle rolling hills, rugged mountains, and a plethora of gnarly bush vines that dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. This wild, mind-expanding beauty is what led Gregory Perez to fall in love with the land, take root here, and eventually produce some of the most terroir expressive and elegant wines to emerge from Bierzo.

 

In 2007, Perez a native of Bordeaux, purchased 5 hectares and started his own label, Bodegas Mengoba.  Shortly after he began his second label called Brezo to showcase his work as a micro-negociant.  

 

2015 Brezo Blanco is comprised of 80% Godello and 20% Doña Blanca, from multiple plots of 30-80 year old vines, grown on sandy loam and clay soils, at 550 meters elevation, located in the areas of Cacabelos and Valtuille.  It is fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel vat and raised on the lees with weekly battonage for 5 months. No oak, Brezo Blanco is a fresh, mineral driven, elegant wine with notes of citrus, lanolin, and white pepper.

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2014 Domaine Pelle, Menetou-Salon 'Morogues', Loire Valley, France  $34

 

Domaine Pellé is a fourth generation estate run by the talented and hard-working Paul-Henry Pellé.  Founded in the 1950’s, Domaine Pellé is comprised of 40 hectares of vines situated almost exclusively  in and around the village of Morogues in the appellation of Menetou-Salon.  Menetou-Salon living in the shadows of the region’s most popular wine, Sancerre, was officially given AOC status  in 1958 some 22 years after Sancerre. Today it comprises 600 hectares of vines, likewise planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, making it only one-fifth the size of Sancerre.  An underrated appellation making beautiful, expressive wines, Menetou-Salon and more specifically the wines from the village of Morogues (90% of the village is made up of the famous Kimmeridgian  limestone soil) are delicious expressions of Sauvignon Blanc.

 

2014 Domaine Pellé, Menetou-Salon 'Morogues’ is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from 7 different hillside vineyards where the majority of the fruit is fermented in tank and a small portion in wood.  Aged for 11 months in a combination of 70% wood and 30% stainless steel tanks, this wine displays zesty citrus, mineral tones, and a delicate green pepper note perfect for farm fresh greens.  

 

2015 Emmerich Knoll, Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Austria $43

 

Weingut Emmerich Knoll is located in the village of Unterloiben at the far eastern corner of the Austrian wine-growing region of Wachau, located in the north east of Austria.   The winery is a little more than an hour from Vienna, by car. The Knoll family farms 15 hectares (37 acres) predominantly in the Wachau with one site, Pfaffenberg, in the neighboring Kremstal. Knoll is best known as one of Austria’s leading producers of single vineyard Grüner Veltliner and Rieslings and 95% of their production is dedicated to these two grapes.

 

Emmerich Knoll III is the third generation to oversee wine growing at the estate.  The Knolls have been in Unterloiben area for centuries; the 400 year old restaurant “Loibnerhof – Knoll” run by extended family members has a reputation as one of the best in the Wachau.   Work in the vineyards and in the cellar is a family affair.  Emmerich II and his wife Monika have only recently handed over the reigns to their sons Emmerich III, who oversees the cellar and August, who leads work in the vineyards.

 

The flagship grape of Austria, Grüner Veltliner accounts for almost 30% of all grapes planted with around 13,500 hectares under vine in the country.  The Austrian native has become an international sensation amongst sommeliers worldwide as the perfect food wine due to its high acidity.  In Austria, it is prized for the easy drinking wine it produces as well as its ability to wow the palate with complexity in the right winemaker’s hands. Displaying elements of green apple and a subtle peach fragrance lifted by nuances of herbal spices, wet stone, and an unmistakable white pepper spiciness, this is a wine to highlight fresh greens.  

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Red

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2014 Domaine Bellus, Frappato 'Scopello', Sicily $37

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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.

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The 2014 Scopello (a name that references rock formations off the coast) is made from 100% Frappato grapes grown organically in Vittoria, in southern Sicily. In addition to being a delicious representation of Frappato, a percentage of Scopello proceeds are donated to Nomogaia, an NGO that pushes multi-national corporations to respect human rights.

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Bellus Frappato is a complex, mineral driven, bright red wine whose palate is rife with cherry, fresh strawberry, dried rose petals, fresh herbs and limestone.

 

2014 Francois Crochet Sancerre Rouge, Loire Valley, France $39

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Sancerre is a tiny bucolic French village, steeped in history, situated in the far western region of the Loire Valley. Almost in the middle of the country, it has been the center of the French resistance since the Middle Ages.  While considered one of the best appellations in France for the cultivation of Sauvignon Blanc (~2,200 hectares under vine), creating beautifully flinty and savory wines with bracing acidity, it also produces a small amount of high quality red and rose wines of Pinot Noir (~620 hectares under vine).

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Following in his grandfather and father’s footsteps, Francois Crochet and his wife, Carine, took over his family’s estate in 1988 located in the commune of Bué, just outside the town of Sancerre proper. Francois was formally schooled at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune after which he worked for several estates in France and abroad. Francois tends 10.5 hectares of vine divided into 30 plots with the lutte raisonnée method, considered a happy medium between conventional farming and stricter demands by organic certifying agencies.  Biodiversity in the vineyards is encouraged through the planting of cover crops, plowing of the soils and the use of manures and natural composts to fertilize the vines.

 

As a young winemaker, Francois has made quite a name for himself both in France and abroad.  His Sancerre Rouge is a handsome expression of Pinot Noir with personality and depth.  An intense bouquet of red fruits, cranberries, cherry and pomegranate, with violets, hibiscus and a hint of clove, transports you to a palate with generous raspberry, blood orange, tobacco leaf and soft smoky notes.

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2015 La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy $43

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Fattoria La Gerla, named for the large, old-fashioned, conical baskets that grape-harvesters used to carry on their backs, was founded in 1978 by the late Sergio Rossi. Originally from Milan, Mr. Rossi purchased the property known then as Podere Colombaio Santi in 1976.  The property contained 6.5 hectare of vineyards and an ancient farmhouse. Upon renaming the property La Gerla, Mr. Rossi then set about restoring the estate and replanting the vines using selection massale (a French wine growing term for the practice of replanting new vineyards with cuttings from exceptional old vines from the same, or nearby, property).

 

Today, La Gerla consists of 11.5 hectares, divided between the original 6.5 hectare vineyard in Canalicchio (Montalcino) and an additional 5 hectares in Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The Canalicchio vineyard consists of abundant marl and chalk while the Castelnuovo vineyard is more sandy and silty whilst maintaining a base of chalk.

 

La Gerla Rosso di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese from a blend of both the Canalicchio and Castelnuovo vineyards and is aged for 1 year in Slovenian Oak casks and another 6 months in bottle.  Along with the delicate oak influence, this wine is scented with dark cherry, cloves and tea leaves that are echoed on the palate with ripe, smooth tannins and bright acidity.