Pairings for July 1 at Aspen Moon Farm:
Beer
Blackberry Farm Summer Saison $20
Blackberry Farm is known for its top quality experiences and this beer is consistent with that effort. Nestled in the hills of the Smokey Mountain Range outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, it was Sam Beall’s dream to produce world-class Farmhouse Saison from local and natural ingredients. Sadly, the hospitality world tragically lost Sam in February 2016, but his legacy and spirit continues on with his many projects. This beer is testimony to his pursuit of excellence.
The charm and rusticity of this hop forward farmhouse is driven by a spicy, citrusy scent, with mild earth tones, and flavors of earthy grains and dry weathered wood. Texturally, the sweetness dissipates, leaving a dry creaminess behind in support of the fruit and spice balance that unfolds on the tongue. Orange peel and lemon, pear and apple - the hops work seamlessly with the beer's natural esters for the whimsy of orange blossom and honeysuckle to emerge. The beer's expressive effervescence has a heavy hand in drying the palate and lightening the beer's body. (750mL)
Rosé
2016 Matthiasson, Rose, Napa Valley, California $36
One of Napa Valley’s top viticultural consultants, an expert on terroir and the life cycle of a vine, and Winemaker of the Year in 2014, Steve Matthiasson is an impressive person to say the least.
An obsessed gardener and cook while studying philosophy in college, Steve dreamt of farming his entire life. In 1994, while in grad school at UC Davis for horticulture after three years as a bike messenger/wannabe farmer, he found a job in vineyards and orchards working for a small sustainable agriculture consulting firm. In 1999 he co-authored the California manual on sustainable vineyard practices. In 2002 he started consulting on vineyard practices in Napa.
Together he and his wife Jill, also a graduate of UC Davis and an integral part of the team responsible for running the business side of Matthiasson Wines, began to develop Matthiasson Wines in 2002 as way to truly showcase the important work in the vineyards by carrying it through to the end with the winemaking.
The 2016 Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvèdre, and Counoise from the Windmill vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills, Syrah grapes from the Hurley Vineyard in Napa Valley, Grenache grapes from the Gibson Ranch in the McDowell Valley of Mendocino, and small amount of Sauvignon blanc from Ryan’s Vineyard in Napa Valley. A delicate wine with citrusy aromas, this wine is an excellent way to begin the evening as well as a perfect complement to fresh farm fair.
White
2015 Ca' del Baio, Langhe Riesling, Piedmont, Italy $32
For four generations Ca’ del Baio has been a family affair, as is the tradition in the Langhe. Nurtured and passed down from father to son, the vineyards surrounding the Grasso family farmhouse have been added to over time through marriage and acquisitions. Today it is Giulio and Luciana who, together with their daughters Paola, Valentina and Federica, handle all the various areas of the business with passion and expertise, from the growing and vinification of the grapes, to hospitality and wine sales. For the Grasso family, simplicity, a sense of sacrifice and the deep attachment they have to their land are prerequisites for guaranteeing wines of quality. Today the Ca’ del Baio estate is comprised of 25 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso, both of which are in the Barbaresco winegrowing area. All estate-grown, their wines are made from a range of highly valued varieties, some typical of the area while others are more international: the whites include Moscato, Chardonnay and Riesling, and the reds Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.
Produced for the first time in Ca’ del Baio’s history (vineyards were planted in 2009), the Langhe Riesling is grown on the coolest and breeziest slopes. Dry, minerally and with lots of acidity on the palate, this wine is a delicious expression of Riesling in Italy. Pineapple, mango and white spring flowers accented by a hint of honey and beeswax on the nose bring you to a palate that is nervy and fresh with ripe pear, white pepper, clove and a delicate honey note. A wine not to be missed!
2015 Emmerich Knoll, Loibner Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau, 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.
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.
Red
2014 Château Moulin-à-Vent, Moulin-à-Vent 'Couvent des Thorins', Beaujolais, France $36
Located in the southernmost tip of the Burgundy region, Moulin-à-Vent was one of the first appellations awarded AOC status in 1936. Château du Moulin-à-Vent, named for the 300 year old stone windmill atop the hill of Les Thorins, dates back to 1732, when it was called Château des Thorins. Today, the estate encompasses 37 hectares (91.4 acres) of the appellation’s finest climats planted to Gamay Noir averaging 40 years in age.
‘Couvent des Thorins’ is sourced from three parcels located on the lower areas of the Moulin-à-Vent appellation. A very good vintage, 2014 produced well balanced and expressive wines. This wine contains 25% whole cluster with 60% aged for 14 months in used, French oak barrels. A delicious wine with notes of black currant, raspberry, violets, dark cherry and a hint of anise and potting soil, ‘Couvent des Thorins’ is a perfect accompaniment for the sweet and the savory.
2015 Gianni Brunelli, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy $45
Gianni Brunelli, a man of many interests, established Siena’s Osteria Le Logge (now one of the top restaurants of the city) in 1977. In 1987, he returned to Montalcino and purchased ‘Le Chiuse di Sotto,’ an estate that had belonged to his father Dino, with 2ha of vineyards standing at 200m above sea level in the northern part of the region. Brunelli replanted most of the vines in 1989, but left untouched a small plot of older holdings dating back to his father’s original 1947 plantings. After Gianni passed away in 2008, his wife Laura, who was already working at the estate, took the reins along with her brother, Adriano.
Brunelli, Rosso di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese Grosso planted in Galestro, clay loam soils at 350m elevation. It was macerated for 25 days on its skins followed by 30 months of aging in 20HL oak casks. This is a fresh, vibrant wine with lots of ripe strawberry fruit, tangy cherry, baking spice and compact tannins.
2015 Sandlands, Carignane, California $52
Sandlands is the personal project of husband and wife, Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. There wines encompass the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite (sand), from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. Primarily head-trained, dry-farmed and own rooted, the vineyards they work with harken back to California’s roots of exploration, wonder, and hard work.
Tegan, a Napa Valley native, got his start in the wine industry working in winery labs in Napa. He has worked in the cellars of Craggy Range in New Zealand with Doug Wisor, with Eben Sadie in the Swartland of South Africa, and with Alain and Maxime Graillot in the Northern Rhone Valley of France. For the past eleven years, he has worked for Turley Wine Cellars, working his way up from harvest intern to Winemaker/Vineyard Manager.
The 2015 Carignane is a blend of 50% Lodi, own rooted vineyard planted in 1936, and 50% Contra Costa County, vineyard planted in the 1920’s. Notes of fresh sage, dried plum, black olive and sour cherry lead to a savory, structured finish.
Catherine Walker of the Boulder Wine Merchant has chosen wines to accompany our menu. There is more than one wine available for each course to allow you to choose the wine or wines that best suit your taste and budget. These wines are available for purchase from the Boulder Wine Merchant, and will be delivered to you at the table. Wine purchases are limited to one bottle per guest in the party. A small delivery and handling fee has been added to the retail price of the bottle.
For insurance reasons, guests may not bring their own alcoholic beverages to a farm dinner.