Sparkling

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NV Domaine Pecheur, Crémant du Jura, France $45

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Domaine Pecheur began producing wine in 1976 from a single hectare of vineyards. Located in Darbonnay, in the Cotes du Jura appellation (between Burgundy and Switzerland), the domaine is owned by Christian and Patricia Pêcheur who, since its inception, have worked diligently to improve and expand production of classic Jura wines. The average age of the vineyards varies from between 35 to 50 years, which is to say, the Pêcheur family is working almost exclusively with old vines.  The grapes destined to produce the Crémant are planted to rocky, pebbly soil rich in dolomite and this terroir is very expressive through the wine.  

 

Made from 100% Chardonnay planted to rocky, pebbly soil rich in dolomite, the Cremant du Jura is aged on the lees for three years before disgorgement.  Clean and mineral, this wine is bone dry, with slight tart apple fruit.  There is no dosage applied, shaping a pure sparkling wine that clearly expresses the profound terroir of this remarkable region.

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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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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 Alberto Nanclares, 'Soverribas' Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain $51

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Alberto Nanclares is a modest new star in Cambados, a small historic town on the western coast of Spain famous for its Albarino. From the many year career as an economist, to a fortuitous second career in grape-growing, to today crafting some of the most serious, ocean-infused, age-worthy single vineyard Albarinos, Alberto is an impressive and hardworking winemaker to know.  With full-fledged organic farming and some work with biodynamics (organic production is very rare in this humid Atlantic-influenced region prone to viticultural difficulties),  Alberto currently tends 2.5 hectares broken into 12 small parcels.  

 

From a single, west-facing thirty year old parcel planted on decomposed granite and clay, Soverribas was fermented and raised on the lees in 2,200 liter, ten year old French barrels for one year. It was then aged an additional year and a half in bottle at the winery.

 

Nanclares wines are angular and vin-de-garde in style with great concentration and crystalline precision.  Soverribas is a botanical expression of Albariño with aromas of savory green herbs, heather, and moss. The palate is powerful, broad, and long, with ripping acidity cushioned by a plush fruit profile of apricot, lime, and tangerine flesh along with orange blossom, bee pollen, sweetly smoky peat, and sea salt.

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Red

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2013 Bibi Graetz, Chianti "Le Cicale di Vincigliata", Tuscany, Italy $29

 

Considered one of Italy's most ingenious winemakers, Bibi Graetz has risen from artist to cult winemaker since the release of his first wines back in 2000. Without any formal training and with initially only a small 2 hectare vineyard on his parents' property overlooking Florence, he has managed to unceremoniously gatecrash the staid Tuscan wine scene and, in Testamatta, create one of Italy's great cult wines.

 

Born and raised in Italy, Bibi makes his wine in his family home, Castello di Vincigliata, a castle in Fiesole. The lack of a traditional Tuscan Estate has freed him to search out parcels of old vines around Tuscany- and even the Isola di Giglio - which are the basis for his concentrated, yet elegant wines. Using organic cultivation methods and resisting the trend of planting Cabernet and Merlot, these wines are the ultimate expression of indigenous grape varieties.

 

“Le Cicale di Vincigliata” is a blend mostly Sangiovese with a small percentage of Canaiolo and Colorino.   Cherry, strawberry, leather and herbal flavors define this juicy yet firm red. The finish displays dried herb and leather elements that perfectly balance the fruit tones.

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2015 Romeo del Castello, Etna Rosso 'Allegracore', Sicily $45

 

Proprietors Rosanna Romeo and her daughter Chiara Vigo are taking the historic Fattorie Romeo del Castello to a higher level. The estate is surrounded by a lava flow from an eruption in 1981 that threatened to take away the entire 30 hectares of the domaine. Luckily, their 100 year old vineyard of Nerello Mascalese was spared and with a few new plantings, the vineyards are now spread over 14 hectares by the Alcantara river at 700 meters on Mt. Etna. If more proof is needed that the land is special, they also have a thousand year old olive tree and some hundred year old oak trees.   All of the vines are in albarello (goblet) training, the traditional cultivation method of the region. The grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in open wood vats without yeasts or enzymes and temperature controlled. The wines are aged in older oak casks for about 14 months then bottled without fining or filtration.

 

A blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappucino, dark-skinned berry, new leather, aromatic herb and a whiff of cake spice lead the nose. Delicious and approachable, the smooth, full-bodied palate doles out juicy black cherry, crushed raspberry, cinnamon and clove alongside supple tannins and vibrant acidity.

 

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.