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 Ingrid Groiss, Sommerwein Rose, Austria $34

 

Ingrid Groiss is a young, vivacious female winemaker, living in the Weinviertel, the oldest wine-growing district in Austria. Her relationship with the Weinviertel runs deep, as her parents and grandmother owned vineyards for many years, making wine for their local country wine tavern, traditionally known as a Heuriger. It took Ingrid some time before returning to her roots and taking on the life of a winemaker, whereby she had to blaze her own trail within the family business. Wines of expressive terroir have come to symbolize Ingrid’s craft technique, and deservedly, a dedicated following has ensued. The indigenous vineyard hare, gracing her labels, is symbolic of her dedication to harmony with nature and her connection to this delightful creature that flourishes in her gardens.

 

The 2016 Sommerwein Rose is a beautifully refined and delicate wine made of 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Aromas of woodland strawberries, wildflowers, white blossoms and hints of white pepper and spice give this wine a wispy femininity. The palate displays notes of tart cherry, orange and lime zest, watermelon, rose water and mineral undertones from start to finish.

​

​

White

​

2014 Ferdinand Albarino Luna Vista Vineyard, Borden Ranch AVA, Lodi, California $32

 

Evan Frazier started the Ferdinand label in 2010 with just 56 cases of Albariño. Introduced to winemaking in 2006 by Abe Schoener of the Scholium Project, that year Evan worked his first harvest, in the Roussillon (Maury, France), with ancient Carignan and Grenache vines. Ferdinand is made in the Kongsgaard cellar on Atlas Peak (Napa, CA) where Evan is the General Manager and Assistant Winemaker for Kongsgaard Wines and has worked with John Kongsgaard since 2008.

 

2014 Ferdinand Albarino is sourced solely from the the Vista Luna Vineyard, owned by Markus Bokisch.  Markus, probably the foremost authority on growing Spanish varieties in California, decided to plant the vineyard after beginning his career carefully farming some of the best vines in Napa. Markus, whose family is from Spain, looked to those roots when he decided to plant Albariño, Tempranillo, Garnacha Blanca, Verdelho, and Graciano (he even smuggled in a special massale selection of Albariño from its native Galicia, Spain.) Vista Luna's site, far to the north-east of Lodi, is in the rolling bench-land at the edge of the Sierra foothills. What makes it really unique is its cobbled, rocky soil and the cooling breezes which blow from the Delta to the Sierras.

 

A light gold color, balanced and attractively fragrant, this wine is savory and floral  with orange peel, lime zest, lemongrass, quince and grapefruit aromas and flavors. Lees aging in neutral oak gives the wine finesse, sophistication, and a hint of nuttiness – a pleasing complement to the variety’s balance of natural acidity, slight bitterness, and salty finish.

 

2013 Marilena Barbera, Grillo 'Coste al Vento', Sicily $41

​

Cantine Barbera is a family winery run by Marilena Barbera and her mother.  Marilena inherited the winery in 2006 upon her father’s passing and took over all work in the vineyards and cellar in 2011.  She makes 10-11 different wines a year, all single vineyard bottlings of the indigenous fruit that grows in her grandfather’s vineyards.

​

With 30 hectares in Sicily, just southwest of Menfi and a half-mile from the ocean, Marilena farms the entire estate organically and likens the proximity to the ocean to standing in front of an open refrigerator door.  Her vineyards yield wines that are fresh and bright and naturally lower in alcohol than wines grown in the mountains.  However, temperature is not the only benefit to being one of very few producers close to the ocean, salinity is also very important for white wines. It adds structure, helps protect against bacteria and preserves flavors and aromas.

 

A cross between two native Sicilian varietals, Grillo is grown almost exclusively on the island of Sicily.  Sourced from a single vineyard, Marilena’s Grillo is one of the best examples both in its expression of varietal character as well as its terroir. The nose is complex and elegant with aromas of white stone fruit and hints of tropical fruit, married with herbal scents of oregano, mint and sage that stand out against rich layers of nettle and fine green tea. Its pleasantly full palate is enriched by a mineral and vibrant aftertaste.
 

2014 Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire 'Bournais' Loire Valley, France $56

 

Domaine Francois Chidaine was established in 1989 by Francois Chidaine across the river from Vouvray in Montlouis. It’s a fairly sizeable domaine, totalling 37 hectares, including 20 in Montlouis, 10 in Vouvray and 7 in Touraine.  The estate has vines between 40 and 80 years old, all certified Biodynamic but none 0f his labels will say as much. For Francois, it is about the work not the notoriety. He is a true champion of the Chenin Blanc grape and touts its ability to produce vibrant wines that age gracefully. Francois is happiest on his tractor or with his hands in the dirt, but being among his barrels is a close second.

 

Montlouis is a 400 hectares appellation which was granted AOC status in 1937 (Prior to that all wines made in Montlouis were labeled Vouvray). Unlike most of Montlouis, which is on clay and flint, this 4-hectare vineyard (planted in 1998) lies on a pocket of clay and Bournais limestone, from which it takes it's name. It's a beautiful site, certainly one of Montlouis' fines and it produces an altogether more 'Vouvray' expression of Montlouis with a powdery, chalky structure that clearly reflects its soils and location. The power and opulence of this wine is equally balanced by the chalky vibration (the kind you might find in a great Blanc de Blancs) that runs the length of the palate and dominates the finish.

​

​

Red

​

2015 Paolo Scavino, Langhe Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Italy $36

 

Paolo Scavino is a long standing family winery in the Barolo region. It was founded in 1921 in Castiglione Falletto by Lorenzo Scavino and his son Paolo. Farming has always been a family tradition and passion. Enrico Scavino together with his daughters Enrica and Elisa, fourth generation, run the family Estate. He started to work full time in the winery in 1951 when he was 10 years old. A young winemaker who inherited the passion and devotion for the land he belongs to. Through over 60 years of experience his focus has been to invest in the important cru of Nebbiolo to show the uniqueness of each terroir.

 

100% Nebbiolo, this wine is from two single vineyards in the village of La Morra, Bricco Manescotto and Annunziata, which accentuate the more ethereal and finer aromatics and structure of Nebbiolo. These crus, that could be potentially used for Barolo, are declassified and the grapes vinified and aged to be Langhe Nebbiolo. A beautiful introduction to this noble grape and region, vinification takes place in stainless steel and aging for 10 months in neutral oak.

 

2015 Scavino, Langhe Nebbiolo boasts aromas of raspberry, violet and a hint of orange peel. The fresh, juicy palate doles out red cherry and white pepper while lithe tannins provide elegant support.
 

2015 Faiveley, Mercurey, Burgundy, France $45

 

Domaine Faiveley established in 1825 is located at the heart of viticultural Burgundy between Dijon and Beaune in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Historically based in the Côte de Nuits capital, the Faiveley family, 7th generation winemakers, has progressively extended its domaine and today owns vineyards in the finest climats in Burgundy.

 

Mercurey, situated in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise (located just south of the Cote d’Or), is one the foremost appellations of Burgundy. Faiveley's village Mercurey is sourced from 5 parcels spread throughout the appellation for a total of 95 acres. Vines date back as far as 1962 and soils are primarily clay and limestone.

 

A beautiful dark ruby colour. The nose opens up with notes of fresh red fruits, raspberry and pomegranate, orange peel and spices. Pleasant to taste, this wine emerges with a round and fruity start before revealing it's fine and silky tannins and lovely cherry and baking spice notes.

 

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.