Beer

 

Brasserie Dupont 'Forêt' Organic Saison (750ml Bottle) $16

Brewed by Brasserie Dupont (one of the oldest breweries in Belgium), the Foret Saison was the first 100% certified organic beer to be produced in Belgium. The beer is crafted with organically cultivated hops and barley as well as filtered artisan well water, providing the beer with a distinct and unique mineral quality. A light bodied, refreshingly smooth beer with a bold malt flavor, Foret Saison has distinct aromas of bread, clove and pepper, finishing with a dry herbal note and complex fresh citrus flavor.

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Rosé

 

2017 My Essential Rose, Provence, France $20

Every year Richard and Carla Betts bring us this great rosé wine from Provence, and this 2017 Rosé is another great pink wine effort from this dynamic duo.  They grow the grapes specifically to produce rose as is customary for producers in Provence. My Essential is is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault from vineyards located 40 km from the town of Aix.  Vinification goes straight to press with whole bunches followed by fermentation and a short period of time in tank before bottling.  2017 vintage shows richness and perfectly integrated acidity that drives the multi-layered finish. It is loaded with fresh sliced strawberries and ripe red raspberries with a touch of fresh peach, sage, and dried flowers. A classic Provençal style rosé that is sure to satisfy that end of summer thirst.

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White

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2017 Ferdinand Albarino Luna Vista Vineyard, Borden Ranch AVA, Lodi, California (375ml can) $12

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. The 375ml can is perfect to split between two people and will be one of the best wines you've ever tasted coming out of a can. 

2016 Tire Bouchon Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy, France $39

It's rare to find a wine from Burgundy that is called by a nickname rather than strictly by appellation, but the Tire Bouchon white Burgundy stands up as a serious example of French Chardonnay. Made by a well-established Burgundian winemaker who prefers to remain anonymous on this project, "Tire Bouchon" translates to "corkscrew" in English. Even though the winemaker is a mystery, the quality of this wine is abundantly clear. Rocky, mineral-driven, and well-balanced, it doesn't get much better than this for entry-level Burgundy. Coming from vineyard sites in Meursault and Savigny-les-Beaunes, it is lighter in style with firm acidity and brightness. It still maintains a fruit-forward palate and is incredibly food-friendly: you can pair it with anything from seafood to chicken to creamy pasta dishes.

2010 Julien Braud, 'Monnières-Saint Fiacre' Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France $45

One of the most common descriptors of Muscadet is "simple". Light, refreshing, not complex or made for aging, but high in acid, and good accompaniment to shellfish but little else. At its best Muscadet is made "sur lie" in style to give the Melon de Bourgogne grape a little more depth and richness, but even then it doesn't get the respect it deserves. Thankfully the Braud family and a handful of other winemakers are seeking to change that narative.

Taking inspiration from Beaujolais, where Cru status has been used to elevate certain wines and the area's reputation in general, they've broken the land into seven Crus to express their individual characteristics. The crus are then left un-blended while yields are lowered and the length of aging is extended. Monnières-Saint Fiacre is one of those crus, where the sand and metamorphic rock give the grapes a distinct flavor and profile. The wine is aged for 30 months "sur lie", an unheard of amount of time for most wines, let alone the simple Melon de Bourgogne grape. The result is profound depth and richness, complex fruit flavors, and a character that is best described simply as Monnières-Saint Fiacre.

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Red

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2015 La Carafe Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy, France $26

This is a brand new project between the dynamic Little Nell Hotel duo, Wine Director Carlton McCoy, MS and F&B Director Csaba Oveges. They just launched the wines in the market and have been greeted with immediate anticipation and enthusiasm. We have offered their Touraine Sauvignon, Bourgogne Blanc, rosé, and red wine from Corbiéres. This Bourgogne rouge is sourced from a combination of vineyard sites varying in vine age, but all producing outstanding fruit quality. The sites are carefully selected for Pinot Noir grapes that are capable of offering a wine with the perfect balance of freshness and finesse.  2015 is an outstanding vintage and yielded concentrated wines with plenty of depth and flavor.  The La Carafe Bourgogne was carefully fermented using 20% used French Oak barrel and bottled with approachability and drinkability in mind.

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2016 Philippe Alliet, Chinon, France $34

Father-son team Philippe and Pierre Alliet are the proprietors of this small domaine in Cravant-les-Côteaux, home to some of the best Cabernet Franc vineyards in the Loire Valley. Considered by many to be one of the finest producers in Chinon, the Alliets are part of a new generation of Loire winemakers dedicated to low yields, optimally ripe fruit, and fastidious vineyard management. The grapes are totally de-stemmed in an effort to reduce the vegetal characteristics often associated with Loire Valley reds and only indigenous yeasts are used in the cellar. The result is a fleshy, round version of Cabernet Franc, full of dark fruit, violets, cassis, bay leafs, with hints of black tea and chalk. 

2015 Domaine de la Garrelière, Gamay 'Sans Tra La La', Touraine, France $50

Pascale and Francois Plouzeau make good wines, or rather, they know that good vines make good wines. So when they took over the domaine in 1985 they quickly converted the vineyards to biodynamics, dialed back the fancy winemaking, and started to do things a little more "traditionally". Once bottled, the Plouzeaus hire local artists to design the labels that reflect the wine but also the spirit in which it was made. And Gamay Sans Tra La La is exactly that. Gamay but without the... "nonsense"; no added yeasts or sulphur, minimal winemaking intervention, just organic Gamay grapes left to naturally ferment. It is fresh, lively, full of flavour and, above all, delicious. Good for drinking anytime, anywhere. The French would call this a ‘gouleyant’ wine, meaning that it is gluggable.

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