 |
|---|
Pairings for September 15 at Red Wagon Organic Farm:
Cider
Samuel Smith Organic Apple Cider (18oz Bottle) $6
Founded in in 1758, Samuel Smith is the oldest brewery in Yorkshire. And by all impressions it hasn’t changed much since then. The beers are still fermented in what they call “stone yorkshire squares” (essentially square shaped open top fermenters), with the same yeast strain used since the 1800s, and conditioned in oak casks that are made by the breweries own coopers. All of this results in traditional styles ales are are layered with flavors rarely seen in modern beers. And their ciders follow the same pattern, being made only with organic apples that are grown nearby and fermented with wine yeasts. Best served at the beginning or end of a meal, this cider shows classic flavors of tart apples, fresh flowers, and a dry finish.
Rosé
2017 Il Poggione, 'Brancato’ Rosato, Tuscany, Italy $26
One of the original three Italian wine producers of Brunello di Montalcino, Tenuta Il Poggione was founded in the late 1800’s by Lavinio Franceschi, a man whose dedication to the land and the Sangiovese grape is still admired today. One of Montalcino’s largest wineries, Tenuta Il Poggione covers an area of 600 hectares, 125 planted under vine, 70 planted to olive trees and the rest open space and woods. ‘Brancato’ Rosato (Rosé in Italian) is one of the newest wines from Il Poggione crafted from 100% Sangiovese. It is crisp and fresh on the palate with a pleasant roundness that pairs perfectly with fresh produce. A delicate floral and red berry bouquet brings you to a palate full of red cherry, citrus, raspberry, strawberry and spice.
White
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 Château Moncontour Vouvray Sec, Loire Valley, France $26
Château Moncontour is perhaps my favorite château in all of France for the simple reason that it was built for the king's mistress. But not just any mistress, Charles VII's favorite mistress, Agnès Sorel, also known as Dame de beauté. Agnès is considered to be the first officially recognize royal mistress and was the subject of many works of art, most famously and ironically Jean Fouquet's Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels. But it gets better: Agnès introduced the peculiar fashion of wearing a low-cut dress with one breast fully exposed! Mon Dieu! After bearing three of the King's children she died of a suspected poisoning. And although Agnès was dead Château Moncontour lives on to this day - having survived a fire during the French Revolution - and from there some of the best Loire Valley wines are made. Made from 100% chenin blanc, Mouncontour's Vouvray Sec is beautifully perfumed nose of peaches, pears, and apricots, while being crisp and fresh on the palate.
2016 Smockshop Band Chardonnay, Moonhill Farm, Hood River, Oregon $97
From our good friend and one of the founders of Meadow Lark Farm Dinners, Nate Ready, comes another gem out of Oregon. Just as Meadow Lark connects food and wine to people and place, pulling all of these aspects closer together, Nate has an amazing ability to impart and sense of location, climate, and even people into his wine like very few can. The grapes are farmed without irrigation before being harvested by hand, crushed by foot, and allowed to gently release their juices for twelve hours directly into barrel. The wine is then left to natural ferment and age for fourteen months. The resulting wine is dense and concentrated, brimming with fruit and minerality. Aromas begin with charred hazelnuts, gunflint, lemon custard, and yellow plum before traveling to the ephemeral notes of smoke and white flowers. Nearly as good and traveling to Oregon and running your fingers through the soil.
Red
2015 Mas de Libian 'Khayyam' Côtes du Rhône, France $26
The Thibon family purchased this historic estate in 1670. Today, there are three sisters, Hélène, Catherine, and Cécile who all work in the wine business. Hélène and Catherine both live in Libian and run the family winery while Cécile resides in Bordeaux and works as an oenologist. The vineyards at this Rhône Valley estate are farmed meticulously according to the principles of Biodynamic farming. Furthermore, Mas de Libian is also Demeter certified for being Biodynamic. The clay-limestone soils of this area are perfectly balanced for producing wines with depth and precision. The limestone component adds a lift of acidity and brightness on the palate. This Côtes du Rhône shows tremendous purity and focus, with layers of vibrant fruit flavors. Dusty minerality folds delicately into the mix of dried red fruits, sage, and licorice spice.
2016 Vietti, Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne, Piemonte, Italy $29
Like many European wineries, Vietti traces its roots back to the 19th century, but it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that Vietti began offering its own wines in bottle. Over the years the Vietti winery grew to be one of the most prestigious in Piedmont, a region in northwestern Italy, and was one of the first to export to the U.S. Since 1974, each of the Vietti bottlings have been adorned with specially designed works of art to represent the wine of the respective vintage. Outwardly a beautiful presentation, but more importantly, Vietti produces wines of incredible depth and finesse.
Barbera, while not deemed to be the noble grape of Piedmont (that title is reserved for Nebbiolo the workhorse of Barolo and Barbaresco), is still an exceptional wine with a beautiful balance of fruit, body, tannin and acidity. Rife with lavender, dried strawberries, and dried herbs on the nose, with cherry, licorice, plum, and tobacco on the palate, this wine pairs nicely with delicate and savory cuisine.
2017 Vini Rabasco, Montepulciano 'Vino Rosso Cancell...ato', Abruzzo, Italy $50
We all make mistakes, even winemakers. Luckily for us that’s how Vini Rabasco's ‘Cancell...ato’ came to be. Since Iole Rabasco inherited her families small vineyard and olive grove she has been making Vini Rabasco's Cancelli from 100% Montepulciano. The wine is lively and delicious, full of tart fruits and a healthy dose of earth. This is not that wine. This is the ‘Cancell...ato’, which fortuitously came to be when in 2016 Iole had a tank of Montepulciano grapes that were harvest a little too late and were lacking the acidity her Cancelli is so well known for. So she held onto it. And in 2017 her harvested a batch of grapes on the early side, brimming with acidity but not showing too much fruit flavors. Blend them together and you get ‘Cancell...ato’, a balanced wine that shows ripe red fruits with crisp lively acid. But because this wine was the product happenstance this will be the one and only year Iole produces it, for fear that tempting fate will not work as well next time.
Dan Brooker and Emma Sherr-Ziarko of the Boulder Wine Merchant have 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.