Responsible Indulgence--May 2022 Wine Notes
Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet—Wine Club
Don’t pack those sweaters up just yet….
As many of you already know, I have enrolled in a wine program in New York, and I am happily finding that I am reinvigorated to eat, drink, and think. This mantra has been with me since I began this project fourteen years ago, and it still represents what I aspire to do myself while I inspire all of you to do so, too. Foraging for wonderful wines, researching new foods, and learning about the how’s and why’s of production is all a lot of fun, but I cannot do this alone. I need the wine makers who work so hard in the vineyard and in the winery to produce delicious wine responsibly and sustainably. I need the importers who continue to also curate these wines and who are willing to invest the time, effort, and cost in getting these wines into our glasses and onto our tables. And, I need all of you to support this system that privileges quality and an ethics of production over quantity and bottom line. It is admittedly, antithetical to most business approaches, but I believe it is, simply put, the right thing to do for the health of our planet and our bodies.
There is something that naturally happens within this system, and that is the development of relationships. The wines are good because the quality and the value are there, but more than that the relationships that result improve our quality of life. To buy wine within this system, to support it form all aspects, we must trust one another, and that process builds relationships. That inspires me. Perhaps, I am preaching to the choir, but it is so important that it warrants repeating because you deserve recognition for supporting this system. You are advocates for these winemakers and the mongers who represent them.
I recently began a series of wine classes, Makers & Mongers, we have been meeting virtually, but in May, I will add an in-person component. Save the Date—Makers & Mongers #3: Rosé. It is time to return to these wonderful pink wines, so we will talk about how they are made and the foods to enjoy with them, which tasting a few different styles. I hope you will join us. As Club Members, you will have first dibs to the 12 in person spaces. I will begin with the two wines included in May’s Club wines, and add a few that are arriving imminently. Friday, May 20th 6pm.
Now, for our club choices for May. With Spring dishes adding more subtle flavors and salads and fresh vegetables on the mind, I have put together a list of wines that should excite your palate!
For the Value 3 pack, I went for flavor intensity delivered in slightly more gentle expression. The 2020 St Preignan Cabernet Sauvignon is a prime example of such a style. The flavor intensity of this wine full of brambly black fruits which are so pleasant and inviting, but the wine is not overly lush, which is largely do to the pond that provides water to the land. In a region that is typically sun drenched and starved for water resources, Philippe and Pierre Pastor has the good fortune of access to water. This 5th generation wine family has tended these grapes gently both in the field and in the winery, and that reserve of touch results in a very pleasant lighter expression on the palate. This is a wonderful wine as we all clean off the grill and start to fire it up. It is all about the char, so mushroom steak or flank steak, cheers!
2014 Fable Mountain Jackel Bird White is a rare treat at this price point. You have had the wines of Tremayne Smith before as part of this club, so you already know how delicious his wines are. This is a blend of Old Swartland Chenin Blanc with Elgin Chardonnay and a Grenache Blanc, and a pinch of Viognier from Voor Paardeberg. This is an intentional and interesting blend with an oxidative and reductive approach, cold soak skin contact and clean ferments. The wine is naturally fermented on the lees with 70% in large oak and 30% in concrete egg. The result is abundant aromatics and a complex wine with golden orchard fruits, ripe peaches, crisp golden delicious apples, a touch of apricot and raisin, and loads of texture. All the while the wine has a zippy acidity to balance this fruit out. This would pair really well with all those challenging spring vegetables but could also handle roasted meats and stews. I might make a coq au vin for this one, using white wine for the dish instead of red.
2021 Mary Taylor, Christophe Avi Rosé Agenais. To round out the wines for the Value 3, I included an equally interesting rosé from this micro-negotiant, Mary Taylor. Mary’s project is to represent small, independent wineries, who would not likely be able to compete in a global market. She gives them label recognition by lending her name, and therefore her ethos, to the label. She is all about terroir and gives winemakers a dominant space on that label, as well. This biodynamic pink wine from Agenais, and established IGP in 2011, captures the typicity of the wine of the Southwest of France. The sandy and limestone soils contribute to a very gentle wine, soft, approachable with a nice blend of summer berry and brine-like salinity. Enjoy it with some oysters or a fresh, tart goat cheese and some sea salt crackers.
To round out the Value wines, I went with good shoulder season crowd pleasers that are “just right,” neither too big nor too light for the seasonal food shifts. For a medium bodied white, try the 2020 J Mourat Chenin de Jardin, a 100% organic Chenin Blanc made by a third-generation wine growing family with deep roots in the Loire and a larger global awareness. There is a surprising green tint to the gold-colored wine that invokes spring. It is that electric color of the trees in their earliest stage of growth. The wine is intensely flavored with white peach, apricot and citrus curb with bright refreshing acidity. It is ideal for the start of the meal with light hors d’oeuvres or with a fish dish.
For the reds, if you are seeking something with lighter meats or vegetable dishes, grab the 2018 Domaine de la Lyre Côtes du Rhone Rouge. This is a new vintage of a perennial favorite here at the shop. This is a frequent go-to bottle for me because it is so easy and food flexible. The fruit is bright and fresh, medium bodied, and good flavor intensity with a touch of bramble but mostly lighter fruits like blueberry, plum, and fig. It also has a nice herbal note and a touch of spice. I made a vegetable tagine the other night and this wine was ideally suited for it. Just the wine, some vegetable stew and some toasted ciabatta from the grocery store, and it was heaven.
If you are thinking about red meat, or something richer, go for the 2019 Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a new one for the shop, and we are happy to find it. It is not often that you find a value Cab with this much character. The project was started by David Gordon, a New York somm, who wanted to provide just that—value and quality with character. It is medium to full bodied with ripe plum and black currant and a touch of mint for freshness. There is a gesture toward a jammy note but not at all out of balance. This is a solid California Cab for the buck and would be great with a burger!
The Select wines have been similarly selected for that shoulder season table. I think of this like my unwillingness to put away my last cashmere sweater! So, here’s my attempt to cling to that. To start, the 2020 Winery of Good Hope, Mountainside Syrah, which is my personal favorite for this winery. The hand harvested mountainside fruit has the benefit of cool evenings and morning to allow for a longer hang time and a less sun stress. The fruit is ripe, but fresh, not dried. The grapes are destemmed, so you get more berry and less bitter earthiness. And the gentle cold fermentation and press give the wine a more subtle nuanced flavor. It will call you in with its spice and herbal aromatics, but win you over with its freshness and elegance. Impactful black fruits on this one would make it a good partner for anything on the grill, but I am thinking about sausage and peppers!
2017 Pi Grenache Blanc is a fun label making a playful use of the most popular number that is unique and irrational like the wine in the bottle. It is a white made from Garnacha Blaca in Aragon Spain in Calatayud. It has a wonderful balance of body and freshness, lemon curd and fresh white fruits on the nose, blended with butter and honey. The palate is rich and a touch oily, but balanced by sustained acid structure and a long herbaceous finish. I want some roasted fish with this bold white.
2021 Domaine Fontsainte Gris de Gris, Corbieres Rosé is not new to the shop, but this vintage is hot off the presses. It has the berry notes that I remember from years past, but the wine is a bit dryer in its expression this year. It has a softness and body that suggests a little less acidity than previous vintages, but not at all a loss. The wine is delicious and smooth, and is great on its own but it was wonderful with some zucchini pancakes that I made with ratatouille.
For another unique white, try the 2020 Chai Duchet Macon Berry Story. Made in Viré in Bourgogne at a small family run winery created in 2013 by Alexis Duchet and his parents. Alexis is a seventh generation wine maker to work his family’s land in the Haut-Maconnais. After many generations of cooperative wine production, Alexis set up his own winery to make label and his wines are truly remarkable. The berry Story is the tale of his conversion to fully organic in the vineyard, which has meant planting nettle and clover to wean the grapes off any dependency on fertilizers. The wine is delicghtful from the first sip, and you will continue to sip with delight. It is fermented naturally in stainless steel and so the fruit—apples and stone fruits—are still crisp and the aromas abundant. There is a lemon curd freshness and a chalky minerality that I love. I am going to pair this tonight with a vegetable pho that I am making the stock for as I write this. I suspect it will pair beautifully with the umami of that dish.
2019 Domaine La Luminaille Rasteau Luminaris is a brand new one to the shop, and I am betting on her to be best in show for May. There is always one that everyone gravitates toward, the reasons for which vary, but this wine has a certain X factor that I am confident everyone will love. There is a balance of flamboyance from the Grenache (40%), intensity and gamay quality for the Mouvedre (20%) and Syrah (15%), and a freshness that comes from the Carignan (15%). Julie Paolucci, the wine maker, aimed at a wine that would “taste like Rasteau,” and the result is a wine that tastes of the parched stony soil, ripe fruits, cooling winds, and ripe fruits of the region. The balance of ripe and fresh, dark fruit and cracked pepper, gamay meat and herbs de Provence make my mouth water
2020 Lyrarakis Plakoura Vineyard, Madilari. This is a new one for us and an interesting find. Made from an indigenous Greek Grape that has particularly low yield grown at a high altitude with optimum aspect. There is a combination of ocean breeze on a sun scorched hillside and the result is a rip, abundant red with equal freshness and deep flavor of red and black fruits. This one has the structure to age, should you want to tuck it away, but it is showing nicely right now. I suggest you make some local fare with this grilled fish, feta, and lots of lemon!
The two Collector wines this month come from one winery in Napa, Failla (pronounced Fay-La), where Ehren Jordan works his magic. While they have become known for Ehron’s Pinot, Syrah and Chardonnay are especially important to the winery. Sourcing the fruit from such venerable Napa locations as Hudson Vineyard, Haynes, and Olivet Road, and these two wines are among my favorites form my California inventory. The 2019 Failla Russian River Chardonnay is sourced from the Reuling Vineyard in Russian River Valley AVA. It is a unique spot, situated at the spine that divides Laguna de Santa Rosa from the Green Valley. The vineyard is picturesque and produces gorgeous Chardonnay grapes. The wine maintains freshness of green apple and white peach with a touch of melon and ripe exotic fruits. There is a creaminess that comes across like lemon curd. I want to roast some salmon, make a fresh salad with tart berries, goat’s milk cheese, and thinly sliced pears and some candied pecans, add a zippy viagrette and a glass of this Chardonnay!
The 2020 Failla Haynes Syrah comes from the Coombsville AVA on a site planted in 1966 by Pat and Duncan Haynes. It has been farmed on original rootstock and grown on a bed of volcanic alluvial soils. Syrah was Ehren first grape, so it is particularly special, and this wine is exceptional because it has layers of complex flavors that come together seamlessly in a bold, delicious, balanced wine with character. There are both red and black fruits, pomegranate and cranberry, but also fig and plum, bramble, but also so much herb and chalky minerality for texture, tannins for structure and a wonderful gammy quality that suggests lamb, which is what I will make to enjoy with it!
EAT DRINK THINK