Responsible Indulgence—May 2023 Wine Notes
Spring seems to be moving by at a far too rapid pace, so let’s slow down and enjoy this shoulder season and all that it brings. For me, it is all about the senses; the electric green of our budding trees, the scent just after a heavy rain, that perfect color of blue that makes flip flops seem like a good idea, and the taste of fresh local spring vegetables. Yes, I have had a few asparagus, some radishes, and loads of fresh herbs added to the salad mix. This makes me look at the table with fresh eyes, and I love that task. So, I have some new wines for you, along with a few new vintages of perennial favorites, but all of them are perfectly paired with the flavors, colors, and scents of spring. I hope you enjoy!
If you are at the summer Aquidneck Grower’s Market on Wednesdays starting Mary 17th, come say hi! I will have a table with lots of cool local cheeses & fresh bread! Feel free to park at the shop to walk over to the market on Memorial, so you can easily grab a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner.
My picks for May are driven by the season, but also and always by quality of flavor, intensity, and complexity, as well as the ethos with which the wine is made. I seek wines of character made by people who care about the environment, people, and economic sustainability. At all levels this is my goal. Value wines are no exception. In truth, they are often harder to find, so they are all the more satisfying when I do. Yes, it is an economic reality that to make wine of character and to do so working with artisanal techniques is just more costly. The labor involved in tending vineyards organically, hand harvesting grapes to ensure quality, and to work in the winery on a small enough scale to allow for all the work to be done with minimal intervention all adds cost. How do you do that, and keep the wine at roughly $15 retail? It is not easy. Often it means, selecting lesser-known varietals from parts unknown, but this month, I found three gems that you will recognize and surely enjoy.
Value Wines
The 2020 Acentor Garnacha is made by Isaac Fernandez in collaboration with Aurelio Cabestrero. These two men are working hard to elevate Spain’s recognition on the world stage. This Garnacha Tinta is grown in Calatayud and is an indigenous grape of the region. The character of this wine is surely a result of the 30-80+ year-old vines grown in iron rich clay soils. Its aromatics will invoke early wild blueberries, orange peel, and a touch of spice, and its medium body makes it very food flexible. It is grown at a high elevation which means cooler nights, and the result is a wine that is ripe without being flabby. It is still fresh and just a little grippy. Try it with grilled chicken rubbed with harissa!
If you feel like something cold and refreshing , there are two options in the Value 3 pack that are new vintages of perennial favorites. The 2021 Atlantique Sauvignon Blanc is, as always, crisp, fresh, and mouth watering. The vibrant exotic fruits and citrus aromatics on the nose and the palate make this ideal for a cheese platter at your first polo outing or beach picnic. Fabrice Gouraud harvests at full ripeness to give you a crowd pleasing zesty and delicious Loire Sauvignon Blanc that speaks of the ocean breezes that cool the grapes along the western coast.
The 2022 Jouclary Rosé needs little introduction. I have had these wines in my store since I opened fifteen years ago, and I look forward to the rosé release every Spring. Maybe it has something to do with the cotton candy wispy pink hue of the wine, or perhaps it is timing, often the first to show up in the early Spring. Or perhaps, it is because the wine has complexity of berry, citrus, curd, and melon, with a grassy hint, it is elegant in color, and it is consistent in its affordability. You don’t need food with this one, just chill it, put a big sweater around your shoulders, find a spot to watch the sunset, and crack it open with some friends!
The other value wines are equally as enchanting this month. The 2020 Chateau Grand Billard is classic Bordeaux at a very reasonable price point. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc that sees a little time in oak, so you will want some food with this one. It has powerful blue fruits both fresh and cooked balanced with earthy flavors that will make your mouth water and some tannins to chew on. Throw a steak on the grill, or a medley of mushrooms, or even a burger. The tannins will soften with some fat, so put gruyere on that burger!
2021 Passionate Wines Del Mono Tinto has been in the club before, but this new vintage bears repeating. This Malbec and Syrah blend is made with co-fermented hand harvested fruit from the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Yes, it is time for some more robust reds. Whether you choose all veggies or not, use some spice with this wine. It has spice of its own that integrates beautifully with the blackberry and plum and the ample tannins, and all that calls for food that adds a little more spice. You could try it with Indian or Thai, and of course grilled meats would be the easy regional pairing and would not disappoint you.
To complete the six pack, the 2021 Cora Pinot Grigio is a breath of fresh air—like that first time you open the doors and windows to let the cool, Spring air flush out the corners and refresh your space! It is crisp and clean with floral and citrus and touch of mandarin orange peel. The wine is an incredible value, coming to us from the importer, David Bowler, with fruit sourced from Abruzzo on a sustainable vineyard. The grapes are grown organically without any irrigation at a farm that is powered by wind and solar. It is an inspiring story. The wine is made with all efforts toward freshness, and they nailed it! Rarely does an inexpensive Pinot Grigio excite, but this one will wake you up. Try it with some fresh local grilled seafood and a light fresh pasta primavera!
Select Wines
In keeping with the freshness of Spring, the 2020 Terrasol Trace is a new wine for Rhode Island, and I am thrilled to have it. This is another example of a small importer who very carefully curates his portfolio, prioritizing quality and character of wine over volume. The wine makers, Giorgio and Stefano, are committed to making wine that is a true expression of the terroir of Sicily, capturing the combination of sun and land. The intensity of sun and the unique soil composition create wines that express the fierce conditions, the fortitude of the culture, and the warmth of the people. Yes, I am biased, but the wine supports my affection. It is a blend of Syrah and Nero d’Avola that come together in a smooth, rich red with bursting berry and fresh cherry notes, supple body and soft tannins. Get a pizza and enjoy this one without over-thinking the pairing.
For Sunday afternoon while you are gardening, open the 2021 L'Écaillier Muscadet from the Loire. The grape is Melon de Bourgogne, and the wine is light, fresh, with loads of aromatics fruits and florals that will swirl in your imagination. There is a beautiful tension between fruit and minerality in this wine, which gives it a delightful mouth feel. The acidity will require a piece of cheese, and I suggest the Chabichou de Poitou and a little of Eat This Flaming Raspberry jam on a salty cracker!
If you are fixing a big salad as frequently as I am these days, you will need a rosé. The 2022 Mas de Vé is delightful to sip on while you prep and while you enjoy crunching away on that salad. It has a vein of acidity that runs through the wine that is gently integrated, so the wine is not jarring but rather smooth and fresh. “Vé” is a local Provencal expression, loosely translated as, “Look at that!” An expression that I use all too often this time of year, each time I turn a corn and witness something else in bloom. The combination of dry, but fruity, zippy, but smooth will make you do just that!
The next two wines come from the Vignerons de Buxy Bourgogne, which is an ambitious project designed by a large pool of winemaking families in the Cote Chalonnaise in Burgundy to support the values of traditional wine making. I love the story of their collaborative effort. 120 families have worked together for nearly 100 years in harmony with nature, maintaining and continuing their regional, traditional methods of viticulture and vinification. In coming together, all the families prosper. There is a lesson in this kind of collaboration.
The 2021 Bourgogne Blanc is a beautiful Chardonnay from Cote Chalonnaise. It has balance, freshness and minerality. It will capture you first with its pale golden vibrant yellow, and then its aromatics will compel you further. It has a wonderful predominant citrus that mixes with melon and apple, and just a hint of oak, that gives it a subtle complexity. It would be wonderful with a tart and a salad, goat cheese, or grilled vegetables. The 2020 Buxy Bourgogne Rouge is 100% Pinot Noir and is equally elegant and satisfying. It is a good choice for an introductory French Pinot because the wine is very approachable, by which I guess I mean that it is easy to understand, but don’t confuse that with simple. The fruit is pure, smooth, fresh, with red cherry, black currant and a touch of cassis, all of which is balanced by some earthiness and brightness of acidity, with elegant tannins. It would pair with the same foods as its white varietal very well but could also match nicely with a grilled steak.
I cannot help myself, the De Forville Barbera returns to the club list with the new 2021 vintage. It is stunning. Youthful, but intended to drink that way. Lay down that Barbaresco and pop this one open while you wait! This is yet another inspiring wine story about a family that is committed to maintaining the standards and techniques of five generations of wine makers. They believe very strongly that their work is to protect the heritage of the territory of Barbaresco. I would argue that their Barbera is their best value wine, and it is so easy and fresh. I love them all, but this is the go-to for almost any meal. It has all the fruit that makes it pair well with meats, no surprise for the region, but also a freshness that makes it ideal for vegetables and pasta dishes. I paired it with Melisa Clark’s Spring Pasta with peas and asparagus, loads of parmigiana and some crème fraiche. It was delightful!
For the Collectors
I thought it would be interesting to have two wines from the same chateau for side-by-side comparison. The primary label is the 2019 Chateau Le Puy Emilien, and their second label is the 2020 Duc des Nauves. The wines are age worthy, though both drinking well now. These wines are available, and would be worth investing in.
Both wines are estate grown and bottled, they are biodynamic, and they are made without any additional sulphur. In fact, Le Puy was the first estate to register organic in the region.
To begin with, Le Puy is situated on the very same plateau as Saint Emilien and Pomerol, same soils and conditions. It sits on the second highest elevation in the Gironde at about 350 feet above sea level. Soil is a composite of clay, silex, and limestone and has a very high acidity. All of this contributes to the freshness of wine that makes the wine unique, balanced, and complex. The 50+ year age of the vines also contributes to the intensity and complexity. They only use indigenous yeast, all natural fermentation and all in accordance with the lunar cycle. The wines spend approximately 24 months in barrel before bottling without any filtering or fining.
The 2019 vintage began with a moderate winter, which spilled into a pleasant early spring, but by mid April there were threats of frost. Growers lit candles to fight back against the cold temperatures. A few nights hit zero and had winemakers very worried. That said, by the start of summer, the weather was dry and sunny and warm, the ideal conditions for growing with cool nights, allowing the acids to build. Good rain in July provided necessary water, and then August and into September was dry, as is the desired condition to finish the growing season. All harvesting is done by hand. The 2019 has great aromatics, a nice concentration of fruit, and ripe tannins that will provide the structure for aging. All of that said, the wine is a rockstar at a relatively affordable price point. It is a favorite of mine because of the family’s commitment to biodynamic farming and organic wine making.
The 2020 vintage conditions were quite good through the spring after a very moderate winter. There were some heavy rains in the early summer, which effected some vineyards with mildew, but those who were unscathed, were able to harness that moisture to provide hydration through a hot, dry summer. For most, the water reserve made for a fortuitous finish despite the ensuing period of drought. Those well positioned vineyards, they produced wines of great complexity and good acidity, supple tannins, and age worthy structure. Bourdeaux announced the vintage a third great season in a row, but we are only really beginning to test that out. The Duc des Nauves certainly supports that theory. It is drinking great now with beautiful fruit on the front and midpalate that carries through with exceptional, complex flavors.
I have always been a fan of Bordeaux, but rising prices challenge that affection. These two bottles help correct that. While they are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, they are priced fairly for exceptional wines that will elevate any meal. These are food wines, for sure, so make a special meal to pair with them. I am inclined to pair these with traditional, regional specialties like steak au poivre, roasted duck, or lamb with a fabulous gratin.
I hope the wines for May elevate your table and expose you to new flavors. Take a moment next time you open one to say, “well, look at that,” or simply “Vé!” Watch the wine pour into the glass, inhale deeply to receive the aromatic before sipping, stay in the moment for just a few seconds and enjoy a peaceful sip to refresh your palate and bring a breath of freshness to your meal. Life is too short to rush.
Cheers, Maria
