Author: JB

Stunning California Chardonnay – for Half the Price it Should Be

Today’s Story: Chanin Wine Co.

I recently wrote about Chanin when I reviewed the 2014 Duvarita Vineyard Pinot Noir in Elegant Pinot Noir From Santa Barbara County, though if you missed it I recreated the winery’s background below.

Chanin Wine Co. was established in 2007 by winemaker Gavin Chanin, and his goal is to produce single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County. Gavin selected the vineyards to source his fruit based on their organic (or at minimum sustainable) farming practices while also seeking older vines. The current vineyard selections include Sanford & Benedict in the Sta. Rita Hills, Los Alamos between the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys, Bien Nacido in the Santa Maria Valley, and Duvarita just west of the Sta. Rita Hills. Gavin eschews higher alcohol levels in his wines to foster balance and finesse, while practicing gentle winemaking methods and avoiding additives such as commercial yeasts, bacteria, and enzymes. All of Chanin’s wines are bottled unfiltered.

Today’s Wine: 2015 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay; 12.5% ABV

The 2015 Bien Nacido Chardonnay is gorgeous deep gold in color and transparent. This was beautiful out of the bottle, but really opened up after an hour in the glass and continued to change with the nose showcasing aromas of lemon zest, white peach, golden pear, stone fruit, white florals and honeysuckle, dry/dusty gravel, brioche, faint dried vanilla bean, spice, and stone minerality. On the palate, I get notes of golden apple skins, baked pear, peach, lemon and lime citrus, white lily, crushed rock, hazelnut, exotic spice, saline minerality, and very light toasted oak. This is full-bodied with beautiful medium (+) acidity and a remarkably well-rounded mouthfeel into a long, lingering finish that makes you yearn for another sip. 23 barrels produced.

Price: $39. This wine is a ridiculous value. Not only are the complexity, precision, and depth something to write home about, this stands up to a significant amount of high-quality white Burgundy I’ve enjoyed over the years. I truly must applaud Gavin Chanin for this exceptional bottling. Pair with hazelnut-crusted roast chicken, smoked whitefish, or lobster.

One of My Favorite Rioja Producers Does It Again

Today’s Story: R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia is a family-run winery established in 1877 by Don Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta after he fell in love with the Rioja Alta region, particularly the area of its capital Haro. Don Rafael began designing and constructing his winery in 1877, and today it exists as the oldest in Haro and one of the first three in Rioja. Knowing he needed to own his own vineyards to ensure higher quality wines, Don Rafael added his namesake Tondonia vineyard to his holdings in 1913-1914 and it consists of 100 hectares on the right bank of the Ebro River. Since, the winery grew to encompass three more vineyards named Viña Cubillo, Viña Bosconia, and Viña Zaconia. The estate is noted for its buildings as well, since the López de Heredia family expanded them with each passing generation. The estate spans 53,076 sq m, with 19,718 sq m of buildings including underground cellars up to 200m long and 15m deep which help store around 14,000 oak barrels for aging. When it comes to winemaking, all harvesting is accomplished solely by hand and the fruit is treated very delicately in baskets made at the winery’s cooperage. In the cellar, the López de Heredia family follows traditional winemaking methods passed down from generation to generation.

For more information as well as pictures and an overview of the López de Heredia portfolio of wines, check out their very detailed website here.

Today’s Wine: 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva

75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo; 13% ABV

The 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva is mostly opaque medium ruby in color. After reading recent commentary on this, I decided to decant the wine for 9 hours with little tastes along the way. At hour 5 this was starting to show nicely, but at hour 9 this thing is singing. The nose showcases aromas of black cherry, brambleberry, black raspberry, licorice, leather, forest floor, truffle, ground herbs, cardamom, black pepper, and oak. On the palate, I get notes of ripe cherry, red plum, stewed strawberry, tobacco, scorched earth, truffle, graphite, dried green herbs, chocolate, and slight oaky spice. This is medium- to full-bodied with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) tannins, and a long finish.

Price: $40 (cheaper in Europe). LdH is always an incredible value, and this bottle is no different. The wine is beautifully complex and textbook Rioja, while being remarkably age-worthy. I’d say give this another 5 years or so in the cellar and drink it over the following 2 decades. Pair this with herb-roasted lamb, roasted pheasant, or Manchego cheese.

Incredibly Versatile Trousseau Gris

Today’s Story: Jolie-Laide

Jolie-Laide is a small, boutique winery established by Scott Schultz in Forestville, California, though he sources his fruit from various California winegrowing regions and appellations. I previously wrote about Jolie-Laide’s history and reviewed their 2016 Provisor Vineyard Grenache in A Journey for the Mind and Palate, and I highly encourage you to read this post if you haven’t already. For now, let’s get onto the tasting notes of today’s remarkably fun wine.

Today’s Wine: 2019 Trousseau Gris

100% Trousseau Gris; 12.4% ABV

The 2019 Trousseau Gris is transparent peach/salmon in color. The nose showcases aromas of tangerine, melon, stone fruit, white florals, cream, white peppery spice, and saline mineral. On the palate, I get notes of white peach, nectarine, melon, pink rose, honeysuckle, white tea leaf, and crushed stone minerality. This is medium-bodied with crisp medium (+) acidity and plush mouthfeel into a fully rounded and long finish.

Price: $30 direct from winery. This is a great value for several major reasons. Its quality and precision are impeccable, it is very fun (drinks like a cross between a rosé and white wine), and the versatility is profound. Pair this with lobster, herb-grilled chicken, or a turkey sandwich.

A Fun, Nearly Extinct Abouriou

Today’s Story: Absentee Winery

Absentee Winery is a boutique winery established in 2016 by Avi Deixler in Point Reyes, California and is situated in a barn of a working dairy farm. Avi had to fight tooth and nail with the Marin County Planning Commission to establish his winery, but ultimately he prevailed and is the only registered winery in the North Marin Wine District. Before starting Absentee, Avi worked at wineries in California, Oregon, Australia, and France and ultimately gained an appreciation for natural wines and wanted to produce his own with ONLY grapes. Avi sources his fruit from the organic-certified Poor Ranch in Hopland, and his wines are produced using whole cluster fermentation and carbonic maceration with no additional yeasts, temperature control, or SO2 and sulfites. Also interesting is the fact that Avi “refurbishes” his own barrels by purchasing used barrels and hand sanding the interior to remove any residue, blemishes, and chemicals. Avi’s wines are produced in a hands-off style and bottled unfined and unfiltered, with the results embodying true expression of fruit unhindered by modern additives.

Today’s Wine: 2018 Flaws

100% Abouriou; 14.5% ABV

The 2018 Flaws is deep opaque purple in color, nearly black at its core. Once this opens up, which doesn’t take too long, the nose showcases aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry, violet, dried leather, loamy earth, vanilla, and slight woody spice. On the palate, I get notes of black plum, blackberry jam, tart cherry, anise, black pepper, baking spice, and underbrush. This is full-bodied with medium acidity, medium (+) tannins, and a long finish.

Note: Not sure what happened to the label of my bottle, it’s supposed to show half of a bear on roller skates. Looks like this guy got flipped upside down and printed both ways!

Price: $40. On a value perspective, this is a bit pricey. Particularly if natural wines are your style or you want to explore the arena, there are much better options when it comes to your wallet. However, this was purely a fun wine to try because I’d never before heard of Abouriou, the nearly extinct variety, and it was highly enjoyable. Pair this with barbecue pork ribs, grilled sausage, or roasted duck.

Unbelievably Youthful Bordeaux From the 1966 Vintage

Today’s Story: Chateau Pichon Lalande

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a historic estate that traces its routes to the late 1600s and ranks as a Second Growth (Deuxième Cru) based on the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. I previously wrote about Pichon Lalande when reviewing their 1986 vintage in Bordeaux Battle and the 2003 vintage in Decidedly Opulent Pauillac. To save myself (and yours as a reader) the hassle of reproducing (or reading) such a detailed and lengthy history, I will copy my short previous write-up below.

Pichon Lalande is considered by many to be a classic example of Pauillac, known for its deep, concentrated layers of ripe fruit accompanied by notes of cassis, tobacco, and earth.

With nothing short of a somewhat tumultuous history, Pichon Lalande’s ownership changed hands over the years and earned its name when the founder’s daughter Therese received it as a dowry for her marriage to Jacques de Pichon Longueville. During the 18th century, the estate was dominated by women (Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus, and Marie Branda de Terrefort) throughout the winemaking process until Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville took over for his mother. In 1850, with his death, the estate split between his two sons and three daughters and ultimately resulted in the division of Comtesse de Lalande and Pichon Baron.

With no familial heirs, Edouard Miailhe and Louis Miailhe purchased Pichon Lalande following WWI. Edouard’s daughter, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, took over management in 1978 and became a prominent ambassador for Bordeaux wines while dramatically increasing quality of her estate. One of her major endeavors, and possibly most famous, was growing the size of Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares of vines to 89. In 2007, however, May-Eliane sold a majority stake of the estate to the Rouzaud family, owners of Roederer Champagne, and management changes as well as renovations took place.

Today’s Wine: 1966 Chateau Pichon Lalande

45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot; 13% ABV

The 1966 Pichon Lalande is medium garnet in color and moderately transparent. This wine is singing as a pop-and-pour, with the nose showcasing aromas of graphite, cigar box, forest floor, truffle, and peppercorn followed by faint redcurrant, cranberry, dried violet, and green herbs in the background. On the palate, I get notes of pencil shavings, dried tobacco leaf, leather, black tea leaf, underbrush, gravel, and mushroom with cassis and redcurrant poking through. This is still medium-bodied with lively medium acidity, medium (-) dusty tannins, and a medium (+) length finish. Best during the first 1-1.5 hours, but honestly didn’t fall apart too much slightly beyond hour 2 (when it was gone).

Price: $350. Provenance is key here, but if proven and you can find this for sale it is absolutely worth the tag. My bottle threw almost zero sediment, the color and structure were both profound, and this drank incredibly youthful given its age. I would’ve pegged this as 1980s if I tasted it blind. Pair this with wagyu filet mignon, earthy mushrooms and/or truffle, or mild cheese.

Beautiful Union of Burgundy and Patagonia

Today’s Story: Bodega Chacra

Bodega Chacra was established in the Río Negro region of Patagonia in 2004 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta. Piero is the grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta who created Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia) and fostered the foundation of his understanding of wine. At Chacra, Piero’s goal is to create transparent, honest wines that showcase his unique terroir through organic and biodynamic viticulture. To this end, Piero refuses to use any artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides in the vineyards and rather resorts to vegetable and mineral preparations added to compost. The estate’s compost consists of fruit skins, autumn leaves, and natural guano produced by the animals who live there, as well as an assortment of biodynamic preparations that most wine consumers would probably cringe over. (For a description of these preparations and their functions, check out the Chacra website here.) Chacra’s vineyards produce low yields to begin with, though at harvest they carefully select the best fruit and leave the rest for the birds or other wildlife to encourage biodiversity. Maceration and fermentation occur in small tanks with an emphasis on skin contact, and the wines age in extra fine grain French oak barrels.

I highly encourage you to check out the Chacra main page here to explore their history and practices further, as well as look at the extensive picture gallery.

Today’s Wine: 2018 Mainqué Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay; 12.5% ABV

The 2018 Mainqué Chardonnay is a gorgeous medium to deep gold in color changing to water white near the rim. This needs some time to open up, but once it does the nose showcases aromas of lemon, crisp golden apple, pear, honeysuckle, straw, matchstick, wax, vanilla, and cotton candy. On the palate, I get notes of white peach, lemon citrus, pineapple, snap pea, almond, cream, honey, white pepper, and stony minerality. Full-bodied with an unbelievably supple mouthfeel and medium (+) acidity into a long finish.

Price: I paid $50, but it looks like there are a few stores in New York closer to $40-45. Nonetheless, this is easily the best Chardonnay I’ve had in a while and in value terms is certainly worth its price (even if you hit $50 like me). The precision, expression of fruit, and elegance of this wine makes you think high quality Burgundy (coincidence Jean-Marc Roulot collaborates?). Pair this with rosemary lemon chicken, salmon, or spring vegetables.

Tasty Tannat From Uruguay

Today’s Story: Bodega Bouza

Bodega Bouza is a family-run winery located in Montevideo, Uruguay and everything they do is centered around their large family and teamwork. The family owns 4 vineyards named Melilla (10.4 ha), Las Violetas (15.4 ha), Pan de Azúcar (7.44 ha), and Las Espinas (1.64 ha) planted to a combination of Albariño, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Tannat. They also grow a small plot (1.44 ha) of Riesling in Pan de Azúcar. All of the fruit is manually harvested and destemmed before being sorted berry by berry, and all wines are vinified lot by lot in 50 hl containers. Malolactic fermentation occurs in oak barrels and the wines age for 6-18 months in American and French oak before being bottled unfiltered and resting another 6-12 months.

Today’s Wine: 2017 Tannat Reserva

100% Tannat; 14.5% ABV

The 2017 Tannat Reserva is opaque deep ruby in color with deep purple hues. Once this opens up, the nose displays classic aromas of blackcurrant, black plum, blue and purple florals, anise, smoke, cardamom, and oak. Once on the palate, the wine showcases notes of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, fig, leather, clay and wet gravel, charred herbs, and baking spice. This is medium- to full-bodied with medium acidity, velvety but medium tannins, and a long finish dominated by inky black fruit. Roughly 1,900 cases produced.

Price: I paid $30, but it looks like you can find this closer to $20-22. This is an outstanding value if you find it closer to $20 (I do see some stores out there) but at the $30 price-point it does start getting competitive. Would I buy it again at $30? Most likely. But at that price it wouldn’t be one of those wines I find and buy a case of for a value play. Pair this with duck confit, beef sausage, or Roquefort cheese.

People-Pleaser From Cornas

Today’s Story: Domaine Courbis

Domaine Courbis dates back to the 16th century, with the estate today under watchful guidance of brothers Laurent and Dominique Courbis. Laurent and Dominique took over from their father Maurice in the early 1990s, and though they maintain traditional practices such as hand harvesting and rigorous sorting the brothers greatly modernized the winemaking philosophy at the estate. Consisting of 35 hectares under vine, the domaine falls largely in Saint-Joseph with 18 hectares of Syrah and 5 hectares split between Marsanne (95%) and Roussanne (5%). The next largest holding is in Cornas with 8 hectares and the balance is split among Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Péray, and others appellations. The fruit is sustainably farmed, fermentation occurs in tanks, and aging occurs in oak barriques that vary from new to 3 years old, with the overall style yielding intense and concentrated wines.

Today’s Wine: 2015 Cornas Champelrose

100% Syrah; 14% ABV

The 2015 Cornas Champelrose is opaque medium to deep purple in color. I decanted this for about an hour, and it seems that is as long as this needs due to its aim of being approachable young. The nose showcases aromas of jammy blackberry, blueberry, violet, crushed rock, smoke, and light oak. Once on the palate, the wine displays notes of blackberry, black plum, black pepper, tobacco, wet granite, chalky mineral, and chocolate. This is medium- to full-bodied with medium (+) acidity, dusty medium tannins, and a medium (+) length finish.

Price: $40. This is a tasty Cornas, but on a value perspective I’d probably look elsewhere. This was lacking complexity compared to others, and certainly fits into a more “people-pleasing” camp that is already highly competitive. Pair this with beef short ribs, grilled lamb chop, or charcuterie and blue cheese.

Incredible Complexity From the Northern Slopes of Mount Etna

Today’s Story: Pietradolce

Pietradolce was established in 2005 on the northern slopes of Mt. Etna in Solicchiata and consists of 11 hectares of vines situated between 600 and 900 meters above sea level. The vineyards are divided into three sections, with two in Rampante and one in Zottorinoto, but overall the soil is dominated by stones and sandy loam rich in mineral elements thanks to the volcano. Since its founding, Pietradolce chose to work only with native varieties of Mt. Etna with Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Carricante taking center stage and growing largely as traditional bushes. At the heart of Pietradolce is a philosophy of caring for the land and both the winemaking practices as well as the physical winery itself are eco-friendly.

Today’s Wine: 2014 Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso

100% Nerello Mascalese; 14.5% ABV

The 2014 Contrada Rampante is almost fully opaque deep garnet in color. This seemed to show best after 1.5 hours decanting, however it continued to evolve and add complexities throughout the 3 hours from pop to last drop. The nose showcases aromas of bing cherry, strawberry, licorice, rose and violet, leather, black volcanic earth, smoke, oregano, cinnamon, stony mineral, and oaky spice. Some slight heat surfaces as well. On the palate this beauty displays notes of black cherry, dried stemmy strawberry, crunchy black raspberry, cola, anise, tobacco, rocky yet loamy earth, earthy mineral, mocha, and allspice. This is medium-bodied with high acidity, medium (+) tannins, and a long finish characterized by lingering notes of iron.

Price: $38 (but good luck). I’ve had many Etna Rosso’s that I proclaim as exceptional values, but this wine might take the cake as the greatest one yet…if you are lucky enough to find it. The utter complexity that surfaces in this wine and its rustic beauty that could be mistaken for a great red Burgundy demands attention and respect. Pair with pasta bolognese, veal parm, or swordfish.

Chuggable Rhône Blend

Today’s Story: Ad Vinum

Ad Vinum is a small natural wine producer established in 2016 by Sébastien Chatillon, a former sommelier at Le Chateaubriand in Paris. Sébastien was not always interested in wine, however, and after dropping out of college he worked as a candy salesman, stablehand, and rock band member amongst other odd jobs. Sébastien’s interest in wine actually stemmed from partying with his friends in one of their father’s wine caves, thanks to his realization that he truly loved the beverage and wanted to learn more about it. After his time at Le Chateaubriand and taking a deep dive into natural wines, Sébastien moved to Vallabrix in the Gard department of southern France with the goal of making his own wine. Ad Vinum’s fruit is all organically farmed and hand-harvested, with the fermentation process accomplished spontaneously with only indigenous yeasts. Some of the wines also see carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration. Practicing restraint in the cellar, Sébastien wants his wines to speak for themselves and the terroir and he bottles them unfined, unfiltered, and with zero added SO2.

Today’s Wine: 2018 Bim!

Blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre (no tech sheet); 12.5% ABV

The 2018 Bim! is mostly opaque pale to medium purple in color. Once this opens up, the nose becomes incredibly aromatic and fresh with aromas of blackberry, candied plum, stemmy red berries, violet, crushed rock, black pepper, and bright mineral. On the palate, this lively wine displays notes of blueberry, boysenberry, brambly raspberry, strawberry licorice, sweet tobacco, green underbrush, and rocky mineral. This is medium-bodied with medium acidity, medium tannins, and a medium (+) length finish.

Price: $35. This is a delicious, highly chuggable wine that can be perfect for those branching into natural wines. Bim! is wonderfully balanced and made with carbonic maceration and spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks, providing a beautiful freshness to it. Pair this with grilled lamb, spicy Mediterranean chicken, or barbecue.