Luigi Ferrando "La Torrazza"
70% Nebbiolo, 30% Barbera. Canavese, Alto Piedmont, Italy 2018
Nebbiolo is a wonderful varietal. It is a magical grape that holds layers upon layers of nuance and drying tannin to be an idyllic food pairing wine, but what about when we want to just settle down for a good glass of wine on it's own? Well Nebbiolo may be a touch too aggressive for that without significant aging. Typically in the wine world a blend is made to round out a grape's shortcomings, such as softening tannins, but in the majority of the Piedmont (Barolo, Langhe, and most everywhere you find an Italian Nebbiolo) not only is it not blended, but it's downright illegal! Well. They play by different rules up on the steep foothills of the alps overlooking Piedmont. Here the Nebbiolo is vivacious and, down right, untamed. You get this perfectly ripe, fruit driven wine that is just bursting at the seams with ripe plush strawberry and raspberry, but this is all driven from sight because, in these cooler climates, the tannin levels become quite bracing. So they blend it. Barbera is a long standing classic Piedmont varietal and acts as the perfect compliment - it rounds out the edges and ultimately softens the wine. The result is this voluptuous mouth feel further awakening the wild red berries and adding these subtle notes of candied hibiscus that all lead us to this long finish of artisan strawberry poptarts (if you've never tried Forgein Cinema's, then you really must. I swear it tastes just like this wine.) A perfectly composed blend just begging to be hedonistically enjoyed.
Giornata" Bassi Ranch Vineyard"
100% Pinot Grigio "Ramato." San Luis Obispo, Ca 2019
Orange wine has become quite the trendy wine fashion, as of late. It is a term used for a white wine that is made more similarly to a red, where it spends it's time through fermentation on the wine skins. It's an extremely ancient style of wine making because the skins would protect the fermenting juice from pests - in the modern era a winery has techniques for protecting the 'naked' wine so fermentation on the skins is no longer necessary. Nowadays there's a peaked curiosity in this classic method for something made with minimal intervention and having a curiously different flavor profile. Thing is: the term 'orange wine' is fairly misleading - very few white wine grapes have orange hued skins. Pinot Grigio is actually considered grey and that's why, all the way up until the 60's, Italians would make a copper, or Ramato, hued wine through their skin fermentation. Back then Santa Margarita popularized easy drinking, dry, white Pinot Grigio - it was okay, but more simplified. Mercifully pink rose wines have become incredibly popular and industrious wine makers are marketing their Pinot Grigio as a rose and bring such depth and complexity to an often overlooked varietal. Giornata has taken that classic approach and went a step further: they fermented and aged them in clay amphora like the ancient Romans. Amphora's have a profound effect on the wine - bestowing a silty mouth feel and a terra cotta subtlety to the finish. This is all a welcome earthy addition to this positively candied strawberry lemonade nose and flavor - the wine is so incredibly expressive and has this velvetin mouth feel that is great on it's own and incredible with food. Especially turkey based meals. Now why would we be having one of those this month...
4 Monos "GR-10"
88% Grenache, 10% Carinena, 2% Syrah. Madrid, Spain 2018
Sometimes chance meetings seem too good to be true. In warm, continental, areas surrounding Madrid there is wine production but, due to the heat, they are all massive jammy wines that taste nearly like a dessert wine. While four winemakers were individually contemplating this and hiking the Gredos mountains when they stumbled upon each other. Shared hiking led to shared stories and the '4 monos' (4 monkeys) all became acutely aware of a passion to craft wines from their home that had greater balance and would bring light to how wonderful the wine around Madrid could be. They are extremely judicious when they pick their grapes - picking the second they hint at ripeness to ensure that they dont get over ripe as these grapes tend to do. Their diligence pays off tenfold. The wine, while opulently full of bushels of black, blue, and olallieberry, it's the tart sort. Such an enjoyable experience to have a wine so full of flavor and depth, but lifted by a string of acid to yield a truly refreshing experience. It's a wine worth contemplating, or to have with some rich creamy pasta for that acid to cut right through, but fruit to accentuate the palate.
Carlisle "Steiner Vineyard"
100% Gruner Veltliner. Sonoma Mountain, Ca 2018
Napa and Sonoma valley are a curious thing. They hold some of the best grape growing climates and soil in the nation, but have sincerely gotten into a rut when it comes to diversity. Why grow an obscure grape, when you can charge 10x the price for Cabernet, Pinot or Chardonnay? Well, fortunately, there are a small few that want to push the boundaries and find grapes truly meant for the regions. Sonoma Mountain has warm, humid, days but then dry cold nights and in Austria that is the norm. So it became obvious that Gruner, the primary grape of Austria, would thrive in such a place, and oh how it does. In California we get buttery Chardonnays and lemony Sauvignon blancs. What a breath of fresh air this wine is. We get the unmistakable notes of candied pea shoots, a tell tale sign of Gruner - if you've never had them you're missing out, followed shortly behind by aromatic white flowers and savory yuzu that has this wafting notes of green apple skin that lace the wine together. This wine can pair naturally with chicken based dishes, or stunningly with spicy asian food.
George Descombes
100% Gamay Noir. Regnie, Beaojolais, France 2018
There are not many silver lining's to the current pandemic, but one that has been great for both Swirl, and our loyal fans, is that most restaurants are doing limited, or no, and therefore some wines that are heavily allocated become available to us in larger quantities. We typically receive a handful of bottles from a random cru produced by Descombes. This year we had the pick of the litter, and could get a much greater quantity. What makes Regnie so special is partially because it is the youngest of the grand crus of Beojolais, but also because it was initiated in 1988: the same year that Descombes began making wine, so to say it is a special region to him is an understatement. The wine is absolutely stunning. Regnie is more known for its delicate nature and, on a ripe year such as 2018, it rides this perfect balance of being floral, delicate, and nuanced, but has a ton of power and depth to it. The spice too. Oh, the spice. Typically this region is roses and raspberries, which are there, but this addition of cola spices and warming cloves is legendary. This wine sings.
Chappellet "Mountain Cuvee"
44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Napa Valley, Ca 2018
If you happened to read the description of the Gruner you will see the frustration of no diversity in Napa and sonoma wine growing. Well there is always the argument for why Bordeaux varietals do so well in Napa, and the Mountain Cuvee is a prime example. The key term here is 'mountain' the mountains are where the best fruit ripens, given the steep slope (meaning low water yields) and the bright stony minerality. This wine has become a contemporary classic thanks to its pin point balance of big extracted bing cherries that are rounded out by high quality new french oak that softens everything with waves of cedar and vanilla. This is a fantastic wine for a grilled steak, or a christmas ham - anything that celebrates being warm inside on a chilly day with good food and great friends.