Figli Luigi Oddero
100% Nebbiolo. Langhe, Piedmont, Italy 2018
The Piedmont, and in particular the subregion of Barolo, is a wine making area steeped in tradition with the Oddero family being one of the main pillars. Back in the 1800's this illustrious family were the first to commercialize Barolo and firmly establish it as one of the world-class wine producing regions. Due to this early, and long term, investment the Oddero's have amassed nearly 150 acres of prime Barolo territory. Sadly things have not been all sunshine and rainbows for the family - for in the modern era the estate was run by the brothers Luigi and Giacomo Oddero, yet there was tension and disagreements behind closed doors that led to the eventual split of the brothers and the holdings. Giacomo retained the old cellars and most of the holdings, while Luigi split off to form his own brand with the prime Oddero Barolo holdings. It hasn't been stated as to why they split, but one thing is very clear: Luigi's operation quickly went full organic and had a renewed focus on minimal intervention to really let the wines express the immaculate terroir. Alright. I know what you're thinking: all this talk about Barolo, yet this wine is clearly not labeled Barolo. In the Piedmont many Barolo producers make a Langhe Nebbiolo as a sort of 'handshake' wine - something that introduces the house style, and vintage attributes, without breaking the bank as well as being very pop-and-pourable. While Luigi Oddero's is no different from that standpoint, the pedigree is much more elevated. This wine is entirely sourced from Barolo crus, but select lots are put in a quicker fermentation and then aged in gigantic, ancient, oak barrels to make something for you to enjoy now without having to cellar for decades. The wine immediately jumps out of the glass with rich layers of freshly blooming roses, and nuances of rosehip tea, that lead to a body of strawberries and fine textural tannins that ends with a lengthy finish of strawberries dusted in fine herbs. A wine that is cerebral and only evolves in its complexity as it continues to breath. Nebbiolo at it's finest!
Chateau Tour Grise
100% Cabernet Franc. Saumur, Loire, France 2001
That is no misprint! This wine is truly 20 years old, hailing from the 2001 vintage. Truly a testament to the benefits of low intervention and biodynamic practices, Tour Grise being certified since 1998, this is a wine that can go the distance in the cellar yet is showing spectacularly what makes aged Cab franc so magical. The Chateau is well regarded as one of the staples of Loire biodynamic practices, and has long made age worthy wines - thanks to their deep cellar they always hold wine back and will re-release it when the wine is 'ready'. What a treat. Having the winery age the wine for us and giving it out once they deem it ready? Yes, please. In their youth a typical Loire Cab franc will exhibit intense aromas of mustard greens and lavender with vibrant acid leading the finish. What happens with age? Well all of that integrates into evolving layers of purple fruits (think ripe plums and freshly picked blackberries) that are all mingling and playing with a deep violet perfume all wafting to a silky finish, as the acid has been tamed through time and age, so what we see is something charming and fruit forward while oh-so-drinkable. If you really want to see this wine sing try it with lamb and herb roasted veggies! What a rare treat to see this time-capsule out in the wild.
Pepiere "Les Gras Moutons"
100% Melon de Bourgogne. Muscadet Sevre et Maine, Loire, France 2019
For the love of Melon! A curious name for a grape, Melon de Bourgogne, while hailing from Burgundy in the 16th century it has now become synonymous with the Loire region of Muscadet. This region used to be better known for cheap, easy, and dry oyster-chasing wine. In the late '80's Marc Ollivier wanted to change that perspective and began making wines of singular origin and picking them slightly more ripe, and aging them slightly longer. While consumers worldwide were appreciating this elevated style, it wasn't until this last decade that the 'cru' system was placed to guarantee a certain level of quality from elevated Muscadets. The crazy thing? Most of Pepiere's vineyard holdings were placed within the cru system (most producers only owe 15-20% of their production to these elusive terroirs) as well as the regulation that cru Muscadet should be aged a minimum 2 years - something that Pepiere was already doing. Pretty neat. While Marc has since passed the baton to his protege, 2019 was his final vintage making this bottling somewhat momentous! Les Gras Mouton is a micro-cru that Pepiere has the sole ownership of, and produces some of the most elegant and accessible of his wines. Typically one of the ripest sites for Melon this wine is eminently charming: layers of gardenias and fine lillies that all envelope into a plush savory/citrus tone that evokes thoughts of exotic yuzu and leads to a long finish that is saline and drying, yet still retains that citrus burst. A great warm day wine, or excellently paired with seafood. Pure Muscadet sunshine!
Garnier & Fils
100% Chardonnay. Chablis, Burgundy, France 2018
Sometimes the vines really do need a caretaker to fully understand their wants and needs. The Garnier family have long been viticulturists in the Chablis valley, but only recently have the brothers Xavier and Jerome begun to produce wine from the fruits of their labors. Due to their deep understanding of their vineyards they have been able to harvest the grapes at the optimal ripeness to be able to produce a wine that perfectly epitomizes what we love in Chablis and, since they own all their plantings, the wine is a steal for the amount of quality you're getting. The wine immediately greets us with what has become a marker for great Chablis: fresh, chalky, limestone! We get these waves of chalk and lime dancing right out of the glass, yet it is tempered by the use of large, neutral, oak that gives the wine the oxidation to round them out with notes of freshly picked apples and a kaffir lime with that mouth watering limestone being ever-present. This all ends with an awesome, filling, finish that is bone dry and carries those green apple tones for an endless amount of time. Chablis at the top of it's game!
Gonet-Medeville "Cru Monplaisir"
75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux Superieur, France 2019
Bordeaux Superieur is a large appellation, and covers most of Bordeaux as a whole. This means it takes a bit of digging to better understand the offerings - such as the high pedigree of the cru known as Monplaisir. Not only are these vineyards adjacent to the famous appellation of Margaux, they are planted just beneath the Chateau that the region gets its name from: the premier cru Chateau Margaux! The goal of this wine is to make something that showcases the bright fruit, while still being a fully ageable Bordeaux. To achieve that Gonet-Medeville only ages 10% of the wine in oak, the rest being in tank. This gives us a plush, juicy, Merlot blend that carries big black cherries that are mixed in with ripe plums for a wine that drinks like baby Margeaux, yet finishes elegantly with the finest of tannins. Great with burgers, and short ribs on the barbeque!
Julien Sunier
100% Gamay. Fleurie, Beaujolais, Burgundy, France 2019
Julien Sunier is one of the purest examples of how Beaujolais can blur the line between it and it's more northerly brothers in the Cote d'Or of Burgundy. Over many years working for a cooperative of 10 Beaujolais producers he firmly fine-tuned which areas had the best quality fruit to achieve his goal - for you see he initially apprenticed under Christophe Roumier of Chambolle-Musigny fame and this level of quality translates through to the wine you have in your hands. The Fleurie could almost be mistaken for Chambolle with its vibrant and lifted notes of red flowers and raspberries that leap out of the glass and are balanced with a dusting of dark chocolate and rose petals all leading to a mouth filling palate the furthers on the notes of wild berries and a delicate finish of raspberries and rich red cherry. A Burgundy to put others to shame!