Hello, Feastlings.
On the last Sunday of each month we pick six wines that have something in common and offer you tastes, alongside of which we serve food pairings tailored to each wine. This month, Mike Galkin of Action Wine joins us with wines whose provenance is unexpected: Albariño from Uruguay? Chardonnay from Friuli? Come see why wines whose grapes are grown outside their traditional region are so intriguing. The tasting is Sunday, Jun 24 at 3:30 pm, and costs $30.00 plus tax and tip. Reservations are a must, and a phone call is a must as well, since web and email reservations won’t guarantee you a seat at this one. Did we mention they’re delicious? They’re delicious.
From where you least expect it
NV, Charles Bove Sparkling Rose, Touraine, Loire, France $20.00
A méthode traditionelle sparkling made from 70% Cabernet Franc (fine aromatics and acidity) and 30% Gamay (fruit and low alcohol). The wine rests on its lees in Bove’s chalk caves for eighteen months before being disgorged. This wine’s color is of a delicate salmon pink. The bubbles are very fine and abundant, and are long-lasting in the flute. Its bouquet is very fruity. Hints of raspberry are noticeable and forecast the explosion of aromas of summer fruit when you taste it. This cuvée is lively, round, and supple.
2016, Boudega Bouza Albariño, Canelones, Uruguay $27.00
This Albariño started as a bit of an experiment for Bouza and has quickly turned into one of the winery’s most sought after bottlings. Sourced from two vineyards – one located in Melilla and the second in Las Violetas. Melilla’s vineyard is set on sloping hills with silty loam soil, with some areas having higher instances of clay. The Las Violetas vineyard has more clay and silt. 80% in stainless steel tanks and 20% in oak barrels. Aged 5 months over its lees. Unfiltered and unfined. Pale yellow color, with translucent meniscus and golden highlights. Tropical fruit aromas, pineapple and pear, citrus and white flower notes. Moving the glass, the pineapple enhances its presence, and vanilla and caramel notes appear. In the mouth, sweet entrance with a slow evolution and a balanced acidity. Long finish.
2014, Kante Chardonnay, IGT Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy $42.00
Hidden in the south-east corner of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, by the Slovenia border, the Edi Kante vines must make their home in a land without soil – struggling through the rock and stone to lay strong roots, at the mercy of the ‘Bora’ wind. Kante’s Chardonnay is grown in pure gray limestone just minutes from the Adriatic, then aged on its lees for a year in old barrels in a three-story-deep cave carved out of the rock. It seems to have absorbed the essence of its surroundings: a brisk maritime wind and the dank scent of a cellar dripping with mineral water. The Chardonnay is pure mineral with a crisp, saline finish. You’ll also find fleshy white fruit and a lovely creaminess, so there is an element of charm to coat the stone. Drink or hold.
2016, Hollyhock Lodge Gamay Noir, Santa Barbara County, California $23.00
Hollyhock Lodge is a super small production project by Tim Fulnecky that focuses on Gamay. He currently makes two separate bottlings from fruit sourced from the biodynamic, Martian Ranch Vineyard. This wine is made the same way one would make Pinot Noir with no carbonic maceration. The name comes from the lodge where Tim first learned to enjoy fine wine with his Grandmother and is much better than the original working title of Hopeless Romantic. Soft and fresh with strawberries, mineral and subtle spice.
2015, Domaine de Reuilly Pinot Noir, Reuilly, Loire Valley, France $23.00
The wines of Denis Jamain at the Domaine de Reuilly are getting better and better. Today, he farms a total of seventeen hectares in the heart of the appellation, with eleven planted to Sauvignon Blanc, four planted to Pinot Noir, and two planted to Pinot Gris, which makes his superb and distinctive Reuilly rosé. Denis has been practicing sustainable agriculture for many years and has recently started the conversion process for organic certification. Pinot Noir aged in steel. Lovely, pure, expressive fresh red cherry fruit nose with some gravelly notes. The palate is fresh and elegant with pure mineral cherry fruit. Expressive and elegant with freshness and grip. Light yet delicious.
2016, Oakville Winery Zinfandel, Oakville, Napa Valley, California $27.00
In 1903 the Pelissa family purchased 35 acres between the Napa River and the Napa Valley Railroad in Calistoga with a single $10 gold coin. Today the same family owns approximately 635 acres farmed as certified organic vineyards. This wine is made from 100% Zinfandel from the Lincoln Creek Vineyard in Oakville Napa Valley. The wine was aged 12 months in 50% American Oak, and 5% Hungarian Oak.. On the nose; ripe blackberry, black cherry, and candied raspberry. On the palate, this Zinfandel is medium bodied with soft fine tannins on the finish. It is supple, well-balanced and is bursting with ripe dark fruits and black pepper.