Spring is finally here! For the wine industry, Spring brings with it one of our favorite aspects of our jobs, a ton of portfolio tastings. This is the time of year when distributors open their doors, pop corks, and let buyers taste through dozens and dozens of wines as we plan out our strategy for the next few months. It marks the end of hibernation and the chance to reconnect with industry folks that we haven’t seen over the winter and toast to the increasingly nice weather. Keep your eyes open over the coming weeks as we unveil numerous wines that we are truly excited about.
Here is a taste of some of our new arrivals:
René Leclerc Bourgogne Rouge 2015, $41.99
Domaine René Leclerc consists of land holdings in and around Gevery-Chambertain. Rene’s son, François is leading the charge with the wine making and applying a more traditional, non-interventionist approach. He employs less new oak, does native yeast fermentations in old barrels, and reduces yields in the vineyards to create fuller-bodied and very elegant and perfumed Pinot Noirs with aromas spanning from fruit to game to earth. This is really incredible burgundy for a great price.
Massican Gaspare Fruili 2016, $38.99
Massican is a line-up of white wines from Dan Petroski, the winemaker at Larkmead and the winner of the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year. Massican wines couldn’t be more different from his chewy, tannic, extremely ageable Napa Cabernets from Calistoga. The wines of Massican nod to the nervy wine styles of Northern Italy with their mineral focus and high acidity. This particular wine was actually made in the iconic white wine producing region in Northeast Italy, the Colli Orientali in the greater appellation of Friuli. Created from a blend of Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Chardonnay this medium-bodied wine has both weight and grace with the Ribolla Gialla adding a beautiful vibrancy to the mid-palate.
Les Athletes du Vin Pineau d’Aunis $21.99
I am a huge fan of this series of wines. Les Athletes du Vin is a negociant project created by some of the winemakers from the Vini Be Good collective. They are based out of the Loire Valley and produce fresh, vibrant, responsibly made wines wines are a fantastic value. The Pineau D’Aunis is a made from 50-120 year old vines which give this bottling an incredible depth of flavor. For those not familiar with this grape, it’s aroma, texture and flavors land somewhere between Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Griollo with it’s spice and tart crunchy red fruitiness. With a light chill on the bottle, the contents are capable of a very expeditious disappearing act.
Maurice Schoech Pinot Gris Grand Crus Mambourg 2013, $41.99
For me, Alsatian Grand Crus wines are some of the most breathtaking wines in the world. The marriage of the complex geology in the region with centuries of wine making tradition presents us with bottlings that express terroir and fruit to a level which almost seems to surpass language’s ability to describe them. Hyperbole? Maybe, you tell me.
Michel & Stephan Ogier La Rosine Syrah 2013 $43.99
For decades the Ogier family has sold fruit to M. Chapoutier for his wine. In 1998, Stephane, Michel’s son, took over the vineyard and wine making responsibilities for the family and turned an eye toward producing the highest quality wines possible from their 14 hectares of vineyards spread across the the Southern reaches of the Cote Rotie, Northern Condrieu, and the larger IGP area known as the Collines Rhodaniennes. This Syrah has all the quality of a structured and intense Northern Rhone Syrah while still maintaining a high degree of freshness. The wine sports deep pepper, leather and meat notes. This is a great option for cellaring for 5-10 years or popping it with a some grilled meats over the summer.
Thanks for reading and hope to see you around the shop soon!
D. Hultgren