A taste of Spring
As we traverse officially into the ‘springy part of winter’ here in the Commonwealth [if you can believe it!], I thought we’d show some love to a diverse set of wines that can certainly be enjoyed year-round, but these bottles truly embody a springier expression. With the resurgence of verve associated with the relative renaissance which nature besets upon us in this ever so welcome seasonal transition, let’s taste some invigorating wines – two classics, one avant-garde, and one easy-going mountain red! All of these wines will be open to taste this Thursday, March 24th between 5:30pm – 7:30pm at our Fenway location, 194 Brookline Ave.
Clean, elegant, un(der)adulterated, varietally-correct, mineral-oriented Chardonnay, anyone? Sourced from four separate parcels within Pierreclos: “Margots”, “Le Chateau”, “Les Grands Buys” and “La Bucherate”, with an average vine age of forty-five years, the 2020 Thevenet et Fils, Mâcon Pierreclos, Burgundy, FR is honest White Burgundy at an honest price. This wine sees NO OAK, rather is aged in concrete tanks in contact with its lees and offers a tremendous value to quality ratio, an ever ‘endangered species’ of Burgundy wine, a category with ever-increasing price points these days. Macôn is located in more south-central Burgundy than the storied, more expensive wines further north in the Côte d’Or, enjoys a slightly warmer microclimate (comparatively) and is home to a great number of overlooked producers and villages worth seeking out. A terrific Thursday night wine on the couch or on the patio, with lighter fare or without; this is just good, easy to enjoy juice worth a shot – or 750mL worth of shots (SHOTS, SHOTS)!
Domaine ThÈvenet et fils
The next wine is rated ‘O’ for orange and it is DELICIOUSLY unique. But before we get to the wine, perhaps it’s best to start by translating the name of the winery. WARNING: Please do not actively sip wine while reading that ‘(A) Nagy Bajuszú Jász Laci (Pincéje)’ means ‘The Big Mustached Jász Laci’s Winery’ in Hungarian. But rest assured that this wine itself is no joking matter. 2019 A Nagy Bajuszú Jász Laci, Rising Sun, Somló, HU is composed of the autochthonous varieties Pátria and Jhufark [YOO-fark] with Chardonnay in tow. Founded in 2013 on Somló hill, an extinct volcanic butte in western Hungary, Jász only makes wines from white varieties that spend time on their skins (orange wines) in accordance with the ancient Kartulian methods. He adds zero or very little sulfur in the cellar, and tries to let the winemaking happen slowly and naturally and farms organically with no use of chemicals. We love the smoky element in the finish alongside a complex array of flavors and textures that seem to all work in balance. This wine is amber-colored, with aromas of green herbs and dried flowers and ripe golden apple and the aforementioned light smoky essence on the palate. It’s an absolute blast to drink and will please the orange aficionado just as much as the orange newb!
Jász Laci, Rising Sun
One of my favorite light to medium bodied, off-the-radar red grapes is Schiava [Skya-va]. I know, who says that?! This guy, that’s who. Schiava doesn’t necessarily make a cellar-worthy wine (drink this one within 3 years), but it’s super food-friendly, easy-to-drink and generally somewhat lower in alcohol than most. It’s mountain wine with fresh acidity and a bright red fruit character and a hint of almond skin in the finish. We are in Alto-Adige, Italy, just over the Austrian border where Erste + Neue (‘First’ and ‘New’) produce upwards of ten wines from exclusively local origin in any given vintage and always with the utmost attention to quality and pure varietal character. The 2020 Erste + Neue, Schiava, Kalterersee Classico Superiore, Sudtirol, Alto-Adige, IT might eat a charcuterie board faster than you can (especially Speck and sausages) and is an excellent red option with swordfish, monkfish and salmon, but also fried foods, lighter pork dishes and…pickled things. Try it with a slight chill as if you were at 300 meters in the Dolomite Mountains in the more-than-a-mouthful region of Kalterersee, specifically in the more readily pronounceable town of Südtirol, from where this wine hails.
For those cooler nights this time of year, we have a classic representation of Claret, aka Bordeaux. Bordeaux (Bord = Border + Eaux = Water) enjoys a tempering maritime influence to the climate as the name implies. Similarly, the traditional Bordelaise varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc seem to do quite well in other western coasts (see California, Chile, Tuscany and South Africa) for a similar reason. Of course, this is not a rule as fine examples of all of these varieties are found all over, but the fact remains. Winemaker Eric Perrin is a bit of a star in his own right, as he is also the winemaker for Château Carbonnieux a Grand Cru Classé de Graves winery from Pessac-Léognan and of great repute. His 2018 Château Haut-Vigneau, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, FR offers tremendous quality and character at an approachable price from a dependable pedigree. That should speak volumes to many, however the wine’s composition (60% Cabernet Sauvignon & 40% Merlot), relative restraint with new oak-aging (only about 20% new) and its elegant balance between power and grace will speak to all who pop a cork. Those who do will find a wine with very pleasing aromas of black fruit (blackberries, black currant) and subtle roasted character (grilled and smoky).
Erste + Neue, Kalterersee Schiava
Château Haut Vigneau, Pessac-Léognan Rouge
So please join us on Thursday if you can and taste these selections free of charge and see for yourself. Perhaps WE are your after work plans???
Santé,
Todd
