The Eye of Abito Malbec
Abito make wines that are approachable, ready to drink now with food, friends and family that will stimulate every sense. “Abito” in Italian means “suit” which represents a symbol of elegance and connotes our family. For Bodega Abito, the eye is the soul of the bottle, as the expression goes – look into someone’s eyes and you see their soul. This wine illuminates all of the 5 senses. Bodega Abito Malbec 2019 This Malbec is sourced from Barrancas, in the sub region of Maipu, Mendoza. It gives a softer structured Malbec that one grown at a higher altitude. Rich ruby color with the signature purple rim, ripe black fruits (blackberry, blueberry, plum), sweet baking spice and very soft oak influences thanks to 8 months of French oak ageing. It’s a medium bodied, softer tannin wine with riper fruit, currants and chocolate, sweet tobacco, cinnamon, cloves and licorice, finishes on a earthy savoriness that is carried by a lively acidity. This is a nice Malbec from Mendoza. Smooth, velvety and easy drinking. Pair with blue cheese topped sirloin steak or grilled peppers and mushroom burgers with aged cheddar.
Luna Small Lot Pinot Noir
Luna is a Roman goddess, a charmer, an enchantress, a lunar deity full of love and emotion. As we all know, the moon can stir up emotions in people and/or affect sleep patters. Shakespeare’s “Othello,” the maid Emilia tells Othello that the moon has drawn too close to the Earth and “driven men insane.” This winery couldn’t be more aptly name. It evokes emotion, you fall under it’s spell as I did. Luna Winemakers Reserve 2018 Santa Rita Hills, CASanta Rita Hills proximity to the ocean, consistent morning/evening fog, and steady afternoon winds make it perfectly suited to grow finicky Pinot Noir. Luna Vineyards is located along the Silverado Trail, a prime location to grow and pay tribute to the varietals that set Napa Valley apart.Award-winning winemaker Shawna Miller is fiercely dedicated to the production of premium wines through organic farming, hand picking and multiple sorting techniques complemented with natural yeast, minimal intervention, extended maceration to yield bar none results. This wine went through whole cluster fermentation. Aged in 100% neutral oak for 12 months which balances the expression of the tart red fruit and lively acidity. This wine begins with strawberry rhubarb compote, dried flowers, pomegranate and glides into forest floor. The fresh lively acidity carries the soft tannins and rich bramble berry, black tea and a hint of cocoa. It’s lush and complex. An attestation to the winemaker who can make such a balanced wine all around, especially at 14.7% abv. This is such a sexy wine, there are no other words for it except sexy. I was truly enchanted by this goddess of a wine. For all of you sexy wine lovers (and Pinot-philes at that), stop what you are doing and get some. Paired with smoked warm spice bone-in pork loin and roasted root vegetables.
Domaine Lapierre Morgon
“You make me shiver with the fire you got” Shivers by Ed Sheeran Have you ever been so excited by a wine that it left you with shivers of anticipation? That is Domaine Lapierre wines, every single time. The legacy and legend Marcel Lapierre lives on thanks to his children’s (Mathieu & Camille) dedication to the vision of making wines their way, bucking any trends that exist. Their vision of natural farming and winemaking… yes that’s right, natural from beginning to end, that means organic & biodynamic farming, manual harvesting and sorting, no additives ( including sulfites), unfiltered, indigenous yeasts, no SO2, you name it. Domaine M&C Lapierre – Morgon 2019 Morgon, Beaujolais, France This particular wine is from 10 hectares of 70 years old average aged vines on granite and gravel soils which have undergone whole cluster (semi-carbonic) low temperature fermentation for ten to twenty days. The glistening ruby jeweled color with a violet rim seduces your eyes. My heart flutters at what’s to follow – the fresh aromas of cherry, red plum, blueberry, violets and rose petals intermixed with a delicate funky earthiness and minerals. But wait, it doesn’t end there, the first sip of this iconic wine left me with shivers that lingered just as long as the lengthy finish….the zesty acidity just sings and holds the soft creamy tannins hands along the way. The vibrant fruit greets your palate first followed by the floral notes, into a savory blood orange zest, earthy funk minerality and raisin, cinnamon, mint and licorice finish. This wine has such complexity, charm and personality. This wine is undoubtedly the outcome of a great love. Thank you to winemakers like the Lapierre family and others for their dedication and passion to their craft. Pair with Panko Crusted Chicken cutlets with braised leeks and herbs, grilled pork sausages with roasted beets, French Flageolet Beans and arugula cranberry salad. The acidity, freshness and low tannins make Gamay such a versatile match.
Lichen Moonglow Pinot Noir
ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ: ʟɪᴠᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜʟʟᴇꜱᴛ….so very true when it comes to these winemakers and their wines.Winemakers Douglas and Ana Lucia Stewart left Napa in pursuit of making wines their way. They purchased a 150 year old 203 acre sheep ranch, and planted 7 acres of organically farmed Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vines in the heart of Anderson Valley. They named the farm “Lichen Estate” in honor of the green forest plant found throughout the winery. Moonglow is all about purity, elegance and grace. Lichen Estate Moonglow 2018 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, CA 14.2% Pours into the glass a glistening pale ruby color with a garnet tinge rim. Aromas of lush cherry, pomegranate and cranberry bounces out of the glass with brown sugar, baking spices and toasty oak goodness. I’m salivating at the thought….. Plush is the word that comes to mind at the first sip. This Pinot fills your mouth with silky tannins and bright acidity. It’s a fruit driven wine that dances into the oak influence of vanilla, cloves, nutmeg & milk chocolate (22 months in both French and Hungarian oak) and finishes on a savory rhubarb mushroom earthiness. I paired this wine with roasted dijon chive salmon filets with roasted cauliflower and potatoes.
Champagne Alexandre Filiane
Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside – Coco Chanel There are no truer words when it comes to Fabrice Gass’s champagnes. After his successful career at Bollinger, he decided to branch out on his own and produce limited quantity Pinot Noir dominant grower champagne in the purest form possible. Sure, easy peasy LOL This started as a fun project, as wines are meant to be shared with family and friends. He named the domaine after his beloved grandparents, Alexamndre & Filiane. He works these tiny parcels totaling under 1.5 hectares all by hand and organically farmed. EVERYTHING is done by hand – hand riddling, hand disgorged and dosage “fait à la main.” Which for those who know most use machine/technology to do all of the above. It’s labour intensive and expensive. But that should tell you right there how much Alexandre cares about his wines. Minimal intervention, indigenous yeasts, no filtration. Fabrice embraces centuries old traditions, shuns stainless steel in favor of 100 year old barrels for ageing and fermentation (inherited from Bollinger dating back to 1937), with painstaking effort and immaculate craftsmanship. He believes in the region’s history and wants the natural acidity to make a statement – these are dynamic wines. Champagne Alexandre Filaine – Cuvee Spéciale Brut Vallée De La Marne, Champagne 3,000 bottles made The ‘Cuvée Spéciale’ is sourced from the 2009 and 2010 vintages from his 1er Cru Damery parcels, blended together, then aged in bottle for at least five years. This Cuvee is a blend 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 25% Meunier with 20% reserve wines. Powerful notes of meyer lemon, lime, freshly baked baguette, white blossom, caramel, baked apple, spice, earthiness and incredible minerality. This bubbly has pure flinty, chalky flavors, dynamically dry (5g/L dosage) and gorgeous persistent bubbly goodness with a snappy acidity. It’s a pleasure to drink in a very classical style. It’s compelling and graceful that leaves you wanting more. Paired with assorted shellfish platter, sushi, panko crusted crab cakes or on it’s own throughout the evening.
Sunset Savoie Wine
A sunset state of mind calls for something electric, wild and delicious. I decided to journey over to the picturesque, steep mountainous region of Jura, France. Fact: Trousseau originates from the Jura region of northeastern France, but it is also grown in Portugal (aka Bastardo) for their fortified wines, Port and Madeira. 🇫🇷 Domaine Rolet Trousseau 2018 Arbois AOC, Jura, France A well respected family business who create quality, pure wines through organic and sustainable practices that continue into the winery. This wine is made from 40+ year old vines with indigenous yeast and whole cluster fermentation aged in foudres. 🍷 Everything about the aromas are fresh – fresh red and dark forest fruits, tangerine, fresh cut purple flowers and freshly chopped wood. 🍷It has an untamed quality to it bursting with flavors of dark berries of blackberry, wild strawberry, cherry and raspberry, lilac, fresh pine, savory blood orange peel and finishes on black pepper and mint. The fine tannins are harmony with the buzzing acid that lingers. 🍷🍷 Its an acid driven wine that is so food friendly and an abv of 13%, it’s very easy drinking. Pair with a wild mushroom pâté, Comté cheese quiche, sausage stew or smoked duck breast with warm 5 spice. The beauty of this wine and the incredible sunset that all melded together into one beautiful moment…
Saumur Gem Arnaud Lambert
𝒪𝒽, 𝓈𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝒷𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌𝑒𝒹, 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓎, 𝒜 𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝓈𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝓇𝓊𝑒𝒹 𝐵𝓎 𝓃𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓎. 𝒷𝓎: 𝐸𝓇𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒩𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇʀʀᴏɪʀ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴇ. That is Arnaud Lambert’s philosophy. Arnaud Lambert’s wines have style and grace. His winemaking techniques are striped down to the basics, elemental, wines that have a presence, character and verve. He doesn’t want anything to affect the character of what nature created. Arnaud Lambert ‘Clos Mazurique’ Brézé, 2019 Saumur AOC, Loire, France 100% Cabernet Franc Domaine Arnaud Lambert was a merger of 2 domaines in 2017 – Domaine de Saint-Just (started by his father in the 1990s) and historical Saumur estate whose enviable collection of vineyards (and historically used to exchange their wines for the renowned Château d’Yquem for their unctuous desert wines. They make wines from the regions of Saint Cyr en Bourg, Brézé and Montsoreau. The wines are electric with the limestone soils. He is a staunch NO SULFITES in the vilification and ageing process. This 3.7 hectare clos of 40 year old vines (which is a walled single vinyeard”) is biodynamic & organic, minimal intervention winemaking. This wine is 100% destemmed and partial whole bunch fermentation with indigenous yeast with a gentle maceration in concrete and stainless steel. A daily single pump during its short fermentation encourages its acidity to shine even more. The end result is a very expressive, perfumed and juicy fruit, easy early drinking style of Cabernet Franc. Its fresh, light and lovely, soft light tannins, super attractive and so quaffable. Note: Brézé is a gorgeous little village nestled in Saumur. It has a unique micro-climate with martime influence, a cool climate, signature tuffeau (limestone) of the region with a mix of clay and sand topsoils. The region produces intensely mineral Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Pours into the glass a jeweled ruby color with a purple rim. Swirl and the perfumed aromas of fresh red and dark cherry, tart raspberry, mulberry, red plum meet the signature bell pepper, floral and graphite and wet earthy undertones. Sip and the crisp acidity is first to greet you. A medium bodied wine with flavors of tart red berries (raspberry & strawberry cranberry), bell pepper, graphite pencil lead, wet stone, earthy dirt, violets and roses and finishes lingeringly on red chili flakesviolet barnyard(very slight) Medium+ acid medium bodied, so smooth and well balanced finishes on mint and licorice It has such a charm and refinement to it for all of you Cabernet Franc lovers out there. This is a must seek out and great QPR ($23). Refined, focus with an electric current to them, they are alive and have substance. Pairs with fresh tomato & fried sage with grilled polenta, roasted mushrooms with farro – Savory dish or pepper crusted sirloin steak with roasted peppers
The Elegance of Gonet Sulcova
You can’t judge an apple By looking at the tree You can’t judge honey By looking at the bee You can’t judge a daughter By looking at the mother And you can’t tell the book By looking at the cover You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover – Bo Didley The reason why I selected these lyrics are because I had a preconceived notion as to how this wine would smell and taste being Blanc de Blancs champagne. I had a textbook Blanc de Blanc profile in mind prior to having my ideas fly completely out the window. As the old adage goes Never Assume … For the Gonet Sulcova’s, family is everything and everything is family. In 1985 Davy Sulcova and Vincent Gonet established the estate in Épernay in order to create their family brand Gonet-Sulcova. Their children Yan and Karla currently run the estate. A family domaine that is involved in every aspect of their champagnes – they WILL NOT release a champagne unless it is up to their high standards. It’s a fierce (and admirable in my opinion) sense of pride, a passion and a love for what they do throughout the three generations. Their sustainably farmed 20 hectares are located in Côte des Blancs (Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru and Oger Grand Cru), Montgueux and Loches-sur-Ource. Their philosophy of low dosage and extended ageing requirements showcase the distinctive characteristics of the terroir. NOTE: This avant-garde family broke tradition with not only their labels but the shape of the bottles as well. All of their labels were designed by Davy Sulcova as a homage to her love of art nouveau and the Roaring 20’s vibe of the jazz dance age, the flapper girl, speakeasies and fashionable party lifestyle, with the exception of Cuvée Montgueux (designed as a dedication to the region). Champagne Gonet-Sulcova Gaia Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France 12% abv Pours into the glass a rich yellow color. The bubbles are just so excited to jump out of the glass and meet you with intense aromas of lemon curd, golden apple, white blossom, vanilla, hazelnuts, toasty brioche and a chalky minerality. One sip and I was completely seduced by its charm. The aromas are present in the flavors as well as deep lemon curd, honeysuckle, pastry, vanilla, and long finish of hazelnut and minerality. The flavors are balanced with the low dosage and vibrant acidity. It has such a creamy and rich texture with a very long nutty mineral finish thanks to the extended minimum of 9 years of ageing and use of oak barrels. It’s an elegant yet rich and powerful champagne wrapped into a tidy bow of beauty. I paired it with one of my favorite salmon dishes – Salmon tartare with fresh chives and toasted crostini.
Let’s Get Gothic
A craving by definition is “powerful desire for something ….” It’s a desire for sensation. Be it food, wine, peace, knowledge, sense of belonging, human touch, beautiful words, a soft kiss, the list is limitless. I often have cravings for certain types of food and wine. It could be the change seasons, my mood or just because I REALLY WANT IT. You know what I mean, don’t you? Well today I was craving something otherworldly, something to rock my senses. I decided to go gothic – Gothic Wines that is. Located in McMinnville, Willamette Valley, Oregon, this region produces top quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. The red wines made here are elegant and structured, with complex flavors of dark fruit and spice. McMinnville is located in the southern area of Willamette Valley Oregon. It sits along the Coast Range foothills (protection from Pacific winds & rain shadow). In 2009 Josh Nadel left the NYC food and wine scene behind to create elegant food friendly wines inspired by the old world classics with minimalistic winemaking with limited releases. His wines draw inspiration from the 18th century Gothic Tales (as examples The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker) and this particular wine was named Eldritch (or Otherwordly because this wine is). Limited releases are the Hyland vineyard old vines which benefit from elevation (600-800feet), cool maritime Pacific air, red volcanic soils and a long ripening season thanks to low rainfall. This wine was briefly cold soaked, aged for 12 months in French oak (25% is new). Gothic Hyland Vineyard McMinnville Pinot Noir 2014 McMinnville AVA, Willamette Valley, USA Pours into the glass a pale ruby color. Swirl and the wildly perfumed aromatics of red berries, vanilla cherry cola and earthy mushrooms awaken the senses. Sip and the taste of crunchy red fruits assaults you – cranberry, red plum and strawberry, delicate floral and earthy mushrooms and truffles progress seamlessly into cloves, cinnamon (thanks to 25% new French oak) and finishes on just ripe earthy rhubarb bite. The tannins are supple and silky, the acid is lively and fresh. It’s a rendezvous for the senses – it’s gracefulness is intertwined with exotic & savory. I paired this lovely Pinot with a One Pan Spiced (sweet paprika, dried sage and garlic) Spiced Chicken Breasts with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale. My craving was successfully satisfied.
Passerina del Frusinate
Passerina is an autochthonous white grape hailing from the Adriatic coast of Italy. The majority are found in Marche region but also in other regions of central Italy- Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna and Lazio. One belief is that the name is derived from the sweet grapes were devoured by sparrow’s (Passera) and “ina” meaning small for the small size of the grapes, hence the name. The style of the wine varies greatly by region but in general it can make a variety of styles of wine be it still, sparkling or even sweet. Meet an interesting example of this grape from Alberto Giacobbe. A family winery founded in 1939, the 15 acre Azienda Agricola Giacobbe utilizes 9 acres for wine and the remaining for olives and other crops. Their bond with the land, history and tradition are what keeps them focused – case in point this wine Maddalena is named after and dedicated to Alberto’s grandmother. Sustainable, indigenous varietals and 100% environmentally conscious. The 300m altitude, a mix of clay and limestone soils, the use of indigenous yeasts, the extended skin contact for 6-7 days, followed by temperature controlled stainless steel tanks 8-9 months of lees ageing all contribute to this unique skin contact wine’s character, acidity and flavor profile. Alberto Giacobbe Passerina del Frusinate IGT “Maddalena” 2019 Lazio IGT, Italy 13.5% 2 500 bottles produced Pours into the glass a deep golden color with an orange tinge. Swirl and strong notes of ripe citrus and tropical fruit emerge along with a soft herbal honey and earthy minerals. Sip and the soft, creamy texture is wrapped up with bone dry, low tannins and good, lively acidity. Freshly picked green apples and pears, green mango, lemon and orange pith, marmalade, hay into the herbal thyme and burnt caramel slightly bitter almond skin that lingers for quite awhile. Pair with butternut squash ginger soup, curried shrimp bundles or goat cheese thyme stuffed chicken.