 New vintage (and new look) for one of the best values and most textbook examples of a 'Super Tuscan' you will find. The term is very popular, but more than a bit ambiguous as the term can loosely be used to describe any Tuscan red wine that falls outside the traditional Chianti guidelines and regulations. They can even be 100% Sangiovese if one wanted, the primary grape in Chianti and most of central Italy, just employing some more modern or unique methods. At its heart, the term refers to the influx of mostly Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the early 1960, and the resulting wines that share both a modern French and distinctly Tuscan sensibility. Some wineries entertain a few acres here and there of these interloping varieties, while others embrace them wholeheartedly and make some exceptionally standout wines, especially around the more West Tuscany regions of Maremma and Bolgheri. Lagone is a blend of primarily Merlot with the balance of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, a recipe straight out of the Right Bank of Bordeaux, very similar to several of the Saint-Emilion wines we have in right now. Lots of dark plum with a touch of pretty violets that emerge slowly thanks to the Cabernet Franc, lots of warm aromas with a little bit of Tuscan spice in the mix. The palate has nice tannic structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon, probably makes the wine 'taste' more like a Bordeaux than the aroma. Once it opens up more the Tuscan warmth starts coming through on the palate as well, familiar but noticeably different in origin. A welcome wine for both Italian and BDX fans alike.
0 Comments
 Bedrock is without a doubt one of the most important and iconic producers in California, especially if you are a fan of the historic old vineyards within the state. Few if any can match the number of vineyards -both red and white- that have been identified, preserved, even saved from being ripped up in some cases, and the wines they make from these treasures are beyond reproach. In the grand scheme of things, their Heritage wines and old vine selections are relative bargains but would be hard to consider 'everyday' wines. Fortunately, they have that covered as well with their 'Shebang!' wine. This blend comes from parcels across California that may be new to the oversight of Bedrock and in transition, younger parcels or plantings, and just not quite ready to be featured on their own. It blends all the different varietals in the vineyards into the mix, just as their Heritage series wines, and see the same care and fermentations lot by lot with indigenous yeasts before blending. Consistently built with more than a casual nod towards a Cotes du Rhone type flavor profile, it shows lots of ripe red berry from the Zin up top, but not heady or sugary with nice dark pepper and spice tones present. Juicy at first on the palate, there is unexpected brightness and energy, a very Rhone-like savory tone from the mix of varietals in the field blend, decidedly non-jammy though the finish. On one of his trips out to Virginia, founding parter Chris Cottrell spoke of how their vineyards naturally reduced the potential alcohol in their wines as they were converted to organic practices, and even here in their 'basic' bottling it shows through with great balance and a dry feel to the finish. Everyday excellence here!
 Most people don't think of Australia as a source for grapes that are traditionally more 'cooler climate' friendly, such as Pinot Noir. We sometimes forget how much of the continent is NOT featured on 'Croc Hunter', and that there are actually substantial mountain ranges in the region of Victoria. Skiing, even, in what's known as the 'Victorian Alps'. The nearby foothills sport some picturesque valleys that provide an ideal climate for some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers in the Southern Hemisphere, and in many people's minds can rival the best in Burgundy. Can be tricky to find a wine that does the area justice AND is still a great value all the way on this side of the world, but this one lands it without much extra intervention involved. Pale-ish color but a dark lively nose with lots of dark cherry, spicy strawberry and peppery dark spice leaning almost clove-y. Stays savory on the palate with some decent weight but no sweetness, bringing in some tart cranberry notes behind the darker fruits and fine tannic structure. I'm sure many of you may have been expecting a fruit bomb out of this one, but this is spot-on cool climate with nice acidity to cut through gamey foods like duck or something with a dark plummy sauce.
 There's no better way for us to celebrate Virginia Wine Month than feature a brand new wine from our favorite 'hidden gem', the private label of the winemaker we just refer to as 'the Mind Behind'. For 20 years now this label has been the testing ground for experimental projects that push the boundaries of winemaking in the state, a few barrels at a time at most, with the lessons learned taken over to their more commercial wines. We have been a supporter for pretty much every wine offered to us, and as they are never the same thing from year to year the wines have built an underground buzz in anticipation of what each release may bring. Pinotage has been featured before (no surprise given his South African heritage), but this vintage may very well be the best r wine yet. If you are not familiar, Pinotage was an accidental crossing at a South African nursery of Pinot Noir and Cinsault in 1925 (happy 100th anniversary!). In South Africa it usually takes on a more hearty, robust and sometimes rougher character born from the Cinsault side of its heritage, which is what most of the world thinks of. In Virginia it takes on more of the Pinot Noir parentage, silky and polished with more elegance, and far fewer of the fragility issues Pinot has in our environment. A transparent plum color in the glass, the nose is full of dried black cherry and currants with touches of black pepper and savory herbs. It's new to the bottle, so there is lots of change happening as it opens up for hours, at times more perfumed and sweet tones, at others meaty. The palate is full and round with super fine tannins somewhere between a red Burgundy and a finessed Northern Rhone Syrah, with lots of natural texture from being bottled unfiltered to really let the flavor of the grape come forward. Not a 'powerhouse' wine for the big tannin/big oak red wine fans, but a deliciously complex red wine with charm for days that showcases the best of what Virginia can achieve.
 Even though we don't really believe in a red wine or white wine 'season' around here (drink what you like when you like it), cooler weather can definitely make certain styles more broadly desirable than they were during the heat of Summer. Richer, more fleshy and full bodied white wines can go better with some of the seasonal dishes, and you just don't need acidity as much as you do when trying to cut through the heat and humidity. Grillo can be just such a variety for you, a native Sicilian grape mostly known through history as one of the primary base grapes for making Marsala. Zesty ripe melon and white orchard fruit aromas pop with a little bit of lime, a bit sunny and hints of coastal salinity at first. The palate is really where it's at, round and juicy with some shots of melon rind for texture, lots of natural mouthfeel that finishes with plenty of citrus. Holds up to richer fish stews, breaded and/or buttery seafood or creamy white sauces without needing oak or sugar to fatten it up.
 Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are the undisputed 'King and Queen' of white varieties in the Loire, with plantings of both up and down the entire length of the river. Doesn't mean there isn't room for the odd Prince, Duke or Lord popping up here and there. The Melon de Bourgogne grape, for example, occupies much of the area around Nantes where the river enters the Atlantic, making the noted wines of Muscadet. Romorantin is an ancient grape with a long history in the Loire, but has fallen out of favor in much of the region with only one appellation featuring it, in Cheverny. Only @150 acres devoted to the variety, but boy do they pop when you can find them. Think of it as a somewhat hypothetical combination of the flavor profile of a Sauvignon Blanc and the textural nuances of a Roussanne from the Rhone, and that gets you in the room. Musky white fruits and pear skin aromas with some grassy citrus notes, clear and pretty but definitely something a little outside the norm. The palate is where the grape really jumps out at you, with long lush white fruits, liquid apples, definite notes of grapeskin tannins in the minerally finish. Lots of evidence that this will keep evolving for quite a few more years, makes you wish more vineyards could champion the variety more.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 TENUTA BELLAFONTE MONTEFALCO ROSSO 'POMONTINO' (Vinous 91points) $26.999/18/2025  The region of Umbria sits between the world famous cities of Florence and Rome, and most people only take note of it as they pass through it from one city to the other. Largely rural and completely landlocked, it has missed out on a lot of the hype and notoriety bestowed on its neighbors, allowing it to be a mostly unspoiled 'bread basket' of central Italy. The wines here are very under-appreciated as well, especially compared to the notoriety Tuscan wines have accumulated over the centuries. Umbria's native red grape is Sagrantino, originally used mostly for making 'dried grape' wines, but now reaches its greatest heights around the town of Montefalco and their DOCG designated wines. The DOC designated Rosso wines will blend Sagrantino and Sangiovese that gives a wonderful window into the local style. Savory and a bit rustic on the aromas, with a dusty 'Old School' style nose of dried flowers, dark red fruits and hints of cedar. The presence of Sagrantino is most noticeable on the palate, where it has a bit more tannin than Sangiovese and a citric acidity note behind the dark fruits. As it opens up it gets more plump but keeps that classic energy all through the finish. This wants food, such as a hearty tomato-y stew or a classic ragu over pasta.
INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 ANCIENT PEAKS 'RENEGADE' RED BLEND PASO ROBLES (Vinous 92points) $22.999/11/2025  For well over a decade now Ancient Peaks has been one of our very favorite sources in California to get great value AND excellent quality, year in and year out, across many varietals. Their (very large) Santa Margarita Estate supplies the fruit for all their wines, all of which is 'SIP' certified for sustainability in farming and winemaking. Everything is absolutely rock solid from them. About the only thing you could quibble about for this wine is, if you are an absolute purist, this isn't REALY a Rhone blend because they have some Petit Verdot and Malbec-originally Bordeaux grapes- blended with the Syrah. Maybe is you squint your eyes a bit you can imagine them being Mourvedre and Cinsault (which isn't far-fetched, really) and adding that same sort of color to the wine. Or just kick back and enjoy it for being a delicious wine. Dark inky color and fruit character, loads of blackberry and blue tones on the nose, dark spices and licorice pop up an the end. Lots of richness and cocoa-covered fruits on the palate as well, but little bits of dark tannins give it nice energy and some structure, a bit of that Mourvedre vibe. A lot packed in here for the price, great for heartier meals and cooler weather sipping.
 Even with all the things going on that have increased prices on so many things, the Rhone still remains one of the best wine regions in the world for value, quality, and a surprising amount of diversity as well. It's a fairly large area, so there is a lot to go around, and lots of very good producers with generations of experience with their family vineyards. There are also a wider number of grape varieties to blend together, so the wineries have more colors on their palette to paint with and intrigue your palate. Clos du Mont-Olivet and the Sabon family are part of the old guard in the Rhone, described by the Wine Advocate as 'one of the great estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape', and their Cotes du Rhone is just as Old School as their CNDP. A blend of five varietals from vineyards just outside Chateauneuf and across the river in Lirac, this has a lot of the savory rustic side going from the first pour, with lots of pepper and dark cherry skin at first and a gamey, earthy feel to the palate. It rewards patience, even with a few years already under its belt, and over a few hours the red fruits sweeten up and the palate gets more lush and polished. We will leave the cork off this one most of today to help it move along when you taste, and will also benefit from a few extra swirls, but it rewards the extra patience with a higher level of complexity that exceeds its mere Cotes du Rhone-ness.
 An excellent American example of one of the earlier 'orange wine' styles, as well as perhaps the best names this side of the craft beer world (where they've been getting away with names like this for decades). The Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris grape will have a very slight bit of pigment to it when fully ripe, only enough for it to show up when the juice is left on the skins for many days, sometimes a couple weeks. The places where it is planted in Europe (including France and Slovenia) have done these rust colored, not-really-a-Rose wines for centuries, but they are time consuming to make and not as tourist-friendly as the fruitier 'regular' versions so not as prevalent. 'Ramato' means copper in Italian, and a very accurate descriptor for a Pinot Grigio left on the skins like this one is for 23 days. From the first whiff this is obviously different from your garden variety Grigio, more orange fruits to the nose with hints at mint and cooler herbs, subdued with a bit of twang. The palate is what really takes this wine and ones like it to a different level with all the natural skin texture present, giving the citrus a deep rind-y persistence, long and rich to a dry melon finish. Different but not funky, this has lots of substance to pair with fuller dishes well into the cooler weather and have you saying 'thank you very much' to the folks at Field Recordings for making such a great wine!
|
The Best of the Best.We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday, and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try! Archives
October 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed