INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 CARLOS RAPOSO/WORLD WILD WINES TOURIGA NACIONAL 'IMPECAVEL' DAO $22.991/25/2024  There is ALWAYS something new to learn in wine, always a reason to taste something that will challenge your expectations. Much of the recent red wine explosion from the Douro and Dao regions in Portugal has evolved around developing more robust and hearty wines, which grapes like Touriga Nacional are more than capable of producing. Here, and in other parts of the world where Touriga is planted, its reputation for adding intensity to the flavor of great Port is also sought in the unfortified red wines, usually resulting in sappy, extracted and naturally tannic wines. The surprisingly cool and dry alpine areas within the Dao provides a much different opportunity for the grape, more similar to the capabilities of Syrah in the Northern Rhone to provide elegance and refinement. Winemaker Carlos Raposo is a native of the Dao region, and after years making acclaimed still wines for the famed Niepoort's Port house has moved on to create his own label focused on making his own wines from the oldest vineyards in the Dao. Dark plummy fruit at first on the nose with some smoky spice and dark pepper notes, and with the lighter (13%abv) character always staying on the more savory side of the street. The palate is almost a revelation for Touriga Nacional, truly elegant with very fine tannins and no extracted weight to the fruit, bordering on refreshing with no oak present. The nerve and fine dryness on the finish absolutely validates the comparison to a Northern Rhone Syrah, just with a little different fruit profile. Great multi-purpose food wine and a definite sign of things to come from producers in the region.
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 The Rhone is probably our favorite wine region for finding diversity in character, even among what should be similar tasting basic or 'value' wines. There are a lot of grape varieties permitted for use, to start with, so you have an almost endless flavor palate to choose from. Add to that the immense geological variations, temperatures, and winemaking styles to bring shading even to the same grape grown all over, like Grenache. This bottling comes to us from one of our long time favorite producers, made from old vine Grenache sourced from the foothills of Mount Ventoux on the eastern edge of the Rhone (still close enough to cast its shadow on Avignon). It's intention is to be made in an approachable easy drinking style but with exceptional quality fruit; and when we say 'easy', we mean eeeaaasssssyyyyyyy. Almost TOO easy. Juicy dark kirsch cherry and soft raspberry with a hint of herb and black pepper to the nose, with the fruit getting more briary on the palate. Initially the texture is mouthfilling and almost Pinot-y soft, but the fine tannins and sense of structure from the older vines come through to give a more savory finish than expected and keep it from feeling weighty. Not overly complex, but never boring, you will want to have this on hand to enjoy with great frequency.
 New vintage of an old favorite, and one of the wines that first drew us to the Mary Taylor selection of wines. The project aims to source fruit from small quality growers and make value oriented wines that represent the identity of the appellation or region. Each wine comes from a single source of grapes, and the name of the producer shares recognition on the labels (Sophie Siadou here) as a partnership. Along with wines from the more famous regions, they do an excellent job of shining the spotlight on regions like Valencay that consumers rarely see on their shelves. South of the Loire along the banks of the Cher River and off the beaten track of the famous tourist cities, they are probably more known for their ashen goat cheese than the wines. There aren't any blockbuster high level producers here, so everything is made to be at an everyday level of consumption and pricing, which is just how we like them. The blend of grapes here is also a bit unexpected, combining the softer stylings of Gamay and Pinot Noir with the relative heartiness and tannic nature of Malbec (here called Cot), but here they meld quite nicely. Savory, almost peppery herbal nose over dry black cherry and red fruits that build a little juiciness as it opens up. Unique combination of polished first notes on the palate with fine tannins coming in quickly afterwards, the Gamay and Pinot give the body and fruit, while the Malbec hits on the finish. Last time we referred to this as a 'backdoor Burgundy', a wine for those that like the earthier and more structured side of Pinot Noir. That style remains, and for those that enjoy it will remain an excellent value.
 The 'Governo' method of fermentation is a remnant from the earliest times of winemaking, originally done to fix a specific problem but now used as a fun way to make a wine taste good. The process involves adding a small portion of grape clusters dried after harvest back into the fermentation tanks, initially done to provide extra sugar for the yeasts if they start to slow or get 'stuck' before fermenting the wine as dry as they wanted. Nowadays there are a lot more precise and efficient ways to avoid this problem, but adding the dried grapes in does give the wine a little more texture and dark fruit; not as intensely as a Ripasso or Apassimento wine (which soak the dried grapes longer to get more tannins extracted out), but just enough to plump it out a bit. A deeper ruby color and a bit less transparent in te glass than your usual Tuscan red at this price point, as well as some extra blackberry and currant on the nose over the Tuscan herb and dried spice aromas that are such Chianti earmarks. The palate has great polish and weight without feeling gritty, showing nice dark fruit that gets dry and dusty on the finish. Easy and fun for traditional Italian fans with no new oak presence at all, just Tuscan goodness at a great price.
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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
May 2025
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