 For our last Insider's Pick during our 30th anniversary month, we can't think of a better wine to feature than this new release from our favorite 'side project' in Virginia. For many years the R Wines label has been made by someone we clandestinely refer to as 'The Mind Behind', one of the very best winemakers in the state. This project tends to be 1-2 barrel productions, artistic experiments that test theories and concepts, pushing the boundaries usually found in production winemaking, the more successful of concepts getting measured into the larger scale wines he makes for his day job. Ruby is his latest concoction, named in honor of his faithful dog and vineyard partner (also the inspiration for the bottle color scheme, black with white markings and a red collar), and is another successful experiment in Virginia winemaking. The blend, as usual for an R wine, is not divulged (but we're pretty sure Chambourcin is involved somewhere) as the intent and final result is more important than the ingredients. Deep in color but not thick and opaque, the youthful nose is full of lavender, spice, and savory red berry that gets deeper and richer as it opens up. The palate is most distinctive, polished with very fine tannins and delivering a profile of gamey high toned and slightly tart red fruit. In one way it's reminiscent of Cru Beaujolais, but there is more body and texture along with fuller, darker red fruit, so it also has hints of the Northern Rhone. A unique wine with loads of time ahead of it, a rare example of excellent natural winemaking process in Virginia, and completely singular. In short, nothing less than what we would expect from 'the Mind Behind'.
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 One constant about the world of wine is that there are always new things to find out about and learn, no matter how long you have been in the business. Grape varieties in particular seem to constantly emerge out of the woodwork from Europe as more consumers start to care about tasting the native and authentic wines of historic regions, instead of forcing them to serve up a Chardonnay like ever other place. Ikaria is one of the smaller North Aegean islands, but is rich in Greek mythology as both the birthplace of the God Dionysos and the landing place of its namesake, Icarus, after flying too close to the sun. With centuries of relative isolation many of these islands have their own grape varieties naturally evolve to their conditions, and Begleri is the white that has landed here. Similar in some ways to the famed Assyrtiko grape of Santorini in the South Aegean, this pops immediately with a rich perfume and tropical fruits, but also zesty citrus and magnolia blooms. Lots of texture on the palate as well that intensifies the orange citrus and juicy white fruits, with a zingy finishing combo of acidity and lingering grapeskin dryness. This is a LOT of fun to mix into your white wine rotation, especially with Mediterranean dishes with lots of bold flavor and textures, capable of handling roasted vegetables, white meats and salty olives or capers with ease.
 With Summertime temperatures approaching on the horizon, it's a good time to lean into the most Summertime-y of wines, the classic Provence Rose. A chilled bottle of pale salmon pink wine just screams poolside leisure to so many, and Provence historically sets that tone for most of the world. This estate is a relatively new addition to the legendary portfolio of Rosenthal Wine Merchants (essentially the East Coast equivalence of the esteemed Kermit Lynch), but the lands here have history back to Roman times and the estate itself has been run by the same family for nearly 200 years. An organically run property with all estate owned vineyards, this is a winery that definitely looks to make the best Roses possible. Refreshing dried strawberry and citrus aromas with an underlying salinity and wet rock note that reminds you that the Mediterranean is only a couple miles from the vineyards. The palate is juicy and round with tart citrus and light red fruits at first, before almost immediately getting racy and increasingly pleasingly bitter (the importer refers to a French term, 'amertume') that defines the flavor through the finish. Like many of the European cocktails, that bitter note is refreshing and appetite stimulating, leaving your mouth ready for another quenching sip or some light salty snacks, even mediterranean seafood salads.
 The sweetness of a wine is all about how the grapes are treated and fermented; you can make a wine with any grape, red or white, as sweet or as dry the producer wants to. Certain grapes like Gewurztraminer definitely lean towards making sweeter wines because of their natural aromatics, but that doesn't mean that's the only way they can be done, and done well. For many vintages now this producer has made Exhibit A for that argument, fashioning very atypical Californian wines from very unique out-of-the-way vineyards across the state. The fruit is picked earlier from a cooler coastal site, which allows the wine to have both bright natural acidity and keeping the alcohol lower once made dry. They also allow the juice to stay on the skins longer than usual to pick up more skin tannin texture (and even a slight pinkness in some vintages). The resulting wine is floral and lovely, but also downright refreshing. Cool perfume of white flowers and lime, more minty than warm or tropical though it does get prettier the longer it is opened. The palate is where the real surprise lives, hitting full and juicy at first with lots of lychee and dried pear, but quickly showing the acidity tingle and fruit skin tannins so that the fruit becomes downright tangy, finishing with a pear skin/melon rind dryness. Not a sign of any cloying sugars at all, anywhere. Super fun Summertime wine as a back porch sipper or with zesty seafood preparations.
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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
October 2024
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