 No better way to send off 2024 than with some great Champagne, especially when you can also call it a great value as well. Words you don't usually get to use together when describing Champagne, so when we get the chance we try to shout it from the highest rooftops. A family run producer based primarily in the village of Champillon just above the city of Epernay, Alain Vincey hooked up with a Virginia based importer to start bringing their wines over, and in the words of the importer "we felt like we had won the lottery". This is a killer price for what we love to call 'Farmer Fizz', as the esteemed Terry Theise called his grower Champagnes. An even blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier without a lot of time on the lees before disgorgement, this is every reason why you shouldn't bother with the mass market names. Crisp, bright and distinctive white fruits with tell-tale Champagne acidity and nerve underneath, loads of energy on the palate with a dusty baked apple to the palate and a nice lingering richness. This isn't a Champagne that's just trying to cash in on the name, no phoning it in here. Distinctive and individual, and drinking waaaaay over the price point, a wine worthy of any celebration.
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 One of our favorite (re)-discoveries this year has been with the wines from Lioco. Since an epic tasting with them earlier in the year we have been stuffing the aisles with their distinctly atypical Californian wines. They specialize in a 'minimalist' style of winemaking, preferring lower alcohol levels and less oak influence, using vineyards with as little intervention in them as possible ('dry-farming, older vines, and sustainable agriculture' as it says on their labels). Not surprisingly they pull a lot of fruit from vineyards in Mendocino County for their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhone varietal wines. Even in a 'basic' bottling like this, you get a perfect look at their style as it features fruit from many of the featured vineyards in their lineup. Noticeably less thick and purple colored in the glass than your usual Cali Pinot, the nose is full of Bing cherry and vibrant red fruits, hints of pepper and cranberry, all very elegant and bright. The palate is equally vibrant, with lots of mouth-watering red fruit tones an elegant super-fine tannins that bring out the darker savory notes on the finish. This is a wine that revels in its dryness, in its subtlety, in its restraint, and fans of the style will be thrilled.
 It's the perfect 'American in Tuscany' dream that we would all love to live out: fall in love with the region, have the opportunity to purchase an old property with growing history dating back to the mid-1600s, and establish a new winery that strongly honors tradition. Located in the rugged heart of Chianti near Panzano, The Grace family has converted the property to organics since they founded the winery in 1997, with all the existing vineyards and their new plantings certified since 2010. They also push to have their wines being exclusively Sangiovese, including their Riserva and 'Gran Selezione' bottlings, which is where the 'SoloSangiovese' name cheekily came from for their flagship wine. Dark and dusty Tuscan aromas of cherry and dried red fruits, hinting at leather and licorice that get warmer and somewhat cozy at it opens up. The palate is still very youthful with lots of long but fine tannin that really leans into the dark and dusty side of the fruit at first, but does show some juicier notes over time. Perfect with a hearty meal and/or over the length of an evening.
 Much of the history for wines in the Levant, the Spanish region around Valencia, has been focused on big cheap nondescript red wines sold in bulk. In the last 30 years there has been a move towards modernization and improvement, but a lot of it was also following the Australian influence of the time, that bigger=better and that everything about the wine needed to be 'supersized'. Lots of extraction and thickness, lots of oak, and usually lots of alcohol. That arms race has subsided and there are many more nuanced versions of their wines appearing. Monastrell (Mourvedre) is king of grapes here, able to withstand the baking heat and dry conditions and still maintain acidity and tannic structure. It is also hearty enough to live in the poor soils and be one of the few places in Europe that can maintain both own-rooted ungrafted vines AND be dry farmed. For the price this is an exciting introduction to the character of the region, built with a surprisingly delicate hand. Loads of black fruits and road tar on the nose, but surprisingly fresh without sweeter tones, and even a Rhone-like touch of herbs. White the palate is still fairly full bodied, it isn't thick or coating, instead showing more darker currant and fine tannins, even a sense of freshness to the finish without obtrusive new oak in the way. A great option for hearty meals in the cold days ahead.
 As we approach full Beaujolais-mania the week before Thanksgiving, we wanted to show off some under-the-radar but surprisingly delicious Gamay, grown near the region for centuries but new in this form. If you go high enough up in Lyon you can look North and see the hills and ridges in the distance that define Beaujolais. Turning East and looking up the Rhone River, you can see the Alps in the distance with the Savoie region in the foothills. In the in-between lies Bugey, an area known historically for making a sparkling 'Methode Ancestrale' wine using Gamay, usually slightly sweet and a rose to ruby color. Still wines weren't usually attempted here much because the cooler Alpine influences made it more difficult to ripen grapes as easily as in Beaujolais, and the rolling hills here meant the vineyards are mostly scattered from ridge to ridge. Growing popularity for lower alcohol wines in general has spurred new interest in the potential for making still wines here with Gamay (as well as Poulsard, Jacquere and other Alpine grapes), and the more we see from promising producers like this, the more we agree this is a region to watch. Lovely ruby color in the glass, perhaps a bit darker than your typical Cru Beaujolais, but at under 13%abv it definitely isn't thicker or heavier. Cool red fruits and dark energetic floral notes immediately marks this as Gamay, and gets prettier the longer it is open. The palate is where this really shows itself as something different, with a distinct spine of acidity that brightens the fruit and adds a lot of tangy cranberry notes and a little firmer finish. Beaujolais is great, but it isn't the only game in town now.
 We had considered placing this wine in the big Thanksgiving wine email that was just sent out, but decided it had to be tasted to be believed. Brachetto is a unique red grape variety to the Piedmont in Italy, more famous there for making a Moscato d'Asti-like wine, lightly fizzy with sweet red fruits. The grape has naturally flowery aromas, similar in many ways to the Ruche grape (also from the Piedmont) in that if you closed your eyes you could be convinced by the aromas that it was a white wine. Perhaps being driven by a general move away from sweetness/sugar in beverages, but we are seeing dry examples like this pop up more and more, and this is the most exciting one we've had by a fair margin. Pale-ish ruby in color, the aromas jump out quickly with loads of red flowers, orange citrus and hints of mint and darker spices. Patient drinkers or those that decant will start to get more red fruits and juicy cherry the longer it breathes. The palate is a surprising contrast to the aromas, more tart red fruits and savory herbs, bright fine tannins that give the finish a long mouthwatering finish. Would almost parallel the palate to a Cru Beaujolais or a still Lambrusco, and would pair it accordingly. Probably not like anything you've had before, and after tasting it you will likely want more of it in your life.
 Often with the wines in the Insider's Pick, we will use the story and background of the people or vineyards to help entice, gain a connection to the customer. In this case, the story of the vineyards IS the wine, and the fact that what's in the bottle is an affordable value is almost secondary. Asprino is a native grape to Campania, mostly relegated to farming in the region of Aversa just outside of Naples. The varietal itself is less famous for what it is and the wines it makes than how it is usually farmed, an ancient trellising method called 'Alberata'. Developed during the Etruscan era for use in multi-crop polycultural farms, vines are raised in rows using elm or poplar trees as 'stakes', allowing the vines to reach as high as 40+ feet in the air once fully mature. At the time it allowed for more production in a smaller piece of land while also leaving room for other ground crops and grazing, even providing shade for more sensitive crops. Now the vineyards are seen as time consuming to grow and dangerous to farm, requiring specially trained workers to climb and harvest. But don't try it JUST for the fascinating backstory, get into it because it's an impressive sparkling wine for the money. Clear pale gold in the glass with a lightly persistent bead, the first sniff is yeasty apple with a bit of bitter citrus peel (a nod to the fact that Asprino was named for its sourness), but the Alberata method does allow the grape to get sun exposure and air flow that helps it fully ripen, getting some of the white fruits into the mix. The palate is also crisp and cidery with nice weight and a long lingering tang. Both delicious and fascinating in equal measures.
 For Halloween, we wanted to throw out to everyone a 'Tricky Treat', a wine that's unexpectedly thrilling on the inside despite appearing rather ordinary on the outside. Massimiliano Calabretta is notorious in Sicily for being both a staunch traditionalist and a bit of a curmudgeon. He makes wines that he likes, the way he likes, generally not worrying about and often disregarding the rules for the appellation. Their vineyards all lie within the Mount Etna area but none of the wines indicate it on the labels, and he's perfectly fine with that. A 'Vino Rosso' is almost by definition the lowest designation for an Italian wine, and in most situations could be anything from anywhere. At Calabretta, it is an affordable look into their mindset. Each batch is a multi-vintage blend of up to five different years, focused mostly if not exclusively on the Nerello Mascalese grape along with other native varietals. The greatness here is in the age of some portions, some a decade or more old, which allows you the chance to taste some of the aged elements that usually can't be found without hiding away a wine yourself. A pale ruby color with a bit of bricking at the edges, the aroma is a lovely mix of new and old, young red cherry with earth and leather, tart cranberry with savory underbrush. On the palate the younger parts give the fruit a bit of fresh weight, while the aged portions give the long fine tannins and lighter elegant finish. A mature and approachable wine that's ready to go without any work or time on your end; if you haven't started a wine cellar, this will make you want to start.
 New blood in established win areas is always a good thing, brings some fresh perspectives and keeps things evolving and moving forward. La Ghibellina was established in the early 2000s by husband and wife Marina and Alberto, and while neither has a family tie to winemaking or viticulture they have deep connections to the region as a whole (Marina coming from a lineage of regional artists, Alberto from nearby Genova representing Italy in water polo at multiple Olympics). Their success in other life pursuits has also translated to success in the vineyards, as their small organic farm has achieved great quality in their whites and reds (even some sparkling wines!). This is quintessential Gavi, and considering the Gavi di Gavi commune is considered the very best of the region, it's also an impressive value. Clean and clear character, full of leesy white fruits, hay and cut flower aromas with tiny pops of dried herbs. The palate is round and dry but not stern, with lots of round green apple and refreshingly tart acidity to the finish that gets brighter and longer after every sip. A great year round white option for lighter fish and poultry dishes, clean and super dependable.
 We have several tastings happening this week to celebrate Virginia Wine Month, including a full lineup of wines for Saturday and a special Mead tasting with Thistle & Stag tomorrow from Fork Union. But what better way to kick off a celebration than with some bubbles from Virginia's finest sparkling wine makers at Thibaut-Janisson. The orange label of their flagship Blanc de Blanc Brut is about as identifiable in this state as the Veuve Cliquot yellow label (and we would say at LEAST as tasty) but people shouldn't also sleep on its easy drinking little brother, the Virginia Fizz. Same great sources of Chardonnay as the Brut, just vinified without the time on the lees and finished a little softer to make a lighter, cleaner, more easy drinking wine. Cool crisp green apple aromas with lots of fizz initially that mellows to a light bubble and dusty white fruits after some moments in the glass. The palate is equally clean and apply, very brisk with the carbonated snappiness on the tongue but not astringent through the finish, very spritely and lime zest throughout. Seriously good, but just not AS serious, great to pop for everyday celebrations.
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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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