Club Corner
June 2023 Rose of the Month Club
Summer is here and we have it on good authority that means the time is right for dancing in the street – in Chicago, down in New Orleans, in New York City, across the ocean blue. Wherever you’re headed there’ll be music, sweet music - music everywhere - and also, probably, rosé. While the international vino scene is full of finicky grapes that freak out when they get too far from home, great rosé can, and increasingly does, throw down strong roots wherever there’s viticulture. Pick any spot on Planet Wine, and the local take on pink will be among the most reliable guides you’ll find. So for June, we’ve put together a globe-trotting itinerary that will whisk you from South America to Europe to Asia for three brand new variations on this universal beat. Doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you…Think Pink! Adega de Mońçao Muralhas Rosé Region/Country of Origin: Vinho Verde, Portugal About the Winery: Adega Cooperativa e Regional de Monção was born, as a result of the common ambition of a group of winegrowers, and plays a very important role in the socio-economic dynamism of the region of Monção and Melgaço, promoting the direct and indirect employment of hundreds and hundreds of people. Adega de Monção is home for those who make grapes their livelihood, hobby or family legacy. About the Winemaking: Selection of the best grapes. Must drop extraction. Decantation (24 hours at 14 C). Controlled fermentation between 16-18 c, followed by racking/Soutirage. Primary filtration then storage and cold stabilization. Final membrane filtering before bottling Tasting Notes: Its pink color is an omen of a soft and slightly sweet taste. Bright fruity character with loads of wild berry aromas. The palate is fresh and well-balanced with bright, clean, smooth and ever so lightly sweet flavors. The aromas of wild fruits envelop us, without ever losing its balanced profile. It persists, in memory and in the mouth. Winemaker: Adega de Mońçao is a co-op and they don’t have one winemaker, they have many. Price: $13.99 btl/$151.10 case Suggested food pairing: When tasted young and very fresh, it pairs perfectly with a seafood meal or fish dishes. Selendi Ongor Family Vineyard Rosé 2020 Region/Country of Origin: Sarnıç Valley, Turkey About the Winery: Selendi Winery is a Turkish wine producer located in the valley of Sarnickoy, high above the ancient town of Akhisar in the west of the country. It was the first estate bottled producer of the country with the inaugural vintage released in 2000. About the Winemaking: The family-owned estate meticulously practices organic farming, meaning no pesticides or chemical intervention of any kind in their process. Each vine is carefully and naturally tended to from seed to grape production, nurtured and pruned by people who live and work on the land. After a hand-pick in the vineyard, grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at the winery. Tasting Notes: Joyous and balanced, this rosé blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Shiraz offers notes of citrus blossom, raspberries, watermelon jolly rancher, and bubble gum with bright acidity, soft tannins, and a long finish. Winemaker: Andrea Paoletti Price: $16.99 btl/$183.49 case Suggested Food Pairing: Enjoy with salmon, grilled vegetables or your favorite light cheeses. Los Vascos Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Rosé 2021 Region/Country of Origin: Valley de Caneten, Colchagua Valley, Chile About the Winery: Los Vascos is located in Valle de Caneten (Colchagua), a closed valley in the central zone of Chile, approximately 25 miles from the sea. The valley provides a perfect microclimate for high quality viticulture, with Northern exposure to lands uncontaminated by airborne or water-borne pollutants. Daily on-shore winds provide temperature changes between 68-77°F, for optimum maturation of the grapes. With 1,581 acres planted on the over 10,000 acre estate, it is one of the largest vineyards in the central Colchagua valley, at the foot of Mount Cañeten. About the Winemaking: 60% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Mourvèdre. Grapes were harvested early in the morning, when temperatures were lower, in order to preserve the aromatic freshness of the grapes. At the winery, grapes were pressed directly and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks to preserve their aromatic potential. The wine is aged in tanks to retain the purity of the fruit. Tasting Notes: Bright and crystal-clear, this wine has an alluring pale pink color. The nose exhibits an intense strawberry scent that mixes with a background of raspberry and sweet melon pear. A fresh, vivacious palate that presents a delicate structure and balanced acidity and develops into a lovely and gentle aftertaste. Winemaker: Philippe Rolet Price: $10.99 btl/$118.69 case Suggested Food Pairing: Chicken and veggie kebabs, Sopa de Mariscos, Pastel de jaiba (Crab pie) Photo by Dennis Vinther on Unsplash
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March 2022 Wine of the Month Club
South America Keeping up with South American wine takes some effort these days. While budget Malbecs and Carmeneres will hopefully continue to line grocery store shelves, the viticultural trends and tensions playing out over this gigantic continent generate a dynamism that goes much deeper. This month we are featuring two outstanding examples of recent Latin American winemaking from families in Chile and Argentina whose roots in their respective regions date back to the 19th century. Both embody the interplay between tradition and innovation that makes the South America such a vital and ever evolving wine destination. Winemaking in the Americas initially followed conquest and conversion. The first grapes and vines were brought by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, and planted and grown widely to ensure a steady supply of sacramental wine for Mass. Viticulture took to the continent so successfully that wine producers in Spain convinced King Philip II to restrict American production, and in 1595 the Council of the Indies imposed limits on wine production and vine cultivation. This proved hard to enforce and despite Phillip’s successors repeating the restrictions throughout the 17th century, local winemaking continued, albeit in diminished form. When the restrictions were finally lifted for good in the early colonial period, European wines flooded the market and overwhelmed the local product. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the modern South American wine industry, buoyed by the influx of French grapes flourishing in the Phylloxera-free soil of Argentina and Chile, began to export significant amounts of product. This was how the former became the largest producer of Malbec (known as Cot in France) and the latter Carmenere (another French grape originally from Bordeaux.) Today, Argentina and Chile are the fifth and ninth largest contributors, respectively, to the 6.8 billion gallons of wine produced worldwide every year. The most important Argentine wine region is Mendoza, located in the eastern foothills of the Andes and featuring some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world. Mendoza has 167,704 hectares (414,405 acres) of vineyards – more than the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa Valley combined – and accounts for 70% of the country’s wine production. Within the Mendoza appellation there are three distinct sub-appellations that exhibit extraordinary diversity in soil quality, altitude, and climate: Maipu Valley, Lujan de Cuyo, and Uco Valley. Our red selection this month comes from Maipu, which features some of the oldest vines in Argentina and is renowned for its powerful and elegant Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. From Mendoza, it’s just an hour’s flight over the mountains to Santiago, Chile, the capital city and the center of its wine world. Known as a winemaker's paradise, Chile has a perfect climate for growing vines, abundant water from melting snow, and a virtually pest and disease-free environment. The climate is very hot and dry in the north, and colder and wetter in the south. The proximity to the Andes creates a huge variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures, which is vital for the acidity levels of grapes. The dryness also makes it a natural hub for organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wine production; 75 percent of all exported Chilean wine is sustainably produced. The largest and oldest wine region is the Maule Valley, 250 miles from the capital and home to our white wine this month, a light skinned variant of the Pais grape (also known as Mission in California) which was the first widely planted wine varietal on the continent. Salud! The PlumpJack Wine Team 2018 Famiglia Mosso Malbec Region / Country of Origin: Mendoza, Argentina About the vineyards: Francesco Mosso arrived in Argentina from Turin, Italy, in 1860, leading a Piedmontese immigrant colony. The famiglia eventually settled in Mendoza, where they became devoted to viticulture. In 1909 the brothers Juan Bautista Mosso and Antonio Mosso finally built their own winery in Luján de Cuyo, with production capacity of five million liters. In 2002 Ernesto Mosso and Pablo Mosso, Juan Bautista and Antonio’s respective great-grandchildren, followed the family tradition and began producing wines in a winery located in Chacras de Coria. Their flagship wine is Malbec produced from the family’s old vines grown in Lunlunta. The vineyards are located 2,821 feet above sea level. About the winemaking: Light crushing, classic temperature-controlled fermentation during 7 days, using selected yeast. Pump-over and delestage during extended maceration of 20 days. 8 month: 30% volume in French oak first use and 70% volume in American oak second use. Suggested cellaring 5 years. Tasting Notes: Alluring color showing redish purple hues. Intense and complex aromas of red fruits, which harmonize with vanilla and mocha with reminiscence of fresh plums. Full bodied in mouth, its flavors lead to a polished and lingering finish. Winemaker: Ruben Sfragara Price: $27 bottle/ $291.60 case Suggested Food Pairing: Pairs well with a wide range of foods from beef and pork to game birds or even meat-based pastas and mature cheese 2020 J. Bouchon Pais Salvaje Blanco Region / Country of Origin: Maule Valley, Chile About the Winery: Bouchon Family Wines began in the late 19th century when young viticulturist Emile Bouchon left Bordeaux, France for Chile. Today, Julio Bouchon and his children carry on their 4th generation family winemaking tradition in the Maule Valley. With their in-depth soil research and innovative winemaking, Bouchon is preserving the historic character of the Maule Valley with distinctive, terroir-driven wines. Each J. Bouchon wine is certified sustainable by the Wines of Chile Sustainability Code. The winery practices sustainable farming along with use of horse-plowed fields and dry farming to preserve their historic vineyards. About the winemaking: Pais Salvaje blanco is a wine born from a discovery within J Bouchon’s Pais ‘jungle’ vines (see photo at top of blog for shot of actual "vineyard"). After their first harvest of Pais Salvaje red in 2015, they realized that certain clusters of these wild vines were much lighter in color than others. They decided to harvest and vinify these lighter clusters separately. The wine is fermented and aged for 6 months in an ancient tinaja (clay amphora) with native yeast with no filtration. Tasting Notes: This is a wine of character. Copper yellow in color with fruity aromas of green apple and pear with a hint of earthy funk and white pepper. In the mouth it is very juicy and savory, with a long finish. Winemaker: Christian Sepúlveda Price: $23 bottle / $248.40 case Suggested Food Pairings: Enjoy with grilled fish, light sauced pasta or a fresh summer salad.
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July 2021 Wine of the Month : A Toast to Terroir
Terroir is a tricky concept. A broad French term (‘sense of place’ is the most common translation) used to signal specificity (Randall Graham of Bonny Doon identifies it as “the precise opposite of nowhereness”), it is among the first wine words most of us learn, and one that remains central to our understanding of the subject. Most easily defined as the local environmental factors - climate, soil composition, vegetation, topography - that affect the flavor of a particular wine, what exactly constitutes terroir and whether or not it even matters is the source of considerable controversy amongst vintners and eonphilies alike. Maximalists assert that anything that goes into the production of the wine, winemaking technique included, counts as terroir, while others insist it is only the natural constants that qualify, leaving out variables like grapes, vintages and human intervention of any kind. For us, the debate itself illuminates how much the concept of terroir frames what we talk about when we talk about wine, and why we care so much in the first place. So this month we are featuring two winemakers whose efforts are excellent arguments for the continuing relevance of terroir: Chilean Pedro Parra, and Nicolas Mariotti Bindi of Corsica. Pedro Parra has spent most of his life pondering the relationship between wine and terroir. Following an early career as a jazz musician, he attained an actual PhD in terroir from the Paris Center of Agriculture, and his work as a consultant for wineries on four continents has made him legendary for digging six feet deep soil pits (‘calicatas’) to help growers understand the below ground composition of their vineyards (hence the miner’s rock hammer on his wine labels.) In 2017, he realized a long-held dream and founded Pedro Parra Y Familia in the remote Itata Valley of his native Chile. About 500km south of Chile’s capital, Santiago, in the region of Bío Bío, Itata’s historical isolation from the rest of the Chilean wine industry provided a golden opportunity for Parra to put in practice his contention, derived from years studying French terroir, that geology is the key natural component in viticulture. “Rocks matter most”, in other words - and in Itata, that means 220-300 million year old, quartz laden granite soils, supporting some very old vines. More specifically, Pedro prizes the rare white granite compositions that he calls ‘chambolic’, which impart a characteristic minerality, elegance and finesse to the wines. The 2019 Imaginador is a vindication of his efforts; mostly composed of Cinsault, a southern French grape with Pinot Noir-like terroir sensitivity, it is beguiling blend of unique and familiar, a soft, slightly aromatic red with a mineral backbone and smoky overlay that will pair wonderfully with a slight chill and summer cuisine. Like Pedro Parra, Nicolas Mariotta Bindi began his professional education in another field - initially moving to Paris to read law at the Sorbonne - before switching to wine, studying with some local masters, and eventually returning home to farm his native soil. Bindi is from Corsica, the fourth largest, and most mountainous, island in the Medditeranean. It was once ruled from Genoa before the French took over, in time for Napoleon Bonaparte to be born there a French citizen. But Corsica has always been a world of its own, with a viticultural tradition dating back thousands of years, and idiosyncratic microclimates that today comprise nine appellations. Bindi’s plots are in Patrimonio, on the northern coast, the oldest AOC in Corsica. Composed of mostly clay and limestone soils, there is enough internal variance within his fifteen hectares that Bindi divides his vines into four separate terroirs. Our selection this month is 100% Vermentinu (known as Rolle in France and, of course, Vermentino in Italy) from Bindi’s "Cantina di Torra'' label, which comes from a collection of 7.5 hectares of north-facing parcels called "Carcu." The vines were planted in 1970, 1996, and 2006 on clay and limestone and were recently converted to organic farming by Nicolas. It is a great example of specifically Corsican spin on a southern European grape, with a startlingly aromatic and lush nose leading to a classically structured, varietally correct and immensely satisfying palate. Cheers, The PlumpJack Wine Team Pedro Parra “Imaginador” Cinsault 2019 Region / Country of Origin: Itata, Chile About the winemaker: Pedro Parra was born in Concepción, Chile, near Bio Bio and Itata, and he is raising his family there now. He holds a PhD in terroir from the Paris Center of Agriculture, with six years experience in French terroir. As a highly respected consultant working in several countries and terroirs, (Chile, Argentina, USA, Italy, Canada, France, Armenia), Pedro brings an open mind and vision to winemakers and viticulturists alike. Pedro has been described as the leading figure of the “New Chile”movement by the international press, in part because of his constant endeavors to bring a new vision to the Chilean wine industry, searching for quality terroir and developing new plantings throughout the country. About the winemaking: “IMAGINADOR” is a wine that was in Parra’s imagination many years ago, when he discovered the great potential of Itata’s terroir. This wine comes from four different growers, all in the upper part of the hills, over granite soils. All the sites were planted more than 200 years ago, with vines 45-70 years old. All blocks are supposed to be Cinsault, but because of the history they are all Cinsault field blends with Muscat, Semillon, Carignan and Pais. They are all harvested and vinified together. Aged in stainless steel and cement tanks for one year, then eight months elevage in bottle. 1300 cases produced. Tasting Notes: This beautiful Cinsault opens with floral and green leaf aromas that lead to a palate of silky red raspberry fruit, smoke and earthy notes. Winemaker: Pedro Parra $23 bottle /$248.4 case Suggested Food Pairing: Tomato and roasted corn salad Chimichurri Burgers Mesquite grilled chicken Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, Cantina Di Torra Bianco, Oleta 2018/19 Region / Country of Origin: Patrimonio, Corsica About the Winemaker: Originally from Bastia, in northern Corsica, Mariotti Bindi studied winemaking inMoulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais, and then with stages closer to home with Antoine Arena and Muriel Giudicelli before becoming head of viticulture at Domaine Leccia. He produced his first vintage in 2007. About the winemaking: For all his wines, harvest is manual and fermentation happens with natural yeasts. No additives, chemical herbicides or fertilizer are used. However, some sulfur may be added at bottling and filtration may be used if deemed necessary. In 2018, the Vermentinu was deemed so hot by Nicolas that he chose to hold it back on its fine lees in concrete for two years. He then blended it with the 2019 vintage which was much more of an even keeled harvest. Everything is harvested by hand in small baskets and once in the cellar, fermentations occur naturally and sulfur is used in limited doses. Tasting Notes: A generous nose of tropical fruit, honeydew melon and flower. Round, medium mouthfeel highlighted by pear and saline minerality. Winemaker: Nicolas Mariotti Bindi $27 bottle / $291.6 case Suggested Food Pairing: Roasted White meats Fresh Seafood Pasta with white sauce Crunchy greens Fried foods
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