The Talented Marcel Richaud’s Old Hand at Southern Rhône’s Newest Appellation: Cairanne (9-Bottle Wine-Pack $260, All Included)

The Rhône River stretches from the Alps to the Mediterranean through an incredibly diverse expanse. At its southern end, between the cities of Vienne and Avignon, rolling hills meet plateaus of varying elevation under the toasty Mediterranean sun. Long, warm summers and mild winters allow the region’s dominant grape variety, Grenache, to yield good concentration via stony soils and low rainfall. While Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most recognizable of the region’s nine cru appellations, it is Cairanne (elevated to cru status in 2016), that is perhaps the most promising and exciting, often producing wines that express a distinct finesse.

To think of the wines of Cairanne is to think of Marcel Richaud, who was instrumental in elevating the region to cru status. Marcel comes from a vine growing family that focused their energies on producing and selling fruit to the local cooperative. While still in his teens he decided to break from that tradition to forge his own path as a vigneron, producing his first vintage at the age of 19. He soon made a name for himself across the region, into the Paris wine scene, and then internationally.

As with most renowned winemakers, concentrating on making wine in the vineyard first was one of the keys to his success. Organic methods were used from the very beginning and cellar work is performed with the goal of expressing the region’s terroir with purity. Most of the varieties are vinified apart in cement vats with indigenous yeasts and no addition of sulfites, save for a small amount at bottling.

Over the years, Marcel has grown the estate by recouping family vineyards from the cooperative and purchasing land. Today, he is retired, and the nearly 200 acre estate is run by his children: Thomas, Claire, and Edith. But even though Marcel has stepped back from daily operations, his influence is still clearly tasted in every sip of the wines that bear his name.

Included in The Talented Marcel Richaud’s Old Hand at Southern Rhône’s Newest Appellation 9-Bottle Package are three each of the following wines:

The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Cairanne (2018) Regular Price: $37

The village of Cairanne is situated atop a range of low hills with ideal exposure. It’s elevation ensures slightly cooler temperatures than much of the region and lends a brightness and delicacy to the wine. This organically certified cuvée aims to express the village’s terroir from soils of poor, stony clay-limestone on mid-slope plots. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan from 40 to 70-year-old vines, the wine is fermented and aged primarily in concrete tanks, with a portion in oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites. The result is a wine that is both rich and electric, with complex aromas of fruit (both fresh and preserved) and herbal spice. A sip fills the mouth with ripe berries and licorice riding a mineral spine.

“Terre de Galet” (Côtes du Rhône 2018) Regular Price: $32

A certified organic blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 10% Mouvèdre, and 5% Counoise, “Terre de Galets” comes from a mix of plots and vines 10 to 40 years old growing in a mixture of red clay and the region’s famous round stones (galets roulés). The vineyards are located on the Plan de Dieu, some of the most significant terroir in Côtes du Rhône. Post-harvest, all the fruit is destemmed, with the exception of the Carignan which is fermented whole-cluster. The wine then ages in concrete vats for six months in an underground cellar. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites, it is energetic, well-structured, with loads of ripe fruit and spice.

“à la source” (Vin de France Rouge 2019) Regular Price: $23

A certified organic and poundable blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre from the estate’s youngest vines and newest plantations located near Cairanne, on the terroirs of Combes, Granges, and Sousville. Each variety is vinified separately in concrete vats and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites. A smooth and easy-drinking wine that emphasizes the fruit yet has enough complexity to pair with a charcuterie plate but might even be better with a garlicky “white” pizza from nearby Tomatoes Apizza. Serve with a slight chill.

- - -
Posted on 2021.01.20 in France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone  |  Read more...

 

Burgundy-Inspired Rioja: Artuke’s Single Parcels (12-Bottle Wine-Package $365, All-Included)

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, we’ve always adored the wines from brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists that produce wine for Artuke Bodegas y Viñedos. It seems that each new vintage highlights just how much growth and improvement can be accomplished when your singular focus is creating wines of freshness and purity that speak of place. We are pleased to offer the new 2018 vintage of their single vineyard wines, each expressive of their unique terroirs in and around their village of Ábalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains.

Their wines clearly reveal the characteristics of the Alavesa sub-zone, the northernmost and smallest of the three Rioja sub-zones, where the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer interior. This unique climate has the effect of ripening Tempranillo grapes with slightly thinner skins, yielding wines with superb fruit and freshness.

Modern Rioja’s storied history began in the mid-1800s when local winemakers adopted the methods of Bordeaux and began aging their wines in wooden casks. Since then, the region has tended to spotlight the amount of time the wine spent in oak barrels, effectively putting a supporting actor in the leading role. It was not until the early 1990s that a significant number of producers decided to start making their wines in the vineyard rather than the cellar. They found inspiration in Burgundy and started their ranges with a regional or a village wine while setting aside their best and most distinctive plots to craft single-vineyard wines. Arturo and Kike are part of this movement..

With his degree in Agriculture Engineering and a Masters in Winemaking, Arturo arrived at the family bodega in the 2000s. Kike joined in 2010. They carried out a detailed study of the soils in all their plots and work their land using traditional methods believing that “if you work well in the vineyard and have moderate yields, there’s no need to force things at the winery.”

With less than 55 total acres of vineyards distributed over 32 different plots, Artuke is most certainly a family affair. Their father still helps with vineyard maintenance, and their mother will have a plate of food at the ready for family members and visitors alike. They have also formed the group Rioja’n’Roll with a small contingent of other young producers who all believe “that wines with soul can come only from vineyards with soul.”

Included in Burgundy-Inspired Rioja: Artuke’s Single Parcels 12-Bottle Package are the following wines:

The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 15% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

1 BOTTLE “El Escolladero” (Paraje El Meadero, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $89

A blend of about 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, “El Escolladero” comes from a 2.35 acre plot located in the Alava town of Ábalos at 2,165 feet above sea level. The parcel contains vines over 60 years old growing in clay-calcareous soils. Harvest is carried out manually in small boxes and the fruit is hand-selected and destemmed. Fermentation is completed using indigenous yeast and the wine is then matured in 600 liter French oak barrels for between 12 and 16 months before bottling. It is a concentrated, bold, and structured wine with a delicate, complex nose of dark berries, notes of herbs, cedar and chocolate. Only 1,057 bottles were produced.

2 BOTTLES “Paso Las Mañas” (Paraje El Chorro, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $48

“Paso Las Mañas” is made with 100% Tempranillo grapes from a 9.6 acre vineyard located on the highest slope of Samaniego, at an altitude of 2,395 feet. Clay and chalky soils with many stones on the surface support the vines, while a natural spur diverts runoff forcing the vine’s roots deep into the earth. While this is the brother’s youngest single parcel vineyard, it has already shown its potential to be one of the top crus in Rioja, producing a balanced and elegant wine. Harvest is carried out manually in small boxes and the fruit is hand-selected and destemmed. Fermentation is completed using indigenous yeast and the wine is then matured in 500 liter French oak barrels and a 35,000 liter foudre before bottling. Only 7,200 bottles were produced.

2 BOTTLES “Finca de los Locos” (Paraje Peñaescalera, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $39

Arturo and Kike’s grandfather was regarded as crazy (loco) for purchasing this single vineyard located on a high terrace around 1,600 feet in elevation overlooking the Ebro river in Baños de Ebro. The plot consists of nearly 40-year-old vines growing in a sandy, gritty soil over a chalky limestone subsoil. A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Graciano that is aged for 16 months in both 500 and 3500 liter French oak barrels, this wine shows it’s Atlantic climate mainly on the palate as ripe red fruit immediately turns crunchy to lead into a lengthy mineral finish. Aromatically complex, a noseful is rewarded with plums, minty herbs, dark chocolate, baked earth, and cherry blossoms. Only 10,800 bottles were produced.

3 BOTTLES “Pies Negros” (Rioja, 2018) Regular Price: $25

A blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from vines as old as 95 years, Pies Negros means Black Feet, a reference to the archaic method of crushing the grapes using one’s feet – a technique that the brothers are determined to use to this day, as they believe the gentle crushing helps to maintain the purity of the fruit. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels of one or two years, resulting in a wine that’s full of mature, dark red fruits and a touch of spice with a firm finish.

4 BOTTLES “Artuke” (Rioja, 2019) Regular Price: $17

“Artuke” is made with the carbonic maceration method, a wine-making technique used to enhance aromatics and produce light, fresh, fruity wines preferred by Basques in the northern sub-zone of Alavesa. It is a blend of mainly Tempranillo grapes, fermented and aged in cement and stainless steel. Candied red berries follow behind a burst of violets and cinnamon on the nose. There is minimal tannic structure which allows this red wine to take a relatively deep chill and also makes it quite a versatile pairing with food: tuna, pretty much anything made with zucchini, fried chicken, gooey cheese sandwiches, pizza, etc…

 

---

A Special and Limited Bottling from Artuke

“La Condenada” (Paraje Camino Del Ciego, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $120

From a single, 1.85 acre plot of sandy soil with a substrata of sandstone planted in 1920 and located in Baños de Ebro at an elevation of 1,700 feet. The Blanco family purchased this nearly abandoned vineyard in 2012 and began to tend the majority of Tempranillo along with around 20% of other grapes, both red and white, including Graciano and Calagrano. All grapes are harvested and fermented together, and then matured in a 600 liter French oak barrel for 14 months. The result is a wine that is concentrated and silky and brimming with a potpourri of heady aromatics. Only a scant 774 bottles were produced.

- - -
Posted on 2021.01.13 in Wine-Aid Packages, Rioja DOC  |  Read more...

 

Romantic Veneto’s Most Notable Biodynamic Producer: Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, and Recioto (6-Bottle Wine-Package for $350, All Included)

Castelrotto is a small hamlet on the hill of San Pietro in Cariano, one of the five towns that constitute Valpolicella, the historical Amarone producing area. It is where Carlo Venturini and his wife Alessandra Zantedeschi, both from winegrowing families, founded the estate of Monte Dall’Ora, named after the hill on which it sits. Known as the “pearl of Verona” this is a charming land of Medieval villages with the stunning Lake Garda to the west and the Adige river flowing beneath.

When the couple moved in, there was nothing but abandoned 500-year-old terraces barely supported by aged and decaying stone walls overrun by nature. It took some time to rebuild the walls, restore the terraces, and to plant a traditional mix of Valpolicella grape varieties trained in the ancient pergola method. Today these vines are 20 to 25 years old and thriving on limestone-rich clay.

From the very beginning the couple employed organic cultivation techniques and eventually turned to biodynamic viticulture with the aim of producing wines with a pure expression of their terroir. Of course, this goal is also helped through hand harvesting and sorting, as well as spontaneous fermentation using only indigenous yeasts. Indeed, Carlo and Alessandra believe firmly that natural yeasts magnify the natural character of the soils.

Biodynamic viticulture is not the norm in Valpolicella, as the humidity of the unique microclimate presents more challenges to viticulture than the drier climates farther south. But the couple trusts centuries of tradition. Up on their warm, sunny, southeast-exposed hill — with vines surrounded by a natural habitat full of wild plants, flowers, and herbs — they have shown that this native environment is capable of producing some of Veneto’s most distinctive and revealing wines.

Included in Romantic Veneto’s Most Notable Biodynamic Producer 6-Bottle Package are the following wines:

The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

 

1 Bottle “Stropa” (Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2012) Regular Price: $140.00

A stropa is a switch from the native weeping willow tree, used historically in Valpolicella viticulture to tie vines to pergolas. Monte Dall’Ora has preserved the practice and also named their Amarone after it. You’ll even find a stropa tied around the neck of your wax-capped bottle. The wine is a blend of 50% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Molinara and Dindarella, from 25-year-old vines growing in their core estate vineyard. The fruit is picked on the early side of harvest so that it maintains a bright acidity to balance out the richness from three to four months of concentration from drying in single layers in small, slatted, wood boxes. Around 4,500 bottles are produced.

 

1 Bottle “Sant’ Ulderico” (Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2012, 500 ml) Regular Price: $82

While “Sant’ Ulderico” is a dessert wine, you won’t find it overly sweet and especially not cloying. Monte Dall’Ora chooses to harvest early to maintain proper balance in the fruit to produce a wine that is filled with ripe and jammy plum. It is exceptionally well balanced between sweetness and acidity with a superb structure that would be particularly suitable for pairing with blue cheeses. Like “Stropa,” a selection of the best bunches are placed in small wood crates and left to dry naturally for about four months. The wine is vinified in February and then aged in small French barrels for 36 months. Around 1,500 bottles are produced.

 

1 Bottle “Saustò” (Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore DOC 2017) Regular Price: $41

A blend of 40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Oseleta and Molinara. Saustò comes from the same estate vineyard as La Stropa. The fruit is harvested manually in late September to early October and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts and without sulfur. Fermentation takes place in steel and concrete tanks, in many different lots, so that each parcel can be well-tracked. Most of this wine is bottled as an easy-drinking early-release wine, but the best, ripest lots are destined for Saustò. In good vintages the pressings from Monte Dall’Ora’s “Sant’ Ulderico” Recioto are added to the developing wine to add further complexity. The wine is aged in old oak botti for six months and in bottle for eight months. Around 6,000 bottles are produced.

 

3 Bottles “Camporenzo” (Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC 2017) Regular Price: $31

A blend of 50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella from the Camporenzo vineyard very near the estate. The vines were planted in 2008 and trained on wires in the guyot method to obtain even greater concentration. This plot is the last to be harvested for a wine that is brimming with red-fruit, spice, complexity, and structure. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts and without sulfur in concrete and steel tanks. The wine is aged for about 6 months in tank and then 6 months in old 25-hectoliter oak botti. Around 9,000 bottles are produced.

- - -
Posted on 2021.01.06 in Wine-Aid Packages, Italy, Veneto  |  Read more...

 

Saturday Sips Review Club: Every Other Month (6 Bottles for $280, or 12 Bottles for $380)

You probably already know about our weekly Saturday Sips where we feature wines from small, family-run estates made by passionate producers that are deeply connected to the particularities of each of their vine parcels and believe that wine is made in the vineyard first. These are forward-looking wines that are paving the way for future producers, in both well-established and emerging regions. Wines that are limited in production, and truly some of the most singular wines available today.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for family or friends (or even yourself), we are pleased to offer the Saturday Sips Review Club. Perhaps you live too far away to make the tastings, or maybe your Saturdays are spoken for due to other commitments. Because many of these wines are allocated and availability is limited, Saturday Sips Review Club members will always have priority and will always receive the Saturday Sips discounted price.

Choose from two membership choices:

Six Different Bottles Package. The price will be approximately $280 for six bottles (sometimes a bit more or less depending on the latest featured wines).

OR

Twelve Bottles, Six Different Wines Package. The price will be approximately $380 for 12 bottles (sometimes a bit more or less depending on the latest featured wines).

Enjoy the perks of being a member of the Saturday Sips Review Club:

• The Saturday Sips Review Club package will contain mostly reds, with some whites and/or rosé when seasonally appropriate.

• The Saturday Sips Review Club package is assembled every other month and will be available the first week of the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November.

• We connect you one-on-one with detailed profiles of the producers and their wines in a newsletter that will be included with the Saturday Sips Review Club package.

• Pick up your wines at our retail shop in Birmingham, Michigan, or have them shipped directly to your door for no extra fee.

• No membership fees and a deeper discount on the purchase of any number of additional bottles (if available) featured in the Saturday Sips Review Club.

• Receive a 10% discount off store prices: any wine, any quantity, any time.

• You will be notified by email and your credit card will be charged when the package is ready for pickup or delivery.

• Your subscription can be cancelled any time

 

- - -
Posted on 2021.01.05 in Saturday Sips Review Club  |  Read more...

 

Saturday Sips Review Club January 2021 Selection (6-Bottle Package) Burgundy-Inspired Rioja: Artuke’s Single Parcels $280

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, we’ve always adored the wines from brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists that produce wine for Artuke Bodegas y Viñedos. It seems that each new vintage highlights just how much growth and improvement can be accomplished when your singular focus is creating wines of freshness and purity that speak of place. We are pleased to offer the new 2018 vintage of their single vineyard wines, each expressive of their unique terroirs in and around their village of Ábalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains.

Their wines clearly reveal the characteristics of the Alavesa sub-zone, the northernmost and smallest of the three Rioja sub-zones, where the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean meets the warmer interior. This unique climate has the effect of ripening Tempranillo grapes with slightly thinner skins, yielding wines with superb fruit and freshness.

Modern Rioja’s storied history began in the mid-1800s when local winemakers adopted the methods of Bordeaux and began aging their wines in wooden casks. Since then, the region has tended to spotlight the amount of time the wine spent in oak barrels, effectively putting a supporting actor in the leading role. It was not until the early 1990s that a significant number of producers decided to start making their wines in the vineyard rather than the cellar. They found inspiration in Burgundy and started their ranges with a regional or a village wine while setting aside their best and most distinctive plots to craft single-vineyard wines. Arturo and Kike are part of this movement..

With his degree in Agriculture Engineering and a Masters in Winemaking, Arturo arrived at the family bodega in the 2000s. Kike joined in 2010. They carried out a detailed study of the soils in all their plots and work their land using traditional methods believing that “if you work well in the vineyard and have moderate yields, there’s no need to force things at the winery.”

With less than 55 total acres of vineyards distributed over 32 different plots, Artuke is most certainly a family affair. Their father still helps with vineyard maintenance, and their mother will have a plate of food at the ready for family members and visitors alike. They have also formed the group Rioja’n’Roll with a small contingent of other young producers who all believe “that wines with soul can come only from vineyards with soul.”

Included in Saturday Sips Review Club January 2021 Selection (6-Bottle Package) are the following wines:

1 Bottle “La Condenada” (Paraje Camino Del Ciego, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $120

From a single, 1.85 acre plot of sandy soil with a substrata of sandstone planted in 1920 and located in Baños de Ebro at an elevation of 1,700 feet. The Blanco family purchased this nearly abandoned vineyard in 2012 and began to tend the majority of Tempranillo along with around 20% of other grapes, both red and white, including Graciano and Calagrano. All grapes are harvested and fermented together, and then matured in a 600 liter French oak barrel for 14 months. The result is a wine that is concentrated and silky and brimming with a potpourri of heady aromatics. Only a scant 774 bottles were produced.

1 BOTTLE “El Escolladero” (Paraje El Meadero, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $89

A blend of about 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, “El Escolladero” comes from a 2.35 acre plot located in the Alava town of Ábalos at 2,165 feet above sea level. The parcel contains vines over 60 years old growing in clay-calcareous soils. Harvest is carried out manually in small boxes and the fruit is hand-selected and destemmed. Fermentation is completed using indigenous yeast and the wine is then matured in 600 liter French oak barrels for between 12 and 16 months before bottling. It is a concentrated, bold, and structured wine with a delicate, complex nose of dark berries, notes of herbs, cedar and chocolate. Only 1,057 bottles were produced.

1 BOTTLE “Paso Las Mañas” (Paraje El Chorro, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $48

“Paso Las Mañas” is made with 100% Tempranillo grapes from a 9.6 acre vineyard located on the highest slope of Samaniego, at an altitude of 2,395 feet. Clay and chalky soils with many stones on the surface support the vines, while a natural spur diverts runoff forcing the vine’s roots deep into the earth. While this is the brother’s youngest single parcel vineyard, it has already shown its potential to be one of the top crus in Rioja, producing a balanced and elegant wine. Harvest is carried out manually in small boxes and the fruit is hand-selected and destemmed. Fermentation is completed using indigenous yeast and the wine is then matured in 500 liter French oak barrels and a 35,000 liter foudre before bottling. Only 7,200 bottles were produced.

1 BOTTLE “Finca de los Locos” (Paraje Peñaescalera, Rioja 2018) Regular Price: $39

Arturo and Kike’s grandfather was regarded as crazy (loco) for purchasing this single vineyard located on a high terrace around 1,600 feet in elevation overlooking the Ebro river in Baños de Ebro. The plot consists of nearly 40-year-old vines growing in a sandy, gritty soil over a chalky limestone subsoil. A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Graciano that is aged for 16 months in both 500 and 3500 liter French oak barrels, this wine shows it’s Atlantic climate mainly on the palate as ripe red fruit immediately turns crunchy to lead into a lengthy mineral finish. Aromatically complex, a noseful is rewarded with plums, minty herbs, dark chocolate, baked earth, and cherry blossoms. Only 10,800 bottles were produced.

1 BOTTLE “Pies Negros” (Rioja, 2018) Regular Price: $25

A blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from vines as old as 95 years, Pies Negros means Black Feet, a reference to the archaic method of crushing the grapes using one’s feet – a technique that the brothers are determined to use to this day, as they believe the gentle crushing helps to maintain the purity of the fruit. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels of one or two years, resulting in a wine that’s full of mature, dark red fruits and a touch of spice with a firm finish.

1 BOTTLE “Artuke” (Rioja, 2019) Regular Price: $17

“Artuke” is made with the carbonic maceration method, a wine-making technique used to enhance aromatics and produce light, fresh, fruity wines preferred by Basques in the northern sub-zone of Alavesa. It is a blend of mainly Tempranillo grapes, fermented and aged in cement and stainless steel. Candied red berries follow behind a burst of violets and cinnamon on the nose. There is minimal tannic structure which allows this red wine to take a relatively deep chill and also makes it quite a versatile pairing with food: tuna, pretty much anything made with zucchini, fried chicken, gooey cheese sandwiches, pizza, etc…

 

- - -
Posted on 2021.01.04 in Saturday Sips Review Club, Rioja DOC  |  Read more...

 

next