Newsletter 10/16/24
My good friend, Jacob Lee, from Vineyard Brands will be in the shop pouring some wines from his portfolio. Vineyard Brands is a family-owned importer started in 1973 by Bob Haas with 2 employees and now has 65 employees and represent over 80 wineries worldwide from Argentina, Chile, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and France, including over 25 growers of estate-bottled wines in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chablis, the Rhône, the Loire Valley, Alsace and Southern France.
Jacob and I picked 7 wines from the portfolio to pour on Wednesday that represent a slice of the Vineyard Brands:
Borghi AD Est Pinot Grigio 2023 $15
Borghi Ad Est is devoted to the production and unique expression of a single varietal: Pinot Grigio. Located in the North-Eastern corner of Italy near the city of Gorizia in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Borghi Ad Est Pinot Grigio is a savory and delicate wine that benefits from the area’s marl soil, proximity to the sea, and sunny southern hillside exposure.
Loimer Gruner Veltliner Langenloiser 2021 $29
Renowned Austrian winemaker Fred Loimer comes from a long-established Langenlois winegrowing family – where Fred was involved in winemaking from a young age. The Loimer winery resides on 70 hectares (172 acres) in Langenlois, the capital of the Kamptal winegrowing region of Austria, located in the northeast part of the country. In 1998 Fred took over the winery from his father and was ready to follow his path, outside of the traditional, long-standing ways. Two years later, he built a new winery, a minimalist black cube on a 150-year-old, hand-dug loess cellar in Langenlois – thus adding new spice to the charming local Kellergassen, or cellar streets.
LEOS Rosé, Cuvée Augusta. LEOS Rose "Cuvee Augusta" $23
Domaine de Leos is an exceptional wine and olive oil-producing estate. LEOS, taking its name from the owner’s (Patrick Bruel) two sons, Leon & Oscar, stretches over 41 hectares (101 acres) near L’ Isle-sur-la-Sorgue . The agricultural philosophy of Domaine de Leos strives for utmost harmony with nature. Patrick Bruel (French singer-songwriter, actor, and producer) and Nicolas Jaboulet (Winemaker) together raise the bar of excellence in this Domaine.
Massolino Barbera D'Alba 2022 $29
The history of the Massolinos and their wine became entwined with the history of Serralunga d’Alba in 1896, when Giovanni Massolino founded the estate. An enterprising, tenacious, and creative man, Giovanni was the very first person to bring electricity to the village. Giovanni’s son, Giuseppe, built Massolino’s first wine cellar, extended the estate into the best soils, and in 1934 founded the Consortium for the Defence of Barolo and Barbaresco. Three of Giovanni’s children later followed in his footsteps, expanding the estate with the purchase of cru vineyards which are authentic jewels: Margheria, Parafada, and Vigna Rionda. In the 1990s, Franco and Roberto, both oenologists, joined the family estate. Their work condenses the experience of an entire family and the ambition of a new generation, determined to make an important contribution to the innovation of oenological and agronomical techniques and to the image of the estate in Italy and abroad.
Caparzo Brunello 2018 $54
The origins of the place named Caparzo are still unknown. According to some, the name is derived, as shown by ancient maps, from Ca’ Pazzo; according to others, the term should derive from the Latin Caput Arsum, indicating "a place touched by sun”. The history of Caparzo dates back to the end of the 1960s at the dawning of Brunello di Montalcino, when a group of friends, fond of Tuscany and of wine, purchased an old ruin with vineyards at Montalcino. The farm estate was renovated, modernized, and new vineyards were planted. In a short time, Caparzo made itself known in the Brunello market.
Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2021 $37
Produced by Famille Perrin, Coudoulet de Beaucastel is often considered as the “Baby Beaucastel.” In 1936, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the very first French appellation was set. As a result, the existing vineyards were divided and the 75 acres of Coudoulet vineyards not part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards are located just east of the vineyard of Beaucastel and the soil has many similarities. The same skill in blending that has been passed down in the Perrin family from generation to generation is utilized in the range of Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône wines. Pioneers in their innovative approach to organic farming since the 1950s and then in biodynamic farming in the early 1970s, the Perrin family continues to always search for the best techniques to respect the uniqueness and authenticity of their terroir.
Forman Napa Cabernet Sauvignon "La Grand Roche" 2020 $65
Influenced early on by the wines and winemaking practices of the Bordeaux region of France, Ric Forman has consistently sought a similar perfection for the wines of Forman Vineyard. Ric founded Forman Vineyard in 1983 to fulfill his dream of producing, as a sole proprietor, small quantities of classically made Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1978, after a 3-year search of Napa Valley for the perfect location, Ric purchased the current winery/vineyard site, which is perched on the ridge at the base of Howell Mountain overlooking the town of St. Helena. Overall, Ric Forman grows his grapes on 88.5 acres of land split between three different parcels, each one planted to the four Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Please join us 5 - 7 this coming Wednesday the 23rd for this free tasting.
