Hiruzta 2016 Txakolina Brut Nature The name Hiruzta means “a three-person harvest” in Basque, referring to winery owners Asensio Rekalde and his sons Txarli and Angel, whose shared dream of creating a winery in Hondarribia is now a reality. Txakoli production in this village dates back to 1186, however the tradition was lost during a long stretch of warfare that only subsided as recently as the 1980’s. Through years of work, the Rekalde family has recovered and revitalized Hondarribia’s viticultural heritage, with nine vineyard plots that sit in the Jaizkibel foothills that surround the winery. This is 100% Hondarrabi Zuri produced in the “méthode traditionnelle” style. Clean and bright with an exquisite creamy sustained foam crown covering a large part of the wine surface. Intense white-fruit aromas (pear and apple) with underlying fennel and creamy, pastry hints, all highlighted by the effervescence of the natural carbonic gas. We love this with oily fish as they do in Basque country!
Château de Mauny 2018 Crémant de Loire Brut We came across Château Mauny’s Cremant during a trip in the Loire several years ago. The vineyard located west of Brissac-Quincé was acquired by the Brault family at the end of the 18th century, who have been running the estate ever since. In 1951, they were among the first winegrowers to create the Brissac cooperative with whom they are associated. Today, the family produces a wide range of Anjou AOC wines and is strongly committed to sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation. This example is produced from Chenin Blanc (80%) and Chardonnay (20%), both of which are sourced from sustainably-grown vineyards in a 125 hectare spread due West of Brissac-Quincé in Anjou. Elevage is methode traditionelle for tight, small, frothy bubbles!
Montelliana NV Prosécco Valdobbiadene At the foot of Coilli Asolani stands Cantina Montelliana, a cooperative of 400 growers focused on the production of Prosecco, and a known regional leader in the Asolo category. The company was founded in the mid 1950’s, and member holdings amount to 650 hectares of vineyard land. This is one of the most impressive cooperatives we’ve come across in Italy in terms of the engagement and passion of its members/growers, and also in terms of the unusually high quality of its finished wines. This sparkling wine with a fine, persistent perlage is obtained from grapes harvested exclusively in the DOCG area of Valdobbiadene. It has a typical fruity bouquet and a distinctive, pleasant and mildly sweet taste. Pleasantly lightweight and low in alcohol, a versatile wine to start and finish a meal, or add a little sparkle at any time of the day.
Domaine Delmas Blanquette de Limoux NV Cuvee There are just a few indie players left in Limoux these days, and almost nobody in the region is making any reasonable quantity of Mauzac-based bubbles. Methode traditionelle sparkling wine takes gobs of capital, and while you’ve all made it super popular here, the global market doesn’t seem to care about Mauzac. Domaine Delmas is the best of the indie houses, and yes their deft hand with this traditional varietal means more wine drinkers in San Francisco know what Mauzac is than wine drinkers in Amsterdam (hard to believe but true!). Fresh, racy with a typical note of crisp green apple and honey.
Maison Louis Picamelot NV Crémant de Bourgogne Brut This Crémant is made like a Burgundy wine, with Burgundy varietals, from small plots, fully authentic, and all vintage-dated. This is absolutely unique, Louis Picamelot quite possibly could be the only ones producing Crémant’s this way. All wines are made by Champagne Method, very much like Champagne, bottled in March, long bottle ageing, at least 18 months. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the ageing in the bottle; a lovely balance between vinosity and crispiness.
Six Peaks Winery 2017 Chehalem Mountain Brut Rosé John and Lynn Albin planted their first vineyard in 1981, the Laurel Vineyard located in Laurelwood AVA, OR. This estate vineyard sits atop Bald Peak, which offers a stunning panoramic view of five cascade mountains. Add up all of these peaks and you have 6 Peaks Winery. The Albin’s bring with them many decades of experience in viticulture and winemaking in the Pacific Northwest. This is estate grown Pinot Noir, harvested from the Laurel Vineyard. Made 100% from old vine Coury and Pommard Pinot Noir clones originally planted in 1981. It is rare to find 40 year old vines in the Willamette Valley and they have yielded a refined focused sparkling wine. Aromatics of fresh strawberries, kirsch cherries and jasmine. Delicate yet rich and creamy flavors.
Thank you for all your support, and happy holidays!
