Unico Zelo 2022 Jade & Jasper Fiano There isn’t much our friend Cindy at Epicurean Wines loves more than a glass of white wine in the sun…You know, where all you are looking for is something bright, textural and refreshing, with or without food? For her, the answer always comes back to this cult Fiano bottling, named Jade & Jasper, from Brendan and Laura Carter, the hipster royalty of the Riverland wine scene in Oz. Yes, the warm Riverland climate brings the fun to this wine, with a lot of pineapple and ripe tropical fruit, but there’s a salinity to it to bring outrageous refreshment. Cindy will tell you that the real joy of this wine is the svelte, almost waxy, oily texture – a hallmark of Fiano in full effect here!
Fly By 2020 North Coast Chardonnay Voted a “Top 100 Best Buy of 2022” in the Wine Enthusiast, the Fly By North Coast Chardonnay was made to showcase the complexity of flavor, diversity of terroir, and distinct characteristics of California’s top vineyards. Winemaker Trevor Sheehan started his journey to create a top wine collection ten years ago, and Fly By showcases the hedonistic style of North Coast Chardonnay with gorgeous aromas of toasted almonds, green apples and Asian pears on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palette with flavors of apples and stone fruit finishing with lingering notes of Meyer lemon and Creme brulee, Fly By is a perfect pop and pour for any night of the week!
Domaine de Marce 2022 Touraine Oisly “Coulee Galante” New fresh vintage from our favorite producers in Touraine! This Domaine sits a few kilometers down the road from Les Vignerons Oisly & Thesée and the idea here is to bring you a top shelf Touraine Sauvignon option for all you Sancerre lovers. Domaine de Marcé is an 80 acre estate, mostly planted to Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, and part of 12 acres has been classified as Oisly which is a new “Cru” similar to Reuilly, Quincy, or Sancerre. Farming is organic, and most vines are 80+ years old.
Barreau 2022 OG Orange Wine Natural ORANGE wine from the Bordeaux region in France from a traditional family estate that has been in operation since 1782 in the Entre-deux-Mers region. The estate specializes in appellation Bordeaux whites, but is happy to try its hand at a non-appellation natural wine with a grape varietal that is usually the smaller blending partner with the workhorse white of the region Sauv Blanc. This is Orange wine with great expressive fruit and floral notes. Dry but fruit-driven. No funk on this one.
Eric Vairet 2019 Bourgogne Aligote The mission of this boutique/small-scale negociant project is uncovering the hard-to-find “value” treasures that Burgundy can still proffer up. Eric Vairet and his colleague Damien Gachot are some of the finest “vigneron” with a renown for quality which they are extending to this new project! This Bourgogne Aligoté is a refreshing light and dry wine with gold and green hues. Its tangy hints of citrus and lemon cream totally reflect the appellation. The perfect wine for a salad or fried fish!
San Marzano 2022 Tramari Rose Created ‘between the seas’ (in Italian, “Tra I Mari”) Tramari Rosé is an elegant and light rosé, sophisticated yet casual, born in the sunshine of the Salento summers. Fresh flowers and saline notes on the palate bring us back to the jagged and sandy coast of Italy. Made entirely from Primitivo grapes. Soft pink, hints of cherry and raspberry. As part of the TramArt project that unites Art and Wine, Tramari dresses up with designer labels made from original works of art to create exclusive limited editions of the product.
Tenuta di Sesta 2020 Camponovo Toscana IGT Since 1995 the winery has been managed by Giovanni Ciacci, who has since been joined by his children Andrea and Francesca in the areas of business and agronomic management. For the Ciacci family, traditional aging in big oak barrels and renewed vineyard management based on climatic changes and in favor of the territory constitutes the best strategy to obtain wines that best express the territory of Montalcino. Young and fresh Toscana, born from the union of two local vines, Sangiovese (90%) and Colorino (10%). Very aromatic with mineral, deep red fruits and floral aromas. Harmonious taste, medium body with silky tannins and clean finish.
Hither and Yon 2020 Grenache Mataro From the hills of McLaren Vale in South Australia! Family motto here is “by virtue, I grow” – they don’t want to be fashionable, they just want to see what is possible. Rooted in the love for the earth, the passion is to make wines that go down easy for how scarce they are. As pretty as it is tasty, this bright-purple blend is lively and succulent with plenty of grip and fresh acidity. Red berry fruits on Grenache Mataro 2021 take centre stage, complemented by a savoury earthiness. It’ll age well and is sure to be a big hit around the dinner table once it’s opened.
Fitz Roy 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon A collaboration between our friends at Elixir Wine Group and France’s Lurton Brothers, the Fitz Roy project was created with the intention of bringing you hand crafted, terroir driven, sustainably farmed Chilean varietal wine with unbelievable pricing. Named for the highest mountain in Patagonia, whose granite flanks stand as a sentinel between Argentina and Chile. This Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva is sourced from two Invina vineyards in the Colchagua Valley. Dark ruby in color, this Cab has notes of black plum, rich soil, toasted vanilla, and licorice. Graceful tannins give this Cabernet a beautiful finish. Ready for Spring BBQs!
Domaine Les Grands Rouvres 2016 Vieilles Vignes Chénas You can’t ignore the seashell fossils that crunch underfoot as you walk through the Durdilly family vineyards, as if the ocean were just over the next gentle hill. It’s this unique terroir, with its mineral complexity, that sets the family’s wines apart from other more rustic bottles from the region. While our history with the Durdilly family goes back at least two decades, it’s exciting to see a new generation come into its own. Guillaume Durdilly is the son of Pierre Durdilly of Domaine les Gryphées. His passion? Seeking out older-vine vineyards that have been abandoned, and then bringing them back to the greatness of which they are capable. This Cru Beaujolais has aromas of red summer berries, red roses, light baking spices. Full-bodied and juicy: long finish perfect for roasted chicken or turkey and grilled pork sausages.
Domaine Les Grands Rouvres 2017 Vieilles Vignes Juliénas Another Cru Beaujolais from the Durdilly family! For some side by side tasting, we decided to include two of our favorite Crus. One of Beaujolais’ most northerly cru appellations, Juliénas is also one of the region’s oldest wine regions, with a history that stretches back more than 2,000 years. (The name Juliénas is derived from Julius Caesar, as vines were grown here during the Gallo-Roman period.) Estate vines are found on soils that are primarily alluvial, with lots of stones and schist; unlike other Beaujolais regions, there is little granite here. Aromas of red and black summer berries, purple flowers, baking spices.
Vinos de Arganza 2021 Lagar de Robla Mencia Premium Vinos de Arganza turned into a family business when it was bought by long-time wine industry professional, Víctor Robla and his wife Ángeles Varela, who can trace her own family’s wine-making history to this region over 500 years ago. With several centuries of winemaking experience at their disposal along with their estate vineyards, Vinos de Arganza’s price-to-quality ratios are some of the best in all of Bierzo! Fresh flavors of ripe blackberries and blueberries with a touch of oak. Good balance and backbone on the palate.
