Staff Pick of the Week: Colin
Marc Plouzeau Rive Gauche Chinon Rosé 2020
From the Loire Valley of France, Marc Plouzeau Rive Gauche Chinon Rosé 2020, is a perfect rose to enjoy on these last remaining summer days. Floral and fruity on the nose, you’ll taste bits of cherry, orange, a hint of white pepper, and a finish of raspberry. Both herbaceous and fruity, this wine could not be any easier to drink.
Pax Chenin Blanc Buddha's Dharma Vineyard 2019
Coming from the brilliant wine making mind of Pax Mahle comes an incredible iteration of California Chenin Blanc. This thoughtful and complex Chenin is made with fruit from the 75 year old vines of the Buddha’s Dharma Vineyard, named in tribute to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in nearby Ukiah. Featuring gravely volcanic soil, this vineyard produces some of the most intense and concentrated fruit found in the entire state. Pax makes their wines with a deft touch and minimal intervention. No chemicals, commercial yeasts, and only the bare amount necessary of added SO2 can be found here. Fermented in a mix of stainless steel, concrete, and neutral French oak and finished in neutral French oak, this offering truly encapsulates a sense of time and place. Aromas of wet stone, lemon verbena, jasmine, honeysuckle, beeswax, and white pepper entice the nose while the mineral, dried citrus, and roasted almond notes keep the palate entertained and wanting more. Get this bottle, get a few dozen oysters, get a few friends, and a good night is guaranteed.
Stein Spatburgunder "Redvolution" 2018
The mad scientist of German wine, Ulirch Stein, grows his grapes in some of the gnarliest and steepest vineyards sites we’ve ever seen. The stress on the grapes, and the wine maker, produce some of the most sublime wines in the whole country. This steep earth leads to an acid profile that is embraced philosophically, balance and refreshment are favored over rounded fruit and over-extraction. Fermented in stainless and neutral foeders and aged in neutral foeders without any added SO2. Even with the pronounced acidity and lighter body, a ripeness and complexity is certainly found here. The usual red and blue fruits hit the palate first but slate, smoke, and earth provide the balance that make for a great wine. Super food friendly! Elevate your BBQ game with a bottle of this next to the collards and mac!
Iuli Barbera del Monferrato Umberta
This is the workhorse of Frabrizio Iuli’s portfolio, but the same amount of care and concern is applied to this wine as the rest of Iuli’s line. Umberto is made from Frabrizio’s obsession, Barbera, from the fields and hills surrounding Monferrato, considered by many to be the epicenter of the grape. Extremely concentrated yet with a surprisingly youthful and fresh aspect, this wine is a full experience from the first sip until long after the last. Paired easily with a wide range of food, it won’t overpower lighter options but will certainly stand up to dishes with a bit of heft. Berries and violets are present on the nose while an earthiness, lively acidity, and elegant tannin profile give it structure. Buy it now, drink it now. If you forget about it (you won’t) there is some serious and intriguing aging potential here.
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