Past Wine Club Partnerships
November 2024:
Azelia, (100% Nebbiolo), Barolo DOCG, 2019
Elegance and power combine in this shining example of Piedmont’s deep, traditional roots. Extended maceration time gives this wine Barolo’s signature strength while aging in large neutral oak allows the nuance and ethereal nature of Nebbiolo to shine through. Juicy cherry, red plums, rose petals, and violets dance with notions of clove and sweet cinnamon. Firm tannins are balanced by fresh acidity… this wine proves that Barolo can be pretty and brawny at the same time. Just in time for truffle season!
October 2024:
Vignobles Levet, “Les Journaries”, (100% Syrah), 2021
A primal red wine from the vertiginous hills of the “roasted slope”, or Côte Rôtie of France’s Northern Rhône Valley. This region of France is Syrah country…and Vignobles Levet is a benchmark, old-school producer of traditional, non-interventionalist styles of Petite Serine, an ancient, local strain of Syrah known for its intensely savory fruit and aromatic spice. All whole cluster fermentation in neutral oak help to maintain this wines animal, gamey character. Blue and black fruit mingle with olive tapenade, smoked animal skin and cracked black pepper.
September 2024:
Benanti, “Pietramarina”, (100% Carricante), Etna Superiore DOC, Sicily, 2019
One of the true standard bearers of wines from Sicily’s Mount Etna, Benanti, has been producing traditional, site-specific wines on the slopes of Europe’s most active volcano since the late 1800’s. Officially established in 1988, Benanti is the only winery with vineyards on all four slopes of Mt. Etna. Pietramarina is Benanti’s flagship white, made from organically grown, old vine Carricante on the eastern slope of Mt. Etna. Made with indigenous yeast painstakingly cultivated from their vineyards, fermented in stainless steel with 30 months of lees aging, this wine is linear and precise yet rich and textured. Widely recognized as one the very best wines in all of Italy.
August 2024:
Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2017 (33.3% Cabernet Sauvignon/33.3% Cinsault/33.3% Carignan)
Fellow wine lovers, aficionados, and cult enthusiasts, lend me your ear! Allow me to share the legend of the venerable Château Musar. It is a story of determination and will, of war and strife…but most of all, Musar is a story of beautiful resilience and passion. From its colonialist inception in 1930, through the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), Musar has remained steadfast and true to its deep roots, creating magic in the high altitudes of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Sitting on an enviable bed of gravel and limestone and enjoying the rain shadow effects of the Lebanese Mountains, Musar is one of the most recognizable drops of the wine cognoscenti. Its ability to age is the stuff of legend.
July 2024:
2018 Coho, “Headwaters,” ‘Bordeaux Style’ Blend, Napa Valley AVA, California
From 100-point winemaker Phil Corallo-Titus of Chappellet fame, comes this luxurious yet powerful Bordeaux style blend from Coho. Sourced from Napa Valley's renowned Coombsville district, “Headwaters” is the perfect example of how well the Bordeaux grape varieties fare in Napa. Full-bodied and robust, this wine is in its perfect drinking window. Ripe plums, red & black currants, licorice, and grilled bread are all present in your glass.
June 2024:
2022 Lucien Crochet, Sauvignon Blanc, “Le Croix du Roy”, Sancerre AOP, Loire Valley, France
Linear and sleek, with almost rapier-like precision, this wine from Sauvignon Blanc’s native home of Sancerre, bursts at the seams with textbook notes of citrus, green herbs, crisp acidity, and a glittering minerality that dances on the palate. “Le Croix du Roy” refers to select parcels of estate vineyards that are known for their rocky/chalky soils and southeast exposure from which this wine is sourced. Pair with salads, crudos, or shellfish.
May 2024:
2021 Hyde de Villaine, “Ygnacia”, Pinot Noir, Hyde Vineyard, Carneros AVA, Napa Valley, California
Hyde de Villaine is a venture between two of wine’s royal families: the Hyde Family of Napa Valley (theirs is arguably the best vineyard in Carneros) and the de Villaine Family of the inimitable and legendary Domaine de la Romanée Conti in Burgundy (the most coveted wines in the world). The families, related by marriage, share long histories in French and Californian winemaking. The “Ygnacia” Pinot Noir comes from a 2.5-acre plot planted specifically for this wine by the Hyde Family. Notes of pomegranate, raspberry, crushed rose petal mingle with notions of smoke and anise.
April 2024:
2011 Champagne Colin, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Champagne, France
From seventh-generation grower/producer Champagne Colin comes this ravishingly elegant Grand Cru champagne made from 100% Chardonnay. Sourced from 10 hectares of vineyards located in the Grand Cru villages of Cramant and Oiry in the prestigious region of the Côte de Blancs, this wine displays that rare duality of richness meets precision that only comes from meticulous winemaking and an excellent vintage. Long and graceful, with an opulent mousse, this wine offers notes of citrus and orchard fruit, fresh pastries and marzipan, while finishing with a dazzling chalk driven minerality.