Thursday, March 21, 2019

Lasagna, Beets, Eggplant Parmesan, New Campanelle, New Spaghetti

Ladner’s Lasagna:
Wild boar bolognese, Tomato reduction, Bechamel
Bolognese: Wild boar, tomato paste, carrots, onions, garlic, white wine, celery, olive oil, ground proscuitto, milk
Tomato Redux: Garlic, olive oil, san marzano tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt
Bechamel: Flour, milk, butter
Ladner’s lasagna is a style of adopted from the past chef of Del Posto in NYC.  Open face lasagna caramelized in a pan to get the crispy parts of the pasta. Believed to be the best part.
Allergies: Meat, alliums, sulfites, pork, dairy, gluten, sugar

Roasted Beets:
Beets roasted in Olive oil, salt, orange peel, thyme
Fennel seed and coriander seed vinaigrette: Seeds toasted and ground, red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, roasted garlic puree, salt
Finished with walnuts, same as chopped salad, vbc pasteurized cow’s milk feta
Allergies: Nuts, dairy, alliums.

Eggplant Parmesan:
Eggplant, tomato redux, mozzarella
Assembly: Breaded and fried eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato redux,
Bake in the oven and served with tomato redux, mozz, and parm
Allergies: Night shades, alliums, dairy, gluten

Campanelle
Willd boar ragu, parmesan
Campanelle:  A house-made extruded pasta that is made with Semolina,00 pasta flour, durum flour, and water. The shape’s english translation is bell flower, and derivation is Tuscan.  There are many different myths, legends and stories that tell of when and how the city of Florence was founded and the subsequent origin of Gigli. For example, Florence was formed during the period of the so-called ‘flower celebration’ honoring the goddess Flora. Another tells that Gigli pasta was inspired because the city is named after its founder Florinus da Cellino – Florentia being Latin for ‘flowering’.
Wild boar ragu: Wild boar, tomato paste, carrots, onions, garlic, white wine, celery, olive oil, ground prosciutto, milk
At service pasta goes in the pan with ragu, finished with butter, parmesan, olive oil

Spaghetti Siciliana:
Siciliana Sauce, Castelvetrano Olives, Eggplant, Bottarga
Siciliana Sauce: Onion, garlic, fennel pollen, espelette, olive oil, eggplant, castelvetrano olives, tomato, anchovies,
At service pasta goes in the sauce and is finished with chives, parsley, parmesan olive oil. Bottarga to garnish.
Allergies: Gluten, dairy, nightshades, alliums, fish, seafood, fin fish

Thursday, February 7, 2019

New Menu Items - Jan Feb 2019

Tortelini  $12/18
Cauliflower, almond gremolata, vadouvan, orange agrumato

Torteloni: “large belly button”  egg yolks, durum, 00 pasta flour
A pasta shape hailing from Emilia Romagna.  Torteloni being the larger cousin of the tortellini.
Filling:  Cauliflower, butter, cream, Alpha Tohlman cheese, pecorino and Parmesan
Almond gremolata:  marcona almonds, shallots, parsley, chives, vadouvan, olive oil
Vadouvan spice mix: Indian spice mix of ( dried onion, dried garlic, mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric )

Pickup: pasta is cooked and placed into a pan of pasta water, butter, and Parmesan cheese.  The dish is finished with the almond/vadouvan gremolata, and drizzled with orange agrumato

Allergies:  Seeds, nuts, alliums, dairy, gluten, citrus

Linguine $14/20
Maine Mussels, Chorizo Butter, Breadcrumb
Before service, whole garlic cloves are toasted until fragrant, then chili flakes, white wine, and parsley stems are added. The Bar Harbor mussels are steamed with mussel and clam stock, turmeric, and fennel seed until they open.  They are then cooled and picked from their shells, reserving the cooking liquid for the pasta.

At service, the cooking liquid and chorizo butter (ground chorizo whipped into butter) are combined to make the sauce.  Picked mussels, parsley, chives, mint, lemon and the linguine are added.  The pasta is finished with bread crumb.
ALLERGIES: gluten*, dairy*, shellfish,allium

Clam Pizza
Garlic, Wellfleet Clams, Potato, Bacon, Lemon, Parmesan
Ingredients and flavors consistent with clam chowder.  Transforming the bowl into a pizza.

Garlic cream: Garlic that has been roasted in olive oil and pureed with sour cream.
Wellfleet clams cooked in white wine, garlic, and parsley. Cooled and removed from their shell. The clams will be chopped to allow easier dispersion and surface area. 
Bacon that is cooked and sliced into 1 inch pieces.
Mozzarella
Sliced red bliss potatoes.

The pizza is cooked and then finished with Parmesan, chili flake, parsley leaf, scallion, lemon, olive oil.
Allergies: shellfish*, gluten, dairy, citrus, nightshades, alliums, pork 


Chocolate Budino
Rosemary, Orange, Almond, Sea Salt
Budino is Italian meaning ‘pudding or custard’

Chocolate pudding including milk, cream, eggs, sugar, dark chocolate, and rosemary, orange zest and  salt

Topped with chopped marcona almonds, sea salt, espelette, olive oil

Allergies: nuts*, dairy, egg, citrus 


Chopped Salad
Napa Cabbage, Chickpeas, Spiced Walnuts, Gorgonzola Picante, Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Mix of radicchio, kale, and napa cabbage. Sliced green apples, garbanzo beans, crumbles of Gorgonzola piccante, and chopped spiced walnuts

Dressing: lemon, honey, mustard, thyme, grapeseed oil

Walnuts: sugar, honey, espelette, salt, ground ginger, ground coriander

Gorgonzola piccante: Northern Italian whole cow’s milk blue cheese

Allergies: dairy*, nuts*, citrus*, legume*

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Roasted Bone Marrow, Roasted Yard Long Beans, Campanelle Pork Sugo

ROASTED BONE MARROW

Canoe cut bone marrow.  3 oz portion served in the bone.
Roasted garlic puree, Burgundy snails, pickled shallot, parsley, chives, bread crumb, espelette, fennel pollen.

Roasted Garlic Puree: Roasted garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pickled Shallot: Rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, water
Burgundy Snails

The bone marrow is roasted in the pizza oven along with snails butter. finished with garlic puree, lemon juice, snails, bread crumb,spice and herbs.  Served with warm crostini.

Allergies: Allium, gluten (can be omitted), citrus, shellfish


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Roasted Yard Long Beans $9
calabrian chili and white anchovy vinaigrette, mint and basil

Yard long beans: grown in California year round.  They are similar to a green bean but longer, not as sweet, much more vegetal.
Vinaigrette: Calabrian chili, raw garlic, white anchovy, lemon juice, grape seed oil.
Service: Beans will be griller at service. Once cooked, the kitchen will toss them in the vinaigrette, lemon juice, olive oil, mint and basil.  

Allergies:  Fin fish, nightshades, alliums,
*They will need to be served with a steak knife

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Campanelle Pork Sugo 12/18
Pork sugo, black Tuscan Kale, Venetian spices, parmesan

Campanelle:  A house-made extruded pasta that is made with Semolina,00 pasta flour, durum flour, and water. The shape’s english translation is bell flower, and derivation is Tuscan.  There are many different myths, legends and stories that tell of when and how the city of Florence was founded and the subsequent origin of Gigli. For example, Florence was formed during the period of the so-called ‘flower celebration’ honoring the goddess Flora. Another tells that Gigli pasta was inspired because the city is named after its founder Florinus da Cellino – Florentia being Latin for ‘flowering’.
Venetian spice: Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander
Pork sugo: The sugo “sauce” is made from pork shoulder.  The meat is diced, caramelized in a pan with Venetian spices, onion, carrots, fennel, garlic, salt and pepper. The sugo is then deglazed with white wine and a fortified chicken brodo.  The sauce is then let to stew in the oven at low temperature for 3 hours.

Service: The sugo is reduced, black tuscan kale is added with the pasta.  The dish is finish with butter, lemon, parsley, chives, and parmesan.  

Allergies: Pork, alliums, gluten, dairy, cinnamon, nightshades, red bell peppers

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

2014 Maison Roche de Bellene Savigny-les-Beaune

2014 Maison Roche de Bellene Savigny-les-Beaune

Who: Nicolas Potel
What: 100% Pinot Noir
Where: Savigny-les-Beaune, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Tastes Like: Bright cherries and dried purple flowers on the nose, hint of barnyard.  Medium-minus in body, with silky smooth tannins.  Tastes just like you think it will from the nose.
Pairs With: Classic is duck, but excellent with poultry, rabbit sugo, Etruscan Pizza.

The Who:
Maison Roche de Bellene is the négociant (making wine with fruit from other growers) of Nicolas Potel, the well-known and highly regarded winemaker in Burgundy. Founded in 2009, the emphasis at Roche de Bellene is on individual terroirs from vieilles vignes (old vines — 40 years or older) that are farmed responsibly. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either BIO certified or farming according to the principles of lutte raisonée (“sustainable viticulture”). This enables Nicolas to consistently produce the expressive, terroir-driven style that is his vision.
Nicolas and his winemaker work closely with the growers to make decisions about vineyard practices, crop reduction (“green harvest”), harvest dates and the fermentation regimen. As soon as the fermentations are complete, the wines are put into Bellene barrels and the élevage is done by Nicolas at the Roche de Bellene facility.  Though a negociant, Roche de Bellene focuses their production on boutique, village-level wine, with some holdings at the premier cru level.

The Where: 
Savigny-lès-Beaune is a small village near Beaune that produces delightful red and white wines under its own appellation name. Cut by a river, the vineyards on its southern side have sandy soils that result in charming, floral reds. Premier Cru vineyards on this side include Les Peuillets, Les Narbantons, Les Rouvrettes and Les Marconnets.
On Savigny’s northern side, vineyards are planted on rocky soils and produce juicy and spicy Pinot noir. The village’s best whites, all made of Chardonnay, are full on the palate and abound in texture, complexity and freshness.

The Wine:
The village of Savigny-les-Beaune is in a side valley, a bit to the west of Beaune. This wine comes from a naturally low-yielding vineyard parcel that is 64 years old. Gentle vinification with indigenous yeast and 14 months of barrel aging give the wine a very fruity aroma and a broader structure that is typical of the somewhat more rustic style of this appellation.

2015 Schloss Gobelsburger Gruner Langenlois

Who: Michael Moosbrugger
What: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Where: Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria
Tastes Like: Aromas of cedar, jasmine, and lime peel.  Medium-minus, coats the palate but has a short finish.  Gorgeous, unique combination of tropical citrus with oak-derived creaminess.
Pairs With: Life.  But really, brussels, any pizza, the lobster fra diavolo, Red Sauce Sunday…...

The Who:
SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG, a Cistercian monastic estate, is one of the oldest wineries in the Austrian Danube area with a documented history that dates back to 1171. All the vineyards are located on slopes and terraces around the valley of the river Kamp near the town of Langenlois and the village of Gobelsburg. Schloss Gobelsburg specialises in Grüner Veltliner and Riesling and produces authentic and noble wines from different single vineyard, village and regional appellations. The winery is member of the association 'Österreichische Traditionsweingüter', which is working on a vineyard classification project for the Danube area.

Since 1996, the winery has been run by Michael Moosbrugger (Falstaff Winemaker of the Year 2006, Golden Glass Sweden 2007). As a winemaker, he is particularly interested in the vineyard’s most important varieties, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, which exhibit very different characteristics. Besides the classic Kamp valley wines, which are bottled in the GOBELSBURGER series, Mr Moosbrugger also focuses on different soil types that are represented by single vineyard wines (SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG). The latest development is the study of winemaking during the winery’s past eras, from which the Grüner Veltliner tradition has evolved. At the Gobelsburg estate, the tradition of 19th-century vinification is both incorporated and honoured

The Wine:
Langenlois is the centre of the appellation Kamptal and is one of the historical and cultural centers of wine in Austria.  The gentle hills around the historical city are known for producing wines of great quality.  Loess--Alpine material sedimented over the past 2 million years--is the fundamental component of this wine.  Soil expression is of the utmost importance, and the wine is made from grapes on the younger vines in some of the Weingut’s finest vineyards.  The wine is harvest late in October, and ages in mostly steel with some Austrian Oak casks until March, when it is bottled. 

2014 Badine de La Patache Pomerol

2014 Badine de La Patache Pomerol

Who: Peter Kwok
What: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Where: Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Tastes Like: Black & redcurrants, leather, and graphite on the nose.  Smooth and silky, waves of red fruit, dusty earth, and baking spices on the palate.
Pairs With: Game, mushrooms, roasts and stews. 

The Where:
The much-vaunted appellation of Pomerol is both the proverbial black sheep and flashy new kid on Bordeaux’s block. It’s more expensive, doesn’t hold any type of classification ranking system (there are no Grand or Premier Cru vineyards), and covers a truly tiny area--only 3 square miles! Despite all this, many châteaux have released some of the world’s finest wines here (Pétrus being the most famous example), and almost all of them share a sense of prestige and mysticism.

And yet, one of the major advantages of Pomerol is that you can, albeit with a lot of hunting, find affordable gems that are within striking distance of the world’s finest Merlot-growing sites. Even better, Pomerol as a whole is much more enjoyable in its youth than its Cabernet-heavy neighbors on the Left Bank, but can still age with the best classed growths.

The Who:
Château la Patache comes from just 3 hectares of land along Pomerol’s most prominent stretch of road.  Purchased by Peter Kwok and his son in 2012, their vines are divided into nine separate parcels, some of which hold proximity to high end vine real estate like Château Clinet and Latour á Pomerol, and yields are kept deliberately low.  The soil is complex, with a gravelly upper layer supported by iron-rich clays known locally as “crasse de fer”. 

La Patache is a locality on the road connecting Bordeaux and Lyon, whose name evokes the coaches which traveled between the cities in the 19th century.  “La Patache” first appeared on Napoleonic maps.  The original stone buildings are a former post office at th entrance of LIbourne.  The stables were renovated in 2012, with a modern winery and barrel cellar installed.

The Wine:
Château La Patache’s holdings are predominately Merlot and today’s 2014—their ‘second wine,’ which is essentially their Grand Vin with slightly less oak influence and aging—is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The soils are plowed, vines are maintained by hand, and harvest varies from plot to plot depending on the state of the individual berries.  Grapes picked by hand and are rigorously sorted for quality. Following a multi-week fermentation in the winery (25% stainless steel, 75% Bordeaux cask), the wine is transferred into 20% new French oak for 15 months. Only 540 cases were produced.  Though pleasing to drink now, bottles of this wine could be cellared for 5-10 years with ease. 

Red Wine BTG -- Fall 2018

2016 Le Coeur de la Reine

What: 100% Gamay
Who: Rudolphe & Ludivine Marteau; Vincent Leclair
Where: Cher Valley, Touraine AOC, Loire Valley, France
Tastes Like:  Bright berry aromas dominate in this light bodied red. On the palate, ripe red fruit flavors (strawberry and raspberry especially) are accented by a delicate spicy note. Smooth and mellow, delicious with just a bit of a chill.
Pairs With: Mild cheeses; Spag Amatriciana; Red Sauce Sunday; Summer; Good Times. 

The Who:
A collaboration with Rodolphe & Ludivine Marteau and Vincent Leclair - both fourth generation families in Touraine. The Marteaus took over their family’s estate in 2010 which is a 29 hectare property is located on South bank of the river Cher, on siliceous-argilo (clay and flint) soils. Vincent assumed leadership in 2014 at his family’s 45 hectare estate in Pouillé, in the Cher Valley.

The Where:
The Touraine AOC stretches from the outer limits of the Anjou region to the gateways of the Sologne, in an area of confluence formed by the Loire river and its tributaries. The soils in the Touraine are very varied, with “perruches” (clay mixed with flint), “aubuis” (argilo-calcareous on a chalky subsoil) and sands on clays in the East. The influence of the sea in the West gradually takes on a continental character as you proceed Eastwards. These climatic differences combined with the different soils determine the selection of grape varieties grow

The Wine:
The vines average 30 years in age and are meticulously tended by the family. Short-cane pruning, selective ploughing, spring de-budding, deleafing, grass cover throughout the vineyard and green harvest practices all lend to limited yields and best quality fruit at harvest.  Harvested by hand with vinification in stainless steel tanks including 8 days carbonic. Elevage in tank until release.


2017 Vietti Barbera d’Asti

Who: Lucca Currado
What: 100% Barbera
Where: Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Tastes Like: Barolo Light!  Strong but integrated tannin with a light to medium body.  Dried fruits and purple flowers, hint of barnyard.
Pairs With: Pates and terrines; Conchiglie with rabbit sugo; Rigatoni and mushrooms

The Who:
The history of the Vietti winery traces its roots back to the 19th Century. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, however, did the Vietti name become a winery offering its own wines in bottle.
Patriarch Mario Vietti, starting from 1919 made the first Vietti wines, selling most of the production in Italy. His most significant achievement was to transform the family farm, engaged in many fields, into a grape-growing and wine-producing business.

Then, in 1952, Alfredo Currado (Luciana Vietti’s husband) continued to produce high quality wines from their own vineyards and purchased grapes. The Vietti winery grew to one of the top-level producers in Piemonte and was one of the first wineries to export its products to the USA market.

Alfredo was one of the first to select and vinify grapes from single vineyards (such as Brunate, Rocche and Villero). This was a radical concept at the time, but today virtually every vintner making Barolo and Barbaresco wines offers “single vineyard” or “cru-designated” wines.

Alfredo is also called the “father of Arneis” as in 1967 he invested a lot of time to rediscover and understand this nearly-lost variety. Today Arneis is the most famous white wine from Roero area, north of Barolo. Setting such a fine example with Arneis, even fellow vintners as far away those on the west coast of the United States now are cultivating and producing Arneis!

The Wine:
 The vineyard is located in the Scarrone area, from the oldest portion of the vineyard, facing south-east. We can count approximately 4300 plants per hectare.
The naturally low yields, due to the age, are further reduced by a strict selection of the grapes.
Vinification starts with a short period of cold maceration followed by 2 weeks of alcoholic fermentation in steel vats, with regular pumping overs. After this, the wine macerates for another week, then it is racked and it is moved to oak for malolactic.

Ageing: 18 months in big oak cask, barriques and steel tanks.


2015 Inama Piu Carmenere

Who: Matteo, Alessio, and Luca Inama
What: 75% Carmenere, 25% Merlot
Where: Soave Classico zone, Veneto
Tastes Like: Vivid purple, with a strong nose of dark cherry, cocoa, and violets.  Fresh and lively on the palate, elegant tannins, and bright fruits characterize this medium plus wine.
Pairs with: Grilled pork, sopressa and other italian cured meats, anything smokey.  BBQ.   

The Who & Where:
The winemaking philosophy of Inama is guided by three points: one, that terroir is the most important point in determining a wine’s style; two, a wine’s caliber is determined by the strength of the ecosystem it is grown in, particularly the soil; and three, improvement is a difficult and continuous journey.  The Inama estate is family owned, and is now being run by the third generation.  The first plot of land on Monte Foscarino was purchased in 1965, but the Vulcaia Fume label did not enter the market for another 30 years.  

The family’s holdings are nestled in the Veneto, between the two provinces of Verona and Vicenza.  The region is marked by gently rolling hills, often forming natural amphitheaters perfectly suited to growing grapes.  They own vineyards in both of the nearby territories: Soave Classico, birthplace of ancient and mineral white wines, and the Colli Berici, wild home of red wines.  


The Wine:
Carmenere is a new grape to the Veneto, and the winemakers strive to make an alternative to the Valpolicella.  Inama is the first estate to create an important project with the Carmenere in the Colli Berici area and to give an identity to this variety with a new DOC: Colli Berici Carmenere Riserva (see: Oratorio di San Lorenzo).  This product, at the moment, has no competitors in Europe.  All the vineyards are set up to produce reserve wines, and each season the winemakers decide which plot will be used for the reserve wines and which for the entry-level wines.  

Più’ means ‘more’ in Italian and there’s more than just Carmenere in this typical blend from the Colli Berici, a line of gently rolling volcanic hills in Italy’s north-east. Merlot is a civilising influence, the plummy accent and refined tannins marry well with a touch of French oak. The iron-rich clay soil of the vineyards over a limestone base is perfect for Bordeaux varieties, of which Carmenere is the long-lost cousin.  A southerly exposure ensures ripeness.

All varieties are 100% destemmed. After 12 days’ maceration in upright stainless fermenters with internal paddles the must is racked and malo occurs in steel. The wine is aged in 2nd fill French oak barriques for 12 months. 


2012 La Rioja Alta, S.A. “Viña Alberdi” Reserva

Who: Julio Sáenz
What: 100% Tempranillo 
Where: Haro, La Rioja Alta, Spain
Tastes Like: Rich, smokey, and lush, with raisinated fruits and tobacco notes.
Pairs With: BBQ, pasta, grilled vegetables and meats
La Rioja Alta and the Winery:
Rioja has a long tradition of winemaking stretching back thousands of years.  The arrival of the phylloxera blights of the 1800’s contributed to the elevation of Rioja into the internationally recognized region that it is now.  La Rioja Alta was founded in 1890 by 5 enterprising Spanish and Basque families, in part to capitalize on this shift in demand: with Bordeaux devastated, full bodied reds needed to be found elsewhere.  Mindful of the nature of impermanence, the five families drew up a constitution formalizing the creation of the Sociedad Vinícola de la Rioja Alta and signed it on July 10, 1890.
 
The document, which set out how they would pool resources, craft their wines and make decisions on growing the company, would guide them and future generations. The company’s first president was a woman and its first winemaker a Frenchman. Today, representatives of the fifth generation of all five families are still shareholders in the enterprise and among the social issues it presses today, with its considerable clout, are equal rights for women and the industry’s responsibility for the care of immigrants working its vineyards, and caring for the environment.
Though the region suffered from a drop in reputation mid-century from less scrupulous winemakers flooding the market with mediocre wine, La Rioja Alta has never let their standards of quality or adherence to local tradition slip.  

Few dispute that La Rioja Alta S.A. is the leading quality-oriented producer in the Rioja. With more than 50,000 casks and 6.4 million bottles stored at any one time, the equivalent of about 8 years sales, La Rioja Alta S.A. is unique in its ability to supply large quantities of fully mature wines of world class quality.  They currently own 400 hectares of estate-grown vineyards, believing that great wine comes from an understanding of the terroir and annual experience in the vineyard.  The majority of their plantings are tempranillo, with limited cultivation of other local varietals Graciano, Garnacha, and Mazuelo.  Yields are kept low.  The winemakers take a very hands-on approach to winemaking, embracing modern technology to maintain control over the fermentation process.  

Oak aging is a signature part of the local style, and Vina Alberdi embraces it.  They have an on site cooperage, importing American oak and producing all necessary barrels by hand, using artisan techniques, in the 100-year-old winery in Haro.  All wines spend the the first year in new oak, and the following year in barrels that are 2-3 years old.  Every six months they manually rack the wines (transfer the wine from 1 barrel to another barrel to leave behind unwanted sediment) by candlelight.  Final aging takes place in the bottle.  

The Wine:
Plots for the Reserva are selected from Las Monjas, El Palo and Las Cuevas vineyards in Rodezno and Alto del Rey in Labastida and then manually harvested in late September. After carefully putting the grapes in boxes, they are transported to the winery in refrigerated transport for destemming and light crushing. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place naturally in tanks and the resulting wines were prepared for a new blend in January 2013. The wine was aged for two years in American oak barrels manufactured in-house; the first year in new oak and the second in barrels averaging three years in age. The wine was manually racked four times by the light of a candle and was finally bottled in December 2015.


2015 Chateau Val-Joanis Luberon

Who: 
What: 100% Syrah
Where: Luberon, Rhone, France
Tastes Like: Dried cherries & roses, barnyard.  Hint of poopoo on the nose.  Earthy, full, brambly on the palate but very much in balance. 
Pairs With: Cocoa Linguine; roasted meats.  Give me a ribeye any day.

The Who:
Situated on the site on an ancient roman villa, Château Val Joanis was originally the property of Jean de Joanis, secretary to King Louis III of Naples.   The chateau dates back to at least the 16th century, but fell into ruin from the 1800’s onward.  The property was purchased in 1977 by Jean-Louis Chancel, who over the next 20 years planted 185 hectares of vines on the property.  Today the estate covers approximately 990 acres of Luberon countryside and is filled with picturesque gardens, olive groves and rolling hillsides covered in vines. 310 acres of vineyards are planted on clay-limestone slopes, which benefit from the hot sunny days and the cool nights of this part of the Rhone. The nature of the soil and the favorable climate allow Château Val Joanis to produce powerful, yet elegant red wines and fruit-driven rosés made from Syrah and Grenache. The vineyards at Val Joanis are at an altitude only matched by Chateneuf de Pape and Condrieu, two of the most sought after red wines in the world, never mind the Rhone.  The grapes are organically farmed. 
The Where:
Located in the southeast corner of the Rhône Valley, the Côtes du Luberon is a wild and untamed mountain appellation where vines grow at an altitude between 650-1,500 feet. The terroir is rich in clay and limestone soils, giving the wines freshness. The climate is a mix of Rhone influences and benefits from the cooler temperatures of the high Provençal plateau. Here, Château Val Joanis sits on a 1,000 acre estate and features one of the oldest operating vineyards in the Luberon area.