updated wine descriptions 7.14

The Salty Pig -- Wine by the Glass Resource – Spring/Summer 2014

SPARKLING

 

Mercat, Cava, Catalonia, Spain

• Cava is sparkling wine from Spain that is made in the Champagne Method, meaning that the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle rather than being injected with CO2.
• Produced from a blend of the three main cava grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada, estate bottled and aged over 12 months on its lees
• Tasting Notes: Ripe fruit and toast dominate the nose with a fuller, creamier finish on the palate.  Great for sipping!

Philippe Augis, Brut Rose, Touraine, Loire Valley, France

• 100% Cot also known as Malbec
• This wine is also made in the traditional Champagne Method
• Produced from a grape known as Cot in the Loire Valley but Malbec everywhere else.
• Winemakers in the Loire Valley are known to embrace organic and natural winemaking, with as little intervention as possible.  This wine is not certified organic, but the property only employs these practices
• Tasting Notes:  Floral and delicate nose with a touch of sweetness on the mouth that finishes dry.  Perfect thirst quencher.

 

 

WHITES

 

Skouras, Roditis/Moscofilero, Peloponnese, Greece

• 70% Roditis, 30% Moscofilero
• The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats, with a very short aging period.
• The Skouras winery is operated by a Burgundy trained winemaker and focuses on indigenous varietals.
• Moscofilero is considered to a noble grape variety in Peloponnese which translates roughly to “full of vines”
• Tasting Notes: Orange peel, and juicy citrus on the nose with a touch of minerality.  A crisp, dry, refreshing wine ideal for lighter fair… Get a Pinot Grigio drinker to try a sip!

Librandi, Greco, Ciro, Calabria, Italy

• 100% Greco from Ciro, a region in Calabria, Italy.
• Greco is an ancient white grape that most likely originiated in Greece, hence the name. It is not related to the more widely known grape, Greco di tufo.
• Ciro is located in Calabria, in southern Italy. It is one of the oldest wine making regions in the world.
• Tasting Notes: This is a cool white wine with a unique mouth feel and crowd pleasing tasting notes. This wine starts out crisp and clean, but finishes on the fuller side. The texture of the wine is mouth filling and almost tannic, though there are no tannins in this wine. Notes of overripe pear and candied stone fruit dominate the palate, balanced by subtle notes of white flowers and minerality. Super interesting, funky wine that is still extremely easy to drink. Pair this wine with spicier foods.

Little James Basket Press, Languedoc, France

• 55% Viognier, 45% Sauvignon Blanc
• Viognier was close to extinction in the 1970’s, but due to a recent cult following this grape has become very popular.
• Viognier is marked by its rich mouthfeel, lush aromatics, exotic spice, and apricot notes.
• Viognier is typically low in acid, however it is blended with the naturally acidic sauvignon blanc, which makes for a balanced wine
• Langquedoc is a region in Southern France, close to Spain.
• Tasting Notes: Medium bodied wine with zesty acidity, abundant fruit & floral notes, and a lively nose. This richly aromatic wine boasts notes of elderflower, apricot, lemon, and balancing undertone of stony minerality.

De Morgenzon (DMZ ), Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, South Africa

• 100% Chardonnay
• The vineyard is located in a cooler climate of South Africa, which preserve the acidity of the grapes.
• The wine is aged in both French oak barrels and stainless steel.
• This wine is very creamy in texture and taste, this is due to 3 factors: Malolactic fermentation, lees, and French oak barrels.
  • Malolactic fermentation occurs with very tart lactic acid is converted to malic acid. Malic acid is associated with dairy products, like yogurt.
  • Lees are dead yeasts. When wine is aged on the lees it gain complexity and body.
• Tasting Notes: Plush, medium-full body with a creamy texture and notes of vanilla, almonds, and tropical fruit.

2011 Ansgar Clüsserath Von Schiefer Trocken Riesling, Mosel, Germany

• Hailing from one of the prized wine regions in Germany, the Mosel, Eva Clüsserath is a young winemaker in her 30’s and a graduate from the famous oenology schools in the Rheingau. The vineyard has been in her family since it’s formation in 1670 and was most recently run by Eva’s father.

• Clüsserath’s wine practice largely follows the beliefs of biodynamic winemaking. The grapes are all picked by hand and fermentation is natural and spontaneous. The practice of natural fermentation is one that requires time and the potential for loss. While forced fermentation can happen in 7 days, natural fermentation can take 3-6 months and has a greater chance for product loss due to mold. Once the wines ferment they remain on the Lyees and than are filtered once before bottling. All of her wines are required to rest in bottle for a minimum of 1 year before being sold.
• This slate soil grown riesling is of trocken weight which means it is the dryest style of riesling in the German growing system. The grapes of this wine are sourced from three separate sites to make this crisp, refreshing wine. These steep sites are prone to a lot of sunlight during the daytime and cool nights. Slatey soil is rocky and holds heat well as well as imparts minerals well into the wine.

2012 Olivier Merlin Mâcon la Roche-Vineuse, Burgundy, France

• Mâcon is a sub appellation of the most famous growing region in perhaps the world, Burgundy. Mâcon is known for it’s white burgundy (chardonnay) at a great value!
• Olivier and Corinne Merlin are a married duo of winemakers who have long believed in the growing potential in the Mâconnais. Taking part in a grape harvest in 1977, Olivier Merlin got a taste of the wine world and never looked back. Olivier spent two years as a cellar worker in a Jura co-op and there he found his wife Corinne. The two went to California in 1985 to work as vintners in Napa for two years before heading back to Burgundy. In 2006 Merlin began to purchase vineyard sites for himself and now owns sites in Moulin-a-Vent (Beaujolais), Mâcon la Roche, and Saint-Véran le Grand Bussière.
• Merlin Mâcon la Roche grows on a terroir of clay-limestone soil and is all hand picked. 85% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel and 15% in oak barrels lending to it’s clean but long finish and body. 100% of the wine undergoes Malolactic fermentation and then has 18 months of elevage or raising before being bottled. Elevage is the practice of resting, additional barrel work, and fine tuning the wine after fermentation and before bottling.

 

ROSE

Sierra Cantabria, Rioja, Spain

• 50% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 20% Viura
• Viura is a white grape that is widely planted in Rioja. Its also known as macabeo. Viura lends a freshness and minerality to the rose.
• Garnacha (also known as Grenache) and Tempranillo (also known as Tinto Fino), both red grapes, add body and flavor to the wine.
• The estate is named after the Sierra Cantabria mountain range.  This mountain range protects the estate from cold northern winds.  The mountain range creates a micro climate that is very conducive to producing great wines.  The climate created is a blend of a Mediterranean climate and a Continental climate: mild winters and gentle summers.
• Tasting Note:  This is a lively, bright rose.  Aromatic nose of ripe strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, and white flowers.  It has a refreshing acidity, pleasant, slightly drawn out finish with abundant red fruit notes balanced by a bit of minerality.

Gobelsburger,«Cistericen»,  Kamptal, Austria                                       

• 60% Zweigelt 40% St. Laurent
  • Zweigelt and St. Laurent grapes harvested from the cooler sites of Langenlois and Gobelsburg
  • Brilliant clear rose color
  • More of a white wine- no maloactic fermentation is applied
    • Malolactic Fermentation
      • Process where malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is conversted to lactic acid. Malic acid is tart most people say malic acid tastes like green apples, lactic acid is softer. Lactic acid creates a rounder, fuller mouthfeel in the wine.
  • This is a universal food wine.
  • Tasting notes: decent bouquet of fresh cherry.  Softly fruity on the nose with a nice forest floor, floral undercurrent with creamy suggestions of raspberries dusted with a hint of talc. Light, lean structure with pungent acidity. Lingering finish accented with a bright minerality. Easy drinking rose that pairs well with a variety of food.
     

REDS

 

Cleto Chiarli, Lambrusco, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

• 100% Lambrusco
• Lambrusco is both a grape and a style of wine – effervescent red, white, or rose wine.  There are over 60 (!) different subvarieties of lambrusco grown throughout Italy.
• Emilia-Romagna is considered to be gastronomic capital of Italy, home to prestigious Bologna, Modena, and Parma.  While there are some very good wines made here, they rarely make their way stateside.  Lambrusco is different.  It has enjoyed waxing and waning degrees of popularity over the years.
• The Chiarli estate is family owned and operated and has been making lambrusco since 1860.
• This wine is “amabile” in sweetness, meaning it is off-dry.
• This red is chilled and slightly sparkling. Bring an ice bucket to guests who order it by the bottle.
• Tasting notes: This wine is a fun, playful red perfect for the warmer months. The carbonation of the wine is delicate, much more so than the other sparkling wines we offer. Notes of ripe red fruit and purple flowers are apparent in this wine. It is great with food! Try with food native to Emilia-Romagna like Parmesean, Proscuitto, and various pasta dishes.

Ecker, Zweigelt, Wagram, Austria

• 100% Zweigelt
• Zweigelt is a red grape native to Austria. It was actually developed by Fritz Zweigelt at the Federal Institude for Viticulture in Austria in 1922.
• The Ecker family has been making wine and farming in Wagram since 1603! The Ecker family plots of land are some of the best in the area. The Ecker family specializes in the ancient grape, Roter Veltliner, which is not related to Gruner, but is a parent to other native Austrian grapes. The family’s focus on growing the grape helped to prevent its extinction! This shows the family’s commitment to tradition, especially in regards to Austrian wine making.  The Ecker family logo exemplifies this commitment. Grandfather Ecker was a winemaker in Eastern Austria, where this profession was called “Hiata,” which translates to “guard of the grapes.” The guardian star is featured on the family’s logo today.
• Wagram separates Vienna (the capital) from two of Austria’s well-known wine regions Kamptal and Kremstal.  Wagram produces some of the most full bodied wines in Austria. This is in part due to the region’s deep, mineral rich soils called loess. The soils are so rich because this land was once the shore of a river.  Wagram comes from the word “Wogerain” which means “shore.”
• Additionally, an ice-age glacier created a huge barrier of soil along the Danube river which flows through Wagram. Many vineyards are planted on this soil-y jackpot.
• Wagram tends to be relatively warm and dry, which contributes to the region’s fuller wines. Warm breezes that flow through the region are tempered by cool Alpine breezes. Cool nights act to further preserve the wine’s acidity.  The loess soil retains water well, which is perfectly suited to the regions dry growing conditions.

Gran Familia, Tempranillo, Rioja Alta, Spain

• 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano
• Over the past decade or so, wines from Rioja have become increasingly robust and oaky, in response to the growing demands for modern, polished wine.  This wine, however, is a great expression of traditional winemaking in Rioja.  The oak presence is restrained, letting the fruit shine.
• Tasting Note: Vibrant red fruits, blanketed with exotic spices and leather.  Round in the mouth with a meaty body that begs for food.  Great for heartier fare!

Pietrantonj, Montepulciano, Abruzzo, Italy

• 100% Montepulciano

• Roberta Pietrantonj is the winemaker. This estate boasts that they have the oldest continuously operating winery in Italy.  The winery actually predates the formation of Italy as we know it. The winery is like a time machine: they have making their wine is the same way for generations.  The barrels used to age their wine are all very old, so they do not impart oaky notes, they are used mainly to aerate the wine.
• Abruzzo is located in on the Eastern coast of Central Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. Marche is its neighbor to the North.
• Tasting Notes: This is a crowd –pleaser wine. It has a solid medium body, pronounced, but not  aggressive, acidity and a sturdy tannin structure.  Dark fruit notes in the wine are balanced by the wine’s subtle spicy, earthiness.

Rainoldi, Rosso di Valtellina (DOC), Lombardia, Italy                                   

• 100% Chiavennasca (local name for Nebbiolo)
• This wine is made in Lombardy, very close to Switzerland, in an Alpine climate (high elevation).  The soils here are sandy and silty.  Due to the incline and elevation, most vineyards are terraced and all of them are worked by hand. 
• The Nebbiolo grapes are generally the highest elevation on the north bank of the valley to ensure proper ripening.
• The wine is aged for one month is Slovenian oak barrels before finishing out its one year bottle aging requirement.  Only about 2,000 cases produced/year.
• The Rainoldi estate’s mission statement is: Wine as a culture.  I like this very much.
• Tasting Note: The nose of this wine is reminiscent of dried herbs and dried flowers with an understated red and black fruit quality.  The classic tar note is certainly there.  In the mouth it is highly structured with firm tannin and taut acidity.  Medium bodied with a firm and lingering finish.

Massaya, Cinsault /Cabernet Sauvignon /Syrah, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

• 60%Cinsault, 20%Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah
• The mountains of the region allow for wine to be grown in this region because they protect the vineyards from the deserts to the east and from the  rain from the west.
• Lebanon is among the oldest sites of wine production in the world.  Bekaa Valley is named after Bacchus. The Roman god of wine and winemaking. FUN FACT.
• Two brothers run this estate. They went to school in France which influenced their winemaking, as they grow French varietals and utilize French techniques in their wine making.
• Tasting Notes: This selection is perfect for the modern wine drinker. It is very full bodied with abundant notes of cooked fruit & oak and features gripping tannins.

Rio Madre, Graciano, Rioja Baja, Spain

• 100% Graciano
• Graciano is typically a blending grape rarely found outside of Rioja, Spain.  It is prized for its deep color, high tannins, high acid, aromatics, and potential to age.
• This is a very unique expression of a Rioja wine. Wines from Rioja typically feature Tempranillo. Many wine producers even stopped growing Graciano because it is a finicky grape that gives low yields of fruit.
• The wine makers worked on this 100% Graciano wine for years. They understood the potential and the beauty of the grape despite its difficult to produce.
• Rioja Baja is a subregion of Rioja and is hotter than its two sister subregions.
• Tasting Notes: This is a deeply colored, full-bodied wine that is high in tannins.  Aromatic nose of red fruit, spice, earth, and purple flowers that carry through onto the palate.

 

SHERRIES

 

Hidalgo, Fino, Jerez

• 100% Palomino
• Hidalgo’s history in Andalusia dates back to the 18^th century when the family moved from northern Spain.  They make a wide range of sherries, many considered to be the best in their respective styles.
• The pale, clean color of this wine belies its beauty and complexity.  The wine is elegant and bone-dry on the palate, yet the finish lingers on.
• The finesse of this wine comes from the fact that the house uses finos from aged soleras, sometimes 6 and 7 years old.
• Tasting Note: Excellent aperitif! The nose is similar to a manzanilla but with less brine influence, more olivey.  The chamomile note is more of a wildflower note with herbal underbrush.  There is certainly a savory characteristic to it as well.  On the palate it is smooth, yet tangy, with a bit more power than a manzanilla.

Bodegas Grant, La Garrocha, Amontillado, Jerez

• 100% Palomino
• Bodegas Grant has been family owned and operated since 1841.  “La Garrocha” refers to a traditional and intricate horseback dance that is performed in the region.
• Amontillado sherry starts off as a fino or manzanilla.  Eventually the flor dies off and the wine begins to oxidize.
• This wine spends 10-12 years in solera which is fairly youthful.  Some amontillados are in solera for up to 40 years.
• While this wine does retain some color, it has no more or less sugar than the fine or manzanilla. 
• Tasting Note: Dried and raisinated fruit, prunes, raisins, apricots with abundant nutty characteristics, caramel, and spice.  On the palate it is dry with moderate acidity and developing dried fruit and nut flavors.  As Martin said, “A more serious gastronomic wine.”  Excellent with charcuterie and cheese!