A wine labeled with the sub-regional designation of O Rosal must contain Loureiro, and here (where the component hovers around 10%) the controlled yields of the variety bring ripe citric drive and notes of blossom to the blend. With an unusually high percentage of Albariño this year, it weighs in at 76% Albariño, 11% Loureiro and 5% Treixadura, with the balance Caíño Blanco and Godello. Each variety was individually fermented and raised for six months on lees in stainless steel before blending and bottling. 

 All the vineyards are sustainably farmed: harvesting is carried out by hand; organic fertilizer is the norm; cover crops between the rows are encouraged and pesticides and herbicides are banned. Santiago Ruiz was instrumental in introducing stainless steel to the region. 

VOIRIN-JUMEL CHAMPAGNE NV Tradition – ORGANIC

Jean Voirin, who owned some vines and sold all his grapes in bulk, decided to begin bottling his own champagne at the end of World War II. The Jumel family started producing champagne around the same time—René Jumel had a transport business and his wife’s family had some vines that they cultivated. As the champagne market grew, René began selling some of his trucks and buying vineyards around the Côte des Blancs, which his wife, Paulette Richomme, worked and oversaw. Between 1950 and 1970, all the grapes were sold in bulk. 

In the early 1970’s, Françoise Jumel (daughter of Paulette and René) began bottling champagne with her husband Gilles Voirin under the name Voirin-Jumel. That year they sold nearly 10,000 bottles. In the 1990s, Françoise’s children, Patrick and Alice, along with Patrick’s wife Valerie, began running the domain.

Today it is a true family affair, and they own 30 acres of vines in 11 different villages (broken down to approximately 10% Cramant, 20% Chouilly, 10% Avize, 5% Oiry, 10% Oger, 10% Mareuil-sur-Ay, 10% Vertus, 15% Verneuil and the remaining 10% in 3 other villages). 

Each lot of grapes is vinified separately and each tank goes through malolactic fermentation. In January, the wines are stabilized. Shortly thereafter, the vins clairs (still wines) are tasted and it is determined which lots will be used for each specific release. All the champagnes are given very low dosages, and are aged for three-four years minimum, thus ensuring fresh, lower-acidity champagnes that really highlight their varied terroirs. All their production is bottled and sold at the domain.   

The Tradition Brut NV bottling is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir from the Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne, this is the domain’s “entry level” champagne, perfect for any occasion. Its aromas and flavors of red fruits, hazelnuts, and almonds are balanced by a pleasant liveliness.  Based on 2018 with 20% reserve wines, from 50% Vertus Chardonnay and 50% Verneuil Pinot noir. Dosage 6g/liter. This is a wonderful fresh Champagne with lovely citrus and minerals.

Commanderie de Bargemone Côteaux d’Aix en Provence – Organic

Bargemone is among the foremost estates of the Coteaux d’Aix, a small fine-wine district in the larger appellation of Provence.  With more than 160 acres under vines, 2/3 of the production is dedicated to the dry rosé for which Provence is famous.  

‘La Commanderie de la Bargemone’ was founded in the 13th Century and is located 10 miles away from the historic city of Aix-en-Provence. In 1250 AD – The Knights Templar built their compound of buildings known as ‘’La Commanderie” in the heart of the surrounding farm fields. In 1968 – The vineyards were replanted on a large scale with 300 acres (120 hectares) in production.

The vineyard ‘’La Commanderie ‘’ is a traditional Provence vineyard that has been dedicated to producing Rosé (90+%) & White (10%) ‘’Côteaux d’Aix en Provence” of the highest quality for few decades.  

The property was named “Bargemone” after the wealthy Provençal family that owned it for 200 years. It passed from their hands in the 1800s, with the vineyards finally succumbing to phylloxera, temporarily ending, a proud 800-year tradition of winemaking.  In 1973, French industrialist Jean-Pierre Rozan purchased the property, restored the Commanderie, and replanted the vineyards. Production was up to 50,000 cases/year when Jean-Pierre passed away in 2006, and a controlling interest in the vineyards and winery was sold to current owners Christian and Marina Garin (both from local Provençal families).  

The vineyard essentially represents a single terroir, with almost identical soils and exposures, aiding the production of wine of remarkably consistent quality with production of selected grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Rolle, Syrah, Counoise, Caladoc, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon. Viticulture and winemaking are 100% organic and certified Organic by EU. This is literally the beating heart of ‘’La Commanderie”.

Offering classic aromas of wild strawberries and red currants, with a light, floral character, and a crisp, bone-dry palate, this is a rosé of reference, to be enjoyed year-round on its own or with a wide range of lighter fare and Provence-inspired cuisine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault from 25+ year-old vines. Stainless steel vinification. Two days settling at cool temperatures followed by a cool, ten-day fermentation. No malolactic fermentation.

40% Grenache, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 5% Rolle.

Dom. Natacha Chave Aléofane Croze Hermitages (Organic, practicing Biodynamic and following Natural wine principles) 

At a very young age, Natacha Chave knew that she would make wine, just like her parents.  At the beginning of 2000, her brother Yann Chave took over their father’s Domaine (Bernard Chave) , a renowned vineyard created in 1970 on the Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage appellations.  He renamed the Domaine and renamed it Yann Chave. 

So, Natacha knew that if she wanted to make her own wine, she needed an education, some land, and a winery.  Natacha enrolled at the Suze la Rousse wine university in 2003, then passed a Farming Professional Capacity (CPA), and then did her work experience with various winegrowers to complete her training. In 2004, she bought 4 acres of vines in the Saint Joseph appellation at Tournon-sur-Rhône. In 2007, she bought a plot of 40-year-old vines in Crozes-Hermitage appellation in the Chassis plain (Beaumont-Monteux village) and planted a few additional vines reaching extending her Domaine to 16+ acres. 

The name of the Domaine is Aléofane, in reference to the imaginary island from a book by author, John Macmillan Brown. According to Natacha Chave, “Our immediate will is the respect of nature, soils, grapes and is to be as little as interventionist as possible both in grape growing and in the winemaking process.”

Grass covering between rows, total work of the soil according to the years to induce or not a competition with the vine. And she goes on with vinification: indigenous yeasts and no enzymes. No filtration, no fining and as little sulfur as possible. Natacha also uses biodynamic preparations that favor the stimulation of the plant’s natural immunity and its balance. — Natacha’s approach is very time-consuming, but the payoff is well worth it.

Dense and concentrated; but even with this concentration of fruit, she manages to maintain a beautiful balance. Lovely to drink now and will develop and improve with a bit of aging. This Crozes is 100% Syrah from 50-year-old vines that will blow you away. From an organic vineyard, hand-harvested, native yeast fermented, unfined and unfiltered. The wine is deep in color, purple tinged, concentrated, but perfectly balanced. Black fruits galore, black pepper, Asian five-spice, and savory. It’s best to open it an hour before drinking, it was still great on day two and still hanging in there on day three after opening.

90 points, Decanter: This is a totally classic example. It’s a well-balanced, fruity, and satisfying style of Crozes with good ripeness of fruit, but a gently grippy tannic structure and enough acidity to balance. Decent length. A little reductive on the nose, but not problematically so. A blend of biodynamically-grown parcels of Syrah from around the Chassis. Matured mostly in demi-muid, but also stainless steel and concrete eggs.

Lano Langhe Nebbiolo – organic

Gianluigi Lano is a reserved, contemplative person. He understands the importance of his land and takes pride in what he has. This is why he chose to bottle his father’s grapes in 1993; no longer willing to sell them to the local cooperative.  The weight of that decision is reflected in his fanatical farming standards and in the quality of his wines. With no family winemaker to look up to and no reputation to rest on, bottling his own wine would lay bare his hard work, skill, and conviction.

Lano Gianluigi farms the right way; his wines are recognized as true wines of terroir; long aging and typically vin de garde in style. 

Where many Barbaresco producers underlying the current renaissance choose a style based more solely on fruit and generous structure, the wines of Lano Gianluigi are decidedly medium-bodied yet strictly structured- with great refinement and powdery tannin to complement the beautiful aromatic intensity. The Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo is for the true Barberesco connoisseur – as sculpted and precise as a steel beam  – with the solidness to match. There is a regal restraint that is something to marvel at in youth and truly engage with as the develops with age. It’s difficult to consistently have wines throughout the range of such striking structure in medium-bodied, precise frames. The consistency of Lano Gianluigi is truly on par with more famous, elite Barbaresco producers.  

This wine is declassified Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo.  Traditionally, this wine is only 1/3 declassed Massalupo, but 2019 was a hot year and Gianluigi decided to declassify most of the fruit and make this cuvée 100% Massalupo.   Fine tannin, an acidic backbone, and precise aromatics are finely woven into the fabric of the wine, rendering a complete wine of great pleasure.  This is truly a standalone Nebbiolo as opposed to the introduction to it. This wine rewards well over five to 10 years of aging as the secondary aromas that make Nebbiolo so compelling become more present

Gianluigi, Daniela and Samuele (Son), preside over the vineyards and cellar. The family farm is next to the Rocche Massalupo cru, just down the hill from the village of Treiso. All vineyard parcels are a combination of calcareous clay and sand, with Nebbiolo generally planted on plots with a higher percentage of clay. The most important plots have vines between 30 and 50 years of age.

Organic certification was completed in 2018, however, their farming standards are much deeper. A green harvest is completed early in the season to concentrate growth on a small number of grape bunches. Cover crop between the vines is uninhibited in the summer, with periodic cutting between rows only to provide nutrients back to the soil. They do not even use natural fertilizer and no treatment of any kind is applied after the first week in July, ensuring a particularly pure and clean crop at harvest. This greatly increases risk, but it’s a decision that is consistent with their contemplative nature and strict farming standards. The family finds better balanced wine and smoother spontaneous fermentation when biodiversity is present in the vineyards. Samuele explained in detail how they use natural algae treatments to fight mildew, as an alternative to copper.

The family also allows ample canopy growth and rarely thins the canopy. If the canopy is too thick, chutes are tied together, preserving ripening capability while also promoting air circulation. As Samuele reiterates, farming decisions are always to foster the necessary biodiversity to support cellar practices that best showcase individual plots, such as spontaneous fermentation.

In the cellar, their goal is simplicity. Cement without temperature control is employed for primary and malolactic fermentation while old oak casks see most of the wines through a long, cool élevage (in the winter months, one is wise to bring a warm hat into the cellar). Cement is considered quite traditional and used by many of the finest producers in the Langhe; naturally regulating temperature. Use of sulfites is extremely low and only used for bottling or “rack and return” activity. All wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

The wines all share powdery tannin and medium body with well judged ripeness leading to fruit at the cooler end of the spectrum. Old vine Barbaresco Rocche Massalupo and single vineyard Barbera d’Alba are the cornerstone of a deeply serious range of wines made to keep, each with a transparency, intensity and intellect expected of Italy’s finest appellations.  

Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel- Organic and Biodynamic

Bedrock Wine Co. was founded in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson in a 550 square-foot, former chicken coop with ceilings eight feet high and no fermentation space.

After six years of Bedrock being a one-man-show, Morgan was able to talk his best friend, Chris Cottrell, into moving to California from New York to join him. They now happily have a little more space to move around in but share the same objectives that guided the winery at the start.  Bedrock Wine Co. is fundamentally about making wines that are hopefully a soulful expression of a vineyard and a year. Too often though, the critical link that binds a site to the winery is forgotten- the grower. It has been said a thousand times. It does not make it any less true. Great wine is made in the field.

Morgan Twain-Peterson was born at home in Sonoma, Ca. On January 6th, 1981 to Joel Peterson and Kate Twain. Raised at his father’s Ravenswood Winery, Morgan was exposed to wine and wine tasting at an early age. In David Darlington’s Angel’s Visits, it is noted that, “Morgan, at the age of five, could distinguish between Merlot and Zinfandel.” Morgan began making small lots of Pinot Noir at 5 from fruit given to him by the Sangiacomo family. Motivated by the best wines of Domaine Dujac, he began experimenting with whole cluster fermentation, different types of French oak, and various ripeness points. Vino Bambino Pinot Noir, as the wine came to be known, was made from 1986 to 2001 and has been featured on the wine lists of Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill (which featured the original 1986), Delmonico’s, Aureole, and Mesa Grill.  While doing undergraduate work at Vassar (whose founder was a brewer of all things), and graduate work at Columbia University, Morgan worked as a wine buyer and salesperson for Arlington Wines and Liquors in Poughkeepsie, and Chelsea Wine Vault and Pet Wines in Manhattan.  Morgan returned home to Sonoma in 2005 to work harvest at Ravenswood. From there he spent time as a visiting winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara in McLaren Vale (where he also spent a few highly educational days with Drew and Rae Noon at Noon Winery), and in the fall of 2006 was a visiting winemaker at Chateau Lynch-Bages in Pauillac. When not working for Bedrock Wine Co., Morgan is a manager of his family’s Bedrock Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, and is a member of Sunbreak Vineyard Services L.L.C, a vineyard management company run by Diane Kenworthy and Robert Burney. He has also passed the prestigious Master of Wine exam and upon successful completion of the dissertation will become one of the (less than thirty) American Master of Wine.

From Winemaker Morgan Twain Peterson, MW:  In our experience, simple is often times the best. This stems from a personal belief that wines heavily manipulated and overly sculpted by activist winemakers tend to be less satisfying and soulful gustatory experiences whether they be from Sonoma, Lodi, Amador County, Chambolle Musigny, Gigondas or Serralunga.  

The biggest contributor to the 2020 Old Vine Zin is Bedrock Vineyard, which boasts vines up to 130 years old. The Bedrock team also tapped Esola Vineyard in Amador County (planted in the 1960s), Schmiedt Road (1910s), and Evangelho and Nervo, both of which date back to the 1890s. As usual, almost all of the wine consists of declassified barrels from vineyard-designated wines, so it offers serious bang for the buck. 85% Zinfandel with the balance a blend of Carignan, Mataro, Grenache, and Alicante Bouschet, along with esoteric creatures like Aubun, Abouriou, and many more.

This is more than a gorgeous Zin from an iconic producer: It’s a tribute to California’s winemaking history, and to what time and dedication can bring to the bottle.