I am sure many of you are steeling yourselves for a dry January but February will be here soon enough and you’ll want to get started on your wine resolutions—one of which should be to try a new wine style or varietal. Wine monogamy is frankly boring and represents a squandered opportunity to taste and explore the stunning breadth of wine available in the world today. Make 2019 all about playing the field---below is a fully vetted (by yours truly and my crack team of ordinary wine drinkers) list to get you started.
Top Taste Casadei Sogno Mediterraneo 2016: Fred Cline of Cline Cellars teamed up with Italian winemaker Stefano Casadei to import Casadei’s wines. This spot on red blend drinks like a perfect hybrid of the best of the old and the new world with savory, earthy slightly volatile acidity dancing on the palate woven into a bounty of ripe, silky red fruits. Casadei created BioIntegrale, a philosophy that leads with Biodynamics, but also incorporates modern science. He uses horses in the vineyard to prevent the soil from compacting, employs only local workers, and relies completely on green energy. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre and a deal at $19.99.
Cosimo Taurino Notarpanaro Negroamaro, 2010: This wine arrived via a specialty Italian wine club Bergamot Wine Co. and kudos to Bergamot’s founders and owners Kevin and Sarah Wardell for sleuthing out this polished, rustically elegant wine made from Negroamaro (not typically a fancy winemaking grape). Sour cherry, sweet spices and a juicy savory finish that makes food and appealing partner. If you like this one, give a full club shipment a try (a great way to expose yourself to unusual hard-to-find wines with minimal effort on your part).
Bonterra The Roost Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2016: Winemaker Jeff Cichocki on farms these Bonterra selections biodynamically—which translates into immense effort in the vineyards. Says, Cichocki, “Biodynamic farming takes a holistic view of the vineyard as a harmonious ecosystem, one that supports the health of our vines, and ultimately the quality of our wine. The result is well-balanced fruit with true varietal character and good intensity of flavor, all of which shines through in the glass.” We’d have to agree. This one is named for blue heron nesting site –with its savory mouthwatering profile and heaps of ripe apple and lemon cream on the palate it’s a crowd pleaser for sure.
Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2016: A single vineyard Chardonnay with exceptional finesse and elegance on the palate. Whole cluster pressed, made with minimal intervention. The palate sings with lemony ginger and apple notes with a fresh aromatic botanical edge. A raft of 90+ scores and Brewer-Clifton’s history of making exceptional wines, make this California Chardonnay a heck of a deal for $36.
Clif Family Croquet Vineyard Howell Mountain, 2015: Clif Family wines have long been some of my favorite Calfornia selections—well-made with a nod towards purity and balance. The Croquet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is taut and intense with deeply concentrated notes of black cherry, cassis, dark chocolate and a dusting of cedar. It begs for a steak; this is a wine you won’t long forget.
Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut, 2014: Founding Winemaker and CEO Eileen Crane has been with this California winery (owned by famed Champagne house Taittinger) for 30 years. Her skill and expertise shows in every bottle, especially the Ultra Brut which, because it has very little added sugar, requires a deft touch with winemaking. This one is vibrant, piercing and fresh with citrusy top notes and a mouthwatering finish. We'd be remiss if we didn't also mention that it is also the 20th Anniversary of their decadent flagship bottling, Le Reve Blanc de Blancs.
Chateau Cap Leon Veyrin Listrac-Medoc Cru Bourgeois, 2015: This is a family owned Bordeaux winery that is going on its 6th generation. The Cru Bourgeois designation is one of my favorite signs of quality---as these wines must all be tasted and tested each year to qualify as Cru Bourgeois. Rich and silky with dominant ripe black cherry and mocha notes supported by earthy spice and medium tannins; it's a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
Arinzano Agricultura Biológica Merlot 2015:This dense and richly concentrated wine is the first-ever organic Merlot bottling from Arinzano--a winery that is one of the select 17 official Vinos de Pago (DOP) estates in Spain--Spain's highest designation for winemaking. Heaps of dark black cherry fruit balance nicely with the tannins and structure. It drinks with power but manages to remain elegant and polished on the palate.
