December Wine Focus: Outsiders!

I've been a little under the weather so I haven't been able to add to this thread, but now that I'm feeling better I'm excited! I think a quarter of my cellar qualifies as something weird. I thought I'd start off with a Xarel-lo from Penedes. Technically almost all Xarel-lo is from Pendes, but they are always sparkling. I have a dry Xarel-lo, made into a still wine, aged in Chestnut barrels, from 50+ year old vines grown in the mountains.

2011 Miret Penedès Clar de Castanyer
I really liked this wine. It is different and very interesting, while still being delicious, often wines that are described as "different" are just not delicious, but this manages to be both. Color is gold, with a shimmer on the edges. On the nose you get yeast, apple skin, bruised apple and some meyer lemon. On the palate it is surprisingly fresh! More apple, a slight nutty aroma (it is aged in chestnut barrels) some very nice and an acidity which makes it pop. Reminds me of a Sour beer, but much more depth. Fun wine that I was worried was going to be over the hill, but it was just delicious...

I had this wine with a couple of non wine drinking friends and they all loved this. I'm glad I have another bottle, but sad I didn't pick up a case...

[Robin Garr]

Glad you're feeling better, Kasey!

[Jenise]

How interesting, Kasey. I have had just one still Xarel-lo (I originally spelled that Xarel-ho, what does that say about me???), but it was a blend. I found it unique and captivating, exactly the reaction you're having.

How are you finding wines like that in Salt Lake City?

These wines are non-existant up here in N AB.

Until recently my only experience of varietal Cabernet Franc was that produced in the Loire and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil was a restaurant standard when starting drinking wines.

Trouble was I found most of the Loire CFs then to be rather 'green', so it was a revelation my first time in Ontario to find rich voluptuous CF.

We toured down the Loire in 2011 and (as red is our preference) found many good reds, both CF and Pinot Noir and since we were in a coach brought back many bottles, especially CFs from Domaine Filliatreau in Saumur and Domaine du Closel-Château des Vaults in Anjou

* New Zealand Pinotage

It's nigh impossible to find NZ Pinotage outside New Zealand, as importers link the variety with South Africa, and since NZ growers get premium rates for their SB, PN, and PG they are preferring to grow them.

This is one I had several times on my last trip to NZ, both at the winery restaurant and in our holiday apartment

Marsden Estate 2013 Pinotage has a sweet raspberry nose and soft gentle fruit flavours. There are soft tannins, though the wine spent 10 months in oak. The wine feels light bodied yet has 14% abv. It is closed with a DIAM cork. Later, in our apartment overlooking the Bay of Islands, we found it to be an excellent partner to take-away pizzas.

Marsden Estate
Pinotage 2013
Bay of Islands
Northland, New Zealand
14% abv
$32 NZD

* English bubbly

There's an increasing amount of wineries coming on stream, and all the reports are the 2018 vintage will be both excellent and large so prices should be dropping somewhat, and (for various reasons) the cost of Champagne and other imports going up.

Nearly all English methode traditional (i.e. champagne method) makers are both too new and can't meet demand to keep blending stocks so wines are vintage and also mostly estate so their cost is proportionate and far exceeds supermarket Champagne sourced from co-operatives.

Four I have been particularly impressed with this year are

2013 Camel Valley Classic Cuvee Brut (Cornwall)

The three traditional champagne varieties superbly presented in a taut thrilling fizz. Camel Valley are one of the oldest fizz makers and I also love their 'Annies Vineyard' bottling which comes from their oldest vineyard and its been annually single-handedly hand pruned by Annie since the beginning. They don't mention the variety on the label but it's Seyval Blanc which makes a perfect sparkling wine.

Camel Valley have had a good 2018: their fizz was selected by BA for service in First Class.

N.V. Hush Heath Estate Balfour 1503
One of the new kids, now making their own fizz (before Chapel Down did it for them) under several labels and all excellent, one of the most promising newbies. Balfour is the owner's family name, 1503 was when their manor house dates from.

N.V. Chapel Down Classic Brut
One of the originals and a large producer of still and sparkling wines sourcing fruit from their own and other's vineyards. This bottling has a neck label identifying it as sponsor of the annual Cambridge/Oxford Thames Boat Race. I was challenged to identify this blind; I got it as methode traditional, guessed it couldn't be Champagne as usual otherwise I wouldn't have been asked, and settled on Cava made from Chardonnay....

N.V Ridgeview Merret Bloomsbury
One of the pioneers, a family firm making solely methode traditional fizz for over 20 years from only the traditional varieties. Now enough aged stocks to produce a house style N.V. Gorgeous fizz at a Champagne marque price. I've been drinking Ridgeview for almost two decades and it just gets better and better.

This year their Marksman labelled wine won the English Wine Trophy for Marks & Spencer at the International Wine & Spirit Competition and Ridgeview won Winemaker of the Year, a first time ever in 49 years win for England.

[David M. Bueker]

2008 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri (12/23/2018)
Bordeaux blend that is neither overripe or overdone, this is reminiscent of a mid-tier left bank Bordeaux, with a touch of extra acidity. Red and black fruit show a leathery edge, and an hour of air deepens the fruit. It’s a lovely drink, but sadly runs about 2X of equivalent quality Bordeaux.

Recently I was able to help host a fun tasting and I realized every single one of the wines qualifies as an outsider. Ruth Lewandowski Wines, a natural wine producer that is based out of Utah, but gets all of their grapes out of California. I’ve known the wine maker Evan for many years, so I am a little bit biased, but he is one of the natural wine makers that I feel has been able to continuously produce wine that is unique and good. All of his wines are made in a very basic style, and I say that as a compliment. No yeast added, no oak, no chaptalization, no fining no filtering, and the red wines are all 100% whole cluster. He just squeezes grapes and lets them become what they will

2017 Dinos to Diamonds Rorick Vineyard, Picpoul
First wine tasted a Picpoul Blanc that went through Carbonic Fermentation. Strange wine, right on the nose I get a slight herbal note, and not much if any fruit. On the palate this has a flavor I’m not used to finding in wine, pickle juice, salty, herbal and acidic. Now I should say here that I’ve never had a Picpoul I was a fan of, but this wine is like no Picpoul I’ve ever had. On it’s own it’s a bit overpowering, but with some food it’s delicious. I wish I had fish and chips to go with this. It’s weird, and would be a polarizing wine, but I was a fan

2017 Ruth Lewandowski Wines Cortese Chilion Fox Hill Vineyard
This is a true orange wine, aged 6 months on the skins this Cortese is much like the picpoul unique. I have tasted probably 4-5 vintages of this wine and this is my favorite. Clean, tight with a hint of tannin, very herbal and also has a peach and lemon aroma which keeps it fun. Once again a great food wine, would work great with pork, and even some lighter beef dishes

2015 & 2016 Ruth Lewandowski Wines Carignan Boaz
Next I was lucky to get to try the 2015 and 2016 Boaz next to each other. The Boaz is a Carignan heavy blend that also features a small amount of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is from Testa vineyard, and much like the Chilion I have tried 4-5 vintages of this before. Fun to see how different these wines are considering they are both produced the exact same way with zero intervention. The ’15 is bright red fruits with slightly higher acidity. Strawberry, and a bright cherry nose. The ’16 on the other hand is tight and shows a much darker fruit aroma of blackberry and plum. The crowd was split on which they prefer and I have to say I agree, part of me found the ’15 more fun and loved the zip. Part of me also preferred the bold profile of the ’16. Some of Evan’s wines can be different, not for everyone and as he says he makes so little he’s okay with that, but over the years that I’ve served this at multiple restaurants I’ve yet to find somebody that didn’t like the Boaz, It’s different enough yet familiar…

2016 Abandoned Meander 100% Teroldego California
The “Abandoned Meander” label much like the “Dinos to Diamonds” changes from year to year and is not made every year. 2017 there is not an Abandoned Meander wine made, but it will return in 2018, just not this wine. Evan explained that this label is for vineyards that have been forgotten or are being torn out. The Teroldego for this wine is now gone, as it was pulled up after this vintage. TO make this wine Evan was able to aquire a few amphora from Elisabetta Foradori the legendary wine maker in Italy that is famous for her Teroldego. He produced a total of 33 cases is all, and sadly it is all sold out now. This wine was great, bold yet delicate, red fruit driven, but at the same time ther eis something darker that feels like with time will emerge. It makes me want to hunt down more Teroldego…

Wow, really interesting wines Kasey!

Ref getting all their grapes from California, are there none in Utah?

And isn't such a passionate winemaker with a penchant for small batches of odd and quirky not tempted to plant a vineyard or two?

Hello Peter,

As far as grapes in Utah there are not many options currently. There are a few wineries that have vineyards planted in Southern Utah, but not a lot to choose from and I know Evan is big on Natural wine and I do not know of any farmed in a more natural style currently. As far as planting grapes here that is his goal. He has been a wine maker for many years, but only started his own operation maybe 5-7 years ago. The past couple years he's really blown up and is making more wine than ever so I believe he will soon be able to plant a vineyard in Utah.

[Jenise]

Kasey, I really envy you that Cortese. Fun wines, all of them. I take it Ruth is the owner of the winery, since she's not the winemaker?

Wonder about Jan Focus?

[Robin Garr]

Ha! The new month started on a holiday! I'll put something new up tomorrow morning, Bob.

Kasey, I really envy you that Cortese. Fun wines, all of them. I take it Ruth is the owner of the winery, since she's not the winemaker?

Actually there is no Ruth. Evan is the owner/wine maker and he didn't want to name it after himself. He chose Ruth, which is a book in the bible for the name... I'm sure there was a story behind why Ruth, but honestly I don't remember it

Graciano, so important to blending in Rioja wines, is rarely seen on its own. Had a gorgeous one at Contino when we were in Spain a few months ago, but here's the first one I've ever seen in the states.

2015 Principe de Viana Graciano (Tinto Roble), Navarra
Tastes like someone made wine out of the grape soda of my childhood. $13, not recommended.

Just picked up the 2010 Graciano from Magister Bibendi..the Rioja Graciano Reserva.