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October 2024 Newsletter
Receive our Monthly Newsletter and Special Promotions. Stay up to date on new arrivals, sales, and events at our Berkeley shop.
October 2024 Newsletter
Table of Contents
- Vignedimare by Dixon Brooke
- Piedmont Values by Jane Augustine
- Skin Contact for a Cold Fall Night by Tom Wolf
-
Giovanni Montisci
Sardinian Masterpieces by Anthony Lynch -
2021 Vieux Télégraphe
Pinnacle of Elegance by Tom Wolf - Blancs de Loire by Jane Augustine
- Maxime Magnon by Anthony Lynch
- The Sun Comes to Shine in Chablis by Chris Santini
The magnificent Aeolian Islands are a string of volcanic islands north of Sicily that include Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli (an active v...
The magnificent Aeolian Islands are a string of volcanic islands north of Sicily that include Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli (an active volcano), Filicudi, and Alicudi. Capers are a primary local export, particularly from Salina and Lipari—the two largest and most populous of the islands—but Antonino “Nino” Caravaglio is at once the caper champion of the region and its wine maestro. He has built what is unquestionably the most qualitative collection of vineyards and wines in this little slice of Italy, an area of stunning beauty and fascinating maritime history. Grape-growing and winemaking have been a part of the fabric of life in these islands for millennia, and Nino seeks to preserve and enhance both local trades.
“Vignedimare” is Nino’s most recent project. In the harsh, yet fertile terrains of these islands he is attempting to revive their ancient, but largely abandoned viticultural traditions, most notably by planting a new vineyard on the sparse northeastern slopes of Stromboli. The grape of the Aeolian Islands is known as Malvasia di Lipari, made famous in ancient times by the sweet wines it produced. The variety has evolved here, undisturbed, to create its own unique identity, now rendering truly spectacular (especially in Nino’s impassioned and gifted hands) dry and aromatic white wines in addition to the late-harvest specialty. Nino has experimented tirelessly with various aging vessels and with skin-contact fermentation. The Vignedimare whites represent a pinnacle of achievement in his endeavors to vinify some of his Malvasia vineyards on Salina (“Abissale”) and Stromboli (“Verticale”) in small cask, yielding a more full-bodied and complex expression of these fragrant whites. These are among the best whites made in all the Mediterranean islands, and we are excited to introduce them to you. Give our retail team a call and they will happily back up my enthusiasm!
Buy this collection 2 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Salina Malvasia “Abissale”
Italy | Sicily
A textured and luscious dry white with the ravishing perfume of citrus blossoms and a real “wow” factor, this is a masterpiece from the maestro of the Aeolians.
2022 Salina Malvasia “Verticale”
Italy | Sicily
Soaring, imposing, and intense—I am looking forward to following it over the next decade.
Fall feels like the appropriate time to uncork this vibrant vino rosso, a baby Barolo of sorts. The grapes come from a superbly exposed hillside with ...
Buy this collection 4 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2023 Langhe Arneis
Italy | Piedmont
This dreamy wine, perfect for aperitivo, reaffirms that we should turn more often to Piedmont not only for our reds but also for our whites!
2021 Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba “Sörì Cristina”
Italy | Piedmont
Supple, pretty notes of freshly crushed blackberries and raspberries—it will pair well with pretty much anything.
2022 Rosso Dei Dardi
Italy | Piedmont
October Club Rouge ~ Perfumed Nebbiolo fruit and tender tannins encourage pulling the cork just for the sake of quenching one’s thirst.
2021 Barbera del Monferrato “Rosso Pietro”
Italy | Piedmont
Luscious, mouth-filling cherry fruit, a strong soil signature, and smooth tannins make this the perfect Barbera to cure your weeknight Italian craving.
Some of my favorite wine and food memories have come in Montreal, particularly during the latter months of the year in which no thickness of sock will...
Some of my favorite wine and food memories have come in Montreal, particularly during the latter months of the year in which no thickness of sock will keep your feet warm. Finding refuge inside a cozy, dimly lit bistro on one of those kinds of nights can make you do things you may rarely consider doing on a warmer, brighter evening back home...things like dig into course after course of rich, bone-warming dishes with nary a vegetable in sight or order an array of amber, translucent, and luminous nectars that are made from white grapes but don’t resemble most white wines you’ve tasted. These “skin-contact” or “orange” wines bear a little grip, fine grain, and a kaleidoscope of flavors, offering a perfectly radiant energy for the otherwise dark, frigid nights ahead.
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2023 Vin Orange “The New Chapter”
France | Alsace
Arthur Ostertag’s “Les Aventures de l'Agneau Masqué” series of orange wines have a new name each vintage.
2022 Vin de France Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Searching for something a bit funky to enliven your jaded palate? Look no further and prepare for an experience like none other.
2021 Vino Bianco “Modestu”
Italy | Sardinia
Old-vine Moscato from Sardinian mountaintops, 4 days on skins, fermented dry and aged in barrel—heavenly with sea urchin pasta
Turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and heaping plates of seafood pasta probably come to mind when you think of Sardinia. But the island, which has ...
Turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and heaping plates of seafood pasta probably come to mind when you think of Sardinia. But the island, which has the surface area of New Hampshire and boasts over one thousand miles of pristine coastline, shows a different face as soon as you head inland. With peaks reaching as high as 6,000 feet, its interior is remarkably mountainous—you’ll even find a ski resort. The shellfish served just an hour away is replaced by generous salumi platters, hearty stuffed pastas, gamey roasted meats, and all manner of flavorsome sheep’s milk cheeses.
To complement the local fare, wines made in these parts are similarly robust. Cannonau takes center stage, and nowhere on the island does the grape reach greater heights than in the village of Mamoiada. While summer days can reach scorching highs, the cool nights at elevation allow for a slow ripening resulting in rich, concentrated wines with sumptuous flavors and a welcome freshness.
Giovanni Montisci (pictured on this month’s cover) is indisputably the king of Mamoiada, his place among the cult classics of Italian wine backed by a twenty-year track record of otherworldly hand-crafted Cannonau from ancient vines. His emblematic “Barrosu” bottling exudes the sweet, voluptuous fragrance of red berries ripened by long hours of direct sunshine, enhanced by herbal hints and delicate floral notes. It echoes the tightrope balance of colossal structure with featherweight touch found in great Barolo.
Speaking of Barolo, years ago Montisci noticed a part of an old vineyard that did not look quite like the rest. Lo and behold, ten rows of Nebbiolo had been planted among the Cannonau vines. So was born the cheekily named “Barrolu,” a solitary barrel of Mediterranean mountain Nebbiolo offering a most unlikely—and utterly striking—new lens through which to experience Mamoiada’s granite terroir.
Montisci also creates a small amount of profound, elegant rosato, which my dad has likened to the Tempier Bandol rosés he tasted early in his career. Fermented naturally, aged in barrel, and bottled unfiltered, it goes against all the rules of modern commercial rosé production. You won’t regret uncorking this pure nectar of freshly pressed Cannonau berries.
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Cannonau di Sardegna
“Barrosu”
Italy | Sardinia
With intense flavors of blood orange, brambly fruit, licorice, and herbs, Barrosu is perfectly suited to a wide range of meat slow-cooked over coals.
2020 Vino Rosso “Barrolu”
Italy | Sardinia
You’d be right to be skeptical of a Nebbiolo from Sardinia, but from a top-notch terroir high in the mountains, it is something else entirely.
2022 Rosato “Barrosu”
Italy | Sardinia
To you serious rosé makers and drinkers: don’t miss tasting it!
During a recent visit to Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I was blown away by the harmony radiating throughout the Bruniers’ vineyards an...
During a recent visit to Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I was blown away by the harmony radiating throughout the Bruniers’ vineyards and cellar. In any family business, succession can be fraught, and in French wine, this is especially true. But at this storied domaine, the older generation could not have been more in sync with the younger and increasingly responsible generation.
What’s especially exciting about this unity is that it’s based on an intergenerational exchange of ideas rather than a one-way transmission. Brothers Frédéric and Daniel Brunier seem to have fully assimilated their children, Nicolas, Edouard, and Manon, into the domaine and opened the floor to new practices in the vines and cellar. The result is a commonly held respect for the terroir and traditions of the southern Rhône’s most illustrious appellation, joined with a youthful curiosity and reinforced quest for elegance and freshness.
What makes the 2021 La Crau so singular and special is that the more classic vintage conditions complemented the Bruniers’ pursuit of an exquisite and refined Châteauneuf. Full of finesse and alluring notes of black cherry, eucalyptus, mint, and garrigue, this is one of the most charming young La Craus I’ve tasted in recent years. Of course, it’s still Grenache grown under a southern sun and in a soil packed full with radiating rounded river stones, so there’s plenty of structure, flavor, and succulence. But if you welcome a soulful country rouge with a little more elegance and poise than usual, you’re in for a treat.
Dip your nose in a glass of Reverdy’s Sancerre to activate a mouthwatering response, Pavlovian in its immediacy. Reverdy’s Sancerre is the most ic...
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2023 Sancerre
France | Loire
Reverdy’s trademark is a generous flavor of blossoming flowers channeled over the palate, culminating in a finely etched mineral finish.
2023 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
France | Loire
October Club Gourmand ~ Farmed organically and fermented with native yeasts, it is a delicious and stimulating Loire white that provides guaranteed refreshment and pairs wonderfully with all sorts of salads and seafood.
2022 Quincy
France | Loire
October Adventures Club ~ You’ll appreciate the distinctive flavor profile: born from warmer soils, it tastes of ripe, succulent citrus devoid of grassiness, while boasting the same flinty nerve as a good Sancerre.
Maxime Magnon represents the future of French winemaking. It’s not that he is an up-and-coming producer: his domaine in the Languedoc’s Hautes-Cor...
Maxime Magnon represents the future of French winemaking. It’s not that he is an up-and-coming producer: his domaine in the Languedoc’s Hautes-Corbières is well established, and the consistency and deliciousness his wines have shown for years suggest he is at the peak of his powers. Rather, in a world of increasing uncertainty, Maxime has identified the necessary elements to reliably craft balanced, terroir-driven wines that are both soul-stirring and hedonistic. Farming very old vines, carefully choosing grape varieties best adapted to today’s climate, and thinking critically about regen-erative farming and natural winemaking techniques have made him an example to follow in his region and beyond. All that without losing sight of the goal: to make wines that have an identity, stand out from the masses, and keep you coming back for more until the bottle is empty.
Buy this collection 5 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Corbières Blanc “La Bégou”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Just different and obscure enough to deliver the thrill of introducing someone to a gorgeous wine that is familiar, but new.
2021 Corbières “Rozeta”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rozeta features the exuberant, inviting perfume and velvety wild fruit we expect from a wine that underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation.
2023 Vin de France Blanc “L’Estrade”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The imprint of the sun-kissed landscape of the Languedoc is clear, with aromas of honeysuckle and lime zest.
2023 Corbières Rouge “La Démarrante”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This is what happens when the Languedoc meets the Beaujolais: old Carignan and Cinsault fermented by carbonic maceration to make something light, fresh, and delicious.
2021 Corbières Rouge “Campagnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
100% Carignan from very old vines with immense depth but the immediate drinkability of a Cru Beaujolais.
For ages, Chablis rhymed with austerity, the town itself cold and seemingly under a constant gray and damp haze, the vignerons stone-faced and tacitur...
For ages, Chablis rhymed with austerity, the town itself cold and seemingly under a constant gray and damp haze, the vignerons stone-faced and taciturn, its wines tight and chalky in youth, often taking years to start to show their regal allure. It goes without saying that when a great Chablis would finally reveal its elusive charm, all was forgiven, and we’d head back for more, austerity be damned. Yet something happened in the last few years that I am pleasantly reminded of every time I crack open a bottle or stop in town for a bite and a drink. The sun seems to shine now in Chablis, the vignerons all seem to live a bit and smile often (even when the season is tough, as this summer has been), the town is animated and fun, and the wines seem to be following suit. The Lavantureux brothers’ Chablis, for example, positively dazzles—a word I would never have used to describe Chablis in the past—and it does so right off the bat, bright and tasty and loads of fun. No need to cellar and wait, but if you want to put some down, that dazzle’s not going anywhere anytime soon; it will only grow with time. Also check out Savary’s 2023 premier cru Vaillons, so young yet already abounding in that old-school saline, lemon-tinged regal Chablis tone that was once so elusive and long in coming. These bottlings are both compelling and delicious to the point that you really can’t keep your glass down for long. It’s a new dawn, a new day, and Chablis sure is feelin’ good.
Buy this collection 2 bottles
Wines in this Collection
2022 Chablis
France | Burgundy
September Club Chevalier ~ A crystal-clear translation of the Kimmeridgian limestone of Chablis—Chardonnay the way it can only taste from these soils.
2023 Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons”
France | Burgundy
An element of luscious, tender fruit that seems to coat the wine’s spinal chord of Kimmeridgian minerals.
The Singularity Sampler
There are very few wines across our portfolio of which we import just one example. Typically we offer plenty of variety within each, well, variety. Take Chardonnay, for instance, which has myriad distinct expressions spanning France and Italy among the stacks of our Berkeley shop (and online store). But only a dozen or so—of the more than one thousand wines we have in stock—are composed of a completely singular blend...
Shop the Sampler >
Vignedimare
by Dixon Brooke
The magnificent Aeolian Islands are a string of volcanic islands north of Sicily that include Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli (an active volcano), Filicudi, and Alicudi. Capers are a primary local export, particularly from Salina and Lipari—the two largest and most populous of the islands—but Antonino “Nino” Caravaglio is at once the caper champion of the region and its wine maestro. He has built what is unquestionably the most qualitative collection of vineyards and wines in this little slice of Italy, an area of stunning beauty and fascinating maritime history. Grape-growing and winemaking have been a part of the fabric of life in these islands for millennia, and Nino seeks to preserve and enhance both local trades...
Piedmont Values
by Jane Augustine
Fall feels like the appropriate time to uncork this vibrant vino rosso, a baby Barolo of sorts. The grapes come from a superbly exposed hillside with particularly poor soil, offering excellent concentration and character. Nebbiolo lovers will be smitten...
Skin Contact for a Cold Fall Night
by Tom Wolf
Some of my favorite wine and food memories have come in Montreal, particularly during the latter months of the year in which no thickness of sock will keep your feet warm. Finding refuge inside a cozy, dimly lit bistro on one of those kinds of nights can make you do things you may rarely consider doing on a warmer, brighter evening back home...
Giovanni Montisci
Sardinian Masterpieces
by Anthony Lynch
Turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and heaping plates of seafood pasta probably come to mind when you think of Sardinia. But the island, which has the surface area of New Hampshire and boasts over one thousand miles of pristine coastline, shows a different face as soon as you head inland...
2021 Vieux Télégraphe
Pinnacle of Elegance
by Tom Wolf
During a recent visit to Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I was blown away by the harmony radiating throughout the Bruniers’ vineyards and cellar. In any family business, succession can be fraught, and in French wine, this is especially true. But at this storied domaine, the older generation could not have been more in sync with the younger and increasingly responsible generation...
Blancs de Loire
by Jane Augustine
Dip your nose in a glass of Reverdy’s Sancerre to activate a mouthwatering response, Pavlovian in its immediacy. Reverdy’s Sancerre is the most iconic of the three Sancerre domaines we bring in, a beacon of excellence like Tempier is to Bandol...
Maxime Magnon
by Anthony Lynch
Maxime Magnon represents the future of French winemaking. It’s not that he is an up-and-coming producer: his domaine in the Languedoc’s Hautes-Corbières is well established, and the consistency and deliciousness his wines have shown for years suggest he is at the peak of his powers. Rather, in a world of increasing uncertainty, Maxime has identified the necessary elements to reliably craft balanced, terroir-driven wines that are both soul-stirring and hedonistic...
The Sun Comes to Shine in Chablis
by Chris Santini
For ages, Chablis rhymed with austerity, the town itself cold and seemingly under a constant gray and damp haze, the vignerons stone-faced and taciturn, its wines tight and chalky in youth, often taking years to start to show their regal allure. It goes without saying that when a great Chablis would finally reveal its elusive charm, all was forgiven, and we’d head back for more, austerity be damned. Yet something happened in the last few years that I am pleasantly reminded of every time I crack open a bottle or stop in town for a bite and a drink. The sun seems to shine now in Chablis, the vignerons all seem to live a bit and smile often (even when the season is tough, as this summer has been), the town is animated and fun, and the wines seem to be following suit...
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171