2021 SancerreDaniel Chotard
France | Loire
$39
Producers
Moving inland from the Ligurian coast, the terroir changes as you enter the foothills of the Alps. Here in the Rossese di Dolceacqua appellation, a few miles from the French border, vineyards are planted on narrow stone terraces and worked by hand, and the Rossese is richer and more structured than in coastal Italy. Alessandro Anfosso is the sixth generation to tend his family’s vines here, some of which are approaching 150 years old. His Fulavin bottling is a lovely pale cranberry color with a bit of anise on the nose. The wine offers a seductive red berry note, but also a savory balsamic element, balanced by a grippy, mineral backbone.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Rossese |
Appellation: | Rossese di Dolceacqua |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Liguria |
Producer: | Tenuta Anfosso |
Winemaker: | Alessandro Anfosso |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1977, 1998, .65 ha |
Soil: | Flysch |
Aging: | Aged for 12-13 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling, then 3-4 months in bottle before release |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
In the hills of western Liguria you’ll find Tenuta Anfosso, located in the town of Soldano, and the growing area (or DOC) known as Rossese di Dolceacqua. The grape grown here is the same Rossese as is planted throughout Liguria, but the terroir of Dolceacqua takes the grape to soaring new heights. The wines are reminiscent of Côte-Rôtie, with their combination of floral and roasted/bacon fat aromas and silky mid-palate with stoniness on the finish. There is a level of concentration, structure, spice, and minerality that the more fruit-driven Rossese from further east in Liguria does not possess.
A long, crescent-shaped sliver of mountainous coastline ranging from the French border in the west to that of Tuscany in the east, Liguria is a region of unrivaled Mediterranean charm. This applies not only to its colorful seaside villages and carefree, welcoming people, but also to the wines it produces—crisp whites and light reds designed to be quaffed with locally caught seafood.
Viticulture has thrived along these coastal hillsides since Etruscan times. Ancient stone terraces line the steep slopes all along the Riviera, many abandoned while others still host olive trees, lemon trees, and of course, the vine. What Liguria lacks in acreage, it makes up for in diversity and originality: home to numerous indigenous grape varieties, it produces wines of infectious local character.
The hallmarks of Ligurian wines are fragrant aromatics and lively freshness. Whites from grapes like Vermentino and Pigato capture the pervasive flavors of wild herbs and citrus with a sea-breeze salinity, while the rare reds from Rossese, among others, have a brightness of flavor that allows them to complement dishes from the sea or land—served with a slight chill, of course.
While Kermit’s history in the region is relatively recent, Liguria has rapidly become one of his favorite places to visit. It’s hard to blame him—enjoying a crisp, perfumed white with a platter of fried sea critters on the Mediterranean is definitely not the worst part of the job.
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Riviera Ligure di Ponente
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Riviera Ligure di Ponente
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Riviera Ligure di Ponente
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Colline Savonesi
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Riviera Ligure di Ponente
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Colline Savonesi
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Colline Savonesi
Tenuta Anfosso Italy | Liguria | Rossese di Dolceacqua
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa