2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
When you’re a garagiste winemaker in Sauternes, and Mother Nature has other plans for your crop, you have to pivot. Life throws you lemons—or hail, or frost—so you make lemonade, or, rather, razor-sharp vins secs (if you’re as talented as Daniel Alibrand). It’s only fitting that Daniel, a fisherman in a previous career, in the face of one tough vintage after another, would end up making the kind of dry whites that have you craving oysters, scallops, and tiny, briny sea creatures. Clean and saline on the nose, balanced with fruits like ground cherry and sweet citrus—one whiff will make your mouth pucker in anticipation. Perfect for spring flings and outdoor gatherings.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Sémillon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Producer: | Domaine de l'Alliance |
Vineyard: | Average of 50 years |
Soil: | Gravel, Clay, Sand |
Aging: | Vinified in neutral barrels, raised sur lie with regular stirring of the lees for a year before bottling |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | IGP Atlantique
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | IGP Atlantique
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | Vin de France
Château Haut-Lariveau France | Bordeaux | Fronsac
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | IGP Atlantique
In Sauternes, an appellation that is more well-known for wine châteaux than for the talented people that work the soil and make the wine, Valérie and Daniel Alibrand are braving it on their own without the safety net enjoyed by their more established neighbors. The Alibrands are relatively new to wine, having started Domaine de l’Alliance in 2005, upon the purchase of the vines from Valérie’s side of the family.
They farm seven hectares of vineyards in the village of Fargues and they are fortunate to have old vines, which impart fabulous complexity to the wine. Alliance refers to the marriage between man and nature, and the salamander on the label pays tribute to the many they regularly find in their vineyard.
Often considered the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux and its wines have captured the minds, hearts, and wallets of wine drinkers for centuries. For many, the wines provide an inalienable benchmark against which all other wines are measured.
Bordeaux is divided into three winegrowing regions with the city that gives the region its name in the near geographical center. The “right bank,” or the area located east of the Dordogne River, produces wines that are predominantly Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The “left bank” is located to the west of the Garonne River and produces wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
The third region, Entre-Deux-Mers, lies between both rivers and produces white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Though technically in the left bank, it is worth noting the appellation of Sauternes, which produces arguably the world’s most famous sweet wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle as well.
Though many top Bordeaux wines are sold en primeur (in advance of their bottling) and often through a middleman known as a negoçiant, Kermit has always preferred to purchase directly from the winemaker. For more than three decades he has sought out small producers, who make classic Bordeaux wines and are willing to play outside the negoçiant system. This ethic has led to longstanding relationships, excellent prices, and perhaps most important—wines of great value and longevity.
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux | Pomerol
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux | Pomerol
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
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Château de Bellevue France | Bordeaux | Bordeaux Blanc
Château Belles-Graves France | Bordeaux | Lalande-de-Pomerol
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | IGP Atlantique
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.
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
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