2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
The northern Sardinian region of Gallura, a windswept land of craggy granite bluffs where the sea is never too far away, is the ideal habitat for the Vermentino vine. Carlo Deperu, who runs a small organic farm with his wife, Tatiana Holler, refuses to follow the enological handbook that homogenizes many local wines: he is one of the only producers in the entire appellation who does not inoculate, relying instead on wild yeasts to kick off fermentation following a brief period of skin maceration—a long-lost tradition here. He forgoes filtration, resulting in a white that is the slightest bit cloudy and benefits from aeration to fully come out of its shell. Carlo’s calculated approach to natural winemaking yields a fleshy, full-flavored Vermentino saturated with herbs, flowers, ripe orchard fruit, and an unmistakable Mediterranean signature. Go for it! You’ll notice a whole lot of wine in your wine.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentino |
Appellation: | Vermentino di Gallura |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Sardinia |
Producer: | Deperu Holler |
Winemaker: | Carlo Deperu |
Vineyard: | 8 years, 13 years |
Soil: | Limestone, marl, sandy decomposed granite |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Our first foray into Sardegna is very recent, and it only took one trip to fall in love with the island, its culture, and its wines. Similar to its northerly neighbor, Corsica, there is a strong regional identity here that goes far beyond its official status as one of Italy’s twenty regions. Its people are proud, strong-willed, and deeply attached to their traditions—a distinctive character often seen with island people and accentuated by its long history of invasions and outside rule.
This tumultuous past has resulted in diverse influences—Greek, Roman, Aragonese, Catalan, and Ligurian, just to name a few—that have shaped the island’s culture, language, cuisine, and wines over many centuries. While Vermentino and Cannonau (aka Grenache) reign, Sardegna also boasts a number of indigenous grapes that are capable of expressing something unique in its abundant variety of terroirs.
The Mediterranean plays a major role, providing cooling, salty breezes to coastal areas, while the rugged, mountainous interior is home to high-altitude sites where wines retain freshness in spite of the southerly latitude. The granitic highlands of Gallura and Barbagia come to mind as some of its most qualitative zones, but a range of soils, elevations, and varying distance to the sea mean that the island is capable of producing wines in all styles, from crisp whites to powerful reds and exquisite vini dolci.
The three growers we represent bring something new to the table, something fascinating that is not found elsewhere in Italy or even in nearby Corsica. Their wines evoke the rustic beauty of this fascinating island civilization, and of course, pair perfectly with the local cuisine, be it seafood-based or the hearty, earthy specialties of its interior.
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
Vigne Rada Italy | Sardinia | Alghero
Deperu Holler Italy | Sardinia | Isola dei Nuraghi
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico Riserva
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Delle Venezie
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria | Riviera Ligure di Ponente
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
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