2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
When on the hunt for crisp everyday whites, it is natural to turn to appellations like Chablis, Mâcon, or Sancerre—the tried and true old reliables. But with yields down in Burgundy and prices for good Sancerre slowly creeping up, why not branch out and travel off the beaten path to find real value and experience new flavors?
That road leads right to Corte Gardoni, the Veneto farm run by the Piccoli family just south of Lake Garda. Founder Gianni Piccoli, who is all but retired and has handed the keys to the kingdom to his three sons, is something of a local legend. Having resisted the wave of globalization that saw native grape varieties uprooted in favor of international ones, this man is a hero to like-minded peers. And Gianni is an outlier in more ways than one: he has also proudly refused to raise his prices over the years, allowing us to continue offering his wines at bargain cost.
“Mael” is the more refined of Corte Gardoni’s two whites, and the value it provides is stupendous. A masterful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano, Trebbianello, and Riesling, this perfumed charmer punches far above its weight, delivering aromatic complexity in spades, pinpoint precision on the palate, and a stony finish that exudes pure class.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Garganega, 20% Trebbiano, 20% Trebbianello, 20% Riesling |
Appellation: | Bianco di Custoza |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Veneto |
Producer: | Corte Gardoni |
Winemaker: | Piccoli Family |
Vineyard: | 7 - 25 years, 25ha total |
Soil: | Moraine |
Aging: | Several months of aging in stainless steel before bottling |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto | Corvina Veronese IGT
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto | Bardolino
Sommariva Italy | Veneto | Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Recioto della Valpolicella
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto | Gambellara
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Italy’s most prolific wine region by volume, the Veneto is the source of some of the country’s most notorious plonk: you’ll find oceans of insipid Pinot Grigo, thin Bardolino, and, of course, the ubiquitous Prosecco. And yet, the Veneto produces the highest proportion of DOC wine of any Italian region: home to prestigious appellations like Valpolicella, Amarone, and Soave, it is capable of excelling in all three colors, with equally great potential in the bubbly and dessert departments.
With almost 200,000 acres planted, the Veneto has a wealth of terroirs split between the Po Valley and the foothills of the Alps. While the rich soils of the flatlands are conducive to mechanization, high yields, and mass production of bulk wine, the areas to the north offer a fresher climate and a diversity of poor soil types, ideal for food-friendly wines that show a sense of place. Whether it’s a charming Prosecco Superiore from the Glera grape, a stony Soave or Gambellara from Garganega, or a Corvina-based red in any style, the Veneto’s indigenous grape varieties show real character when worked via traditional production methods.
Since his first visit in 1979, Kermit has regularly returned to the Veneto to enjoy its richness of fine wines and local cuisine. Our collaboration with Corte Gardoni, our longest-running Italian import, is a testament to this. The proximity of beautiful cities like Verona and Venice, with their deep culinary heritage, certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto | Colli Trevigiani Verdiso
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto | Gambellara
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto | Bardolino
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto | Colli Trevigiani
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Amarone della Valpolicella
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto | Veneto IGT
Sommariva Italy | Veneto | Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto | Corvina Veronese IGT
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