2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
A young-vine Grenache produced naturally and released early, this atypical Côtes-du-Rhône is designed specifically to quench thirst while showcasing the scrumptious flavor of fermented biodynamic grapes. The domaine’s organic approach to viticulture and nonintervention in the cellar may strike some as rebellious, yet the Gramenons humbly point out that “thirty years ago, we called that ‘working normally’!” In a landscape dominated by mass-market, technological Côtes-du-Rhône, however, these wines are anything but normal. Hand-harvesting, native yeast fermentations, élevage without any new oak, and negligible doses of sulfur are just a few of the factors that make Gramenon’s wines alive, expressive, and difficult to stop drinking. Serve this one cool, from a carafe, with a plain old burger—generously seasoned with herbes de Provence.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grenache |
Appellation: | Côtes-du-Rhône |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine Gramenon |
Winemaker: | Michèle Aubèry-Laurent & Maxime François Laurent |
Vineyard: | 4-30 Years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone varied with gravel, galets roulés, and/or sand |
Aging: | Grapes macerate for 15 days in cement cuve, Wine ages for 12 months in barriques |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.3% |
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The southern Rhône valley is Grenache country. It’s also known for its stones. With a viticulture history dating back well before the Popes arrived in the 12th century and one of France’s oldest appellations d'origine contrôlée, Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, the southern Rhône is unquestionably one of France’s best known and premier winegrowing regions. The wines have the pedigree and age-worthiness of Burgundy and Bordeaux, but with a rustic, Mediterranean character. Like most wines from southern France, the reds, whites, and rosés are blends. Filling out the Grenache for the reds and rosés, you’ll often find Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. The common white grape varieties are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne among others. From the alluvial riverbed stones found in Lirac, Tavel, and Châteauneuf to the limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail that influence Beaumes-de-Venise (where you’ll find excellent Muscat), Vacqueyras, and Gigondas, great terroir abounds.
Kermit’s entrance in the region came in the mid 1970s on his first trip with Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters. On that trip, Richard introduced Kermit to the Brunier family of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Soon after, Kermit began importing the Brunier’s wines—their Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” bottling remains a staple of our portfolio today. In the late 1990s Kermit teamed up with the Brunier family to purchase the famed Gigondas estate, Domaine Les Pallières. More than 40 years later, we now import wines from fifteen southern Rhône domaines spanning the entire area of the region.
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône | Côtes du Rhône
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Vin de Pays de Vaucluse
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône | Beaumes-de-Venise
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône | Côtes du Rhône
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174
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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