October 2024 Newsletter
The Wines of Autumn
Welcome to the October 2024 Newsletter. This is the season of harvest, both literally for the farmers bringing squash, mushrooms, apples, and corn to farmer's markets or grapes to wineries, and figuratively for the rest of us, as we pull out the winter tablecloth, unearth the roasting bans and crock pots of cold weather cooking, and start testing recipes for Thanksgiving. Below are twelve wines for fall to accompany the harvest season.
The First Four: Unusual Wines from Unexpected Places
Newsletter features from unexpected corners of the map. Some of these are made from unfamiliar grapes, some come from surprising places, but all of them are delicious and a great value too!
Minco Jordanov is the heir to a successful agribusiness in North Macedon, but his true passion is to bring Macedonian wine to the world. This tiny country in the heart of the Balkan mountains is both very old and very new, founded both by popular referendum at the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and the Argead dynasty of the 7th century BCE, culminating with some guy named Alexander. Both the ancient royal emblem and the modern state flag feature a gold sun. Through all that history, Macedonia has always produced wine, and one of the most important vine growing regions of Macedonia is the Tikveš plateau: high, dry, and sunny, a place where the temperate Mediterranean and tempestuous Continental climate zones meet. Under the long-standing influence of Russia, Rkatsiteli migrated from Georgia and settled here, to become the most popular white variety of the country. Jordanov’s version combines the grape’s rich, zesty flavors with clean, cold, stainless-steel winemaking techniques to arrive at an irresistibly fresh, crisp wine with aromas of orange, lemon, ginger and acacia blossoms. On the palate, it is lean and refreshing and filled from end to end with citrus before a lip-smacking, mineral finish. An easy, breezy wine for parties.
The Aeolian Islands are a fascinating footnote to Sicily, a sprinkling of volcanic rock just north of the strait of Messina. The best known of them is Lipari, where most of the people live and where most of the vineyards are. Tenuta di Castellaro was founded in 2005 by Massimo Lentsch and Stefania Frattolillo, who spared no expense to build what is today the most important winery on the island. The winery only works with native varieties, and all their vines are trained on individual stakes, a labor intensive method that maximizes each vine’s exposure to sunshine. The Porticello cuvee, named for a famous Lipari beach, is made from six parts Carricante and four parts Moscato. These are two popular grapes in Sicily, but on this tiny offshore island they have a strong and distinct personality. Aromas come fast and furious of pineapple and ginger, tangerine and orange flower, cinnamon and Thai curry spices and salt. The palate also has a salt rim, with fresh squeezed orange juice and pineapple alongside smoky soil-driven minerality and lemon balm. Full bodied, with bouncy acidity and salty finish. Order up a halibut, lobster, or at least a full flavored black cod dish.
Denthis Stamnaki Peloponnese Roditis 2023 $15
It is curious that Roditis is considered an esoteric variety in the west, because it is Greece’s most common white variety. It is grown throughout Greece, from the mountains of northern Greece and the plains of Thessaly through the Peloponnese and several islands. It is one of those varieties – like Trebbiano in Italy – that suffers comparison to other grapes precisely because it is so useful. Roditis is hardy and yields a dependably heavy crop, and therefore never demands much attention from growers. This is a bit of a shame because even with just a little care and attention, it can make a remarkable wine. Stamnaki means “wine jug” in Greek, and Denthis is a cooperative partnership between small family growers and the American import house Eklektikon. Farming is done organically and the wine is made in cool stainless steel tanks to preserve the acidity and freshness of the wine. What results is an inexpensive, clear and fresh sipper with more character and intensity than most in this mold. There are aromas of apple, peach, lemon zest, flint, and granite minerality, followed by a palate with clean cut acidity, juicy lemon, chevre , mediterranean herbs and a dash of salt on the finish. A versatile food wine that’s particularly well fit for dishes featuring feta, lemon, and couscous.
Domaine Rière Cadène is a family domaine between the two rivers in the heart of Roussillon, the Têt and Agly. From 1904 to 1994, the family sold their vines to the local cooperative, but when Laurence and Jean-François took over, they began making it themselves with what they describe as “l’âme paysanne”, or “the peasant’s soul”. Their grapes are farmed organically, on river-born soils rich in granite and quartz pebbles. Le Garbinet is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache aged in concrete vats. The intention is to make humble, savory reds that fit all sorts of hearty dishes without straining the budget. The result is a classic roussillon table red, with strong syrah aromas of stewed black cherry and red currant, pipe smoke, Ethiopian coffee beans and olive tapenade. The palate betrays a touch of Grenache’s easy drinking character; lush, full bodied pie cherries and underbrush amidst steady tannins and herb-flecked earth. A waft of orange peel, fruit, and bitters lingers on the finish. Cassoulet would be appropriate on special occasions, but a Wednesday night burger would do too.
The Second Third: Classic Wines from Classic Places
These are the newsletter selections we’ve known and loved for years, wines so good that we just keep coming back for more.
When Julian Mus returned to his family Domaine after studying winemaking in Burgundy, he came with a passion to make wine of his own. Up to that point, the family were strictly growers selling their fruit to the local cooperative, but in 2005 he began making his own wines from vineyards in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the Cotes du Rhone surrounding. From the beginning, Julian intended to make wine using organic methods, a certification he achieved in 2012, and all his wines are meant to be approachable, neatly balanced, and pure. He uses no oak for any of his cuvees, from the highfalutin’ Chateauneuf to this humble Ju de Vie cuvee. Drawn from vineyards around the city of Orange, this is a blend of several favorite white Rhone varieties: Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, and a splash of Bourboulenc give aromas of roasted peach, orange whipped cream, and basil with Mediterranean garrigue notes of lavender and sage. The palate is full and softly textured but fresh tasting thanks to the stainless steel vinification, with notes of oranges, apricots, and a bit of rock salt. An ideal everyday white for the colder weather ahead. A wine for white bean stews and squash risotto.
One of southern Italy’s most iconic grape varieties, Aglianico is perhaps the most vivid expression of Campania’s terroir. Almost the whole state is pimpled with volcanic cones, and many of the region’s vineyards grow from black volcanic basalt mixed with clay. Along the banks of the Calore River and near the ancient Roman bridge after which the winery is named, Alessandro and Graziano di Stasio farm their family estate and make the wine with this profound sense of earth in mind. This entry tier Aglianico offers a rich backbone of peppercorns, lavender, and dry soil alongside notes of black cherry and chocolate. On the palate, brawny tannins support a rich array of cherry fruit, baking spices and more pepper. The di Stasio family are making this wine for food, so there’s acidity here too, enough to keep the wine in balance. This is a cheerfully rustic, sturdy wine meant for hearty dishes cooked over an open flame.
Domaine Brazilier Coteaux du Vendomois Blanc Tradition 2023 $16
The Coteaux du Vendômois appellation is a very old but often overlooked part of the Loire Valley. It is home to two varieties: the hipster’s darling red Pineau d’Aunis, and Chenin Blanc which always hits a bit different here than it does in Anjou, just a few miles to the south. Benoit Brazilier farms his family vineyards organically, deep limestone-infused clay plots nestled in a bend of the pastoral Loir River (The Loir is a tributary of the Loire. I’m not kidding) where the grapes take on a rare note of savory spice. The nose features notes of green apple, white pepper, lime and preserved lemon plus a classic dollop of beeswax and a much less classic note of holy basil. The palate is a fresh star burst of orange and lemon, with both limestone minerality and lime fruit flavor, acidity like a crisp autumn breeze, seamless texture and a deliciously clean finish that leaves behind some honeycomb. This is one of the best value Chenins we’ve seen in a while, with just as much concentration and poise as some $30 examples. Serve with seafood stews and creamy cheeses.
Marchesi di Gresy Barbera d’Asti 2022 $20
There are few wineries in Piedmont who make wine as reliably energetic, elegant, and refined as Marchesi di Gresy. At L&E, we have featured their wines frequently in newsletters, since whatever wines they make tend to be both delicious and excellent representations of their genre, from the humble Dolcettos all the way through their elegant Barbarescos. Marchesi di Gresy is a large company, making classic Piedmontese wines throughout the Langhe and Monferrato hills, guided by a simple philosophy. “The winemaking process does not overturn the work carried out in the vineyard, but completes it, enhancing the natural predisposition and identity of the grapes.” For their iconic Barbera d’Asti, this means organic farming and aging in a mix of old and large oak barrels that leave behind no flavors, but do a beautiful job of accentuating the wine’s plush, velvety texture and polishing the tannins until they shine. Aromas of black roses, cherry cordial, and tar-streaked earth lead into flavors of dried black cherry, leather, and rosewater that lingers through the finish. Serve with classic, hearty Italian dishes.
The Final Quartet: Unexpected Wines from Classic Places
We know where these wines come from, but each of these newsletter selections represents something new that’s happening in the region. Whether it’s a new style of winemaking or a rare grape getting some love, these wines all have something new to offer and exciting to offer.
Many of Alto Piemonte’s once famous vineyards were abandoned in the age of urban migration, when farmers throughout Italy left their farms behind in search of a better life in Turin or Milan. Francesco Brigatti’s grandfather was a rare fellow who went the other way, starting a family farm in 1920 outside the town of Suno in the heart of the Colline Novaresi, where snow-capped Alps limn the horizon. Two generations later, Francesco continues the work. In the 1950s, when southern Piedmontese wine became famous, the north remained out of the limelight, so grapes like Uva Rara persisted in cheerful obscurity. It is a grape with rare intensity and complexity, and Brigatti’s version is one of very few examples of it. Most Uva Rara is used to support Nebbiolo based blends, but on its own, we find a sharp-edged nose of raspberry fruit leather, blueberry-huckleberry compote, red clay, cinnamon, and black roses. We find a palate bursting at the seams with black raspberries and currants and clay and pepper, buzzing with acidity and framed by tannins that build, sip after sip, towards the finish where a hint of fennel lingers with the fruit. This is a Platonic pair with any sort of charcuterie board, but it will also do justice to butternut squash, roasted chicken, or bechamel pasta bakes.
Vinho Verde Alvarinho has graduated from its roots as a porch pounder for the hottest day of the year into a delicious and diverse answer to Spain’s Rias Baixas Albarino. One of the primary reasons Vinho Verde has been so elevated is Anselmo Mendes, who has long treated his grapes better than his peers. The Mendes Contacto cuvee became a standby at L&E and all over Portland as a high quality, low cost expression of Vinho Verde’s potential. Anselmo no longer makes Contacto - he sold that brand off for a hefty sum - but he has replaced it with this exceptional Alvarinho from the prestigious Monçao e Melgaco subzone, right on the border with Spain. The wine is lean, fresh, full of tension and energy. Notes of key lime, salty granite bedrock, lemon zest and quince come through on the nose. The palate comes as though shot from a cannon with white strawberry and lime fruit, eye-ticking acidity and a lightly creamy texture after some skin contact in the cellar. An inviting pair for scallops, oysters, crab, or clams.
Passe tout grain is a Burgundian phrase roughly translated as “all grapes welcome”. In Burgundy it’s an appellation title for wines blended from Pinot Noir and Gamay, and since that’s generally a no-no in the region, Passetoutgrain wines tend to be cheap, used to soak up all the sub-standard Pinot Noir unfit for real Burgundy. At least, that’s how things used to be. These days, the appellation has a small but dedicated fan club, and the undeniable charms these blends are capable of have even reached Oregon. Anne Amie, under the direction of winemaker Jay Somers since 2022, is the latest Willamette Valley winery to try their hand at blending these two noble grapes. This blend comes from vineyards in the Carlton Hills and Chehalem Mountains, and combines the suave texture and spices of Pinot Noir with the cheerful squishy berries of Gamay. Strawberries and raspberries, orange bitters and violets, and a touch of clay on the nose. The palate glows red with ripe berries and a starburst of orange. There’s good weight here, and the finish is clean and zesty.
No one knows what kind of wine the Etruscans made in Capezzana before the Romans came, saw, and conquered Tuscany, but they did make wine here. Aeons later, a local noble in Carmignano would take a shine to France’s Cabernets, both Sauvginon and Franc, and imported some vines in the 17th century to add to the native and ubiquetous Sangiovese and Canaiolo blends. With this addition, Carmignano’s wines quickly became famous for their hearty, earthy character and savory aroma. The Barco Reale dates back to 1626, originally a royal property but under the stewardship of the Contini Bonacossi family since 1926. This is an excellent entree to one of Tuscany’s most particular and surprisingly complex wines. Aromas of leather and limestone laced clay, oregano and cinnamon and dried black cherry with a hint of burnt orange peel. The palate has all the structural benefits of the Cabernets, elegantly architectural tannins and full body featuring flavors of thick skinned black cherries and blackcurrants, cinnamon, and smoky soil that lingers through the finish. Pull this wine out for the first stews of the fall.