SEA SLOPES: An Elegant and Pure Sonoma Chardonnay by Philip S. Kampe

   

Some California style Chardonnays leave a lot to be desired. Others, like Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast  2017 Chardonnay are right  on the money. Its faintly, buttery complexity is both balanced and pure on the palate.

Produced in a rugged coastal terrain , by Fort Ross Vineyard, the grapes blossom in the cool maritime breezes of the Pacific Ocean. The Sonoma Coast is one of the largest AVAs in Sonoma,  covering over 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares).

The first taste of the wine revealed minimal oak. The reason was obvious, part of the grapes remained in stainless steel for ten months, while a smaller percentage of the yield swam in neutral used French oak barrels. Together, their marriage was consummated into a lovely child, full of freshness, complexity and whispers of saline from the nearby ocean.

Winemaker, Jeff Pisoni, along with the guidance of owners, Linda and Lester Schwartz, has crafted a very special wine that speaks of the terroir.  Its not your typical buttery, toasty California style Chardonnay, but, one that is velvety on the edges and elegant on the palate.

Its my Valentines wine of choice this year.

If you know me and my New Orleans background, it should be easy to understand that this silky wine loves seafood. I’m cooking catfish as a main course, shucking oysters as our appetizer and slurping gumbo somewhere in-between.

Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2017 will tie the knot-in essence, intertwine the culinary delicacies with a terroir driven wine that beckons to brighten the palate.

Valentine’s Day is upon us.
This wine should be on your table.
At under $30 a bottle, its hard to resist.

Philip S, Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com.

GALIA 2016 A True Masterpiece from Danny Garcia-Pita and Jerome Bougnaud by Philip S. Kampe

Hand harvested, old age Tempranillo (Tintoretto Fino) , Garnacha and Albillo varieties from organic practices make up this overly enticing nineteen (19) month old and new (15%)  oak barrel aged red wine from Vino de Mesa in Castilla y Leon, Spain.

Proprietors Danny Garcia-Pita and Jerome Bougnaud collaborated on the project. Garcia-Pita is the solo winemaker at El Regajal Winery in Madrid, while Jerome Bougnaud, who has ties with El Regajal,  led the reins for this project.

The area in and around the Duero is rich in clay, limestone, sand and gravel. The vines are situated somewhere between 2,700 and 4,000 feet (800-1000 meters) and are hand harvested from more than fifty (50) parcels scattered along the Duero River, which include  the provinces of Galia, Segovia and Valladolid

Galia was the province that Jerome Bougnaud personally rescued. The vines, as explained by Nicola Thornton of the Spanish Palate (www.spanishpalate.es) were abandoned  and became a personal project of Bougnaud to rescue the old vines in and around Ribera del Duero. Jerome Bougnaud comes from a family of winemakers. He is the fourth generation, whose roots began in the Cognac region of France.

Bougnaud has established himself in Spain, having worked with Peter Sisseck at Quinta Sardinia, Pingus and El Regajal, where his friendship with Danny Garcia-Pita began.

Galia.s claim to fame and consistent high ratings have come from the complexity of the wine, in part, due, to the soil profile and the old age of the vines. The abandoned vines were close to, but, outside of the Ribera del Duero region. It seems that location doesn’t matter, as the wine truly represents what the Duero Valley is all about.

The three grapes used were from different areas and from different soils. They were fermented separately with indigenous yeasts in French barrigue. Unparalleled balance, mid-palate seduction and summers freshness describe the end result of this project of Jerome Bougnaud and Danny Garcia-Pita.

GALIA 2016 is age-worthy and can be cellared for years to come.

El Regajal Winery Is Madrid’s Finest And Its Home To 77 Butterfly Species by Philip S: Kampe

Winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita Excels at El Regajal Winery in Madrid!

Its fun for innovative sustainable winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita of El Regajal Winery to take a much needed rest between tasks and sit in the garden of the winery, have a glass of wine and count the number of  butterfly species that fly overhead.

If you visit this winery, also home for many weddings, the attraction is not only the wine, but, the butterflies, which obviously inspired the vineyard to choose tasteful butterfly focused wine labels for their bottles.

Since nature has always been the goal and philosophy of the winery, the winemaking facilities are underground, so as not to interfere with the landscape of the property, which houses olive trees, fruit trees and plants.

The bodega has been home, since the 1800.s , to butterflies.
 Presently, there are seventy-seven (77) species.
Many are rare.

On a recent visit to the vineyard, this February,  I had the opportunity to spend much of the day with winemaker Garcia-Pita.

My outcome of the day was obvious, He is a man with a vision who makes exceptional wines that consistently receive high ratings..An old friend of mine, Nicola Thornton , founder of the Spanish Palate (www.spanishpalate.es) arranged the visit and afternoon meal at a local eatery.

We tasted several wines in the back room of the restaurant from Nicola’s ‘Spanish Palate portfolio. I’ll mention them at a later date on FB. What the day was about was Danny and his wines.

What I learned from the winemaker was that his blends proportions were different each year.

 His winemaking techniques include biodynamic practices, controlled fermentation, malolactic fermentation and up to date berry selection. Both oak and stainless steel are used for aging.

New vines were planted in 1998 through 2001.

The varieties planted focused on Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Merlot. The 2,000 foot altitude property houses the 40 acres of vineyard, which produce close to 100,000 bottles annually, The elevated location, with hot summers with cool nights. A microclimate is the end result,

Walking through the vineyards, it was not hard to notice the chalky top soil, which gave way to a sandy base that had clay characteristics seeping through the middle layer.

The biodynamic philosophy incorporates the idea that ‘soil is a living being,’ which winemaker Danny Garcia-Pita observes.

With all this in mind and a quality vineyard miles from the Prado, it was hard to comprehend what my reaction would be to the wines. The story was enticing, but, would the wines match-up to the foreplay?

I’m happy to say the two wines (several vintages) from the vineyard that I tasted threw me off the edge. Not only did all of the wines taste well above their price point, all of the wines had the same above average quality that made your palate ask for more.

In a project with Jerome Bougnaud, Regajal produces a wine that uses grapes from in and around the Ribera del Duero region.  Higher altitude, along with old vines paired with microclimates insure the grapes used in the wine, Galia,, success. Tempranillo (87%) Ganacha (9%) Albillo (4%) make up this wine from Castilla y Leon.

Look for any vintage of:El Regajal wines and you will find terroir driven wines that are medium to full bodied, fruit driven and food friendly.with a long finish.

I am fully impressed and satisfied with all the wines I sampled. Try any vintage of the ‘Butterfly Wines’ and see if you agree with me.

El REGAJAL Seleccion Especial
Las Retamas del REGAJAL (French oak)

Also, GALIA (Castilla y Leon)

Philip S, Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Bodegas CARO Winery-A First Choice for Serious Celebratory Occasions by Philip S- Kampe

Its my wife’s Birthday (January 29th). We will be in Spain ( Madrid) to celebrate this once a year tradition. My baggage will be checked, fortunately, so, I’ll be able to bring wine with me. I am going to pack a great vintage bottle of Champagme and one of Maria’s bottles of red wine-specifically an Argentinian bottle of Bodegas CARO 2016, a Bordeaux red blend from Mendoza ($60).

This is the red wine Maria loves.

 Its a very interesting wine, A wine made between a partnership that combines Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena Family. The partnership began in 1999. The idea was to combine Argentine and French ingenuity into one wine that focuses on each countries signature grapes-Malbec from Argentina and Cabernet Sauvignon from France.

The first vintage was in 2000, at the Bodegas CARO winery, in the heart of Mendoza.

The Catena family has produced wine for four generations, so, its knowledge of what terroir for Malbec was best was not an issue. Barons Rothschild skills of vinifying and ageing Cabernet Sauvignon from centuries of winemaking added expertise that did not exist with the Catena family. The high altitude grapes that were selected from the family vineyard came from the most respected terroir in their winery. All grapes are harvested by hand and are immediately sorted after harvest. Both grapes are aged separately for 18 months in specially toasted oak barrels. The elegance and structure of Cabernet Sauvignon marries Malbecs powerful, fruity profile.

The rest is magic and a wine that should be shared during special occasions.
Think Valentines Day!

CARO is made from 74% Malbec and 26% Cabernet Sauvignon
The winemaker is Philippe Rolet
14%abv
CARO has soft tannins, is well balanced with a refreshing acidity. Its intense ruby color and complex aromas allure your tastebuds. The first sips leads you to wanting the second. And a third....

Philip S. Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

GAIA Red Blend 2018 An Argentine Secret by Philip S. Kampe

The postman came by the house with a small package for me.

Minutes later, I pulled out a gorgeously labeled bottle of wine from the producer, Domaine Bosquet from red wine country in Argentina, specifically Mendoza.

The red blend consists of Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon,

I poured the wine. It was dark, ruby red in the glass with obvious aromas of menthol and black licorice that blew you away, followed by  faint plum and ground black pepper odors. The fragrance was very seductive. You could stop there and your mind would be full of curiosity because the lead up to the palate taste was special.

My palate opened up immediately once I modestly sampled the first drops of this wine. I took immediate pleasure with its depth and intensity. As I enjoyed the second sip, it was obvious this was a full-bodied, silky wine with that irresistible smoky element that was married with black licorice and violet lozenges from my youth.

The intense, smooth flavor lingered in my palate for several minutes.

At well under $20 a bottle and age worthy, this is a wine to drink now and put away for the future.

Philip S, Kampe
Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com

Tenuta del Meriggio’s Luscious 2017 DOCG Greco di Tufo by Philip S. Kampe

Its been less than a month since I had the opportunity to overdose on the best 2017 Greco di Tufo that I had the opportunity to sample, or should I say, drink non-stop during my visit to the vineyards of Tenuta del Meriggio in Irpinia (Campania) Italy.

The vineyard was acquired by the Pizza Family (yes, that’s their real name) in 2010. Father and mother, Bruno and Nunziz, with their college age kids, Saverio and Emilia, run the family business from their estate near the town of Avellino.

On my recent visit, I felt connected with both the family and the wine. Its not the only wine from Tenuta del Meriggio that I fell in love with, but, just the first one I will tell you about. Its aged in stainless steel, bright yellow like papayas, full of minerality, as fresh as a newborn and as bright as the sun. The rounded taste lingers for minutes, a true invitation to sip more.

Historically, Geco di Tufo was transplanted to the village of Tufo in 1660. It is truly a noble grape with an ancient origin and considered the most prestigious white grape from Irpinia. Originally, it was brought to the region 2,500 years ago by Greek settlers.

And today, I believe Tenuta del Meriggio may be producing the best Greco di Tufo in the history of the grape.
What do you think?

Philip S. Kampe
philip.kampe@thewinehub.com.

Dueling Pistols Tense Wine Blend from Terlato by Philip S. Kampe

                             Dueling Pistols Red Wine Blends Shoots to Win the Market

‘Dueling Pistols’ red blends may be considered both a disruptive and innovative wine at the same time. The wine label is tension-packed, opening a story line the consumer can be part of. We are talking about you, Gen X., the consumer. You are the generation that wants to understand the products you consume, both visually and in this case, internally.

Tension in the bottle is when the two blends in each bottle duel for superiority. Both blends are bold, but, in different ways. The Paso Robles is half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Petit Sirah, while the Dry Creek is half Zinfandel and half Syrah. Get the idea?  Competing varietals fighting for dominance only make good bed partners who work together in the end.

Somehow, the Dueling Pistols (the two varietals) emerge as one.

Its not magic, but, intrigue, on the winemakers part. Both wines rested in French Oak (American & Hungarian) for fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) months. During that period, interplay between the varietals peaked, having end products blend into one.

What I thought about the wines:

Dueling Pistols Dry Creek Red Blend 2016   (50% Zinfandel  50% Syrah)   $49.99
Bright cherry aromas, lively acidity, lots of spice, dense, 50 year old Zinfandel vines and twelve (12) Syrah vines planted in clay soils, velvety in the mid-palate.

Dueling Pistols Paso Robles Red Blend 2016    (50% Cabernet Sauvignon & 50% Petite Sirah)   $49.99
This is certainly a tough wine to master. Rarely planted Petite Sirah, with its huge, intense tannins are hard to balance. Bring on a Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and you have met your match. The result is a jammy, dense, soft edged wine with under the ocean tannins that linger throughout the night. Sweet plum and black cherry dominate the palate.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com