Welcoming Spring with a Wine Traditions Tasting

Domaine les 5 Wy Arbois Chardonnay Origine 2019, Jura  $26.99

Yohann Widmer spent a year in medical school before a summer job at the cooperative Fruitiere Vinicole d’Arbois set him on the wine path. No doubt the parents were thrilled. Viticulture/Oenology school soon followed (shoulda called his domaine Scalpels to Secaturs! Opportunity missed!). Anyway, in 2003 he rented 1 hectare of vines that he later purchased, then became a member of the aforementioned Fruitiere Vinicole d’Arbois. In 2012, Yohann had expanded his holdings to 7 hectares; by 2017 he realized that he wanted to vinify his own harvest, under his own domain name, rather than be part of the cooperative. So, now, here we are, with Domaine les 5 Wy. What does les 5 Wy mean? No one knows! Yohann let his kids name the domain, and that’s what they got. 

This fresh and elegant chardonnay is from hand-harvested grapes, direct pressed, and aged in oak and vats for a year, with minimal SO2. It’s medium-bodied with notes of white flowers and brioche, with lively minerality. 
 

Terres du Gaugalin Les Déferlantes 2021, Vin de France (Gard) $25.99

Note from the importer (got lazy on this one):

On the right bank of the Rhône in the Gard department, Angela Weidner and Maxime Aerts assembled three hectares of vines in the forested hills near the village of Saint-Alexandre. With recently gained diplomas in oenology and agroecology, they created Terres du Gaugalin (ground of poppies) and began their winemaking adventure in 2018. Their vineyards, planted in the 1970s are both hard to access and labor-intensive to farm. Angela and Maxime have farmed organically from the beginning and the estate is in conversion to organic certification. They produce three wines: Grande Rando – a red wine, Déferlantes – an almost red wine, and, Clair Obscure – a Pet Nat, all without any intervention or additives. 

Déferlantes is 80% Carignan, 20% Grenache, hand-harvested. It’s fermented whole cluster with carbonic maceration. It’s almost rosé, almost red with aromas and flavors of wild strawberries and a fresh earthiness. 

Les Raisins Suspendus Embruns des Cimes Rouge 2021, Hautes-Alpes $29.99

This is another wine produced by Angela and Maxime, but at their property in the Hautes-Alpes, Raisins Suspendus. The couple started farming and restoring vineyards here in 2020. They actually moved their cellar here, and it's now possible that they have the highest elevation cellar in all of France. The 1.5 hectares of vineyards are on hillsides (pictured above) at 800-1000 meters above sea level, overlooking the Durance, on soils made up predominantly of limestone, marl, and alluvium from when the land was covered by glaciers. The vineyards are centuries old, comprised of numerous Alpine varieties, many of which remain unidentified. It is a process. 

This is a light, brisk mountain red with lively minerality & hints of bramble. Vinified whole cluster, semi-carbonic. Organic.

Grapes include: Mollard, Mondeuse noir, Espanenc, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Barbaroux, Grec Rose, Alicante, Aramon, Chancellor, Portugais bleu, Morrastel, Mourvedre, Alicante bouchet, Jurançon, Syrah, Grec rouge, Cinsaut, Gamay, Cabernet Franc.

Domaine La Luminaille Apis Rouge 2021, Rhône $21.00

Winemaker Julie Paolucci’s property is located in the “quartier” of Rasteau called “la lumière”; it includes 12 hectares of vines and 3 hectares of olive trees. The name Luminaille refers to the special local light of the full moon that reflects off the leaves of the olive trees, illuminating the vineyards. Rasteau is one of the more successful Côtes du Rhône villages in the southern Rhône, making some wines that rival Châteauneuf-du-Pape with their concentrated, complex flavors and aromatics.

Julie is the fifth generation of her family to farm here, having returned to the property in 2014 after working as a sommelier in Paris. Prior to her return, her father Jean-Claude worked the vineyards and developed them to the point where Julie could immediately begin the organic certification process. Over the years she has continued to develop a personal style of winemaking that is un-manipulated and elegant. 

Apis Rouge is old-vine Carignan & Grenache, without added SO2. Made via carbonic-maceration in cement vat with indigenous yeast; bottled unfiltered. The color is deep purple, the nose evokes violets & red fruits. On the palate it’s fruity & round with hints of plums & licorice. Tannins are fine & smooth.

*All pics stolen from the producer's sites, we're assuming they won't mind! 

New arrivals: 

This is just a small sampling of what has arrived recently. Apologies, we just don't have enough time to get all of this info out into the world as well as on the shelves! 

Grosjean Vallée d'Aosta Pinot Noir 2021 $31.99

Notes from the importer, Rosenthal: 

The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d’Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle. During the summer months, the family cultivated grapes and chestnuts on the slopes at lower altitude, stocking up on wine to supply themselves over the long winters. In 1969, Dauphin Grosjean, the father of the five sons that now collaborate to produce the wines of this estate, was encouraged to present his wine at the local “wine expo.” The exceptional quality of his work was recognized and the entire family became engaged in the expansion of the vineyards and in the production of wine.
 

The estate has now grown to encompass seven hectares of vineyards. The domaine is located in the hamlet of Ollignan on the border of the towns of Quart and Saint Christophe and includes “cru” vineyard sites such as Tzeriat, Rovettaz, Creton and Touren in Quart, plus Tzantè de Bagnere, Merletta and Castello di Pleod in Saint Christophe. After starting out with the traditional Petit Rouge along with some Gamay, Pinot Noir and Petite Arvine, the Grosjeans have planted other local varietals such as Fumin, Cornalin, Premetta and Vuillermin. Sustainable farming techniques have been in place since 1975: only organic fertilizers are applied and no pesticides or herbicides are used. Natural yeasts are utilized for fermentation.

This is a soft, expressive Pinot Noir. Fermented and aged for 8 months in large oak barrels, it's fruit forward with hints of earthy/toastiness. Finishes with silky tannins. 

We got a little bit of La Garagista, and we might get a little bit more. 
 
We currently have:

Field Studies Blood Root Kindle Sparkling Red Wine 2021, $32.99

Loups-Garoux Vermont Rouge 2019, $46.99

Ti'Quette Piquette Pet-Nat 2021, $29.99

Here's an article on La Garagista in the New York Times from earlier this month...might have a paywall, can't tell. 

Our March wine club picks will be hitting the floor today or tomorrow. No pics online yet, but you can get a peek at the two Italian producers here and here. We've included basic notes, not all the club notes.