2019 LE ROCHER DES VIOLETTES – lOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
Chenin blanc
Winemaking details: After studying winemaking and working around France, Xavier Weisskopf bought land with vines in Montlouis in the Loire Valley and began farming some old vines and making wine. The estate is certified organic and he has gained quite a following in the last few years. This Chenin blanc comes from 60 year old vines planted to silex and limestone based soils. After hand harvesting and pressing, the juice ferments with indigenous yeasts, mostly in steel tanks and a small portion in used large French Oak barrels. It is aged 7 months before bottling.
Color: Pale straw
Bouquet: Honeysuckle, lime blossom, fresh peaches, apple.
Palate: This is a bright a mineral driven Chenin blanc with beautiful balance. It has great acidity and a soft texture, and finishes long with a honied note. This is a great cheese wine, pairing well with a wide range of flavors from chèvre to comté to blue. It would also be a fine accompaniment to crab cakes or grilled halibut with blood orange citrus salad.
This wine is quite expressive and tasting great now, but will hold for another 1-2 years.
Further information can be found here: https://en.lerocherdesviolettes.com/
2017 krater celalrs – El dorado, california
Cabernet Franc
Winemaking details: The Camino Alto Vineyard sits at 2900 feet above sea level and is greatly influenced by the cool mountain air during the nights of the growing season. The soils are volcanic influenced and have a unique red clay component. These grapes are hand harvested, fermented 100% whole cluster with native yeasts, and pressed to neutral oak. The wine undergoes native malolactic fermentation and rests in barrel for 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur.
Color:
Bouquet: Blueberry compote, black pepper, lavender, fresh plums, wet asphalt
Palate: This is a bright and aromatic style of Cabernet franc, with a medium body and slightly grippy but soft tannin. It is lively and thirst quenching, bursting with flavors and leaving you with a lingering spicy finish. This wine would be great with wild mushroom ragout, braised lamb shoulder, or frankly any type of game.
This wine is tasting great now, and will cellar for up to 5 years.
Further information can be found here: http://www.kratercellars.com/