2019 PEDROLONGA RIAS BAIXAS BLANCO – GALICIA, SPAIN
Albariño
Winemaking details: The Pedralonga Estate Vineyard has been farmed organically since it was planted in 1982, and in 2007 biodynamic practices were introduced. They have seven small plots planted on granitic based sandy loam soils in the Rías Baixas region in the Northwest of Spain, just 10 miles from the Atlantic. These grapes are hand harvested and whole cluster pressed to stainless steel tanks where they undergo a cool fermentation by native yeasts. The wine completes a full secondary malolactic fermentation, and is aged on lees in stainless steel tanks for an extended period of time before it is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with just a small addition of sulfur.
Color: Pale Yellow
Bouquet: White peaches, pomelo, beeswax, golden apple, lemon curd, grapefruit pith, ocean air
Palate: This wine is quite a classic example of Albariño, with bountiful aromatics, racy acidity, a medium body, and a mouthwatering mineral finish. It is long, lively, and playful with a slightly creamy texture from the time on lees. The notes of subtle white flowers, stone fruits, citrus, and honey carry on from the nose to the palate. A great wine for summertime, pair this with local halibut ceviche, grilled padrón (or shishito) peppers, fresh stone fruit salad with Burrata, or an herbed lemon seafood pasta.
Enjoy this wine within 1-3 years.
Further information can be found here: Pedralonga
2019 ROTERFADEN “TERRACES” ROSSWAG RED – WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY
55% Lemberger (Blaufrankisch), 35% Trollinger, 10% Regent and 10% Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier).
Winemaking details: The village of Rosswag, in the Württemberg wine region of Germany near Stuttgart, is an amphitheater of steeply terraced vineyards on shell limestone soils, made of stone walls built by hand well over 1,000 years old, overlooking the Enz river. It is also an official nature preserve. It sounds idyllic, but because of the price of farming without machines and because it is not a well known wine region, many young people have left the area and most grapes get sold to the local co-op. Enter the young couple, Olympia and Hannes, who started Roterfaden in 2014 with half a hectare of Lemberger from a parcel planted by Hannes’ grandfather. They now have four acres of vines and farm all organically with biodynamic practices (she is also an herbalist and makes preps/teas from their garden for the vineyard).. These grapes are hand harvested (it’s impossible not to), spontaneously fermented, aged in large neutral oak barrels, and bottled unfined/unfiltered.
Color: Medium Ruby
Bouquet: Black pepper, wild herbs, plum, blackberries, baking spices, light vanilla, and cassis
Palate: This is very unique and enjoyable wine that is savory, earthy, juicy, and spicy. It has a smooth and soft mouth feel with light tannin, a medium body, and pleasant acidity to balance it out. It is enjoyable at room temperature, however on a hot summer day it can be especially refreshing with a light chill. This is also a great food wine, and can pair with anything from soft cheeses to BBQ lamb, and lots of things in-between such as a roasted vegetable salad with fresh herbs, mushroom ragout, paella, or squid ink pasta.
This playful red is meant to be opened young and fresh - enjoy within 2 years
Further information can be found here: Roterfaden