Today is your final tax-free wine shopping day.  The new Massachusetts tax on alcohol goes into effect on August 1st.  Given our location along the Freedom Trail, we are throwing a Degustation without Taxation party tonight.  Who knows, perhaps the night will end with us tossing wine bottles into the harbor! Take advantage of the tasting night discount and to stock up!
This is the night to splurge on the special bottle you have been thinking about or grab a few cases of your every day favorite.  Here’s the lineup…

2008 Cave de la Côte – Uvavins “Dubaril” Chasselas Romand, Morges, Switzerland

Until very recently, the rarity of a Swiss wine in U.S. wine market had practically reduced the category to the status of a novelty item, to be consumed once a year (if that) with fondue.  The arrival of several new options has given us a whole new outlook on the range and quality of wines produced.  Dubaril makes for a convenient starting point for the uninitiated, as it showcases the star Swiss white varietal, chasselas, at a can’t-go-wrong pricetag.  Chasselas is grown widely in France, where it is the object of scorn and mostly consumed as a table grape.  The Swiss find that when vine vigor is properly controlled, the varietal provides the perfect vehicle to translate into flavor the various unique soil components.  The lush fruit and subtle floral elements of Dubaril would perform some magic alongside fresh herb laden grilled bass.  That said, if you’re making fondue, I’ll bring the wine!

2007 Domaine Mittnacht Pinot Blanc, Hunawihr, Alsace, France

The charm and beauty of Hunawihr is undeniable.  The hamlet is a patch of maybe fifty red-roofed traditional buildings punctuated by the multi-denominational church sitting on the hill.  Hilly Vines surround the village and the neighboring Ribeauvillé (site of the Trimbach winery).  Off in the distance, across the Rhine, looms the great Black Forest mountains of Germany.  Domaine Mittnacht is a small, biodynamically run estate which produces wines from the all the usual suspect Alsatian varietals.  To introduce a bit of confusion, by law, an Alsatian wine labeled ‘Pinot Blanc’ can have any ratio of two distinctly different varietals, pinot auxerrois and true pinot blanc.  This idea was likely introduced to compensate for the fact that auxerrois is more widely planted, while pinot blanc is in higher demand.  In Mittnacht’s case, they use 60% auxerrois in the blend.  This pinot blanc exudes the charm of Hunawihr, with peaks of minerally, fruity, richness.  This would be amazing with sushi.

2008 Amador Foothill Winery, Rosato of Sangiovese, Amador Foothills, California

We have been searching for a fantastic rosato of sangiovese this summer and imagine our surprise when we found one, not from Tuscany, but from California.  We have long been fans of Amador Foothill’s brawny zinfandels and we were thrilled that owner-winemakers Katie Quinn and Ben Zeitman decided to start experimenting with the classic Italian varietals aglianico and sangiovese (they just planted some barbera as well!).  They were actually one of the first in California to start planting sangiovese.  In total, this winery only produces 5,000 cases and just 345 of those are this unique rose.  They are located east of Sacramento  in the picturesque rolling foothills of Amador.  The winery has a great recipe index on their site and there is a gazpacho recipe designed to pair with this rosato.  I picture a sunset cruise with a platter of antipasto.

2007 Perrini, Negroamaro, Salento, Puglia, Italy

Vito Francesco and his sister Mila Perrini converted their family’s 50 hectares to organic viticulture in 1993, long before many in the area had even considered it. They built an underground cellar, definitely not the norm or tradition in this region and, more importantly, at huge, but necessary expense to make truly subtle wines, as opposed to the often too-heavy-handed fermentations of the native red grapes.  Their vines are 20-25 years of age and are spread over a number of zones in the hills and shoreline around Castellaneta, near Taranto. The vineyards are plowed in spring months and the yields are kept to around 55hl/ha. The grapes are picked by hand and immediately brought to the cellar in small baskets. The wines are vinified in stainless at controlled temperatures for 12-14 days of maceration. The wine is then aged in stainless and glass-lined tanks.  A pure example of how great modern winemaking and tradition can combine to make fantastic Puglian wine.

2006 Elio Grasso “Vigna Martina” Barbera D’Alba, Monforte D’Alba, Piedmont

When Gianluca Grasso visited The Bottega in February his excitement over the 2006 vintage was clear.  It was excellent across the board for all the varietals, dolcetto, barbera and nebbiolo as it was on the cool side, which is the way the Piedmontese varietals prefer it.  This Barbera was a knock-out with red and purple fruit jumping from the glass, incredible structure and savory notes that hint that this wine will just get better and better.  Gianluca explained that this is a Barbera that as it develops will become more Barolo-like.  He told a story of his father fooling a well-respected wine critic by blind-tasting him on a 1989 Vigna Martina Barbera.  The critic was convinced it had to be a Barolo!  I could definitely see how it was possible as I tasted this wine with its incredibly fine grained tannins that one rarely finds in Barbera.  It makes sense though when you see that this vineyard is positioned just below the winery at the foot of the Chineira vineyard, a prime spot for sure.  In addition, the wine spends 15 months in barrique, 50% new 50% one year old.  The result is a Barbera of incredible finesse that will easily be able to age for 10 years, but is also lovely in its youth.

2005 Azienda Agricola Cristiano Guttarolo, Gioia del Colle, Primitivo di Puglia, Italy

Cristiano Guttarolo has embarked on his own wine adventure, one that he calls a “Progetto Enoculturale” or a “wine-culture project”.  Located on the high plain known as the Murge, which sits at over 400 meters above sea level, his goal is to redefine and to gain recognition of this wine appellation known as “Gioia del Colle” or “Joy of the hills”.  This micro-region benefits from strong sea breezes leading to a large diurnal shift in temperature allowing the robust primitive grapes to reach high levels of ripeness and concentration.  This Primitivo di Puglia comes from 20 year old vines and is worked in stainless steel for the vinification and aging over the next 18 months.  The 8.000 bottle production is never fined or filtered.  Guttarolo’s wines are about power and elegance all at the same time, he works organically to achieve harmony in each and every bottle.  This is an exclusive treat at The Wine Bottega and makes great sense for a friendly neighborhood barbeque!