Several months ago, the store heard whispers of a mysterious winemaker in the improbable southwestern French appellation of Marmandais named Elian Da Ros, whose wines rarely surfaced this side of the Atlantic.  With this tip and just a bit of research on the man and his wines, our curiosity boiled over, and we knew we must try these wines!  Andrew Bishop from Oz Wines brought in samples on the day his scant allocation arrived in his company’s warehouse, and we were absolutely floored! We were amazed by the idiosyncrasy of the wines, and stunned to find that we would, for the moment and to the best of our knowledge, be the only store in the country to have these wines available.  We’re sure you can sense the excitement about our most recent find, which should go down as one of the Bottega’s great wine revelations of the year.  The wine is a party, and you’re invited!  Read on for the wines…

2006 Coucou Blanc
A blend of sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris, and semillon — varietals that reflect the Marmandais’ proximity to Bordeaux.  The wine itself reflects a lot of what Da Ros learned while at Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace.  A slow pressing and patient fermentation and elevage bring forth an uncommon level of extraction and aroma from the Bordeaux varietals.
(5 cases imported)

2008 Le Vin est une Fete
As playful as the label might be, this is a wine of true depth and character.  A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and abouriou, yet somehow it transcends into a hypothetical blend of Cru Beaujolais and a barbera from Piedmont.  (Da Ros dismisses any theories suggesting his ancestral roots in the Veneto play a role in the structure of his wines.)  Distinct and delicious.
(20 cases imported)

2008 Abouriou
The traditional local varietal all by its lonesome.  You really get a sense of Da Ros’ wine-making talent here, as the varietal isn’t known to produce wines of exceptional quality or complexity.  Whereas abouriou is typically soft, fruity, and uncomplicated, this one has impeccable balance, uncommon acidity, and an indescribable charm.
(8 cases imported)

2006 Clos Bacquey
The estate wine is produced from an historically significant vineyard that has been farmed biodynamically since 2002.  The vineyard sits upon limestone soils, which benefits the merlot most of all, though cabernet franc, abouriou, and cabernet sauvignon vines are also present.  Da Ros notes that in vintages since the conversion to biodynamic farming, the wine has shown riper tannin and higher acidity, making for better balanced and more age-worthy wines.  An other-worldly wine experience. Seriously.
(4 cases imported and we plan to drink one ourselves!)