Thursday, February 9^th

6pm-8pm ($10)

Yes, indeed.  The proper stars have aligned in the milky heavens, signalling the time is upon us for our annual parade of Amarone!  In the hierarchy of profound Italian wine, Amarone sits upon an immovable throne of delight.  Fans of this sumptuous, bold wine inhabit every corner of our vast planet, singing the praises of this most exceptional wine in every tongue.  For those of you that are newcomers to the phenomenon that is Amarone, this is an absolute MUST on your calendar.

What sets Amarone apart is, more than anything, this singularity of its process.  The wine hails from a region called Valpolicella in the province of Verona, due East from the stunning Lake Garda.  The place is thick with the haze of wine tradition with references dating back before the Common Era.  Amarone has only been the flagship wine of Valpolicella in recent decades.  The wine was actually discovered by accident!  In antiquity, the renowned Valpolicella wine was called Recioto.  A beautiful sweet wine made from dried grapes, the process hinged on the wine makers care in stopping the fermentation before all the sugars were converted, leaving the wine with a dollop of honey-like sweetness.  As the story goes, Amarone was born from a forgotten barrel hidden in the corners of a cellar.  The wine was allowed to ferment completely and the result was a high octane powerhouse of a wine with curves to make the most stoic of men folk sigh a breath of longing.

This tasting is a celebration of Valpolicella and in its varied iterations.  From the ancestral Recioto, to dry Valpolicella table wines to, of course, the mighty Amarones!  With over $1000 worth of wine on the table, you really get a lot for your 10 bucks!

Drive by Pick Up:  If you’re looking for a quick exchange, give us a buzz and we can put an order together over the phone.  Leave us your credit details and we’ll have the wine ready and waiting for you!  Call us as you head down Hanover street, we’ll be ready.

Parking Validation:  In addition to our “drive thru” service, we also offer validated parking at the Parcel Seven Garage located adjacent to the Haymarket T-Station on New Sudbury St. The validation is good for three hours. Please note that if you remain in the garage for longer than three hours, the validation is no longer accepted and the full fee will be required. Directions?

Malbec or “Côt” (pronounced ‘KO’) as the French would call it, actually originates way down in the south west of France, in an appellation called Cahors. Here the wine is deep in color with a rugged texture that pairs magically with the region’s favorite dish, cassoulet. From there Côt took a journey to Bordeaux, just up the river valley, where for centuries it was used as a common blending grape to add texture and color to the leaner wines of the region. Finally, as grapes tend to do, Côt meandered up to the Loire valley where today the grape is experiencing a bit of a revival by a handful of dedicated producers in the central area of the Touraine. Tonight we take inspiration from our beloved customer-friends and look at malbec-côt (call it what you’d like) and explore each of these regions. Yes, fear not, there will be a malbec from Argentina!

The Lineup:

NV Domaine Augis, La Rosee-Method Traditionnelle, Loire Valley, France

A pink, bottle feremented, sparkling M̶a̶l̶b̶e̶c̶ Côt from the tiny appellation of Valencay in the eastern Loire. This is so delicate and refreshing that you might forget all together that it is malbec, but those bright red fruits and gentle spice are there to remind you. Maybe we are thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day with this one…yum.

Domaine Augis, Cuvee les Cosses, Loire Valley, France

Philippe Augis is a fifth generation winemaker in the village of Valencay, known more for its goat cheese than its wine. Philippe has a small biodynamic farm and enjoys wild boar hunting in his spare time. He is one of the few in his village that pay any attention to Côt and his wines are always a tremendous value and terroir driven.

Dom. Puzelat-Bonhomme, ‘KO’: In Côt We Trust, Touraine, Loire

Thierry Puzelat is a legendary figure in the Loire natural wine world. He is considered one of the greats in all of France and has inspired many producers younger than him to take up the craft of vins naturels. ‘ In Côt We Trust’ is from Thierry and his brother’s small negoce winery. The objective is to source from old vine growth of near forgotten grape varieties once more prevalent in the Loire. This is an emblematic example of Loire Valley Côt; unsulfured and un-spoofed.

Chateau Peybonhomme Les Tours, Cotes de Blaye, Bordeaux

Yes, do a double-take, this is BORDEAUX we are pouring here! As mentioned above, malbec once had a much more important role in the lean, structured wines of Bordeaux. Today modern winemaking techniques have made the grape all but obsolete in the vast majority of wines from Bordeaux. Chateau Peybonhomme is one of the very few houses that work heavily with malbec, in this vintage up to 20% of the blend (cabernet franc and merlot). Biodynamic, naturally made Bordeaux for $15? Yeah, it does exist.

Clos Siguier, Cahors, South West France

Ok, so this is where Malbec actually originally comes from. Deep in the mountainous south-west of France, where the Cathars and Visigoths once roamed, this deeply structured, darkly colored wine tells the story of a rugged land. Called “vin noir” or black wine because of its inky color this wine is the perfect winter warmer. Spiced and earthy with a pleasant amount of funk.

Yellow+Blue, Malbec, Argentina

We would be remiss not to have a great value Argentinian malbec and this has been our favorite since its debut three vintages ago. The wine is in a 1 liter tetrapak (~1/3more wine than a bottle) saving lots of space and money in transport costs…the bottom line, you’re paying for better quality wine and not for heavy bottles. Yellow+Blue=Green.

This will be a one-day, two hour sale (6pm-8pm) where we will pull all the crazy hidden wines out of our cellar, put them on the tasting table and let you have at them.  Not all of these are pricy or well-known, quite the opposite.  There will be things like a vertical of Texier Brezeme or the last few bottles of Clos Roche Blanche gamay from two years ago.  Maybe a lost Jura bottle or some Massa Vecchia bianco.  You’ll have to show up to find out.

Fear not, we will pop a few bottles to sample while the sale goes on to make it more “educational”.  So mark your calendar and brave whatever weather comes our way!

Watch the video here: Marcel Lapierre on That Crazy French Woman

The clip is taken from a TV show run by Isabelle Legeron called “That Crazy French Woman.”  Isabelle is the first French woman Master of Wine and has set out to demystify and reinvigorate understanding of wine with a particular leaning towards the natural side of things.  Check out her site and her blog

Do some heavy internet searching and you will come up with very (very) little information about the quasi-mythical wines of Jean-Marc Brignot. It seems that Brignot is one of those reclusive French vignerons that has a nack for putting out some of the most breathtaking wines, of which he produces mere drops that the cognoscenti scoop up long before you can get your hands on them. I came across these rare little oddities a couple years back when a good friend (and fellow Jura geek) returned from a trip to Paris. He had an unmarked bottle that had been open for two days and poured me out a glass; my jaw dropped. A year later I found myself on a trip through Paris and the Loire. I had been on the hunt for some of the other rare birds that geeks might seek out while the greatest (?) natural wine shops/bars are at your fingertips (read: Overnoy, Metras, Truchot, etc). I ordered a bottle while settling in for a nice dinner and was quickly informed that they were, of course, out of my selection (I probably wasn’t cool enough to be ordering that, no not with my terrible French accent). I glanced again at the chalkboard wine list and spotted Brignot hidden in the corner…that was it. It was served straight from the fridge (a red wine mind you) and even at that cold temperature pure red fruits and flowers blasted from the glass. Life altering wine.

So here we are year and a half later. A little bird (named Zev Rovine) enticed me early last year with word that he would be bringing another producer from the Jura;”Brignot”, he wispered. I was ecstatic. Well, at long last we finally have a small quantity to offer at the shop. These wines are available in exceedingly limited quantities so please act quickly to reserve your wines!

A couple more notes on Jean-Marc Brignot and the wines on offer:

Brignot’s tiny domaine is actually located in the village of Malamboz in the central Jura. He is working as a “petit negoce”, in other words sourcing grapes from very well trusted organic and biodynamic grape growers. Though Brignot once made wines in the Jura, his tiny parcel has fallen into disrepair and he is working on converting it into a kind of biodynamic garden simply to feed his family. Today Brignot’s wines come from the Beaujolais, a small parcel from Saint-Romain to the north and even as far afield as the Alsace and Ardeche. All his wines are made without any additives, free of commercial yeasts and zero added sulfur. If you speak French (or Japanese, as his wife does) you may or may not find more information embedded on Jean-Marc’s blog; Vinibrato. Otherwise read more about them here, on our friends blog down in NYC.

A special thanks to Oscar over at Olmstead Wine Co. for bringing us these truly rare and amazing wines, especially in the heart of the winter. Do not miss these!

2010 Brignot, “Sun of a Beach”, Vin de France (Saint-Romain, Burgundy) $27

This is pure, unsulfured pinot noir that beams from the glass. The grapes are sourced from grower Renaud Boyer in the village of Saint-Romain in the Cote du Beaune. All of Brignot’s wines achieve a purity and elegance that few truly “natural” winemakers understand, but the “Sun of a Beach” is almost too easy to drink in its elegance and grace. At a whopping 10% alcohol you can certainly put a few bottles down easily with friends (or alone). This wine defines “Glou-glou”.

2010 Brignot, “Vin d’etable Rouge”, Vin de France (Chiroubles, Beaujolais) $27

“Etable” translates roughly as “barn” or “stable”, so this is “barn wine”-perfect! From a tiny parcel of old vine gamay grown by Jean-Luc and Cathy Gauthier in Chiroubles, the highest elevation cru village in the Beaujolais. This wine is more muscular, structured and deeper (still only clocking in at 11% alcohol!) than the pinot noir and has a mineral streak that makes it the perfect accompanyment to a hearty winter dinner. We’ve been after this one for quite some time and we are proud to offer this coveted cuvee exclusively here at the shop. Hurry!

2010 Brignot, “Envol de la fille”, Vin de France (Morgon, Beaujolais) $35

An underground, completely natural “Morgon” made in the Jura? How could we resist! Look at our cru Beaujolais section in the shop and only one village often has more than a couple producers representing it, and that village is Morgon. Like the “Vin d’etable” this too is made from old vine gamay sourced from the Gauthier farming duo. Powerful and beefy with a little reminder that, yes, Morgon is a Rhone appellation! Drink now or over the next 5-8 years.

As we discussed this week’s tasting theme we looked around the shop and realized a surprising void on the shelves, that of our beloved grape cabernet franc. Though cabernet franc seems to be thought of by most as the ugly step child of the more widely accepted cabernet sauvignon let us not forget that cabernet franc is the original, the real deal grape variety of the two. Cabernet franc is widely planted throughout the world but for us the pinnacle of quality and “tipicity” is reached along the banks of the Loire River Valley in northern France.

Three distinct appellations, with at least three (we are over generalizing here, there are many subtle differences in these three, relatively large sub-regions) distinct “terroirs”; Anjou, Bourgueil and Chinon are all respected for their unique expressions of cabernet franc. Tonight you will have the chance to compare these three appellations side by side through the lens of some of the top producers in each respective place. What’s more these wines are perfect for rustic winter time meals. They are bistro favorites in Paris for a reason and they have a strong affinity towards lentil soup and other earthy flavors. It will be a real cab franc fest, see you tonight!

The (alphabetic) Lineup:

‘A’ is for Anjou!

Domaine Richou, Chavigne`, Anjou Blanc

We wanted to showcase the white wine side of Anjou in this tasting and what better way to do it than with this pure chenin blanc from the biodynamic producer Dom. Richou. Plenty of fruit balanced by snappy acidity and a richness found in few wines in this humble price point. If you’ve drank chardonnay too many times this holiday season then grab a bottle of this!

Olivier Cousin, Pur Breton, Vin de Table (Anjou)

The ‘Anjou’ is in quotes right here because Olivier Cousin, great practitioner and voice for biodynamics and natural winemaking, is currently under heavy investigation by the powers that be at the bureaucratic AOC governing offices called Inter Loire. Rebel that he is, Cousin apparently hasn’t been following all the “rules” of the Anjou AOC and may actually face jail time for making natural wines. Help him make bail! Read more here.

‘B’ is for Bourgueil!

Nau Freres, Les Blottieres, Bourgueil

Possibly one of the most under-rated, under the radar little producers in the central Loire, Nau Frere’s wines are the epitome of classic bistro wine. All vinification is done without added yeasts and low sulfur though these wouldn’t fall into the category of trendy, hipster “natural” Loire wines. This is a tremendous value at just $15 and the perfect pairing for that warm bowl of lentil soup.

Catherine & Pierre Breton, Clos Senechal, Bourgueil

Often humble, little known appellations need a voice and a producer to put the area on the map…the voice of Bourgueil is certainly spoken through the wines of the Breton’s. Catherine and Pierre are considered to be amongst the greatest producers in the village. All their work is done very naturally and the wines that result have a clear sense of place. The Clos Senechal is an old vine parcel of cabernet franc planted on clay and limestone. It is arguably the domaine’s top wine and one that can age gracefully for decades. One of our all-time favorite cabernet franc’s.

‘C’ is for Chinon!

Domaine Baudry, Les Granges, Chinon

Mathieu Baudry and his family domaine lead the pack in cult followed Chinon production. Perhaps it is because each of their wines is distinct, true to itself and always over delivers for the price. The Chinon AOC is a bit further up the Loire, along the tributary called the Vienne. The plane has much more chalk imbedded in the clay and sand foundation which gives the wines of Chinon their characteristic mineral tones and density. This wine is always a pleasure.

Catherine & Pierre Breton, Beaumont, Chinon

One more wine from this powerhouse domaine. Of all the wines that the Breton’s make their Chinon is one of the toughest to come by. Production is roughly half of that of their other wines, given the fact that they only own a tiny parcel in Chinon. If you’ve never tasted pure chalk in a wine, then don’t miss this one. “Terroir” abounds.

Some of the original cast of characters are gone while the main roles have developed and matured with new vintages (and some new clay pots). In the timeless battle between skin contact and anfora aging who will Bea (Paolo) choose? And there are plenty of new characters too! From the Princess, Arianna Occhipinti, entering the fray with her much anticipated “bianco” to the new strongmen on the scene, the recently discovered Guccione brothers from northwest Sicily. Will this provoke conflict in the heart of the Princess? You’ll have to find out tonight.

If you have no idea what we are talking about, that’s okay. We have been a little obsessed with “orange wines” for many vintages now and like any good (bad?) trilogy we just had to have our third installment be a bit over the top. Orange wines are those “white wines” that see an extended amount of skin contact (hence the sexy, fantasy saga) during the fermentation and aging process. It is an ancient method that has been rekindled by a handful of stalwart traditionalist/natural winemakers, mostly in Italy, Slovenia, France, etc. Tonight we will revist some old friends with some new vintages while debuting a couple new discoveries we’ve had over the past year. Plus, it’s October, so orange wines are downright seasonal!

The (dramatic) Lineup:

La Tosa, Riodeltordo, Colli Piacentini, Emilia-Romagna

Newcomer producer La Tosa hits the spotlight with this lightly skin contacted Ortrugo, Malvasia blend from the northwest corner of Emilia-Romagna. Delicate and aromatic with just enough skin contact to call it orange.

The runaway stepchild of the powerhouse red wine producer, this pecorino (not the cheese) sees a gentle extraction on the skins before a brief aging in stainless steel. It’s nuts.

Arianna Occhipinti, SP68 Bianco, Vittoria, Sicily

We stashed away just enough of this highly sought after orange-ish wine to be able to pour it tonight. Don’t mess with the Princess. *Very limited

Az. Agr. Guccione, Girgis Extra, Catarratto, Monreale, Sicily

Manfredi and Francesco Guccione are relative newcomers to the scene, and they might be set to steal the show! Old-vine catarratto vinified on the skins with very little sulfur additons. Watch out Arianna…

Angiolino Maule, Pico, Gambellara, Veneto

Like the White Wizard, Angiolino Maule carefully crafts his single vineyard, old vine garganega into the orange wine that started it all. A little anfora aging here? (Hey, who told you that!?)

M.S.C. (Paolo Bea) Coenobium Rusticum, Lazio

Creeping out from the dark shadows is the master himself, Giampiero Bea. A new vintage of the full-blooded, amber tinged Rusticum has just landed, be the first to drink the nectar.

2010 Dom. de la Pepiere (Marc Olivier), Muscadet “Clos des Briords”, Loire Valley, France

We couldn’t skip out on one of Joe’s most beloved producers. From a very old vine parcel of melon de bourgogne this is the best 1er Cru Chablis on the market (well, you know what we mean…)! Marc Ollivier is maybe the most recognizable revolutionary in the whole of the Muscadet region.  His wines and winemaking have literally given rise to his cult status and have helped change peoples minds about the humble and often disrespected wines of the Pays Nantais.  Since 1984 Marc has been leading the way for other winemakers in the region, extolling the virtues of each terroir, natural fermentation and experimenting with extended lees contact.  Marc was once on the path to becoming an office worker but his passion for fishing and the outdoors led him to viticulture school in Macon and eventually to the vines of melon in the Loire.  Today his estate consists of roughly 20 ha spread through some of the most unique soils of the region. Drink now or in 20 years.

2008 Hervé Villemade, Cheverny, Loir-et-Cher, France

Domaine du Moulin was started by Hervé’s grandparents and is now in the hands of one of the best natural winemakers in the Cheverny AOC. His wines shimmer with purity and racy acidity that will make you go back for more and more. Recently, many of you have fallen for the Cheverny we stock from Cazin and we thought it would be fun to taste you on Hevre Villemade’s masterful interpretation of this from this up and coming region. Herve has been farming organically since he took over his father’s estate in 1995 and employs natural tenchniques: hand harvesting, natural yeasts and minimal sulfur additions.  The wines of Cheverny are unique in their legally mandated blend of white grapes, an anomalous restriction for the Loire.  This wine, like Olivier Cazin’s much adored bottling, is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Chardonnay.  The result? Stunning, electric, clean, refreshing and fiercely contoured wine perfect for Monkfish and rainy fall days!

(2010) Olivier Lemasson-Les Vins Conté, R10, Vin de France, Loire, France

The wily, tiny and quintessentially French, Olivier Lemasson is a sommelier turned natural winemaker.  After years in the restaurant world in Paris, Olivier retreated into the wine retail world in Brittany with a new found love of natural wine.  Soon after, he spent four harvests working with the “Pope of Natural Wine”, the late, great Marcel Lapierre of Morgon in the Beaujolais.  As he learned the craft he met some of the key players in the scene such as Thierry Puzelate and neighbor Hevre Villemade.  Lemasson and Villemade soon teamed up and founded a small negoce business in the central Loire Valley called “Le Vins Contes”.   It was a small, collaborative project that strove to make pure “vins de soif”, wines for thirst.  Today Lemasson has taken on his own vineyard property: a mix of old vine pineau d’aunis, gamay and pinot noir (and several others) and Herve Villemade has gone on his own way and founded his winery called Domaine du Molines (which not coincidentally, you’ll be tasting tonight!).  The R10 is a bold demonstration of the might of the Loire, assembling six of the most traditional Loire varieties into a bold wine in a light, fresh package, Lemasson unfettered! Grolleau, Gamay, Pineau d’aunis, Cot, Pinot Noir: Glou-Glou.

2009 Damien Coquelet, Chiroubles “Vieilles Vignes”, Cru Beaujolais, France

Though Damien Coquelet is the youngest vigneron Louis/ Dressner works with (he bottled his first vintage-2007-at just 20 years old), his wines have already reached striking levels of maturity and complexity.  Damien is Georges Descombes’ step-son, and has worked alongside his step-father since early childhood. Learning everything from Descombes-both in the vines and in their now shared cellar-has instilled the same values in Damien’s work ethic: organic viticulture, hand harvesting, native yeasts, zero intervention in the cellar and little if any sulfuring at bottling. Two major differences distinguish Coquelet’s wines from Descombes’. Damien, who cannot yet afford his own vines, currently rents various parcels in Morgon and Chiroubles, all of which are in their third year conversion to organic viticulture (he plans on purchasing vines in the future). Furthermore, he bottles quite early (the 2010′s were available in January), unlike Descombes who ages his wines a year before releasing them. We are thrilled to be working with such a young, energetic and talented producer, and only expect great things from Damien in the future!

2009 Roagna, Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy

The Roagna family has been at winemaking for more than 150 years through 5 generations.  They are located in one of the most historic wine towns in all of Italy, Barbaresco.  Here the king grape, like in the not so far away town of Barolo, is nebbiolo, a native to these parts.  The family has a very strong sense of tradition and only creates wines in this way, the old way.  When Alfredo Roagna finished his enology studies he began to give the maximum interest to the native land and grape varietals as well as realize a family dream, to own a piece of land in the mighty town of Barolo. Today young Luca Roagna, just 28 years old or so, has taken the reigns with the constant objective to listen to the land and craft traditional wines.  While the estate’s real job is to make exceptional Barbaresco and Barolo, they do have a couple of young, fresh wines that can be consumed on a daily basis, like this dolcetto.  Vinified in a huge barrel and then left to rest in stainless steel, this is a perfect wine for everyday eating and drinking.  Perfect with grilled vegetables or light pasta dishes.

2010 Tami` (Arianna Occhipinti), Nero d’Avola, Vittoria, Sicily, Italy

As many of you know, Arianna Occhipinti is one of our favorite icons in the natural wine world. She has almost single-handedly put the little known grape variety of Frappato on the map all while leading a revolution of neo-traditional winemaking on the island of Sicily. Her meticulous winemaking and biodynamic farming practices have been the object of so many a wine geek’s affection that supplies of her estate wines are seemingly always limited. Hence the launch of Arianna’s new project which she calls “Tami’”. Borne out of her small wine bar/wine shop, Arianna is working as a classic negociant, purchasing grapes from local (read: toothless) farmers that tend their vines with similar care that she does and making these refreshing wines at a more “everyday” (her words) price. This line of wines is as well made and pure as ever displaying the character of her local soils in three unique wines: Grillo, a crisp, round and mineral driven white wine. Frappato, YES Frappato! And Nero d’Avola, a lovable, fresh and smoky little wine that would match any great Sicilian barbeque. you’re gonna want to stock up on these.