Club Vino August 2020
August 23, 2020
Buona Giornata!
Your August Wine Club allocation has been successfully charged. Your wines will be ready for pick up soon!
This month’s theme is "Summertime Wines." We normally say, "If you happen to be nearby, come on in and you'll be able to taste all of the wines selected at our wine club release party," but we are not there, yet. We will still have the pick up on Sunday, August 23rd, from 1pm until 4pm - just not the party. We have opened up at Enoteca Della Santina (and are continuing to follow the social distancing guidelines) with tables and chairs on the sidewalk. Della Santina's Trattoria has the patio open and they are continuing to do lots of take out and delivery. You will be reciving an invitation to our next Zoom call Virtual Wine Tasting with Rob (and a surprise guest) soon. More info to come...
Below you can read about the selections in this month's shipment. We look forward to sharing these wines with you and guessing who's behind the mask when you stop by to pick up your wines!
Best Regards,
Rob & the Enoteca Crew
Ciao a tutti,
Hello to all my fellow club members and wine lovers. In light of recent events, I feel the need now more than ever to thank you again for all the continued support of Enoteca Della Santina and the wine club, which has been a passion of mine for over 25 years. From its inception late at night in the early 90’s in the dining room of the ten table Della Santina’s to its current location at 127 East Napa Street (the sidewalk temporarily), Enoteca Della Santina has always been ahead of the curve in its pursuit of discovering fine value wine. I never assume the quality of a wine from a name or region and I strive to find juice from every corner of the world. In short, I love wine and the stories that a bottle can tell about its region, climate and even culture.
August is hot and thus our “summertime wine” theme returns with a unique box that always includes a white, a rose and a summer red. This year has been spectacular as far as selection due to reduced pricing during the pandemic. The two rosés from Spain and France highlight just how versatile this wine can be with all types of food and perfect drinking in the heat of summer. While the whites, a Gruner Veltliner from Austria and a Pinot Grigio blend from Washington State show just how unique regions and microclimates can affect flavor and acid profiles in wine. Of course, I had to have an Italian wine or two in this shipment and I just couldn’t pass up either of these wines - a Pinot Nero, almost Burgundian style, from the Veneto and a $31 dollar Brunello di Montalcino! Enjoy these wines and please send me your feedback - positive or negative! Thanks again for all your support and always remember that wine is only as good as the company in which it is shared!
Rob and Nicole Della Santina
Club Argento:
2019 Bieler Family “Daisy” Pinot Grigio Blend - Columbia Valley, WA
“The most intriguing wines live at the intersection of Old World and New World winemaking,” says Charles Bieler. Coming from a winemaking background, Charles started out over 20 years ago when he brought his father’s Rosé to the U.S. A. from Provence, France. He toured around the states in a pink Cadillac for 2 years selling the wine out of the trunk of the Caddie. He and his father, Philippe Bieler, later started Bieler Père et Fils (meaning father and son) to focus solely on Rosé. He has also joined forces with Joel Gott and Roger Scommegna to create Bandit wines and the Three Thieves label. Charles always admired the wines of Northern Italy and felt the Columbia Valley was the place to try out the co-fermenting process that he enjoyed in the Italian wines. Daisy is named after his youngest daughter and is a blend of 4 white grape varieties (Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc), co-fermented at the precise moment of optimal ripeness. Daisy opens with gorgeous aromas of grapefruit, lychee, licorice and summer flowers framed by a flinty minerality. The palate delivers an intriguing interplay between rich ripe notes and a firm acid backbone. Enjoy with salads that have goat cheese or feta in them. Honestly, just sit on the porch/deck/lanai and enjoy a glass or two!!
Alcohol: 12.1% Retail: $14
2019 Itxas Harri Roxa of Garnacha - Navarra, Spain
A new project by Ameztoi, the maker of the 1st and arguably most famous Rosé of Txakolina! Itxas Harri (ee-chahs ah-ree), roughly translates to “sea stone” and is a Basque table wine made by two friends, honoring the food memories and relationships made at the communal table. It is located in the village of Monteagudo in the Northern Basque region of Navarra. Ignacio Ametzoi and his long-time friend and winemaking partner, Iñaki Guelbenzu were inspired by the ability of wines from Navarra to pair well with vegetables and fish and with a goal of making delicate, expressive wines to compliment hard-to-pair vegetables (think artichokes), they found the perfect plot of land. Monteagudo is known as one of the best locations for old-vine Garnacha and Tempranillo, in the Navarra regions, as the area was once an ancient seabed with mixed alluvial soil from the Ebro River plain. There is an interesting confluence of 3 climates in Navarra: Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean from north to south. Itxas Harri is located at the southern tip of Navarra. The resulting wines from Itxas Harri defy standard logic. Navarra lies inland, yet the wines have a restraint and freshness with lower alcohol levels which are associated with the coastal areas. This is the result of the right climate and marine-bed vineyard for which Ignacio and Iñaki had searched for. This 100% Garnacha Rosé comes from 20+ year old vines. On its own, or paired with a Mediterranean meal Roxa is dry, bright and charming!
Alcohol: 12% Retail: $17
2018 Italo Cescon “Il Tralcetto” Pinot Nero IGT - Veneto, Italy
The Italo Cescon wine growing and producing company was established in 1957 not too far from Treviso City by none other than Italo Cescon. Today it is managed with the same passion and love by his 3 children. In 1954 Italo had ended his military service and chose to fulfill his dream of producing and selling his own wine, following the tradition of his father, Domenico, who was a small producer of Raboso. Italo immediately gained a remarkable reputation for his wines in Treviso Provence, giving to the bottle a unique image: the unmistakable tralcetto and the hand written label on a rustic yellow paper. Glad you asked…. A “tralcetto” is a wooden stick of friendship. It was a knotty bit of cane picked out from the pruning. An idea coming from Italo’s mother, Anna, as a visual motif for the winery symbolizing family and communicating the unchanging principles that inspired their efforts. In 1967, after environmental damage from the flood of the Piave River, the family moved to their farm in Roncadelle. In the 1970’s they started exporting their wines in Europe and fortunately for us - it has made its way to Sonoma! This is 100% Pinot Nero and organically grown. Pinot Noir Igt Venteto “Il Tralcetto” is a full bodied and rich, but not heavy or high in alcohol, yet neither acidic or tannic, with substantial flavor despite its delicacy and soft velvety texture. Full flavored with abundant spice notes and a lengthy finish that will play well with roasts of both light and red meat and game as you dine al fresco this summer.
Alcohol: 12% Retail: $24
Club d’Oro:
2019 Weingut Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel - Wachau, Austria
Rudi Pichler is among the most elite growers of the Wachau region producing wines of precision, power and longevity. Weingut Rudi Pichler consists of 37 acres spread between Wösendorf, Joching and Weißenkirchen where the south-facing terraces look down at the Danube River. Yields are kept low with botrytis carefully removed by hand. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between 3-36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided. The wine spends 5-7 months aging before bottling. Just over 3,000 cases were produced of this vintage. Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape varietal of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors and good acidity. The term “federspiel’ is used by members of the Vinea Wachau indicating a dry wine with 11.5 - 12.5% alcohol. This medium-weight wine is fresh in style with notes of green apple, lemon, radish and arugula. With its bright acidity and savory character, this 100% Grüner Veltliner is an ideal partner to mildly spiced Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese flavors. Fish and shellfish are accentuated by the citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It even works well with bitter greens and asparagus.
Alcohol: 12.5% Retail: $24
2018 Clos Cibonne Tibouren Côtes de Provence Cuvee Traditional Rosé - Provence, France
The modern era at Clos Cibonne (kloh see bohn) property began in 1793 when the Roux family purchased it from Jean-Baptiste de Cibon, a Captain in the Royal Marines of Louis XVI. Having served under the command of Lafayette in the American Revolutionary War against the British, he moved his family to Gibraltar at the out set of the war. He transferred ownership of the estate to the families who had traditionally farmed it. The Roux family was one of those farmers. Marius Roux made wines under the Chateaux Cibon label in the late 1800’s at the property (where they still have a few bottles kept in the vineyard cellar) and in 1930 André Roux (son of Marius) became the great architect of the modern winery. He planted the estate exclusively to the rare Tibouren grape and created the iconic labels which remain unchanged to this day. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Côtes de Provence appellation in 1973 and responsible for the inclusion of his beloved Tibouren grape into the region’s list of accepted varietals. In the 1980’s hard times fell upon the estate and it drifted without clear direction until Brigitte, André’s granddaughter, and her husband, Claude Deforges, took over the family property in 1993. Their immediate goal was to bring the estate back to its former grandeur. By renovating the cellars while preserving the tradition of aging in their large old foudres, now about 120 years old, the family began to reestablish the vaunted reputation of the domaine. Fifth generation winemaker Oliver Deforges has taken over as both vineyard manager and winemaker. The winery currently has only 2 other employees, otherwise the family still does all the work themselves. The wines are harvested by hand then directly pressed and fermented in stainless-steel tanks. The wine is aged under Fleurette (a thin veil of yeast - similar to the process in Sherry or Jura wines) in 120 year old 5,000 liter foudres for one year. This cuvee is 90% Tibouren and 10% Grenache. Tibouren is believed to be a very old grape variety, originally grown in lower Mesopotamia, propagated by the Greeks before being transported by the Romans to Italy in the Liguria region (where it is known as Rossese). Certified organic as of 2019, this 37 acre estate is less than 900 yards from the coast which is perfect for the very fine thin skinned grape that requires very good ventilation and proximity to the ocean to flourish. You can find aromas of orange peel with spicy notes and on the palate the wine is fresh and vibrant with fruit tones and mild salinity (thanks to the ocean). Pairing it with lamb curry, tomato bouillabaisse, grilled chicken or even green tomatoes will be a hit. As one of the original Grand Cru estates of Provence, Decanter gave this vintage 95 points!
Alcohol: 13.5% Retail: $30
2012 Contemassi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Sangiovese - Tuscany, Italy
If there is one business that most people would love to be a part of, it would be the wine business. Wine has been with us since the beginning of civilization. It is a temperate, civilized, romantic mealtime beverage praised for centuries by statesmen, philosophers, poets and scholars. Wine is an integral part of the (Bronco Wine Company) family’s culture and way of life starting in 1893 when Guiseppe Franzia left Vado, Italy and arrived in San Francisco. Fast forward to 1930 when Ernest Gallo married Amelia Franzia and again to 1973 when partners Joseph S., Fred T. and John Franzia founded Bronco Wine Company returning to a family owned company that now is the fifth largest winery and largest vineyard owner in the United States and has a diverse family of brands which includes this Contemassi Brunello. Brunello di Montalcino is the ultimate enological expression of an area with a longstanding wine tradition. It is produced with a special Sangiovese clone known as Brunello. The wine goes through and extended maceration period were color and flavor are extracted from the skins. Following fermentation the wine is then aged in Slavonian oak casks, for a minimum period of 2 years, that impart little oak flavor and generally produce a more round and austere wine. As you may know, by law, Brunello di Montalcino must be aged a minimum of 4 years, including 2 years in barrel before release and once released, typically needs more time in bottle before its drinking potential is fully reached. And, 2012 is a highly rated Brunello year! Fun fact: Montalcino takes its name from a variety of oak trees that once covered the terrain and has one of the warmest climates in Tuscany. This wine is ideal with roasts, grilled red meat and cheesy lasagna. Serve at room temperature, sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy!!
Alcohol: 14% Retail: $31