Bora Tier
Friend and Farmer Verdejo
Incredible value for a highly drinkable biodynamic white. Light, easy, versatile. Peach, lime zest, the faint whiff of petrol when super chilled. This is the dream project of 3 brothers who honor their home region of La Mancha with each grape they grow in such a thoughtful and careful way.
For those of you curious about farming practices in the vineyard, Demeter Certified Biodynamic is one of the most interesting forms of sustainable farming. It is similar to permaculture or regenerative farming but with the added guidelines of astrology, natural preparations for the vines and various other esoteric practices. Learn more here: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/biodynamic-wine-guide/
Jean-Pascal Aubron, Contact! A French muscadet, with citrusy stone fruit aromas, crisp acidity, and a saline finish. Quite fruity with notes of green apple, pear, orange peel and a touch of bay leaf and sage. This is a terrific transitional wine for this time of year. Melon de Bourgogne, a grape by many names, is famous in the Muscadet region of Loire Valley, France. Melon de Bourgogne or muscat grapes produce some of the most appealing, crushable and fruity orange wines on the market. Keep an eye out for other wines in this style at The Breeze. Including Kobal Bajta and De Levende Cortez. If you are looking for a perfect pairing, lean towards a savory seafood dish such as lobster rolls, oysters Rockefeller or shrimp pasta. La Playa Cabernet Sauvignon
A rich maroon color. One the nose, ripe strawberry with hints of black pepper. It has great balance between structure and flavor with a light approachable palate
Cabs from Colchagua Valley are known for their exceptional value and lean towards candied red fruits such as candied tart cherries and strawberry jam followed up by a hint of menthol and coolness typical of South American wines near the ocean breezes and high elevations.
Le Mistral Tier Nanclares Y Prieto “Dandelion” Albarino
If we are talking top 5 favorite white wines, an outstanding quality Albarino has to be on the list. It’s everything you’d want in a late summer wine. Hints of sea spray, ripe peaches, mouthwatering acidity and a rounded finish from 7 months spent less aging. Truly a delight.
Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto own five hectares of Albariño vineyards in Rias Baixas on the cool Galician coast of North-West Spain. Grapes are traditionally grown on granite pergolas, which keep the vines off the damp ground and airs them in the Atlantic winds – a bit like hanging them on a washing line. Alberto and Silvia seek a balance with nature in their farming - using seaweed and grape marc composts to nourish the vines. The granitic soils, bring incredible minerality and freshness to the wines. In the winery, their approach is: "maximum respect for the grapes and minimal intervention with the winemaking" allowing each vintage and plot to shine through.
Gather some friends and find an excuse to try your hand at seafood paella. Alternatively, you might have heard rice pilaf is making an oversized comeback. Throw some shrimp in it, a squeeze of lemon and call it a weeknight treat.
Margins Neutral Oak Hotel If you’ve been in the shop lately, you know I regularly have Megan Bell’s Margins wines as my staff pick. She produces excellent, lively natural wines, at a great price with unique and rare grape varietals (hence, wine on the margins). Neutral Oak Hotel, as you might assume, is aged in neutral oak barrels and is wildly aromatic with bouncy fruit, herbs, graphite, and gentle tannins. Made of a blend of red and white grapes (Barbera/Chenin blanc/Pinot Noir/Mourvèdre/Cab Franc), these blends mark the perfect transition from summer to autumn. The art of blending these grapes may appear similar in color to a rosé, but the wine still maintains the roundness and aromatics of the Chenin Blanc while still delivering beautiful tannins and bing cherry notes from the red grapes. A fun and crunchy wine for the patio.
*make sure you pop it in the fridge for 15 before opening
Azienda Agricola Foradori Lezer, Rosso Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT
An absolute legend, fourth-generation winemaker Elisabetta Foradori and her family are responsible for the revival of the indigenous teroldego grape in the Dolomite mountain range of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto. She is know for creating some of the most prestigious and interesting wines in the region.
From Foradori, “The idea of creating a light Teroldego to celebrate the summer was something that interested us for some time but it wasn’t until the hail storms of August 2017, which destroyed 40% of our harvest that we decided to have a go. From the small amount of fruit harvested from the damaged vines we were able to piece together a number of vinification tests with short maceration processes to make Lezèr. We undertook various batch tests in amphorae, wood, cement and steel, never leaving the grapes on the skins for more than 24 hours.
This wine was born with the spirit of experimentation and continues to develop in this way.
Overseeing the various developments that take place in each vintage, each year we experiment with the addition of full bunches and changing containers, along with tweaking our techniques and timings for short maceration.”
If you would like to try a fuller bodied version of her teroldego, swing by The Breeze. We were only allocated 6 bottles of Morei this year so grab them when you can.
This month's wine club artist is Kacey Sloane @kaceysloaneart
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