Le Sommelier Mixed Case: Lighter Reds For Fall

Wine Type:
Style of Wine:	Earthy & Spicy
Country of Origin:	Various
Grape Varietal:	Various
Bottle Format:	750mL
Case Size:	12 bottles
$462.12 Per Case ($38.51/btl) Add to Cart

Tasting Notes

Each case contains two bottles of the following wines:

La Soeur Cadette Juliénas 2018, Beaujolais, France

Valentin Montenay wanted to highlight the lesser-seen Juliénas cru in this bright and joyous red. This blends two sites, one on blue granite, and one on sandy soils, and with vines averaging 70 years. All whole cluster, this was fermented in stainless and then into older barrels for 8-10 months’ rest. Red flowers, red currants, rhubarb is framed with fine, lightly sticky tannins to a lingering spiced and very salty finish. Born into a family of vignerons, Valentin sources grapes from across Bourgogne and Beaujolais for his negociant La Soeur Cadette wines.

Haywire Waters & Banks Pinot Noir BC VQA Okanagan Valley 2015, Summerland, BC

Waters & Banks vineyard is a steep sloping Summerland vineyard comprised of limestone and granite. This Pinot Noir, clones 115 and 667, was wild yeast and whole bunch fermented and spent four weeks on skins before resting in concrete eggs for 11 months. Strawberry liquorice, dusky raspberry, sapid cherry veined with fine acidity and finishing with a earthy, woodsy, smokey kiss. Tannins are nubile, near negligible. The warmth of 2015 is felt here on the mid, though the concrete and swell of acidity help to buoy.

Domaine de la Touraize Arbois Côtes à Côtes 2017, Jura, France

André-Jean & Héléana Morin are 8th generation vignerons, now farming their 12 hectares of organically certified estate vineyards in Arbois. They left the local co-op in 2008, built their winery in 2011, and will achieve Demeter biodynamic certification in 2020. Côtes à Côtes is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir and 60% Trousseau, from Arbois’ grey marls and gravels. This was native fermented, in cement, and aged in with no inputs save for a small amount of SO2. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Bright raspberry, wild strawberry, and cherry fill the fresh, slight frame, with fine, grippy tannins framing the sides to a lingering mineral salted finish. Lovely balance; enjoy with a chill.

Señorío de P. Peciña Tinto Cosecha 2019, Rioja, Spain

Bodegas Hermanos de Peciña is firmly planted in traditional Rioja, one of perhaps a dozen of producers adhering to the tenets passed down through generations. This includes long aging in mostly neutral American oak, regular open-air racking by hand (called trasiego), and then further aging in bottle often well beyond the specifications required by the DO. Founder Pedro Peciña had over two decades of working in Rioja Alta before opening his own Bodega in 1992. This is a blend of 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano, and 2% Garnacha, fermented in stainless and aged in tank for six months before bottling without fining or filtration. It pours a deep ruby in the glass with intense, ripe red berry, ample spice, and supple tannins.

Churton Natural State Pinot Noir 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand

Natural State is the second generation, Jack and Ben Weaver's, new personal project. It comes from organically / biodynamically farmed pinot noir from the hillside Clod Block of their Waihopai Valley estate vineyard, planted in 2000, their youngest pinot noir block. Picked in 2 tranches, this was destemmed, native fermented with 14 days on skins (half a lunar month) and tipped into French barrels for 3 months. It was racked once, and bottled in August 2019 with no additions save for a small amount of sulphur. Fresh and authentic, cloudy with intent, this lighter bodied red fills the mouth with dark raspberry, cherry blossoms, and an underbelly of Japanese plum before a saline rinse on the finish. Tannins are lightly sticky, and acidity is moderate. Next gen; a line to watch.

J.M. Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 2017, Loire, France

Jean-Maurice Raffault and Rodolphe Raffault’s family began cultivating vines in Chinon 14 generations ago, when their ancestor, Mathurin Bottreau, bought his first parcel of vines in 1693. Today, Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault owns 50 organically farmed hectares of vines in 7 communes. This cabernet franc is from the Les Picasses lieu dit, atop a plateau overlooking the Vienne, the windiness of the site reflected in the windmill on the label. Soils here are stony limestone and clay. After destemming and a native ferment this moves to barriques for MLF and aging 18 months on fine lees. Wild cherry, cassis, liquorice, rules the medium+ palate, housed by ample grippy tannins to a bitter cherry, kirsch, and ample mineral salt finish. Quite structural, this will work well with a decant, and rosemary grilled pork or root veg.

Critical Praise

We’ve put together this case of 12 lighter bodied reds perfectly suited to the early days of autumn.

Estimated time of delivery is 3-10 business days.