presented by Mark Luna of Kellogg Selections
Domaine Paul Nicolle, Crémant de Bourgogne ~ NV
Before taking over the family Domaine, Charly worked for a few years in the Aube, the southernmost part of Champagne that borders on Burgundy and is a short way from Chablis. With his experience working in Champagne, Charly always wanted to produce his sparkling wine and jumped at the chance to acquire a small vineyard in Molosmes, on the border with Champagne. The Domaine is one of the few that produce their own Crémant entirely in-house from start to finish, including aging, riddling, and disgorging each bottle by hand..
Appellation: Crémant de Bourgogne, France
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir – 11.5% ABV
Tasting notes: A long-aged, mineral-driven, yeast-rich blanc de noirs, with notes of biscuits and yeast, with raspberries, peach, apricot, yellow watermelon, herbs, citrus, and flowers. An expressive nose with a sleek finish.
Producer: Domaine Paul Nicolle (5000 bottles)
Domaine Christophe et fils, Petit Chablis ~ 2022
Sébastien Christophe is a one-man show in Fyé, a tiny commune in Chablis. The Domaine is young at just over 20 years old, especially by Burgundy standards. This wine possesses a fantastic combination of vibrant acidity and focused, chalky minerality that guides those flavors across the palate to a lip smacking, saline-laced finish.
Appellation: Burgundy, France
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay – 13% ABV
Tasting notes: Medium straw color. Ripe peach, green apple skins, almond skins, lemon curd, and crushed river rocks on the nose. Lively on the palate with a mélange of citrus, apricot, pear drop, and white flowers..
Pairing: Can be paired with anything from the raw bar, as well as an assortment of salads and hors d’oeuvres.
Producer: Sébastien Christophe et Fils
Birichino ~ 2023 [2022: 92 pts, Wine Enthusiast]
Saint Georges has not deviated significantly over the past several years. The Besson Family’s decades-old plantings of very small, berried pinot noir thrive on decomposed granite and clay at their two ranches off the inland slope of the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wine was fermented naturally with roughly one-third stem inclusion and matured for 10 months in neutral barrels and puncheons.
Appellation: Central Coast, CA
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir – 13.5% ABV
Tasting notes: Delicate wild herb on the nose, which also shows dark cranberry and baked pastry. The palate picks up a gamy quality that gives savory edges to the dark plum and cranberry flavors.
Pairings: All celebrations.
Producer: Saint Georges
Convexity ~ 2014
The name Convexity means a rounded curve joining two points on a graph. Convexity also represents the elegant arc of a business relationship formed by bringing together the smart eye for long-term investment with the craft of an excellent winemaker (Steve Matthiasson) and Napa premier vineyards. Thus, Convexity represents the best investment — making classic, premium quality Napa Valley Cabernet.
Appellation: Napa Valley, CA
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – 12% ABV
Tasting notes: Inky dark hue with aromatics of bramble flower, white pepper, and succulent plum. On the palate, the aromatics continue with fleshy black cherry and marionberry accents. Exceptional balance, depth without heaviness, and a clean finish. This focused and poised Cabernet fans out in-depth and breadth with a long mineral finish.
Pairings: Delicious on its own but will be superb with Moussaka
Producer: Long-Term Wine Company
