LOW ROAD WHITE

2023 Zlatan Otok Bilo Idro Marina Cuvée, $14.85

Even though I identify as Italian, the other 25% is Croatian. Must plan visit! Zlatan Otok was the second private winery founded after the country declared its independence in 1991, making my favorite “Yugoslavia” t-shirt a collector’s item. The vineyard is in very rocky soil near the water with no irrigation. The wine is a blend of a few indigenous grapes and should be your starter wine on a weekend day when the rain stops..

2023 Bodegas Vatan ‘Nisia’ Old Vines Verdejo Rueda $15.49

Yes, the Club loves Verdejo. Yes, we just had one in the Low Road in August. Yes, it was popular. And, yes we expect this one to be also. Even though this is made from the oldest vines, because of the sandy soil, it was one of the only vineyards that did not have to be replaced due to phylloxera. I like to imagine our Club members grabbing a wine list at a fun restaurant and skipping over the domestic Sauvignon or Chardonnay and saying with confidence, “I’ll take a glass of the Verdejo.” This wine consistently scores in the 90s, including 93 points for this vintage from Tim Atkin.

LOW ROAD RED

2017 Forzone Irpina Aglianico Campi Taurasini Rosso $15.49

It seems that we feature lighter red wines a lot. Thanksgiving is a good time for Pinot, Summer is too hot for Cab. But it’s February! If not now, when? This is a big, juicy red wine with blackberry and leather flavors. The most famous Taurasi Aglianico is aged for three years in oak and requires more years (or decades) in the cellar to relax the tannins and mellow out. We’ve also had cheap, rushed, quaffable Aglianico that is meant to be consumed right away. This Taurasini is in the middle. It spends one year in oak and is meant to be consumed 5-10 years after the vintage. Of course, we think it is ready to drink now.

2021 Frontonio Microcosmico Garnacha $17

Winemakers are the difference between vinegar and wine. We salute you! But most of them would love to have great grapes with unique terroir and good weather so they can deliver (and drink) a pure interpretation of a given crop. This is it – a single estate, high elevation Grenache aged in concrete instead of wood. Hello fruit and white pepper.

93 pts Robert Parker and Tim Atkin

HIGH ROAD WHITE

2023 Domaine de Bel Air Pouilly Fume $22

When people say they don’t like Chardonnay, I ask them to try Chablis. When people tell me they don’t like Sauvignon Blanc, I ask them to try Pouilly Fume. Specifically, this one. It’s a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with excellent minerality, clean fruit, and a flinty note that makes you want to have another sip.

2023 Kinero Alice Grenache Blanc $25.73

Repeat wine alert! We originally had this a couple years ago, but it sold out quickly and we couldn’t get more for reorders. Not to fear! This time we bought an extra case, so history would not repeat itself. Buuuut, we’ve already cracked into it. We’re doomed.

Anthony Yount is the winemaker at Denner Vineyards. Kinero is his own label where he makes almost exclusively white wines. He said he started to make whites because his father would only drink red. As every good, stubborn son would do, he was determined to prove him wrong. We didn’t need convincing. This Grenache Blanc from the limestone of Paso Robles fits right in with the foreign wines that you usually get from SRWC, but, err, local.

HIGH ROAD RED

2020 La Ca Nova Barbaresco $34.69

This is one of our favorite red wine makers. When we used one of their 2016 “Montefico” single vineyard Barbaresco, Sarah preferred the “Normale” (a blend of many vineyards) so we bought (and enjoyed) both. This time we agree. For Barbaresco, I challenge you to find a better wine at a better price. Fine, we’ll even help you look. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) gave it 93 points and says drink it between 2025 and 2035. That’s Italian for drink it now.69

2013 Lopez de Heredia Vina Bostonian Reserva $38.53

We can’t take credit for discovering this, but when we can get our hands on it, we will. This was JUST released. After 150 years, these guys know the game and will use everything at their disposal to make a good wine every vintage. The wine can be a blend (this one is 80% Tempranillo with some Grenache and Carignan). They will leave it in the barrel 5-10 years (yes – five this time). And, they will blend in up to 15% of wine from another vintage (they are hinting that there may be some 2015 in here). 93-95 points