LOW ROAD WHITE

2023 Wittman 100 Hills Pinot Blanc, $16

Pinot Blanc from Germany is made in many styles, sometimes oaked, made to age, or even left on the skins and made into orange wine. This one is a crisp daytime wine from one of the best producers in Germany (we have used their Pinot Noir in the High Road). With summer coming, this one was a no- brainer that Sarah and I agreed on instantly. 2023 is the current vintage released.

2022 Quinta do Pinto, $16.26 

We bought this wine for the February Delivery and then realized that we had too many Low Road Whites so we decided to save it until May.  Buuut, as it goes, we started drinking it. If it looks familiar, you must be a white wine regular who bought wines in between shipments. Spoiler – everybody loves it. Like most Portuguese whites, it is a blend of many (seven) grapes resulting in a balanced versatile wine. Since we waited, the newer vintage has been released but we prefer this one. Don’t put it away, put it directly in the fridge and enjoy it soon.

LOW ROAD RED

2023 Padrillos Malbec, $12  

If you haven’t met, we would like to introduce you to Malbec from Argentina. And if you haven’t been introduced, this is the perfect starter Malbec. Low price, 13% alcohol, medium body, good fruit, and just enough tannins to let the wine linger in your mouth. The perfect summer red for grilling anything. Plus, 90 Pts from James Suckling – you have good taste.

2024 Il Conte Villa Prandone Conte Rosso, Rosso Piceno, $19.33

Il Conte Villa Pradone is the winery, the town is Monteprandone, Marche. Monteprandone is a picturesque Italian town located on the highest hill in an area surrounded by vines, three miles from the Adriatic Sea. Rosso Piceno is their name for a local blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano. In 2019, we visited a wine cooperative on Valle Cecchina where you could fill any jug with excellent, local Rosso Piceno for about $2 per liter. Locals were showing up with anything from glass jugs to cheap water bottles to get their fill on. We enjoyed hillside, you enjoy wherever you’d like.

HIGH ROAD WHITE

2023 Gritsch Pluris Riesling, $24.45.

 Because of the stigma of being a sweet wine, we typically don’t use much Riesling in the wine Club. But not all Rieslings are sweet. In this one, you’ll get notes of stone fruit and apricots, but the wine is dry and the acidity is intense (as it should be.)  That makes it great with Asian Food, seafood, fatty meats, and big cheeses. It also makes it ageable but why?  91-93 points

2024 Foxen Chenin Blanc Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard, $25.73 

Repeat wine alert, last vintage was 2018.  Here’s what we said then and still true…

Chenin Blanc in California was mostly grown to add some acidity to cheap jug wines. It was like the squeeze of citrus that makes a well drink palatable. But more and more respected wineries are treating the grape with the same respect (lower grape yields, smart winemaking) that use to be reserved for the blue chip grapes like Chardonnay. Foxen is an extremely well-respected producer (worth a trip to the tasting room as well). This Chenin Blanc comes from a single vineyard of Old Vines planted in the 1960s and boasts the acidity you expect from Chenin, with the elegance and body that you get from California. 91-94 points

HIGH ROAD RED

2019 Siesta Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, $25.33

We’ve had wine from probably the most famous winery in Argentina, Cantena. This wine is a separate project from Ernesto Cantena, the oldest son and fourth generation winemaker from the Cantena family. This single-vineyard, high-elevation Cabernet showcases what happens when you blend old world and new world traditions and techniques. If you stay away from big Cabs when the summer comes, try this 13.5% “summer” cab. It is interesting and the flavor is long, without being overpowering. 

2023 Tenuta di Carleone Chianti Classico, $33.93

We weren’t looking for a Chianti Classico, aged in stainless steel and concrete, made by a British born, Irish, one-eyed (The Tuscans call him Il Guercio), winemaker who studied/worked in Germany and partnered with an Australian. I mean, who is? Fortunately for Sean O'Callaghan, his wines delicious and well respected by locals and critics. This isn’t the Chianti Classico in the fiasco (basket bottle). This is a serious, 100% Sangiovese Chianti Classico that isn’t hiding behind oak. This wine has received Tre Bicchieri in the past and this vintage is rated 92-94 points from various raters. .