LOW ROAD WHITE

2021 Sattlerhof Sudsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc $17.92

This is an excellent, crisp Sauvignon Blanc from Austria. Club members Tim and Sara have a winemaker friend that lives in the region so I brought a bottle over to get their endorsement and lucky for you, they approved.

2021 Roccolo Grassi Soave La Broia $19.20

Repeat! Originally recommended by our winemaking friend Tony, we fell in love with it. Last time, we had the 2016 vintage, but this 2021 is even more full-bodied and creamy. We think that makes it more elegant and more appropriate for the winter. It spends a year in barrels (some of them Slovenian oak) and ages six more months in the bottle before they release it. Have the Sauvignon Blanc for lunch, this is “dinner” Soave.

LOW ROAD RED

2018 Chateau Haut La Pereyre Bordeaux Supérieur $12.80

Most $13 Bordeaux Supérieur isn’t very good (sorry, not sorry!) Buuuut, this one is, which is why you’ll pay $17 for it everywhere else. It is 75% Merlot and 25% Cab and does not have any of the extra-Frenchie (animal stable, Brett, gym socks) flavor that you would expect from this price range. Fun Fact! The winery is near the town of Cadillac. The car company was named after a French explorer from this region that founded Detroit.

2020 Cave Des Onze Communes Mayolet Valle d’Aosta $16.20

Valle d’Aosta is the region in Northwestern Italy that is home to the highest elevated grapes in all of Europe. Cave Des Communes is a cooperative winery that is used by 200 different growers, each harvesting less than 1/3 of a hectare on average. Mayolet is a medium-bodied grape with low tannins that can be quaffed without being boring. "This wine pairs perfectly with all dishes." It says so right on the label.   lunch.

HIGH ROAD WHITE

2022 Terre Nere Etna Bianco $24.96

Mount Etna in Sicily is an extreme, volcanic environment. The reason for having Etna in the Club is to taste the environment. That means local varietals with minimal flavor enhancements (like oak). It’s a blend of Carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico, and Minnella (we’d only heard of the first two). The grapes are harvested separately and blended into the Carricante as needed to make the best possible wine from each vintage. Our sales rep says that the other importers are jealous of Terre Nere because every vintage is good (as if blending is cheating.) 92 points from James Suckling.

2022 Chateau de Fleys Chablis $26.45

Three siblings run this winery which was started by their great grandfather in the 1800s. Following a phylloxera outbreak, this was the first winery in Chablis to replant their vines on American rootstock. They sell most of their grapes to other winemakers and only bottle the best grapes for their label. Chablis means we are drinking Chardonnay, but it is the furthest thing from the love-it-or-hate-it California style. Note: We love all Chardonnay. Even if you don’t know it yet. 

HIGH ROAD RED

2015 Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil Breteche $25.60

This wine was a shock to me, but it shouldn’t have been. When I hear Cabernet Franc, I think about the blending grape used to mellow out the Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux blends. It has been used that way since the 1700s. But there are records of Cabernet Franc in the Loire region of Bourgueil going back even further. The Caslot family has been on the same Domaine in that region since 1640. And in Bourgueil, Cab France is not a blending grape. It makes a meaty, peppery wine that belongs on the table with the main course. I would have guessed that this was a Syrah or Nebbiolo. Anxious to hear your thoughts.

2022 Gros Ventre High Country Red $34.56

Traditionally we would recommend a Gamay or Pinot Noir for your Thanksgiving table, so this year we are bringing you both. There is a region in Burgundy called Passetoutgrains where they blend the two grapes, BUT this one is from California. The High Country Red is a blend of almost equal amounts of the two varietals and is from the Sonoma Coast. America!