Gobble Gobble Reds
The Thanksgiving season is upon us! Try four great reds that will go perfectly with friends, family, and all of your Thanksgiving dishes!
Calx
Grapes: Primitivo (Zinfandel)
Place: Puglia - Italy
Process: Certified organic. The grapes are grown on the limestone-raised plateau called Altopiano delle Murge in Puglia. The vines are 20-30 years old. As always, FUSO is our project to search for and bottle Italy’s natural and characterful daily drinkers. We work with farmers and producer friends who are committed to organic viticulture, low-intervention, and terroir-driven wines.
Family: CALX comes from our friend Fillipo Cassano, owner of the certified organic winery called Polvanera in Puglia, the ‘heel’ of Italy’s boot.
He’s worked to make us the Calx bottling, which is the ancient Latin word for limestone, the unique soil found here. Limestone blocks are also the lego for the old traditional dwellings called trulli.
The limestone soils here give the Primitivo grape a freshness, with notes of zingy red berries and dried figs. Like all the reds in the FUSO project, it’s good with a slight chill, so maybe pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes (or pull it our of the fridge beforehand for 10 minutes).
Bottle: $23 | Glass: $10
Bourgogne Passetoutgrain
Grapes: 66% Pinot Nour, 34% Gamay
Place: Burgundy - France
Process: This is a traditional blend of 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Gamay, with the two cépages harvested and vinified separately before assemblage. Elevage takes place entirely in steel tank, and the fruit is sourced from three parcels in Morey-Saint-Denis. It is light, fresh, and easy to drink, as is to be expected from a pleasant Passetoutgrains. Since 2010, the wines are neither fined nor filtered.
Family: The domaine is led by Benoit Stehly, nephew of Georges Lignier, who worked at the domaine for a decade alongside his uncle, before assuming control of the work in both the vineyard and the cellar in 2008. His approach is very traditional, as he seeks to achieve maximum aromatic concentration, above nearly all other characteristics, including structural or color concentration. To achieve this, techniques such as a slightly later harvest and 80% destemming are employed. At the Villages level, the wines are raised in older barrels, while the 1er Crus see 30% new oak, and the Grand Crus 50% new oak. A vein of seductive elegance runs throughout the full range of wines, inviting a complex and beautiful conversation with each glass. The sensitive palate will thoroughly enjoy this approach, a statement of respect for the grandest of traditions in Burgundy and a sublime expression of the terroir underlying some of the most renowned sites in the Cote de Nuits.
Bottle: $35 | Glass: $15
Angelo Negro “Angelin”
Grapes: : 100% Nebbiolo
Place: Langhe, Piedmont - Italy
Process: The grapes grow at an altitude of 200-340m above sea level, hailing from the hills of Langhe and Roero. The vines are trained in the guyot system and the grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September for peak ripeness. The wine macerated is stainless steal with a “floating cap” for 15-18 days. The wine then matures for a further 12 months.
Family: Since 1670, the Negro family has been cultivating vineyards in the hills of the Roero and realizing the viticultural potential of this relatively undiscovered subregion of Piedmont. In that same year, two of the estate’s most cherished vineyards—Perdaudin and Prachiosso—were first planted. Boasting some of the most desirable vineyard sites in the Roero, Negro in an indisputable legend of the area. In fact, Giovanni Negro, the estate’s proud patriarch, vinified the first dry Roero Arneis on record in 1971. The current winemaker, Angelo Negro, produces wines exclusively from the native grapes of the region, offering a remarkable range of Arneis and Nebbiolo, among other varietals. The family’s sandy, fossil-laden vineyards in the village of Monteu Roero coupled with their meticulous work in the vineyard and the cellar give rise to precise, soulful wines. Today, the estate observes organic practices while managing a staggering 70 hectares under vine.
Bottle: $25 | Glass: $11
Big Basin “Homestead”
Grapes: 33% Carignane, 25% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Place: Monterey, California
Process: Our Homestead represents the extraordinary granitic and limestone terroir of the Gabilan Mountains where we sourced the majority of the fruit. Grenache from Brosseau, Coastview and our estate vineyard provides the backbone of this wine. Additional components include: 90+ year old, dry farmed Carignane from the Cienega Valley located below Calera's Mount Harlan AVA and Syrah from the Coastview Vineyard located just miles South of Mt. Harlan at 2400 ft as well as Brosseau vineyard in Chalone.
Family: Bradley is our founder, vineyard manager, and guide, uncompromising in his commitment to producing authentic and compelling wines, farming organically, and working with the best vineyard sites throughout the Santa Cruz and Gabilan Mountains.
Bradley was drawn to California post college for the natural beauty of the Sierras where he climbed, backpacked, and skied. He gradually made his way down the peninsula to Portola Valley and eventually to Boulder Creek in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Under the guidance of Rhône Ranger John Alban, Bradley planted our Rattlesnake Rock Estate vineyard in 2000, vinified our first vintage in 2002, and built our winery in 2003 using redwoods sustainably harvested from the Estate.
Bradley presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association. He lives on the property with his two young sons, Kiran and Lakota, both of whom love grapes and tractors.
Bottle: $35 | Glass: $15