Domaine de Fenouillet ‘Ventoux‘
Grapes 50% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 10% Syrah
Place Rhone Valley, France
Process This rosé is vinified partially by direct press and partially by “saignée”, the juice is naturally clarified after a cold “débourbage” of 24 hours, the wine ferments at temperature that never exceeds 16 degrees Celsius and then it is aged on the fine lees for four to six months before bottling.
(Saignée = removal of a portion of juice from a batch of crushed red wine grapes. That portion ferments on its own without skin contact, resulting in Rose)
(Débourbage = settling and removal of solid particles from freshly pressed grapes before fermentation starts)
Family The Soard brothers, Patrick and Vincent, trace their lineage as vignerons back to their great-grandfather, Casimir Soard, whose wines were winning medals as early as 1902. Their grandfather, Louis Soard, specialized in the production of the celebrated Muscat de Beaumes de Venise during the 1950s and his son, Yvon, father to Patrick and Vincent, continued to work and expand the vineyards in Beaumes de Venise and the surrounding communes, although he rendered his grapes to the local cooperative rather than vinifying and commercializing the wines of the domaine.
In 1988, Patrick and Vincent, with the encouragement of their mother, Nicole, decided to renew the fame of the estate and constructed the chai and cellars necessary to vinify and bottle the full range of appellations available.
The vineyards of the domaine are scattered over seven different communes, including Beaumes de Venise and the surrounding villages. The appellations include Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, Ventoux (vineyards in the communes of Saint Hippolyte, Piniere, Aubignan and Barroux), Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Beaumes de Venise (vineyards in Beaumes de Venise, La Roque Alric and Suzette). The Soard family has always farmed with great concern for the environment and now all of the wines produced at the domaine are certified "organic".
Bottle: $25 | Glass: $11
Maison Noir Wines ‘New Noir‘
Grapes Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc Riesling, Muscat
Place Willamette Valley, Oregon
Process Grapes harvested early to preserve higher acidity. Grapes are macerated for anywhere between an hour to a day. Pinot Gris is the exception with a 22-day maceration on the skins for maximum color extraction. All grapes are then fermented in stainless steel. Afterwards, the juice/wine is allowed to settle to remove heavy lees. Stainless steel aging and very light filteration.
Family Maison Noir is a two-fold lifestyle project producing both a T-Shirt line and Oregon Wines. Founded by sommelier André Hueston Mack in 2007, both ends of Maison Noir incorporate a trademark attitude and personal perspective on wine subculture.
Despite having a successful career with Citicorp Investment Services, André decided to leave his “desk job” to pursue his passion for wine. While working as a sommelier in San Antonio, Mack discovered the joys of introducing guests to the little-known vineyards that first attracted him to the business and “the instant gratification of a guest’s reaction.” While still in Texas, Mack was awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America by the highly regarded Chaine des Rotisseurs. This recognition propelled him into the opportunity to work as a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s world-renowned The French Laundry in Yountville, California.
Mack went on to accept the position of Head Sommelier at Keller’s equally famed Per Se in New York City, where he managed an 1800 selection award-winning wine list and consulted with Chef Keller on menu and pairing development regularly. Winemaking has always been a dream of his and came to fruition when he set up shop under the moniker of Maison Noir Wines. Throughout his career Mack has forged unique relationships with luminary growers and winemakers from around the planet. It is with this prestigious group that Mack currently creates his wines.
Bottle: $35 | Glass: $15
Cossentino Sfera Rosato
Grapes 80% Nero d’Avola, 15% Perricone, 5% Catarratto
Place Sicily, Italy
Process Organic farming practices. Direct press and spontaneous co-fermentation of all the grapes in stainless steel. Aging for 10 months in stainless steel tanks. No clarification before bottling in order to retain the wine’s natural color.
Family In the 1960s, Gaspare Di Trapani, who inspired their “Gadì” - sparkling wine made from Catarratto - grew grapes in the family estate in the Alcamo DOC area, precisely in Partinico, in the province of Palermo. Later, in the 1980s, the company project with Antonino Cossentino was born. With his eyes always looking forward, he dedicated his life to improve the family estate, full of vineyards, peach and cherry orchards at that time. The choice to convert the land to the production of wine grapes was spontaneous.
Even before the Cossentino brand was born, Antonino’s thoughts turned to the agricultural part, to make the right choices for the land and the environment. In fact, thanks to his foresight, since the mid-1990s the Cossentino family has been able to qualify for the certification of organic viticulture. They were among the first in Sicily to make this sustainable choice.
Bottle: $33| Glass: $14
Forlorn Hope ‘Queen of the Sierra‘
Grapes Albarino, Tempranillo, Barbera, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, Pineau d’Aunis, Trousseau, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Verdelho
Place Sierra Foothills, California
Process Red and white grapes harvested and fermented together. Pressed and then either put down into 227L barriques or blended in stainless steel (no new oak). Unfined and unfiltered. Only minimal SO2 is added to the wine.
Family Matthew Rorick has been the winemaker behind the Forlorn Hope wines since the inception of the label in 2005, and tends 75 acres of organically farmed grapevines at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. In previous incarnations he has repaired submarine telescopes for the United States Navy, ridden skateboards for a living, and built electric guitars. His love of wine was fostered in him by his grandfather David Rorick Jr., who was a consummate dining partner and storyteller. His current efforts at RHV, including producing organically farmed estate wines and reconnecting with California’s pre-Prohibition viticultural traditions, are largely inspired by conversations at his grandfather’s table.
Coming from a background of photography and design while living in London, Mara decided city life wasn't meant for her and retrained with an enology/viticulture degree in the south of England. After a period of learning to make wine in various corners of the world, she found herself in Northern California specializing in sparkling wine production. Together with Matthew they run the daily winery activities throughout the year at Rorick Heritage Vineyard. When she's not tending to our wine, she's thinking about snow and where to go cross country skiing next.
Bottle: $33 | Glass: $14