Flatiron Wines & Spirits NY

Most Sancerre domaines are named after the person or family that makes the wine: Vatan, Pascal Cotat (and his cousin Francois Cotat), Bouland, Claude Riffault. But this Sancerre Domaine is named for the winemaking family’s prized vineyard, Les Chasseignes. That’s how important the site is to them.

Caterina Dei is an artist, a singer. She studied music in Siena, performed on stage in Milan, and recorded albums. She still sings, but we know her through her work at her family winery in Tuscany’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Dei. (Check out our Blog post Marvels on the Margins: Part 2 - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano! for more info on the region)

Caterina says that her love and labor in one sphere has deepened her love and appreciation of the other, and that that shouldn’t be a surprise. In her words: "Music and wine speak the same language — the language of the senses." Her wines are devoted to harmony and beauty, and you can taste both in this 2021.

Bairrada is one of Portugal’s many small, relatively unknown regions. In some ways, it’s quite Burgundian — there is one dominant red grape variety (Baga) and one white (Bical); the wines made here are generally quite balanced in terms of alcohol, acidity, and body; there’s a bustling trade in sparkling wine, though these bubbles are overshadowed by the still options; and there’s a lot of limestone in the soils here in Central Portugal.