Everyone has their “a-ha!” moment wine. For the luckiest among us, it’s the first sip of great Nebbiolo or Burgundy. For one member of the Flatiron Wines team, though, it was a most obscure grape — Pineau d’Aunis.
Much of Sancerre delivers exactly what people have come to expect: crisp, refreshing wine for easy early drinking. Labaille’s Monts Damnés pushes the wine into another register. The southern exposure brings a sun-kissed breadth to the fruit, while the Kimmerigian limestone provides savory grip and texture. The wine is absolutely singing in its energetic youth, but with even just a few years in the cellar, this wine will gain stunning layers of depth and complexity.
Brianne Day went from juggling waitressing and various wine jobs in 2013 to becoming a tour-de-force on the Oregon wine scene in just a few years. Her 2021 Eola Springs Chardonnay is everything we love about her wines: it's vibrant with the shimmering acidity that trademarks Oregon Chardonnay, and layered thanks to Brianne's meticulously nerdy approach to the sites she chooses.
Based in the tiny village of Congy in the Vallée du Petit Morin, the same village that is home to the iconic Ulysse Collin, Girost represents a multi-generation family estate that has been farming here for nearly a century. Like many growers in this quiet stretch just west of the famed Côte des Blancs, the family sold fruit to the big houses for decades before focusing on bottling their own wine. Today, Sébastien farms a small patchwork of mature parcels around Congy, working thoughtfully in the vines and crafting wines that let his chalky, clay-limestone soils really speak.
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.
If there’s ever a moment to pop a luxurious bottle of pink bubbles, Valentine’s Day makes a pretty compelling case. And nothing delivers quite like Laherte Frères’ stunning Rosé de Meunier. Based on the ripe, juicy 2022 vintage, this 100% Pinot Meunier is a beautiful, savory, deep magenta-colored charmer bursting with fresh wild strawberry and tart cherry tones wrapped around a finely chiseled, mouthwatering mineral core.
Yvon Métras is one of those names that gets wine lovers' pulses racing. An iconic figure in Beaujolais, his ultra-rare and extremely delicious wines are the stuff of legend. Nearly impossible to find stateside, and not much easier to source in France, devoted fans have carefully tucked these bottles into suitcases for years.
Domaine Jean-Marie Chaland can be found at 12 Rue de la Grappe d’Or, literally “Golden Grape Street” in the town of Viré. The Viré-Clessé AOC is one of Burgundy’s newest appellations, designated in just 1999. As we’ve seen all over the Mâconnais, interest in the area’s limestone-rich terroir (and less expensive real estate) has skyrocketed in recent years; Meursault icon Dominique Lafon’s Heritiers line proudly features a Viré-Clessé.
Making wine at Luca Roagna’s level requires intensity and maybe even fanaticism. Spend any amount of time with him and you will quickly observe plenty of both. As he pours you a sip of wine to taste, everyone watches in silence, and you can tell he is mustering every effort to pour it perfectly: precisely the right amount, no errant drip.
It is always a thrill when a bottle pulled from the cellar defies every expectation. We recently opened a bottle of Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 2000 for the staff, bracing ourselves for a wine that might be past its prime. The year 2000 in Burgundy was known as a softer, charming vintage, one that was delicious early on but not necessarily built for the long haul. Yet, as the cork was pulled and the wine poured, it was clear right away, just from the color, that this was special, and far more youthful than its 20+ years would suggest.
