Spring is perhaps our favorite season for wine pairings. As we are anxiously awaiting the end of Winter, we welcome the much needed lightening up of both the wines we drink and the foods we crave. Much to the dismay of my kids, Igor Stravinsky's 'Rites of Spring' gets a lot of play around the house this time of year. Stravinsky himself once described this ballet as an exploration into "the mystery and great surge of the creative power of Spring". We feel the same way about this time of year, and hope that this month's pack will get your creativity swirling. Our 6 pack includes:
2023 Brigo Vini, 'Baracca' Lambrusco dell'Emilia - Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Impressions: 'Baracca' translates to "let's party" which summarizes the spirit of this wine. Highly aromatic with enticing aromas of red raspberries, underripe strawberries, hibiscus and dried rose petals evolving from the glass. The palate is fresh and lean with gentle bubbles that glide towards a fruity, floral and nearly bone dry finish. Here, this Lambrusco di Salamino finishes its fermentation in bottle. You can drink it clear or flip the bottle upside down to mix in the sediment and lees.
2023 Timothy Malone, Willamette Valley Albariño - Oregon, United States
Impressions: We love when the Willamette gives us something out of the ordinary, yet familiar, like this highly enjoyable Albariño. Enticing aromas of red apples, quince, marcona almonds and white flowers evolve from the glass. The palate displays a fresh acidity that persists through a concentrated, mineral and juicy texture. Finishes crisp, fruity and slightly nutty with a touch of salinity.
2023 Bodega Calle, 'Dharma Orange' Uco Valley - Mendoza, Argentina
Impressions: Skin contact/orange wines don't have to be so polarizing. For us, they fall into 2 camps, those that drink tannic like a red wine, and those like this 'Dharma' that feel texturally similar to a rosé. Opens with highly aromatic notes of tangerines, orange blossoms, gardenias, and dried herbs. The palate is fresh with a lively acidity that cuts through a silky/juicy minerality that leads towards a crisp, dry and floral finish. No funky sour beer notes here, just citrusy goodness throughout.
2023 Laurent Gauthier, 'Cote du Py' Morgon - Beaujolais, France
Impressions: Stunning Gamay sourced from arguably the greatest vineyard in Beaujolais. Bursts with red cherries, strawberries, maitakes, dried rose petal and iron. The palate is greeted with a silky texture that introduces its mineral-forward medium body. A slight tannic touch brings forth a fruity and earthy finish with great length.
2022 Vaeni, Naoussa Xinomavro - Macedonia, Greece
Impressions: Xinomavro produces our favorite Greek red and this one serves as a wonderful introduction to the uninitiated. To us, it feels like a cross between a Southern Rhône wine and a Nebbiolo, captured by the aromas that lead with notes of cherry liqueur, truffles, bay leaf, forest floor and iron. The palate is concentrated, yet does not overshadow its minerality that is carried through to its refined, chalky tannins. The finish is bone dry, earthy and slightly herbal, making this a versatile wine to pair with red meat based dishes.
2023 Clos La Coutale, Cahors - Southwest, France
Impressions: Rounding out our crowd pleaser reds for this pack is this rich and warming Malbec. Dark notes of blackberry compote, figs, iron, and dried violets entice from the glass. The touch of Merlot added to this blend shines on the palate as its signature lush texture harmonizes with Malbec's juicy minerality before descending towards fine grained, velvety tannins. The finish is fruity, peppery and savory with a touch of smoke.