Sergio's Pick

"The majority of the wines we carry are either sold to us after tastings or allocated to us since we are already fans of the producer. Today's wine is one that I've been personally seeking ever since I first tried it nearly 10 years ago.

Intrigued by the label, or lack thereof, I bought this bottle not knowing what it was like, nor had I experienced a Cabernet Franc from Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, which was the only small clue giving away what this wine actually is on the label. Not knowing what to expect, and not having the courage to bring it to our friend's wine gatherings (I used to care what people thought of my wine tastes back then), I randomly opened this bottle alone on a weeknight and in many ways, it changed my approach to pulling corks. It was so good, that I felt guilty for enjoying it alone (If you can't tell by that statement, I was raised catholic).

After that bottle and to this day, I've been incredibly selective about what gets opened at home. Having an impactful bottle like that is not fully experienced without the sharing aspect. While that bottle was blowing my mind, I kept thinking about friends that I knew would love this, friends that I knew would scoff at the DIY nature of the bottle, friends that I knew would hate it...I kept thinking about my friends. The significance of the communal effect of wine revealed itself to me with this bottle. Of course, the shop was out of this wine when I went back to buy more and thus began the search.

When I moved to Portland and began restaurant life here, I remember asking every wine rep if they'd ever heard of this wine or the producer. When the producer was finally available in the Portland market, the distributor had never heard of this cuvée. I would mention this wine to coworkers at Little Bird Bistro, and while dining in Texas, my friend saw it on the wine list, purchased it and brought it back for me. The significance of the communal effect of wine revealed itself once again.

At long last, and after asking for this wine every time I tasted a new vintage of Sebastien David's other wines (Sorry Owen), it's in my hands once again. Now that wine information is more readily available, I came to discover that this wine is only produced in the vintages that allow it, which is why my search was more difficult and in turn more rewarding. And while owning a wine shop affords me the luxury of keeping as many bottles as I can fit in my home wine racks, I'd prefer to not keep any since we received so little, and share the following tasting notes with you instead:

'Alluring notes of marionberries, black and green peppercorns, bell pepper, teriyaki, violets, leather, jerky, nasturtium and cinder develop in the glass. The palate is lively with an infinite acidity that introduces a mineral-dense, juicy/slightly silky texture that descends towards a velvety/grainy tannic bite. A complex earthy, herbal, peppery and smoky finish lasts for minutes and lends itself to diverse pairing possibilities. No sulphur used in any part of the winemaking process; fruit continues to be sourced from nearly 100-year-old vines in Saint Nicolas de Bourgeuil despite the Vin de France designation'.

The communal effect continues..."