From the team of Savio Soares Selections, we send a huge and happy holiday hurrah around to everyone in the family!
Thank you for making this a wonderful year of growth, with new wines, new friends and happily, many new glasses shared!
May your Holidays be merry, bright, delicious and natural (or at least practicing organic) wherever you are!!!!
I do have to apologize for the condition of this bottle in the photo. It is not seen here in its best light. The morning is not always pretty. But last night we decided to open a bottle of the Beaujolais Noveau from Chateau Cambon. For those who know, this is the little spoken of property of Marcel LaPierre, who recently passed. We popped the bottle open in his honor and drink it as he would have wanted us to.... with gusto, irreverence and pleasure! There was a comment briefly on the cranberry fruited nose with hints of flower perfumes and wet rock but then we laughed... Why break this apart when it should be seen completely and wholly as a wine and a wine only?! Fruit crushed to ferment and cause ease & camaraderie. Enough wine talk already! The conversation slowly turned to tale-telling while a healthy hunk of cheese was cut into, some bread appeared and another bottle was popped. Occasionally we toasted to the man. He saw that Nature gave us this pleasure. Simply. It was a pleasure to return that to him. He would have enjoyed this kind of wine tasting of his last creations. Another bottle?
Well the pleasure continued. Perhaps a bit to long. Perhaps too much 'good times'? We had to eventually give into the late night but fearing broken glassware, we left it as it was. A quiet landscape of the night's history. Waking this morning, I thought I would capture it again before it was cleaned and I readied for the week's start. Back to work. Back to seriousness. Back to the Old ways. Thank goodness there is always something Nouveau at the end of the day.
A grand bubble tasting in Dumbo!
We invite you to watch Savio pop corks all around the office on Thursday Dec 2nd.
Noon until 4pm
Grab a glass and taste the sparkling efforts of:
Christian Etienne Demilly de Baere Jagdschloss & Lat 50
Domaine Agape Domaine J. Laurens Bruder Dr. Becker Philippe Bornard
Pascal Bellier Schloss Muhlenhoff Sebastian Brunet
York St stop of the F Train.
Please contact your rep to R.S.V.P., call us with a resounding yes 718-797-4114
or reply below to this posting!
Let's toast together to the finale of a great year of friendship.
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Just a warm thank you to all of you working and planning to work with their wines. Salute!
Early morning in August. 
Otavio, the reason for it all
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| This week the New York Times listed Bianchino on their list of wines recommended to go with Turkey. Before our first visit, Bianchino was only produced for Valli Unite's folks own drinking (100% Cortese) and in fact it did not even have a name, for which I suggested Bianco. On the second day of the visit I finally met Alessandro's assistant winemaker, who introduced himself to me like this: me chiamo Pasquale...Pasqualino...EH! Lino! At this moment Bianco became Bianchino. Valli Unite is a community of about thirty people living together and sharing the work of this 20 hectare farm located on the highest hills (with 360 degree views) of Costa Vescovato in this beautiful Piedmontese region called Colli Tortonese. These folks are very hospitable and very friendly and they also have a small BB (Agriturismo). Best of all, if you'd like to join them for a month or two and get your hands dirty, they will set you up with room and board. Besides wine, they also produce organic milk, cheese, yogurt and cured meats.
Viva Valli Unite! We will make sure they will be buying new tractors in the near future.
Grazie!
Savio, Otavio, Alessando and Alessandra.
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They came in on a big old ocean liner, through some mysterious dock and into our office, claiming to be the same old wines we knew and loved. We could see right through their plot...they thought some clever stroke of hand to change the vintage on the label and no one would be the wiser. We gathered them under the spotlight and got em' to spill their guts.
Here's what they had to show....
Christian Venier Gamay "La Gautrie" 2009 (Touraine in Loire, France) A big fruit in a stunning frame. Black hard soils and tar beneath the fruit recalls a finer Cru Beaujolais. Plum skins, juicy black currant and a dash of dijon mustard spice. It was uplifted by an acidity from start to finish, giving it the sensation of a fresh cracked fruit skin. This is young and ready to go but can hide away to be something better too.
Christian Venier Cabernet "La Gautrie" 2009 (Touraine in Loire, France) A cabernet franc with all the proper class of Loire. Shy in the nose to begin with, and barely the color to stain side of the glass, it gave us smoke and roses. There was fruit in a dried sense which turned bright and cranberry on the palate. The weight was gorgeous...barely there. And what a curious lingering flavor: a perfect pate or the giblet gravy you would want a crust of bread for. This was really savory and bright...a lot of wine for such little substance
Christian Venier Cheverny Blanc "Les Perrieres" 2009 (Cheverny in Loire, France) This was the shy missy who was hiding for sure. This is 100% Menu Pineau! Lean and fresh currently, you could sense the reversal it will have after a bit of settling age. What gave it away was a waxy feel, not as the entire texture but somewhat slipping through the wine. It had pretty fruit already, slightly less than ripe tropical flavors. Below that, and not quick to leave our palates was a taste of celery root, even roasted root vegetables. All this reads is a sleeper for now but watch out when she's ready!
Chateau Cambon Beaujolais 2009 (Beaujolais AOC, France) The showy version of all Gamay. This was immediate, full and rippled with fleshy juices (and that was the nose!). It offered an attractive leisurely pan of black cherry with just a touch of acid to wake it. It held a wonderful mineral spice and a puff of smoke. There will be no trouble drinking this one, if it sticks around.
Domaine J. Chamonard Morgon "Le Clos De Lys" 2008 (Beaujolais, France) The Gamay of the bunch that confirms the glory of Burgundy and puts the Morgon appellation correctly on the list of great Cru. This was cool in the nose, like the smell of grape skins in cold crisp morning air. There was stem spice, lavender and a rotation of black and red fruit. It hit the palate plump in the middle and crisp on the edges and then the tannins pulled up to give it fine structure. This will not go fast...out of the glass that is. It is an all-day slow sipper.
Remi Jeanniard Morey St. Denis 2007 (Cote de Nuits in Burgundy, France) This was as expected and as hoped for. Although a most burgs out there are 2008, we just brought this over. This gave us the note of the leaner vintage in a good nose of greener spice mixed with firm fruit. Lingering on the middle palate though was a deep rich, mineral Morey cherry fruit, just showing licorice. A great wine at the village level. For the moment the finish was not as plush but It will soften as it rests from the journey. Remembering how the 2006 took an extra season to come into a juicy glory, this will be worth waiting on.
Not pictured here as it slipped out before we could nab it: Christian Etienne Champagne "Brut Tradition" NV (Meurville in Champagne, France) This guy was the sneaky one but worth grabbing. No new label, no new vintage; this is the same great wine turned drier and delightfully pulled into focus. The dosage was brought down 4grams to stand that great rich fruit upright. This does not leave your palate. Persistent, high and bright and still substantial. It is a mix of 2006/2007 vintages with a noticeable amount of oak aging before the secondary fermentation, just making it creamy across the middle. For those who knew this before, hold onto your glasses. We might drink this all ourselves.
That's our rap on these fellas. A few others came along on the boat too...a couple of new comers to the cellar. Stay tuned for what they have to say about themselves! In the meantime...don't be shy to say hello.
Variations on a theme.
This is not a new way to look at the things in our world. It is found in all avenues of the arts and music and fashion. It makes for a logical vantage point for comparison. And when subjects present themselves in threes, they almost beg for attention, for studious musings. So why not the same analysis in wine?
Oh, it's been done before, you say?
Well, never before now has the chance come along to put the magnifying glass to the grape great...
Scheurebe! The Brothers (or Bruder) Dr. Becker, in their keen positioning in the German world of wine, have brought a little heard of historical grape crashing onto the stage of the modern wine theatre. And they are clever enough (and talented enough!) to present their star, all sourced from the same vines, as three characters, each with their own place in the spotlight.
Scene 1: The kabinett 2008
The first to be picked should be the first to step up. Scheurebe as a grape, presents itself along the lines of a Riesling, following the finer aromatics and fresh acidity. Thus it should, as it is a half breed of Riesling itself. As a kabinett, it followed suit, at least in aromatics. There was a lovely nose of stone fruit and orange cream, with a fine hint of petrol just behind. Where it showed itself unique though was on the palate. There was very little agitation; no grapefruit zing, no biting citrus. It was unified, harmonious and so so light and then, it did not fade...it hovered. It was as weightless as spring water, and left a mineral sensation much the same. Exiting off the stage, it left the impression of a perfect bite of summer fruit. No sugar. No glycerin. No fat. One beautiful note, without announcing itself as pretty. If there was music accompaniment, it would be a single instrument playing quietly ethereal.
Scene 2: The spatlese Ludwighoher 2008
As the riper picked version came on stage, this is where the orchestra kicks in. Holding true to that same feather like expression on the palate, this was all together more showy and dimensional. There was louder notes of the same fruits turning more tropical: peaches in syrup, mango, orange oil, and some version of pineapple. It was creamier across the palate and left a curios note of bay leaf. Yet again, it was almost weightless. You felt it, tasted it, and were somewhat haunted by it but it was off the palate. Considering it has over 20 grams of sugar, this was a feat of excellence! And all without the acidity doing the work. Bravo!
Scene 3: The Sekt Extra Trocken 2008
The Becker team produces wines by organic processes. In fact they are Demeter certified. All the more to love about these wines. If you have not had the chance experience Scheurebe, catch this show before the 2008 season runs out. It is a ponderous study on a unique varietal. Enjoy the show.
A few days ago, when the Great Monsoon of '10 began in NYC, I met up with our dear friend Sylvain from Clos Lapeyre (our guest from the Jurancon...see last post) in the black as night mid afternoon. We had a great day showing his sunny bottle to fine dry folk, despite the torrential cloudbursts. I had run off to another appointment and planned to rejoin him with Ariel, our superstar lady-friend-to-wine, at the Blue Ribbon Wine Bar on Bedford Street. After gaining 60 pounds of water weight in the 2 block walk from the subway, I sloshed into the cozy room pondering how to get my insides as wet as my outsides. There were a few members of the house tasting the Jurancon (which was lovely...see last post). Sylvain had a tempting beer. And Ariel had a precious little line up of Cour-Cheverny. The beer I understood but the flight of Cour-Cheverny I was amazed by. If it wasn't so soaked, I would have tipped my hat to Blue Ribbon. It is not often seen poured in a flight. It is not often seen on a wine list. Yet it is one of those classic appellation specific wines that can charm you enough to seek it out.
I was pleased to see that our Domaine du Montcy 2007 (aside a 99 Cuvee Renaissance Cazin...thank you BR Wine Bar...see future post) was part of that lineup. With only a sip amid the conversation, I decided later to pull a full bottle off the office shelf and study it more closely. Gladly it did not make me immediately think of insane rain.
If you do not know, it is a unique wine, from a locally famous grape (Romorantin), from the tiny plot in the Loire Valley (Cour Cheverny) not far from Tourraine. When young, it generally screams with acidity but by now, the 2007 had become charmingly less charged. It smelled, in the best of sense, of earth, of real rocky earth. On the first sip, that earthy minerality felt spicy but almost instantly faded into a backdrop of yellow apple. Holding in the middle was a brilliant lemon peel, with a lush texture, reminding me of a vouvray sec; coating yet with little peeks of lemon acids. Lemon curd perhaps. It continually opened to more of this fruit. But somewhere along the way, the earth returned again through the fruit. Not as chalky but just as crisp as say, the neighboring wines of Sancerre. This dried the finish of the rich body and made it almost crunchy on the edges. The spice it offered turned almost cola like or root beer or brewed tea. In fact, I decided that it in this combination, it made me recall the last few sips of a really great iced tea, slightly sweetened and watered down. That is not flattering comparison, I know. Perhaps, though you let it melt thinking it only ice left in the glass. Let's say then that you absentmindedly sipped again from that straw and the hit of oily sweet, the tinge of bergamot from the early grey, the coolness of ice water and the tea leaf toasted flavor all hit your palate and lingered.. even though unfortunately, the liquid was gone that fast. It had impact and then wandered off your palate, leaving it wanting.
Lucky I did not have just a flight glass before me.
It is not often that a driving storm creates an image of sipping iced tea but I'll take the hint and savor it. This was truly delicious. And a good point in time to drink it. If you try it though, I would advise staying indoors.
This evening, after another insane day, due to the season start of wine mania in NYC, I set in front of me this lovely little chiller. I had not had this wine in some time and made the mindless assumption that I could sip and not think about wine at all. I am happy to say that it not only turned my mind back on, but was extremely refreshing and revitalizing! Wine never ceases to amaze me and so now, I have to talk about it.
If you not have been introduced, allow me the pleasure....
Meet...Vintage Vielh de Lapeyre Jurancon Sec 2006
There is not a great deal in searching for adjectives here because it is awake right from the first pour. Looking at the age, an 06 white from the south of France I did not expect the acidity to be so alive, nor the color so clear. This wine managed to keep the plush texture of the Manseng grapes (Petit and Gros), with all the fresh cut juices of those great small cantaloupes you find in French street markets and enhance it with this amazing acidity of clementines. The sensations revolved back and forth, and I mean without searching for it, from a lush soft texture of warm mango to a perfect bitter bite you get at the pit of a just ripe nectarine. And then there was a clear sense of terrior, of wet clay, of mountain rocks, in the nose and mingling in the finish.
It is a delight to drink and fun to ponder. As I was fading in and out of concentration, each flavor was shouting for attention. It made it easy to pick out what I liked in the glass. And with that, it stayed forever on the back and side of my palate, so I could come back to it without drinking more....which, at that point of the day, I certainly did not need to do.
Sylvain, the man who manages the production, is in town next week to wonder NYC with me and to sharehis delightful wine. He may have newer vintages along but I will assuredly have this 06 open for pleasure and comparison. Sylvain...Thanks for the recharge. Now back to September in NY.
Slung together at the last moment,
we had a fantastic, in-office sampling of some new bottles,
some new to Savio Selections and some new vintages of old friends.
There will be more of these for sure!
Stay close to your email...
Thanks my friends for joining us in Dumbo!
