Decemebr 2021 | Terroir Wine Club

Adrien Renoir Le Terroir Assemblage Grand Cru Verzy Champagne

From Amitie Wines

Vincent and Adrien Renoir, father and son, are Vigneron of Verzy, a village on the northern edge of the Montagne de Reims, known for its approximately 400 hectares of vineyards, classified as 100% Grand Cru. The Renoir family has been working their 5 hectares for four generations. The experience and knowledge handed down from father to son have allowed them to produce wines enriched with their personality. The organic vineyards are managed with extreme care and sensitivity to ensure the healthiest and most highly qualitative harvesting. The wines then rest in the cellars, mainly in steel, for several years. A lengthy aging process in the cellars gives their champagnes their superb style and structure.

From Caileen

This Champagne is a statement that Champagne is a wine and not just a classification within wine. By that I meant the wine evolves in the glass, improves with time and temperature, and is deeply expressive of terroir. In the glass the wine is light straw and golden apricot in color. The nose has elevated notes of brioche apricot pit and white cherries, while the palate is delicate honey, mineral water, walnut oil, sage oil, toffee, and caramel. The wine becomes more pronounced with time and air and evolves drastically in the glass. Structurally the wine is quite pronounced and has great tensity (1.6 g/L dosage), but the oxidation shows beautifully to round out an otherwise electric acidity. For food pairings, a white pizza with truffles would be wonderful – but in general you should think of savory fats – liver mousse, duck fat fries, etc. Drink in a white wine glass, serve just above chilled, and drink now – 2036.

Thibaud Boudignon 2019 Anjou Blanc

From Sacred Thirst

Thibaud Boudignon farms small parcels of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc with his hands, heart and inspiration. As part of a new generation of Loire vignerons, Thibaud has committed himself to crafting honest wines that embody the spirit of the region. One could say that Boudignon drinks, breathes and lives wine, as he has renovated, re-built and lives above his centuries old cellar on the outskirts of Savennieres. This ardent devotion culminates in a select range of wines that speak to both the heart and the mind; wines that epitomize both precision and soul.

VARIETIES: 100% Chenin Blanc
CLASSIFICATION: Anjou AOC
VINEYARDS: Vineyards in + around Anjou
SOILS: Shallow soils on grey schist, ryholite (volcanic soil) and sand.
AVERAGE VINE AGE: 35 years
FARMING: Organic
VINIFICATION: Vinification in French + Austrian oak barrel (various volume), indigenous yeast
fermentation. No malo-lactic fermentation
ELEVAGE / AGEING: Barrels of 350L + 700L volume. Up to 30% new

Caileen’s Notes

This wine is a great example of how tensity and generosity can co-exist in one bottle – on the nose there are savory notes of dried straw, brioche, and lemon oil. On the palate the first note I pick up is salted underripe pineapple, white strawberries, and an overall sense of high acid fruit vibrancy. As the wine develops, somehow the acidity brightens and begins to throw floral tones of calla lilies, sunflowers, astounding amounts of salinity, green apple skins, and an almost Warhead candy like brightness. If you allow this wine to sit for several hours to days (best of luck), some spice notes start to arise – think cardamom, light roast coffee, sandalwood, and cumin – truly an outstanding wine. For food pairings, caviar comes to mind – think salt, fat, and opulence to attempt to stand up to the salinity of the wine. Caviar or capers over crackers with a soft cheese like chevre or a light sheep’s milk cheese. Drink now – 2032, serve just above refrigeration temperature, and serve in an all-purpose white wine glass.

Mark Haisma 2018 Cornas

From Amitie Wines

We are really excited to bring Mark’s Cornas into the U.S. again for our customers. We know what such labor of love this is for Mark to go through the effort of vinifying a wine in the Northern Rhone and are thrilled with how brilliant the finished product has turned out to be.
Mark spent a decade working together with the late Dr. Bailey Carrodus of Yarra Yering in the Yarra Valley. His passion for making a wine that expresses the purity of the fruit and further reflects the soil they are grown is what drew him to Burgundy. He makes wines that are bright and fresh and uses a ‘hands off’ approach to create a pure expression of the terroir.

From Mark

“Old vines again, around 60 years old, from the terraced vineyards just before St Peray. Grown on the classic decomposed granit soils. The fermentation is not really classical for Cornas. Lots of whole bunch, very long ferment, starts cold and builds up heat to finally get to around 32c. I really am looking for the fruit expression of syrah, I want minerality and fruit, but I also want the strength of cornas. Elevage in 2, 3 use barrels, never older but never new.” - Mark Haisma

From Caileen

Mark Haisma is slowly becoming a favorite producer for me – the wines walk the line between generosity and absolute terroir expression. This Cornas has a bouquet of juicy black bramble, espresso, cracked black peppercorns, and thyme oil. Structurally the wine has delicate but notable integrated tannins. Given time, the tertiary tones of pencil shavings and graphite give way to rose petals, violets, and white pepper oils. The wild herb and fruit prevalence dance nicely together over hours in the glass and bottle. The wine on day two still holds all the characteristics together, but I prefer the expression of the evolution on day one. Serve alongside Korean BBQ, pulled pork, or red lentil curry. Drink now – 2029 and serve in an all-purpose red glass close to cellar temperature.