July 2024 | Enthusiast Wine Club

La Grange Tiphaine Delecheneau “Ad Libitum” 2022 Touraine Red

My vision here was the perfect red wine for almost any preference; this transports me to a quaint French village having an early lunch while watching people settle down from their day. This wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay from the Touraine appellation of the Loire Valley in France and gives rise to a very high tone and prominent fruit profile nostalgic of Barbera; think very cherry forward, bright acidity, and a hint of graphite grip on the end of the palate. After a short time in the glass, the wine blossoms into a juicy and bright classic table red with more integrated structure to soften the mouthfeel. On day two the wine still sings, but the fruit tones take on a Fig Newton like quality, sinking more into the body of the wine. Much like the “Love Birds” this wine is meant to be consumed now and would be incredible with a Soppressata pizza, a grilled sandwich with fresh Dijon, or a classic charcuterie board. Serve in all-purpose stemware at cellar temperature and drink now – 2027.

Florez 2023 “Love Birds” Red Blend

“Love Birds” – for when wine doesn’t need to be complicated to be damn delicious. Love Birds is a 50/50 co-ferment of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Gimelli Vineyard and creates a red wine meant to be enjoyed with just a slight chill (perfect for July). Right off the pop the wine is high tone red with feelings of hibiscus, taut cherry, white raspberry and has an Earl Grey tea-like texture and bergamot notes. In the unlikely event that Love Birds becomes a day two wine, you will be pleasantly surprised to see that the wine somehow opens even more to higher tone pink, blue, and orange notes. My goal with this wine was to provide folks with a wine ideally paired for a warm summer lunch; think sandwiches, pizza, or watermelon salad. This wine is best enjoyed young to preserve the intended freshness. Drink now, serve just below cellar temperature, and serve in all-purpose stemware.

Johan 2021 Melon

The Johan Vineyards 2021 Melon is a lot of wine in the bottle. Melon de Bourgogne is most associated with the Loire Valley and is planted predominately in Muscadet. This expression of Melon from the Van Duzer Corridor in Oregon pays homage to both the terroir of the vineyard as well as the winemaking style so frequently utilized in Muscadet. The fruit for this bottling comes from marine sedimentary soils that are laced with sand, basalt, and fossils of marine organisms. The wine is made with a gentle 36-hour skin contact and subsequently aged for 10 months on lees. The resulting wine is exactly what you might think – expressive, saline, and supple. Right off the pop on the nose are notes of white plums, lychee, guava, and Golden State cider. The palate is extremely creamy and leesy with an aggressive and interweaving acidity. Due to the depth and structure of this wine, I highly recommend drinking this wine with food, ideally something spice driven and savory (in isolation, I feel like this wine can be too aggressive). For food pairings I would suggest ramen, Korean BBQ, or spicy miso noodles. Serve at refrigeration temperature within one day in all-purpose stemware and drink now – 2027.