March 2025 | Enthusiast Wine Club
by Caileen BrisonFelix Celard 2022 Mon Garenne
The “Mon Garenne” bottling is a rare bottling of Grolleau Noir from a protégé of Thibaud Boudignon. With a keen eye and expertise in the Loire Valley, Felix set out to make his own stamp on the terroir from 50/60 year old vines. This bottling is made from nine months of elevage in neutral oak with substantial amounts of maceration to pull color and texture. The profile of the wine transports you back to pre-climate change Loire Cab Franc with lots of wilting violets and wet leather. In its youth the wine benefits from some time open – hours – or several years in the cellar as the cuvee is tight and slightly closed off at first with amplified phenolic structure. After ~ one hour the bouquet starts to throw notes of white pepper, iron, sandalwood, and peony. Over time the wine only gets better, even on day two when the wine feels like a Christmas tree with dried flower petals, and a rustic beauty. Overall, I would either decant young or open the morning you want to drink it and serve alongside fowl or creamy vegetable soups. Drink 2026 – 2032 and serve in all-purpose stemware at cellar temperature.
4 Monos 2022 GR-10
The 4 Monos wines are a lot of wine in the bottle; with 50% whole cluster work and 50% destemmed work, the winemaking and viticulture give rise to ample structure to lay down and forget-about-it or serve alongside the heartiest foods. On the pop the wine is incredibly aromatic with juicy fruit tones of boysenberry, marionberry, cassis, and Dolce & Gabanna perfume. The Grenache dominance comes through in the lens of pomegranate and cherry notes and tannins that won’t stop; this is not a wine to drink without food. On day two the wine is still fairly powerful with young tannins still coating your palate. Overall, I prefer the wine on day one after either one hour of decanting or being open for several hours. Drink 2026 – 2036 and serve in large bowl stemware at cellar temperature with fat and protein dense dishes (an ideal wine for grilled meats).
La Sibilla 2023 Campi Flegrei Falanghina
From just north of Naples, these own rooted vines planted in sandy soils give rise to immensely ripe fruit character and dense minerality. Falanghina as a varietal is very juicy and tropical leaning, but the angle of minerality is showcased here thanks to La Sibilla. On the pop the aromatics are big, plush, juicy, and tropical; orgeat, pineapple, lychee, honeydew, and sweet peppermint. The bombastic aromatics are gracefully juxtaposed to a palate of dense minerality of preserved grapefruit and chalk. The floral aromatics come off as gardenia and citrus flower and they blossom well in large bowl stemware (though all-purpose stemware is sufficient). On day two I find I lose some of the youthful charm that I am captivated by, so ideally consume within one day (though I don’t think you’ll find that a challenge). Serve alongside fatty fish dishes - raw or lightly seared – or fresh vegetables. Drink now – 2030 and serve in all-purpose stemware at refrigeration temperature.