I should also include my definition of orange wine here. In order for a wine made with white grapes to be included in my orange wine section, it should have at least 48 hours of skin contact. In some instances this is enough to give the wines their orange-hued color earning their “orange” name. In other’s, it’s just enough contact to give the wine a glowing yellow color a few shades darker than your average white. The 2009 Sassaia from Angiolino Maule’s La Biancara is an example of this. Just 48 hours of skin contact gives this wine a glowing yellow, almost orangish color, and is therefore included in my orange wine section. An unsulfured and spectacular wine, I love it. Look for a tasting note on it soon.
Along with some of the rarities you’ll find in the new orange wine section, there are some other new wines i should mention here. Like my first 100 % Merlot wine, the Rosso Masieri. Also produced by the outstanding natural wine maker Angiolino Maule of La Biancara (the same guy who makes the Sassaia named above).
Some new wines and vintages from Jean-Pierre Robinot also made it onto the wine list, like his 2009’s Concerto & Regard along with two sparklers – all unsulfured of course. Some interesting wines from Henri Milan, both white and red, from Provence. A couple of new Sassella Magnums from Ar.Pe.Pe in Lombardia. A couple of new Spanish titles, including one from the island of Tenerife. I have also added the “Four Thirteen” wine from A Donkey & Goat winery in Berkley California – my only California wine on the wine list! Named “Four Thirteen” because the wine is made with 4 of the 13 allowed Southern Rhône grape varieties. Click on the Donkey & Goat bottle below to view the most recent wine list.
I am happy to have exclusivity on the Domaine de La Gramière wines in Norway (at least on this first shipment) – great wines made by some fellow ex-pats living in Southern France. These “sponty” wines have super clear fruit and great freshness!
A truly amazing Grüner by another new comer to Norway, Meinklang.
And, a new Dolcetto to replace Luca Roagna’s Dolcetto, one of my favorites up to now. Principiano’s wines, including this Dolcetto, are brand new to Norway, and I feel will take no time at all to get discovered.
Over the course of the next month, I hope to add some (more) exciting rosé’s to kick off our Norwegian Spring and Summer! (Although as I write this post, the spring has all but vanished as I look out my window at the hail coming down from the sky!)
Here are my new additions:
- Domaine d’Elise Chablis 2008 – Lutte Raisonée – Burgundy, France
- Meinklang Grüner Veltliner 2009 – Biodynamic & one hell of a Grüner for the money! – Burgenland, Austria
- La Stoppa Ageno 2005 – A natural orange wine – Thanks Tomasz! – Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Weingut Langmann Schilcher Klassik 2009 – Steiermark, Austria
- Stéphane Tissot Poulsard Vieilles Vignes Sans Soufre 2007 – Nice, delicate fruit. A hint of oak – Jura, France
- Domaine de La Gramière Côtes du Rhône 2005 – Close to natural, just a pinch of sulfur! – Southern Rhône, France
- Domaine de La Gramière Peter’s Vineyard Syrah 2007 – Close to natural, just a pinch of sulfur, please decant me and give me some air! – Southern Rhône, France
- Domaine Leon Barral Faugères 2007 – Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- Ferdinando Principiano Dolcetto d’Alba Sant’ Anna 2008 – Biodynamic with just a pinch of sulfur. Super clear fruit! – Piemonte, Italy
- Drappier Brut Nature – Sans Soufre! – Champagne, France
- Murgo Spumante Metodo Classico Non Dosage 2006 – 100% Nerello Mascalese! – Mt. Etna (Sicilia), Italy
- Crêt de Ruyère/Cathy & Jean-Luc Gauthier (with Jean-Marc Brignot) “biojô nuovo ;-)” Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2009 – No detectable sulfur! – Burgundy, France – A stunning Beaujolais Nouveau like only Jean-Marc Brignot can bottle!!
- Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Raoul 2008 – After being sold out of the 2007 for about 6 weeks, the 2008 is finally here! – Southern Rhône, France
- Domaine des 2 Ânes Fontanilles 2006 – Corbieres, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- La Treille Muscate (Catherine Marin-Pestel) L’Effrontée Magnum 2007 – 100% old vine Carignan – no sulfur added!! – Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- Domaine Robert Sérol Les Vieilles Vignes 2009 – 100% Gamay – Loire Valley, France
- Domaine Robert Sérol (L’)Incorruptible 2009 – 100% Gamay, No added sulfur!! – Loire Valley, France
- Bressan Cru Pignol 1999 – 100% Pignolo grape, No added sulfur!! – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Click on the Treille Muscate Label below to check out the latest wine list!
As I have mentioned in a past entry, I am reducing the number of Champagne titles on my list and increasing the number of sparkling wines. I feel that there are so many interesting sparkling wines available at competitive prices and from interesting wine areas. I have added one sparkling wine to my list in February and I expect to add 3 or 4 more titles next month depending on availability.
New to the wine list this month:
- André et Mireille Tissot Crémant Indigène Brut – Jura, France
- Domaine Bott-Geyl Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru 2008 – Alsace, France
- Château de la Gravelle Muscadet Sèvre et Maine L’Ancestrale 2004 – Loire, France
- Ciro Picariello Aglianico Zi Filicella 2007 – Campania, Italy (Single vineyard, planted in 1925 (see photo just below this description). Spontaneous fermentation. 20-25 days skin maceration. Only steel and cement for fermentation and storage (24 months in cement). Less than 40mg per liter SO2. Bottled without filtration.)
Ciro Picariello Aglianico Zi Filicella Vineyard - Planted in 1925
Click here to see the wine list in its entirety!
]]>New to the wine list this month:
- Bressan Mastri Vinai Verduzzo Friulano 2006 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, sick Italy (no added Sulfur!)
- La Stoppa Gutturnio 2007 – Emilia Romagna, recipe Italy
- Azienda Agricola Sassotondo Ciliegiolo 2008 – Toscana, buy Italy
- Bodegas Bruno Ruiz Villanueva 2008 – Castilla, Spain (no added Sulfur!)
Along with the addition of new titles, I also do my best to remove others to keep my list around 80 to 90 titles. You can view the latest wine list here
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Our wine list now boasts 19 titles that are made without the use of any sulfur what so ever. This is by far the largest selection of wines made without sulfur in Norway. I am not including in this number, nor am I placing the NO SO2 symbol next to, any wine that has had minimal use of sulfur during the wine making process, but none added at bottling. Had I included these titles, there would have been an additional 4 or 5 titles. I feel it’s important to mention that these natural wines don’t merely make it on the wine list for looks. We sell these natural, un-sulfured wines on a daily basis.
New wines added to our wine list for the month of December (all of these titles except the Clos Roche Blanche and the Erbaluna will received the NO SO2 symbol!):
- Clos des Vignes du Maynes, Ste Geneviève Extra Brut NV – Burgundy, France
- Clos des Vignes du Maynes Mâcon Cruzille Blanc 2007- Burgundy, France
- Clos des Vignes du Maynes Mâcon Cruzille Rouge 2007- Burgundy, France
- Bressan Pinot Grigio 2004 – Fruili-Venezia Giulia, Italy
- Camillo Donati Malvasia Secco 2008 – Emilia Romagna, Italy
- Clos Roche Blanche Cuvée Pineau d’Aunis (Rosé) 2008 – Loire, France
- Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Larmande 2006 – Rhône Valley, France
- Jean-Pierre Robinot Concerto d’Oniss 2006 – Loire Valley, France
- Erbaluna Barolo Vigna Rocche 1999 – Piemonte, Italy
I have uploaded the December updated wine list which can now be viewed here
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New titles on the list:
- Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis “Les Pargues Vieilles Vignes” 2006 – Burgundy, cialis France
- Pierre Frick Gewurztraminer Steinert Grand Cru 2003 – Alsace, here France
- Domaine Le Mazel Cuvée Raoul 2007- new vintage! – Rhône, France
- Erbaluna Rosso VdT (no added sulfur) 2007 – Piemonte, Italy
- Podere le Boncie “Le Boncie 5” 2007 – Toscana, Italy
-cheers!!
]]>New titles on the list:
- Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte-Anne – Champagne, cialis France
- Domaine Huber-Verdereau Puligny-Montrachet “Les Levrons” 2007 – Burgundy, physician France
- Stéphane Tissot Chardonnay Les Graviers 2007 – Jura, decease France
- Domaine des Remizières Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Particuliere 2005 – Rhône, France
- Domaine de Fondrèche Côtes du Ventoux Nature 2008 – Rhône, France
- Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigues 2006 – Rhône, France
- Bressan Schioppettino 2004 – Fruili-Venezia Giulia, Italy
- A.A. Pacina Chianti Colli Senesi 2005 – Tuscany, Italy
- Camillo Donati Rosso della Bandita 2006 – Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Rocolo Grassi Recioto della Valpolicella 2005 – Veneto, Italy
-cheers and good drinking!
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