wUst Fine Wine Imports
wines U should try!
Southern Rhone
Roque Colombe (Region: Chateauneuf du Pape): Beautifully situated vineyards slightly northeast of the village (and next to the vineyards of Chateau Rayas) which produce very elegant and perfectly balanced Chateauneuf du Pape. The expressiveness and elegance of their wines is from a broad variety of soil types in the vineyards which include sandy soils, sandstone, terraces of river stones, marls, limestone, and "safres" - a locally unique terroir of compacted sand which adds balance and minerality to their wines.
Domaine des Capes (Region: Gigondas): The Daniel family has grown grapes in the area since 1753. Their Gigondas vineyards are located in my favorite part of the appellation in the upper valley between the "capes" of the two Dentelles de Montmirail that are above the village. The rockier soils in this area are full of minerals which produce the rich deep flavors in their wines.
Domaine de la Cheneraie (Region: Beaumes de Venise): Perfectly located south facing vineyards in the highest vineyard location above the village produce a very expressive and minerally wine. The Domaine's name is from the truffle oaks that once bordered the vineyards (chene means oak in French). Although there are not truffles in the wine, the high vineyard location does seem to add a bit more freshness and expressiveness to the wine from the cooling breezes at the higher elevation and the higher diurnal temperature change which cools the developing fruit each night.
Legende des Toques Cotes du Rhone (Region: Southern Rhone): An interesting consortium of small growers and the leading "cusiniers" of Southern France choose the blend for this very food friendly Cotes du Rhone each year. The cuisiniers (Toques!) use the wine as the house red in their restaurants and I have been delighting palates in California for three vintages now with this wine that has more versatility with food pairings than any wine in the portfolio.
Passe Colline (Region: Ventoux): Very beautiful and perfectly situated "mountain" vineyards in the Ventoux appellation which produce very food friendly, perfectly balanced, and minerally red and white blends.
The Wines
Roque Colombe Chateauneuf du Pape 2021 (NF)
Roque Colombe is produced by a family who has owned a vineyard for over 200 years that is next to Chateau Rayas, which was founded 60 years later. In the typical tradition of many French farmers, until about 15 years ago they sold all of their grapes to “prestigious” adjacent producers such as Chateau Vaudieu, which is also directly below Chateau Rayas.
The Roque Colombe wine benefits from the notable soil type in this part of Chateauneuf du Pape known as “Safres” which is compressed sand augmented by quartz deposits. The Safres soil type is known for producing wines of elegance and balance as compared with many of the typical “big and robust” wines produced in the appellation. In 2019 the blend was 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 25% Cinsault.
Aromas include dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, apricots, nectarines, strawberries, and raspberries. Flavors include dark cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and dark chocolate and have a persistent expressiveness across the palate. There is an elegant medium to full body, perfect balance and acidity, and a really long medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, short ribs, beef stew, rack of lamb, veal chops and cutlets, pork tenderloin, chicken, duck, coq au vin, salmon, clams, mussels, paella, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and mild to medium cheese
Domaine des Capes Gigondas 2021 (OF, NF)
This is from an interesting part of Gigondas as the vineyards are in the high “saddle” that is on the other side of the Dentelle above the village. This is very rocky and more minerally terrain from the millions of years of rocks that have tumbled down into the vineyards from the two Dentelles on either side.
The blend of the 2021 is 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. Aromas include dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, and blueberries. Flavors include boysenberries, blackberries, dark cherries, and blueberries. There is a medium to full body, perfect balance and acidity, and a long medium to full finish with a hint of sweet tannins.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, roast beef, short ribs, beef stew, rack of lamb, veal chops, pork chops and tenderloin, chicken, duck, coq au vin, cassoulet, salmon, shrimp, swordfish, tuna, paella, Asian beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, Tandoori dishes, Mexican beef and pork dishes, tamales, carne asada, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and mild, medium, creamy, and blue cheeses.
Domaine de la Cheneraie Beaumes de Venise 2022 (OF, NF)
In 2022 the blend was 55% Grenache, 37% Syrah, and 8% Cinsault. The Domaine has one of the highest vineyard locations in Beaumes de Venise at around 1,200 feet which seems to add to the freshness and expressiveness of their wines. Aromas include dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, red peaches, and roses. Flavors include dark cherries, blackberries, blueberries, red peaches, and strawberries. There is a medium body, perfect balance and acidity, and a really long medium finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, Roast Beef, short ribs, rack of lamb, roast and grilled veal, roast pork and pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, duck, cassoulet, grilled sausages, salmon, swordfish, clams, mussels, paella, Asian and Mexican beef and pork dishes, lamb curries, Tandoori dishes, beef enchiladas, tamales, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and mild to medium cheeses.
Legende des Toques Cotes du Rhone 2024 (OC, NF)
The 2024 Legende des Toques is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Carignan. This wine is produced as a collaborative project between six small producers and six prominent chefs to produce a very food friendly wine which the chefs then serve as the “house red” in their restaurants.
Aromas include dark cherries, dark plums, dark chocolate, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, and apricots. Flavors include dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, really ripe strawberries, and hints of raspberries. There is medium to full body, good balance and acidity, and a long medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, Rib Eye, Roast Beef, short ribs, beef stew, lamb chops and rack of lamb, roast veal, veal chops, pork chops and shoulder, grilled chicken, duck, cassoulet, coq au vin, pasta with meat sauce, salmon, swordfish, tuna, clams, mussels, paella, seafood pasta dishes, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries and red curries, Tandoori dishes, pork verde, beef and pork enchiladas, carnitas, tamales, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and medium, rich, creamy, and blue cheeses.
Passe Colline Ventoux Blanc 2024 (OF, NF)
This is a blend of 41% Clairette, 32% Roussanne, and 27% Vermentino. Aromas include white flowers, honeysuckle, narcissus, honeydew melon, and green apple. Flavors include white peach, honeydew melon, green apple, and kiwi. There is a medium to full body, good balance and acidity, and a really long and refreshing medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include sole, crab, shrimp, halibut, sea bass, branzino, swordfish, clams, mussels, calamari, seafood salads, pasta, and risotto, veal, pork, chicken, pasta with light sauces, Asian and Mexican pork, chicken, and seafood dishes, Thai and Vietnamese noodle and vegetable dishes, pork verde, enchiladas, chile relleno, seafood tacos, tostadas, green salads, and mild to medium cheeses.
Passe Colline Ventoux Rouge 2024 (OF, NF)
This is a blend of 48% Grenache, 38% Syrah, and 14% Carignan. Aromas include dark cherries, dark plums, boysenberries, blueberries, nectarines, and hints of apricots, hazelnuts, and caramel. Flavors include dark cherries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, nectarines, and apricots. There is a medium to full body, good balance and acidity, and a long, minerally, and refreshing medium to full finish.
Food pairings would include Filet Mignon, New York Steak, Roast Beef, short ribs, beef stew, rack of lamb, lamb chops, roast veal and veal chops, pork chops and tenderloin, grilled chicken, duck, cassoulet, coq au vin, salmon, tuna, swordfish, clams, mussels, seafood risotto, paella, Asian and Mexican beef, pork, and chicken dishes, lamb curries, beef and pork enchiladas, tamales, pork verde, tacos, tapas, charcuterie, and mild, medium, and creamy cheeses.
The Labels
As described earlier, the Southern Rhone selections are from small growers throughout the area but, as you will see on the labels below, all of the labels have the words "Artisans Vignerons" on the labels and some also include "RhoneA" which is the name of a very innovative organization in the Southern Rhone. RhoneA is the insightful evolution of what had been some cooperative wineries in the area where small growers would jointly use the wine making facilities.
The first stage in the RhoneA development was to create first class facilities with state of the art vinification equipment that small growers could use to maximize the expressiveness and quality of wines made in the area. The next stage in the evolution was the creation of the Artisans Vignerons program where RhoneA oenologists would identify outstanding vineyard sites throughout the Southern Rhone where the small growers had traditionally just sold their grapes to the large "negociants" in the area. Those negociants would then unfortunately just blend away such high quality fruit that could have expressed "a sense of place" into mass produced wines without any link to the dedicated and conscientious growers.
The Artisans Vignerons program allows such growers to make very expressive and distinctive wines. These are also effectively single parcel wines expressing the high quality vineyards sites of the small growers, many of whom whose families have owned those vineyards for over 100 years. The partnership between wUst, RhoneA, and the small growers has also been very successful. Clients and consumers here have recognized the high quality and expressiveness of the wines as being very different from the mass produced wines that are typically exported from the Southern Rhone.
