Orange Wine From Three Unlikely Grapes

Le Clot l'Origine produces Le Trouble Fait, a natural orange wine from Marc and Caroline Barriot in the Roussillon region of southern France. Labeled as a Vin de France, non-vintage effort, the wine was made from 30% Muscat of Alexandria grapes, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 40% Syrah. Alcohol sits at 12% abv and the retail price is about $25.

The name Le Trouble Fait translates to the troublemaker, or one who stirs up trouble. The grapes were organically and biodynamically farmed to create a wine which is suitable for vegans.

This wine is cloudy in appearance with a peach-like tint to it. The nose is complex, with notes of watermelon rind, pineapple, green apple, and citrus. The palate is savory and tart. There are flavors of sour cherry, apricot, Meyer lemon, and pineapple juice. A cloak of salinity wraps around the flavor package. This is one of the more interesting wines I've tasted lately. I don't know if it's for everyone, but it is for me. I would like to pair it with a shrimp salad or even have it with an eggs-and-sausage brunch. Breakfast, even, if you don't have to go to work. 

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Bordeaux Right Bank - Eight Years Later

The 2018 Marius Bielle Lalande de Pomerol is a right bank wine from Bordeaux. In fact, it is labelled as a Grand Vin de Bordeaux. The appellation is Lalande de Pomerol, north of the Pomerol region. The grapes are grown organically and biodynamically, 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol sits at 14% and the retail price is about $41. 

This wine is inky dark. The nose is a savory expression of black plum, blackberry, anise, and a very faint whiff of smoke, much fainter than I expected. I kept waiting for some chocolate notes to appear, but I never got them. The aromas hit me as sharp, not soft, if that makes sense. The palate offers a fruitier side of the wine, with cassis, berries, and licorice in the mix. The tannins are quite firm yet, and they pucker the mouth a bit. The finish is long and savory. Hopefully you have a good steak at hand with which to pair it. 

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Women In Wine

Ruth Fernandez is the woman winemaker behind the 2020 Dominio de Punctum Petulante White, a pétillant natural, or pét nat, wine introduced last year.  This family winery dates back to 1905, so they are not newcomers to the wine business.  She is the Punctum oenologist, working at the winery in the central part of Spain, southeast of Madrid, the Castillo y Leon region.  She is one of three siblings who lead the winery on a mission to provide organic, biodynamic wines.  They farm their grapes free of any chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers on the soil. 

Fernandez says Petulante takes sparkling wine a step farther, with minimal intervention and maximum flavor.  The grapes involved - there isn't much in the way of a tech sheet available - are likely Verdejo, Viura or a combination of the two.  This wine has alcohol at 13% abv and retails for $22.

This white, sparkling wine is actually a cloudy yellow color and brings a savory nose of citrus, floral and minerals aplenty.  The palate also rings the citrus bell, with a bit of apple and many minerals thrown into the mix.  The bubbles are scant, but the flavor is what you're really after, right?  This wine delivers white wine flavor by the carload. 

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