An Unusual Grape, An Unusual Wine

Here's a wine made from an under-the-radar grape, Cabernet Cortis. The 2024 Pierre & Antonin Petit Sauvage is a Vin de France wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. It is touted on the label as "résistant et naturel." The Cabernet Cortis grapes grow on vines resistant to disease. The grape was bred in 1982 in Germany for that purpose. The wine is made with no intervention or additions. The winery says it is "wine in its purest form." Alcohol sits at 13% abv and it sells in a lot of places for less than $20.

This wine is dark in the glass, with light barely getting through. The nose is dark as well, and when I sniffed it I got a blast of Cassis. The black currant and black berry aromas are forceful and a bit funky. Earth, tar, and cigars also play into the profile. The palate keeps the darkness rolling. The black fruit and forest floor are as brooding as one could wish. And the tannins …they are alive and well. Big acidity adds to the tingling mouthfeel. I've seen other reviewers say that this wine is not everyone's cup, but those who shy away from it must not enjoy an adventure, because that's what this wine is. 

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A French Wine For Less Than $10

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a selection of Esprit Cépage wines at my local Whole Foods Market, selling for less than $10. The 2023 Esprit Cépage Blanc is the one I picked up. I’ll probably try the Rouge soon. It's only a dollar more.

The Blanc is made from organic grapes, which are not identified by variety on the label. It is labeled as a Vin de France, the designation which replaced Vin de Table in 2010. There is no specific appellation other than it comes from France as an ordinary, everyday wine. It's a lot like the "California" appellation on a California wine. Sure it's from California, but where? The alcoholic content is 13.5% abv and I paid only $8.

This wine, I believe, is a Grenache Blanc. Some of the info I found online suggested that, and my taste buds agree. If there is a little Sauvignon Blanc in there, I would not be surprised. However, the yellow tint in the glass suggests GB. The nose brings citrus aromas along with apple notes. The palate is rather racy in the acidity department, and the finish leaves stone fruit, lemons, and limes lingering. It's an enjoyable wine and a likely pair with some sort of seafood or salad.

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Sincerely Sauvignon

The Mellot family has grown grapes and made wine in the Sancerre region for more than five centuries. This 2022 Joseph Mellot Sincérité Sauvignon Blanc is labeled as Vin de France, rather than Loire Valley. The VDF designation indicates that the winemaker was free to use grapes from anywhere in France, rather than be restricted to a single appellation. 

This is a full varietal wine, 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but is not a Sancerre. The grapes were sourced from areas which include Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The vintage notes describe a mild winter, an early spring, a scorching hot summer and a rainy autumn. Alcohol kicks at 12.5% abv and the retail price is only $19.

This wine is tinted pale yellow. The nose is gentle and fragrant, it does not come on strong like a New World Sauv Blanc. There is restrained minerality and a restful, floral salinity about the aromas. The palate has lemon, lime and only a hint of grapefruit up front, but all that citrus lays low and allows the smooth salinity to call its shot. Acidity is fresh, almost not noticed. I will have this as an aperitif or chilled on the porch on a hot summer day. 

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Four Great Pink Wines For Spring - Or Anytime

Wine importers are important.  Good ones can sniff out the good stuff and bring it to us from all over the world.  Mack and Schühle are Miami-based importers who find great wine and pass it along at a price that is more than fair.  Founded in 1939, the company expanded to the Miami office a number of years ago.  They produce wine in Italy and Spain and distribute other wines globally.

Here are a few pink wines found by Mack and Schühle which would fit nicely on anyone's porch or patio.

Mosketto Frizzante Rosato NV

This fun, pink wine comes from the Vino d'Italia appellation, from grapes grown in Piedmont.  It's a blend of 80% Moscato and 20% Brachetto grapes which the distributor says is produced in a "modified Martinotti method."  Fermentation is stopped to keep the alcohol low and the fruit fresh.  Alcohol content is only 5.5% abv - a real summer sipper - and the wine retails for $12.

This wine is very sweet, very low in alcohol and as drinkable as it gets.  There is no brain-stumping complexity here, just sweet, simple sipping pleasure.  The Moscato/Brachetto blend is a wine of Italy, one that shows sweet floral aromas and sweet peaches on the palate.  Acidity is fairly low, but the wine pours frizzante and will be suitable for spicy or salty dishes.

Art of Earth Organic Rosé 2019 comes from Michigan negociant Woodberry Wine.  They produce wines from Germany, Spain, Argentina, Italy and this one, from France.

The appellation is Vin de France - I don't have any more specific sourcing for the vines - and the organic grapes are 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.  The wine has alcohol at 13% abv and a sticker price of $14.

This beautiful, pale salmon-colored wine has a nose which is just as gorgeous - melon, cherry and strawberry aromas dominate, with a little herbal angle in the mix.  Herbs become more focused on the palate, which carries a nice tartness along with the racy acidity.  There is a grapefruit flavor draping the red fruit and adding to the freshness.  It's a really great, and complex, rosé. 

The 2020 Fête de Fleurs Rosé was made in the heart of the AOC Côtes de Provence Region by a cooperative of a hundred local winegrowers, Maîtres Vignerons de Vidauban.  It was formed 110 years ago in the spirit of rosé, the raison d'etre of Provence.  The terroir features the stony galet soil for which the area is known and the vintage was blessed with dry mistral winds.

The importer says the wine is released each year in time for the French celebration of Springtime, the Fete des Fleurs or Festival of Flowers.  The grapes involved are 40% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 10% Carignane, 10% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre and 2% Rolle.  It was aged on the lees, or sur lie, carries alcohol at 13% abv - possibly as low as 11.5% - and it sells for $19.

The Acquesi Brachetto DOC Piemonte is a spumante, or sparkling wine, made from 100% Brachetto grapes grown in the Monferrato area of Piedmont.  The wine carries a very low alcohol content of 6.5% abv and a retail suggestion of $18, although it is usually lower.

This wine colors up in the beautiful garnet red for which Brachetto is famous, and it has a layer of fine, light violet bubbles atop it, which are quite long lasting.  The nose is rich with cherries, strawberries, red currant, flowers and an earthy element - an absolutely wonderful collection of aromas.  The palate is sweet with a cherry pie flavor and baking spices, all rolled into a candy treat.  The acidity is very nice.  While the winery calls this a dessert wine - it is, really - it also pairs nicely with dessert favorites like anisette cookies, chocolates or apricot tarts.

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