Buying a bottle for a persnickety wine professional (or even a wide-eyed neophyte) can be a fraught mission. The options are almost limitless in terms of style, region, and price. Fear not: The staff of Paul Marcus Wines is here to help.
If you visit the shop, of course, we’ll be happy to walk you through the choices based on your budget and the personal tastes of the recipient. To get you started, however, we thought it might be useful to share what’s on our own personal wishlists. Spoiler alert: Despite our varied and distinctive palates, it seems we all lean toward the “classics” when eying that elusive bottle. Barolo? Champagne? Yes, please.
Brutal Discernment
Gifting a jaded wine pro a bottle makes sense on the surface–they like wine; ergo, it’s an appropriate gift. But below that surface is their possibly brutal discernment. How best to navigate this shoal?
Champagne is your best bet–it’s both delicious and useful. Recently, I had the Jacquesson 744, a Champagne given some extra time to rest on its lees and in the bottle, and it showed brilliantly against three top-notch rivals. The three years of extended aging has mellowed its youthful acidity just a bit and given it a greater fullness and natural weight that isn’t coming from apparent oak or winemaking artifice. All Jacquesson bottlings are meticulously made, but this one is in a particularly satisfying place. I’d be psyched to be gifted a bottle.
— David Gibson
Spanish Lullaby
I’m feeling inexplicably Spanish this holiday season, so if you’re looking for wines that you could put under my tree, what about an old Rioja? As is the case with aged tempranillo, be ready for anything–dusky notes of mushrooms, forest floor, certainly some folded fruit and saddle. Also look for cigar box and desiccated citrus, for rose petals and tar. Any of these wines with a bit of grilled beef and mushrooms should get the job done.
These wines can be extremely difficult to get, but we have a few noteworthy bottles in the shop, including a couple from the fantastic 1970 Rioja vintage–which, compared to virtually every other region in the world, represent a screaming bargain. We also have a split from 1951, which is, well, 1951!
Beyond that, I’m always excited for a chilled Champagne or Cava on Christmas morning. I can only think of two or three hundred that would fit the bill…
— Chad Arnold
Badass Bubbles
I love sparkling wines any day of the week–Champagne, in particular–and even more so during the festive holiday season. So, with that in mind, I would be thrilled to receive a gift of Marie Courtin Champagne ‘Presence’ cuvee (although any of her wines would be an exciting choice).
This wine checks all of the boxes for me, most notably excellent biodynamic farming and a crisp elegant flavor profile highlighted by that brut nature zing. Plus, the house is run by a badass woman who named the winery after her grandmother. I’m a sucker for Blanc de Blancs Champagne, and this wine has both the chalky texture and high-toned mineral acidity I crave, as well as the added subtle nuance of pinot blanc, which, to me, brings out delicate floral aromatics and flavors.
I’d also love to explore the three classic (and ageable) white wines made by the esteemed Quintodecimo in Campania. With grapes grown in the mountainous zone of Irpinia, these wines have certainly sparked my curiosity.
— Ailis Peplau
Brightness and Brilliance
Drinking the 2022 Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo is like drinking a wonderful Barolo. Made from younger vines in the Bricco Boschis vineyard in Castiglione, the wine exudes brightness, brilliance, and balance. With a rich, complex core of fruit, it definitely punches above its weight.
— Paul Marcus
Lively and Lovely
No one in the history of the world has ever said (or thought), “Oh no, they brought Champagne.” I am always happy as can be to receive bubbles, and it doesn’t have to be the fanciest, most expensive bottle to provide immense pleasure and satisfaction. The Hure Freres ‘Invitation’ is an excellent case in point. What a beautifully balanced, traditional expression of Champagne this is–40 percent each pinot noir and pinot meunier, with 20 percent chardonnay. It delivers tart apple and citrus notes, excellent minerality, and a nice touch of brioche–dry, refreshing, lovely.
— Joel Mullennix
Perfectly Poised
I was lucky enough to drink the 2018 Cappellano Barolo ‘Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris’ over a long lunch at the superb restaurant Repubblica di Perno in Monforte d’Alba earlier this year. Even in its comparative youth, this is a perfectly poised wine, with everything in its place. Tar and roses; power and elegance; newness and nostalgia. I would happily drink it again during a special holiday meal this year–or a decade from now. (Available for in-store purchase only.)
— Mark Middlebrook
Kaleidoscopic
Maria Teresa Mascarello is crafting some of the most compelling nebbiolo on the planet. The red-fruited Bartolo Mascarello Barolo offers kaleidoscopic aromatics of earth and spice, coupled with a silky tannic texture that just blows the mind.
I’ve had this wine several times before, in different vintages and with varying amounts of bottle age. We currently have both the 2019 and 2020 Mascarello, and while I haven’t tasted either vintage, my past experience has only heightened my anticipation. These wines have shown me what very few other red wines ever have, and I’d love to recreate that sensation.
— Jason Seely
Geek Out
Giuseppe Russo (right) in the vineyard with his winemaking partner, Emiliano Falsini
Since I’m a wine professional, and someone who is infinitely curious about wine, it could be a daunting task for someone looking to gift me a bottle. But it certainly doesn’t have to be. How well do you know your gift recipient, their interests, and maybe even their recent travels?
My friends know I often travel to Italy and frequently teach wine classes on the Mt. Etna growing region in Sicily. I personally would be overjoyed if someone snagged me a higher-end bottle from Mt. Etna, like the 2020 Girolamo Russo Feudo di Mezzo. A little research reveals that 2020 is a wonderfully balanced year, built for cellar aging, but also very giving in its youth if I couldn’t wait to open it.
Giuseppe Russo is a star on Mt. Etna, producing terroir-driven wines with his unique style of fermenting in used barrique. I would be so impressed that my friend took the time to listen to my interests and find me a wine I would truly geek out on.
— Emilia Aiello
Throwback
The Oddero family has been making wine in Barolo for more than 150 years, and by 1900, they were already exporting their wines to the States in small oak barrels. Today, Oddero remains one of the most respected houses in the region. They’ve been tending the slender Rocche di Castiglione hilltop vineyard for roughly 80 years, and the wines from this steep and shallow cliff-side plot accentuate the more graceful, mineral tones of nebbiolo.
That’s why the 2019 Oddero Barolo Rocche di Castiglione ranks high on my list. I was fortunate enough to sample a previous vintage of this bottling (2008, I believe), and found it to be incredibly expressive and complex, elegant but not without ample stuffing. I’m excited to see what this illustrious producer and its superb vineyard came up with in the highly acclaimed “throwback” vintage of 2019.
— Marc Greilsamer
Celebrating Holidays: What’s on Our Wishlists?
Events, HolidaysBuying a bottle for a persnickety wine professional (or even a wide-eyed neophyte) can be a fraught mission. The options are almost limitless in terms of style, region, and price. Fear not: The staff of Paul Marcus Wines is here to help.
If you visit the shop, of course, we’ll be happy to walk you through the choices based on your budget and the personal tastes of the recipient. To get you started, however, we thought it might be useful to share what’s on our own personal wishlists. Spoiler alert: Despite our varied and distinctive palates, it seems we all lean toward the “classics” when eying that elusive bottle. Barolo? Champagne? Yes, please.
Brutal Discernment
Gifting a jaded wine pro a bottle makes sense on the surface–they like wine; ergo, it’s an appropriate gift. But below that surface is their possibly brutal discernment. How best to navigate this shoal?
Champagne is your best bet–it’s both delicious and useful. Recently, I had the Jacquesson 744, a Champagne given some extra time to rest on its lees and in the bottle, and it showed brilliantly against three top-notch rivals. The three years of extended aging has mellowed its youthful acidity just a bit and given it a greater fullness and natural weight that isn’t coming from apparent oak or winemaking artifice. All Jacquesson bottlings are meticulously made, but this one is in a particularly satisfying place. I’d be psyched to be gifted a bottle.
— David Gibson
Spanish Lullaby
I’m feeling inexplicably Spanish this holiday season, so if you’re looking for wines that you could put under my tree, what about an old Rioja? As is the case with aged tempranillo, be ready for anything–dusky notes of mushrooms, forest floor, certainly some folded fruit and saddle. Also look for cigar box and desiccated citrus, for rose petals and tar. Any of these wines with a bit of grilled beef and mushrooms should get the job done.
These wines can be extremely difficult to get, but we have a few noteworthy bottles in the shop, including a couple from the fantastic 1970 Rioja vintage–which, compared to virtually every other region in the world, represent a screaming bargain. We also have a split from 1951, which is, well, 1951!
Beyond that, I’m always excited for a chilled Champagne or Cava on Christmas morning. I can only think of two or three hundred that would fit the bill…
— Chad Arnold
Badass Bubbles
I love sparkling wines any day of the week–Champagne, in particular–and even more so during the festive holiday season. So, with that in mind, I would be thrilled to receive a gift of Marie Courtin Champagne ‘Presence’ cuvee (although any of her wines would be an exciting choice).
This wine checks all of the boxes for me, most notably excellent biodynamic farming and a crisp elegant flavor profile highlighted by that brut nature zing. Plus, the house is run by a badass woman who named the winery after her grandmother. I’m a sucker for Blanc de Blancs Champagne, and this wine has both the chalky texture and high-toned mineral acidity I crave, as well as the added subtle nuance of pinot blanc, which, to me, brings out delicate floral aromatics and flavors.
I’d also love to explore the three classic (and ageable) white wines made by the esteemed Quintodecimo in Campania. With grapes grown in the mountainous zone of Irpinia, these wines have certainly sparked my curiosity.
— Ailis Peplau
Brightness and Brilliance
Drinking the 2022 Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo is like drinking a wonderful Barolo. Made from younger vines in the Bricco Boschis vineyard in Castiglione, the wine exudes brightness, brilliance, and balance. With a rich, complex core of fruit, it definitely punches above its weight.
— Paul Marcus
Lively and Lovely
No one in the history of the world has ever said (or thought), “Oh no, they brought Champagne.” I am always happy as can be to receive bubbles, and it doesn’t have to be the fanciest, most expensive bottle to provide immense pleasure and satisfaction. The Hure Freres ‘Invitation’ is an excellent case in point. What a beautifully balanced, traditional expression of Champagne this is–40 percent each pinot noir and pinot meunier, with 20 percent chardonnay. It delivers tart apple and citrus notes, excellent minerality, and a nice touch of brioche–dry, refreshing, lovely.
— Joel Mullennix
Perfectly Poised
I was lucky enough to drink the 2018 Cappellano Barolo ‘Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris’ over a long lunch at the superb restaurant Repubblica di Perno in Monforte d’Alba earlier this year. Even in its comparative youth, this is a perfectly poised wine, with everything in its place. Tar and roses; power and elegance; newness and nostalgia. I would happily drink it again during a special holiday meal this year–or a decade from now. (Available for in-store purchase only.)
— Mark Middlebrook
Kaleidoscopic
Maria Teresa Mascarello is crafting some of the most compelling nebbiolo on the planet. The red-fruited Bartolo Mascarello Barolo offers kaleidoscopic aromatics of earth and spice, coupled with a silky tannic texture that just blows the mind.
I’ve had this wine several times before, in different vintages and with varying amounts of bottle age. We currently have both the 2019 and 2020 Mascarello, and while I haven’t tasted either vintage, my past experience has only heightened my anticipation. These wines have shown me what very few other red wines ever have, and I’d love to recreate that sensation.
— Jason Seely
Geek Out
Giuseppe Russo (right) in the vineyard with his winemaking partner, Emiliano Falsini
Since I’m a wine professional, and someone who is infinitely curious about wine, it could be a daunting task for someone looking to gift me a bottle. But it certainly doesn’t have to be. How well do you know your gift recipient, their interests, and maybe even their recent travels?
My friends know I often travel to Italy and frequently teach wine classes on the Mt. Etna growing region in Sicily. I personally would be overjoyed if someone snagged me a higher-end bottle from Mt. Etna, like the 2020 Girolamo Russo Feudo di Mezzo. A little research reveals that 2020 is a wonderfully balanced year, built for cellar aging, but also very giving in its youth if I couldn’t wait to open it.
Giuseppe Russo is a star on Mt. Etna, producing terroir-driven wines with his unique style of fermenting in used barrique. I would be so impressed that my friend took the time to listen to my interests and find me a wine I would truly geek out on.
— Emilia Aiello
Throwback
The Oddero family has been making wine in Barolo for more than 150 years, and by 1900, they were already exporting their wines to the States in small oak barrels. Today, Oddero remains one of the most respected houses in the region. They’ve been tending the slender Rocche di Castiglione hilltop vineyard for roughly 80 years, and the wines from this steep and shallow cliff-side plot accentuate the more graceful, mineral tones of nebbiolo.
That’s why the 2019 Oddero Barolo Rocche di Castiglione ranks high on my list. I was fortunate enough to sample a previous vintage of this bottling (2008, I believe), and found it to be incredibly expressive and complex, elegant but not without ample stuffing. I’m excited to see what this illustrious producer and its superb vineyard came up with in the highly acclaimed “throwback” vintage of 2019.
— Marc Greilsamer
Bottle Rocket: 2020 Le Petit Saint Vincent Saumur-Champigny – Les Poyeux
Le Petit Saint Vincent, Loire ValleyDominique Joseph, of Domaine Le Petit Saint Vincent, works with less than a hectare of organically farmed old vines in Les Poyeux. (His family has owned these small parcels for decades.) The grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in concrete vats before resting in larger neutral barrels for about a year.
Dominique’s 2020 Les Poyeux is a wonderful example of the site’s capabilities. There’s a wave of dusky red fruit on the attack, and it’s buttressed by a distinct herbaceous streak and a notable hint of stony minerality. The ample acidity and abundant tannins (naturally softened by the sandy terroir) tell you that this wine will age gracefully for several years, although it’s already a knockout–and at $50, it’s quite a fair deal for a wine that comes from one of the Loire Valley’s most prestigious vineyards.
Dominique Joseph
Thanks largely to world-class bottlings by cult-favorite producer Clos Rougeard (and various disciples), Les Poyeux has been elevated to legendary status among cab franc lovers. This version from Le Petit Saint Vincent offers a chance to appreciate its charms without the hefty price tag that is often attached to these wines.
As the saying goes, “Les Poyeux c’est soyeux”–silky. Come visit the shop, and find out for yourself.
Regional Roundup: California Regeneration
Amevive, California, Scar of the SeaFall is when we often see deliveries of wines so limited in supply, or so “oversubscribed,” that they aren’t normally available for purchase. Not wines limited by savvy marketers, but limited because the acreage of the vineyard is limited, and the yield per vine is low.
Two deliveries I’m especially happy to take are from Scar of the Sea and Âmevive. Both are owned by young couples that do their own farming as well as the winemaking. It’s often impossible for young people in California to own the land that produces their grapes, or even to have a long-term lease on it that enables them to farm it the way they want, without compromise (since doing so will surely lower the yield).
Scar of the Sea’s Mikey and Gina Giugni
SOTS made news when Mikey and Gina Giugni bought a vineyard they formerly leased. They were making excellent wines from Bassi, just over a mile from the Santa Barbara coastline, before they purchased it, and now that it’s theirs, the wines have even more vibrancy and depth. It helps that 2023 is turning out to be a superlative vintage.
Alice Anderson of Âmevive
Âmevive is the work of Alice Anderson, who’s taken over farming a vineyard that was well tended for many years by Bob Lindquist of Qupé. Bob’s wines from the Ibarra-Young vineyard were often exceptional, but now, with additional vine age and rigorously healthy farming, Alice is producing wines that truly shine. (And, yes, 2023 was such a wonderfully balanced year in Santa Barbara.)
Both wineries are dedicated to practicing what’s known as “regenerative organic” farming. While organic certification limits what chemicals may be used, regenerative farming goes much deeper into soil health and how animals are used and treated. It’s hard not to feel just a little optimism when reading about people working their land with as much heartfelt care as these farmers do.
From SOTS’s Bassi vineyard we have a pinot noir and syrah (plus a superb gamay from another plot), and from Âmevive, we have their unusually lifted and pure grenache and syrah. These young winemakers are truly worth investigating, and I encourage you to do so.
Bottle Rocket: 2019 Piemaggio Chianti Classico – Le Fioraie
ChiantiThe Piemaggio estate is located in the hamlet of Le Fioraie (the flower sellers) on the northwest slopes of Castellina in Chianti. According to legend, three young flower sellers revived a traveling friar in the 10th century with a glass of wine. He never forgot their efforts and later returned to build a church and plant vines.
Surrounded by forest on all sides, the 12 hectares of sangiovese (and small amounts of colorino, canaiolo and ciliegiolo) grow at altitudes between 380 and 480 meters. The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation in stainless-steel tanks and is then aged in a combination of concrete, Slavonian oak, and French oak.
For the superb 2019 vintage, the result is this beautifully balanced, traditional, structured wine of intensity and finesse. It is bright and elegant enough to match with simple tomato-based pizzas and pastas, yet offers the power and complexity to stand up to more serious, robust fare. And, at $29, it sports a great quality-to-price relationship.
“Wow! The Piemaggio is so good,” say both co-workers and customers. Come visit us at Paul Marcus Wines and see for yourself. Don’t miss this one!
Producer Profile: Kumusha
Kumusha, South AfricaA few weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to receive a visit from Tinashe Nyamudoka, proprietor of Kumusha Wines. A native of Zimbabwe, Nyamudoka rose to fame as a highly acclaimed sommelier in South Africa. With a deep knowledge of consumer tastes and keen interest in winemaking styles, he decided to start his own winery in 2017, and the results so far have been quite impressive.
2023 Sauvignon Blanc – Western Cape ($17)
Very mellow for a New World sauvignon blanc, this gently tropical and aromatic wine eschews intensity in favor of elegance and refinement. The grapes come from sandstone soils at 300 meters of elevation, and the juice ages for four months on the lees in stainless-steel tanks. It’s a fresh, mineral expression of the grape–think Loire Valley rather than Southern Hemisphere.
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon / Cinsault – Slanghoek ($23)
This blend of 75 percent cabernet and 25 percent cinsault is in some ways an ode to the “traditional” style of South African cabernet–when it was common for winemakers to fill out their cabs with unlabeled amounts of cinsault. As it happens, the cinsault gives this wine a welcome spicy lift, balancing out the luscious purple fruit–the perfect barbecue wine.
2023 Wild Mutupo Chillable Carignan – Slanghoek ($25)
A classic summertime “glou-glou” red, this carignan oozes with vibrant cherries and berries complemented by a mild savory, piquant touch. It’s fermented with 15 percent whole cluster, then aged for six months in stainless steel with an additional four months in large foudre. This one goes down a bit too easily…
Regional Roundup: Temperance Hill Vineyard
Goodfellow, Pinot noir, Walter Scott, Willamette ValleyOriginally planted more than 40 years ago, Oregon’s 100-acre Temperance Hill Vineyard is one of the most esteemed grape-growing sites in the U.S. Located in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA in the northern Willamette Valley, Temperance Hill is a cool-climate, high-elevation, late-ripening vineyard planted atop the remains of an ancient volcano, making it a perfect home for pinot noir.
Vineyard honcho Dai Crisp
More than two dozen producers make wines from Temperance Hill fruit, and at Paul Marcus Wines, we are currently featuring a pair of single-vineyard expressions from this magical plot.
2021 Walter Scott Pinot Noir Temperance Hill
Walter Scott’s rendition of Temperance Hill pinot comes from a single block on the vineyard’s north side, with an elevation of 750 feet and a location directly in the teeth of the Van Duzer winds. Despite the cooler growing conditions, the Walter Scott delivers a deep core of mouth-coating blue and purple fruit–not aggressive or intense, but not particularly shy either. This explosion of fruit is gently supported by savory, herbal accents that help complete the picture. There’s real vigor and vibrancy to this bottle, and it fans out across the palate with purpose, leading to a delightfully persistent finish.
2021 Goodfellow Pinot Noir Temperance Hill
The Goodfellow Temperance Hill emphasizes and embraces the earthy spice, woody tobacco aromas, and citrusy zip that help distinguish this vineyard. Made with 100 percent whole clusters, this is a crisper, subtler take on Temperance Hill fruit that truly allows the mineral edge to shine through. Perhaps not as viscerally alluring as the Walter Scott, the Goodfellow is a graceful, charming, and wholly appealing take nonetheless.
To learn more about these exquisite offerings, stop by the shop and say hello.
Why We Love: Treixadura
RibeiroTreixadura is not one of those grapes that most wine drinkers seek out. Yet, when you do have one, you’re more often than not pleasantly surprised. For me, it’s a little like Cesanese from Italy–you don’t have to think too hard when reaching for it. It’s a versatile table wine of sorts, one that easily pairs with most anything or nothing at all.
The venerable Luis Anxo Rodríguez Vázquez
The treixadura grape, found most commonly in the Ribeiro DO of Galicia, Spain, has a subtle richness that is buoyed by its rustic character. It’s happy alongside most seafood, especially sauced fish with plenty of herbs, but also plays well with roasted pork or something earthy like sunchokes, celery root, or sweet potatoes.
The Ribeiro DO is a small, concentrated area known for its decomposed granite and sandy soils. Ribeiro was once a thriving grape-growing region with plenty of its wines being shipped to England for consumption during the 16th and 17th centuries. Things changed after phylloxera (insect pest) hit, and many people were forced to rip out their vines and consider other means to an end. Recently though, the tide seems to be swinging in favor of bringing back the quality production of treixadura and other varieties that are at home in this verdant landscape.
I was first exposed to treixadura by Luis Rodriguez’s Viña de Martin Os Pasas Blanco. It is composed of mostly treixadura, with lado, albariño, and torrontes rounding out the blend. The beauty of this wine lies in its lemon-lime-hued complexities dancing on a spine of granite-derived minerality. I have had this bottling many times over the years, and it always makes me smile–not only for its balance of flavors but also because of its place of origin. This wine comes from Luis’s hometown of Arnoia, home to some of Ribeiro’s steepest south-facing slopes.
The 2022 Gomariz Ribeiro Treixadura ‘La Flor y La Abeja’ is 100 percent treixadura, and it really shows the grape’s quince-like qualities that keep you coming back for sip after sip. This wine shines for its overall quality-to-price ratio, and I find myself turning to this bottle often.
Also of note is the 2022 Formigo Ribeiro Blanco ‘Finca Teira’–65 percent treixadura, 20 percent godello, and 15 percent torrontes, fermented and raised entirely in stainless steel. This shows a supple, yet chiseled wine highlighting the yellow- and green-tinged fruits of this appealing grape.
When I think of Ribeiro, I think bucolic, wooded hillsides with wisps of wood smoke rising above lush, green river valleys. It’s exactly the kind of place I would love to visit and explore a bit more.
The Answer: What Is Lees Aging?
Fiano, Italy, Pairings, Ribeiro, Stories From The Shop, Wine How To'sAccording to some, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who wonder “how it works” and those who ponder “what it does.” The “it” could be a tool or a machine or a process. Put another way, some folks focus on how a final product is achieved while others focus on the various characteristics of the final product itself.
Since I’ve always been more of a “what does it do” guy than a “how does it work” guy, I will mostly sidestep the chemistry aspect of lees aging (proteins and enzymes and the like) and turn our attention to the final product. How does lees aging affect the wine in your bottle?
For starters, lees contact will give the wine richness, depth, and warmth. It helps to smooth a wine’s rougher edges while adding complexity and breadth to the flavors and aromas. Lees aging might also help stabilize a wine by helping to fend off oxidation. Producers of “serious” wines from Champagne and Burgundy have traditionally relied on lees aging, but so have makers of sleeker, mineral-driven wines such as Muscadet and Galician albariño.
To me, there is a certain sweet spot when it comes to lees aging–when the technique takes place in stainless-steel tanks. The combination of stainless steel and lees contact gives a wine creaminess and texture without sacrificing acidity. It creates wines that are fleshy but still fresh, and it lends the wine a bit of weight and gravity while maintaining expressive, bright fruit. It offers some characteristics associated with wood aging, but with a more restrained touch.
I find that wines made in this style are often perfect for rich, shellfish-based dishes. At Paul Marcus Wines, we offer a wide range of white wines made in this steel-plus-lees style that are worth discovering, including three of particular note:
2019 I Favati Fiano di Avellino – Pietramara Etichetta Bianca
Fiano from the hills of Campania is perhaps the most esteemed white grape in all of Italy, and this multifaceted bottling offers ample proof why–especially when accompanying casarecce with rock shrimp in a spicy tomato-cream sauce.
2022 Benanti Etna Bianco
Made with 100 percent carricante from the eastern and southern slopes of Sicily’s Mt. Etna, this bright, gently smoky, beautifully balanced wine will shine alongside brinier dishes such as steamed clams and mussels in a lemon and white wine broth.
2020 Luis Rodriguez Ribeiro – Os Pasás
Predominantly treixadura, and filled out with small amounts of albariño, torrontés, and lado, this Galician stunner would pair well with gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) atop buttery white beans.
These three wines seem to have much in common: distinct minerality, lovely texture, and a subtle tropical vibe–melon and mango and such–along with a cleansing salinity. We are talking about dynamic, age-worthy whites that are much more complex and stimulating than your run-of-the-mill Sancerre and half the price of a comparable white Burgundy. As summer approaches and shellfish season begins, it’s the perfect time to get to know these charming white wines.
Reflections: Farm to Glass
News, Stories From The ShopAt Paul Marcus Wines, our staff shares a deep love for classic wines–the “B, B, B, & C’s” (Burgundy, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Champagne) among other prized wines of the world. But in reality, these are usually wines for occasions and celebrations, and only sometimes for a Wednesday night. As true wine lovers, we also appreciate “table wine” in its truest form: wine for everyday drinking, and options that overdeliver for the price.
Before PMW, I worked with small importer-distributors, so if you permit me to don my “importer” hat for a moment, I’d like to explain some challenges in sourcing affordable wines. While browsing our less expensive selections, you will notice that all but a few of these wines are imported. You might be thinking that local wines, with shorter transport times and fewer hands to grease along the way, should cost less. You’re not wrong–except for the fact that it is that much more expensive to grow wine in the States.
To start, the cost of land is exorbitant here, and many young winemakers in California and Oregon are purchasing fruit for their wine (ex. Folk Machine Parts & Labor). By contrast, many European wineries have long lineages extending more than four generations, and they have inherited the land and equipment (ex. Château La Coustarelle Cahors). Some come from places with a rich history of peasant farming such as Southern France and Italy, or Spain and Hungary.
La Coustarelle Cahors, a staple of our value section, is still only $15.
Another element is the cost of labor. I cannot speak to the labor laws outside of the U.S. (and, to be frank, I am no expert on domestic regulations either). But ultimately, years of reporting conclude that labor is a smaller percentage of overall cost in other countries than it is here. Seeing that there are relatively few domestic wines that are offered at value, we turn to imports to find the bang-for-the-buck options.
Perhaps a few years ago, we had no trouble finding great imported wines that hit the shelf under $15. These days, it is more difficult, as we are now dealing with rising fuel costs. Wait–didn’t I just say that it’s less expensive to transport wine all the way from Europe than it is to get straight from California? Yes, that’s true, but we must still consider all of the energy that brings wine (or any product) to the store: diesel for farm equipment, trucks to pick up wine from the cellar and bring it to the containers (refrigerated, of course) on ships, then back on trucks again to deliver wine to our front door. Glass is heavy, and this all adds up.
To provide context, a 40-foot refrigerated container that once cost $5,000 to go from France to Oakland is now upwards of $10,000. Adding insult to injury, the wine industry got hit with significant tariffs that affected a broad sector of imported wines. While the tariffs have passed, the effects are still filtering down to distributors who might still be sitting on some inventory that entered the country with the added tariffs.
Due to these and many other factors, wines that used to be $15 on the shelf are now creeping up to $20 or more. (A tangential note of optimism: There have been major technological improvements in alternative packaging such as cans, bag-in-box, and tetra-pak cardboard.) My point here shouldn’t come as a huge surprise–retail prices are rising across all products–and it’s worth having the conversation about what it takes to get a bottle of wine from the farm to your glass.
If you want to learn more, please don’t hesitate to talk to me or any of the staff on your next visit to the store!
— Ailis Peplau
Bottle Rocket: 2021 Bodega Chacra Patagonia, Argentina – Sin Azufre Pinot Noir
Argentina, Bodega ChacraEvery so often, we encounter a wine that we all love, but are a bit hesitant to buy for the shop. Perhaps it doesn’t fit neatly into any of the store’s most well-traveled sections. Maybe the price tag doesn’t scream “value.” It could be that the grape or the region of origin is unfamiliar. Still, we deem it worthy of shelf space at Paul Marcus Wines because we want to share these discoveries with our customers.
Piero Incisa della Rocchetta
One recent arrival that falls into this category is the 2021 Bodega Chacra Sin Azufre Pinot Noir from Patagonia, Argentina. The winery, which lies in the Rio Negro Valley, was founded about 20 years ago by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, grandson of an esteemed Tuscan winemaker. The Rio Negro is basically desert terrain, with fewer than 10 inches of rain per year. However, the valley is also a riverbed for the confluence of two Andes tributaries, and so its soils offer a unique mix of clay, limestone, and sand–as it turns out, a perfect home for old-vine pinot noir.
Piero’s ‘Sin Azufre’ cuvee checks all of the boxes of a natural wine–biodynamic grapes, no sulfur added–but has little of the funkiness you’d expect. The grapes, from a vineyard planted in 1955, undergo whole-cluster fermentation, a Burgundian touch for a wine that is certainly Burgundian in style, and the juice sees no new oak. Bright, floral, and succulent, this wine will especially delight cru Beaujolais fans with its clarity and liveliness, balanced by subtle mineral and earthy tones. It’s a buoyant wine, with loads of character.
To learn more about this wine or to discover other hidden gems at Paul Marcus Wines, please come visit us at the shop.