Wine Tasting: Lighter Reds that are not Pinot Noir

 

Well, I'm afraid I forgot to post about the most recent wine tasting, perhaps because it was the most sparsely attended ever! My fault for sending out the invite late, and also maybe a sign that my transition to groups.io for managing the invite list still needs some work. 

The wine was nevertheless great. The focus this time was on lighter reds, suitable for a bit of chilling on a summer day. The first set were trousseau, a grape associated with the French Jura region, but also grown a few places in California. These often deliver a strong cranberry note, which I think is perfect for summer. Then a couple barbera wines from Piedmont, the varietal that the vintners drink while they wait for their fancy barolo wines to age. And finally a gamay from Beaujolais. The region gets a bad rap thanks to the "Beaujolais Nouveau" wines, but the real "Cru Beaujolais" wines are often great and age worthy. 

Here's what we had. 

1. 2023 Sandlands Sonoma County Trousseau ($30): My favorite California trousseau. Sandlands is owned by Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Showcasing classic California varietals that are often relegated to the fringes of West Coast viticulture, the wines come from regions and vineyards that have been established for generations, most of them planted on decomposed sandy granite soils. This trousseau comes from the Bohan Vineyard, planted at 1400 feet, 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
2. 2023 Michel Gahier "Les Grands Vergers" Trousseau Arbois ($60): Michel Gahier is an important name in Jura wines. “Les Grands Vergers” represents Gahier’s oldest Trousseau vines, planted in the 1940s on a gentle slope with superb exposure to the sun. My main recollection is that this bottle was so sour on the palate! Not in a bad way, but this one needs food, for sure. 
3. 2023 Jean-François Ganevat "Plein Sud" Trousseau Côtes du Jura Rouge ($100): Former head winemaker of Jean-Marc Morey in Chassagne-Montrachet, Jean-François Gavenat has become one of the most talented winemakers in the Jura since he took over his family domain in 1998. This was a lovely bottle, but very hard to justify the price.  
4. 2023 Braida "La Monella" Barbera del Monferrato Frizzante ($26): a frizzante (lightly sparkling) style. Delightful and a good value. 
5. 2022 Vietti ''Tre Vigne'' Barbera d'Alba ($30): From one of the most esteemed producers in Piedmont, the grapes are sourced from three select vineyards in the Barbera-rich region of Alba. A great value, but perhaps a bit more serious than most people expect from a Barbera. 
6. 2020 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly ($30): I don't recall much about this one, but I generally endorse cru beaujolais, so try one!