Sip Somm’s first ever wine flight! Guided Tasting videos post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
As I mentioned in my most recent article, I have just started a fledgling Youtube channel focused on viewer interaction and guided wine & sake tasting. Three French and Italian wines were featured last week and though I had various lighting issues, the video content came out pretty good!
Wine #1 - Domaine Ostertag Riesling ‘Clos Mathis’ Alsace, France 2018. I was very excited to pop this cork even though I knew this wine had major potential for aging. 2018 was a wet vintage early in the year, but turned out to be quite warm overall. That enhanced ripening of other varieties in the region, but resulted in softer acidity for Riesling bottlings. The mellower expression made it much easier to drink at a young age. Notes of lime peel, jasmine and unripe stone fruit dominated, with a refreshing, yet lush texture that gave the wine dimension. I decanted the wine for 3.5 hours and aromas of meyer lemon, acacia honey, lavender and garrigue emerged! Such a splendid wine. I easily drank the entire wine myself.
Wine #2 - Chateau Feuillet Fumin Valle d’Aosta, Italy 2018. This wine was exciting because 90% of the blend was made from a obscure native grape called Fumin (the other 10% was Syrah). It is grown in northwestern Italy, in the small mountainous region of Valle d’Aosta. The vineyards are 700-900m in elevation and receive ample sunlight and warmth during the day, with cool temperatures in the evening. These conditions provide the grapes with powerful anthocyanins, ripeness and acidity all rolled into one! The color of this wine was a deep reddish purple with a bright magenta rim. The wine was medium bodied, but the staining on the glass was very noticeable due to the rich pigments providing lots of color. Aromas of black plums, blackberries and earthiness dominated with a touch of pepper coming from the 10% syrah. The palate showcased the wine’s fresh acidity and juxtaposed flavors of cranberry and sour cherries. This wine tasted great for 3 days after opening… I highly recommend it!
Wine #3 - Domaine Maestracci ‘Clos Reginu’ Corse Calvi, Corsica 2019. This wine is sourced from the Reginu granite plateau in the foothills of Monte Grossu in Calvi, Corsica. Calvi is located in the northwest corner of the island and this red blend is dominated by the top 3 grape varieties in the region: 30% Niellucciu, 30% Grenache, & 15% Sciacarellu. It also includes 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Carignan. It was light and elegant, with a touch of natural wine tang; as well as notes of roasted strawberries, black fruit and nutmeg. It had a soft texture with minimal tannin and an interesting flavor profile. The wine was made from the youngest vines on the property, it was vinified and aged in stainless steel and was not filtered before bottling. For $18, it is a true winner and a exuberant example of what Corsican terroir can express in a very easy drinking wine meant for immediate consumption.
Next week, we will be featuring one of my favorite sake categories: namazake! They are all unpasteurized and sourced from my favorite San Francisco sake distributor, Fifth Taste. See you next week!