Our final round for the glorious 2021 vintage! The 2022 will be on our fall offering, but there is no doubt this wine is drinking gorgeously now. And will continue to do so for another 7 to 10 years.

The 2021 Rosso is the result of a near-perfect growing season. Our vines have matured, and our viticulture is world-class. The resulting fruit is ripe with intense flavors encapsulated by perfect acidity and subtle herbs dancing across the palate. This is a serious wine with potential for 15+ years of aging. Yet, it opens quickly and offers a lengthy and silky dose of that “yes this is what I want in a red wine”. We are quite proud of Claudia, our winemaker, and the team at Due Santi.

2021 Domaine Verret Irancy

Around 80 miles northeast of Beaune is the appellation of Irancy. It's roughly midway between Beaune and Paris. Irancy enjoys a reputation of producing tasty red Burgundies for a fraction of the prices demanded by their brethren to the southeast. Bruno Verret has run this estate in his family for over 250 years: he and his team farm over 60 hectares. Verret grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though he also has Sauvignon Blanc (for his Saint-Bris) and Gamay vines. In Irancy, their Pinot Noir vines cover nearly 13 ha., making Bruno one of the largest holders in the village.

Verret’s village, Irancy, is no longer an “entry-level” wine. In previous years, he used to bottle an Irancy named Elevee en fut de chene, or “raised in oak.” It felt aromatically fancier than his entry-level bottling, though starting with the 2021 vintage, all his Irancy fruit is raised in oak barrels, giving all his wines from this humble village a touch of class. This mid-weight wine displays excellent richness without a trace of heaviness or over-ripeness. Verret captured riveting acidity, imbuing the wine with energy. Minerals and red fruit flavors dance on the palate, intermingling seamlessly. Suave tannins enhance its appeal. It grows in the glass. In a word, lovely.

 2020 Cotes-du-Rhone Mataro, Vignobles Boudinaud

After interning stints in Australia and California, winemaker Thierry Boudinaud returned to France and began to apply his skills in crafting some of the better values from the southern Rhone Valley and its environs. One of which is a Cotes-du-Rhone made entirely from Mourvedre. Thierry calls it Mataro, the name of a city in Catalonia near Barcelona. The town's name became the vinous vernacular as another name for Mourvedre. Mourvedre is an extremely late-ripening grape that thrives in warm climate zones with long growing seasons. The south of France is a perfect place for that! Mourvedre can be super concentrated, full-bodied, and tannic, requiring a little patience and cellar time. Not Thierry's Mataro. One of the many likable things about it is its approachability and its plump purple fruit. Not overbearing or tight, it's expressive and fruit-driven. It's a wine you need not worry about finishing the same day, as an opened bottle can last a couple of days on the counter.

Raised in a steel tank, Boudinaud's reds are consistently fresh, aromatic, and fruit-driven. For the 2020 Côtes-du-Rhone Mataro, expect aromas of brambly dark berry fruit and plummy purple fruit up front, with layers of forest floor, earth, and spice lurking behind it. The palate is more medium to full-bodied, with charming fruit and a sturdy backbone. It finishes long and harmonious, the fruit persisting throughout the finish. Some may make a case that it makes for a fine cocktail wine, as its plummy fruit notes are charming, but to make it shine, try it with a slow-cooked beef brisket with a savory dry rub.

2022 Cotes-du-Rhone La Boissiere, Vignobles Boudinaud

Another delicious value from winemaker Thierry Boudinaud (see above), the Cotes-du-Rhone La Boissiere, is a traditional blend of Grenache and Syrah with a little Mourvedre and Cinsault. Fruity, with hints of black pepper and spice, this cheerful, medium-bodied Cotes-du-Rhone makes for a great sipper on its own, though it is versatile enough to match most fare that suits a fruity red wine.

2019 Chianti Riserva, Pierazzuoli

Brothers Enrico and Dario Pierazzuoli run two properties in Tuscany. One is in Carmignano, known to us as “Le Farnete.” The other is in Chianti Montalbano, bottled locally under the traditional rooster label. Unfortunately, here in the States, we cannot use the Italian word for rooster in wine marketing, as a California vinous powerhouse copywrites the name. So, they use their name for our market for these wines. 

The 2019 vintage in Tuscany was outstanding, and the Pierazzuoli Chianti Montalbano Riserva is a special wine. Made from 100% Sangiovese, it is a deep, dark, concentrated Chianti. Its ethereal aromas are an amalgam of brooding black and purple fruit, fine suede, earth, tobacco, and clove. The palate is medium to full-bodied, and the finish is concentrated, long, and seamless. We know it says Chianti Riserva, not Brunello, though both are made of 100% Sangiovese. One can feel the similarities between the two by tasting a bottle of the 2019 Chianti Montalbano Riserva from Pierazzuoli. It’s best paired with hearty Italian dishes and rich, zesty red sauces.