News & Media
Welcome to the Maritime Wine Tasting Studio blog, here is where we will be highlighting events and news from our collective of wineries. Check back often to see what's going on, and most importantly to see what our winemaker friends from around the world are up to. You can also check out past newsletters and previous wine club tasting notes. Cheers!
June Wine Club Tasting Notes
Domaine Gille Côte De Nuits-Villages Rouge 2017 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir
The Gille family has resided in the village of Comblanchien, Nuits-Saint-George since 1570, and the present domaine was established in 1900! Today all work is still done by hand using the traditional methods the family has been using for centuries. Pinots from this part of Burgundy can be assertive with firm tannins, and you can find that here in this Côtes De Nuits-Villages. The nose gives aromas of red fruits, earthy mushroom, and even a hint of dried persimmon, while the palate is vivacious and complex with a long, structured finish. We recommend decanting this powerful Pinot for at least 30 minutes to let the wine open up a bit, and pairing it with roast beef, ham, chicken on the grill, or a hearty stew.
Nine North Wine Co. “Lan-Yap” Rosé 2019 – California – Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel
A LAGNIAPPE (lan-yap) is “a small gift” or a little something extra on top, which is something our distribution partners in Louisiana often bring up. This is Maritime’s very own rosé from our Napa Valley winery, the Nine North Wine Co., with grapes sourced from Sonoma, Monterrey, and Carneros. Strawberries, cherry and citrus fruits on the nose lead to flavors of white peaches and melons with a lively zing of acidity that will make this a favorite summer sipper or accompaniment to wide variety of food especially salads of all varieties, salmon and other oily fish, charcuterie and hard cheeses. Produced with backyard barbecues full of people in mind, our rosé comes in a 1 liter bottle so you’ll have a little something extra to share.
Nine North Wine Co. “Seven Sinners” Petite Sirah 2017 – Lodi, California – 100% Petite Sirah
Our Lodi Petite Sirah is a total lush just waiting for a summer barbeque. The 2017 vintage shows velvety textures upfront followed by deep rich flavors of blackberry jam, blueberry and spice, resulting in a long, deep and concentrated finish. While opulent, it has a food friendly balance that likes to be paired with roast pork, barbecue meats, or even as a dry dessert wine. The name comes from the classic John Wayne film “Seven Sinners”, and is an homage to the winemakers, viticulturists and of course tradespeople from all over the world that we’ve met along the way, many of whom - if not most - are a quite a wild bunch.
Jun 25, 2021 at 3:22 PM
PermalinkMay Wine Club Tasting Notes
Contino Reserva 2011 – Rioja, Spain – Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
Contino is the CVNE family’s single vineyard, one of the only designated single vineyards in Spain, and its incredible terroir is partly due to the Ebro River that runs right alongside it in the shape of a paper fan. This Rioja has a nose of intense ripe plum, sweet and fresh aromas, mint and licorice. In mouth it’s gourmand and fruity while the alcoholic strength is well balanced with freshness and length. Note the individual bottle numbers!
Viña Real Crianza 2016 – Rioja, Spain – Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
This is pure Spain in a bottle that can more than accompany any tapas style spread. Viña Real is the groundbreaking “new” winery from the CVNE family that was established in 1920 to produce a modern style of rioja that is fresher and more approachable for casual drinking. To the nose, intense aromas of ripe fruits (blackberries, blackcurrants) stand out, complemented with subtle hints of oak, vanilla and spices aromas. To the palate, it shows good integration of fruitiness and oakiness with a finish of persistent spicy, toasty and balsamic aromas. A long stay in bottle is the finishing touch to this Rioja Alavesa wine's character.
The Better Half Sauvignon Blanc 2019 – Marlborough, New Zealand – Sauvignon Blanc
Jules Taylor’s better half (other half?) George Elworthy makes an incredible Sauvignon Blanc with tons of character for such an easy drinking wine. The 2019 vintage blew us away with how concentrated the fruit is in the glass. This is due to 2019 being a particularly hot year with little rain that made it possible to allow the grapes to focus on developing delicious sugars and George not having to painstakingly sift through water-logged, flavorless grapes during harvest. The nose is vibrant with zesty fruit aromas of peach, nectarine and passion fruit along with an intriguing hint of thyme. It’s lively on the palate with citrus and also generously layered with mouth-watering tropical fruit flavours and herbaceous hints.
May Anchor & Vine Wine Club
Domaine Riefle Cremant D’Alsace NV – Alsace, France – 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Auxerrois
Cremant D’Alsace always has that bright, lemony acidity on the finish that helps make it perfect as an aperitif, but this Cremant will also pair well with freshwater fish and white meats. It’s floral and delicately fruity on the nose with notes of brioche, and it’s generous on the palate, with fine bubbles and a sugar dosage which remains discreet.
Moshin Vineyards “Larrick Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc 2018 – Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma – 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Rick Moshin is dedicated to sustainable vineyard practices and uses gravity flow techniques to press the grapes which translates into a beautiful bottle of wine. This one has bright flinty nose with appealing fruit flavors of fresh honeydew melon, lime zest, mango and white spring flowers. Excellent balance of fruit flavor and acidity - refreshingly smooth on the midpalate with a clean, crisp finish.
Rivetto Langhe Nascetta DOC 2017 – Piemonte, Itlay – 100% Nascetta
We always like to throw in an esoteric curveball into the mix, and this one definitely fits the bill. Rivetto is one of just a few wineries who still make Nascetta which is known colloquially in Italy as il Dimenticato, the forgotten one. Enrico Rivetto makes his Nascetta completely natural, the grapes are grown in his Biodynamic vineyards, and he slightly ages this white before release which gives the wine an almost Orange Wine character without the skin contact. It’s vibrant on the nose with notes of citrus and dried apricots, and has a refreshing palate. Enjoy this one in the sun!
Domaine Dozon “Clos Du Saut Au Loup Monopole” Chinon AOC 2018 – Loire Valley, France – 100% Cabernet Franc
This is your classic French Bistro wine with a beautiful juxtaposition of juicy and spicy. Winemaker Eric Santier’s single vineyard Cab Franc has traditional notes of plum skin, raspberries and capsicum abound. Manageable tannins and herbal notes underscore a direct fruitiness, that allows this red to be endlessly pairable with meals.
Jules Taylor “OTQ” Pinot Noir 2019 – Marlborough, New Zealand – 100% Pinot Noir
Jules Taylor’s new release of her On The Quite Pinot means she’s done it again! This wine is only released during exceptional vintages, and 2019 was great for Marlborough due to hot weather and very little rain. With hot arid weather the grapes put their energy into producing concentrated sugars instead of swelling up with flavourless water. This Pinot Noir explodes with Black Doris plums and boysenberry fruit, floral notes of violet, truffle and liquorice overtones. Spice from the French oak barriques are layered with earthy notes and hints of dark chocolate. It is ripe, concentrated, and full bodied, with plenty of earthy tannins leading to a long, fine, dry finish. Decant 20 minutes prior for ideal drinking.
Contino Garnacha 2014 – Rioja, Spain – 100% Garnacha
This one is special. Contino is the CVNE family’s single vineyard, one of the only designated single vineyards in Spain, and its incredible terroir is partly due to the Ebro River that runs right alongside it in the shape of a paper fan. This Rioja is ruby red, despite its long aging it has no oxidative hue. It has a frank nose coming from a very intense varietal with hints from floral (roses) to fruit (strawberries, cherries) and spices (black pepper), elegant mouth, tasty and very long finish with lingering notes of Raspberry Chocolate. Enjoy with any rich cuisine or charcuterie from España!
Wine Club Tasting Notes October 2020
We're so excited to bring on a new natural wine producer, Domaine des Pasquiers! What is "natural wine" has been a question every wine lover has asked themselves over the last few years, and because there is no official qualifications the answer is always varied. One way to unequivocally know that a wine is natural is to be Certified Organic, which Domaine des Pasquiers has been for a decade! We think the selections this month along with their complimenting wines are perfect for autumn meals and fall weather.
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Signature Wine Club Tasting Notes
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Signature Red Wine Club Tasting Notes
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Staycation Clubs Tasting Notes
Anchor & Vine Wine Club Tasting Notes Summer 2020
The quarterly Anchor & Vine Wine Club lineup! Read tasting notes and more here.