For a printable PDF of this weekend’s notes, click here!
Chateau Pesquie ‘Terrasses’ Ventoux Blanc 2020
Origin: Rhone, France
Retail: $18.95 | Sale: $17.05
Chateau Pesquie is helmed by brothers Fred and Alex Chaudière who carry on a winemaking tradition started in the region by the Romans. It was the Romans who called the area pescarium - the word of inspiration for the winery’s name. This certified organic wine from a 100-hectare vineyard in Ventoux is created from grapes growing on fine gravel, clay-limestone hillsides. Each variety is fermented separately in tank then blended and aged in a mix of stainless steel and concrete vessels. Aromas of white flower and fresh citrus are complemented by ripe peach and apricot. The freshness and medium body of this wine is complemented by the creaminess of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc.
40% Viognier, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne, 20% Clairettte
Castaño Monastrell 2020
Origin: Yecla, Spain
Retail: $11.95 | Sale: $10.79
The Castano family are the original wine pioneers of the DO Yecla, and now have over 450 hectares of hand-picked vineyards composed into four estates: Las Gruesas, El Espinal, Pozuelo and Arabí. The warm, dry climate of Murcia creates an ideal environment for the Monastrell grape. The high elevation calcareous soils in Campo Arriba create a freshness in this younger vined wine. Hand harvested and semi-carbonically fermented in stainless steel, this wine is then aged in concrete for 4-6 months before bottling. This vibrant and juicy version on Monastrell is an exciting iteration of the grape.
100% Monastrell
Lafarge ‘Tessellae’ Old Vine GSM
Origin: Cotes du Rousillon, France
Retail: $18.95 | Sale: $17.05
From Jean-Marc’s Lafage estate in the Rousillon, come wines that increasingly improve with each vintage. Winemakers Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage create Tessellae Old Vines from vineyards located on black schist and clay-limestone soils in the Upper Agly valley. These grapes are hand-harvested and fermented after a short period of pre-fermentation maceration and finished in concrete tanks for a wine that is complex and carries flavors of red fruit, licorice and peppery herbs.
40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre