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Cleto Chiarli Brut de Noir Rose
Origin: Emiglia - Romana, Italy
Retail: $18.95 | Sale: $17.06
The story of Lambrusco is closely intertwined with the Chiarli family of Modena, arguably the most important producers of red sparkling wine in the world. The tale begins with Cleto Chiarli, the proprietor of the Modena restaurant Osteria dell’Artigliere in the mid-1800s. As was common for restaurateurs and innkeepers in those days, Chiarli made his own wine to sell at the osteria. Naturally, the wine was made from Lambrusco, the area’s primary grape variety, and it was well received by customers—so much so that in 1860 Chiarli was emboldened to found Emilia Romagna’s first wine-producing company, the Cantina Cleto Chiarli. The company thrived, and eventually, under the Chiarli 1860 name, it became the largest privately-owned producer of Lambrusco.
In the old days around Modena, the workers found refreshment in a light, pink, effervescent wine made from the runoff of grapes that were piled into carts for delivery to the winery. The Chiarli family pays homage to this old tradition with the Brut de Noir Rosé. Based on the Lambrusco Grasparossa grape variety, this wine gets its delightful pink hue from just a short period of skin contact, with 15% Pinot Nero. The Brut de Noir Rosé is a fully sparkling wine, produced in a single fermentation in an autoclave—a piece of technology unavailable to those thirsty farmers of the past.
Saint Cyr La Galoche Beaujolais Rose
Origin: Anse, France
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
The Domaine Saint Cyr is proudly located in Anse, in the southern part of the Beaujolais known as Les Pierres Dorées, the golden stones, after the golden-hued limestone which is emblematic of the region. La Galoche is the name of a small stream that runs by the winery. A true head-turner from fourth generation vigneron, Raphaël Saint Cyr, the La Galoche 2021 Beaujolais Rosé is sure to be a smash summer hit! Juicy, fruity, with plenty of aromas of white peach, nectarine and rhubarb.
Saint Cyr La Galoche Beaujolais Rouge
Origin: Anse, France
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
Raphael Saint-Cyr is the fourth generation vigneron at the Domaine Saint-Cyr, which was created by his great-grandfather, Pierre Saint-Cyr. The estate is located in Anse, found at the southern edge of the Beaujolais. When Raphael took over the winemaking in 2008, he let go of a large portion of Beaujolais vines around the winery and acquired vines further north in the crus of Morgon, Regnié, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent. Having seen his grandfather and uncle get sick from the chemicals used to treat their vines, Raphael was immediately convinced to convert the entire 23 hectare domaine to certified organic viticulture, making Domaine Saint Cyr one of the largest organic domaines in the Beaujolais.
The cuvée La Galoche is named after a small stream that runs by the property and represents the largest production from the domaine. More than anything, it represents the Beaujolais ideal of a delicious, joyful, and easy-to-drink Gamay wine. The oldest vines are vinified and aged separately as the cuvée Terroir de Bellevue, which shows the potential of the oft-maligned southern Beaujolais to produce wines that can stand up to the famous crus of the north, including Fleurie, Morgon, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent. The big difference here is soil type - the Pierres Dorées are limestone, while the crus are all planted on granite.
Beginning in 2017, Raphael began to experiment with cold carbonic fermentation and shorter aging for a cru Beaujolais with the single-vineyard Chénas Les Journets. Following the successful reception of this wine, all of the red wines today are vinified using cold carbonic fermentation since 2019. Always searching to improve his work in the vineyard and the quality of his wines, in 2020, Raphael began plowing his own vines with two Comtois drafthorses, Samba and El Suegno. Domaine Saint-Cyr represents the very best of the Beaujolais - joie de vivre and generosity above all, backed up by good people and solid work in the vineyards and cellar.
This wine comes off the Saint-Cyrs’ original vineyard holdings in the south of Beaujolais. Grapes are chilled overnight before a cold carbonic maceration that lasts 3 days. In some years, a pied de cuve is used to kickstart fermentation, but never lab yeasts. After aging in cement tanks for 9 months and ⅓ in used barrels for 6 months, the wine is bottled without filtration or added sulfur.