Chateau Oumsiyat Assytico 2024
Origin: Lebanon
Retail:$26.95| Sale: $24.26
Passion and heritage have been passed down through the Bou Sleiman family for four generations. When Joseph Bou Sleiman took over the reins at Château Oumsiyat, he blended respect for local tradition with modern techniques to craft contemporary wines. A passionate vine grower, Joseph also built a modern winery in the village of Mtein, where he creates wines that are a fusion of Old World and New World. The grapes are grown in the 78 hectare vineyard, situated at over 1,000 metres elevation in the beautiful Bekaa Valley. With such varied geology and geography, Bekaa Valley, Mount and North of Lebanon are highly suited to vine growing. The vines benefit from heavy rains and snow in winter, an exceptional amount of ideal sunshine and a hot dry climate in summer, and cool nights compensate for the hot days. The regular “mistral” wind deters disease and promotes healthy growth. The soil ranges from clay-limestone, clay-chalk as well as sandy and gravelly soils; a mosaic of terroirs.
Benjamin Serer Vouvray Sec 2023
Origin: France
Retail: $30.95| Sale:$27.86
Benjamin Serer originally wanted to be a chef. He got as far up the ladder as opening a restaurant in Switzerland for the Alain Ducasse Group and then cooking at Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monaco for a year. The latter was an intensely competitive experience: when he wasn’t sleeping, he was in the kitchen, and at some point the joy just went out of it. In 2019 he took a leap of faith and rented 1.6 hectares of vines. These averaged 50-years of age and grew on what’s known as the première côte (the first south-facing hillside rising above the Loire) in the commune of Vouvray. In the same year he took a job managing 18 hectares of vines on the plateau of Vernou-sur-Brenne for a friend who had just bought them from a retiring vigneron. He continues to use both to this day. The Sec still hails from Benjamin’s original parcel of old vines in the commune of Vouvray and is a beautiful representation of his work.
Bodega Tandem Inmune Garnacha 2023
Origin: Spain
Retail: $20.95| Sale: $18.86
Inmune in Spanish means immune. Immune to disease, to failure, to setbacks, and to critics. Pedro Jesús and Angel Lizarraga (father and son) are founding partners of the winery and the fundamental part of the grape supply. They have also selected suppliers in their environment that are controlled by the winery and they work the vineyard according to their philosophy and quality standards. Bodega Tandem uses sustainable and traditional viticulture, dry farming and minimal intervention that respects tradition. From its elevated position, Tandem boasts an exceptional view of the Yerri Valley. A beautiful, fertile valley with a cold climate and plentiful winds. The Yerri Valley is located in the north of the Navarra Denomination of Origen on its north-western boundary; situated between Bordeaux and La Rioja, just a step away from the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. The valley is bordered by the Sierras Urbasa and Andía mountain ranges of great beauty and supports a variety of species of flora and fauna.
Whitehall Lane Rassi
Origin: California
Retail: $34.95| Sale:$31.46
Whitehall Lane is a small, family owned winery in Napa Valley’s historic Rutherford appellation. They grow 157,411 grape vines in their eight estate vineyards. The winery was founded in 1979 but the history of the soil cultivation dates back two centuries. In the mid 1800’s, Napa Valley settlers were drawn to the gravelly loam soils and ideal climate, planting high quality grape vines at the Whitehall Lane Winery site. In 1979, two brothers built the winery and directed their winemaking efforts successfully to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They named the winery after the road that runs along the southern border of the property, Whitehall Lane. The Rassi Vineyard is located in a gravel stratum on the eastern slope of Sonoma Valley at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain range. This hillside location has excellent afternoon sun exposure throughout the long, warm summer and is ideally suited for growing Cabernet Sauvignon.