drink nice(r): cult provençal

when: friday 8/14 @ 6pm EST

what: i remember the first time i tried clos cibonne and was utterly taken aback by the freshness of both the red and rosé. back then this was a relatively unknown estate (in many ways it still is) that used a varietal i was unfamiliar with: tibouren. and despite the obscurity, it took only minutes to fall in love with this producer as the wines were not only unique, but also very well made. we will be tasting their highly sought after rosé, as well as their red, which is a wine i could drink every single day if katrina allowed it. andré tamers, the man who imports clos cibonne, will be with us to talk in detail about this hallowed estate. 

wines:

clos cibonne cuvee speciale des vignettes 2018 $36
clos cibonne rouge 2019 $29

drink nice(r): 20th anniversary!

friday 8/7 @ 6pm est

what: we did it and we did it together. sure we'll be tasting some world class wine, but we'll also be celebrating what we've created. my intention is to have everyone drink some excellent juice and cheers along the way.

laurent tribut makes fine wine across the range, but his beauroy is where he truly excels. layers of complexity and a grandeur that is evident only in the top echelon.

emidio pepe is an old school estate located in italy's abruzzo. they make age-worthy reds (montepulciano) but i really enjoy their trebbiano. close enough to the ocean and complicated enough to keep it interesting. 

wines:

laurent tribut chablis 1er cru beauroy 2015 $40 (world's best price)
emidio pepe trebbiano d'abruzzo 2017 $45 (world's best price)

drink nice(r): sangiovese showdown

friday 7/31 @ 6pm est

when: friday 7/31 @ 6pm est

what: sangiovese is complicated. at it's best, the grape can take on pinot noir-esque delicacy and live for decades. we will be tasting two different expressions of the grape--one from chianti classico and one from montalcino. though both of these regions are located in tuscany, they produce singular iterations of sangiovese. tasting these wines side by side will help us understand the unique identity of each terroir.

jeff porter is perhaps the best living resource when it comes to tuscan sangiovese. he’s a brilliant teacher and taster, so this is going to be special.

wines:

agostina pieri rosso di montalcino 2017 $25
felsina chianti classico 2017 $26

master class: pascal cotat

when: saturday 8/1 @ 5pm est

what: the cotat family is a major reason why sancerre is virtually a household name. today, these are two labels with the eponymous name: francois and pascal. both exist in the top echelon of the world's finest wines, though francois generally receives most of the attention. in my opinion, pascal's wines are the ones that are most impressive, especially when we are speaking of the hallowed site: monts damnés. we will be tasting 2016 and 2017 (pricing is lowest in the nation by a LONG SHOT). 

wines:

pascal cotat mont damnes 2016 $45
pascal cotat mont damnes 2017 $45

SUNDAY SCHOOL: chanterêves

sunday 7/12 @ 2pm EST

what: tomoko kuriyama is one half of the duo that makes up chanterêves, one of the most exciting estates in burgundy today. her husband, guillaume bott, is the other half and is also the cellar master at domaine simon bize. together they make a unique team, crafting wines of precision and poise.

the first time i tasted chanterêves, i was taken aback by the sheer amount of quality packed into a bottle that cost around $30. this was several years ago and the wines have continued to evolve ever since.

tomoko will lead us through two of my favorite bottlings (one white wine and one red), while also helping us to better understand the dynamics of her small, but soulful estate.

wines:

chanterêves aligoté ‘les chagniots’ 2018 $41

chanterêves hautes cotes de beaune ‘paris l’hopital’ 2017 $45

drink nice(r): not your average port(ugal)

friday 7/24 @ 6pm est

what: like spain, portugal has undergone a renaissance of sorts which has led to some very impressive wines being made. we will be focusing on two exceptional producers that are truly at the forefront of this movement.

the azores is a vacation spot for some but it is also a wholly unique landscape for growing grapes. antónio maçanita is the man in charge at azores wine company and perhaps understands this terroir best. the vineyards are literally planted on the rocky shores of these islands, so to say you can taste the ocean would be an understatement. we’ll be tasting a verdelho like none you’ve tasted before.

luis seabra is the modern day master of the duoro. however, he was not always celebrated as such because his wines are wholly different than those that came before him. seabra spent a decade as the winemaker of legendary niepoort, which is best known for producing some of the best wines portugal has ever seen. he eventually left to create his own label, which we’ll be tasting, and is now leading the charge for the ‘new portugal.’

wines:

azores wine company verdelho o original 2018 $37
luis seabra xisto ilimitado tinto 2018 $23

master class: j.b. becker with stephen bitterolf

when: saturday 7/25 @ 5pm est

what: stephen bitterolf (from the venerable, vom Boden) will lead us through two bottlings from the legendary estate of j.b. becker. a single-vintage, 2-bottle horizontal study featuring the regular bottle next to the "alte reben" (old-vine) version will highlight the importance of vine age. however, the discussion will include the role this iconic, and largely overlooked estate, had in bringing the idea of dry riesling to the rheingau. the history at this estate is profound.

wines:

jb becker walkenberg spätlese trocken 2017 $33 jb becker walkenberg spätlese trocken ar 2017 $36

drink nice(r): savage

friday 7/3 @ 6pm EST

what: if you’re a fan of queen b, then you’ll understand the spirit of these wines. i chose two producers who exemplify a savage nature, which is to say they are complicated, sophisticated and unapologetically raw. 

jean-francois ganevat is, of course, funkalicious, as was evident with the red wines we tasted early in this series. however, it’s his white wines that put him on the map.  we will be drinking one of his white wine blends that is rarely found in the US.

yvon metras’ bottles are the unicorns of beaujolais. the man himself is crucial to the region’s success and though he may not be as widely recognized as foillard or lapierre, he’s plays a major role nonetheless. these bottles are generally near impossible to find but we miraculously found about five cases :)

wines:

j.f. & anne ganevat 'le sa vient d'ou?' blanc sous voile mv $35

yvon metras beaujolais 'cuvee #1' 2018 $35

drink nice(r): lieu dit with justin willett

friday 7/17 @ 6pm est

what: when it comes to california winemakers, very few are able to compete with the likes of justin willett. since founding his first label, tyler, in 2005, he has steadily become one of the most important humans in domestic wine. 

lieu dit is a project based out of santa barbara and focused on loire valley varietals. the wines are mineral-driven and precise, showcasing the beauty of each grape while also embracing the identity if california. 

we'll be tasting two of my favorite lieu-dit wines, chenin blanc and cabernet franc (without sulfur). justin will provide context and also help us to better understand each bottle. 

wines:

lieu dit chenin blanc 2017 $25
lieu dit cabernet franc 'sans soufre' 2018 $30

drink nice(r): volcanic

friday 7/10 @ 6pm EST

what: when it comes to white wine, volcanic soils are responsible for some of the most intriguing expressions. the reason for this is many, but one major factor is the diversity of nutrients the soils are able to provide.

ciro picariello is perhaps avellino’s benchmark estate, producing age-worthy fiano year after year. we will be drinking their highest-end bottling called ‘906,’ which is made only in excellent vintages.

soave classico as a region is all but forgotten. a land previously known for poorly made wines, today there are a handful of producers creating very high quality juice. since its inception, prà has been a major contender in italian white wine, offering terror-driven iterations that compete with the best.

wines:

prà soave classico ‘monte grande’ 2018 $27

ciro picariello fiano di avellino ‘906’ 2018 $28

drink nice(r) : made in sicily

friday 6/26 @ 6pm EST

what: the island of sicily is home to some of the most unique wines in the world. some of this is due to the volcano (mount etna) which creates a micro-climate well suited for terroir-driven wines. however, even the flatlands are capable or producing beauty. we will taste two wines ‘made’ in sicily.

wines:

girolamo russo `a rina’ etna rosso 2017 $28

marco tinessa ‘last trip to sicily’ 2016 $33