Other Red Wines

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

CHILE

Ungrafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Isla de Maipo-Chile, 2020 ($19.99) - Chile offers more Cabernet value than northern California, but Chilean Cabs often feature a green, vegetal component as if they were Cabernet Franc, not Cab Sauvignon. This worthy offering has a little of that element in the background, but it’s minor. Marco and Sebastian De Martino are 4th generation grape growers. They farm substantial acreage in Maipo and Itata Valleys. This wine comes from a special vineyard on the Isla de Maipo, an island within the Maipo River that was an old riverbed and now has riverbed gravel similar to the west bank of Bordeaux. The vines here are literally ungrafted (on original rootstock) and average 25-30 years of age. Harvesting is by hand, fermentation is with wild yeast, and the wine ages in neutral barrique for a few months before aging in 5000L foudre for 12 months. Practicing organic, not certified. Vinous: 91 “Light purple in hue, the mild nose offers blackcurrant and cherry soft piracine notes. Terse with polished, slightly reactive, finely-grained tannins and a flavorful, juicy finish. A nuanced and lively style.”

Almaviva Epu, Puente Alto-Maipo Valley-Chile, 2019 ($65) - Almaviva is a joint venture (1998) between two icons, Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Bordeaux (Lafite) and Viña Concha y Toro of Chile. The grapes are Chilean, from the rocky, poor, well-draining soil of Puente Alto, the highest part of Maipe Valley in Chile’s central zone. The barrels and winemaking are French. The bodega was designed by the famous Chilean architect, Martín Hurtado and features undulating curved roof that simulates the shape of the Andes Mountains. The name sounds Hispanic, but it actually belongs to classical French literature: Count Almaviva is the hero of The Marriage of Figaro, the famous play by Beaumarchais (1732-1799) later turned into a great opera by Mozart. Like the great wineries of Bordeaux, Almaviva produces a primary label (Almaviva, priced around $150) and a second label (Epu). They are sold through the Bordeaux négoce system. Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 93+ “2019 was a very dry vintage, and the blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Carmenere, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cab Franc with slightly higher alcohol and lower acidity than 2018, matured in used barriques for one year. In terms of freshness, the wine is quite similar to the 2018, obviously a little younger, quite intense and fruit-driven, spicy and herbal, with a creamy texture and fine-grained tannins. It’s a second wine, but they also want to do something different and Epu is perhaps a little more classical, perhaps this is more Bordeaux and Almaviva is more Chilean. 2021-28.” Limited. 

PORTUGAL

Quinta do Gradil Vinha do Carmo, Lisboa Tinto, 2018 ($24.99) - Quinta do Gradil is the oldest known winery in Portugal. There is a reference to it in a royal document by King John II of Portugal, dated February 14, 1492. It is currently owned by Luis Vieira, who purchased it from Isidoro Maria d’Oliveira in 1999. The winery is located in Cadaval and occupies an area of 494 acres of which 297 are planted with vines. The privileged location of Quinta do Gradil, between the Serra de Montejunto and the sea, takes advantage of the Atlantic influence, which is decisive for the acid balance and freshness of the wines. At the same time, it enjoys a good number of hours of sunshine, critical for grape ripening. This huge wine is complex and delicious. There’s nothing delicate or elegant here; it’s big, bold, and uniquely Portuguese. 

Antonio Madeira Tinto, Dão-Portugal, 2021 ($24.99) - After learning his craft in France, Antonio Madeira returned to his native Dão in Portugal and established an operation in 2010, purchasing 17.4 acres of vineyards spread out over 20 different plots. He also purchases grapes from neighbors, the source of this entry-level tinto. It is delicious! Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez): 92 $30 “The entry-level red 2021 Tinto has a beautiful, floral, perfumed, and clean nose. I fell in love with it immediately. It’s a blend of purchased grapes, and the wine was produced with exactly the same methods and care as the domaine wines. He tries to convince growers not to use any chemicals in the vineyard, but it’s difficult to convince all. It’s 80% new vines from the four dominant grapes in Dão (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro Preto, and Jaen) and 20% old vines with mixed varieties. It has 12.5% alcohol and a medium-bodied palate and is juicy and tasty, light and fresh, clean, precise, and primary with flavors of acid berries and a long, dry finish. This has purity and is a great value. 916 cases produced. Drink 2024-2028”

GERMANY - yes, Germany!

Georg Gustav Huff Pinot Noir, Germany, 2018 ($19.99) - We’ve carried Huff rosé, made from Pinot Madelaine and Pinot Noir, for two years. The estate is located in the Rheinhessen and has been family-owned for 300 years. A new winery was constructed in 2004, and the 43-acre vineyard is currently run by Dieter Huff; his wife, Helga; their sons Daniel and Stefan; and their daughters-in-law, Stefanie and Carolin. The style of this Pinot is juicy, round, and soft with some oak showing.

Shelter Winery Lovely Lilly Pinot Noir, Baden-Germany, 2021 ($19.99) - Based in a factory-like building in the industrial area of Kenzingen, the husband and wife team Hans-Bert Espe and Silke Wolf farm 12.5 acres of vines, of which 90% is Pinot Noir and 10% is Chardonnay—all cultivated in the Breisgau region of Baden. The couple produces six different wines: Sekt (only in cooler vintages), Blanc de Noirs (still wine), Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir from 40+ year-old vines, a Spätburgunder from their younger vines, and this Lovely Lilly from purchased grapes. It is fresh and fruity in a light style with distinct acidity that should mellow with short aging. The grapes are harvested by hand into stackable 10-kilogram crates and are all destemmed. An optical sorting machine has been used since 2018. The Pinot is fermented after a week of cold maceration in wooden vats, with occasional punch-down (pigéage) of the cap. After another three weeks, it is pressed at one bar in a pneumatic press. The wine was aged for around 16 months in wood, with racking in March, followed by a further six weeks in the tank before being bottled without filtration.

Weingut Friedrich Becker Pinot Noir, Pfalz-Germany, 2019 ($22.99) – Don’t laugh. With global warming, Germany may be the future of Pinot Noir! Actually, Germans have been growing Pinot Noir (locally called Spätburgunder) since it was brought there, probably by Cistercian monks from Burgundy in the 14th century. Pinot Noir does best in cool climates, but until recently most of Germany was too cool. As conditions have warmed, it has become easier to ripen the grape in this, the most northern commercial grape growing area in the world. Pinot Noir cultivation in Germany has grown to almost 12,000 hectares, making Germany the third largest Pinot Noir producer in the world!

Friedrich Becker and his family own 36 acres of vineyards in the southern part of the Pfalz region. He is one of the best producers in the Pfalz and one of the best in all of Germany. A full 60% of his production is Pinot Noir, grown primarily on stony, chalky soil. Friedrich Becker Jr. and his sister, Helena, have taken over most of the responsibilities at the winery along with co-cellar master Stefan Dorst. The estate has been bottling and marketing its own wines since 1973. The vines are heavily pruned to restrict yields. We tasted the 2017 in December; the 2019 is even better, perhaps the best they have ever made. We also carry his Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and a single-vineyard Pinot Noir.

Shelter Winery Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Baden-Germany, 2022 ($29.99) - This is the middle Pinot from Shelter Winery. The vintage was never reviewed, but it should be similar to the 2023: Wine Advocate (Stephan Reinhardt) 91+ “A blend of fruit from younger vines in Kenzingen, Bombach, and Malterdingen (all Breisgau). Aged in old Burgundy barrels and 600-liter tonneaux, the crimson red-colored wine is deep, intense, and slightly toasty on the otherwise saline and crystalline nose that offers a bouquet of red berries and cherries, licorice nuances, and floral notes. Silky, round, and intense on the palate, this is a medium- to full-bodied, refined, and elegant Pinot Noir with a mineral core, fine and grippy tannins, and an intense, aromatic, and quite complex finish on the red side of the spectrum. 13% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure.”

OTHER

Wines from Georgia (the country)

We’ve had inquiries about Georgian wines over the years, but knowing nothing about them, we were reluctant to carry them until now. Georgia, in the South Caucasus, is very important in the history of wine with evidence of winemaking dating back 8000 years! Archeologists have found ancient clay vessels called Qvevri (also spelled Kvevri) with deposits of tartaric acid salts that could only have come from wine. Additionally, grapes are depicted on clay vessels of this period. Grape pips from shortly after that are identical to Vitus Vinifera (the family of European grapes that we now drink) Sativa. In those days, cultivated grapes were allowed to ferment. The juice/wine was then poured into qvevris, which were sealed with wooden lids and then buried in the earth for up to 50 years. Today, only about 5% of Georgian wines are still aged in clay vessels, as are all of the following wines. We also have two white wines. We tried a Cabernet, but it wasn’t up to snuff.

Stori Saperavi, 2019 ($21.99) - Saperavi is the major red grape of Georgia. It belongs to the teinturier family of grapes (like Alicante Bouschet) that have dark skins and dark flesh. Saparavi is the Georgian-language word for dye. This is quite good with nice fruit and a spicy kick. It comes from a 2.5 acre vineyard on sandy-gravel soil in the Kakheti region.

Mukado Superavi (70%) - Shavkapito (30%), 2017 ($26.99) - Even better, this tastes like it was aged in oak, but it was not. A little richer and rounder. Made by enologist Lado Uzunashvili.

Wines from Croatia

Saints Hills Middle and South Dalmatia Black, Croatia, 2020 ($19.99) - We first discovered Croatian wines about six years ago. The white Pošip and red Plavac Mali we brought in sold slowly at first, but they developed quite a following as customers recognized their quality and value. Unfortunately, the small importer went out of business, and potential replacements weren’t as good or were too expensive. That now changes with Saints Hills, a boutique Dalmatian winery with vineyards in Dalmatia and Istria.

Croatia’s coastal wine region lies just across the Adriatic Sea from Veneto, Italy, and although the wines are made from different (local) grapes, they are equally promising. This wine is 100% Plavac Mali from the winery’s two Dalmatian vineyards (Dingač and Komarna). The vines are 15 years old and sit on red limestone quartz soil. It is aged in a combination of big wooden vats, concrete, and barrique. Wine Enthusiast: 93 “Dark-cherry red, this wine has aromas of red fruits, red raspberry, and a touch of Shisito pepper. The palate is very balanced with flavors of black raspberry, cassis, and red plum. The tannins are silky, and the finish is elegant and persistent with a splash of red cherry.”

Saints Hills Dingač Plavac Mali, Croatia, 2019 ($44.99) - Although we’re quite keen on these Croatian wines, we had to think long and hard about bringing in one for $45! But this red is special, worth its price, and a demonstration of how much potential Croatian wines have. Like the “Black,” it is 100% Plavac Mali, but in this case it comes from Dingač, the first Croatian appellation (1961) and the one recognized for centuries as having the best vineyards for Plavac Mali. It is characterized by low yields, very steep terrain, farming by hand, and a very specific soil featuring limestone, red Dalmatian, and quartz. Wine Enthusiast: 97 “This excellent expression of Plavac Mali proves that this indigenous Croatian variety is worthy of international attention. Dark garnet, this elegant wine has aromas of forest floor, bramble, and black plum. It is soft on entry, but then ripe, rich flavors of cassis, black plum, and black raspberry wash over your entire palate only to be followed by a splash of jalapeño pepper brightness in the back. The tannins are soft and silky, and the finish is pleasantly astringent and persistent. Drink now or through 2032.”

Other

Gober & Freinbichler Vineyard Project 004 Blaufränkisch, Burgunland-Austria, 2022 ($19.99) - YOU SIMPLY MUST TRY THIS WINE! “But I’ve never tasted a Blaufränkisch,” you say? Give me your arm so I can twist it! Blaufränkisch is a cool-climate varietal whose parents are Blaue (blue) Zimmettraube and Gouais Blanc, which is also a parent of Chardonnay, Gamay, Aligoté, and many others (see the article on page 4). Blaufränkisch is grown throughout Central Europe, especially Austria. Like others, this example has a distinctive flavor, but it is riper, softer, and “delishiser” than most. Juicy and satisfying, yet compact. Fresh, not cumbersome or heavy. You will not be bored! Very fragrant (black cherry and allspice) with a spiced/acid finish that should mellow with airing/aging. Perfect with a light chill. Dominik Gobbler and Gerald Freinbichler are the guys behind this charmer. They met while working in the cellar of Franz Weninger. After gaining experience, they started their own tiny (1000 square foot) “garage” winery in 2015. They farm several small plots of Blaufränkisch that they are restoring to optimum health. 

Günter and Regina Triebaumer Blaufränkisch Classic, Burgenland-Austria, 2020 ($22.99) - We’ve had great success with the Gober & Freinbichler Blaufränkish, which we just got back in, and thought some might like to try a step up from that lovely and fun wine. This is a little more serious with lovely aromatics. It’s soft, juicy, and very pretty with just a touch of varietal funk and tannin. The Triebaumer family has lived in Rust (on the shores of Neusiedeler See, very close to the Höpler vineyards and winery) since 1691. The de-stemmed grapes are given a warm (up to 88°F) fermentation for 12-15 days, then three additional days of maceration before a gentle pressing. Malo and aging are partly in large, used, Austrian oak barrels and partly on the lees in tanks. The flavor profile is hard to describe, but it’s typically Blaufränkisch: slightly funky, slightly spicy stewed sour cherries, violet, gentian, dark chocolate, allspice, and blackberry. Blaufränkisch originated in Austria and is celebrated for its versatility and its ability to pair with a wide range of dishes. DNA analysis shows that it’s a cross between Gouais Blanc (also a parent of Chardonnay!) and Blaue Zimmettraube. The name comes from blau, (blue, referring to the grape’s dark color, and Fränkisch, a term used in the Middle Ages to indicate noble or high-quality varieties. It’s also grown in Germany (called Lemburger) and most of central Europe.

Stadlmann Pinot Noir Anning, Thermenregion-Niederösterreich-Austria, 2020 ($24.99) - The un-Meiomi, this is medium in color and fruit, but it has a modest Pinot bouquet but true Pinot character. Serve this very attractive red with fish and chicken. It improves with airing. This delicious Austrian wine comes from the Thermanregion, where the soil features limestone. It is not as well known as Wachau, Burgenland, etc., where the soil has more loess (silt-sized sediment often found near rivers). Thermanregion lies just north of Vienna near Gumpoldskirchen. Stadlmann is the most highly regarded winery in the area. (Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion: “Weingut Stadlmann produces the best wines of the region.” Stephan Reinhardt: “Stadlmann wines are Austrian cultural heritage.” This and the Grüner Veltliner that we carry are Stadlmann’s entry-level wines, but they show the quality of the winery.

Bachelder Les Villages Gamay, Niagara, 2022 ($32.99) and Les Villages Pinot Noir, Niagara, 2022 ($39.99) - We try to avoid politics and base our selections on quality and value, but some customers may wish to support Canada. These new arrivals (just pre-tariff) are not the best values in the store, but they are good wines and well-made. Both are on the light side, but they are very pleasant. We tasted two Chardonnays that were also good but too expensive. Inspired by years spent making wine in Burgundy, Oregon, and Niagara, Thomas Bachelder and Mary Delaney craft refined, subtle, and elegantly textured wines with minimal intervention. Their focus is on Burgundian varietals as a lens to explore the specific terroir of the silt, clay, and dolomitic limestone-laced ancient lakebed soils of the Niagara Escarpment.

Felton Road Pinot Noir “Calvert,” Central Otago-New Zealand, 2022 ($67.50) - New Zealand’s Central Otago district produces some terrific Pinots. Felton Road is one of the top producers. The vineyards and winery are located in Bannockburn, one of the warmest parts of the cool district, but winemakers can get their work done during the day, drive 45 minutes, and still get some daylight skiing in! The 14.5-acre Calvert Vineyard was planted in 2001, using clones B667, B777, and B115. Everything is done by hand. Wine Advocate (Erin Larkin): 94+ “In the mouth, this wine hits a massive stride. Forthright tannins accompany powerful fruit and fine acidity to make an impact. There’s pomegranate and cherry, violets, rosehips, and capers with green olive tapenade and even a hint of bone broth. Once again, the acidity in conjunction with the tannins combine to bring on a cool finish. Lovely. I do love the strawberry through the finish. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2023-2036” Certified organic and biodynamic!