Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

This month we have the perfect wine for fondue, an Italian white,  another Chilean Cabernet, a Tuscan red, a Nero d'Avola from Sicily, and a Tempranillo based wine from Spain. 

First off, we have Vullien Vin de Savoie Montmélian from the French Alps - 100% Jacquère grapes raised sustainably (Lutte Raisonnée) on mainly Jurassic Limestone and black Marl soils.  While this alpine area of eastern France may be better known for skiing than viticulture, a cadre of Savoyard vignerons are producing great wines here. The region's best come from a boomerang-shaped string of six hillside crus between Grenoble and Albertville called the Combe de Savoie, where Vullien tends 69 acres in four of the six crus.This year, France's Revue du Vin selected Domaine Jean Vullien as their Coup de Coeur (Favorite) domaine in Savoie. While the Vulliens have been making wine for 36 years, the family is perhaps best known as a leader in another segment of the wine industry. Since 1890, their nursery has been supplying young vines to growers throughout France. In fact, they are responsible for 25% of the Chardonnay planted in Chablis today.

Vullien Vin de Savoie Montmélian is a crisp, lemon and mineral Jacquère-based white that British wine author Andrew Jefford calls the  Muscadet of the Alps.  Very crisp and tangy with a core of citrus/green apple/quince fruit. As good as any wine with shellfish, and a classic wine to pair with Alpine cheeses.

This month, we've got two Chardonnays, a Cabernet, a great Spanish red blend, a luscious Napa red blend, and a fun Austrian red served up in a liter bottle!

First up is Verchères Mâcon Villages, 100% Chardonnay, also known as a  White Burgundy.  An outstanding effort, the  Vercheres is a perfect Macon-Villages; filled with superb ripe apple flavors and textures that fully satisfies the palate.   a great wine from Northeastern Spain, Espelt

Domaine des Verchères is a family domaine located in the northernmost part of the Mâcon region, just south of the Côtes Chalonnaise. Owner Andre Dupuis is now succeeded by his two sons, Remi and Jean-Christophe. The 10-hectare Mâcon-Villages vineyard, in the communes of Mancey and Royer, is planted entirely with Chardonnay on south-east facing slopes at an average altitude of 250 meters. The vines average 30 years of age.

The soils in the two largest parcels are a mix of clay and limestone, covered with small white pebbles. In one parcel, the subsoil is deep and cool clay, which makes for a slow ripening process and the development of complex pit-fruit and citrus flavors. The other parcel has an almost pure rock soil where the vines’ roots go deep into the limestone. This parcel warms up early and provides ripe, generous Chardonnay fruit with a distinct minerality. The exceptional quality of the Domaine des Verchères Mâcon-Villages is the result of the blending of the fruit from these two vineyard sites.

Next up is Viña Siegel San Elais Chardonnay, an extremely well made wine from the Central Valley in Chile.  Intense pineapple aromas, very fresh, with tropical flavors overtones, and amazing value at $8.50 per bottle, before club discount.