Renegade Wines

 

We have quite the weekend line-up in store. Not only for wines, but weather too. Downtown Santa Barbara will be in the mid-80s this weekend, and then on Monday evening perhaps an inch and a half of rain! SO...where do we begin?

With Champagne of course.


Waris-Larmandier Champagne Grand Cru Particules Crayeuses-Blanc de Blancs-Extra Brut
Waris-Larmandier Champagne
Grand Cru Particules Crayeuses
Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
$96
When we find a great new Champagne it kind of makes our week. Here we have a 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay Champagne from a family who's history goes back centuries.
There's a delicate awareness of greatness lurking behind the first sip; a wonder and curiosity of what might blossom as the wine rests in the glass. Give it a few swirls, let the aromas mingle upwards, inhale deeply. This is a Champagne that speaks. But quietly at first. Then grows, evolves, into something gratifying.
BUT...if you have the will-power, share one glass, then seal the bottle back up with a stopper, and revisit the bottle in 24 hours time. The Champagne transforms into something otherworldly.


A First Time for Everything
2024 Bodega Colomé Torrontés (Argentina, Valles Calchaquíes, Salta, Calchaquies)

2024 Bodega Colomé Torrontés
(Argentina, Valles Calchaquíes, Salta) $16.50
We can't say we've had countless requests for Torrontes. It's a grape one rarely sees, and one we've never been enamoured with. That changed once we sampled this wine.

Before tasting, we tried to comprehend the logistics of the wine. With vineyards reaching 10,000 feet in elevation the commitment to produce at this altitude is just shy of insane. Then we played with the idea of travelling there (see picture below). When it came to the 4-6 hour drive on rough roads we decided against, and simply enjoyed the wine in front of us.
And enjoy it we did. There's citrus and white floral notes, melon emerges alongside subtle tropical flavors. The acid is savory, and there's an unusual herbal aspect in a pleasing way. Nicely balanced with a lingering finish sums up this wine well.
The first Torrontes we've carried and we couldn't be happier.
Salta Vineyard


A Tale of Two Gamays
2023 Dreamcôte Gamay Carbonic (Sta. Rita Hills)

2023 Dreamcôte Gamay Carbonic
(Sta. Rita Hills) $38
A few weeks back we attended a tasting event at the Santa Barbara Club. After a few dozen wines our notes pointed to two favorites: both Gamays and for different reasons.
This first one from Dreamcote is made Carbonically (whole grape clusters in an oxygen-free, carbon dioxide-rich environment in a sealed stainless steel tank), from the Donnachadh Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. Organic and chillable, this is one crunchable red. Lively, fresh, crunchy red fruit, vibrant mouth-feel, casually stylish. 
2024 Story of Soil Gamay Noir Martian Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County)
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2024 Story of Soil Gamay Noir Martian Vineyard
(Santa Barbara County) $42

Our second Gamay is crafted with biodynamic practices, focusing on expressing the natural terroir of the Martian vineyard. Neutral French oak (as they do in Burgundy), is used in the winemaking process here. The result is a deep, seriously structured wine with beautiful red and dark berry fruit, spice, earth, subtle herbal hints, and a long silky finish. Complex yet approachable today.
If we were to pair these two wines, Dreamcote with a beautiful charcuterie plate, or a wine to kick off the evening.
Story of Soil would pair well with duck, pork, mushroom risotto, or while reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead at the end of an evening.