A couple of great surprises from the weekend

WINE TALK
1

2012 Olivier Rivière Rioja Ganko

Grenache (80%) + Carignan - (From the website) “Whole bunch with pigeages and remontages. Indigenous yeasts. Elevage: 16-18 months in foudres and demi-muids”

We opened it Saturday night, it was completely reticent so we put the cork back and revisit it at Sunday lunch. Reminds me of Cannonau di Sardegna in the expression of grenache. This is much denser and darker than the grenache you find in S. Rhône. Naturally. The Carignan brings a firm tannic backbone. The grenache brings a great freshness and fruitiness. Serious wine, seriously good and ample reason to tuck a few away in the cellar - there is a lot of smokey, floral characters that will unfold over the years.

2012 Domaine de l’Anglore Vin de France Nulle parts ailleurs

100% bourboulenc

Wow. Opened a few hours before pouring. Salty, agrume (orange), some almond richness (reminds me of calissons). A little smokey. Fabulous. Rich in the mouth but focused and very easy to digest.

Normally I have to solicit my wife’s opinion. She volunteered her opinion of both; each were noted as “really excellent”. I couldn’t agree more. These are extremely good wines, terrifically well made and each are complex, intriguing and well worth seeking out.

2

Thanks very much for the notes, Paul

3

Pleasure, the Bourboulenc is an interesting data point. It is the first 100% Bourboulenc that has crossed my table. Folks interested in single cépage wines should run a bottle of this down. Fascinating and delicious.

Both wines are bio/organic/whatever. Neither are relying on volatile acidity or reduction or oxidization to provide “character” or complexity. I drink plenty of bio/organic and I realize that some (maybe more than some?) of these wines have serious faults which some young cavistes sell as intrigue. Not these two bottles. Both are laser sharp, focused and extremely pure expressions of their fruit.