FULL NOTES FOR THIS WEEKEND’S TASTING
Domaine du Carrou Sancerre, France
The Roger family has resided in Sancerre since the early 18th century. In 1950 that Dominique’s father Maurice started Domaine du Carrou in one Sancerre’s finest villages, Bué. Dominique chooses to work the soils constantly, allowing the roots to extend into the limestone mother rock.
Herbicides and pesticides are never used and the grapes are only hand harvested (a practice that is becoming rarer and rarer in Sancerre
Taste – Bright and intense color with gold highlights distilling elegant and discreet citrus aromas (pink grapefruit and lemon), but especially yellow peach. An ideal acidity is refreshing with notes of pear.
Wine Education – Sancerre is a small wine district in central France, famous for its crisp, aromatic white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. It is also known for its high-quality goat cheeses, which are an excellent match for the local wine. The vineyards here surround the eponymous town, which sits atop a bean-shaped hill overlooking the river Loire.
Cooper’s Price $29.99 Mix and Match 3Btls $26.99
B Side Chardonnay North Coast, CA
This wine is part of the Don Sebastiani Family portfolio. The family first started making wines in California around 1888 and I’ve enjoyed selling them for over 35 years.
The Name? In the early 1950s record companies introduced the two-sided 45. The “A” side played the song the record companies hoped would become a hit. But the “B” side was often the real find, frequently revealing an undiscovered gem.
Taste – The B Side Chardonnay is a light gold color in the glass with vibrant aromas of baked apples, brioche, warm toasted almond and a distinct fresh orchid floral note. The texture is rich with flavors of ripe stone fruit, poached pear, warm pie crust, and subtle honey notes, but dry. Toasted French oak notes are framed by bright lemon acidity leaving a very lengthy finish. Cooper’s Price $21.99
Mix and Match 3btls $19.79
B Side Pinot Noir North Coast, CA
This wine is part of the Don Sebastiani Family portfolio. The family first started making wines in California around 1888 and I’ve enjoyed selling them for over 35 years.
Winemaking – The wine is aged for 12 months with 30% of the blend in new French Oak barrels while the remaining portion of the blend (70%) is in seasoned, one to two-year-old barrels. The fruit comes primarily from Carneros and Russian River Valleys.
Taste – The B Side Pinot Noir is a brilliant ruby red color in the glass with the slightest blood orange hued edge. This is a soul- led Pinot Noir with lifted aromas of raspberry, rose petal, cherry cola and black tea. Further spiced with notes of clove and fresh forest, the aromas lead to a full-bodied, richly textured palate with layered flavors of black cherry, violets, spice and smoke.
Cooper’s Price $21.99 Mix and Match 3btls $19.79
2020 Mas de Libian “Vin de Pétanque”
For over 300 years in Saint Marcel d’Ardèche, the Thibon family business has been agriculture. When it came time for young Jean-Pierre Thibon to take over the Mas de Libian estate in 1970, he decided to make wine production its sole focus. His wife Jacqueline left her career as a cardiologist to help work the vines and later their daughters Cécile, Hélène and Catherine would join the team. They use their horse Nestor to plow the vines which are located on the old, terraced land of the Rhône.
Taste – Their “Vin de Pétanque” is named after the famous French pastime (a sort of cross between horseshoes and bocce) and is an unfussy, delicious wine for parties, for dinner, for drinking on the porch or as they suggest, sipping during a casual game of pétanque. It’s smooth and easy-drinking with an enjoyably intense berry flavor, a hint of spice and well-integrated tannins (serving it with a chill is nice, too!)
Kevin’s Notes – This wine is so much fun and will not last long. Only 14 cases came to Colorado and we bought 6 of them so when its gone, its gone.
Cooper’s Price $16.99 Mix and Match 3btls $15.29
