‹— Up for grab: rarities you won’t get again —›

Some of the wines we received recently went very fast, but  we have tiny quantities of a few that  we’ll never see again… we wanted to highlight these:

PetNat MasLasta 2021
Slightly pinkish Petnat from a direct press of old vines Grenache Noir.
⚠️ 17 bottles left!
$17 /FL

Thibaud Capellaro Ze-Ro 2021
Syrah/Viognier.
⚠️ 122 bottles available.
$25/FL

Thibaud Capellaro Pierre Taillée 2021
100% Syrah estate wine.
⚠️ 60 bottles available.
$25/FL

Montebruno Crawford Beck 2021
100% Pinot Noir.
⚠️ 36 bottles available.
$27 /FL

Podere Sottoilnoce Confine
Frizzante from the Lambrusco area, field Blend from 12-15 old vines varieties
⚠️ 34 bottles available.
$28 /FL

‹— Just arrived - Baša —›

Friday we finally received the wines from Baša in Serbia. Since we first tasted his wines in 2021, we’ve been working with Bojan Baša to bring some to the US. Bojan is making outstanding white macerated wines from the Fruška Gora region. An area rich in limestone which shows exceptional terroir for winegrowing, and was once upon a time recognized as such. Bojan is on its way to put it back on the map!

Lovers of long, non-interventional maceration from Collio, Slovenia or Georgia, be aware, these wines might very much amaze you!

Janta 2017
100% Pinot Grigio.
$28 FL, $27 /3 cases

Jantar 2019
100% Pinot Grigio.
$28 FL, $27 /3 cases

Furmint 2019
100% Furmint.
$29 FL, $28 /3 cases

Tamjanika 2019
100% Tamjanika, a local clone of Muscat Petit Grains.
$31 FL, $30 /3 cases

‹— New producer highlight: Cascina Corte  —›

Another arrival last week, another one very much expected: the sparkling wines from Casa Caterina, in the Franciacorta region in Emilia Romagna in Italy. Aurelio and Emilio Del Bonos are not beginners, they’ve been around for quite some time producing sparkling method traditional of absolute class in a very natural way, only using native yeast, very low SO2 and working their 7ha vineyard organically and biodynamically. Bubbles from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that can rival some of the best grower champagnes. They escaped the Franciacorta appellation when moving to biodynamics, but we should make no mistake, these are some of the finest and most classic wines made from the Franciacorta area.

Cuvée 36
100% Chardonnay. Brut.
$33/FL, $31 /3 cases

Cuvée 60
100% Chardonnay.
$36/FL

Cuvée 60 Rosé
100% Pinot Noir.
$38/FL

Argical
100% Chardonnay.
$77/FL

Vertical
100% Pinot Noir.
$78/FL

‹— Grape focus: Trebbiano di Spagna —›

Trebbiano di Spagna, sometimes called Trebbianina, is a rare variety found in some of Podere Sottoilnoce wines and  it definitely deserves attention, primarily because of its taste and aromas.It is  a powerfully  distinctive white grape that shows pleasant aromas and flavors of peach and candied ginger all while maintaining a great balance with acidity. When tasting, it sometimes brings us to Chenin or even Romorantin. This might not feel very “Trebbiano,” and as a matter of fact, Trebbiano di Spagna shares no genetic affiliation with other Trebbianos.

The origin of the grape is a bit unsure. It’s been cultivated in the hills on the south of Modena, especially in the area of Castelvetro di Modena, where the “road to Spain” is… the pilgrimage path to France and Spain. So, most likely its name reflects this area more than any potential Spanish origin… even if some say it was brought back from Spain in the 18th century.

In fact, DNA analysis seems to show that Trebbiano di Spagna has an affiliation with the neighbouring Albana from Romagna, which seems to consolidate the hypothesis of it being a very native grape from the area.

Trebbiano di Spagna is not only special because of its taste but also because of its rarity. It grows in small, tight bunches and is very hard to cultivate, generating incredibly low yields (something like a fifth of the yields of the Trebbiano Modenese…) and requiring intense  work in the vineyard. It needs to be close in proximity to other varieties to ensure a good pollinationand that’s why Max Brondolo alternates Trebbiano di Spagna lines with Trebbiano Modenese in his fields. Another particularity of Trebbiano di Spagna is that it has traditionally been used  to make high end balsamic vinegar rather than wine.

At this point, there's very little left, Max estimates at approximately 30 ha, and his couple of hectares could make  him the biggest producer of Trebbiano di Spagna in the world!

If you are curious about the grape and the deliciously unique wines it can produce, you should taste the wines from Max. Max thinks the Modenese hills are more an area for white wines than red, you’ll be able to judge. Thanks Max for the hard work reviving this variety!

Podere Sottoilnoce, Funambol 2021
A still white wine made 100% from Trebbiano di Spagna.
$28/FL, $27/3 cases, $26/5 cases

Podere Sottoilnoce, Valtiberia 2021
A super fresh and vibrant white frizzante made from Trebbianno di Spagna (35%) and Trebbianno Modenese.
$22/FL, $21/3 cases, $2/5 cases

‹— What's coming... —›

There is a lot more on the way!

We are happy and excited to receive new wines and expand our offering. However, there is more to come.

Soon, we will be receiving more wine from new producers in our portfolio:

Céline Jacquet  (France, Savoie)
Etienne Seignovert  (France, North Rhône)
Roxanich  (Croatia, Istria)