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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

What’s Coming July 2023

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The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four exceptional wines in July from three countries.  Leading this month’s features is the 2021 J. Bouchon Canto Sur, which emanates from old dry farmed vines from Chile’s Maule Valley.  Brilliant in color with violet notes the 2021 J. Bouchon Canto Sur dazzles the eye and beckons the taster to dive right in.  And one draught of this fresh vivacious wine is all one needs to know that this is no ordinary, bland varietal offering.  Savory scents of red and black fruits, hints of black pepper, and dried herbs grace the nose.  Blackberry, raspberry, and wild cherry flavors infused with a cachet of wild herbs fill the mouth and glide gleefully down the throat on a bed of ripe gentle tannins.  J. Bouchon’s 2021 Canto Sur is a wine for all seasons to enjoy with abandon or to linger over as it reveals gratifying hints of exotica.  Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the lovely 2022 Graffito Mendoza Riesling.  Jimena Lopez’s 2022 Graffito Riesling bears little or no resemblance to those sugary German Rieslings of yesteryear.  For starters, the 2022 Graffito Riesling is bone dry, fresh, and hauntingly aromatic with ethereal scents of white peach, apricot, and citrus.  In the mouth, the wine’s ethereal fruit flavors burst in the mouth and are carried with laser like precision on juicy, mouthwatering acidity.  Fresh, clean, and explosive, the strapping young 2022 Graffito Riesling finishes with a bang.  Although primal and nowhere near its apogee Jimena Lopez’s tribute to the late, great winemaker Esther Knewitz is a joy to drink now, and it will pay dividends for years to come.

Next in this month’s quartet is the 2020 Mendel Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon.  Harvested from the estate’s premier vineyards and matured in 100% oak barrels for 12 months, the 2020 Mendel Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon rocks from the moment it’s poured.  Bold and beautiful in flavor, yet impeccably balanced, the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest quality and value Cabernet Sauvignon in the market today, as it easily puts to shame most Cabernets costing two and three times its price.  Sporting a deep purple color, amplifying aromatics ripe with blackberry, cassis, and dark chocolate, and a boatload of flavors, which are carried on ripe sensuous tannins, the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon is nothing short of delicious.  Add beautiful mineral notes, a deft touch of spice, and well-integrated oak tones that flow harmoniously in the wine’s long satisfying finish and the 2020 Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon more than earns its keep.  Enjoy!

Rounding out July’s Premier Series portfolio is the 2016 Wildberry Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay.  Aged to perfection and approaching its zenith the hand harvested 2016 Wildberry Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay offers a brilliant golden glow, enticing aromas, and the complexity of the finest white Burgundy wines – no coincidence considering Wildberry’s Estate Chardonnay is barrel fermented with 100% natural yeast in French oak barrels.  A beguiling aroma of stone fruits, brioche, lemon curd, and spicy vanilla tones greet the nose.  Rich, textured, and constantly changing in the mouth, Wildberry’s 2016 Estate Reserve Chardonnay delights the palate with pear, melon, white peach, and a citrus twist.  Long on the finish and impeccably balanced this is a serious world-class Chardonnay.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collector Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines in July, beginning with Ernesto Catena’s 2018 Tikal Júbilo, a classic Bordeaux blend from Argentina’s Uco Valley of Malbec (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), which integrates the best characteristics of each grape variety, resulting in a seamless, bold flavored red that puts many high-priced red Bordeaux and New World varietal bottlings of Cabernet and Malbec to shame.  The 2018 Tikal Júbilo offers an enticing bouquet redolent with the savory scents of blackberry, dark cherry, and plum interlaced with hints of cacao and vanilla.  In the mouth, the wine’s deep berry fruit, cacao, and woodland flavors unfold delightfully in a stream of polished tannins that add depth and structure with nary an edge.  Rich in flavor, yet beautifully balanced, Tikal’s Júbilo is truly a joy to drink.  Enjoy!

Our next July Collector Series offering is Jamek’s 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel.  Wines express not only the personality of the vineyard, they also reveal the character of the winemaker, which is certainly true of Josef Jamek’s 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel.  The handiwork of a great winemaker and the extraordinary 2021 vintage, the 2021 Josef Jamek offers crystalline intensity and laser-like precision.  Lightly fruity with green apple, pear, and lemon zest Josef Jamek’s Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel is racy, delightfully fresh, and increasingly complex.  Great minerality adds additional vivacity and an explosive finish.  Intense and long in the mouth Jamek’s youthful 2021 Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Federspiel is a joy to drink now, yet it will continue to mature and evolve in bottle for several more years.  Enjoy!

Completing this month’s Collector Series is the certified organic 2020 Emile Beyer Eguisheim Pinot Noir, the scion of 40-50-year-old estate vines.  Aromatic and hauntingly beautiful, the deep ruby red 2020 Eguisheim Pinot Noir offers up savory scents of red and black cherry fruit, cranberry, and rose petal.  Fresh and vibrant in the mouth Beyer’s 2020 Eguisheim Pinot Noir graces the palate with pure red and black cherry, cranberry, and currant flavors along with touches of sandalwood, wood smoke, and crushed stones.  Vibrant and layered with racy acidity, which adds lift and longevity, the 2020 Emile Beyer Eguisheim Pinot Noir pleases from start to finish.  Burgundy, look out!

Australia: Home to Big Time Shiraz and More

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SyrahAn arid, mostly trackless land whose interior is known for its blistering heat and vast array of venomous creatures and noxious pests, Australia would seem largely unsuitable for the cultivation of the vine. However, Australia fashions some of the world’s most compelling wines and is presently the planet’s fifth largest producer of wine, lagging only Italy, France, Spain, and the United States in total wine production.

Viticulture thrives within the first one hundred and fifty miles of Australia’s temperate coastlines. The continent offers a multitude of microclimates and terroirs suitable for the successful production of Vitis vinifera (The Common Vine). Vitis vinifera, the indigenous European species of grapes that is responsible for most of the world’s wine, has been an important part of Australian history since the Union Jack first flapped over Jervis Bay. In 1788 the First Fleet sent by Britain to establish a penal colony in Australia carried Vitis vinifera as part of its cargo, and the colony’s first governor made wine in the environs of Sydney.

By the early 1820s viticulture was well established throughout New South Wales. However, it was not until the establishment of the Hunter Valley in the mid 19th century that Australia would officially land on the world’s viticultural map. From New South Wales viticulture and wine production spread to Victoria and South Australia. The arrival of the first free settlers to South Australia in the 1840s quickly enhanced the cultivation of the vine to the point where Barossa, Clare, Coonawarra, Eden, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, and others attest to the importance of wine in South Australia and the impact wine has had on the economy and history of Australia. From South Australia flow some of the finest Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Riesling, and most especially Shiraz wines that the continent has to offer, many from old vines. Today, the names Barossa and McLaren Vale are nearly synonymous with glorious, old vine Shiraz. A tour through this bountiful wine country reveals countless tracts of dry farmed old Shiraz vines, many in excess of 100 years that now appear more like trees than vines.

As important as South Australia is to the production of fine wine in Australia, it hardly holds a monopoly on quality. Since the 1970s, Western Australia has enjoyed a proliferation of the vine and the establishment of one of the world’s great viticultural paradises. In the past four decades, the Margaret River area of Western Australia has established itself as a world-class wine producing region for Shiraz and Chardonnay as well as traditional Bordeaux varietals. A clean, green temperate corner of Western Australia that sits beside the sea, the Margaret River now accounts for more gold medals and trophies for wine per capita than any other region of Australia.

From sea to shining sea, Australia fashions outstanding wines for all seasons and tastes to the delight of thirsty consumers, which makes Australia one of the planet’s greatest and most prolific wine producing nations.

What’s Coming In June 2023

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In June, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is delighted to offer four outstanding wines from four continents, beginning with the highly acclaimed 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (91 Points – Vinous). The decadent, highly polished 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon sports a deep purple color and entices with the redolent savory scents of blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry, all nicely imbued with dark chocolate and mint. The ebullient 2019 Casas del Bosque Valle del Maipo Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon had us at the first sniff. In the mouth, the wine reveals elegance as well as concentration with a delicious mélange of berry fruit, red pepper, dark chocolate, and spice. Ripe, well integrated tannins provide backbone and structure on which this balanced and complex Cabernet Sauvignon flows to a long vibrant finish. Although drinking beautifully now, the 2019 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to improve in bottle and provide superb drinking pleasure for many years. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the exuberant Ca’ di Prata Brut Prosecco DOC, a wine that embodies all that is magical about spring, an awakening land, and the ephemeral blossoms that will soon bear fruit. The Ca’ di Prata Brut Prosecco offers delicate scents of apple, pear, and white peach within its fine crystalline stream of bubbles. In the mouth, it is lively and spritely with delicate fruit flavors and a lithe elegance. Although dry and refreshing on the palate, Ca’ di Prata’s Brut Prosecco never slips into austerity, nor does it pretend to be champagne or chardonnay or anything else but Prosecco, an elegant countess of conviviality. Enjoy!

Our next offering this month hails from South Africa. It is the ever delicious 2021 Black Pearl The Mischief Maker, simply the latest in a string of excellent Shiraz-based wines from Mary-Lou Nash and Black Pearl Vineyards. The eye-catching 2021 The Mischief Maker offers a saturated purple color, and within minutes of being poured black currant, mulberry, and a cache of exotic spices emerge to charm the nose. However, it is in the mouth where this wine truly shows itself. Layers of fruit infused with sizzling bacon, deft touches of sandalwood, and a subtle smokiness tantalize the palate. The 2021 Mischief Maker embodies energy and purity along with a disarming charm thanks to Mary-Lou Nash’s commitment to the land and the wine she brings forth from the good earth of South Africa’s Western Cape. Cheers!

Completing June’s Premier Series offerings is the much lauded 2022 Rieslingfreak No. 44 Eden Valley Riesling (93+ Points – Erin Larkin of The Wine Advocate) from Australia’s fabled Eden Valley vineyards, allowing the No. 22 Riesling to express the beauty of dry Riesling from the valley’s slate soil. At the onset, a pale crystalline robe catches the eye, but it hardly prepares the taster for the wine’s bouquet, a symphony of white flowers, orange blossoms, sweet basil, and exotic spices. In the mouth, Rieslingfreak’s 2022 No. 44 Eden Valley Riesling reveals elegance and vivacity with a lovely texture and plenty of citrus and orchard fruit flavors to complement the wine’s dry flinty finish. Although this young Riesling will likely fill out and gain further complexity with another year in the bottle, it is an absolute pleasure to drink now, so we see no reason to wait. Dive right in and enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled offer our members this month three truly exceptional wines from around the world, beginning with the 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section McLaren Vale Shiraz (93 points – Vinous – Josh Raynolds). Bottled un-fined and unfiltered, the single vineyard 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz hails from a tiny 5-acre block of 49-year-old vines from the most hallowed terroir of McLaren Vale. Oliverhill’s 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz highlights McLaren Vale’s unique terroir, yielding a wine with a saturated purple color, a flamboyant bouquet, voluptuous flavors, and exceptional length. Rich, racy, and utterly seductive, the 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section McLaren Vale Shiraz exudes savory scents and flavors of crushed blackberry, mulberry, exotic spices, sandalwood, violets, and much more. Bold-flavored, yet elegant and beautifully textured, Oliverhill’s basket-pressed 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz is smooth and impeccably balanced, revealing layers of intriguing flavors with each and every sip. With four years of aging under its cap, the recently released 2019 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz is just beginning to hit its stride, and it will continue to improve in bottle, becoming even more luscious with each additional year for the remainder of the decade. However, there is no need to wait: the 2019 Jimmy Section Shiraz had us at the first sip. Taste and see!

Our next June Collectors Series offering hails from Burgundy, France: the 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru. Crisp, racy, and subtly complex, the 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru highlights the true character of Chardonnay as well as Montagny’s superb terroir. The bright sun-splashed 2020 Vignerons Réunis de Buxy Montagny Premier Cru regales with finesse and purity, leading with a pleasing bouquet of spring flowers, forsythia, and freshly picked mountain apples. In the mouth, the wine’s subtly seductive bouquet re-emerges, offering pure Chardonnay fruit flavors, superb texture, and a refreshing mineral-driven finish. Although the Vignerons Réunis de Buxy always manages to fashion a crowd pleasing Montagny Premier Cru, the 2020 Montagny Premier Cru appears to be the finest example to date and a candidate for further ageing, as this youthful Chardonnay is just beginning to reveal all that is has to offer. Enjoy!

Completing June’s Collectors Series is the highly allocated 2018 Quinta S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva (93 Points – Wine Enthusiast). S. Sebastião’s 2018 Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva offers a brilliant ruby robe along with plenty of bright red and black fruit aromas, which make a formidable first impression. Savory scents of black cherry and cranberry infused with a subtle cache of exotic spices immediately engage the nose and expand gracefully in the mouth. Complex and finely textured, the 2018 S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Reserva woos the palate with a potpourri of fruit flavors imbued with deft touches of chocolate and vanilla spice all nicely balanced by fine grained tannins and juicy acidity. Santé!

The Cape of South Africa: The Planet’s Hottest Wine Destination

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South African VineyardWith exceptional wines, stunning scenery, and excellent restaurants, South Africa’s Western Cape is not only stunningly beautiful, it is becoming the planet’s hottest wine destination. Add the relative strength of the US Dollar versus the South African Rand, the Western Cape’s proximity to stunning national parks, and Cape Town, arguably Africa’s most beautiful city, and it’s easy to see why South Africa’s Western Cape is a must taste and see wine destination.

Located on the Western Cape less than an hour’s drive north of Cape Town, the picture postcard town of Stellenbosch and the surrounding mountains form a dramatic backdrop for what is now being heralded as the planet’s most beautiful wine country. Although some may wish to debate that claim to tout the various picturesque merits of other world-renowned wine regions, what is not in question is the integral role that the Western Cape and Stellenbosch in particular have played for more than three centuries in the formation of South African wine. Stellenbosch, along with nearby Franschoek, Paarl and Swartland, dominate the wine production on South Africa’s Western Cape, and these viticultural regions are unquestionably South Africa’s oldest and most important wine producing areas. These wine lands are South Africa’s Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, and Central Coast appellations. They contain a myriad of microclimates and are responsible for high quality red and white wines from a burgeoning number of premier grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and South Africa’s unique varietal Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. From wineries in South Africa’s Western Cape flow an enormous variety of exciting wines, which are both world class and unique in character and style. It’s time to afford them their due.

What’s Coming in May

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In May, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer four exciting and unique wines from Portugal and South Africa, beginning with the thoroughly gratifying 2020 S. Sebastião Vinho Regional Lisboa Syrah/Touriga Nacional Reserva. This exciting blend of Syrah and Portugal’s special variety Touriga Nacional offers an inviting, deeply colored robe, an engaging set of aromatics, and plenty of smooth, satisfying red and black fruit flavors. Black cherry and woodland berry flavors infused with hints of exotic spices and a refreshing minerality delight the nose and palate. Smooth, polished tannins hold this tasty red blend in perfect stead from start to finish. In fact, the 2020 S. Sebastião Syrah/Touriga Nacional Reserva slips ever so gracefully down the throat to the point that you may find yourself consuming it with abandon. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the beautiful 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc from the Anthonij Rupert Wyne estate on South Africa’s Western Cape. As any serious wine drinker knows, one can’t drink a label, nor should one purchase wine based on the attractiveness of a label. With that said, the label on Protea’s 2022 Chenin Blanc may be the world’s most attractive, as it captures the pure beauty of South Africa’s national flower as well as South Africa’s gorgeous wine lands. Moreover, the 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc is pure, beautiful Chenin Blanc, offering a fresh, in-your-face, fruit-driven nose, with a delightful mélange of apricot, nectarine, and quince, all of which made us want to dive right in. In the mouth, the wine’s aromatic fruit flavors re-emerge with added touches of grapefruit and lime. A hint of dried honey lends texture to the wine’s succulent fruit, while vibrant acidity makes the dry 2022 Protea Chenin Blanc dazzle straight through to the finish. So refreshing and fun to drink, we found it hard to put this wine down.

May’s next exceptional offering is the delicious 2020 Protea Cabernet Sauvignon. Like its paler sibling, Chenin Blanc, it also wears what is arguably the wine world’s most attractive label, but one can’t drink a label. Fortunately, what is inside the package is equally pleasing. Deep in color and resplendent in aroma and flavor, the 2020 Protea Cabernet Sauvignon offers instant gratification. Savory dark fruits in the form of black currant, cherry, and plum, which are deftly infused with hints of Christmas spices and wood smoke, greet the nose and grace the palate. Big in flavor but supple in texture, Protea’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as both succulent and beautifully framed as the wine’s tannins provide plenty of backbone without a tannic bite.

Completing May’s Premier Series offerings is the much heralded 2021 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay (94 Points – International Wine & Spirits Competition, 92 Points – Decanter World Wine Awards, and more). This meticulously crafted Chardonnay combines the best of the Old World and New World to form a racy, complex, world-class Chardonnay. This balanced and nuanced Chardonnay sports a brilliant sun-struck color and offers enticing aromas of yellow apple, apricot, coconut, and orange peel, all imbued with a hint of spicy oak. In the mouth, Rustenberg’s 2021 Chardonnay is equally gratifying as it expands on the palate to satisfy the senses with a delicious mélange of fruit, spice, and minerals, which are carried on racy, refreshing acidity. Balanced, refined, and full of flavor, this classic Chardonnay makes many big name New World Chardonnays look awkward and flabby and an equal number of French white burgundies seem insipid and underendowed. The classic 2021 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay deserves the many accolades it has received. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled to offer in May three world-class wines from around the world, beginning with the exceptional 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (93 Points – Wine Enthusiast). Although drought can be a curse to farmers, it can also be a boon to the quality of a wine as drought has the propensity to limit the quantity but raise the quality. Such was the case in 2019 in Northern California as the concentrated and bold-flavored 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon aptly attests. From this deep purple potion springs entrancing aromas of blackberry, black currant, mulberry, and a trove of spices – cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. In the mouth, a deep draught of black fruits, dark chocolate, graphite, and exotic spices explodes in the mouth, thoroughly captivating the palate. Brimming with flavor as well as firm, ripe tannins, the 2019 Obsidian Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon reveals its class as well as its power, all of which make for delicious drinking now and for years to come. Enjoy!

Our next May Collectors Series offering hails from France’s Alsace, Emile Beyer’s 2020 Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling. Emile Beyer’s 2020 Grand Cru Eichberg Alsace is a dry, bold, mouthwatering wine with a captivating bouquet of orchard fruits, rich deep-down fruit flavors, and laser-like minerality, which completely captivate the nose and palate. In the mouth, bracing acidity gives way to a rich mid palate of pineapple and exotic fruit flavors before finishing with a flourish. The youthful 2020 Emile Beyer Grand Cru Eichberg Riesling is a joy to drink now, but it is no wilting flower. Additional time in the bottle will only increase its depth and breadth, but there is no need to wait: this is Riesling at its finest. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the highly regarded 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto (92 Points – Wine Enthusiast) from Portugal’s Alentejo. Superbly crafted from four traditional Portuguese varietals, the 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto cuts a fine figure with its brilliant deep ruby and purple color, heavenly aromatics, and pure silky flavors. Scents of ripe summer cherries and deep forest berries infused with vanilla oak waft from the glass. In the mouth, Herdade Aldeia de Cima’s 2019 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Tinto caresses the palate with pure fruit flavors imbued with deft touches of vanilla and aromatic spices, all of which are carried on silky smooth tannins, lending a creaminess to this medium-bodied wine as it makes its exit. Elegant, flavor-filled, and utterly distinguished, the youthful 2019 Herdade Aldeia de Cima Reserva Tinto exudes class and a real sense of purpose on the part of the winery. Santé!

Back to the Future: Re-discover Armenia, the Birthplace of Wine

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Pinot Noir GrapeFine wines emanate from far and wide. No one country or wine region has a monopoly on quality wine, though only one country, Armenia, can rightly claim to be the birthplace of wine. Even more importantly, Armenia has consistently fashioned quality wine longer than anywhere else on earth. In spite of centuries of domination by larger neighbors and genocidal attempts to extinguish Armenia and its people, Armenia is alive and well and so are its wines. And, nowhere in this small mountainous country is wine more important and its land more suitable for the cultivation of the vine than Vayots Dzor.

Located in southeastern Armenia in the Caucasus Mountains between Asia and Europe, Vayots Dzor is Armenia’s crown jewel and the site of the Earth’s oldest winemaking facility, the Areni-1 cave complex. Recently unearthed, the 6,100-year-old caves contain definitive archaeological evidence of advanced winemaking, including the possible use of sulfur as a preservative. Moreover, archeological excavations carried out in the 1940s reveal that as early as the first millennium B.C., during the Kingdom of Van, Vayots Dzor was western Asia’s leading wine producing region. Longer than anywhere else on earth, Vayots Dzor has continuously produced fine wine from indigenous grape varieties, a practice that continues, and Armenia is once again attracting the world’s attention for its venerable wines.

Vayots Dzor is home to many of Armenia’s ancient traditional grape varieties, including Areni, Khatoun Kharj, Tozot, and Voskehat. These are grapes whose names are difficult for outsiders to pronounce and, unfortunately, they are relatively unknown outside of Armenia. Areni, also known as Areni-Noir, is the region’s most prized red grape. It takes its name from the Vayots Dzor village of Areni where the oldest winemaking facility was recently discovered. Areni is a hardy, thick-skinned grape with excellent disease resistance and a proven adaptability to Vayots Dzor’s extreme growing conditions. It is produced in a myriad of styles, all worth seeking out. Equally impressive is the region’s leading white grape variety, Voskehat. Although quite hearty, it produces a highly aromatic white wine of surprising delicacy and elegance. We invite you to explore the fine wines of Armenia’s Vayots Dzor as there is much to enjoy. Moreover, Armenian wines rightly deserve recognition beyond their native land. Taste and enjoy!

What’s Coming In April 2023

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In April, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is pleased to offer our members four outstanding wines from three continents, beginning with the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Areni Dry Red Wine from 120-year old un-grafted vines. Sporting a radiant red and violet robe and offering an enticing aroma of freshly picked strawberries, cherries, and plums, the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Areni Dry Red Wine had us at first sight and sip. Smooth and charming on the palate, the wine’s beautiful fruit flavors re-emerge in the mouth, interwoven with a fine, graceful texture from Vayots Dzor’s ancient volcanic soil… all beautifully rendered on a bed of soft, succulent tannins. Shofer’s 2020 Vayots Dzor Dry Red Wine from 100% Areni grapes is pure delight. It is neither big nor brawny, yet it packs plenty of flavor and charm into its medium body, not unlike a fine Cru Beaujolais from Saint Amour or Fleurie. Enjoy this unique, very satisfying red wine now and often over the next few years at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). For a special treat, consider pairing Shofer’s Vayots Areni Dry Red with Braised Harissa Chicken, a recipe designed to accompany Shofer’s Areni Dry Red Wine and Dry White Wine by Alex Gatter of the Ruffled Apron: https://www.ruffledapronblog.com//braised-harissa-chicken/. Enjoy!

Our next Premier Series feature is the vivacious and utterly satisfying 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire, another great success from this iconic Sancerre producer and arguably the best bargain in French Sauvignon Blanc on the market today. It easily rivals many expensive Sancerres from well-known estates. The 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire offers up a heady aroma of gooseberry, mineral, melon, and herb. It delights the palate with a combination of mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc fruit, laser-like precision, and pinpoint minerality to assure a crisp, vivacious finish. The 2021 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire imparts a freshness and purity rarely seen at this level and plenty of palate pleasing pleasure, too. Accessible and gratifying all at the same time, it’s hard to imagine a more classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc than Fournier’s 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire. Santé!  

April’s next exceptional offering is the delicious 2019 Nugan Estate Scruffy’s Shiraz Single Vineyard Riverina, a wine that is anything but scruffy and with nary an edge. Named for Nugan’s Shiraz vineyard manager, the 2019 Scruffy’s Shiraz offers dense black fruit flavors and a delightfully big mouthful of wine. This is a deep purple potion that offers spicy blackberry, cherry, and plum aromas infused with hints of violet flowers and chocolate. The wine’s beautiful olfactory carries through on the palate, where it offers a mélange of succulent blackberry and plum flavors, dried flowers, and subtle spice tones. Plush in the mouth but never flabby, this Shiraz exhibits just the right amount of ripe tannins to carry its prodigious fruit and spice flavors. The 2019 Scruffy’s Shiraz over-delivers in every respect, offering the class and style one normally associates with the more expensive Shiraz/Syrah offerings from Australia’s Barossa or France’s Rhône Valley. Cheers!

Completing April’s Premier Series offerings is another Armenian classic, the 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine, which is sourced from a century-old high elevation vineyard of un-grafted vines. The 2020 Shofer Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine emits a heavenly perfume resplendent with the enticing scents of spring flowers, pear, melon, and chamomile. Delicate and elegant on the palate, Shofer’s 2020 Voskehat elicits a soft, sensuous appeal as the wine’s ethereal fruit and floral flavors waft gently over the tongue and ingratiate themselves to the mouth and thirsty throat. A gentle twist of acidity freshens the palate as the wine gracefully exits with charm and precision. No smoke, no mirrors, no oak, just a rare and unique natural tasting white wine to make you wonder why more wines aren’t as pure and natural tasting as Shofer’s 2020 Vayots Dzor Voskehat Dry White Wine. For a special treat, consider pairing Shofer’s Voskehat with Braised Harissa Chicken, a recipe designed to accompany Shofer’s Areni Dry Red Wine and Voskehat Dry White Wine by Alex Gatter of the Ruffled Apron: https://www.ruffledapronblog.com//braised-harissa-chicken/. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is thrilled to offer three special collectable wines in April, beginning with the rare and exceptional 2019 Taboadella Reserva Jaen Dão, a delightfully dense, full-bodied red wine that pays testimony to the quality and uniqueness of the Jaen grape as well the Amorim family’s Midas touch with this indigenous variety. Taboadella’s 2019 Reserva Jaen sports a deep purple color and offers an intoxicating perfume of savory dark fruits. Endowed with layers of black fruits, forest berries, and allspice, the 2019 Taboadella Reserva Jaen explodes in the mouth. The wine’s spicy, rich fruit and understated earth tones are carried on rich, heady tannins, assuring a long and mouthwatering finish as well a decade or more of drinking pleasure. This rare and unique offering is not to be missed. Enjoy!

Our next April Collectors Series offering is Herdade Aldeia de Cima’s 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco. There is nothing ordinary about this wine nor its deliciously fruity tropical flavors, which immediately greet the nose. Think lime and pineapple with hints of mango and apricot. In the mouth, the 2020 Herdade Aldeia de Cima 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco truly bursts with flavor. Gorgeous fruit carried with laser-like precision on a bed of fresh juicy acidity enlivens the palate and titillates the taste buds. Fresh, yet subtly complex from a touch of oak from a short stay in barrel, this Branco exhibits elegance, precision, plenty of flavor, and a long thirst quenching finish. The Herdade Aldeia de Cima 2020 Serra do Mendro Alentejo Reserva Branco is a match for the finest white wines made anywhere in Portugal, and it emanates from three of Portugal’s finest and most important white grape varieties. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the 2019 Château Sainte Eulalie Minervois La Livinière La Cantilène, a sophisticated mouth-filling Cru de Languedoc. From the moment it exits the bottle, the wine’s deep impenetrable color beckons the taster. Seductive aromatics grace the nose, while savory flavors of blackberry, cherry, ripe plums, and vanilla ingratiate themselves to the eager palate. However, the best is yet to come, as the 2019 Château Sainte Eulalie La Cantilène will unfold over time in the glass, almost surreptitiously, revealing hints of dark chocolate, forest berries, and wild herbs on a flow of rich tannins. Bold but not brazen, the Coustals’ 2019 La Cantilène is already seductive in its youth, yet it will continue to develop further in the bottle for those patient enough to lay a bottle or two down. Santé!

The International Wine of the Month Club

The International Wine of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609