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What’s Coming in January 2023

January 3, 2023 by Don Lahey

In January, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is delighted to offer four exciting world-class wines from France and Italy, beginning with the 2019 Château Lescalle Cuvée Emmanuel Tessandier Bordeaux Supérieur, an expressive, ripe, round, and utterly satisfying red Bordeaux. Its regal purple robe underscores the authority of the 2019 vintage and the particular success of Château Lescalle in what is certainly one of the finest and most consistent Bordeaux vintages. Moreover, the comely Château Lescalle Cuvée Emmanuel Tessandier offers up decadent aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry and plum, cedar, and rain washed forest floor. Its supple fruit flavors and well-integrated tannins provide flesh and bone to the wine’s youthful exuberance at the same time that they endow this handsomely wrought Bordeaux with the promise of years of fun-filled pleasure. Enjoy!

Our next feature this month is the 2021 Domaine de la Racauderie Vouvray Sec, a classic Vouvray, offering up a delicate perfume of stone fruits, crisp fall apples, and Bosc pears. In the mouth, the Vouvray’s vivacious minerality born of the appellation’s limestone rich tufa soil melds with fresh and clean stone fruit flavors to delight the palate. Racy, balanced, and with laser-like precision, the sensuous, juicy 2021 Domaine de la Racauderie Vouvray Sec exhibits all of Chenin Blanc’s finest attributes, including a satin-like underpinning and a long distinctive finish for which Vouvray is renowned. In France, it is said that dirt is destiny, but weather ultimately determines the vintage quality as well as the quantity: the 2021 vintage in Vouvray delivered on all fronts in Domaine de la Racauderie’s 2021 Vouvray Sec.

This month’s next special red wine is the elegant, charming 2020 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT from one of Vino Nobile’s most accomplished producers. Grown on hillside vineyards in central Tuscany, the 2020 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Rosso IGT exhibits a deep purple robe as well as beguiling aromatics in the form of freshly picked berries, cherries, rose hips, and violets. Juicy and equally seductive in the mouth, the 2020 Dogajolo offers up layers of lovely fruit, loamy earth, and hints of vanilla and spice from 6 months in French and American oak barrels. Rare is the Tuscan red that offers as much flavor and charm as Carpineto’s 2020 Dogajolo “Baby Super Tuscan” – a very fine red wine ready to drink from the moment it is poured.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series is Carpineto’s 2021 Dogajolo Bianco IGT, a lovely white wine that mirrors the beauty and timeless charm of Tuscany. Grown on hillside vineyards under the central Tuscany sun, the 2021 Carpineto Dogajolo Toscano Bianco embodies the terroir from which it sprung, beginning with a glint and bright straw color. Ethereal and hauntingly beautiful aromatics beckon the eager taster to dive right in. Fresh and lively in the mouth, subtle apple and pear tones quickly emerge, followed by hints of melon and citrus, all of which are underlined by a pure racy minerality, the hallmark of the finest white wines of Tuscany. No smoke or mirrors, ponderous oak tones, or chemical stabilizations appear in Carpineto’s 2021 Dogajolo Toscano Bianco. This is a wine that embodies the simple elegance and timeless beauty of Tuscany. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines from three world-renowned estates and appellations. This month’s odyssey begins with the 2018 Capezzana Villa di Capezzana Carmignano DOCG from one of Tuscany’s oldest and smallest DOCG’s. The 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano captures the exceptional beauty and allure of Tuscany and wholly captivates the senses. With a deep ruby robe flashed with violet, a sensuous bouquet redolent with the scents of roses and violets, and silky tannins that embody a delicious mélange of woodland berries and clean forest floor, the beguiling 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano is downright seductive. Elegant, yet so rich in flavor, the 2018 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano sings from the glass almost from the moment it is poured. This is another Capezzana award winning Carmignano, which harmoniously blends fruit, earth, mineral and spice into one “sexy” wine. Enjoy this Tuscan treasure now and over the next 8-10 years!

Next up is the recently released 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé, a noble Burgundian white wine that sports a bright yellow robe that’s the color of the noonday sun. Even more satisfying are the aromatic scents of soft ripe fruit, acacia flower, forsythia, and deft touches of vanilla which waft from the glass. This singular Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé handsomely rewards in the mouth, too, where it graces the palate with heightened fruit and floral flavors in the form of acacia, forsythia, and tropical fruits, all gently bathed in a highly refined patina of sweet butter, creamy oak, and Pouilly-Fuissé’s renowned limestone-rich minerality. Moreover, the noble 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs Pouilly-Fuissé retains the finest attributes of the appellation, though it could easily be mistaken for a village Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet. Similar to those wines, the 2020 Domaine Gilles Noblet Les Champs will continue to evolve and mature in bottle for several more years. Enjoy!

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the exceptional and highly acclaimed (94 Points – Jeb Dunnuck) 2019 Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas. The 2019 Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas captures the Ay family’s consummate craftsmanship, which balances elegance and texture with power and depth of flavor. The 2019 Raspail-Ay Gigondas is aromatic, textured, and bold in flavor, all while keeping its equilibrium as one would never know it tops out at 15% ABV. Savory scents and flavors of black raspberry, kirsch, and garrigue mingle with exotic spices and subtle hints of violet and rose to deliver a complex, intriguing, thoroughly captivating Gigondas, and unabashedly one of the Rhône Valley’s finest wines. The wine’s ripe tannins make their appearance, too, to frame the wine’s delightful mélange of flavors and deliver a vibrant finish, assuring a long, happy life and a decade or more of drinking pleasure. Enjoy!

What to Look for in December 2022

December 2, 2022 by Don Lahey

In December, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series offers four special wines from four countries. The ripe and seductive 2020 La Posta Pizzella Mendoza Malbec is once again the critics’ choice and the recipient of high acclaim (92 Points – James Suckling). Bold in flavor, yet smooth and juicy, the 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec offers tantalizing aromas and flavors of freshly picked blackberries, currants, and raspberries, along with a delicate hint of wild violets that adds to its allure. In the mouth, the 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec graces the palate with a seductive blend of black and red fruits, all suffused with deft touches of sandalwood and exotic spices. Fine, ripe tannins complement the wine’s plush, fleshy mid-palate, assuring freshness and a delightfully long and satisfying finish. The 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec is neither brawny nor brazen; it is a balanced and complex Malbec that delivers its largesse with grace and purity. Enjoy!

Paired this month with the sensuous 2020 La Posta Pizzella Malbec is the 2021 Aia Vecchia Toscana Vermentino, a unique and sophisticated blend of 95% Vermentino and 5% Viognier, which offers a bright sun-splashed color that radiates from the glass like the Tuscan sun. Even more gratifying is the wine’s amplifying aromatics and explosive mouth-filling flavors, which suggest ripe peaches, tangy citrus, and haunting floral tones reminiscent of acacia and spring flowers – all of which are sprinkled with a welcome touch of sea spray from the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea for added freshness and precision. In the mouth, Aia Vecchia’s 2021 Toscana Vermentino dances across the tongue with a vivacity that leaves the mouth clean and the senses begging for more. The 2021 Aia Vecchia works its magic with precision, flavor, and genuine tactile appeal from the very first sip, and it truly had us all begging for more.

Next in this month’s line-up is the 2020 Taboadella Villae Dão Tinto, a splendid example of the Amorim family’s Midas touch with Portugal’s unique blend of indigenous red grape varieties. The suave 2020 Taboadella Villae Tinto sports a brilliant ruby robe, an entrancing aromatic profile, and plenty of savory fruit bolstered by bright acidity – all of which made us clamor for another glass. Cherry, plum, and ripe strawberry fruit flavors wrapped in smooth, silky tannins grace the palate. Lusty, yet bright and energetic, the 2020 Taboadella Villae Tinto brings its welcome from the first sip. Clean and generous to the finish, Taboadella’s Villae Tinto is an easy go-to red wine and much more. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series is the much heralded 2017 Esterházy Leithaberg Burgenland Chardonnay (92 Points – Wine Enthusiast). This is an aristocratic Burgundian style of Chardonnay that demonstrates Esterházy’s preeminence with the world’s most treasured white grape. Blessed with a brilliant sun-struck color, intriguing aromatics, and excellent concentration, we were truly taken by this wine. An aroma replete with apple, pear, and beeswax emerges from the glass and continues to evolve as the wine opens and gradually sheds its initial chill. In the mouth, the wine’s concentration makes its appearance with a complex mélange of apple, apricot beeswax, and citrus along with a defined minerality born of Leithaberg’s (limestone) soil. Add just a touch of butter and a long, crisp, mineral-driven finish and the 2017 Esterházy Leithaberg Burgenland Chardonnay is one superb Chardonnay that is easily mistaken for an exceptional white Burgundy from France’s Côte d’Or. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer our members three very special wines this month. Our first December feature is the outstanding and highly acclaimed 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon (94 Points – Vinous). The 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon pays homage to the finest classified red wines of Bordeaux: it is elegant, sophisticated, and loaded with flavor. It also sports a brilliant purple color, seductive nose, and deep palate-pleasing flavors. Savory scents of blackberry, dark cherry, currant, and spice waft from the glass. In the mouth, silky, rich tannins carry the wine’s deep hedonistic berry flavors infused with aromatic cedar, deft touches of vanilla, and toasted oak to a long, climactic finish. With ripe, rich tannins with nary an edge, the 2018 Aquitania Lazuli Cabernet Sauvignon makes an ideal companion to drink now as well as a candidate for a decade of ageing, which will only augment this complex wine’s sophisticated flavors. Enjoy!

Our next special Collectors Series offering this month is Lhuillier Brut Tradition Champagne. This lovely non-vintage champagne was fermented in the bottle on its lees for a full 36 months, is deliciously dry, and comports itself as a classic champagne. Displaying a pale golden color and a delicate mousse of tiny bubbles, the Lhuillier Brut Tradition attracts the eye and beguiles the nose from the first sip. In the mouth, the wine’s mousse reveals delicate apricot and peach flavors along with hints of brioche and a welcome minerality, all of which leave the palate both refreshed and begging for more. For optimal enjoyment, all champagne should be well chilled prior to opening (35°-38° F) before being allowed to slowly reach a more ambient temperature in the glass. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Collectors Series is the highly acclaimed 2019 Mendel Unus (93 Points – Wine Advocate), an exquisite blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Harvested from the finest grapes from the estate’s 1928 vineyard and matured in French oak barrels for 16 months, the 2019 Mendel Unus pays tribute to Mendel’s founder as well as winemaker Robert de la Mota’s acumen in the cellar. Big, balanced, and sporting a deep purple color, the 2019 Unus also demonstrates that it’s a lot more than just show with an aroma redolent with dark cherries, plums, cacao, and toasty vanilla. It’s equally adept in the mouth. Full-bodied and laden with layers of ripe gorgeous fruit mingled with hints of dark chocolate, wild herbs, and wood smoke, the 2019 Mendel Unus dazzles the palate. Rich, ripe tannins add vigor and verve, a long satisfying finish, and the promise of great drinking now and for the next decade, but why wait? Enjoy!

Bordeaux: More Great Wines from Beside the Waters

October 15, 2022 by Don Lahey

Bordeaux is the world’s largest fine wine producing region, encompassing nearly 300,000 acres, 60 individual appellations, and more than 7,300 châteaux. The Bordeaux appellations of Margaux, Pauillac, Saint Julien, Saint Émilion, and Pomerol are legendary, as are the scores of age-worthy collectible red wines that flow from those Bordeaux communes’ hallowed vineyards.

Both the red and white wines of Bordeaux (both the region and its wines are referred to as Bordeaux) are some of the finest and most expensive wines on earth. Moreover, this renowned viticultural region has become synonymous with full-bodied red wine. Bordeaux is also the traditional home of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the three musketeers of almost all red Bordeaux and the basis for Meritage blends around the world. And what eludes many wine consumers is that Bordeaux is also one of the planet’s largest and greatest sources of white wine, principally from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

Bordeaux, meaning beside the waters, refers to the region’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the broad estuary, the Gironde, for which the entire viticultural department (the equivalent of a county or state in the United States) is named. Bordeaux, the region as well as the department’s leading city, lie at the center of the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, which flow into the Gironde and nearby Atlantic Ocean, which redoubles Bordeaux’s effort to live up to its name. It is Bordeaux’s proximity to the sea that provides moderate climate, which is favorable to the production of fine wine. Bordeaux’s marriage to the sea has also provided the historical highway by which Bordeaux wines have traveled the world, gaining esteem and recognition long before most other landlocked wine regions could safely transport their wines overland to eager markets.

Since the first century BCE, when the Romans established themselves in Bordeaux and referred to the area as Biturigiaca, this ancient viticultural paradise has been a constant source of fine wine. Known to the emperors of Rome, popes, and poets (most notably Pliny and Ausonius), Bordeaux has enjoyed the envy of the wine producing world longer than any other wine region on earth. From Pliny to the most contemporary wine critics, including Robert Parker Jr., Bordeaux wines have never gone out of favor. And with a string of outstanding vintages (2015-2020), the wines of Bordeaux have never been better. Moreover, few other wine regions can claim three millennia of continuous production and millions of satisfied customers.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

January 15, 2022 by Don Lahey

Montepulciano is one of the world’s great wine towns. Even when legions of wine-thirsty tourists descend upon the Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano, it manages to retain its charm and characteristic medieval feel. In fact, this bustling town is a strollers’ paradise, replete with flower bedecked alleyways and steep steps in place of streets. And thanks to a ban on vehicles in much of the old town, one comes to quickly understand how Montepulciano emerged a “Pearl of the 16^th Century.” Set on a steep hill between the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia, Montepulciano is the center of the thriving DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin) of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, one of the greatest and oldest names in Italian wine.

The “noble wine” of Montepulciano has enjoyed its renowned reputation ever since the year 790. Even in the early medieval period, the “Vino Nobile” of Montepulciano was highly sought after, even outside of Montepulciano and the surrounding area. In 1549, Sante Lancerio, maître de chaîne to Pope Paul III, called the noble wine of Montepulciano “Vino perfettissimo da Signori” or the Preferred Wine of the Nobility. It was, however, the 17^th century doctor and poet Francesco Redi, who established the reputation of the Nobile of Montepulciano as “The King of all Wine.” The name “Nobile” dates from the era when higher quality wines were exclusively reserved for noble families.

Today, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano remains a special wine. Vino Nobile’s primary grape variety is the local Prugnolo Gentile, a unique clone of Tuscan Sangiovese, which must comprise a minimum 70% of any wine that bears the title of Vino Nobile. Many point to Prugnolo Gentile as the determining factor in the quality quotient of Vino Nobile. And with the supreme polish and depth of flavor that one sees in the finest Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, it would be hard to refute the claim. Since 1980, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has enjoyed the distinction of DOCG status, one of the first wines in Italy to be so named.

In order to be called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a wine must, also, be matured in wooden casks for at least two years, starting from the 1^st of January following the harvest. After maturing for three years, Vino Nobile is entitled to be called “Riserva.” Prugnolo Gentile must always be the primary grape variety, but other traditional Tuscan varieties such as Malvasia Nero, Canaiolo Nero, Colorino, and Mammolo are also permitted. Small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet are now legal in Vino Nobile as well.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape: France’s First and Greatest Appellation

December 15, 2021 by Don Lahey

Châteauneuf-du-Pape sits astride the swift-moving Rhône River in the sun-drenched heart of Provence, known as the Vaucluse. Blessed with a dry Mediterranean climate ideal for the cultivation of vines and the production of wine, this historic picturesque wine region fashions a vast array of the world’s greatest red wines, thanks in large part to the proliferation of old-vine Grenache.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape championed France’s Appellation Control and was the first wine region in the world to garner Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) status in 1936. Châteauneuf-du-Pape became the model for the entire French system of Appellation Control and nearly all other subsequent attempts to guarantee the authenticity of wine and improve the wine of individual wine regions worldwide. Quality and integrity have long been the hallmarks of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which led Robert Parker, Jr. and other wine critics to dub Châteauneuf-du-Pape France’s greatest appellation.

Great wine almost always begins with healthy old vines, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape possesses some of the oldest vines in France. The average age of the vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is in excess of 40 years, by far the oldest of any major appellation in France, and many of the appellation’s vines have more than 100 years of age.

In addition, the entire production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is hand harvested. Moreover, there is the region’s fabulous terroir – large, flat stones known as galets roulés that mingle with decomposed gravel. These remnants of Alpine glaciers, which once covered southern France, form Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s glacial till. This sacred till provides excellent drainage and imparts subtle nuances of flavor to the appellation’s outstanding wines. However, many consumers are surprised that both red and white wines emanate from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and that red Châteauneuf-du-Pape may contain all of the appellation’s thirteen legal grape varieties.

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Cournoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan, and Vaccarese are all legal grape varieties for Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Domaine du Vieux Lazaret among others actually contain all thirteen varieties), and a case can be made that there are really fourteen legal grape varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as Grenache comes in both red and white varieties. White Châteauneuf-du-Papes has gained in poularity in recent years, but red wine still reigns supreme in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Hundreds of proprietors fashion red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the appellation’s more than 8,000 acres, much of it world class. Some of the most consistent producers of top-notch Châteauneuf-du-Pape include Château Beaucastel, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret, Guigal, and Domaine du Grand Tinel to name just a few.

Stellenbosch: South Africa’s Crown Jewel

November 15, 2021 by Don Lahey

South Africa has had a thriving wine industry since the 17^th century, but only now is the rest of the world taking notice. Quality and innovation push the envelope and values abounds. And nowhere in South Africa is their more to delight wine lovers than in the much heralded Winelands of Stellenbosch.

Located on the Western Cape less than an hour north of Cape Town, the picture post card town of Stellenbosch and the surrounding mountains form a dramatic backdrop for what has justly been heralded as the most beautiful wine country in the world. Although some may try to refute that claim and promote the various picturesque merits of other world renowned wine regions, what is not in question is the integral role Stellenbosch has played for more than three centuries in the formation of South African wine. Yes, the South African wine industry is that old; it dates back to the second half of the 17^th century. Not only is Stellenbosch South Africa’s oldest and most important wine producing region, it is the finest region for red and white wines on the African continent. It is South Africa’s Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara counties and much more. Stellenbosch contains a myriad of microclimates, which allows for the cultivation of a wide array of grape varieties. Consequently, Stellenbosch is responsible for high quality red and white wines from a host of varietals that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and of course South Africa’s unique varietal Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. From wineries in Stellenbosch old and new flow an enormous variety of wines that are world class and wholly unique in character. It is time to discover the unique, incredibly flavorful wines of Stellenbosch – South Africa’s crown jewel and the world’s most beautiful wine land.

Portugal: A Treasure Trove of Excellent and Affordable Wines

July 15, 2021 by Don Lahey

portuguese vineyard — CREDIT: MAURICIO ABREU/GETTY IMAGES via www.travelandleisure.com

The quality of the finest Portuguese wines has never been in doubt. For centuries the fortified wines of Portugal, most notably Port and Madeira, have been duly lauded for their quality as well as their individuality. And even today, few would argue that Vintage Port and the finest Madeira do not deserve their present reputations as two of the world’s greatest and longest lived wines. But there has always been much more to Portuguese wine than Portugal’s two iconic fortified wines or the oceans of pleasant but otherwise innocuous rosé offerings (remember Lancers and Mateus) that flooded the American market in the early 1970s. So why have we not seen more of Portugal’s excellent wines?

Sadly, Portugal like its Iberian neighbor Spain suffered political and economic instability throughout much of the 20^th century and languished behind other top wine producing nations in marketing their best wines and in improving the quality of its wines. In addition, Portuguese producers were slow to adjust to market tastes. Many of Portugal’s traditional wines were robust rustic reds that required considerable time in bottle to attract the attention of international consumers who were growing increasingly accustomed to more immediate gratification. Few Americans in particular understood the need to cellar the splendid red Garrafeira (Special Reserve) offerings from Dão and elsewhere in order to reap gustatory rewards.

However, what most delayed the appreciation of Portugal’s exceptional red wines were government regulations that called for the mandatory use of co-operatives in Dão, Portugal’s leading and most recognized appellation for still red wines. The co-operatives had the exclusive right to the grapes grown in the region and a monopoly on making the wine sold to private merchants. Although the intent of the regulations was to create a national identity for Dão and promote its quality, the effects were adverse due to a lack of competition. What resulted were many inferior, sometimes dirty wines that hardly did justice to the revered name of Dão. Fortunately for Dão and Portuguese wine in general, Portugal’s application to the European Union in 1979 prompted an end in the 1980s to such regulations and monopolistic practices. Once again quality was allowed to come to fore.

Moreover, Dão is hardly the only name to look for in Portuguese red wine. The region around Lisbon and the sprawling Alentejo also fashion excellent red and white wines. In addition to producing a treasure trove of fine wines from the Douro to the Algarve, Portugal has developed a penchant for fashioning Vinho Verde, a light, highly quaffable white wine that can be enjoyed with abandon to accompany Portugal’s splendid seafood. It’s time to rediscover and explore the treasure trove of wines that sunny Portugal has to offer. Enjoy!

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