A new month awaits, which means a new batch of wines for me to share with you for my Best Bottles: August Edition. If you miss the IG Live, don’t fret, all the wine details are below. You can re-watch it on Instagram. In my line of work, I taste a lot of wine. And I found that a lot of wines slipped through the cracks. I couldn’t possibly cover every single wine in a blog post or on social media, so I came up with the idea to highlight the ten “Best Bottles” that I drink every month. Without further ado, I bring to you my best bottles for the month of August!
Fetzer, the parent company of Bonterra just changed their name to “Bonterra Organic Estates”. Bonterra is the largest owner of land planted to organic grape vines in the country. As you may know, they’re one of my favorite easy to find, grocery store brands. And these cans are no exception. I tried the Brut Bubbles (Viognier and French Colombard) and Rosé Bubbles (Grenache, Mourvèdre and Malbec). Cheap, cheerful, and portable make for a perfect canned wine combination. Oh, and the cans are GORGeous! BUY HERE Jordan Winery in the Anderson Valley is an interesting brand study. They make two wines. Literally two SKUs. But yet, they almost always land on the top of the Wine & Spirits Restaurant Top 50 list . How do you create such a dedicated, loyal following if you only make two wines? It’s the experience: the Jordan Experience. Stay tuned for more, as I will cover Jordan in an upcoming piece for Monarch Wine. A partnership with a Champagne house is the perfect example of the Jordan Experience. It’s exactly what the Jordan customer would want. And, for the record, this bottle of bubbly majorly overdelivers for its $49 price point. BUY HERE If you ever find yourself in the Sonoma Square, seek out Sosie Wines for relaxing and comfortable wine tasting in a charming alley off the main drag. I have had many Sosie wines, but had never tried this one, and was so glad it was included in my flight. I’m a sucker for a dry dry, food friendly sparkling red. This checked all the boxes. My perfect pairing: a charcuterie plate with cured meats, salami, mustard, and cornichons. Chef’s <kiss> BUY HERE 32 Winds is a GEM just outside of the Healdsburg Square. A gorgeous tasting room set just on the banks of Dry Creek. On a recent visit to Sonoma, I enjoyed two nights in their vineyard cottage that is exclusively available to wine club members. If that’s not a motivation to join, I don’t know what is! A really nice Sauvignon Blanc serving a fuller mouthfeel and texture that separates it from run of the mill Sauvy B. BUY HERE Grillo, an indigenous Italian grape, is the most common white grape of Sicily. The younger generation of winemakers here are showcasing its modern potential, specifically in blends with Chardonnay and Cataratto. High acid and refreshing Grillo gives aromas of fresh cut grass and grapefruit. What food to enjoy Grillo with? Crudo or sashimi, poké, grilled fish or octopus. Lighter meals of summer, specifically ones served all fresco, call for Grillo. Bottom line, Grillo is your perfect Sicilian Summer Sipper, especially this one from Cantine Ermes. Freeman Vineyard & Winery (in Sebastopol) was founded by husband and wife team, Ken and Akiko Freeman in 2001. Their focus is on cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, so it’s no surprise that “ryo-fu” means “cool breeze” in Japanese. A full-bodied and mouth coating Chardonnay, but with a refreshing, clean finish. A gorgeous wine, and one of many in their lineup. BUY HERE. Littorai is in the true “North Coast” of California with a focus on single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They have farmed biodynamically since 2003 but hold no certifications. They are not dogmatic in their farming philosophies, and choose to just do what is best for the land and the wine. When you visit it sure does look like a true biodynamic property with forest, pasture, sheep, cows, ducks, a donkey, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees. This vineyard designate white sees a bit more new oak than their appellation series whites. Beautiful tropical notes, including bananas. BUY HERE I recently visited J Vineyards in Sonoma. Let me first say that their Bubble Room is a place to visit! Ok, back to the wine. The Eastside Knoll Vineyard is an estate vineyard minutes away from the tasting room. It is planted solely to Pinot Noir and was the first estate vineyard to provide grapes for their sparkling wine, what they are known for. This wine serves up all the red fruit notes plus forest floor and a hint of toasty oak. I enjoyed this wine as I was overlooking the Eastside Knoll vineyard, and it doesn’t get any better than that: enjoying wine direct from the source. BUY HERE Steve and Jill Matthiason are the poster children for the “new California” when it comes to wine. Though that title is a bit outdated, as a lot has changed since the 80s and 90s. We’re speaking of those producers who rejected the “Parkerization” of wine. Their wines are lighter, fresher, and more vibrant. While they do make international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet, they also make Refosco and Ribolla Gialla, indigenous grapes to Italy. To say that Matthiason beats to their own drum is an understatement. To me, this wine represents the Matthiassons to a T. We’re in Annapolis in the new West Sonoma AVA, which is a nested AVA within the Sonoma Coast. Pronounced “pay”, Peay is an absolutely beautiful place to visit (Redwoods as far as the eye can see), but you have to really want to go here. It’s about an hour from anything. And I mean, anything. Plus, a 5 mile dirt road, once you arrive to the address. Serving the brightest, juiciest Pinot Noir aromas and flavors of raspberries and cranberries, this wine is a revelation. Eric Asimov from the NY Times agrees as well. BUY HERE Bonterra Canned Wine $4.99/can (California)
Jordan Cuvée AR Lenoble NV Champagne $49 (Champagne, France)
Sosie Wines 2019 “A Moment of Weakness” Sparkling Red $40 (Sonoma County, CA)
32 Winds 2019 Sauvignon Blanc $29 (Dry Creek Valley, CA)
Cantine Ermes Quattro Quarti 2019 Grillo $15 (Sicily, Italy)
Freeman Vineyard Ryo-fu 2019 Chardonnay $45 (West Sonoma, CA)
Littorai Charles Heintz Vineyard 2020 Chardonnay $95 (West Sonoma, CA)
J Vineyards Eastside Knoll Vineyard 2019 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA) $65
Matthiasson 2019 Refosco $45 (Napa Valley, CA)
Peay Vineyards Scallop Shelf Estate Pinot Noir 2017 $80 (West Sonoma, CA)
