Wino Wrestling Federation #1
I know y’all are eager to get into your wine
but we just wanted to take a moment to
thank you all for joining our little club.
We have spent the last year building Ro Sham Beaux for our community and after much delay and many hurdles we couldn’t be more stoked to open the doors and share our selections with you. Natural wine is a well worn path in many cities but not so much our own, yet we are surrounded by an immense amount of viticulture and winemaking talent that goes unrecognized. With this inaugural club selection we wanted to highlight some up n’ comers in our region who are making some truly gorgeous juice, both whom trained under local legends Gideon & Soron of Clos Soron. Depending on your membership, you’ll find an ultra small-production Rhône blend by Frenchtown Farms (who are killer farmers as well as winemakers) that you can compare to a legendary French producer whose family has been working in the Rhône Valley for the better part of a century. Our white wine selection is tied together as well, showcasing a local tribute to French Chenin blanc, along with a quintessential Chenin blanc produced by one of the Loire Valley’s great biodynamic winemakers. We truly love each of these expressions and hope you will too!
WWF Lineup ~ February 2021
Frenchtown Farms
Cotillion 2018
Varietal: 70% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Syrah
Region: El Dorado County
Production: 140 Cases
ABV: 13.6%
Colour: Garnet
Nose: Cranberry, Forest Floor, Petrichor, New Leather
Taste: Strawberry, Dark Cherry, Vegetal, Lactic
Soil: Granite
Farming: Organic, David Girard Vineyards
Vinification: Foot-stomped, whole-cluster fermentation in open top vessels with gentle punchdowns. Pressed after eight days of maceration and aged in neutral French oak barrels for eight months. 18ppm total so2 addition, unfined and unfiltered.
Our Take: This high-acid Rhone-varietal blend shows grippy tannins and a super dry profile that morphs immensely as it opens up. Juicy, sultry, complex, it’s the sipping adventure that reveals new twists with every taste.
Producer Notes:
Winemakers Aaron and Cara Mockrish initially settled in the sierra foothills to start a farm but found themselves with a bottle of wine that changed their lives instead. After tracing its origins to nearby winemaker guru Gideon Beinstock of Clos Saron, the two began to work closely with him, learning everything they could about vineyards, cellars and wines. Aaron and Cara eventually found their way to the abandoned vineyards of the Renaissance Winery (we would be remiss to not link you to this crazy article regarding the property’s literal cult history) where Clos Saron had begun making wine long ago. They now farm the oldest of the vines for their own label, Frenchtown Farms, along with various other unique vineyards in the sierra foothill area. Their farming is influenced in part by Joel Salatin, Rudolf Steiner, and Masanobu Fukuoka, but mostly by their own observations and hard lessons throughout each season.
Martin Texier
- Grenache Vigne Du Mas 2019
Varietal: Grenache
Region: St.-Julien-en-St.-Alban, Northern Rhône, France
ABV: 12.5% ABV
Colour: Dark Ruby
Nose: Cherry, Rhubarb, Soil
Taste: Strawberry, Blackberry, Red Currant, Anise
Soil: Granite
Farming: Organic, dry farmed
Vinification: Hand harvested, no destemming, pressed by foot after a week-long maceration. Native yeast fermentation with no so2 added.
Our Take: This is a wine we want everyday. To us this wine is like a good conversation with an old friend, one that you leave feeling grounded and secure. It’s balanced and familiar, but offers a new perspective with each encounter.
Producer Notes:
Sometimes you run from your inevitable future, because a bit of rebellion is the only way to finally face that future with resolve instead of resentment. Too dark? Well that’s the story of Martin Texier, winemaker and son of legendary Rhône winemaker Eric Texier.
After heading to school for economics, Martin became a DJ, worked at a fabled record store called A1 Records, and, oh yeah, held down some major wine internships at various NYC wine shops. In 2014, Texier realized his time had come to return to the fields, where he settled on 5 hectares planted in white and red Rhône varietals. In the cellar as well as the vineyard, Martin practices traditional techniques and is already receiving accolades for his fantastic results.
Ellsworth Wines
Chenin Blanc 2019
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Region: Placerville, California
ABV: 11.7%
Production: 75 Cases
Colour: Golden Straw
Nose: Pear, Jasmine, Chamomile
Taste: Apple, Honeydew, Persimmon
Farming: Organic
Vinification: young vine chenin, hand picked, foot tread, and pressed into 3-year-old French oak barrels. Full primary and malolactic fermentation without the use of additives. 20ppm so2 added one month before bottling. Bottled 7/5/2020.
Our Take: An elegant new-world chenin inspired by those wines Jeff and Bryne love from the Loire Valley in France. We listened to some John Cale and Brian Eno while we twirled this golden hued Chenin in our glasses and felt truly connected to something greater. Eno’s “mmm” at the start of that track fits all to well.
Producer Notes:
Winemakers Jeffrey and Bryne of Ellsworth Wines are the modern story-book power couple. Both veterans of the service industry hailing from the east coast, the two packed up to move west and study under inimitable winemaker guru Gideon Beinstock of Clos Saron in the remote sierra foothills. After a stint abroad studying the finer techniques of traditional French producers, Jeff and Bryne returned to the sierra foothills where they give new life to fallow or under-utilized vineyards, painstakingly crafting their Northern California tributes to the finest of French wines.
La Sot de l’Ange
Sec Symbole 2018
Varietal: Chenin blanc
Region: Azay-le-Rideau, Loire Valley, France
ABV:
Colour: Light Straw
Nose: Meyer Lemon, White Flowers, Nutty, Herbaceous
Taste: Citrus, Stones, Saline
Soil: Clay, Silica
Farming: Biodynamic
Vinification: Young vine chenin, whole cluster fermentation with native yeast, slow pressing over 5+ hours, early bottling and minimal addition of so2.
Our Take: A smooth-drinking old-world chenin that balances medium body and good acidity, resulting in a fresh, mineral-driven wine with bright citrus notes and a slightly saline finish. It’s the perfect wine for a trip to the beach or to pretend you’re at one already.
Producer Notes: Quentin Borse, the “Idiot Angel” as Le Sot de L’Ange roughly translates to, is a winemaker and farmer who’s been residing in Azay-le-Rideau in the Loire Valley's Touraine region since 2013. All of his estate vineyards are certified biodynamic.
This chenin is from his younger estate vines and is bottled young, preserving a bright acidity and freshness, the very feeling of early spring- and yeah, we know it’s winter right now, but we can still drink like the days are getting warmer, can’t we?
