Wino Wrestling Federation #2
WWF Lineup ~ March 2021
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.
For the second installment of our wine club we are continuing our Old World vs. New World bouts! Our contenders are Sangiovese and Albarino. We are starting to move more into Spring and felt that these made for a good march fight. Sangiovese origin is in Italy where today nearly 160K acres are planted but locally in the United States we only have 2k planted. Sangiovese makes for medium bodied wines that balance between savory herbs and bright fruits. Representing our local region we have End of Nowhere who makes wine in the sierra foothills. Our Old World contender is Sesti who makes a world class Brunello from the Toscana region of Italy. For our white we have Albarino, an aromatic grape with some thick skin that helps it survive the damp climate of Rias Baixas on the northwestern coast of Spain. Locally Albarino is grown throughout Lodi and Clarksburg where our local producer, Keep, sources their grapes. Both our producers have treated the Albarino in a unique way with long rests and lees aging. Some truly unique interpretations of these varietals that we are really excited to share with you.
Keep Wines - Lost Slough Vineyard 2017
Varietal: 100% Albarino
Region: Sacramento Delta, California
ABV: 12.7%
Colour: Golden Straw
Nose: Marzipan, Flint, Grass, Caramel, Citrus Flowers
Taste: Lemon, Honey, Saline, Kiwi
Soil: Alluvial
Farming: Organic
Vinification: Aged in neutral oak for 18 months and bottle aged for another 18 months before release. .
Our Take: At first this is a little shy but let it get comfortable in the glass and it will bloom into a fucking symphony of toasty almond floral goodness. I think this wine pairs well with sailing. I haven’t been on a boat in years but I’d join a yacht club if it meant I can drink this everyday.
Producer Notes:
.Winemakers Jack Roberts (Matthiasson Wines Assistant Winemaker) and Johanna Jensen (formerly with Scholium Project and Broc Cellars) have come together to create wines influenced by the old world with less ripe fruit, minimal manipulation and great ageability. In the vigneron tradition, they do much of the work themselves from vineyard to bottling. The crest on the bottle is of Beverstone Castle, an 11th century Norman stronghold in Gloucestershire, England where Jack’s father was born and raised. All that remains of Beverstone today is what you see on our label — the moat and the tall ‘keep’, (from the middle english kype, or barrel) which was the defenders' last resort in a siege. It was also where they stored their most precious possessions, especially their wine.
End Of Nowhere
- Ghost in the Machine 2019
Varietal: Sangiovese
Region: Amador County
ABV: 12.5% ABV
Colour: Garnet
Nose: Raspberry, Maraschino, Leather,
Taste: Strawberry, Mushroom, Cherry, Cola
Farming: Organic
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation, aged 14 month in neutral French oak barrel and puncheon.
Our Take: We really dig Chris here at Ro Sham Beaux. His wines are so alive and change so much over one sitting. This one is no exception. It’s very proper and firm at first but throughout the sitting it starts to let its tie loose gets a little wild.
Producer Notes: Owner, winemaker, and farmer Chris Walsh grew up in Amador County. After graduating college, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in architectural lighting design, but eventually fell into the restaurant/wine scene. In 2014, after a few years of working at wine bars like The Tangled Vine and Corkbuzz Wine Studio, Chris moved back to his hometown and purchased a 20-acre site across the dirt road from the house he grew up in. He named it Little John Lane Vineyard after the name of the dirt road, and planted mostly Rhône varieties; he now has about 5 acres under vine. He farms organically and hopes to dry-farm once the vines are established. The soil is extremely volcanic and the vineyard is at the highest elevation in Amador County at 3300 feet.
Sesti - Toscana Monteleccio 2018
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese
Region: Tuscany, Italy
ABV: 14%
Colour: Ruby
Nose: Cherry, Dried Cranberry, Leather,
Taste: Raspberry, Ume, Cherry, Muchroom, Vanilla
Farming: Practicing Biodynamic
Soil: Oceanic Sediment
Vinification: One year of elevage (Barrel Aging) in 30 hectoliter oak botti
Our Take: This is a sophisticated mama mia. Built like a brickhouse in the hills of Tuscany. Both dried and ripe fruits throughout with a little mushroomy leather hanging on at the end. I’d say drink this with a hearty dinner.
Producer Notes: Giuseppe Sesti didn’t initially choose a career in wine. Instead, he was inspired to study music, art, and astronomy, the latter becoming his profession. He met his future wife in Wales while writing his first book, and in 1975 moved to Tuscany, purchasing the abandoned castle of Argiano, slowly restoring the breathtaking estate later planting his vineyards around the castle. In 1999 the Sesti’s daughter, Elisa, joined the estate full time, becoming a partner in all aspects of production. The Sesti lineup includes a white Sauvignon and a Rosato, but their Brunello, Brunello Riserva, and Rosso di Montalcino provide traditional expressions of the appellation, robust and powerful yet refreshing, with great aging potential.
Mar de Envero - 2017
Varietal: 100% Albarino
Region: Rias Baixas, Spain
ABV: 13%
Colour: Goldenrod
Nose: Flint,
Taste: Saline,
Soil: Sand & Granite
Farming: Organic
Vinification: 7 Hours of Skin Contact and 9 months on lees. All Stainless Steel
Our Take: More textured than that of your traditionally made Albarino from Rias Baixas . This is Isley Brothers to the Beach Boys of the Keep Albarino. Silk vs Linen if you catch my drift.
Producer Notes: Envero means veraison. In his off time, Miguel (he goes by Manyo) surfs the cold waters off the Galician coast. So he has waves on his mind. One day while looking out over the rolling green vineyards during the time of Veraison, he was reminded of the ocean and sets of waves coming in. Thus, Mar de Envero. Sea of Veraision.
They currently farm 6.5 HA of vineyards and produce 2 wines.
