Summertime 2021

Here are two wines currently available to resellers in Michigan:

Rocca di Montegrossi 2020 Toscana Rosato. $16

Q: the quality poles of rosé wine can be described this way: 1) cultivated, unique expressions of a great cru, farmed to be pink, usually ageworthy, vs. 2) red wine byproduct, an economical way of offloading overproduction of juice, often boozy, dull, and perishable. At the low end of the price scale, one hopes it falls somewhere in the middle.

This is 100% Sangiovese from San Marcellino. This bottle is 24 hours open and drinking at 64°F. It’s better today. Sure, it was drinkable, even satisfying yesterday. But now it’s come together just that extra little bit. The whiff of grapefruit has melted into the syrup, leaving something coherent and refreshing. (Ask me why I consider grapefruit a red flag in dry rosé, and not a legitimate stylistic option.)

The aroma suggests mature fruit: blood orange, pear, remote esters (pawpaw) befitting something only months old. A trace of frothy, brittle nougat (lees) doesn’t obscure admirable mineral transparency.

A mouth-drink is glossy and bright. Finesse, with weight. Crunchy, herbal acids resolve to enforce a dry finish. This is fun. It’s expertly farmed and produced. $16 is a compelling price. 89 points.

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Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, 2020 Le Telquel. $20

Q: Is it a good idea to drink a carefully produced, pure Loire red wine within hours of its arrival from France? No. Q: Do we still need to open a bottle immediately? Yes. We’re looking forward to selling hundreds of bottles of it, and we need to see where it is before offering it to guests.

Yesterday I was grappling with its dank minty herbaceousness, and savage juniper, when Jarred invoked the poop deck. Some things are hard to unsmell. And none of that is unexpected as we wade clear-eyed and ankle-deep into a commitment to bottle shock.

But this bottle has been aerating, and driven across town, now for 24 hours (63-68°F). I estimate this is how a fresh open will taste in a week or two.

NOSE: Cabernet Franc. Blue, berry extract, infused into ripe Cabernet Franc. Inviting. Intense. Black jam juice, minted for freshness, garnished with flaky salt. Irresistible. (A few years ago–and more Gamay–Le Telquel could, at times, be aromatically muted. Vintage tribulations existed, too.)

MOUTH: Relentless vine energy. Ceramic. Fit, edgy, husky tannins. Clean ecology (2 VAI) and generous rewards of fruit and texture. Black currants. Plum. Framboise. Savory scorched pine nuts. Biscuit-textured blue bedrock.

This is the most exciting young Le Telquel I’ve ever drunk. If you like Cabernet Franc, then it’s in your window now. I suspect the CF/Côt character will submerge before long (6-12 months) and then we can go back to discussing terroir, like proper gentlemen. 91-93 points.

Let’s see you in a year.