Our all-red club delivers with the dynamite Pinot Noir from Domaine St. Remy and
bookends with a top-flight Burgundy from up-and-coming producer Domaine Verret.
You will not find a better price for six red wines of this quality level in the USA. These

wines are going to make Thanksgiving sing!

THIS QUARTER'S RED SELECTION

6 pack: $149.99 12 pack: $279.99

2020 Vinsobres, Tour de l’Isle

Tour de l’Isle is the project by Rhone Valley insider Robert Rocchi in 1992. With all of his connections in the southern part of the valley, Rocchi began with a brick-and-mortar shop purveying the fruits of his friends’ labors. After some time, Robert began to assist some of his growers with their farming, blending, and overall winemaking. He built the consulting side of his business in this manner and now advises a core of 5-7 growers with vineyards sprinkled around Grenache country. The shop exists today, though Rocchi has busied himself working with his growers in the vineyards and their respective domains.

Robert personally assembled the 2020 Vinsobres at the estate. Dark red fruit, currant notes appear on the nose, and a beautiful breadth of fresh blackcurrant, spice, and red berries. A long finish with well-integrated tannins follows this.

This wine is a beast and shows even better the next day after opening.

2022 Cote Auxerre Rouge, Domaine Verret

Around 80 miles northeast of Beaune lie Burgundy’s Auxerre region. It's roughly midway between Beaune and Paris. Reds from the Auxerre enjoy a reputation for producing tasty Burgundies for a fraction of the prices demanded by their brethren to the southeast. Bruno Verret has run this estate in his family for over 250 years: he and his team farm over 60 hectares. Verret grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though he also has Sauvignon Blanc (for his Saint-Bris) and Gamay vines.

The 2022 vintage was great for the region, and Bruno’s Cote Auxerre Rouge is a fine example, showing off all the goodness Mother Nature provided. It has red-fruited, subtle floral aromas with spicy undertones. Elegant and delicate on the palate, it sings of Burgundian Pinot Noir. Cherries and blackberries evolve from fresh to ripe, with spice notes framed by this unique terroir. Its finish is fresh and harmonious. Compare this Pinot Noir to the Domaine St Remy in this same box. They are both obviously PN, but the style contrast is excellent fun. Open them the same day with some Prime Rib.

2021 Primitivo I Monili, Felline

Gregory Perrucci, the owner and operator of Felline, is more than a winemaker. He’s made a name for himself internationally through his research organization, Accademia dei Racemi. They were the first to champion the Primitivo grape in the Puglia region, previously only used to produce cheap bulk wine, and the first to commit serious effort to study the many facets of the area’s different soils. Led by Gregory, this innovative group of wineries and wines has shaped the culture of Southern Italian wine. It pushes the limits of the varietally correct expressions of their diverse grape varieties.

The 2021 Primitivo I Monili is a hearty wine made in a fresher style. Its bright, plummy, and blackberry notes will entice you. The structure is sound, and the finish is sturdy, with the hearty plummy fruit at its core. This is a big ol’ bbq wine from southern Italy. I lived here off and on for years. This wine is all about meat. 

2022 Domaine St Remy Pinot Noir Reserve - $29.99

Going out on a limb here, but I do not think another Pinot Noir on the market is as complete and delicious as this bottling under $30. When I tasted this wine at the estate last November, it was the wine that moved me the most. I knew we needed a full-time red wine in the cellar to balance the big and bold Rosso from Due Santi. What we have here is its ethereal opposite. The wine is delicate but packed with classic Pinot Noir red fruits, delicious savory herbs, and warm spices. I cannot stress enough how great this wine is for its price. This crushes grocery store classics like La Crema. It is the wine we will burn through the most during Thanksgiving. But do not think it can’t stand up to steak or venison from the hunt. This wine drinks like it costs $60 a bottle. So, buy at least two. Wow!

2020 Chateau La Croix Calendreau, Bordeaux Superieur

In Bordeaux’s Saint-Emilion appellation, Chateau La Croix Calendreau exists. The owners of this chateau also own vineyard holdings around the city of Libourne, which are classified as Bordeaux Superieur. As confusing as it might be, the wine made from those holdings is also known as La Croix Calendreau. The vital distinction is the Bordeaux Superieur suffix.

In what seems more the norm than the exception, the 2020 vintage in Bordeaux was stellar. The weather enabled growers to raise a healthy fruit crop with optimal balance and expression. This humble Bordeaux Superieur punches through its class and price point. Medium/full-bodied, its fruit is expressive and dialed in to share the stage with its acidity, easy tannins, and structure. 

*2020 Cotes-du-Rhone Mataro, Vignobles Boudinaud

Our delicious old friend, the Mataró is back! After interning stints in Australia and California, winemaker Thierry Boudinaud returned to France and began to apply his skills in crafting some of the better values from the southern Rhone Valley and its environs. One of which is a Cotes-du-Rhone made entirely from Mourvedre. Thierry calls it Mataro, the name of a city in Catalonia near Barcelona. The town's name became the vinous vernacular as another name for Mourvedre. Mourvedre is a highly late-ripening grape that thrives in warm climate zones with long, growing seasons. The south of France is a perfect place for that! Mourvedre can be super concentrated, full-bodied, and tannic, requiring a little patience and cellar time. Not Thierry's Mataro. One of the many likable things about it is its approachability and its plump purple fruit. Not overbearing or tight, it's an expressive and fruit-driven wine. It's a bottle; you need not worry about finishing it on the same day, as an opened bottle can last a couple of days on the counter.

For the 2020 Côtes-du-Rhone Mataro, expect aromas of brambly dark berry fruit and plummy purple berries up front, with layers of forest floor, earth, and spice lurking behind it. The palate is more medium to full-bodied, with charming fruit and a sturdy backbone. It finishes long and harmonious, the fruit persisting throughout the finish. Some may make a case that it makes for a fine cocktail wine, as its plummy fruit notes are charming, but to make it shine, try it with a slow-cooked beef brisket with a savory dry rub. This wine sings the next day after opening.