Asheville’s Best Wine Tasting W/Drew Summers
Franck Millet Sancerre 2018
B. Millet, a 22 hectare estate based in Bué, is a third generation Sancerre producer run by husband and wife Betty and Franck Millet. In Sancerre, there is a mix of limestone and chalk terroirs – the majority of the domaine’s white vineyards are located on limestone, which accentuates the minerality that Sancerre is famous for, and the majority of red vineyards are located on clay, which is well suited to Pinot Noir. Millet produces Sancerre Blanc as well as a beautiful Sancerre Rouge and Rosé. These are classic, archetypal Sancerre: the white combines a core of bracing acidity and focused minerality with aromatic citrus and herbal notes. Ageing is done in stainless steel for the white and rose and a mix of stainless steel and neutral oak for the red. In the vineyard, work is done by hand, with a rigorous green harvest during the summer. Limestone-clay soils. Static racking of the musts. Slow, low temperature fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel over 7-10 weeks. Stirring of the lees for 3 weeks.
Cataldo Calabretta Ciro Bianco 2018
The members of the Calabretta family have been viticulturists for four generations and have produced wine since the 1970s. The father of the present owner, Cataldo Calabretta, had a vine nursery. Cataldo studied oenology and viticulture in Milan and worked for various estates in Italy from 2000 to 2008. In 2008 he established this estate with his sisters Maria and Michela. Between 2008 and 2012 the old cellar was restructured together with the existing glazed concrete vats (these are frequently found in the cellars of southern Italy). In 2012 the Cirò Rosso Classico wine was bottled for the first time. The philosophy of Cataldo is focussed on the production of Cirò Rosso, an ancient wine the origin of which goes back to the Greeks and the Bizantines. This Cirò is made exclusively with Gaglioppo grapes, the vineyards stand on hills (the average altitude is approximately 50 meters above sea level) and the vines are freestanding. Cataldo says that his Cirò is the expression of the century old experience of the “Cirotani” viticulturists and that is why the “arciglione” an instrument used to prune freestanding vines in this area is designed on the label. Cataldo Calabretta Ciro Bianco 2018 is a blend of Greco Bianco, Malvasia Organic/Biodynamic/Equivalent Suitable for Vegans, Vegetarians. This wine is fermented spontaneously. White flowers and a slight aromatic note which is typical of Malvasia with fresh, flavorful, bitter almond note in the finish
Cirelli Montepulciano 2017
Agricola Cirelli is an organic farm certified by IMC (doc. n.3194 RV.01), surrounded by 23 hectares of land. All of its production is designed to respect the natural cycles of the olive trees, vineyards, horticultural crops and the animal breeding. Crop rotation, natural fertilization, and free range animal grazing are Agricola Cirelli’s “techniques” of production. This harmonious environment creates olive oil, wine, vegetables, fruit and meats of supreme quality. His favorite wine is his amphora-fermented wine, as they are truly artisanal containers. There is an obligation to only interact manually with the juice, using nothing other than your body. If you have to clean the vessel, you have to go inside it with your swim suit to clean the vessel. This makes for a more emotional process and requires more effort. It’s you and the clay vessel, that is all. Region: Abruzzo, Grape: Montepulciano, Vineyard Size: 2 hectares, Soil: calcium, clay, Average Age of Vines: 6 years, Farming: organic, Harvest: by hand, Winemaking: destemmed, gentle press, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, Aging: 6 months in stainless steel, Fining: none, Filtration: none, Added S02: low
JL Chave CDR Mon Coeur
The Chave family is based in a small village on the northern right bank of the Rhone. There have been Chaves growing vines on the famous Hermitage hill since 1481. Gerard Chave took over from his father in 1970 and rapidly achieved megastar status due to the extraordinary quality of his wines and has since passed on the winemaking responsibilities to his son Jean-Louis. The Chave’s methods for all their winemaking are traditional farming, super low yields, full ripeness, and minimal manipulation. Their unmatched metic-ulousness continues through five centuries to render venerable expressions of the purest of Rhône terroir.Though the Côtes-du-Rhône is technically made from purchased fruit, Chave generally has financed his sources and takes their grapes by a métayage (sharecropping) arrangement. He has more or less complete control over the farming, which is organic. The grapes are shipped to Chave’s facility inside his Saint-Joseph Le Clos site in Mauves. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and élevage is in an assortment of new and old barrels, demi-muids and large foudres at the magnificently restored cellar at Le Clos
Our Wine Wednesdays, include one *free sample from each of our hand selected fine wine features (up to four wines). New wines are chosen each week.
*tasting free with purchase of $10 or more per guest