A journey through the world of wine, four bottles at a time.
Wines sourced from coastal vineyards are exceptional communicators of terroir: the “total natural environment” of a grapevine, and how that environment shapes the character of grapes and wines. Climates, soils, latitudes, grapes, and methodologies vary, but the common thread that connects these wines is an unmistakable “sea-spray” quality. Whether that coast is Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Aegean...start pulling corks and you’ll see (or rather, taste) what we mean!
Uriondo, Bizkaiko Txakolina 2023
Although there are excellent white wines being made throughout Spain, our favorites tend to hail from the coastal appellations. The vineyards in Basque Country are cold, damp, and wind-whipped, as they are often situated in eyeshot of the Atlantic Ocean. Uriondo’s vineyard is in Zaratamo, a tiny village outside Bilbão, in soils of clay and sand. The site sits at about 175 meters’ elevation on a southeast-facing slope, giving it protection from Atlantic-borne winds—but there’s no question that these wines are true “cool climate” whites, with a distinctive saline quality thanks to their coastal origins. A pale straw gold color introduces a zippy, lipsmacking refresher: scents of lemon/lime, tart green apple, sea salt, wet rocks. Pair this with steamed mussels, clams, oysters... something just plucked from the sea, prepared simply.
Mylonas Winery, PGI Attiki Assyrtiko 2023
The assumption is that the best Assyrtiko wines hail from the islands, especially the tourist mecca of Santorini. However, one of the best expressions of this variety we’ve encountered lately comes from the “mainland”—specifically Keratea, a region just a few miles south of Athens and a stone’s throw from the Aegean Sea. Mylonas’ Assyrtiko vines are planted on hills overlooking the sea at about 200 to 300 meters of elevation. Everything is harvested by hand during the cool, early morning hours and then fermented in small stainless steel tanks. The idea is to trap all that freshness and minerality, all that coastal terroir in the bottle so that it’s ready to burst right after you pull the cork. Peach skin, lemon-lime zest, white flowers, bay laurel, and hints of rosemary are all wrapped around a core of pure sea salt minerality. Take your pick of summer salads or fresh seafood as a pairing—Greek style grilled octopus would be a sure winner.
Les Trois Toits, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2021
The Sèvre et Maine growing zone is named for two tributaries of the Loire that feed into it just before it empties into the Atlantic. This watershed area is a mix of igneous and metamorphic rock, with thin topsoils over subsoils that vary from granite to schist to gneiss. Domaine des Trois Toits was built on the foundation of an ancient abbey from the 17th century. Fermentation takes place in a cold underground cave built entirely of stone, with the wine left on the lees and only occasionally stirred. The result is a fresh, mineral-driven wine with slight effervescence when first opened. Melon de Bourgogne, like its cousin, Chardonnay, is delicately aromatic and heavily influenced by its place of origin. The result: Pale straw-gold with bright aromas of tart green apple, citrus pith, Anjou pear, cream, wet stones, and brine.
Piquentum, Malvazija Istarska 2022
A recurring theme for us over the last few years has been the emergence— and excellence—of wines from Eastern European nations, especially Slovenia and Croatia. Piquentum, Croatia was the ancient Roman name for the hilltop town of Buzet, where Dimitri Brecevic farms about 4.5 hectares of native grapes and works in a winery housed within a Mussolini-era concrete water tank. This wine is composed of a local biotype known as Malvazija Istarska (Malvasia Istriana in Italian). The Malvasia “family” of grapes is one of the world’s largest, but the Istrian subvariety is one of the best. It is not an “orange” wine, but rather a brilliant golden-hued white with just the right amount of phenolic twang imparted from its time on the skins. It is bright and aromatic, with notes of orange oil, white peach, white and pink flowers, dried herbs, crushed rocks. It has nice heft on the mid-palate but also bracing acidity and a hint of sea salt on the finish.
Please Note: This item is a pre-packed selection chosen by our team of sommeliers and will ship on its own. It is ineligible for “Build-a-Case.”
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