Back to School: Wine 201

I had more angst curating this list than I did creating Back to School 101 . Because anything I decided didn’t quite make this was relegated to 301. And while the second tier is understandable, third place (bronze) is only acceptable if you are the way-too-ignored US Men’s Gymnastics team, especially if you wear glasses and specialize in the pommel horse. Hopefully, we aren’t too past the Olympics for that analogy to check out. Also, 301 wines I’ve yet to get to, you’re still on the podium, so… Apologies to Sauternes, California and New Zealand Pinot Noir, Grenache, Gewurztraminer and petillant naturel, someday I’ll give you your day in the sun. Back to School 101 was more about archetypes. 201 will be a little more niche. With these second-rounders, I’d prefer you go deep, not broad. Please note that my choices were informed by what seems to be most influential in the wine world currently and by my preferences. My fondest hope is that you’ll make these wines a part of your life. I’m kicking this off with four white wines—let’s go! ALBARIÑO / ALVARINHO Albariño/Alvarinho can be floral; it can be saline, and it can give white nectarines for days. It typically has good acidity and a lick of phenolic bitterness. It loves some lees stirring, adding creamy texture and lactic currents. It is best known for coming from Spain, particularly Rías Baixas, where the sea breeze and sandy granitic sands give up vibrant, energetic wines, but don’t overlook the Vinho Verde’s alternatively-spelled bottlings. The Vinho Verde is so close to Rías Baixas that on a visit there, my phone clock switched to Spain time, which was an hour later, but somehow I thought I had to set my alarm to an hour earlier which is why I got up at 5 am on my next-to-last day there. I digress. Starting with Spain, and yes, Rias Baixas, I recently loved the 2023 La Caña Albariño ; salty AF with a hint of…mango??? on the nose and slight orange blossoms color-forming in the background. The palate is textured, reminding me of the feel of suede (forgive me, I’m a vegetarian, but remember the feel of suede). It is so soft and suave but also textured. It brings in a bitter orange, Saturn peach and peach yogurt flavor sensation, prickling with acidity and, yes, again, salinity. Don’t forget Portugal! I recently had 2023 Mendes & Symington Contacto Alvarinho , exclusively from their vineyards in the northern part of Vinho Verde, Monção and Melgaço. I’ve been there! That’s where I accidentally got up two hours early. Contacto has a little more skin contact than average, turning up with a slight texture and friendly bitter bite. On the nose, it’s fresh lemon zest, wet stone and whetstone, with a bit of white flower. The palate is utterly thirst-quenching, veering into dried apricot territory and a bit of (as I said above) fun bitterness countering the fruit. It all wraps up with a sluice of salinity. Fun, fun, fun! NAPA SAUVIGNON BLANC I know we all know Napa Cab, and I know Sancerre has been the Savvy B du jour for the last ten years, but Napa Sauvignon Blanc is its own thing. It first made an impression on me back in early 2019, when I had the pleasure of tagging along on fellow wine writer Carrie Dyke’s interview with Ehler’s then-winemaker Laura Díaz, and of all the wines we tasted, it was the Sauvignon Blanc I loved best. Then, recently, I had the pleasure of tasting the 2023 Priest Ranch Sauvignon Blanc and was reminded of my love. “It tastes like sunshine” was the first thing that came out of my mouth. Made from estate-grown fruit fermented in 100% stainless steel, its citrus-kissed lemon-lime nose. A recent convert described it as “so crisp I almost cut myself.” The tropical notes come out in time, playing with acidity. Utterly delightful. Meanwhile, the 2023 Gamble Family Vineyards Gamble Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is marvelously tropical on the nose, bringing passion fruit and ripe, ripe tangerine and perfumed melon, along with some honeysuckle sweet (but it’s still dry) grooves. Vibrant! It is rich in a way but not cloying. It has quite a lush personality but with poise and balance. I am also putting a vote in for Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc , which, sadly, I tasted many months ago on a date. I resisted the nerd urge to pull out my phone and take pictures, but it, too, returned my head towards Napa Savvy B, and I haven’t looked back. GRÜNER VELTLINER Best-known out of Austria! I love how refreshing it is. But also biting. And the hedonist in me loves it when it shows up in one-liters! The first time I realized I really knew Grun-grun (we’re on a nickname basis) was the final flight in my “still wines of the world” test for the WSET Diploma. The last flight is the notorious grab-bag, which, unlike other flights, has no theme. They most mischievously had an Auslese Sauternes (sweet! Raisinated! Marmalade!) IN THE MIDDLE of the flight. So when I got to the last glass, I was scared that my impressions of bitterness and salad greens were because I had just tasted a super sweet wine. Thank goodness it was, in fact, a Gruner. Gruner is known for being from Austria, but my most recently tasted Gruner, the 2023 Count Karoly Grüner Veltliner , is from Hungary; go fig. It is easy to down, but it has nuance. In a blind tasting, I’d be tempted to call it a Sauvignon Blanc, given that salad-y baby gem notes that come on strong, but the white pepper says otherwise. On both the nose and palate, there are major white nectarine vibes. It is friendly but complex and a great representation of this underrepresented variety! CHENIN BLANC If asked to pick a white grape FOR LIFE, I may pick this. It rivals Riesling in its high acidity and honeysuckle notes, but… Chenin brings on tale-tell lanolin notes. Please don’t come for me, PETA. I am a vegetarian, but growing up, my grandparents had a lamb rug they got in Scotland (I think), and pre-going-meatless, I used to lie on it, and now if I smell a Chenin, I smell that lamb skin smell. Often with apple skin and hints of florals (the wine, not the rug). But always that rebounding acidity! I love it so much. It is best known for being from the Loire Valley, masquerading as Vouvray or Savennières as in 2020 Famille Fournier Longchamps Savennières Chamboreau Chenin Blanc with the swell of lanolin and crushed apple on the nose. Frankincense and myrrh tiptoe in. It is lively but grounded, with citrus vibes on the palate. A groundswell of acid lifts all, bringing that Chenin electricity. But it also has made a name for itself in South Africa! Where they might refer to it as Steen, albeit more recently, it goes with the standard name as in the 2023 Simonsig Chenin Blanc , which gives all the bittersweet-appley-honeysuckle-honeydew melon-sappy nose notes with a whiff of passion fruit livening it all. On the palate, samesies, but with major hits of grapefruit rind and glistening acidity. At the same time, there is a bit of sapidity, of grip, of (I think some call it) phenolic bitterness at play with the pleasing fruit. It is so good. NERELLO MASCALESE – SICILY’S GEM Admittedly, this is one of the things I don’t see ENOUGH in the global eye, which is part of doing a 201—championing wines that deserve a seat at the worldwide wine table. Nerello Mascalese has been increasingly on my radar. It can be stunning and refreshing, yet enigmatic but balanced. It is known for being grown on the slopes of Mt. Etna, but it gets around the island. 2020 Neri Contrada Arrigo Etna Rosso is super red fruit forward, some of them even verging into potential that candy-wrapped-like-a-strawberry. Territory. A blitz of vine-y and dried green peppercorn is flowing through, too. The tannins are politely grabby; as adorable as a date, I want to make the first move. The acid vibes, the fruit keeps on the ripeness playing with elsewhere. I like it a lot. 2022 Feudo Montoni “Terre di Elio” Terre Siciliane Utterly both gulpable and savorable, translucent ruby, light in tannins, big in herbals, giving off anise almost as if Gamay, but more herbal. As time passes, fleeting winds of smoke and earth fly through and dissipate like they were never there. The acid is a dream, the tannins teasers. It finishes sapid and calls for another sip. 2020 Statella Pettinociarelle Etna Rosso 90% Nerello Mascalese with 10% Nerello Cappucio! It is so aromatic—lovely florals, anise, and slightly sanguine notes tumble out of the glass. It’s silky smooth and somehow rich but light on the palate. Red plums and raspberry cordial glide down easily, a hint of spice perking up on the finish, which makes a surprise return to earth and berries. I’m downright in love. SYRAH Syrah babyyyyyy! Goodness gracious, I love this grape, and gosh, this vixen can transform itself—just when you think you’ve nailed what it is, you blind-taste a Cornas, and its Syrah-ness is so lifted and elegant and BEAUTIFUL it’s almost like tasting another grape. Honestly, dear Back-to-Schoolers, please acquaint yourself. I want to start you with the Northern Rhône and California ones. What about Australia, some of you savants may say? Hold your horses; we will get there in 301. I feel like Australian Syrah, as they call it, Shiraz, is another category unto itself. Where to begin? Cornas, the more southerly of the Northern Rhône regions, where the wine must be 100% Syrah! 2021 Courbis Champelrose Cornas Stunningly red and blue fruit forward—fresh and macerated, ballasted by earth. The palate is stunningly smooth—those tannins are well-integrated, the alcohol is getting high but polite, and the fruit leads the way but welcomes in some lavender and violet notes. Tart and ripe, even giving a hint of…ouzo? Yeah, licorice! And a whiff of smoke. It has a kick, a spice, and a…can a girth be slender? This wine is broad and, at the same time, dialed in. The finish lingers on a long purple-y road. I have also been a champion of both Santa Barbara and Paso Robles…this beauty is from the Santa Maria subregion of Santa Barbara: 2022 Black Sheep Finds Holus Bolus Presqu’ile Vineyard Golly, this is in many ways textbook Syrah—the nose is black pepper AF, competing with red plum and green olives. The palate brings in all that, plus a slightly meaty finish. It is very slightly bacon and smokey. It is quite smooth, handsome, very collected and poised—all these flavors give their own show but seamlessly and connectedly. Winemaker Amy Christine MW knows her way around a Syrah; this one is ripe and spicy but also earthy and elegant. SUPER TUSCAN These wines came to be when winemakers in Tuscany started dabbling in Bordeaux varietal wines, making stunners that could not be given more prestigious regional, I’m talking DOC level, labels because they were so outside of traditional Tuscan wines. As they grew in popularity, the term “Super Tuscan” was coined to denote their status unofficially. Now, of course, there are DOCs and a DOCG for these, although the most recent one I drank fell under the Toscana IGT…I recently drank the 2020 Sapaio Toscana concocted of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The herbal spice and vibes of PV and CF hover protectively around the blackcurrant and earth of the Cab Sauv. The tannins are dusty and polite, poking up mid-palate then giving way to a torrent of blackberry, black currant and purple plum with a sapidity and maybe a lick of licorice. Each sip evolves and, over time, grows even more. A fascinating bottle. Closer to Bordeaux in style but stylish as Italians tend to be. Do decant. Do have more than one glass and give each sip time to speak. CRU BEAUJOLAIS The temptress, the shapeshifter, the walk through the earth and skip through harvest celebrations…I’m mad for Gamay, the red grape of Beaujolais. It tends to be red fruit forward and not so high in tannins; it can carry notes of anise and, if it undergoes carbonic maceration, even fruitier flavors plus bubblegum, cinnamon, banana, caramel and bubblegum. However, made in the ten crus of the north, it can be quite the serious Susan. It can see oak. It can age. These are some of my favorite Gamays! You do need to do a little homework and know the ten crus, as neither Gamay nor Beaujolais (usually) will be on the label. My latest love was a classic, if you will (although a young vintage), the 2022 Domaine Lapierre Morgon . It is very pure—red raspberry, red cherry, and licorice, amped up with damp soil on the nose. The palate brings more licorice/anise/tarragon vibes, with a little lilac winking on the finish. The acid is vibrant, the tannins are dusky, and the alcohol is respectful. FIN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Want to read more from Ellen? Check out her recent articles: Second To... A Valpolicella For All Ellen in Lalaland: Atwater Village Voyage! The New Garagistes All the Cutwaters, All Lined Up BIANCO: An Italian Love Story Ode to Txakoli Bolt These for Beltane You can also listen to Ellen's podcast, The Wine Situation here . 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