Club Little House - February
Pipeño País – Cacique Maravilla (2015)
- Grape Variety(s): País
- Style: Dry Red
- Region: Yumbel, Bio Bio Valley, Chile
- Winemaker: Miguel Morago
- Soil: Clay and Sand
- Age of Vines: 250 yrs
Manuel's humble vineyard has been part of his family since 1776. His ancestor, Francisco Gutierrez migrated to Yumbel (Bio Bio) from Spain in search of gold. He helped found the city of Yumbel, and was given the name Cacique Maravilla, meaning "Great Chief," by the indigenous Mapuche tribes. Manuel inherited 90 acres of land of volcanic soils, with 30 acres of 250 year old Pais vines. He took over the vineyard in 2009 and continues to follow his family’s tradition that were passed down one generation to the next, to make wine naturally with minimal human intervention. Unfortunately, his old adobe winery was destroyed by the 2010 earthquake. He now ferments his wines in Roble Chileno (Chilean wood) for open fermentation and leaves his wines in fiberglass vats for a short time before bottling.
1 Full Liter of 100% País from estate vines planted in 1766 awaits you. Naturally-vinified with ambient yeasts and no filtration. The grapes are fermented in very old 1000L Raulí (Chilean wood) open barrels. The wine is light and rustic...very drinkable with characteristics of earth, cherry, and spice.
In case you were wondering, vino Pipeño consists of a very short fermentation and aging process to result in a light and flavorful wine. Pipeño is a traditional wine made with the Pais grape, the first grape brought by the Spaniards. Chilean farmers would drink Pipeño long before Cabernet or Carmenere were brought to Chile by the French.
Food Pairings:
- Chicken saltimbocca
- Pasta y fagioli
- Classic cassoulet
Premices - La Roche Buissiere (2014)
- Grape Variety(s): Grenache/Syrah
- Style: Dry Red
- Region: Rhone, France
- Winemaker: Antoine & Lawrence Joly
- Soil: Clay, Silt, and Limestone
- Age of Vines: 25 years
Located northeast of Vaison-La-Romaine in the southern Côtes du Rhone, Antoine and Lawrence Joly work 18 hectare of organic vineyards making some of our favorite wines in the region. They maintain a freshness and lightness in their wines by dedicating themselves to very intense vineyard work that allows them to harvest earlier than several other producers in their area, resulting in less concentrated and lower alcohol wines.
Antoine's family has run the estate since the early 1970's (his grandfather was a beekeeper in the area and his father Pierre returned to live a more simple life after his involvement in the Parisian student riots of 1968). Pierre was a pioneer of organic viticulture in the Rhone and the vineyards have been certified since the 1980s, although he sold most of the grapes to the local co-op when he started. Antoine and Lawrence took over in 1999 and, since 2003, have vinified 100% of the harvest themselves.
Premices is a wonderfully juicy and surprisingly refreshing (given that it’s from the Rhone). The grapes are fermented in concrete and aged for about 8 months. Carbonic maceration here! Zero sulfur is added to this wine...just pure juice!
Food Pairings:
- apero with cured meats
- Shepherds pie
- Braised lamb with roasted root veggies