When I enjoyed some selections from my cellar with my fellow board members at a private environmental/reproductive rights foundation last weekend, little did they know I was writing up their tasting notes. I’d chosen the wines to reflect Noyes’s funding priorities, which helped, because some board members are wine novices, so the foundation-related nicknames I gave the wines helped us remember which was which.
By far the favorite of the bunch was the Bandol, which is a red wine from the South of France made from the mourvedre grape, and which I noticed disappeared the fastest. But the Shafer “Firebreak,” a sangiovese from Shafer Vineyards in Napa, was also a go-to. Too bad Shafer doesn’t make it anymore!
For tasting notes, click here for more:
An Iconoclast
1999 Vin de Pays from Domaine Trevallon
This is, unusually, a 100% cabernet from the Rhone river valley in France; the maverick winemaker at Trevallon has to call it by the lowly name of “vin de pays” because French law doesn’t allow cabernet to be labeled as a Cotes du Rhone. This is a wine that, like Noyes, thinks outside “silos.” Graceful, flavorful, and great with the cheese plate.
A Sustainer
2000 Bandol “Cuvee Especial” from Domaine Tempier
This is a big red from the south of France made from 100% mourvedre. It’s organically farmed, and I always think of Tempier as a matriarchal winery since Lulu Peyraud is so famous throughout France and the wine world for her vineyards and her hospitality.
A Land Lover
1998 “McCrae Vineyard” from Kistler
This rich white from California is made by the first winemaker to bottle chardonnay made from grapes harvested from single vineyards, in the attempt to let the soil and exposure of the land shine through. Unfortunately, I don’t think this delicate, older wine survived the trip through the belly of the airplane beast — it tasted disjointed and over the hill.
A Power Saver
1998 “Firebreak” from Shafer Vineyards
This Napa red wine is made from a grape native to Italy. Shafer planted the sangiovese on this vulnerable part of their land because it’s a vine that has fire-retardant qualities. Also, Shafer recently converted their entire winery to solar power.
The Underdog
2005 Mondeuse by Domaine Jean-Pierre & Jean Francois Quenard
One of our board members is from the Pacific Northwest, and he brings delicious smoked salmon to meetings. So I picked this lighter-bodied red from the Savoie region of France to go with it. We enjoyed the Mondeuse slightly chilled, and found, like a Noyes grant, it goes a long way in a little-noticed field on not too much money.
