Nineteenth (19th) Edition Wine Club
For some reason this Wine Club felt like an occassion to celebrate. Maybe it has to do with it being the end of the year, or the fact that this is the last Wine Club of Heaven's was we knew it. Either way, I'm appreciative of everyone who has played along and will continue to stick with it. And in typical fashion, this is being posted late. It will surprise no one that I never got my homework in on-time. Anyway, this month we celebrate with wines near and dear to my heart.
TWO
R. O'Neill-Latta
Pasi '22
Apples and Passionfruit
Pasadena, California
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I know we just had one of Riley's wines in Wine Club, but this felt too perfect to pass up. When I was thinking about wines that are special to me and this one became available for purchasing, I knew I had to put it in Wine Club. 'Pasi' is special to me not just because Riley is an old friend of mine, but also because I contributed the passion fruits for this wine. So in a way, I both had a hand in this wine, and passion fruit is my favorite of all fruits. Every year the ripe fruits dangling from the unwatered, prolific vine covering the chainlink fence at the back of my home's yard, and that bring me joy. So I hope that joy is translated from me, to you, through this wine.
Costadila
Vino de Tavola '22
Merlot/Refosco/Cab Franc/Raboso
San Lorenzo, Veneto, Italy
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Costadilà ("the hillside over there") was founded by Ernesto Cattel and a group of partners in 2006. Though Ernesto, undoubtedly the brainchild of the whole operation, left us in the summer of 2018, the original partners are still involved and the project continues. They have kept on Alex della Vecchia and Martina Celi: both worked with Ernesto in the vines and cellar, and are continuing in his footsteps. While Ernesto's charisma and energy is irreplaceable, it brings us joy to know that his vision is still in capable hands.
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One month maceration in stainless steel and then fermented and aged in botti. This wine is truly one for the table. When I think of this time I year, I think of entertaining groups. One of the hardest things for me is drinking good wine at parties. This bottle is for when you want to drink something good, but don't want to break the bank. It's 2 LITERS of red wine suited for the table. It can be chilled lightly and let to warm up, and it doesn't really matter, cause it's just...good! Party on!
FOUR
Frederic Cossard
C '21
Carignan
Saint-Romain, Bourgogne, France
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Frédéric Cossard is a larger than life character. He is a man with an infectious joie de vivre, with a real passion for life and a love of wine that runs deep. Fred wasn’t born into a family of vignerons and so had to start from scratch, no mean feat in Burgundy. Domaine de Chassorney was born in 1996 with a few hectares of vines rented in Saint-Romain and Auxey-Duresses and now comprises ten hectares of vines across several villages. He also acts as a négociant, which gives him access to fruit from some of the greatest vineyards in Burgundy. These wines are bottled eponymously, as ‘Frédéric Cossard’.
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The Cossards have worked organically from the outset and now focus on homeopathic treatments and remedies tailored to the needs of each site. When fruit is bought, they give the growers a guide for looking after the vines and join them in the vineyards to ensure that work is carried out to their own lofty standards. In doing so they ensure that only the most pristine fruit makes it to their cellars tucked away amongst the limestone cliffs of Saint-Romain.
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Such scrutiny is necessary to make great wine with no additions. In recent years Fred has continued to pave the way by eschewing the use of oak barrels in favour of concrete eggs, earthenware jars and Georgian qvevris in a quest to further refine his wines. Whites are pressed directly, while reds infuse as whole bunches before being pressed off to these vessels for élevage. The result is Burgundy of rare liveliness, purity and detail.
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I think colder months call for more serious red wine. That doesn't necessarily mean that the wine has to be full bodied and muscular, but can just mean that more care, finesse, and time has gone into the bottle. In this case we have 100% Carignan from organic vines planted at the foot of Mont-Ventoux (a mountain about 140 km north of Marseille). The grapes were then manually harvested and vinified at Fred's estate in Burgundy. Maceration in whole bunches without pushing the extraction, soft pressing, aging for 6 months in vats.
Mystery Bottle
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This is unusual, but this month everyone is getting a mystery bottle. If you'd like to know more, search the website, or email me at hello@heavensmarketla.com to find out more!