terroir: n - /terˈwär/ - the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown and that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma

Introducing our inaugural edition of the Terroir Series, where the team features a variety or two and analyzes how terroir affects their wine.

This month we are featuring Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; perhaps the grapes most famous for their exhibition of the romantic French concept!

Radio-Coteau 'Savoy'

Chardonnay 2020

Anderson Valley, Mendocino, CA

Distributer: Vignobles LVDH

Regular: $74.99

TWS SALE: $59.99

Mendocino is often unjustly overlooked by the casual California enthusiast. While Howell Mountain, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, etc. get all the press, the bona fide specialists know that Anderson Valley quietly produces some of the most interesting wines, not merely just among its brethren, but the world over. Many who seek out Californian wines are looking for brawn, intensity, and density, but the cool climate of Anderson Valley is unique: imbuing compelling nuance and delicacy to its wines. When coupled with the world class winemaking of a house like Radio-Coteau, the results can range from spectacular to truly sublime.

Chardonnay, often considered a blank slate of a varietal, is an excellent lens through which to view terroir, vineyard practices, and vinification. Of course, many hear “California Chardonnay” and immediately expect a saccharine and cloying butterball, surely traumatized by hazy memories of inexpensive, flabby, syrupy plonk. Radio-Coteau is the polar opposite, more akin to Premiere Cru Chablis than the corner store jug wine from your college days. 

While I am admittedly prone to hyperbole, I think I can safely say without equivocation that Radio-Coteau’s 2018 Savoy Chardonnay is the most beautiful, unique, and compelling Chardonnay I’ve tasted in the past five years. Full stop. The 2018 Savoy’s aromatics must be experienced to be truly appreciated. This is a wine that yearns to be savored with friends. A beautiful bouquet of wild white flowers mix with lemon curd, Golden Crisp apples, yuzu, salted white grapefruit and under-ripe mango. The palate impressively fulfills the promise of the aromatics, augmented with subtle notes of marzipan and crème brûlée from the modest 20% new French oak. The finish is crisp and elegant, expressing an intricately latticed minerality from the river stone soil composition. This is truly Chardonnay at its finest. While hardly the most affordable bottle in the world, you could easily spend double, or even triple, the amount of money on a wine that pales in comparison. Don’t believe me? Good luck finding a review anywhere below 92 points for this wine. This is a spectacular wine with broad appeal and impressive complexity that’s sure to steal the show at your next gathering. 

Unfined and unfiltered. (Vegan friendly)

-Andrew Sayers

Walter Scott 'Bois - Moi'

Chardonnay 2020

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Distributer: Roanoke Valley Wine Co.

Regular: $34.99

TWS SALE: $27.99

Terroir is a difficult and almost undefinable term: is it the expression of microclimates and the pH of the soil in wine? Is it the cultural identity of a centuries old wine making practice? Or is it a buzzword wine people use to sell you expensive wines?  I don’t know and I’m not going to answer,  but maybe Walter Scott’s “Bois Moi” can answer for me.  Walter Scott was founded in 2008 in Oregon with the unpopular idea that Oregon Chardonnay can not only be good, but great. With a laser focus on climate and soil, Walter Scott’s vision of making a delicate and nuanced chardonnay that could compete with Burgundy comes to fruition.  “Bois Moi” has notes of tangerine, Meyer lemon, with a rich texture highlighted with minerality and saltiness. 

-Andrew Thorp

Domaine Cheveau 'Les Trois Terroirs'

Chardonnay 2019

Pouilly-Fuissé, Maconnais, Burgundy

Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant

Distributer: Potomac Selections

Regular: $37.99

TWS SALE: $29.99

For my first selection of our "terroir series", I am choosing an excellent Chardonnay from one of the best growing regions in the world for the variety: the Maconnais in southern Burgundy, France. In my opinion, the Pouilly-Fuisse "Les Trois Terroirs" from Domaine Cheveau is as good as it gets for a $30 Chardonnay, and I would argue that it competes favorably with even more expensive wines.

From a terroir perspective, the limestone and clay soils of the Maconnais are perfect, as limestone retains moisture in dry weather while still offering good drainage in cool weather. In other words, the vines get just enough water. The clay provides potassium that grapes need to form sugars, and, because it retains moisture, also helps maintain cool temperatures. This is especially crucial at night when the vines are not receiving any sunlight, as warmer temps promote loss of acidity. (It's not great when there is no photosynthesis occurring -only loss of acidity) Temperature-wise, the Maconnais lies somewhere in the "sweet-spot" between cooler more marginal climates like Chablis to its north, and say.... the sunny Central Coast of California. Long story short, cooler growing regions emphasize white-fruit and citrus flavors /aromas (apple-pear-lime) of Chardonnay. In warmer growing regions, more sugars build up in the grapes and the flavors tend to be rounder and lean towards stone fruit and tropical aromas/flavors (peach-pineapple-banana). Mineral notes are generally more detectable against the more subtle, cool climate fruit flavors/aromas.

Enough of the technical stuff...What does the wine taste like? Heaven! Citrus notes are joined by white fruit aromas/flavors of apple and pear with subtle tropical (pineapple) notes as well. It is soft and round in the mouth with a perfect balance of fruit, mineral and acidity with a lengthy finish. I especially recommend this wine with roasted chicken and root veggies. As a side note, I would invite any wine enthusiast to pay attention to the importers when selecting European wines. Turn this bottle around and you will find the name Rosenthal Wine Merchant, in my opinion always synonymous with superb quality. Cheers!

-Dan Zetlmeisl

Spy Valley

Pinot Noir 2017

Marlborough, New Zealand

Importer: Broadbent Selections

Distributer: Winebow

Regular: $26.99

TWS SALE: $19.99

When I think of Pinot Noir, the first places of origin that come to mind are Burgundy, Willamette Valley, and northern California. I usually forget about New Zealand Pinot Noir, but it is the most widely grown red wine grape in the world's southernmost wine growing region. The narrow islands of New Zealand ensure that no vineyard is more than 80 miles from the coast and feature the coolest maritime wine regions of the world. Pinot Noir is predominantly grown on the cooler South Island. The cool and steady climate develops higher acidity with even ripening over a long growing season.

With 40% of the county's wine coming from Marlborough, I've chosen to feature Spy Valley's Pinot Noir from this region. Marlborough can be found in the northern end of the South Island and is hailed as one of the country's sunniest and driest regions. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the growing season spans October through May with the heat peaking in the summer of January and February. Spy Valley grows its Pinot Noir in soils of stone, gravel and clay created by the Wairau River. The wine is then naturally fermented aged in French oak barrels for 11 months. The nose smells of gentle, fresh, red cherry and raspberry with a bit of spice. The palate is juicy and fresh, with friendly acidity and light tannins making this a very quaffable red. The next time you are shopping for Pinot Noir, don't forget about New Zealand!

-Sheena Callage

Ziereisen 'Tschuppen'

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) 2017

Baden, Germany

Importer: Skurnik Wines

Distributer: Prestige-Ledroit Distributing

Regular: $31.99

TWS SALE: $24.99

The thin skinned, early budding, tight-clustered, low-yielding Pinot Noir grape is both notoriously onerous to work with and famously capable of becoming stunning wine. Thankfully for us, brave souls around the world rise to the challenge that this cultivar presents, and, when traveling vicariously through Pinot Noir, one would be remiss not to explore Germany. Known here as Spatburgunder, Pinot Noir vines can be found throughout the majority of Germany’s winegrowing regions – even in the Riesling kingdom of Mosel – and the Ziereisen Tschuppen Spatburgunder from the southwestern region of Baden is a great expression.

Hanspeter and Edel Ziereisen farm 21 hectares and produce wines in southern Baden, on the Rhine River near the borders of both Alsace and Switzerland. This area is much warmer and sunnier than other regions in Germany, making it a happy place for Spatburgunder to ripen. Grapes for the “Tschuppen” are sourced from a southern facing hilltop site in loam soil, and are spontaneously fermented in stainless steel (70% destemmed, 30% whole cluster), followed by a 6 week maceration and pressing. The wine is then aged for two years in large neutral barrels before bottling without filtration.

Pouring a pale ruby in the glass, this wine shows fruit first – red cherry, black plum, dried cranberry – then purple violet, balsam fir, and crushed stone. The palate is light bodied, but it has concentrated power behind it, and the balance between plush fruit, acid, and minerality is a reminder of its origin and Ziereisen’s careful work. Enjoy this Spatburgunder on its own, with a pork tenderloin, or complete your Baden showcase with Spaetzle.

-Lauren Loeffler

El Enemigo

Chardonnay 2018

Mendoza, Argentina

Importer: Winebow Imports

Distributer: Winebow

Regular: $26.99

TWS SALE: $19.99

A wine geek’s favorite moment is when they take a sip of a wine and they are transported to the vineyard itself. Wine allows the drinker to travel and experience somewhere on the other side of the world through a wine that shows a “sense of place”. This title is given to those wines that showcase every component of the environment around it; every minute detail that went into creating the complex beverage that inspires such passion. You taste the salinity of the Atlantic Ocean through your Rias Baixas Albarino, the ashes of the volcanic Mount Etna in Etna Rosso, and the heat of the Australian sun in a Barrosa Shiraz. This is the reason for our obsession with terroir.

One aspect of terroir that is often overlooked is vineyard elevation. A high altitude vineyard is beneficial to wine because the grapes are closer to the sun during daylight, resulting in more solar radiation. However, the nights are cooler for these vineyards, resulting in a slowing of ripeness that compounds to develop a more precise and direct style of wine. The El Enemigo Chardonnay is a fantastic example of high-elevation Chardonnay; coming from vineyards at 4757 feet.

The grapes are fermented in French oak barrels and aged for nine months with a bit of flor, similar to Sherry. The diurnal shift (that phenomenon of warmer sunny days and cooler nights from above) combined with well-draining rocky soil provides grapes with a profound minerality, a briny salinity, and a very well balanced backbone of acidity on the finish. The non-traditional addition of flor gives a yeasty nuttiness and ever so slightly oxidized character. The mid palate still holds some traditional Chardonnay richness and a lemon meringue, fresh apple flavor. Enjoy this unique Chardonnay to be transported high into the Andes Mountains…just make sure you bring a jacket for those cold nights.

-Jake Groenke

Netzl 'Christina'

Chardonnay 2020

Carnuntum, Austria

Importer: Jenny & Francois Selections

Distributer: International Cellars

Regular: $24.99

TWS SALE: $19.99

For the introduction to our terroir series, I choose a low intervention wine from the Carnuntum wine-making region in Austria, the Christina Chardonnay 2020. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, then undergo spontaneous fermentation with skins for 18 days in stainless steel. After the wine is pressed it spends 4 months in neutral oak and stainless steel with yeast, it is then bottled unfiltered with minimal added sulfur.

Christina is the low intervention line of wines from the Netzl family of wines that are produced on the Netzel family farm by Christina Netzl in the village of Göttlesbrunn, Austria in the wine region of Carnuntum, although the wine is not labelled as such due to the fact that the wine-making style is atypical to the region. The Pannonian climate (known for plenty of sunlight) of the area as well as deep, nutritious loess soil topped with gravel give these chardonnay grapes the ability to ripen to the level where aromas of tropical and stone fruit can develop. Although considered a warm climate in the realm of growing chardonnay, cool nights brought by the river Danube help maintain the acidity of this beautiful juice keeping the wine bright and refreshing. 

Terroir is not just soil, temperature, or elevation but all things that make up the natural environment where the grapes are grown. One of those elements that are celebrated by the winemaker are the bugs that protect the vines (featured on the label) from their bothersome cousins that may damage the plant. The health of these tiny creatures is protected by organic farming that is practiced by the winemaker. Christina Chardonnay has aromas of papaya, stone fruit, and hints of a green herbaceous quality. The palate is bright and juicy with notes of ripe peach and lemon, delightfully acidic with a kiss of tannin from the skin contact. This wine is great on its own or with light fare, as well spicy dishes. I enjoyed it with roast chicken, whole roasted squash, braised bok choy, and fresh radish. As always this wine is best enjoyed the way YOU like. CHEERS!!! 

-Matt Supik

The Eyrie Vineyards

Pinot Noir 2018

Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Distributer: Harbor Wines

Regular: $44.99

TWS SALE: $35.99

Many of life’s most pure culinary pleasures (wine, oysters, coffee!) share one defining attribute: the ability to convey a transparency or sensitivity to place. This “tasting of place” or “terroir” allows one, through wine, to actually taste interaction between climate, earth, and plant.

Many of the best winemakers view themselves as mere custodians of their vineyards, called to express their land through wine. Too heavy or light a hand in this process and terroir is muffled. We just received some Pinot Noir from an estate that exemplifies this terror-centric winemaking style: The Eyrie Vineyards. David Lett, the pioneering founder of Eyrie, was the first to plant the then-unfashionable Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Willamette valley back in 1965. (Now 700 wineries grow pinot there).

The vines at Eyrie have no root-stock and see no tilling, irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides. The winemaking is just as hands off: indigenous yeast, some of the oldest barrels in America (back to 1965!), no fining and minimal filtering. The land shines through. Though often compared to Burgundy, Oregon is dramatically different in that it is considerably warmer and often features volcanic soils. Generally, this translates into more fruit forward wines that still present an intense minerality. 

The 2018 Pinot from Eyrie beautifully marries the classic American ripeness of fruit with the earthiness Europe is famous for. The nose shows cherries and strawberries, earth, mushrooms, licorice, baking spices, fudge, old wood and dry leaves. On the palate, the fruit is ripe, showing some cordial cherry, and, after being open for a day, smoky notes crept in. The texture is delicate with just enough acid and wood at the end to support the fruit. This wine is complex, friendly, refreshing, and shows its place (the especially volcanic Dundee Hills of Willamette). Eyrie is iconic Pinot, and it beats most Burgundies at that price.

We heard of this bottling through a customer order- many thanks to all of you who help curate our shelves through your requests. There is just too much good wine out there for us to find on our own. 😃

-Kasimir Bujak