Unique Wines - Torrette from Les Crête and Montlouis-sur-Loire from Stéphane Cossais

What fascinates me most about wine is the endless possibilities of sensory input from what are essentially similar ingredients.  The tragedy of the modern wine trade is two fold.  One, many wines are crafted to fit a certain style of wine : easy drinking, fruity, slightly sweet and very ripe.  Two, the crafting of wine to this taste is causing the disappearance of the most idiosyncratic wine styles, and an extinction of numerous grape species.

I make it a point of principle, often to the annoyance of those around, to not drink mass market, commercialized wine, no matter how "good" they may be.  I would rather drink a wine that may be to some drinkers "rustic" or "green" than a smooth fruity cocktail that tastes like it was made in a lab. Which, in all likelihood, probably was.

Now, I am not saying that good wine can not be made on a commercial scale.  It is just that a vast majority of the time, the wines that are made in the realm of 25,000 cases are not meant to showcase a geographical uniqueness or the distinctiveness of a season.  They are made so that every single time you open a bottle, you know that you are getting the exact same thing.

This is not natural.  This is not how I want my agricultural product to be.

In this current era of Mega-Purple, Micro-Oxygenation, oak extract, oak chips, oak staves, oak gelato for all I know, it can be difficult to separate wines that speak of something different and wines that speak of being tailored to the tastes of 40-something Middle Americans (no offense meant if you are a 40 something Middle American...I just have to pick on somebody).

The thing that draws me to wine is those moments when I can say "Ahh, this is a unique wine".  Fortunately, the upside to the rapid globalization of the world of wine is that I am able to have these moments on a regular basis.

There are two wines that I have had lately, that for me are excellent examples of the type of wine making that I wish to spend my hard-earned money to support.

The first wine is the 2005 Stéphane Cossais Montlouis-sur-Loire Le Volagré.  This wine is an example of a man taking a traditional and widespread grape varietal (Chenin Blanc)  and making it into something special.  This wine has that something that when drinking makes you stop, take another sip, and wonder.   The nose on this wine hints at the wonders below, the aromas of honeysuckle, beeswax, freshly cut apples, and wet rocks.  It has a crystalline presence in the mouth, a simultaneous lightness and power that impact your taste buds like a razor sharp knife.  The finish is mouthwatering, bright and lasts for almost a minute.  This is a classic wine in every sense.  You could drink it now for the brightness and freshness, but you could conceivably age it for 15 years.

The tragic part of this uniqueness is this: Stéphane Cossais died last year at the age of 42.  The potential he had as a wine maker, as well as the struggles that he faced for making a wine that did not fit in the norms of the small Loire village that his wine was produced from.  This makes each bottle an experience that you cannot replicate.  This wine was only 18 dollars to boot.  What a shame that we will not have more to experience.


The second wine, 2006 Les Crête Torrette Vignes Les Toules from the Valée d'Aoste in Italy is an example of a rare grape variety that is treated right.  The wine is composed of a blend of Petit Rouge, Fumin, Mayolet, Pinot Noir and Syrah.  Petit Rouge is a rare mountain grape that composes 70-80% of this wine, and creates a pure, fresh and floral presence.  This wine evolved over a few hours into a wine of great complexity.  It had the nose of a field of flowers, some soy sauce elements, and a red berry nature.  In the mouth, it was full, fresh and bright, with the floral and cranberry nature blending into the savoriness from the perfectly ripened fruit.  A real treat, especially at the 17 dollar price tag.

Both of these wines are not going to break the bank, but neither are they going to be found at the local supermarket.  I cannot stress enough that buying great wine does not have to be expensive.  For every 20 dollar Oaky California Chardonnay that you can find at your local Lucky's or Nob Hill, you can find a less expensive UNIQUE wine at your local independent wine store.

When you are able to find these types of wine, I ask you to look beyond what others might see as sweetness, greenness, acidity, tannins and see the sense of place and purpose underneath.