MCF Rare Wine
Aren't Magnums the Best?
How do you battle the 'large-gathering' scenario?
You know, when you're sitting down to dinner with a larger-than-normal group of people, and you want to serve some nice wine, but you have to pour each bottle out so that everyone gets only a half-glass or less?
And because of that, there no way to enjoy the evolution of the wine over the course of the meal because it's gone right away?
You use my 'weapon of choice', of course...the glorious magnum.
The mag format is the best-est for so many reasons, only one of which is its ability to serve a large table and still allow for a second or third glass from the same bottle.
So, when my importer-friend Mike came by the other day with some cool back-vintage magnums to show me (all of which I loved), it dawned on me that, rather than talk about the countless wines that can accompany Turkey and sides, I should use it as an opportunity to tackle a more important Thanksgiving problem...
...pulling a cork and having to watch that special bottle disappear immediately!
So here are a few 'featured' mags that will be spectacular with any large gathering of close ones this Fall, and below that is everything else we have in a 1.5L bottle...the wine world's true gift to us all.
ELIAN da ROS Vin Este Une Fete 2015 1.5L $39
Hands down one of our signature producers, Elian da Ros crafts wines that have 'Fall' written all over them. The Fete is his entry-level red and is one of our most popular wines under $20 when we can actually get it. It's a blend of the native Abouriou grape, Cab Franc and Merlot. It's quite Bordeaux-like in overall feel, but the terroir of the Southwest coupled with Abouriou's dark, earthy personality give the wine a bit of a wild side. (750ml also available at $19)
DOMAINE des GANDINES Vire-Clesse Climat des Gandines 2014 1.5L $49
From their eponymous, perfectly-situated, mid-slope parcel of Gandines, DdG produces this lovely, energetic and finely-detailed Chardonnay. Its bright, yellow personality shows great richness and precision at the same time, thanks to it's fine acidic structure. Macon Chardonnay is always a perfect Fall white because of its ability to both cover and cut through a wide range of earthy flavors and rich textures and this is one, with a couple of years under its belt, is one of the best I've had lately.
ALFREDO MAESTRO Rosado Amanda 2016 $42
The lone Rosé on the list is, along with Analemma's, of course, our rosé pick for the Fall. It's 100% Garnacha from this fantastic micro-producer of pure, totally natural wines in the Ribera del Duero zone. It's a very deep, orange tinted hue of pink, and the flavors are what you'd expect from said hue...weighty, even a bit nutty, but surprisingly fresh, too. There's just something really cool about a deeper, earthier Rosé at the Thanksgiving table that I think is a totally under-appreciated experience. (limited 750ml also available at $24)
BENOIT ROSEAU Saint Joseph 2011 1.5L $49
Another of the tiny, but super-cool French producers that have become an MCF customer-favorite is Benoit Roseau, and his funky, flavor-packed syrahs in the Northern Rhone. Current vintage on the St. Joe is 2015, so here we're dealing with a wine that's been in bottle for a while now...and it shows. The Saint Joseph is always pretty wild in its deeply-savory, briny, animale goodness, but with a few years of bottle age, as this bottle so clearly demonstrates, the feral, meaty nuances are completely let loose. Despite a cacophony of flavors, the wine is remarkably light on its feet, and can even take a slight chill. If there's any of these left after this offer, I'm definitely snagging one!
ROLAND PIGNARD Morgon 2013 1.5L $53
The 'wow' factor continues with this fantastically complex, deeply pungent, Morgon from the best Beaujolais producer you're not drinking. Stylistically speaking, for me, Pignard's wines tread into Roilette territory, with their darkly accented fruits, deeply earthy nuance, and fiercely structured acidity. They're lovely on release, but are always pretty tightly-wound. This one, however, is ready to sing, and has taken a turn towards the wild side as well! This is my other take-home pick, should I have any left on the shelf.
MAS FOULAQUIER Pic Saint Loup Gran' Tonillieres 2010 1.5L $56
If Da Ros is our man in the SW and Roseau is the Northern Rhone equivalent, Mas Fouaquier is definitely our favorite under-the-radar star in the Languedoc...Pic Saint Loup, to be specific. This Gran' Tonillieres 2010 is a Grenache/Carignan blend that is fully ready-to-go, showing deeply dark, soft fruits, nicely-developed spice and a fantastic, super-mineral core. Looking for Chateauneuf-like personality at half the price? Ahem...
*ALL PRICES ARE NET
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street
New York 10011
mcf@mcf-rarewine.com
212.255.8870
www.mcf-rarewine.com
