Sparkling

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Charpentier Tradition Brut, Chardonnay | Pinot Noir | Pinot Meunier, Vallée de la Marne, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE, NV

18 glass 74 bottle

As a newcomer to the grower/producer realm, Charpentier is not only blazing the road less traveled by biodynamicly farming but also bringing their neighbors along for the ride. The wave of sustainability is making its way across Champagne at glacial speeds and this bottling of 'Tradition Brut' is a great example of neighbors working together. The house allows their neighbors' sustainable farming efforts to be added to this cuvée which also keeps it priced low so the whole village can afford to partake.

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Raventos 'De La Finca’, Xarel·lo | Macabeu | Parellada, PENEDES, SPAIN, 2018

16 glass 72 bottle

We are elated to offer this cuvée from Raventos i Blanc by the glass. De La Finca is made from the coveted vineyard plots surrounding the winery. Minerality prevails on this ancient sea floor and the resulting wine has a dry persistence with a light mousse of bubbles. The perfect wine for our entire menu. 

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Vermilion Valley Vineyards, ‘En Plein Air Pét Nat’, Pinot Noir | Valvin Muscat, Lake Erie, Ohio 2022

15 glass 60 bottle

Joseph Juniper thinks about his farm in a much different way than the average Ohioan. He is consumed with the knowledge that the treatments he applies to his farm cycle down through the entire watershed and ultimately all over the region. The goal here is a holistic balance identifying the root of problems in farming rather than treating just the symptoms. Juniper looks to science to explain the biology of his farm and logistics to impact the land as minimally as possible. ‘En Plein Air’ is a delightful sparkling rosé with bubblegum fruit so generous you may think there is more than grapes here. So far the best wine we have ever had from Ohio. Great job Joseph! ​

 

Denny Bini ‘Festa’ Lambrusco, dell'Emilia IGP, Italy, NV

12 glass 48 bottle

Just an absolutely delightful Lambrusco from the heart of the region is this co-ferment of the common lambrusco varieties Marani, Salamino, Maestri, Grasparossa and Ancellotta. The farm has been in conversion to become BioAgri certified and these fairly young vines now have native yeasts thriving enough the fermentation starts naturally on its own.

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WHITE

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2022 Cantina Cenci Giole, Trebbiano, San Biagio delle Valle IGT, Umbria, Italy

12 glass 48 bottle

We know Trebbiano usually does not make the most thought provoking wine but our friend at Loci wines has found us a beautifully complete version. Giovanni Cenci is as much a farmer as he is a winemaker. His 30 hectare farm is less than a 1/3 under vine. The land sits on an old monastery where monks survey coveted blocks of travertine marble in clay and limestone-rich soils. We are very proud to bring you this from our friend and importer, Randall Bush. He is a master of his craft and the level of intention behind choosing to work with winemakers is equally fastidious as it is sincere. 

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2022 Domaine de la Pépière 'Briords', Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine
14 glass 56 bottle

Rémi Branger and Gwénaëlle Croix took over the domaine in 2020 after Marc Ollivier retired to Brittany. Rémi and Gwen are credited for converting to organic biodynamic viticulture, a squeeze in the use of S02 and push lees aging to new lengths not typical for a region where the négociants care about the kilo and not so much about the cru. Clos des Briords is a hillside site above the Maine river. The bottling is from a small part of oldest vines planted between 1950 and 1989 on the notably granitic soil, ‘granite de Thebaud’ 

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2022 Julian Haart ‘1000L’ Riesling, Mosel, Germany

18 glass 72 bottle

Fuder (fuo dar), is the historical vessel sized 1000 liters for wine trading in the Mosel. Though much wine is now bottled locally, specific wines are sent for auction where prices are still arranged based on the source of the vineyards. Haart’s 1000L is an homage to this tradition and a business agreement with Stephen Bitterolf of Vom Boden imports to purchase as much wine. The '22 is coming in with enticing aromas of barely ripened tropical fruit and citrus. A hard medium body is balanced and hydrating on the palate but acid wins the tussle with a prolonged drying finish.

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2022 Guiberteau, Chenin Blanc, Saumur, Loire, France

18 glass 72 bottle

This crisp yet layered wine is vinified in concrete to preserve and express the clay and limestone rich soils of the Family’s Estate. The cuvée includes fruit from vines planted in the 1940’s at the lower part of the famed Brézé vineyard and younger vines in Brézé and neighboring commune of Epieds.

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2022 Brendan Stater West, Chenin Blanc Saumur, Loire France

18 glass 72 bottle

Brendan is actually Romaine Guiberteau’s grower/winemaker and we are delighted to offer his Saumur Blanc right next to his mentors. West’s Saumur Blanc is from nearby Bizay, also from the lower parts of the vineyard, but a different one called Les Chapaudaises. Try the 2 wines side by side, different names and vineyards but the same region and same winemaker. The differences are compelling.

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2020 & 2021 Division 'Un,' Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon

15 glass 59 bottle

It’s always such a cool opportunity to show the same wine from 2 years side by side. 2020 was marked with summer drought and a Labor Day wind event that exploded into fires. Relief came in 2021 when rain returned and the air was clean of smoke. The resulting wines are black and white with the '21 coming in with opulence in body and aroma while the '20 is more subtle and reserved but elegantly structured.

 

2022 Clos Figueres, Serras Del Priorat BLanco, Garnacha Blanca, Priorat, Spain

17 glass 68 bottle

Tom and Janan, (Webster’s founding partners), just returned from Spain and the first thing they mentioned was how much they enjoyed all the Garnacha Blanca they tasted around Tarragona and Barcelona. So it is pure serendipity that our beloved Tracy Liang of Original Wine Company brought us this rare and limited wine we can offer by the glass. Yes, you read that correctly, we are pouring Priorat Blanco by the glass! It’s a stellar Garnacha exhibiting so much terroir and varietal identity it is not easily confused with the oaked wines normally made in the region. Clos Figueres Blanco is from pure, decomposed slate and is made from 100% stainless steel and glass élevage exhibiting a layered medium-full bodied white that dances on your palate.

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ROSE

 

CIBONNE ‘Tentations,' Grenache | Cinsault | Syrah | Tibouren, Côtes de Provence, FRANCE 2022
13 glass 48 porron

This wine transcends provincial rosé. Quaffable, but not so fast! There is a lot here to be savored! Subtle color and lean body defiantly exude an abundance of herbs on the front end and then strawberries and cream on the back end. Clos Cibonne property began in 1793 when the Roux family purchased it from Jean-Baptiste de Cibon, a captain in the royal marines of Louis XVI. Tibouren is the sole variety at Clos Cibonne so Tentations is an expression including other surrounding vineyard sites intended as an everyday drinker.

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Can Sumoi, 'La Rosa', Sumoll | Parellada | Xarel-lo, Baix, Penedes DO, Spain 2022
14 glass 56 bottle

An absolute delight, La Rosa, comes from a very high altitude vineyard for being so close to the sea. The estate, at 600 meters is large and covered mostly in pine and oak with less than 10% undervine. La Rosa is a clean, elegant and beautifully pink rosé. Refreshing fruit and floral nuance are along for the whole ride.

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SKIN CONTACT 'ORANGE'

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Day Wines, 'Vin De Days l'Orange', Müller Thurgau | Gewurztraminer | Riesling | Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2022
14 glass 56 bottle

These aromatic varietals are well tamed in this skin contact wine. The aroma is expertly integrated leaving a lush body to enjoy. The grapes are de-stemmed and co-fermented for about 3 weeks on the skins for structure and depth.

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Do-Re-Me (Dō-Ray-Mē), Rkatsitelli/Mtsvane (Cat-suh-tell-E, Muhts-Van-nah), KakHeti, Georgia, 2020

15 glass 59 bottle

Friends Giorgi and Mamuka partnered together to craft traditional Georgian wines that only ferment with natural, wild yeasts and never any additives. The grapes spend six months on their skins in underground earthenware called kvevri. The wine shows more tea notes than fruits, with a tannin level that rivals most red wines. This all combines to create one of the most versatile wines for food pairings.

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FORTIFIED

 

Bodegas Yuste, Palomino Fino, Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalusia, Spain, NV
12 glass

Yuste adopted a 19th century solera on his own to produce a complex and beguiling Manzanilla, between 8 and 10 years of age. This comes from keg and not bottle, so the Sherry “purist” can’t complain that it’s not “fresh.”

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RED​

 

 

Roterfaden Lemberger Troken, Württemberg, Germany, 2019

17 glass 68 bottle

Olympia and Hannes Roterfaden made overall my favorite collection of reds in Germany. They are working organic, incorporating some biodynamic practices like making their own treatments. Everything is done by hand on their stunning terraced vineyards along the Enz river. Called Blaufränkisch in Austria, Lemberger is widely planted here and most of it goes to the co-op for table wine. The Lemberger this couple produces is definitely elevated and drinks more like Cru Beaujolais and at a serious value.

 

Andrew Rich ‘Volcanic’, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2018

18 glass 72 bottle

Although his passion is Rhone wines, Rich’s Pinot Noirs are iconic. He Stylizes each wine by the terroir where the fruit is grown. The wines are new world and a robust take on Pinot but with a gracefulness clearly learned from Andrew’s burgundian wine education and subsequent stints at Bonny Doon and Randall Grahm.

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SOLD OUT--Armand Heitz, Gamay, Juliénas, Beaujolais, France, 2021

17 glass 68 bottle

Juliénas is one of the most soil diverse Crus of Beaujolais and the plot that Heitz makes this wine from is made up of the same decomposed blue granite you can find in Brouilly or Cote du Py. This terroir exhibits powerful wines so Armand takes it easy by disturbing the wine with only occasional pump-overs and a short maceration. And as he should because the result is still a very large and compelling Gamay.

 

Responsible Hedonist, ‘Rush The Stage Red’, Syarh, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, 2022

16 glass 64 bottle

Well here is ultra fun wine from someone you might recognize from the neighborhood. Diana Hawkins, (Lula Cafe alumni wine director) and her partner Frank shared some of this syrah after it was freshly bottled earlier this spring and now the rest has finally made it around the world to Webster’s! This is a rare wine as only 1% of New Zealand is planted with Syrah. The vineyard rests in one of the most picturesque mountain landscapes you could lay your eyes on and the resulting wine is smooth, energizing and very tasty.

Guiberteau ‘Les Moulins Rouge’, Cabernet Franc, Saumur, Loire, France, 2022

16 glass 64 bottle

From 80 year old vines in the communes of Montreuil-Bellay and Brézé is this young wine vinified to be drunk as such. The sandy, clay-limestone soil with limestone bedrock evokes an elegant balance of fruit and herbaceousness that is matched well with light acid and tannin. The fruit is 100% destemmed, fermented with ambient yeasts and aged for 6 months in stainless steel before a light filtration into bottles.

 

Fabbrica Pienza Newton Rosso Toscana IGT, Sangiovese, Val d'Orcia DOC, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
14 glass 56 bottle

An excellent elaboration expressing a range that only Sangiovese can fill when winemaking is done with conservative extractions, and judicious use of oak, and sulfur. Sandwiched between Montepulciano and Montalcino, Val d'Orcia is slightly warmer allowing for earlier harvest to promote structure without leaning so much on the normal level of additions you may see regionally. We are very proud to bring you this from our friend and importer of Loci Wines, Randall Bush. He is a master of his craft and the level of intention behind choosing to work with winemakers is equally fastidious as is sincere.

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Giacomo Fenocchio, Freisa, Langhe DOC, Piedmont, Italy, 2021

16 glass 64 bottle

Claudio and fam bring us this indigenous favorite from the heart of Barolo Cru, Bussia. They are in the process of receiving their organic farming certification but have converted the soils. The grapes are responding with having enough native yeast for a spontaneous fermentation which is carried out in steel. After 6 months in steel and an additional 6 months in slovenian oak this Friesa comes in with an intense and spicy aroma matched with righteous tannin. Served chilled.

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Coquelicot Estate Vineyard ‘Mon Amour’, Cabernet Sauvignon | Merlot | Cabernet Franc | Petit Verdot | Malbec, Santa Ynez Valley, California, 2011

14 glass 56 bottle

Here is an old school left-bank of Bordeaux blend right from the gut of California to warm you up as winter encroaches. Bernard Rosenson at the helm of Coquelicot, (French for Poppy), intends to make a wine that accompanies food. The inspiration first developed from the first few sips of wine at lunch when his father came home for lunch when growing up on the French countryside. Rosenson eventually became an illustrious California restaurateur who had a real estate opportunity leading to this creation. Mon Amour is from organically farmed fruit in the heart of the valley.

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ANGELO NEGRO, ‘PRACHIOSSO’, NEBBIOLO, ROERO, PIEMONTE, ITALY 2019
15 glass 59 bottle

The prized ‘Prachiosso’ vineyard was cultivated with vines as far back as 1200. It is a south facing plot on calcareous sandy soil created as the Adratic Sea receded and left us what is now the Po river. The name sake from Latin ‘Pratum chiusum’, translates to ‘a closed meadow’ describing the exposure and orientation of the hillside. Year after year this is one of my favorite wines, quintessential DOCG Nebbiolo but at a value and ready to go moments after pulling the cork. If you love it make sure you take one home to stash somewhere to forget about as long as you can.

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CIDER - APPLE & OTHER FERMENTATIONS

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2022 Patois Cider 'Morris Orchard' Amherst Co. Virgina

13 Glass 39 Bottle

Forget what you know about American cider because you are about to experience something next level. Patrick Collins and Danielle LeCompte are crafting the some of the most elegant fermentations we have tasted. They forage for heirloom apples in eastern Virgina and produce ciders more akin to a method traditional sparkling wine. Morris is a blend of 5-6 varieties, predominately Goldrush from the clay granitic schist in Monroe, Virginia.

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2021 Patois Cider 'Bent Mountain' Witt Orchard Roanoke Co. Virginia

13 Glass 39 Bottle

Bent Mountain is made from trees 40 and 80 years old at higher elevation (almost 3000 feet) on predominantly sandy loam soils of mica, quartz and felspar. The coveted Albemarle Pippin apples here were one of the most renowned varieties and even found their way into a gift basket for Queen Victoria. The cider is clear yellow with a distinct ripeness on the nose with beautifully balanced mousse across the palate.

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Lo Gano Des Combrailles, Limousin | Auvergne, France

At the confluence of the Cosse and Cher rivers is where Cyrille and Pascale Chevalier craft these amazing Pét Nat ciders from apple and other fruits. They are alive and racy bone dry and leave an intrigue you may not embrace on first sip. It took me a minute too. Everything is spontaneously fermented unfined and unfiltered and no additional SO2. The only additives are these poignant quotes on each bottle. 5-6% ABV

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RFC, 50% APPLES 50% Rhubarb

13 Glass 39 Bottle

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CRM, 80% Apples 20% MACERATED Red Raspberries

13 Glass 39 Bottle

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Eric Bordelet 'Nouvelle Vague' Sidre, Normandy NV
12 (330ml) 

Made from up to 50 varietals biodynamically farmed antique apple trees, (some over 200 years old!). Manually harvested apples were dehydrated 4-5 weeks in drafty English channel breeze then pressed to start fermentation from indigenous yeast and finish the process after bottling. This version of Norman cider has the complexity and intensity you’d expect from such an abundance of heirloom fruit. Eric was the former Sommelier at Paris’ Arpège before being drawn back to his family’s 1.5 hectare pear and apple orchard by his good friend Didier Dageneau to pursue his dream of making world-class cider in his native Normandy.

 

Floral Terranes 'Ida', Long Island, New York 2021
28 (750ml)

From the once expansive agriculture cornucopia which used to supply New York City, Erik Longabardi and Benford Lepley are preserving Long Island in these ultra small bottlings called Floral Terranes. Nature has a funny way of ignoring human efforts to pasteurize the land and this duo has traipsed all over the region, from mini mansion back yards to laboratory research facilities, collecting fruit from over 30 heirloom apple trees. Ida is dry and leans toward Basque than a Norman cider and I love it!

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Isastegi 'Sagardo Naturala' Sidra, Basque, Spain, NV
21 (750ml)

A great friend of mine grew up drinking this sidra. We’ve tasted it from the can and the keg. To get the full experience, drink it from the bottle. There is a little bit of must in each bottle that really gives it that Basque feel. Salty brine integrated with sour apple tartness. The bottles have a special cork for the famous long pour but we can also put it in a porron if you ask nicely.

Imported by De Maison Selections (distributed by Maverick, Chicago)

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BEER

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Maplewood 'Pulaski Pils,' Logan Square, Chicago
7 (5% 12oz)

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Burnt city brewery 'Raptor snacks," IPA, District Brew Yards, Chicago
7 (7% 12oz)

"Citra and experimental HBC-630 hops get together to lend delectable notes of tropical fruit and hard candy to this local west coast-style IPA. Hop-forward, but not aggressively bitter. A good beer to pair with a wide range of foods."--Ben Saller, Brewer, and friend of ours.