WEDNESDAY NIGHT FLIGHT
ROTATING 3 WINE FLIGHT MARKET PRICE
Less is more.
-Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
A study in reductive wine making
3 wines, $39
2021 Camille & Mathieu Apffel, Avant la Tempête, Jacquère, Savoie
2022 Saalwæchter, Weisser Burgunder, Rheinhessen, Germany
2021 Domaine Labet ‘lias’ Chardonnay, Rotalier, Jura, France
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Less is more, a study in reductive winemaking highlighting wines with acid and structure​
The phrase encapsulates the idea that by stripping away unnecessary elements, a design can become more focused, effective, and beautiful. Albeit the phrase's origin is in literature and architecture, it is synonymous with how some wines are designed by their winemaker. Essentially the ‘reductive’ starts in the vineyard with reduced intervention letting the fruit express its vintage and terroir. From there reductive winemaking generally means aromas created or held in the absence of oxygen. Some of the best examples often bound with structure and acid. This style always tugs at my heartstrings and I am so excited to highlight some of my favorite examples, especially Labet. -nik​​​
2021 Camille & Mathieu Apffel, Avant la Tempête, Jacquère, Savoie
A next level expression of the variety, this Jacquère comes in with lemon grass aromas, wisps of cilantro and jalapeño once on the palate. The body is thirsty, with acid rich structure that will have you quenching your palette with more. Mathieu and wife Camille, work 100% manually on 4.5 hectares of land in the village of Saint-Baldoph below the imposing Massif de Chartreuse. Jacquère vines are 30 to 70 years old planted outside the winery. The prior owner worked conventionally and the couple are converting the estate to organic viticulture and 2021 marked the first vintage when they did soil work between the rows since conversion.
2022 Saalwæchter, Weisser Burgunder, Rheinhessen, Germany
My mouth is watering with anticipation writing this. I was struck by Carsten’s wines on our recent trip to Germany. Our allocation from Domaine Labet had just arrived and was fresh in my mind. There was something reminiscent in Saalwæchter’s Pinot Blanc. I mentioned the correlation to the cool and restrained winemaker who immediately blushed and returned a jolly smile admitting ‘Thank You, Labet is an inspiration!’. This Pinot Blanc a.k.a Weisser Burgunder is cultivated from older forgotten north facing parcels perfect for slower ripening and a patient elaboration of acidity. -nik
This wine has swagger, bundled energy and is an absolute stunner! It is also a featherweight, at least on the paper of its back label: a mere 11.5%. Yet the wine has a certain weight, a certain swagger. It is clear and saline, citrus with green herbal details, a crystalline minerality, glowing and transparent-feeling in that way Wasenhaus can be. This is stunning. -Stephen Bitterolf
2021 Domaine Labet ‘lias’ Côtes du Jura Chardonnay, Rotalier, Jura, France
Alain Labet was a pioneer in the Jura for making wines in the ‘Ouillé’ style in addition to the traditional ‘sur voile’ style. Ouillé simply means the barrels are topped up which prevents oxidation in the wine and the veil forming like the sur voile style. Following the winemaking techniques of burgundy Alian began making single vineyard chardonnays in the 1980’s. When he retired, he handed over the reins to his children: Romaine managing the vineyards, Julien and Charlie making the wine. Julien Labet had already been making wine from some parcels of his own, inspired by his work at both domaine Ramonet in Chassagne-Montrachet and Hamilton Russell in South Africa. Julian committed to expanding on the work his father had begun. He and sister Charlie deftly manage making a broad range of wines but it is the Ouillé wines aged in Burgundy barrels that have garnered so much attention to the domaine. Over the years the Labet’s have refined and expanded the number of separate cuvées. The wines are grouped by soil type, either as a single vineyard or as an assemblage of similar soils and age of vines. Parcels are verified separately in barrique and demi-muid. 75% of the family vines are devoted to white grapes. The vineyards are farmed organic or biodynamic and the wines made without the addition of sulfur. - Charles Neal Selections
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Côtes du Jura 'lias' is from vineyards Planted in 1975 and 2017 on Lias era clay over Bathonian era limestone. Aged 20 months ‘Ouillé’ style in 228 and 500 liter barrique
