by Patrick Ogle

Libertine Wines' Acid Freak rosé is made from riesling and dolcetto. If that sounds a little odd it is because it is a teensy weensy bit odd.

Out of the gate the wine has cranberry, then raspberry with a bit of vinegar. It is a little a little funky with great , bright acid, as you might expect from the name. I say "this tastes like summer" about a lot of roses and this one really tastes like that but it is a great deal more interesting than the ocean of Provence rosés flooding the market. 

A dolcetta riesling co-fermentation is unlikely. You can read more about how it came to be on Wilamette Valley-based Libertine's website.  The fact that this is an odd mix does not mean this wine is, in any way, off putting or weird.  It is not. I cannot imagine anyone not liking this who enjoys rose. There are a number of such co-fermentations, sometimes with much more peculiar combinations of grapes, out there. Sometimes they veer toward red, other times are more obviously rosé. Once upon a time it was considered a BAD thing to mix red and white grapes (even though it was often done traditionally). These days orthodoxy isn't king and we are seeing more creative blends.

Even though it isn't traditional this co-fermentation makes sense. You get bright fruit from dolcetto but not much in the way of acid. Of course riesling BRINGS the acid. Riesling is one of the white grapes with the highest acidity. There is a lot of fruit here. One drinker thought it was sweet but that is likely the fruit masquerading as sweetness. The acid might cover a little but there isn't more than a small amount of sugar even if it is there.

Riesling gets its due. People who know realize it is one of the premiere grapes for white wine. Dolcetto is often regarded as a poor stepchild of the more famous reds from Piedmont.  This is unfair. Not every wine needs to be something you save for 20 years, nor does every wine have to rip your head of with its tannins.  Maybe wines like this will get people interested in their more traditional counterparts.

by Patrick Ogle

Chardonnay may seem a little out of place on a website called "surprising wines." It might seem more appropriate on a site called "ubiquitous wines." Chardonnay is everywhere. Cheap bottles and blends for under $10 a bottle abound, as do well crafted high end wines. It would be easy to find a Chardonnay that cost more than my last car.

What makes this wine interesting is both the location, Oregon, and the approach used making it. It is a natural wine that recalls different versions of classic Chardonnay without being identical to them.
 
Many people will be able to identify this wine with a sniff. It screams Chardonnay. After so many years of smelling and tasting various Chardonnay I have lost the ability to describe this "scream" but I know what it isn't here--overwhelming oak and over done malolactic fermentation (which gives that buttery taste).

This Statera, 2016, Corral Creek Vineyard Chelahem Chardonnay, is a pure expression of Chardonnay with orchard fruit, a bit of peach and bit of pear overlaid with a strong acidity. Maybe some honeydew melon. One adjective
that kept creeping into my head while drinking this was "spectacular." This was one of those times where it was hard to not just enjoy the wine and dispense with description and comparison.

When you think of unoaked chardonnay you may think of moderately priced Chablis and other Chardonnay that can be stark and citrusy. You might describe this as having citrus and starkness but the wine also has body and depth. None of this wine's characteristics overwhelm the others. 

This wine was created, crafted with a clear philosophy. First off one ofthe winemakers, Luke Wylde, views oak as an additive. No oak at all here but still a wine with complexity. This is a wine that we hang the natural wine tag on but it is as much a throwback to winemakers who wanted wines to be a product of terroir. Terroir refers to the unique combination of weather, climate, soil, elevation etc in the area where the grapes grow. 

Oregan is, more and more, being seen as a Chardonnay region and one that produces a distinctive version of the wine. It isn't Northern California Chardonnay nor is it Burgundy. It is a different iteration.  Wylde and Meredith Bell are the brains behind this wine. They partly funded this project with a Kickstarter. This enabled them to hold their bottles for a year before release to the public. Often smaller producers are forced, for financial reasons, to release wine right away. The fundraiser allowed them to hold not just the first bottling but subsequent bottlings for that crucial year.

Find out more about Statera Cellars HERE.

by Patrick Ogle

Day Wines' Malvasia Bianca is wine from an ancient grape with a new address.  Malvasia is more a family of grapes than a single variety. The most common is this one, Malvasia Bianca, often found in Mediterranean countries. You can find out more HERE.

Greenery abounds on the nose here. It isn't grassy green but spring day in a wild field while biting into a crisp, green apple. When you  get past the green (nose and taste) you may get ripe pear taste. I did anyway but it took me awhile to put a name to it. Later, I added tart apple meets ripe pair. Perhaps demonstrating not just deficiencies in my palate but my grasp of the English language.

There is hint of something bruised here but not oxidation.  It isn't a light wine to me but it is still crisp with better acidity than I've found in some Malvasia's Ive had. This undergoes malolactic fermentation and spends time in a barrel. You can find out more HERE.  The bottle I had is NOT the 2019 (2018 I believe).
 
I also felt relief when Id written my impressions, for right or wrong. I just wanted to have another glass. I think ultimately that is the point isn't it? Wanting another glass. It doesn't mean the details do not matter. I had this with black beans and rice Id made. I thought it wasn't going to work together. But, of course, it did.

by Patrick Ogle

Maloof's Ribolla Gialla from Dundee, Oregon is a New World twist on an Old World grape.

My first glass started out too cold which emphasized a bitterness on the finish. Don't serve it as cold as a slurpee (good and generally unnecessary advice). The wine is a bit bigger and more "bracing" than some (non-orange) Italian versions.

When you let it get to a reasonable temperature you get lemon, apricot and bitter almond. The wine, like its
overseas cousins, has really solid acidity and tartness. There is also a sense of some grip, some tannins in the wine. I don't know if this wine had any skin contact but it wouldn't surprise me if there was a little.

In Italy and Slovenia, Ribolla Gialla is often used to make orange wine. These are, basically, white wines made like red wines. The skins are left in contact after the grapes are pressed. With white wines you usually remove the skins.
If you remove the skins from a red wine immediately? You get a white wine. In red wine the skins are what give you the color (with a handful of exceptions). THIS wine isn't an orange wine but it is something to be aware of when you see
Ribolla Gialla wines out shopping.

The white and orange versions are different creatures.

Like many grapes not named "Chardonnay," after the Phylloxera epidemic these grapes were replaced with more well known, "international" varietals. But they were not wholly eclipsed and unlike some little known grapes it is rare to see
Ribolla derided as inferior or unremarkable.

The notes on this wine, when I returned to them after a few months of not writing about wine, were a little thin. I wondered about my observations, was I eating with this or not?  What you eat with a wine will potentially change what you think of it. I've gone back to wines Id taken notes on and my view changed a few months later; I noticed new or wildly different things. This isn't unique but it isn't often admitted.

In this case I feel like my notes didn't do justice to my enthusiasm for this Maloof offering. I need a few bottles of this for the porch when it finally warms up in Chicago.

by Patrick Ogle

Maloof Wines Where Ya PJ's At?, Pinot Gris/Riesling 2018 is an easy drinking skin contact wine from Willamette Valley, Oregon.
 
A friend told me I would love this so I grabbed a bottle. I didn't read a word about it before the purchase but thought "Riesling and Pinot Gris?...White wine." It is a common white blend.

Nope, wrong.

When I poured "PJs" I was mildly surprised to see it was a skin contact wine, in this case a sort of "cloudy rose." Unlike "orange" wines this one isn't harsh or tannic;  it is a delicious and easy to drink wine. That said, I understand  that folks  who think the only good wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir might not be able to get their minds around this. It is different. Yet it isn't different for the sake of being weird. It is for the sake of being a unique, different wine.

I always say that orange wines are food wines and this one isn't totally untrue here. It certainly would be a good food wine but this is a lot more of a friendly wine than many more traditional skin contact wines (I am likely to use skin contact and orange wine terms interchangeably; you can feel free to question this).

This wine has plum, grapefruit and less than ripe strawberries. This isn't strawberry flavoring taste this is straight up fresh strawberries. It is tart and acidic. Don't serve it too cold.

In some respects this reminds of wines like Les Skullions from Finca Parera but only a little. There are as many differences as similarities. I think it is just a certain indescribable vibe that caused this recollection (not to sound like a hippie or anything).

by Patrick Ogle

Raventos' Can Sumoi Ancestral Sumoll 2017  is an approachable pet nat (Pétillant-naturel) made with an rare grape. I tasted peaches, apricots and a bit of red berry in this fine bubbled wine. There is also a  tiny hint of bitterness on the finish and something reminiscent of bruised orchard fruit . This is, despite the exotic description and grape, an accessible wine This  will please fans of pet nats and natural wines but also people with more staid tastes.  

There is a bit of creaminess in this golden-hued vino. For a a pet nat you don't get the funk that some find off putting but you do get a unique and interesting confluence of flavors and sensations. This clearly isn't a Champagne nor is it like other Champagne method wines from Raventos but that is a good thing. The wine is 100 percent Sumoll, uses indigenous yeast and adds no sulfur. It has about the same pressure in the bottle as a Champagne.

Summoll is a rare grape. Depending on the source there are between 200-250 hectares (500ish acres) grown in Penedes, Spain. The grape can produce quality red wines (including this one). It is not surprising that it has been used in Cavas as well. It has a reputation as a difficult grape to work with but the examples I've found have been worth the effort.

Can Sumoi is the new natural wine label from Pepe Raventos and  Francesc Escala. Nearly a thousand acres of land at 600 meters of altitude. They grow
Montonega (a relative of Parellada), Xarel-lo and Sumoll. Find out more HERE.

 It is to be hoped we see more from Can Sumoi.

by Patrick Ogle

Charleville Vineyard's  Chardonel is a white wine with  lime and crisp greenery on the nose. The wine has solid acidity and hints of  green apple too. It is refreshing to drink on a hot day but it is also a nice wine to pair with food, even fairly rich food. Charleville Vineyards is in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, a town with a number of wineries nearby, lots of history and tons of bed and breakfast-type lodging. This wine is not some curiosity from a tourist area though, but  a quality every day drinker.

The grape is the child of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. It was created in 1953. Like the former parent wine made from Chardonel is sometimes oaked. This particular version is not.

Be sure to not think "Chardonnay" when you try this wine because it is not that. It is its own thing and has its own flavor profile.  Even so it will please Chardonnay lovers and this version will get some Sauvginon Blanc drinkers on board as well--especially lovers of French versions.

Among the hybrid grapes Chardonel has perhaps the best reputation. Even the skeptics say that high quality wines can be made with the grape. I also tried a version (from nearby Chaumette Vineyards) that was oaked and the wine handles oak well. That wine was bigger, with more vanilla and a hint of butterscotch. Hybrid grapes are crossings between European vitus vinifera grapes and any of a number of American grapes (or in this case? other hybrids).

Why were hybrid grapes created? Initially it was because Phylloxera was wiping out wine producing grapes around the world. Later it was to create grapes that were more cold hardy or that would grow in other areas wine grapes found inhospitable. In many cases these grapes have a dubious reputation but not always. We've dealt with reasons for grapes having dubious reputations before--it is often because few winemakers have really TRIED to make quality wine with them.

Distribution of these wines is iffy because our country has idiotic laws about wine distribution (usually written by big distributors with loads of campaign dollars to hand out). You may have to get into the area (or at least Missouri) to find these wines but it would be a lovely weekend trip.

by Patrick Ogle

BLANKbottle "Don't Look Back" Swartland (South Africa) Clairette has an orange flavor that  jumps out of the glass to your nose and when you taste.  I found this a little odd and had to taste again to be sure (and again and again). Initially I thought this was somewhat odd. It isn't unheard of but it is slightly less than an everyday wine drinking experience.

​​Orchard fruits make an appearance as well--pears or exotic apples perhaps. There is acidity here but it isn't "rip your face off" acidity. It gives this nuanced impression of roundness then the acidity taps you on the shoulder.

This is a complex little white wine. It is deceptive because it is fun and easy to drink. When you are tossing it back you do not want to think about it. It is like listening to your favorite high energy dance music. You just want to dance. You don't want to notice the song is about love and death and poverty and the various mysteries of existence. It also tosses in some minerality, a hint of stoniness and a dab of earthiness (but only a dab).

Ok, maybe I am putting too much on this Clairette. It won't end strife in the world but it is an excellent, interesting white.

Clairette is not widely grown but it is not endangered. There is something like 200 acres planted in South Africa. Various areas in the Rhone Valley and Provence (France) use the grape in blends. There are around 7000 acres grown in France. It is allowed in Chateau neuf de Pape and is also used in Rhone sparklers Clairette de Die and Cremant de Die. The latter usually featuers more Clairette. There are also Clairette sparklers from Australia and South Africa.

When you read about this grape you will see the usual disparaging remarks made about grapes that are not among the half dozen or so deemed to be "good grapes for wine."  You will read it is light, fruity and simple and, indeed, it can be that but it is not limited to that. This wine is fruity but it isn't super duper light. You will see the odd oft cut and pasted notion that it is low in acidity. This also CAN be true but isn't necessarily so. Most of the varietal versions I've had of this have had fairly high acidity and grapes used in sparkling wine generally feature high acidity. Jancis Robinson has a short (and to me) more accurate description of Clairette.

by Patrick Ogle

Pinnacle Ridge's Grunder Veltliner (2017) is made from an Austrian Grape that has found a new home in Eastern Pennsylvania.

This wine's nose is like a clear, crisp summer day right after a sun shower.

Yes, I actually thought that.

The smell is also lightly green and a tad astringent. The taste is quite, well, Gruner-like.  It is deceptive on the first sip because you get fruit and roundness before the bracing acidity smacks you in the face. There is stone fruit--like a ripe peach--here and maybe a hint of some sort of citrus. This wine compares favorably to  Austrian Gruners that cost about the same amount (around $18.99 retail, $13.99 from the winery). It has solid fruit, a sort of big mouth feel but also quite solid acidity, which is why this wine is so good with food.

The first time I had it was with Japanese food and it worked wonderfully. I confess I'd already had a few so I bought a second bottle to try out later. If anything my opinion of the wine rose. 

Pinnacle Ridge is a winery in the Lehigh Valley AVA in Kutztown in Eastern Pennsylvania. In addition to this lovely Gruner they produce an excellent 100 percent Chardonnay sparkler that retails around $25 and $19.99. Judging from this small sample size the winery is one to keep an eye on. One gripe with smaller wineries from states not generally associated with wine is price. Small producers often have to charge more but these wines are value priced given the quality. 

Of course my writing that this wine is "Gruner-like" above is a broad statement. I've had light Gruners that were fairly fruity and light on acidity, gruners that were sparse and super acidic. There are Gruners that are citrus-y or that taste 
like peaches. I've had a few golden-colored oak aged Gruners that should have been aged much longer than I aged them. Gruner can produce large yields. This sounds like a GREAT thing but with wine grapes? The more grapes the lower the 
quality.When growers go for large amounts of grapes they get a lesser wine. Likewise when the grapes are harvested makes a difference. Early harvest means less sugar and possibly more acidity. Find out more about the grape HERE. Gruner is grown all over the area of the former Austro-Hugarian Empire and, in recent years, is being grown in the Pacific Northwest.

It isn't all terroir (the land and climate etc) and grapes as some say. It is winemakers and Pinnacle Ridge must have solid ones.