Great Value Whites Mixed Case - February/March 2023 Edition

France and Spain have a stranglehold on this month's Value Whites selections with a surprising source (New York) for the only wine not from those two countries.

Value Sampler Case Includes 2 Bottles Each:

Face a la Mer Picpoul & Terret (Languedoc, France) -  Summertime is "prime-time" for Picpoul, but we love crisp and refreshing white wines all year long, and we couldn't wait until spring/summer to introduce this fantastic value. Face a la Mer is Picpoul with a splash of Terret (Terret is a white mutation of Terret Noir, a grape many believe to be a parent of Pinot Noir) with aromas and flavors of lime, green apple, and sea spray minerality.

 

Ossiam Blanco (Utiel-Requena, Spain) – Ossiam is crafted by Bodega Sierra Norte, a winery created in 1999 by 3rd generation winemaking family who rebranded and rededicated their winery to organic and sustainable winemaking.  Since then their vineyards have been certified organic and the wines are sustainably produced and vegan friendly.  Pale yellow with bright, clean, green glints. Aromas of white flowers, tropical fruit, apricot peel and a hint of fennel spice. The palate is lush and layered with pronounced flavors of green apple, pear, grapefruit, and tropical fruit, with light notes of honeysuckle and grass. Fresh and flavorful with lively acidity, elegant complexity, and medium persistence.

 

Bodegas Conde Valdemar Rioja Blanco (Rioja, Spain) – For 120+ years and five generations, the Bujanda family have produced some of the finest wines from Rioja.  Their Conde Valdemar is a blend of Viura and Malvasia with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Tempranillo Blanco.  Expressive green fruit character accompanied by white flower, subtle citrus, with some tropical fruit undertones. The palate is clean and lively with green apple, some-what melony with hints of honeydew and banana, finishing dry and floral but extremely cleansing.

Vignerons de Buxy Cote Chalonnaise Blanc (Burgundy, France) – It's been quite a while since we've seen a white Burgundy this good for this price, and frankly we thought that those days were long for good.  But we should have know that if anybody could deliver one in this economy, that it would be Buxy.  Founded in 1931 by 98 vine growers who sought to pool resources in the face of the Great Depression and one of the first wineries in Burgundy to be certified sustainable, Vignerons de Buxy has been blazing trails in the lesser known sub-region of Cote Chalonnaise for nearly a century.  With a fine pale golden hue, the nose is very fruity (grapefruit, lemon,citrus), with hints of honey suckle and hawthorn.

Cottanera "Barbazzale" Cataratto (Sicily, Italy) – You may be unfamiliar with the Catarratto grape, but this indigenous Sicilian variety just might be your new favorite! Enticing notes of fresh apple, citrus, river rock and dried white flowers greet you on the nose, followed by flavors of green pear, lemon peel and a touch of salinity on the finish. This one is easy to enjoy all by itself on the porch, but would also pair nicely with Parmesan-crusted whitefish.

Chateaumar Cotes du Rhone Rose (Rhone Valley, France) – The Castel Mar (Châteaumar) estate dates back to the 11th century. Since the beginning, over countless generations, the vines at Domaine de Châteaumar have been cultivated without any pesticides or herbicides by father and son in the Souret family. Today, Jean-Felix and Frederic Souret manage the vineyard, still maintaining the greatest respect for nature.This wine’s intense pink rose petal color is slightly darker and more robust than the rosés of nearby Provence, which is indicative of the wine itself. A nose of macerated strawberries, raspberries, and peaches, with a faint earthy and peppery base, comes together with a fresh clay minerality on the soft, round, and slightly weighty palate. Well-integrated ripe cherry skin acidity is key in retaining this sturdy rosé’s balance and freshness, making it a fine companion for richer foods like grilled lamb loin chops, burgers, spicy sausages, fresh tomato sauced pastas, and mezze platters.