Dejah’s Top Wine Picks for Spring
Happy first day of Spring! With longer days and warmer weather around the corner, this is a great time to dig into wines that celebrate this coming season of growth and exploration. Here are a few of my top picks:
I’ll start with 2022 Domaine Landron Chartier "Naturlich" Petillant Naturel Brut Val de Loire $24.99, a pale-pink refreshing blend of Folle Blanche, Gamay, Pinot Noir from the Loire Valley. This appetizing pet-nat from third-generation winemaker Bernard and Benoît Landron Chartier has cheerful aromatics of spring florals cherry blossom, and stone fruits. This is for the skeptics of natural wines and Pet Nat! It is just a perfect spring sipper, and I think you’ll especially enjoy its low-alcohol (12% ABV) vibe for daytime refreshment.
The next one I like for its ability get the tastes buds activated. The entry-level 2022 Vigneti Massa "Piccolo" Timorasso Colli Tortonesi $19.99 is a Timorasso that is an exceptionally cool, easy-to-drink briny white from the younger vines at Walter Massa’s winery. Located in the Tortona Hills in the southeastern Piemonte, Walter Massa has been a pioneer for saving this ancient variety from near extinction and bringing it to all of us lucky Italian wine lovers. A quintessential light-bodied, flavorful wine with bright citrusy lemon-lime-driven notes, great minerality, and cleansing acidity. This is a perfect picnic wine—try it with light fare or finger foods.
For those of you who love aromatic, exotic whites, I highly recommend the 2022 Long Shadows "Poet's Leap" Columbia Valley Riesling $19.95. This beautiful wine shows a bit of off-dry tart stone fruit, minerality, white florals, and jasmine. From the cooler parts of the Colombia Valley, Long Shadows sources this Riesling from old vines planted in the mid 1980s. This is a perfect one for the zestier dishes like grilled eggplant with spiced basil vinaigrette; or morels with mint and spring peas; or even a salted cucumber salad with chili flakes—the salty and spicy combination can be a lively paring.
We also have a wine from the Soave Classico region in Northern Italy that is a perennial favorite with staff each time it lands on our shelves: the 2022 Le Battistelle "Battistelle" Soave Classico $17.99. Planted on volcanic basalt soils, from vines raised on the pergola method. The fruit is carefully hand harvested, then fermented on fine lees in stainless steel tanks. This is a wine for the adventurous cheese lovers out there. The aromatics are a mixture of spring herbs, Satsuma citruses, zesty lime oil, and exciting acidity. When combined with a French cheese in the Tomme style like Jasper Hill or a semi-soft Swiss cheese, this will be superb.
And this would not be a solid spring assortment if I did not add in a chillable red. The 2022 Les Vignerons d'Estezargue "Carambouille" Vin de France Rouge $15.99 is fun, delicate, chillable red from the Rhône Valley that has seductively supple flavors. A blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Counoise, the wine is fermented in tank, meaning that it’s clean and bright with expressive flavors—a perfect chillable red for warm-weather drinking. All the Carambouille needs is 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge or a few minutes on top of a mound of ice for the perfect temperature to bring out the lovely fruits of strawberry, red pear, pomegranate. It finishes with a soft tannic grip, making it perfect paired with a smoked turkey sandwich and Mediterranean orzo salad or a burger topped with fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and basil leaf—honestly the pairings are endless for this fresh and crushable chillable red.
Lastly, if you are up for a red wine with a violet, silty-floral, savory flavor with medium tannins then this is the bottle for you. Fronton is an appellation in Southwestern France known for rustic reds and rosés. The 2020 Château Laurou "Les Complices" Fronton $13.99 has dark-cherry, graphite, and turned-earth aromas, mixed with dark berries and roasted cranberry relish and a hint of black tea at the tail end. This is a perfect medium-bodied rustic red to have with an array of meals on the lighter side, even slightly chilled but outdoor temperature is also perfect.