In 1972, with a $5,000 loan and maybe a bit of gumption, Kermit Lynch opened his business in Berkeley with thirty-five cases of wine stacked on the floor. Attracted by the Old World wine cultures of Europe, Kermit became a retailer, distributor, and national importer for authentic wines that express their terroir. His portfolio is full of gems from France and Italy. This Saturday we’ll be pulling the corks on just a few of them. Join us.
2011 Domaine de Poujol, l’Herault Blanc Pico $17
70% Vermentino, 20% Carignan Blanc, 10% Roussanne
From the Lanquedoc, Poujol’s Pico comes from 20 to 50 year old vines is fresh with flowery lime aromas, and a complex finish.
Tintero Garngia Rosato $10
90% Barbera, 5% Moscato, 5% Favorita
From Piedmont, Tintero makes a variety of frizante wines that are lively and refreshing. The Rosato is slightly off dry with lots of strawberry fruit and a lot of fizz.
2011 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone Cypress Cuvée $15
Louis Barruol is the fourteenth generation in his family to be making wine in this sixteenth-century domaine in Gigondas. Louis vinifies each parcel from his own vineyards separately. Then Kermit shows up and either has a cuvée bottled unfiltered, or he blends to find the assemblage that satisfies his esthetic criteria. Not a bad job if you can get it. The Cypress has aromas of fresh berry and forest floor that lead to a mouth-rich black fruit and spice notes.
2011 Silvio Giamello, Langhe, Villa Gentiana $22
This Nebbiolo comes from the same vineyard as Giamello’s Barbaresco but is declassified based purely on tasting of the barrels. The Gentiana is aged about 10 months, part in tonneaux of 5 hectoliters and part in Slavonian oak botti of 20-30 hectoliters. It has classic Nebbiolo notes of cherry, tar and tobacco mixed with ripe red fruit and dry smoky tannins.
2010 Château Belles-Graves Lalande de Polmerol $32
88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc
Château Belles-Graves is a 17 hectare estate with a long history. This Bordeaux undergoes a long maceration and ages in French oak barrels, 25% of which is new, for twelve to fifteen months. It is bottled unfiltered, and shows classic aromas of dark fruit, cocoa, and leather with mineral notes and dry tannins on the finish.
