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Tenuta Vallocaia Bindella | 2018 | Montepulciano, Italy

The Montepulciano War Horse

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Tuscany)
Long Aging Potential
Sangiovese, Canaiolo nero, Colorino del vardano, Mammolo
Multiple 90+ point scores

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (a DOCG – Italy’s highest designation), comes from the Tuscan hilltop village of Montepulciano. It is not made from the montepulciano grape, but rather sangiovese (and host of supporting players).

Vino Nobile is the war horse of Tuscany. Consumed too young it can feel a bit raw, or “chewy.” This bottle from Tenuta Vallocaia had 22 months in large oak barrels to mellow, then another two years in bottle to mature. The result is exactly what you hope a Montepulciano will be, with a nose of wild flowers and berry-laden thickets, and a balanced, if tightly structured, feel on the palate. But there’s still a lot more road left on this 2018 (with multiple 90+ point scores). You might notice a hint of balsamic in there; expect it to “pop” after a few more years in the cellar.

Camperchi Campidivini La Chiusa Toscana | 2016 | Tuscany, Italy

The “Field of the Gods” Blend

Chianti terroir (non-DOCG)
2x Gold Medal Winner 2021
Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Petit verdot

A few thousand years ago, somewhere on the stony hills near the Camperchi winery, stood a temple in honor of Hercules. Thus, the name “Campidivini,” or fields of the gods.

Campidivini La Chiusa is a tribute to Camperchi’s first wine, a blend of carefully hand-picked grapes from their oldest vineyards. Winemaker Salvino Picone used his oldest vines, farmed organically (to “preserve the Tuscan soul” he says), and harvested by hand. For fermentation he opted for stainless steel (which, unlike oak, imparts none of its own flavor into the must).

Even at 6 years old, this Toscana still feels fresh, young even, with plum and violets in the nose, a burst of the same, with a bit of balsamic, in the mouth, and a long finish.

Calmel & Joseph Entre Amis | 2019 | Languedoc Pézenas, France

The “Languedoc Gold”

Organic
Gold Medal, Concours Terre de Vins 2022
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache
4,860 bottles made

To the east of Provence, around the mouth of the Rhône River, hot, dry Languedoc is beloved in France, but not well known outside of it. (Partnership members may remember all-time favorites Domaine Ollier-Taillefer and L’intrus, both from the Languedoc.)

Award-winning Entre Amis (“between friends”), comes from Pézenas, a sunbaked medieval village built on schist rock (for Languedoc fans, it’s the same soil found in Faugères). Like any great Rhône syrah, Entre Amis comes in like a dagger. But don’t fear the tannin. We are between friends here after all. Almost immediately on impact the edge dissipates into soft white pepper, fresh cut figs and crushed strawberry – plus a touch of salt, from the nearby Mediterranean.

Close your eyes and you might just hear crickets chirping in seaside scrub. Fermented in concrete, then aged 12 months with 20% in oak. Just 4,860 bottles made.

Vieil Armand Rendez-vous | 2020 | Alsace, France

The Pine Forest Gold

2,962 bottles only
Gold Medal Lyon 2021
Pinot noir

Vieil Armand Wine Estate is an 80-family Alsatian cooperative winery situated just half an hour from the German border. The majority of them are still cultivating family vineyards they have worked for more than 4 generations, and Alsatian pinot is now a real contender with the Burgundians to the south.

Vieil Armand practices sustainable agriculture through the French “High Environmental Value” program. Level 3 is the highest level, providing the certification HVE (high environmental value) for the entire farm operation. To attain this level winemakers must meet performance requirements on biodiversity, use of pesticides, fertilizers, water management.

Rendez-Vous comes from four distinct plots over marl and sandstone. The wine sat in oak for 12 months – exactly what the grapes needed after the broiling 2020 season. You can smell the forest here with notes of dark cherry and woodland berries; in the mouth a wine at first bold, then silky with a long, delicate finish. This is an extremely limited production, with nice aging potential.

Dominio del Bendito El Buen Rollo | 2019 | Toro, Spain

The “Matador” Toro

Organic
Pre-Phylloxera Vines (avg. 40 years)
Gold medal, Berliner
Silver medal, International Wine Challenge 2021
Silver medal, Mundus Vini 2021
Tinta de Toro

A grail in Europe: wine from pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines. In Toro, on the soaring heights above the Duero River, the sandy soil makes it hard for the bug to find a foothold.

Thus, the vines in Antony Terryn’s “dream vineyard” (a local variant of tempranillo called tinta de Toro) range from several decades to a century old. But don’t let their age fool you. Connoisseurs know that Toro = power. And that’s certainly true here.

This 2019 (90 pts from Gilbert & Gaillard) has the nose of a bull. Still, its 3 years in bottle have given the wine time to think. On the palate, El Buen Rollo is a slow burner. Careful. Like the grizzled old farmhand who favors the slow approach. Then suddenly the bull reappears, coming right at you, tannins forward with a cloud of florals.

Mascaró Cava Gran Reserva | 2014 | Catalonia, Spain

The Champagne of Spain

Champagne method
Perellada, Macabeo, Chardonnay
Gold Medal Winner – San Francisco Intl. Wine Competition 2021

“Time is to cava what fire is to cooking,” says winemaker Montserrat Mascaró. Surrounded by forest, Mascaró watches the bees and butterflies, the foliage on the trees and brambles and vines, the bud break and the way the sap flows, in order to determine when to prune, to harvest (by hand), and to observe how to “respect [the] vineyard’s cycles of life”.

As in Champagne, the sparkle happens in bottle (not tank), and each bottle then ages underground before release. With a golden color and fine bubbles (note how they run in continuous strings from each bead), fruit on the nose with some hazelnut and brioche, then a round, lingering mouthfeel, this is a sparkler you can serve with anything, any time. Drink within the year, serve very cold, and store in a stand up position.

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About the Bonner Private Wine Partnership

Founded by Will Bonner, the Partnership is a group of wine lovers who come together to import great, small batch wines that might otherwise get overlooked by large importers.

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