A Southern Hemisphere Interlude
Dear Member,
Down in the Southern Hemisphere, the Lombardy poplars and willows have shifted from green to gold. The winds are drifting in, said to “blow away the oxygen” at the highest altitudes. They certainly blow away any residual heat. Adobe fireplaces and campfires are kept well stoked, warming our backs as we enjoy our nightly Malbec.
Perhaps you’ll find some Andean cool welcome as this package reaches you. Feel free to chill everything you find here—even the reds. As our friend Julien Miquel likes to point out, Americans consistently drink their reds too warm. Don’t fear the fridge.
Timing the Season
You’ll notice that this collection is arriving earlier than in previous years. We would typically send later in July, but given the increasing likelihood of weather delays that month, we decided to get out in front of the heat waves rather than risk leaving you high and dry when a drink is most needed.
We also chose to forego a single-country focus for this summer’s collection, curating instead a basket designed to leave no thirst unquenched: hearty reds for the Fourth of July barbecue, smooth whites and sparkles for evenings spent watching fireflies above the lawn, and—as a special upgrade to thank you for accommodating our earlier schedule—a pair of bonus bottles, including a vermouth made from Andean grapes and botanicals.
A Note on Vermouth
If your only experience with vermouth was a martini someone served you twenty years ago, you may be surprised by how deep and expressive it can be when not playing second fiddle to liquor. As an apéritif or midday drink—in 1950s Spain, the hora del vermut began around noon and lasted until 3 p.m.—it has much to offer the wine lover looking to escape the heat.
A Parting Thought
It can be easy to let the summer slip away, arriving in September with a sense of all the moments that might have been. Don’t let that happen. In each of these bottles, there is a moment to be had. Simply pop the cork.
In This Box
1. Sunal Ilogico Malbec 2019 — Argentina
From an extreme-altitude vineyard in Luracatao, deep in Argentina’s remote Calchaquí Valley, this rare Malbec is reaching American shores for the first time. It is not available anywhere else in the United States. Expect notes uncommon in most Malbecs: black olive, violet, graphite, and blackberry.
2. Tacana Malbec 2020 — Argentina
The Partnership’s very first wine, from the Bonner family ranch. The vineyard—discovered by Bill and his sons—is home to rows of old-growth Malbec on their original rootstock, planted at more than 8,400 feet above sea level.
3. Manos Negras ZaHa Malbec 2019 — Argentina
ZaHa means “heart” in Mendoza’s native Huarpe language. With deep, sprawling roots, the vines in the Toko Vineyard draw what the producers call the “blood of the earth” from deep within the rocky limestone subsoil.
4. Château Vieille Tour Exception Côtes de Bordeaux Rouge 2018 — France
Winemaker Jérôme Gouin is a farmer at heart. His focus is the land itself: a small plot planted around a ruined tower overlooking the Garonne Valley. This cuvée is called Exception because it is released only in exceptional vintages with real aging potential.
5. Puramun Chardonnay Reserva 2020 — Argentina
José “Pepe” Galante is widely regarded as the most important winemaker in Argentina’s history. Founded in 2010, Puramun is his first personal project. With this Reserva Chardonnay, he seeks complexity, combining citrus flavors with a chalky minerality that reflects the Paraje Altamira terroir.
6. Beau-Site-Haut-Vignoble Saint-Estèphe 2015 — France
Saint-Estèphe reds are known for grit and austerity. You’ll certainly find cigar smoke and leather here, but also oak and vanilla, along with blackberry and plum. Our resident French wine expert, Julien Miquel, is a longtime admirer of this vintage. At last, we get to see what all the fuss is about.
Bonus Bottles
To your health,
Will Bonner
Founder, Bonner Private Wine Partnership
