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Sparkman Cellars Black Dragon 2021: $70

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from Sparkman Cellars)

Varietal Composition: 50% Malbec & 50%  Petit Verdot

Appellation: Red Mountain, WA

Drink Now or Cellar? Drink now or…cellar for around 5 years

Vinification: Aged 50% in new oak. Only 94 cases produced.

Tasting Notes

“The 2021 Black Dragon kicks off its hedonism with an explosive nose of black cherries, black raspberries and blackberries, sweet vanilla, cacao, mineral and sweet toasty oak. The palate is crammed with stupendous flavors of blueberries, blackberries, herbs, crushed stone, mint and creamy vanilla that roll on for a looooong finish. Guilty pleasure anyone?”

Food Pairing

Seared ribeye with hedgehog mushrooms, wild mushroom and goat cheese veggie pie

From Them to You:

“We (Kelly, Mom/President/Founding Winemaker and Chris Sparkman, Dad/President/Founding Winemaker) launched Sparkman Cellars in Woodinville, Washington in 2004 to focus on our family. In Year One we made one baby girl, 12 barrels of wine (289 cases) and three labels in a tiny warehouse. In Year Three we made another baby girl, opened our first tasting room, made 1425 cases of wine and eight labels. 

We have now grown our annual production to over 12,000 cases in our shiny new winery, tasting room and event hall at the old Redhook Brewery in Woodinville. The babies are now in high school. We remain a family owned and operated winery committed to making wines that are considered among the finest in the world.  Our artisan handcrafted style produces powerful, well-balanced yet elegant award-winning wines. We also enjoy contributing to our community and to causes that resonate with our family, which is another way that the wine world helps make our lives rich. Sparkman Cellars 2013 Holler Cabernet Sauvignon was named #21 on the 2016 Wine Spectator Top 100. The winery has also been named one of Wine Spectator’s Rising Stars, Wine Enthusiast’s Cult Winery and Wine & Spirits’ Top 100 Wineries in the World.

Source: https://sparkmancellars.com/ 

Château Saint Martin de La Garrigue: PicPoul: $45 

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from Château St. Martin)

Varietal Composition: White Picpoul 100%
Appellation: Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue

Drink Now or Cellar? Drink now or cellar for 4 years

Vinification: Skin contact for 10 hours. Cold settling followed by slow fermentation with temperature control. Kept for four months on fine lees in stainless steel tanks

Tasting Notes

Appearance: radiant yellow. Nose: refined floral and mineral undertones, lively citrus aromas Taste: density, freshness and lush roundness all combine.

Food Pairing

With crustaceans, shellfish, sushi, fish grilled or marinated Tahiti style. After its first winter, very good match for asparagus, artichokes and dried goat’s cheese

From Them to You:

“At Saint Martin de la Garrigue the protection of all species takes pride of place. The wildlife, which is not hunted here, and the endemic plants multiply in this nature reserve. Here, the vines and their cultivation form part of the equilibrium and help nurture the ecosystem.

By our choices and our ecologically sustainable methods, we produce top quality grapes while at the same time safeguarding the environment and human health.

The estate, located at Montagnac in the Hérault département about ten kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, stands on top of a hill overlooking the Thau coastal lagoon. The vines grow on slopes facing the sea and thus benefit from maritime breezes that carry in moisture to counter the effect of summer drought. ​​The fifty plots that make up the estate vineyards stand around the château in a typically Mediterranean environment. The smell of the pine woods intermingles with the pungent aromas of evergreen oak, almond, olive, thyme, rosemary and downy cistus that dominate the surrounding Mediterranean garrigue.”

Source: https://stmartingarrigue.com/