Click below to learn more about this month’s club selections!

2020 Budureasca “The Dark Count of Transylvania” Cabernet Sauvignon & Fetească Neagră

Dealu Mare DOC-CMD, Romania

Grape Varietals

• 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 50% Fetească Neagră

Fetească Neagră is one of Romania’s most important indigenous red grape varieties. Here it is blended equally with Cabernet Sauvignon, combining Fetească Neagră’s dark berry fruit, spice and softer texture with Cabernet’s structure, tannin and black-fruit character.

Location
Dealu Mare DOC-CMD
Gura Vadului, Prahova County
Southern Subcarpathians, Romania

Budureasca’s vineyards are located in Dealu Mare, one of Romania’s most important red-wine regions. The estate’s vineyards range from approximately 175 to 400 meters above sea level on sunny, predominantly south-facing hills. Soils include chernozem and limestone, while the temperate continental climate receives warmer Mediterranean-influenced air currents. Budureasca points out that its vineyards sit close to the 45th parallel, a latitude shared with several major European wine regions.

Cellar Window
Drink now through approximately 2030

Tasting Notes
This is a dark, full-bodied and fruit-forward red with a slightly plush character. Budureasca describes aromas of black cherry and rosemary, with blackberry, blackcurrant and other forest fruits on the palate. Expect ripe black plum and blueberry as well, accompanied by cinnamon, clove, subtle smoky oak and an herbal edge. The tannins are well integrated rather than aggressively firm, and the slight residual sweetness gives the dark fruit additional richness. At its best, the wine combines the recognizable cassis and black-cherry character of Cabernet with the juicy dark fruit, spice and softer personality of Fetească Neagră.

Thanksgiving-Specific Food Pairings
For Thanksgiving, I would pair this with the richer and more savory side of the table. It should be particularly good with dark-meat turkey, smoked or roasted turkey, glazed ham, sausage stuffing, mushroom stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes and herb-roasted root vegetables. The wine’s dark berry fruit and slight sweetness can stand up to cranberry sauce, while rosemary, cinnamon and spice notes connect beautifully with sage-heavy stuffing and roasted meats.

Food Pairings
Budureasca recommends this wine with beef, pork, lamb, chicken and grilled vegetables, and another technical description specifically suggests duck, beef, mutton and medium-aged cheeses.

Try it with grilled lamb chops, beef stew, roast pork, duck breast, burgers, barbecue or braised short ribs. Its herbal character makes dishes seasoned with rosemary and thyme especially appealing. For cheese, look toward aged Gouda, mature cheddar, Manchego or other moderately aged firm cheeses.

About the Producer
Budureasca is based in Romania’s historic Dealu Mare wine region, an area with an exceptionally long tradition of grape growing. Archaeological finds near the vineyards point to viticulture dating back to the Dacians and possibly the earlier Thracians. Today Budureasca manages roughly 275 hectares of vineyards, with most replanted to modern standards while approximately 25 hectares of older vines have been retained.

The modern Budureasca cellar opened in 2013 and was built partly into the hillside to provide natural temperature stability. Winemaking has long been overseen by internationally experienced oenologist Stephen Donnelly, who studied at UC Davis and has worked in regions including California, England, Hungary, South Africa, India and Romania. Donnelly has served as Budureasca’s winemaker since 2007. The winery combines modern winemaking technology with both international varieties and traditional Romanian grapes such as Fetească Neagră.

The Dark Count of Transylvania collection plays deliberately on Romania’s Dracula mythology while combining native Romanian varieties with international grapes. The winery describes the range as an exploration of the contrasting “light and dark” sides of the legendary Count.

---

2016 Ferghettina “Milledì” Franciacorta Brut DOCG

Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy

Grape Varietal

• 100% Chardonnay

This makes Milledì a Blanc de Blancs-style Franciacorta, produced entirely from Chardonnay selected specifically for its ability to express the mineral and savory character of Franciacorta.

Location
Franciacorta DOCG
Lombardy, Northern Italy

The Chardonnay for Milledì comes from 12 different vineyards located across eight municipalities within Franciacorta. The vineyards average approximately 250 meters above sea level. Rather than expressing a single vineyard, Milledì is designed to capture a broader picture of Chardonnay grown throughout the Franciacorta zone.

Franciacorta lies among the hills south of Lake Iseo, with the Alps immediately to the north. The area’s glacially influenced soils and moderating lake and mountain climate help Chardonnay retain acidity while developing sufficient ripeness for traditional-method sparkling wine.

Winemaking
Traditional Method / Metodo Classico
Brut — 4 g/L dosage

The Chardonnay is hand harvested around mid-August and whole clusters are gently pressed in pneumatic presses. Ferghettina separates the first, highest-quality free-run juice from the later press fractions and uses only that first fraction for Franciacorta. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at approximately 16–18°C. The base wine rests in tank until the spring following harvest before undergoing its second fermentation in bottle.

Milledì then receives approximately 36 months of aging on the lees before disgorgement and is finished with a relatively low 4 g/L dosage. That extended yeast contact contributes the brioche and creamy characteristics while the low dosage preserves its dry, mineral personality.

Cellar Window
Drink now through approximately 2029

When Wine Enthusiast reviewed the 2016, it remained notably fresh, earning 93 points and showing tangy acidity alongside creamy pear, apple, lemon and brioche. Its 100% Chardonnay composition, relatively low dosage, strong acidity and 36 months of lees aging all favor graceful bottle development.

Tasting Notes
The 2016 Milledì is a dry, elegant and mineral-driven Franciacorta with a fine, persistent bead. Ferghettina describes pale straw yellow color with golden and green reflections and an elegant combination of citrus and mineral notes.

White spring flowers, stone fruit, brioche and a subtle touch of honey, followed by creamy pear, ripe yellow apple and lemon on the palate. Bright acidity keeps the richer fruit and lees-derived texture beautifully balanced.

With aging, the bottle will now show even more complexity: expect baked apple, lemon curd, toasted hazelnut, brioche, pastry, chamomile and possibly subtle honeyed or mushroom-like tones.

Thanksgiving-Specific Food Pairings
This is an excellent Thanksgiving wine, and one I could comfortably serve from the appetizer course straight through the turkey.

Pair it with roast turkey, turkey breast, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green-bean casserole, roasted squash and Brussels sprouts. Chardonnay’s citrus and apple character works naturally with poultry, while the wine’s brioche notes echo bread-based stuffing. Its fine bubbles and acidity cut through butter, gravy and creamy side dishes, making the palate feel refreshed between bites.

It would be particularly good with turkey + sage stuffing + mashed potatoes and gravy. If serving appetizers before dinner, it can transition beautifully from Brie, smoked salmon or crab directly into the main meal.

Food Pairings
Milledì’s combination of Chardonnay, lees aging, acidity and fine bubbles makes it remarkably versatile. Pair it with oysters, scallops, crab, lobster, shrimp, smoked salmon, sushi or delicate fried seafood. It also works beautifully with roast chicken, creamy risotto, mushroom dishes and poultry in butter- or cream-based sauces.

The wine’s mature brioche and nutty qualities make Parmigiano-Reggiano, Comté, Gruyère and aged alpine cheeses excellent partners. Fried foods are another particularly good match—the acidity and bubbles cut through richness while the wine’s lees-derived texture keeps the combination from feeling austere.

About the Producer
Ferghettina was founded in 1991 by Roberto Gatti and his wife Andreina. Roberto was born into a farming and winegrowing family and spent more than 20 years managing vineyards and a cellar for another Franciacorta producer before the couple took control of four hectares in Erbusco and began making wine under their own name. Their first Franciacorta followed in 1992.

The family subsequently expanded significantly and today manages approximately 200 hectares spread across 11 municipalities in Franciacorta, farming according to organic principles. Roberto and Andreina remain involved alongside their children Laura and Matteo Gatti, both trained in oenology.

Ferghettina has also become known for technical experimentation. Matteo Gatti developed the winery’s distinctive square-based bottle, designed to increase the surface area of wine in contact with the lees during bottle aging. According to Ferghettina, the flatter internal surfaces provide roughly two-and-a-half times the yeast-contact area of a traditional round bottle, encouraging greater release of yeast-derived compounds during maturation.

Milledì, first produced in 2007, represents the family’s Chardonnay-focused expression of Franciacorta: fruit selected from 12 vineyards across the appellation, extended bottle aging and low dosage, with the emphasis on minerality, freshness and finesse.