– Made from Etraire d’Huy – 5 Hectares on Planet Earth
– Nose: Sour Cherries, Raspberries and Glorious Deep Spice
– Lilacs, Lavender
– Grapes, Pine – Very Alpine
– Such a Beautiful Wine in Such an Unexpected and Beautiful Way
– Palate: Super Juicy, Silky
– Gorgeous Black and Red Cherry Fruit
– Incredible Inner Mouth Aromas
– You’ve Never Smelled or Tasted Anything Like This…
…You’ll be Blown Away
– One of the Most Refined, Sleek, Delicious, Complex, Original Reds We Have Sold
– I Have Gotten Endless E-Mails on The Genius That Is This Wine
– You Cannot Miss This
– It’s Like If A Parcel of Volnay Was Transported to the Mountains
2023 Domaine des Rutissons Verdesse IGP Isere
– Only 13 Hectares of this Grape in the World
– One of the Oldest White Grape Varieties in the World
– Nose: Terrific Complexity
– Massively Floral
– Lemon, Grapefruit
– Very, Very Mineral
– Palate: Juicy Sweet Lemon
– Huge Acidity
– Super Intense Deep Minerality
– Roundness Juxtaposed with Brilliant Acidity and Freshness
–Top Notch Deliciousness
The Utter Joy of New Discoveries
I sometimes wonder what my favorite artists would have created had they lived in different eras and worked in different styles. Bach’s music is brilliantly precise and joyous for his day but what if he had been removed of the artistic restraints of his time and been able to compose with the same freedom as say Beethoven. Beethoven, of course, broke the mold with the Eroica that was almost scandalous when it was released.
I call today’s first wine the “Volnay of the mountains” because it is a wine that is as beautiful and aromatic as Volnay. But, of course, it is different because the terroir is different. It’s a wine I’m going to stock up on to serve to clients when I see them. Because it’s an experience that no matter how much money you have, you haven’t had anything like it. I’m not saying it’s better (or worse) than Volnay – it’s completely new and wonderful. You should all try at least a bottle.
Isere – An Even Geekier Region that Savoie and Jura
Isere is an IGP for wines made in the mountainous department of the same name on the eastern border of France. It is between the Savoie to the north and the Northern Rhone to the south. The cool alpine air helps the grapes ripen slowly. Only a very small area is suitable for the planting of vines and what is, is in my opinion, very special. Rutissons is working towards biodynamic, is full organic and uses low amounts of sulfur. Their first vintage was 2010.
Domaine des Rutissons
The estate today, Domaine des Rutissons, is in an area called Isere, which is around an hour and half drive from Annecy. It is a gloriously beautiful area with mountains looming over vineyards with stunning views. But what is planted in these vineyards is the story of today. One of the owners described Domaine des Rutissons as an estate “that makes wine from grapes that nobody has ever heard of.” That is exactly what they do as this was one of the most delicious and educational tastings of my wine career. These are stunningly delicious and pure wines with refinement and rusticity and a deft winemaking hand. These guys, Laurent and Wilfrid, really know what they are doing and they are also making wine with these ultra rare grapes and doing, what I have such respect for, which is preserving local traditions. The wine world needs more Wilfrid and Laurents’ and less Cabernet and Chardonnay. I fell in love with these wines for their startling originality, deliciousness and the preservation of memory and tradition.
The Wines
Up first I have one of the most interesting and delicious wines we have ever sold. I can’t believe I get to sell this wine as it’s so cool, so delicious and it’s 11 on the geekometer. It’s the best red I’ve ever had from the Savoie. It’s so complex, textured, sauve and delicious. It’s like if Côte de Brouilly/Crozes-Hermitage/
The Grape. So what the heck is Etraire d’Huy? Well there are only 5 hectares in the whole world and Rutissons has a few of them. It’s an ancient grape and typical of Grésivaudan which is the sub area of Isere where Rutissons is located. The name “Etraire” reminds one of the narrowness of its ovoid grain. The “D’Huy” is the name of the downstream torrent of Chartreuse massif in St Ismier. It’s low in alcohol but has very good acidity and makes a super silky wine that is very subtle. It has silky tannins that remind me of high end Chambolle or Volnay. The color is always a deep violet and it’s full bodied and tannic when young. But with age it gets incredible. The terroir comes through. That Alpine sensibility. When young they are full bodied and tannic (but ripe and juicy tannins that are glorious) but with age comes this insane silkiness as well.
The nose is simply awesome. Sour cherries, raspberries and glorious deep spice. Super mineral and almost a wooly vibe as well. Caramel emerges after some air as well as dark cherries. Some wildflower as well. After air it’s a wow on the wowometer. Goregous nose of grapey, bright and intense fruit. Gorgeous refined spice. Dark fruits. Wild flowers. Berry, black cherry. Dark plums. Superb spice and earth. Gorgeously mineral and mashed dark flowers. This nose is refined and just heavenly.
The palate is a beast but so lively and so fresh. Wow. What inner mouth aromas. Juicy and so so refined. Super clean and super spicy. Complex and concentrated. So so pure. Fresh. Vibrant. This is so balanced. What a wine. One of the most refined wines I’ve ever had from the Savoie. Technically Isere. Incredible inner mouth perfume and ripe, gorgeous tannins. Amazing palate presence and so so well made. Super juicy, silky with ripe and almost an airy quality but with perfectly ripe tannins that are just so beautiful. They are refined and silky but need just a few years to integrate more when this will mimic Chambolle’s tannins. It’s dynamic with great energy and so linear. It’s so silky already with gorgeous black and red cherry fruit. It’s so pure, insanely juicy and just so well made. Incredible inner mouth aromas and tons of acid. This is awesome. It’s so delicious and so original. There is so much beautiful material here but I think the wine needs 2-4 years of age to start to really drink well. But my goodness is it not a crime to drink it young. It’s incredible stuff and my description is probably not doing it justice but you gotta taste it. You’ve never smelled or tasted anything like this and you’ll be blown away. One of the best we’ve ever sold.
Up first is the 2023 Domaine des Rutissons Verdesse IGP Isere for $32.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Verdesse is a white grape that is an ancient specialty of the area. Only 13 hectares are planted and one of the parents of the grape is Savagnin. As of 2008 there were only 2 hectares planted in this area so it is slowly increasing. It is considered one of the oldest white grape varieties in the world. I adore this grape and I know once you all taste this you all will as well. It’s brilliant and so new and so unique. Like Chenin crossed with Jacquere but has thrilling cooling Alpine character.
The nose is just crazy. The signature of Verdesse is its striking aromas. Wooly, floral, lemon, grapefruit and very, very mineral. Fruit salad galore. Confectionary sugar. Floral and pears. So complex. It has that alpine cooling floral, lemon grapefruit thing but also a severe Chenin/Jacquere type minerality.
The palate is wonderful. Huge acidity with juicy sweet lemon, intense dryness and super intense deep minerality. It is so distinctive and my oh my is this wine long. Almost indescribable. Sappy red cherry fruit, red currant fruit and loads of fresh earth and mineral. Sappy and super fresh with just huge mineral extract on the finish. It’s a big wine with just insane freshness and brilliant mouthfeel. I love the roundness juxtaposed with the brilliant acidity and freshness. It is uplifting and has so much alpine florals. Vibrant and so energetic with engaging fresh Alpine herbal notes as well. Wonderful wine and something that will age 3-6 years. This is very limited as you can imagine they don’t make a lot.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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