I received the email a day earlier that I could pick up the club wines from Fine Wine Source in Livonia.  I was in the middle of a project, just like I always am these days.  So, the next day I had the joy of going out on the traditional first day of snow in the fall, where the leaves still cover more of the lawn compared to the snowflakes.  I like to keep the monthly club selections a mystery until I get there, so I never read past the title of the email from them to come and pick up the wine.  I look at the email after I have picked up the wine, and there is a nice write up about each wine, but I am like a kid and I want to be surprised.  I did know that the wines were geared towards a Thanksgiving dinner.

The first wine that I received was Podere Ciona “Ciona Rosé” Toscana IGT 2016.  Franca and Franco Gatteschi were looking for a place in the countryside to retire to and found this one-hundred-acre estate with a house from the 18’th Century that had been abandoned for about forty years.  They purchased the property in 1990 and spent three years working on the main house.  They also started planning a winery and in 1997 they had their first official vintage.  They are located in the commune of Gaiole in Chianti Classico country.  They had been making a Rosé for a couple of years using Sangiovese, the grape of Chianti and Cabernet Franc, unfortunately one year the local wild boars decimated the Cabernet Franc vines, so this particular vintage is made from pure Sangiovese, and was aged for three months in Stainless Steel.  The entire production of this wine was a hundred cases of wine, and Fine Wine Source has an en exclusive for this wine for the United States, and the son Lorenzo, who is the winemaker will even be conducting tastings at the shop from November 28 to December 1.  I will have to make a point of attending the tasting.  The tasting notes furnished mentioned the Dark Salmon Pink color, with a nose of fruit and herbs, with tastes of strawberry, watermelon and red licorice.  It is being touted as a perfect wine for Turkey.

The second club selection for the month is Primary Wines Pinot Noir 2016 with a California AVA and made by Massanois.  According to the sheet supplied the majority of the fruit is from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, but it is also blended with Pinot Noir from other areas as well.  There were no technical notes for this wine, and I can find nothing about Massanois.  Fine Wine Source gives notes that the nose offers strawberry and baking spices, and the wine is listed as being rich and opulent with a long-lasting finish.  The shop wrote that they have made a big purchase of this wine for the holidays.  I think that I will try both of these wines soon, to see if I need to purchase more in a timely manner.