I know that you will be surprised to find out that I stopped at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan for two reasons.  We bought a case of wine, that I haven’t even wrote about and at two different events, the wine was a hit, so I thought I better get another case.  I promise that I will reveal the wine soon.  The other is that I thought that I better get a head start on picking up the June Wine Club Selections.  I tend to write articles ahead, so if the muse doesn’t show up, I am not behind, my self-imposed quota of articles; so, I had to make sure that June was covered, before it was July.

The first wine for the month and representing the Old World is Chateau La Gabarre Rosé Bordeaux 2021 from Vignobles Gabard and is a Michael Corso Selections.  Stephane and Paola Gabard took over the family estate in 1999.  The Chateau is located in the canton of Fronsac, dates back to 1791, and has been passed on for several generations.  The vineyard consists of forty-two hectares, located at a place called Queynac, of the heights of the commune of Galgon, where the remains of an ancient Knights Templar church resided.  This estate has been with the family since the 1800’s and is on the Right Bank, just north-west of Lalande-de-Pomerol. They practice sustainable farming and the vineyard is a mix of gravel, clay, and sand.  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc; and the age of the vines are from fifteen to thirty-five-years of age. The wine is aged for nine months in Stainless-Steel and a production of eight-hundred-fifty-cases.  The wine is described as a soft pink wine with notes of strawberries and raspberries.  On the palate tones of watermelon and strawberries with good minerality, and a pleasant texture and a long clean finish.

The wine representing the New World is Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay California 2020.  Jeff O’Neil was trying in his mind to come up with a way to create the classic California Chardonnay, but make it affordable.  He sourced his Chardonnay grapes from Monterey, Clarksburg, and Paso Robles; all respected areas for that varietal.  The other big expense was French or American Oak, and both are expensive propositions for a winemaker.  He came up with his own solution, the Harken Fusion Barrel, a hybrid that has alternating staves of French and American Oak.  All of the juices go through Initial Fermentation, Maceration, Malolactic Fermentation and aging in his special barrels for over eight months, with stirring every two weeks, until all the wine is ready to be blended and bottled.  A pretty golden-yellow wine that offers notes of grilled bread, charred wood, butter, and spices.   On the palate tones of ripe pear, vanilla and toasted almonds in a big-bodied wine.