I am interrupting the flow of the wine tasting at Vertical Restaurant held by Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  I am afraid that by the time the total amount of wines to reviewed is done, the month of September will be over.  It is only fitting that I keep writing about my times at the wine shop, as it is always a wonderful experience.  There is always a flow of people in and out, from vendors to customers and plenty of smiles and often the chance to taste some wines.  Sometimes impromptu tastings are done with strangers, but by the time the tasting is over, everyone is having a good time and has found a new friend in the bargain. 

The first selection for the wine club represents the Old World and is Nicole Chanrion Domaine de la Voute des Crozes Cote-de-Brouilly 2021.  Nicole Chanrion began her career in the 1970’s following the six generations that preceded her.  Back then, even her mother thought that she should be in the labs and out of the cellars, but Nicole wanted to be a vigneronne.  She began helping her father, but eventually took over the business in 1988.  She works the entire 6.5 hectares herself, on the tractor, pruning, the winemaking and finally to the bottling.  In 2000, she became the president of the Cote-de-Brouilly appellation.  Cote-de-Brouilly is one of the ten cru appellations of Beaujolais, and it is surrounded by the much larger Brouilly appellation, and the Cote is considered much more concentrated and elegant, with floral characters compared to the more earthy Brouilly.  The appellation only applies to red wines, however the law allows for a small amount of white grape varieties to be added to the Gamay grape varietal; they may use Chardonnay, Aligote or Melon de Bourgogne.  It is one of the smallest areas of the Beaujolais crus, hillside with a terroir of ancient volcanic schist of diorite, a mottled blue stone, hence the soil is thin and stony and well drained. Mont Brouilly is named for a Roman lieutenant who planted vines on the hill side, some two-thousand-years ago.  The wine is pure Gamay from fifty-year old vines, with some white juice added, as tradition continues.  The wine is also traditionally hand-harvested, whole cluster fermentation and aged in large oak foudres for about nine months and bottled unfiltered.  The wine is a garnet color and offers notes of raspberry and strawberry, and florals.  On the palate there are tones of red fruit, light tinges of spices, warm tannins, and a nice medium finish of fruit and terroir. A full-bodied Beaujolais, far removed from the Nouveau Beaujolais of years past.  

The second wine for the September selection and representing the New World is Barnard Griffin Rob’s Red Blend Washington State 2020.  Rob Griffin has been a winemaker in Washington since 1977.   At 23, with a degree from UC Davis began working in Washington, first at Preston Wine Cellars, then at Hogue Cellars.  In 1983 with his wife Deborah Barnard, they began Barnard Griffin to showcase their style and to feature their signature and Reserve wines.  This wine carries the Washington AVA as the wine features siz vineyards from three AVAs; Lonesome Spring Ranch and Black Rock Vineyard from Yakima Valley, Sagemoor Vineyard, Arete Vineyard, and Gunkel Vineyard from Columbia Valley and Desert Aire Vineyard from Wahluke Slope.  Everyone is hesitant to feature any vintages from 2020, the year of masks and fires; and this wine has no trace of smoke or fire.  The wine is a blend of seventy-one percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and twenty-nine percent of a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Grenache.  During Initial Fermentation and Maceration, the juice had pump-overs twice daily, aged in oak for sixteen months with a production of just shy of five-thousand cases.  A dark garnet wine that offers tones of blackberry, as well as the earthiness of mushrooms.  On the palate the Cabernet based red blend offers notes of cherry, cranberry, and orange zest; with juicy acidity and a fruit finish.