I figure that I will break up the current narrative to mention that I have stopped at my local wine shop The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan to pick up the monthly club offerings.  The club selections as well as all the wines offered there have been curated by the owner and staff, and they never go after popular brands like you can find at the local grocery store, drug store or even nowadays the gas station,

The first wine offered always represents the Old World and this selection is Azienda Agricola Lombardo “Confino” Toscana IGT Rosso 2020.  The winery was established by Antonio Lombardo who left Sicily to be in Montepulciano in Tuscany.  He began with a trucking company and in 1972 he planted his first vineyard.  He started with sixteen hectares and now has a total of thirty-five hectares.  His son, Giacinto took over the winery after his father’s demise and has continued to upgrade and improve upon what they have created.  The winery is basically planted in Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) with vineyards in Caggiole, Confino, S. Polo and Graciano, where the winery is based.  Confino and Graciano vineyards are rich in clay soil producing powerful and tannic wines, while Caggiole is sandstone (Tufo) for making elegant and non-tannic wines.  Confino is Italian for border and this vineyard is in the north-east corner of Montepulciano.  The wine is a ruby colored wine offering notes of blackberries, cherries, cassis, violets, herbs and spices.  On the palate this medium-bodied wine offers tones of dark fruit, smooth and plush tannins that linger into a medium-count finish of fruit and terroir.    

The New World is represented by The Paring Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 2022.   The Paring was created in 2006 as a way to explore and experiment making wines without rules.  The fruit for this wine comes from vineyard blocks that are either too young or don’t fit into the vintage style of JONATA and The Hilt wines.  The winery uses fruit harvested from the Santa Barbara region: Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley.   The wine is aged in French Oak, of which thirty-five percent is new, and the balance is neutral, for eleven months.   The wine is described as having notes of blackberries, plums, red fruit and rosemary.  On the palate the wine has spicy red cherry, oak, and fine tannins with a lingering savory texture.

While I was picking up the club selections, I was also poured a quick tasting of eight wines, which I will eventually get to, but for the moment I will mention my thoughts on Bella Union Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2022.  Far Niente Wine Estates owes its history of dedication and passion starting with John Benson in 1880 who founded the estate and to Gil Nickel who brought the estate to the modern era.  Not only with an exceptional winery in Rutherford, but also with a small winery on Bell Oaks Lane when they purchased a sixty-acre vineyard for Bella Union, as the original name of the lane was Bella Union Roadway.  Bella Union Winery in Rutherford opened in 2024 with its current legacy going back to 1979.  The vineyard is located on well-drained loam, and the vines range from twenty to thirty years of age.  This wine is a blend of ninety-four percent Cabernet Sauvignon, two percent Merlot, two percent Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Malbec and .5% Petit Verdot.  Initial Fermentation was done with ninety-seven percent in Stainless-Steel and three percent concrete vats, with about nineteen days of skin contact.   The wine was aged for seventeen months in French Oak, half new and half neutral.  A deep dark garnet colored wine that offers notes of black cherry, cassis, cedar and herbs and spices.  On the palate there were tones of black cherry, ripe plums, dark chocolate and vanilla blending perfectly with firm tannins and ending with a nice medium to long count finish of fruit and tannins.  This wine is still “grippy” and needs some years to mellow out.