March 2022 | 12 Bottle Club
Welcome to the March 12 Bottle Club from MYSA Natural Wine!
A note from our founder:
We made it to Spring BUT, at least where I am, it's still snowing a LOT. So, this month I have a bit of light fresh spring and a bit of what you still need to put with the tasty foods you're eating in this cold weather. 2 of these are brand new to the US and you'll be the first to drink them (CRNO and Gimme). The Rosado is the PERFECT transition rosé to spring that feels fresh, while still going with the foods you want to eat right now and the Pomagrana and Pipeno are the same, just slightly more on the red side than rosé. Calades, Malbec, and Das Roxy will give you the classic vibes perfect for pizza and meat pairings. Then you have some great whites and bubbles to REALLY freshen things up for Spring!
-Holly Berrigan - Founder, MYSA Natural Wine
- Pomagrana Conca de Barbera Red - Lectores Vini
- Pipeño - Cacique Maravilla
- CRNO - BIBICh
- Calades - Domaine la Monardière
- Das Roxy - Weingut Edelberg
- Malbec Nouveau - Giunta
- Rosado Sumoll - Celler Pardas
- Verdelho - Ashbrook Estate
- Barig Orange - Bauer
- Gimme Some Skin Viognier - Greenstone Vineyards
- Pseudónimo Pét-Nat - Casal de Ventozela
- Gavi - La Zerba
- Wine Evaluation Sheet
Pomagrana Conca de Barbera Red - Lectores Vini
Catalunya - Spain
Description:
Hand-harvested Trepat from Catalunya is macerated with skins for 14 days before being aged in stainless steel for 4 months with the lees. Deem this a light chillable red or a dark rosé; we'll take both! Playful on the palate, with hints of pepper and fresh fruit, this is a thirst quencher. Tasting Notes: Cranberry, pomegranate, cherry!
Pairings: Tapas, Barbeque, Cheese Plate
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Lectores Vini
"It's pretty clear Fredi Torres does things his own way. Born in Galicia, Fredi spent most of his young life in Switzerland. There he worked for Nike, studied audio engineering and had a successful career as a house DJ. One bottle of Clos Mogador 1998 changed all that.
After phoning René Barbier over and over with no success, Torres just showed up on Barbier's doorstep and began his career in winemaking. Moving from DJ'ing nightclubs to shoveling compost seemed daunting but Fredi has never been afraid of hard work. He's a man who "hates weekends," sleeps 4-5 hours a night and has no television.
Single-mindedly focused on his goal of making amazing wine. In 2013, Fredi and his friend and business partner Mark Lecha began Lectores Vini with 6 hectares in the mystical Priorat. The rocky soil and steep vineyards, with elevations between 300 to 600 meters, demand careful thoughtful farming. With the inability to utilize any machinery, everything is done by hand and animals. What they are doing there is magical, pulling off the unusual feat of a Priorat that is easy-drinking as soon as you open the bottle, but will still hold up with age. Mark and Fredi also farm grapes in the surrounding Montsant. The cooler and rainier climate lends itself to wine that is playful, with more fruit, or as Fredi put it "no shiki-miki." - Selections de la Viña"
Mike Tango Bravo MTB17 - Costaflores
Mendoza - Argentina
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Description:On the nose, it's abundant and jammy with sweet strawberries and gooey plum. On the palate, it's slightly peppery, with a medium body. A lovely blend of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Tasting Notes: Finishes smooth with the flavors lingering.
Pairings: Roasted Pork, Aged Cheddar, Eggplant
Serving Temperature: 50°- 55°
About Costaflores
"One vineyard. Three organic grapes. Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Native yeast, minimal sulfites, and barely oaked. One contemporary wine. Truth, rhythm, spice, and full fruit. Celebrate life." - Costaflores
CRNO - BIBICh
Dalmatia - Croatia
Description:
Hand-picked Syrah organic grown grapes from 38-year-old vines in Croatia! A smooth mouthfeel with a silky layer of soft tannin will have you reaching for more! Medium-bodied with a long finish.Tasting Notes: Black fruit, minerals, and hints of pepper.
Pairings: Mushroom Pasta, Pork Tenderloin, Kebab
Serving Instructions: 48°- 52°
About BIBICh 
"We are a small family winery located in Plastovo. - BIBICh"
Calades - Domaine la Monardière
Rhône - France
Description:A blend of Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache with medium aromas of black cherry, herbs, and jam on the nose. While on the palate, you'll get a jammy fresh round feel with smooth tannins! Tasting Notes: Medium on the body with jam and cherry.
Pairings: Charcuterie, Pasta, Barbecue
Serving Instructions: 50°- 55°
About Domaine la Monardière 
"Of the 175 wine growers in Vacqueyras; only 45 are bottling their own wines and selling direct from the domaine, with the rest selling to the co-op or to one of the three négociants in town. The Vache family of Domaine la Monardière falls amongst the growers. The Vache family bought their domaine in 1987 from the Monarde family, and immediately got to work revitalizing the vineyards, building a new winemaking facility. They began by selling the wines from the domaine's door.
The Vaches also harvest all of their vineyards by hand, which is not a requirement of AOC Vacqueyras, nor is it a common practice. They have been working organically in the vineyards since 2000, but only began the certification process in 2007, and have now been certified since 2010. They have 22 hectares total, 18 hectares in Vacqueyras and 4 hectares in Vaucluse. They never purchase any fruit or must. Monardiere has a lot of sandy soil and so they make a significant amount of rose and white - the total for both in the appelation is only 5%, but 15% of Monardiere's wine is rose and another 15% is white. Sixty percent of the appellation is on a plateau with a lot of stones and a clay subsoil.
For all of the wines, they work with lower yields than the 36hl/ha that are allowed. They normally average 30-32hl/ha, but recent vintages have been hit hard 22 hl/ha in 2012 and 18hl/ha in 2013! Since they practice organic viticulture, it only follows that they should vinify with as little intervention in the cellar as possible, to produce authentic wines that are true to their origin. After harvest, the grapes are sorted and mostly destemmed, and then put into cement vats; the indigenous yeasts found on the grapes start the fermentation naturally.
They pump-over the wine daily for a gentle extraction. The Syrah and some of the Grenache vats are punched down manually, and maceration takes place for two to three weeks. The wines are then aged in vats or used barrels throughout the winter and then bottled without fining or filtration and a low amout of sulfur. The Monardiere wines offer an incredibly pure expression of Vacqueyras. - Bowler Wine"
Das Roxy - Weingut Edelberg
Nahe - Germany
Description:A crushable blend of Dornfelder and Regent! Juicy notes of fruit from the forest floor, raisins, and dried prunes. Unfined and unfiltered, with a small amount of SO2 added just before bottling. Tasting Notes: Exceptionally refreshing and crunchy!
Pairings: Pork, Chicken, Pizza
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Weingut Edelberg
"Peter and Michael Ebert, two brothers work hand in hand! Our Edelberg winery is located on the Gonratherhof, a district of Weiler near Monzingen, from where we cultivate 23 hectares of vineyards in the communities of Weiler, Meddersheim and Burgsponheim.
Our wines come from the best steep and hillside locations. More than 2/3 of the vineyard area is occupied by Riesling and Burgundy varieties, the remaining third is shared by exotic species such as Yellow Muscat, Bacchus, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, etc.
A quality-oriented grape production guarantees a constant top wine quality from year to year. All grapes are picked by hand. According to the motto: "As much as necessary, as little as possible", it is important to preserve the quality in the cellar by carefully processing the grapes and treating the wine. We attach great importance to the fact that every wine reflects its terroir! By terroir we mean: the interplay of the location, the soil, the vine, nature and of course us! To get to know each other, we have various sample packages ready for you in our online shop or you can simply visit us at the winery. - Weingut Edelberg"
Malbec Nouveau - Giunta
Hawke's Bay - New Zealand
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Description:A light, easy-drinking Malbec with playful aromatics of dark fruit, black olives, and hints of smoke. Soft on the palate with dark plum and blackberry. A great refreshing patio wine! Tasting Notes: Soft tannins with a clean finish.
Pairings: Cheese Plate, Tapas, Pizza
Serving Temperature: 48°- 52°
About Giunta
"Daniel Brennan discovered New Zealand wines at his family restaurant in Philly. His story and wines are all about the people who inspire him, the places he has been. Giunta wines are young and fresh, typically sold straight into restaurants. The name is special to Daniels heritage. It is the family name of his sicilian Great Grandparents and translates to a “good addition to the family”. - Whanau Imports"
Rosado Sumoll - Celler Pardas
Penedès - Spain
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A lovely rosé that is ideal on a crisp autumn evening as on a sunny summer day. Tastes of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and red plum. The juiciness of the tannins will have you reaching for more! Tasting Notes: High acidity with great palate length.
Pairings: Salmon, Soft Cheese, Pizza
Serving Instructions: 50°- 55°
About Celler Pardas
"Celler Pardas started when two growers from Penedès, Ramon Parera and Jordi Arnan, acquired an old estate called Can Comas in Alt Penedès, close to Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. The property surrounds an old medieval farm and spans 30 hectares of forest and other crops (mainly cereal) as well as the local grape varieties—Sumoll and Xarel-lo—that Ramon and Jordi planted for their wines.
The other source of fruit for the wines come from two ancient plots further north, where they own old vines of Sumoll, Xarel-lo and Malvasía de Sitges; Ramon calls this fascinating local strain of Malvasía, an incredibly acidic grape notoriously difficult to vinify, the “Riesling of the Mediterranean”. From the start the work on the land focused on a holistic approach; they manage the forest surrounding the vineyards as well as the land bordering them to create a whole agrarian ecosystem and live in the property. Many biodynamic principles are followed: the vines are dry-farmed, and the clay-limestone rich soils are not ploughed to avoid erosion and foster the micro-biology of the place. They regularly use ground vegetation, and no synthetic products nor pesticides are utilized.
Their work is certified organic. Ramon and Jordi are in the forefront of the varietal revolution happening in Penedès. The story of native grapes in the region is not unlike many others in different areas: the local varieties, deemed hard to work and less valuable than international ones, were slowly substituted by high-yielding types.
Many of the new generation of growers in the area, however, decided to replant and work with the original grapes. Pardas' plantings all come from cuttings of old vines found in the region. The work in the cellar is as respectful to the wines as their work on the vineyards is to the land. Fermentations are spontaneous, the wines are never clarified nor corrected, and they use a mix of steel, concrete and oak for winemaking and élèvage. The resulting wines are expressive and very direct. Sumoll is not an easy grape to master—“the most masochistic grape there is”, says Jordi— but as the Sus Scrofa shows, Parera and Arnan have conquered its rusticity and are making a delicate, fresh, and immediate wine. The same goes for their Xarel-lo and Malvasía, which are floral and aromatic and yet retain great salinity and minerality, no doubt owing to the chalky and rocky nature of their vineyards. - Bowler Wine"
Verdelho - Ashbrook Estate
Margaret River - Australia
Description:
This non-oaked Verdelho tastes like a lemon slushie and passion fruit paradise! The finish is lengthy, with a sharp acidity and a sense of freshness. Great to drink now or this variety will age well, developing a nutty profile! Tasting Notes: Crisp and dry yet lively!
Pairings: Grilled Fish, White Pasta, Spicy Food
Serving Instructions: 48°- 52°
About Ashbrook Estate
Ashbrook Estate are a family owned and operated winery established by the Devitt family in 1975. They are one of the oldest wineries in the region, being planted around the same time as much bigger and more recognized estates such as Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate. There is little pomp and circumstance at Ashbrook, however. At heart, they are a family focused on growing high quality grapes and turning their estate fruit into outstanding wines expressive of site.
Ashbrook Estate’s philosophy is to use minimal intervention in the manufacture of their wines (“keep it simple!”). They are one of a select few Margaret River wineries to use only grapes grown on a single Estate where the wine is also made, bottled and packaged. It is a beautiful winding driveway into their Wilyabrup property in north-west Margaret River – watch out for kangaroos though. All grape picking and vine pruning is carried out by hand. The vineyard comprises seventeen hectares on highly weathered, ancient, well-drained red-brown loamy gravel. Vines are planted just off the contour to protect slopes from erosion.
All vineyard blocks have grassed waterways to enable the water from heavy downpours of rain to leave the vineyard without causing damage. The vineyard is not cultivated in order to protect soil structure. Instead, it is organically mulched to provide nutrients to the vines, increase soil humus and to moderate soil temperature. Guinea fowl roam the vineyard to reduce insect pressure, and a Lyre Trellis allows good light penetration and aeration to reduce disease pressure. Every process, whether viticultural or in the winery, is overseen by a family member. Catherine Edwards (nee Devitt) is the winemaker, Kingsley Edwards (her husband) is viticulturalist and vineyard manager is Richard, her brother. No outside contractors are used.
Catherine was born on the first day of Ashbrook’s 1981 vintage, the night after Jancis Robinson shared dinner at their home. She has a history working in cell biology and holds degrees in science (biochemistry) as well as wine technology and viticulture. She’s completed nine vintages at Ashbrook Estate and has been senior winemaker since 2014. She and Kingsley live on the estate with their two young children. - Little Peacock
Barig Orange - Bauer
Weinland - Austria
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Description:The Roter Veltliner and Grüner Veltliner were hand-harvested from vines planted as early as 1956. On the palate, stone fruit and citrus are met with a smooth buttery note from the time spent on the lees. A hint of effervescence and light acidity makes it a perfect warm-weather wine! Tasting Notes: Pear, apple, orange, and tangerine.
Pairings: Wiener Schnitzel, Grilled Chicken, Seafood
Serving Instructions: 48°- 52°
About Bauer
"Located in the Grossriedenthal area of the Wagram region, Josef Bauer, alongside his wife Eva Maria, comprise the extraordinary winemakers of Weingut Familie Bauer.
The Bauers believe in creating wines of the best quality by being conscientious of the environment by employing green covering of existing flora that cultivates the natural diversity of landscape and hence reflects the terroir found in their wines. In their modern cellar they craft crisp, clean wines from their 17 hectares of vines, including Grüner Veltliner and Roter Veltliner, the stars of this vineyard, as well as Spätburgunder, Zweigelt, Merlot, Blauburger and Riesling, among others. - Savio Soares Selections"
Gimme Some Skin Viognier - Greenstone Vineyards
Yarra Valley - Australia
Description:
A fun wine made with Viognier grapes picked at different stages. One batch was picked early when the sugar levels were low but natural acidity was high. The other portion was picked later and was left on the skins for 48 hours. Maturation was done in old oak barrels for six months which gives the wine a great medium tannic structure! Tasting Notes: A textured palate with apricot, fig, and floral.
Pairings: Sushi, Picnic Food, Cheese Plate
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About Greenstone Vineyards
"Greenstone Vineyards was established in 2003 as a 40 ha property near the town of Colbinabbin in the renowned Heathcote region of Victoria by global industry leaders David Gleave MW (Liberty Wines UK), Alberto Antonini (Poggiotondo) & renowned Australian viticulturist Mark Walpole. Collectively, they recognised the site being ideal for Shiraz and Sangiovese. Lying just north of the Great Dividing Range, at an altitude of around 200 metres, the vineyard was planted on a ridge of old Cambrian soil that runs through the eastern side of the range. This narrow strip is unique, not only to vine growing in Victoria, but in Australia. The soils are the oldest known in the country, originating over 550 million years ago.
Most soils of volcanic origin in Australia are young and highly acidic whereas these ancient Cambrian soils are near neutral in pH. The range itself is a result of a rift in the sea floor, from which molten rock arose, encapsulating limestone into the lava. The resulting soil is deep, red-coloured, mottled with lime. It is from these soils that we derived our name - Heathcote ‘Greenstone’ is a form of copper-infused basalt and is an integral part of the soil. With a change of ownership in early 2015 to the Melbourne Jiang family, the success of Greenstone’s Heathcote wines led the team to explore opportunities and expand their repertoire.
Upholding the requirement to find the best locations for each varietal the search led to the Yarra Valley and acquisition of the Sticks Winery & vineyards in Yarra Glen later in 2015. Originally established as Yarra Ridge in 1983 by Melbourne Lawyer Louis Bialkower (a close friend and colleague of Australian wine legend James Halliday who assisted in the planting of the vineyard) on 33 hectares at the base of the Christmas Hills, the vineyard quickly gained recognition as a prime site for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today this is the home, Cellar Door & Winery of Greenstone Vineyards. - Whanau Imports"
Pseudónimo Pét-Nat - Casal de Ventozela
Vinho Verde - Portugal
Description:A blend of handpicked Loureiro and Trejadura from Portugal. This pet-nat is fun, yummy, bubbly, unfined, and unfiltered! Medium on the body with flavors of zippy citrus! Tasting Notes: Crisp and bright with lemon notes.
Pairings: Tapas, Seafood, Brunch
Serving Instructions: 42°- 48°
About Casal de Ventozela
"Casal de Ventozela consists of 45 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards in the heart of the Vinho Verde region. The vines are located in two sub-regions: Vale do Ave and Vale do Covado. The estate is a family run business, with a strong focus on the environment and a genuine passion for wine and nature. Ventozela has a noble history dating back to 1874. A century later, it was acquired by the current director of the company, Jose Ferrera Cortinhas, who was responsible for resurrecting the estate following the April 25 revolution in 1974. The winery first started selling its grapes and in 2008, its first wines were bottled. - Communal Brands"
Gavi - La Zerba
Piedmont - Italy
Description:The Cortese is matured on fine lees for five months in stainless steel which adds a nice yeasty kick on the finish. You'll also experience a full mouthfeel with fresh acidity and crunchy green apple! Tasting Notes: Stone fruit with creamy, biscuity notes.
Pairings: Risotto, Fried Seafood, Olives
Serving Temperature: 45°- 50°
About La Zerba
"La Zerba was founded by Livio Lorenzi in 1973, in which Livio sustainined a passion for agriculture handed down for generations. It is a family affair and currently managed by Livio's daughter Grazia, her husband, Andrea, and his son, Luigi. The name, La Zerba, identifies the location where the farm is located (Alto Monferrato in the municipality of Tassarolo, Gavi) and in local dialect means uncultivated place.
The estate is comprised of 12 hectares, farmed organically, and located in the Ligurian Apennines-Piemontese hills of Gavi. There is the utmost respect for the nature that surrounds the estate. Winemaking is natural and traditional, with minimal intervention and very low additions of CO2. The resulting wines are highly expressive examples of Cortese that aptly reflect their origin. - Communal Brands"
Wine Evaluation Sheet
Want to have some fun evaluating and taking note on your wine? Check out our natural wine tasting sheets we made special for the club!
