FREE DELIVERY TO JAMAICA PLAIN ($50+), ROXBURY, BROOKLINE, ROSLINDALE & WEST ROXBURY ($100+)

Shopping cart

Your cart is currently empty

March 2024

  • Posted on
March 2024

Muscadet, Gavi, dolcetto, Californian old vine carignan, garganega, Bordeaux

Welcome to the latest installment of the Streetcar Monthly Pass. If you’ve already purchased a pass, thank you! If you haven’t, here's where you should go. Below you’ll find some information about each of this month’s six Monthly Pass selections. On to the wines!

 


2021 Domaine Michel Brégeon Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie
variety: melon
appellation: Muscadet (Loire), France
organic

 

In 2011, after studying and working in the Eastern Loire, Frédéric Lailler returned home to Gorges in Muscadet in search of a place where he could seek out authenticity and “elaborate living wines.” As luck would have it, André-Michel Brégeon was also looking for a successor to tend his estate. The domaine had already garnered great esteem producing complex, age worthy whites that showcase the depth of melon de Bourgogne on this unique terroir. Most of the Brégeon vineyards sit on top of gabbro (except for his Clisson cru where you find granite), an igneous rock which forms when magma cools beneath the earth’s surface. Known to lend extra focus, minerality, and tension to the wines, the gabbro terroir is on full display here. A tart burst of bright sunshine and crushed rocks, this Muscadet has much more than your typical oyster quaffer. Let this one show off a little on its own or with light snacks, or alongside seared scallops or lobster.

 
 
 

 


2022 Tenuta San Pietro Gavi
variety: cortese
appellation: Gavi (Piedmont), Italy
organic

 

Tenuta San Pietro is one of first and oldest organic and biodynamic wine companies in the Gavi wine area. It rises from the rolling hills of Tassarolo, a village between the Piedmont and Liguria provinces. The name of this area (San Pietro) originates from the small church of the Benedictine monastery which has stood here since the 11th century; the church was consecrated and dedicated to the first of the Apostles (St. Peter). The estate spreads out over a total of 65 hectares; 35 hectares of which are planted to grapevines, which are mostly of the variety cortese. The remaining part consists of meadows or oak and acacia woods which protect many species of wild animals. The vineyards are positioned on steep hills (300 metres above sea level) and form a single body of the estate. The vineyards are well-exposed and the hills do not allow for water to become stagnant which would endanger the plants. The vineyards have excellent drainage, but, at the same time, retain vital moisture required during dry spells. Winds come from the nearby Liguria region allowing for the grapes to develop their primary aromas and preventing some plant diseases. The important presence in the soil of sea fossils and shells is evidence of how these lands were under the sea millions of years ago. The salinity and minerality of the soil give a unique flavour to all of the wines produced here. In 2002 the estate was acquired by Milanese businessman Corrado Alota with the aim to make it his "buen retiro", spending time away from his commitments and professional tensions and enjoying the serenity of quality time spent with his family. His first duty was to devote himself to the recovery and enhancement of the vineyard's ecosystem through new farming programs inspired by organic-biodynamic principles. 

 
 
 
 


2021 Voerzio Martini Dolcetto d'Alba "Rocchettevino"
variety: dolcetto
appellation: Dolcetto d'Alba (Piedmont), Italy
organic

 

Voerzio Martini was established recently on the the land inherited by Gianni Voerzio (Roberto's brother) when their father split the family's land. Gianni had no heirs to take over upon his retirement, so he sold the estate to the Martini family, staying on for a few years to see a successful transition. Winemaker Mirko Martini and his fraternal twin sister Frederica are now running the show, and have transitioned the vineyards to organic viticulture. They make a range of whites and reds in beautiful bottles featuring local wildflowers by artist Gianni Gallo. We’re big cheerleaders of dolcetto, which often gets uprooted to make space for more profitable grapes in the vineyard. Maybe misunderstood because its name means “sweet little one”, dolcetto is dry with dark plum, black cherry, violets, and in this case soft, easy tannins. Do your part to save the dolcetto and drink this with pizza, pasta, roasted veggies, beans, or any of your everyday favorites!

 

 

 


2018 Erggelet Brothers Carignane
varieties: carignan(e)
region: Contra Costa, California
organic

 

"With some patience, a good sombrero and German OCD, we farm with integrity and make wine that tells a story of sand, blazing sun, and howling winds off the California Delta." That's the mission statement of Julian & Sebastian Erggelet; German-born brothers whose Rhine-inspired wine journey took them all the way to the East Bay of San Francisco. After pursuing career paths in philosophy, economics and medicine, the brothers decided to travel the world, working harvests in France, Switzerland, Australia and Spain before heading to the US in 2014. Experience came with multiple gigs in and around Napa Valley before they settled in Contra Costa County which is home to some of the oldest producing vineyards in California. In addition to their own vineyard in Brentwood, they buy fruit from a couple of organic family farms in the area, including the Del Barba Vineyard. 100+ year old vines of carignane, zinfandel and mataro (aka mourvedre) are the centerpiece of this property and the "secret sauce" in their low-intervention approach to winemaking. If this is your first exposure to the carignan grape or California grown carignan you’re in for a treat. It’s dry and medium-bodied with bright red fruit and a hint of spice. Try it with chicken, duck, pork sausage or just some crackers and cheese if the mood strikes.

 
 

 


2021 Davide Vignato "el Gian"
variety: garganega
appellation: Gambellara Classico (Veneto), Italy
organic

 

In the foothills of the Italian Alps east of Verona, Davide Vignato farms fourteen hectares of mostly garganega, planted in soils composed of basalt columns originating from a small, extinct volcano just a few hundred meters from the winery. His decades-long organic and biodynamic practices have made him a pioneer here in the small village of Gambellara, and they are crucial to capturing an astonishingly pure expression of terroir in the glass. Bracing, floral, and stony, this bianco offers notes of herbs, citrus, and pear that make it a perfect match for all varieties of fresh seafood. Try it with spaghetti nero with crab for an exquisite and regionally inspired springtime feast.

 
 

 


2019 Château Pertignas
varieties: merlot, carmenere, petit verdot
appellation: Bordeaux, France
organic

 

Pierre Gauthier has spent his life making wine for other producers, in 1998 he purchased Château Pertignas. His son Vincent enthusiastically began taking over production in 2003 after completing his studies in Oenology. Located in Entre-Deux-Mers on the edge of St. Emilion, the Gauthier family resides on the estate and therefore is committed to organic practices and maintaining biodiversity. They are equally committed to sustainability throughout the production of their wine, using sustainably-sourced oak barrels, and bottles made from a high percentage of recycled glass. Even the capsules that adorn the bottlenecks are 100% recycled tin. They belong to the Federation of Independent Winegrowers, priding themselves in the authenticity and personality of their wines. "Cuvée Vin de Copains" is merlot-driven red blend, with somewhat higher than normal percentages of carmenere (25%) and petit verdot (15%), giving this wine a pronounced spicy, herbal, peppery profile.