What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Chicago sommelier Thomas Kakalios <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/thomas-kakalios-wine-list">spoke to Gina Pace</a> about his career in the wine world, and offered some of his top wine picks from the various restaurants he oversees.
🥃 LA might be better known for celeb sightings, palm trees, and great Mexican food, but it's also a thriving whiskey city with some top-notch bars that cater to all tastes. Andy Vasoyan <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/los-angeles-whiskey-city">listed some of the best spots to visit</a> to order a dram or two.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Woodford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Finish ($65)
This new bourbon, part of Woodford&rsquo;s limited-edition Distillery Series, is the first Cabernet Sauvignon finish that the distillery has released (other wine cask finishes include Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Bottled at the same 90.4 proof as classic Woodford bourbon, this is a really well done cask finish that is worth checking out.
Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve ($35)
Proper No. Twelve has its many fans, and just as many detractors. Thankfully, the brand is no longer associated with its celebrity founder, Conor McGregor, and it continues to release some new additions to its small lineup. The latest is called Black Reserve, a blended Irish whiskey that was aged for four years in heavily charred bourbon barrels to bring extra flavors of toasted oak and vanilla to the palate.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Uncharted ($40)
The Ingram Distillery has a gimmick, just like so many other whiskey brands, but apparently it&rsquo;s one that works well. The whiskey is all &ldquo;river aged,&rdquo; meaning that the liquid is matured in a floating rickhouse on the Mississippi River in Columbus, Kentucky, a nod to the way that barrels used to be transported to different parts of the country. The point is to increase interaction between wood and whiskey&mdash;in this case, the distillery says that the motion of the river keeps the liquid churning and thereby exposes more surface area to the barrel, and the humidity from the river keeps the casks moist and slows down the angel&rsquo;s share.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/00deb9bd-b74e-45fe-95ad-c076a96fc4c9.png?width=717&amp;height=403" alt="Uncharted Bourbon"> 
This is not an entirely new concept&mdash;Jefferson&rsquo;s has released its Ocean Aged at Sea whiskeys for years now, sending barrels on container ships across the ocean where they are exposed to different temperatures and humidity levels. There is some science to this, of course, but it's also a good story and marketing technique. And in the case of this new wheated bourbon, Uncharted, the result is actually a really good new whiskey.
Like all of Ingram&rsquo;s whiskey, Uncharted was distilled elsewhere in Kentucky (the brand does not operate its own distillery, but past releases have been produced at Green River in Owensboro). The mashbill for Uncharted is not revealed, but as mentioned before it is a wheated bourbon, meaning that wheat is used as the secondary flavoring grain (this could be instead of rye, or this could be in addition to a small amount of rye grain). It was aged for a minimum of four years in the river rickhouse.
Overall, Uncharted is a very solid and affordable wheated bourbon. It does not taste green or young at all (perhaps it&rsquo;s that river magic at work), and there are notes of vanilla, maple, honey, toasted oak, cinnamon, and caramel on the palate. Each bottle is made of 100 percent recycled glass, which is a nice environmental touch, and it comes in two sizes&mdash;standard 750 ml and 1 liter (which is just slightly more expensive at $45). If you&rsquo;re looking for an alternative to Maker&rsquo;s Mark, or you love wheaters but don&rsquo;t want to splurge on a bottle of Weller, give Uncharted a try&mdash;you won&rsquo;t be disappointed.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Hermann J. Wiemer 2022 Seneca Lake HJW Bio Riesling ($45)
Having written about <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/chardonnay-wine-guide">Chardonnay</a> last week, I&rsquo;ve decided to change course. I&rsquo;d like to recommend one of my favorite Rieslings from&nbsp; the team at Hermann Wiemer in the Finger Lakes, New York. When it comes to Riesling, the FLX is ascendant, easily the most exciting source for the variety in this country (though Oregon and Washington can lay claim). In fact, it was just announced that this June the region will host its fourth <a href="https://flxcursion2026.com/">FLXcursion</a>, an international Riesling celebration that draws producers from all over the world.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/aa3c047f-bfc1-43f4-984e-f7f0e70089ca.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Hjw">
Meanwhile&mdash;Wiemer. If you don&rsquo;t know this brand (it was <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/new-york-finger-lakes-wine">covered</a> by Maiah Dunn),&nbsp;you should get acquainted. Wiemer founded his winery in the early &lsquo;70s and became one of the great early craftsmen of vinifera wines in the Finger Lakes, specializing in Riesling. In 2007, he passed the winery onto his assistant winemaker, Fred Merwarth and wife Maressa, along with Oskar Bynke. No winemaker in the FLX is more dedicated to exploring the terroirs of Seneca Lake.
This is especially true of the home vineyards, Josef, Magdalena, and HJW. This last was named for Hermann and planted by him originally in 1977 (it has been expanded to 33 acres in ensuing years). Merwarth has since converted the vineyard to biodynamics, a long and painstaking process in the Finger Lakes where frost, freezing, hail, and rainstorms, as well as various pest pressures, can present daunting challenges to any regenerative approach. And yet, in 2023 HJW was Demeter certified.
All well and good, but the proof is in the glass. Merwarth remains one of the most thoughtful and meticulous winemakers in the FLX&mdash;and indeed, in the country. Among other things, this bottling reflects the care that went into it after an erratic, at times difficult vintage. The wine has an elusive quality&mdash;one of my favorite traits in Merwarth&rsquo;s Rieslings&mdash;it&rsquo;s youthful, attractive, but also a touch diffident, with haunting aromas of honey and Cara Cara orange, golden clarity of flavor, and uncanny, haunting length. Delicious now, it seems to be leaning toward the future, and will age beautifully.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 20

Thomas Kakalios approaches wine in a philosophical way&mdash;by asking better questions. Before he became the beverage director overseeing three of <a href="https://www.eatwellhospitality.com">Eat Well Hospitality</a>&rsquo;s restaurants, he was in fact a philosophy student learning how to examine ideas, trace meaning, and build narratives from a set of facts.
That instinct now shapes everything he does, from constructing wine lists to training his team. In his hands, a bottle isn&rsquo;t just for pairing; it&rsquo;s a story about place and the people behind it. And this clarity of thought has made him one of Chicago&rsquo;s most compelling voices in the beverage world, as well as a recent James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service.
Kakalios started as a barback in a downtown Chicago basement bar before taking his first major step at Daisies, where he helped open the restaurant and build its wine list from the ground up. The role gave him an early window into how a beverage program functions from both the guest and staff perspectives, experience he carried into increasingly demanding positions.
He moved to the Alinea Group&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nextrestaurant.com">NEXT</a>, joining during its French Nouvelle menu period, a meaningful moment for someone who had studied abroad in France and carried a deep affection for the cuisine. At NEXT, he absorbed a level of discipline and attention to detail that still guides his work. &ldquo;Everything is done for a reason,&rdquo; he says.
His next chapter, at the now‑closed Yūgen, expanded his lens even further. Immersing himself in sake added another dimension to his beverage vocabulary, one that would later inform the breadth he brings to Eat Well Hospitality&rsquo;s concepts.
He carried that broadened perspective into <a href="https://www.smythandtheloyalist.com">Smyth and The Loyalist</a>, where his palate sharpened and his sense of narrative deepened. Working closely with chef John Shields and wine director Kevin Goldsmith, he gained a deeper understanding of how wine can carry a narrative through a meal. &ldquo;People connect with stories,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;My job is often to translate a list into terms they can understand.&rdquo;
In 2023, he joined Asador Bastian shortly after its opening, helping to shape its systems and build out its wine program under chef Doug Psaltis. Within a year, his role expanded to overseeing beverage operations across all three Eat Well Hospitality restaurants&mdash;Asador Bastian, Andros Taverna, and Mano a Mano. Across all three restaurants, the lists stay anchored in the cuisine&rsquo;s landscape, leaning into regional depth rather than global breadth.&nbsp;
&ldquo;These cuisines and wines evolved hand in hand,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Owning that identity lets us explore their potential to the fullest.&rdquo;
<h3 dir="ltr">Thomas Kakalios&rsquo;s Wine List</h3>
Kakalios&rsquo;s selections reflect the landscapes and traditions behind each concept, but they also reveal how he guides guests: meet them where they are, then offer something that expands their sense of what a wine can do. These five bottles&mdash;spanning Spain, Italy, Greece, and Champagne&mdash;illustrate the range of his thinking.
Champagne Coessens &ldquo;Largillier&rdquo; Extra Brut (Multi‑Vintage) - $300 (Asador Bastian)
Champagne is one of Kakalios&rsquo;s favorite tools at a steakhouse because he believes it&rsquo;s unexpected. Coessens, a Pinot Noir&ndash;dominant bottling from a single clay‑rich vineyard, is a standout. &ldquo;People are surprised by how well Champagne works in this setting,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It can move from seafood to richer courses without losing its footing.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a bottle with enough structure and acidity to cut through marbling while still carrying the elegance guests expect from Champagne.
Bodegas Muga &ldquo;Torre Muga&rdquo; 2005 - $285 (Asador Bastian)
This Tempranillo from Rioja Alta hits what Kakalios calls a &ldquo;Goldilocks&rdquo; balance&mdash;dark fruit at the core, grounded by earthy, savory notes and fine tannins. The 2005 vintage, acquired by one of his team members, brings two decades of evolution without losing its fruit. He also appreciates the personal connection&mdash;the winemaker&rsquo;s family roots in the Basque region echo Asador Bastian&rsquo;s culinary identity. &ldquo;The complexity that&rsquo;s developed over time is remarkable,&rdquo; he says.
C&agrave; Nova Colline Novarese Nebbiolo &ldquo;Bocciolo&rdquo; 2020 - $95 (Mano a Mano)
At Mano a Mano, the goal is to make wine feel democratic, encompassing thoughtful bottles at prices that encourage exploration. This Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte embodies that philosophy. Higher elevation and volcanic soils give it clarity and precision, while several years of age and a proper decant bring out its more savory tones. &ldquo;Nebbiolo is a great transmitter of terroir,&rdquo; he says, and this bottling shows exactly why. It&rsquo;s a natural fit for the restaurant&rsquo;s richer dishes and a compelling alternative for guests who love Piedmont but want something outside the Barolo/Barbaresco lane.
Oenos Mittas Naoussa Xinomavro 2022 - $115 (Andros Taverna)
Greek wines are a personal passion for Kakalios, and this Xinomavro from Macedonia is one of the bottles he&rsquo;s most excited about. The grape is notoriously difficult to work with, but this winemaker handles it with finesse. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s one of the most compelling examples I&rsquo;ve seen of the grape,&rdquo; he says. The wine&rsquo;s prominent acidity and elevated tannins make it ideal for hearty, mountain‑inspired dishes &mdash; lamb, mutton, stews &mdash; and its flavor profile stands entirely on its own. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not trying to be Nebbiolo or Burgundy,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It has its own identity.&rdquo;
Estate Argyros Santorini Assyrtiko &ldquo;Cuvee Palatia&rdquo; 2022 - $35 by the glass (Andros Taverna)
Offering a bottle‑worthy wine by the glass is a signature across all three restaurants, and this Assyrtiko from Santorini is the standout. The vines, many between 200 and 400 years old, grow in volcanic ash on an island that&rsquo;s essentially a desert. The result is a white wine with tension, precision, and a distinctly Greek character. &ldquo;It would go toe to toe with some of the great wines of the world,&rdquo; Kakalios says.&nbsp;

Chicago Somm Thomas Kakalios’s Wine List

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Despite its worldwide popularity, Chardonnay is still thought to be a mid wine by some. There's plenty to like about this white wine, however, so <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/chardonnay-wine-guide">we've put together a guide</a> to tell you more about it and some of the best bottles to look for.
🥃 Are you a rum-curious whiskey drinker? If you're interested in learning more about this sugarcane-based spirit, but haven't really explored the category yet, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/rum-for-whiskey-drinkers">here are some excellent examples to try</a>.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Pinhook 10 Year Rye ($100)
Pinhook continues its Vertical Series with this new 10-year-old rye whiskey, the oldest to date. This series explores how a whiskey sourced from the same distillery and lot develops as it ages&mdash;in this case, this a blend of just 25 barrels bottled at 106 proof distilled from a mashbill of 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley at MGP. The first release was aged for four years, the final release will reach 16 years, with all maturation taking place at Castle &amp; Key in Kentucky.
Cazcanes No. 7 Rosa Anejo ($140)
This fantastic new limited-edition tequila from Cazcanes might be hard to get your hands on, but it&rsquo;s certainly worth looking out for. This is an anejo that is a blend of three barrels&mdash;two Napa Cabernet French oak casks (24 months), and one Four Roses ex-bourbon barrel (30 months). The combination of casks results in a superb sipping tequila that has notes of berry and spice, but never loses its intrinsic agave character.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Wyoming Whiskey Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey #6429 ($300)
I&rsquo;m always on the fence when it comes to Wyoming Whiskey. It&rsquo;s not that the distillery makes anything I think is actually bad. At the same time, nothing has jumped out at me as reaching that extra level of being a truly collectible bottle that you should put in the extra time and effort to seek out (not that that&rsquo;s required, by the way, whiskey can just be good without being a trophy to hunt for). That being said, the distillery&rsquo;s new barrel-strength, single barrel release is one that I would say is worth checking for.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/bdb12c9f-0859-4891-a0f5-1cfb9532c372.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Wyoming Whiskey"> 
Wyoming Whiskey was founded nearly 20 years ago in 2006 in&mdash;you guessed it&mdash;Wyoming (Kirby, to be exact). While the distillery received a major investment from Edrington in 2023, the Scottish company that owns the Macallan and Highland Park, it still works on a pretty small scale compared to those single malt operations. Ex-Maker&rsquo;s Mark master distiller Steve Nally oversaw production in the early years, and Nancy Faley has been in the role of master blender for many years, but Brendan Cook took over that role in 2024 while Sam Mead is now head distiller.
The core releases consist of a pair of bourbons, Small Batch and Double Cask, and one whiskey that doesn't qualify as bourbon or rye&mdash;Outryder is an American whiskey aged for five years and bottled at 100 proof. Wyoming Whiskey has released various single barrels over the years, and indeed counts a limited expression in its lineup, but this new bourbon goes above and beyond those bottles. Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey #6429, which was selected from the top couple of barrels in the distillery&rsquo;s rickhouses by Cook, was made from a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley, and aged for ten years before being bottled at 124 proof (62 percent ABV).
This is a rich and flavorful whiskey that has some heat and heft on the palate as you sip, with notes of butterscotch, graham cracker, vanilla pudding, dark chocolate, espresso, and ripe stone fruit. This is not a cheap bottle at $300, but its limited availability and deep flavor might just make it worth the expense&mdash;and this is a bourbon that you might start seeing collectors take a lot more notice of over the next year. I look forward to seeing, and tasting, whatever else Wyoming Whiskey has to offer.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Billecart-Salmon NV Le Ros&eacute; ($90)
Not that anyone ever needs an excuse to drink Champagne, but if you are looking for one, Saint Valentine is giving you that &ldquo;come hither&rdquo; look. After all, what could be more delightful than enjoying a glass or two of the world&rsquo;s most graceful wine with someone you love? What could possibly be more romantic?
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/26799762-6c1e-4109-a1e4-922b540226c1.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Chamagne Billecarte">
Before I get all mushy on you I&rsquo;m going to focus on one of Champagne&rsquo;s more underappreciated virtues. Namely, it must be savored. It must be sipped. It requires attention. Gulping down a wine as high in acid as Champagne will only result in a peristaltic event neither you nor your date want to be around for. So take it slow. And slow intake gives you time to relish its flavors and tactility, grand in entry, lifted by effervescence, luxurious in its texture, mouthwatering and energizing in its finish. So while you&rsquo;re drinking in your partner&rsquo;s eyes, drink the wine with the same appreciation and the same enjoyment.
Many Champagnes merit this kind of attention, but if I have to pick one it&rsquo;s going to be Billecart-Salmon&rsquo;s iconic bottling, Le Ros&eacute;. Le Ros&eacute; is iconic for a reason. For decades, it&rsquo;s been a model of structure and grace in a sparkling ros&eacute;, especially during years when a ros&eacute; seemed rare and unusual, even in Champagne. Billecart became a standard-bearer for the category, a benchmark for a region that has since embraced it.
This is a multi-vintage cepage of 45 percent Chardonnay, 35 percent Pinot Noir, and 20 percent Pinot Meunier. The color is a delicate pink, somewhere between copper and salmon, that is remarkably luminous and warm. This is a wine that hits all the pleasure points&mdash;a m&eacute;lange of brioche and citrus, wild strawberries and hazelnut shavings, generous in its aromatics. In the mouth, the flavors are expansive yet firmly presented, with a texture that&rsquo;s creamy but structured, focused but not rich, persistent and graceful in its finish. It will look good on your Valentine&rsquo;s Day table, and you&rsquo;ll look good for having popped the cork.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 13

You might not be aware that there is a village named Chardonnay in France, set in a notch between gently swooping hills covered in vine rows. Years ago I drove through it and, if I remember right, it took about 40 seconds. It&rsquo;s astonishing how this tiny village shares its name with the most ubiquitous white wine on the planet.
Chardonnay might be the most omnipresent white wine variety on earth, but it&rsquo;s also one that many people love to hate. So go ahead and hate all you want, but you should realize you can easily avoid the style for which it is reviled&mdash;it&rsquo;s reserved for the bottom shelf at your local supermarket (anyone for a bottle of &ldquo;Butter&rdquo;?). Meanwhile, thoughtfully made Chardonnay is experiencing a global renaissance, and the range of expressions and the creativity they show is more thrilling now than it&rsquo;s been in half a century.
Chardonnay the ville is in the Macon in southern Burgundy, and Macon Chardonnay can serve as a useful baseline for the grape&rsquo;s essential character. It is, after all, an inherently neutral variety that is malleable as clay, and like clay it can be built up into gorgeous, graceful, transcendent constructions&mdash;which is why so many winemakers love it. Unadorned, it can be charming and lively, not especially complex but pure and crystalline, especially when grown in the right place.
Joseph Drouhin&rsquo;s Macon-Villages ($20) is a fine introduction. A large Burgundy producer-negotiant based in Beaune, Drouhin is a proven Chardonnay master, responsible for superb expressions from Chablis to Dundee (Oregon). This Chardonnay is aged mostly in stainless steel tanks; once you remove the prop of oak, the wine&rsquo;s fruit spectrum appears in generous scents of apple and pear, sometimes citrus and peach, with flavors to match that are adorned with traces of nutty lees or honeycomb. Above all, the wine should be lively with acidity, and the texture should be mouthwatering, tense, fresh, and lifted. If it sags or it&rsquo;s cloying or blowsy, move on.
Domestically there are many un-oaked versions. Two of the most reliable for me are the &ldquo;Inox&rdquo; (steel) bottlings from Melville in Santa Barbara County ($50), and Chehalem in Oregon ($25).
Thereafter, the permutations and possibilities are boundless. How ripe do you want your wine? In some places Chardonnay will only get so ripe; in other places you need to guard against too much ripeness. Once harvested, the wines can be aged in steel, concrete eggs, oak barrels, large oak barrels, amphorae, or any combination.
The wines can go through a secondary, malolactic fermentation (most do) which sometimes accounts for flavors (or sensations) of butter or cream. Sometimes the skins are left in the tank to steep like tea for some added heft; sometimes, for the same reason, the wine remains in contact with the dead yeast (lees) which lends it a toasty, nutty flavor. If the wine comes into contact with oxygen, depending on how long it will also affect flavors and textures. Finally, how long it&rsquo;s aged will influence the character.
All of these tools are at a winemaker&rsquo;s disposal, a Rubik&rsquo;s Cube level of elaboration. In a range of expressions as vast as this one, how do we narrow down our parameters as to what makes a great Chardonnay? Well, here are a few rules of thumb.
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay must have something to say about place.</h3>
This inherently neutral grape is like a lens through which a region&rsquo;s conditions can be observed&mdash;which is, I might add, one of the thrills of drinking, loving, and collecting wine in the first place. That is why there are crus in Burgundy, and why some wines are Grand Crus, some wines are Premier Crus, some wines are merely ordinaire.
Being on the edge of where a variety can ripen can also make for thrilling statements about place&mdash;Chablis, for example, the thrilling, chalky, green and bracing Chardonnays from the north of Burgundy, can only come from one place. In fact, it&rsquo;s so distinct it&rsquo;s become a comely adjective&mdash;chablisienne&mdash;to describe wines not made in Chablis. No one would use that word for Meursault, where a warmer climate conveys a fleshiness Chablis cannot often attain.
Warm sites too have their unique imprint and result in distinctive, sumptuous profiles. David Ramey makes unbelievably delicious California Chardonnays that are generous but never over the top for his eponymous brand ($85). Elsewhere Kumeu River ($75) in the Auckland suburbs of New Zealand, and Leeuwin Estate&rsquo;s Art Series in Margaret River, Australia ($80) produce arguably two of the southern hemisphere&rsquo;s greatest Chardonnays that are sumptuous, golden, irresistibly sensuous wines.
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay should show intention.</h3>
There are plenty of Chardonnays in the market that are there to be thrown down at lunch or uncorked over a Wednesday night chicken dinner. They are simple and fruit-forward with a lipsmacking briskness&mdash;and then poof, they&rsquo;re gone, and you&rsquo;re on to something else.
But a great Chardonnay will have layers, stages, length. It will move across the palate and finish with energy, it will take you somewhere, it alternates flavors and has textural complexity. That layering, that journey is what separates the great from the ordinary. And it&rsquo;s rare, but you&rsquo;ll find it in the wines of Raveneau, Leflaive and Coche-Dury, the pinnacles of French Chardonnay&rsquo;s expression. Uncork a wine from these esteemed producers and you can learn the variety&rsquo;s mysteries at great expense, or perhaps more affordably with a Puligny-Montrachet from Paul Pernot ($99). There&rsquo;s a corollary to the above dictum, and that&rsquo;s this:
<h3 dir="ltr">A great Chardonnay should show some reticence.</h3>
Tasting great Chardonnay can sometimes come with a pang of regret. Great wines unfurl over time, they live and breathe, they change in the glass and the bottle, and inevitably they lead to thoughts about its future. If you can muster the discipline, leave a good wine open for a few days and see where it goes. If it opens and gets better, that&rsquo;s usually a sign it will benefit from aging, and an invitation to lay down the rest.
Two California Chardonnay producers to consider: Au Bon Climat, helmed by the late Jim Clendenon, always made Chardonnays geared toward the future. You can choose from several, but Nuits Blanches au Bouge ($50) is a great place to start. Clendenon&rsquo;s prot&eacute;g&eacute;, Gavin Chanin, also builds his Chardonnays to age&mdash;his Chardonnay bottling from Los Alamos Vineyard ($65) is tightly constructed in a complex weave, built to uncoil for years.
<h3 dir="ltr">Chardonnay for Weirdos</h3>
As we&rsquo;ve seen, Chardonnay&rsquo;s inherent neutrality and structure makes it a wine to build upon. Some of those bottlings are more artistic, or idiosyncratic, or personal than others. In the Cotes de Jura, for example, you can find Chardonnays that have been aged for many years in old oak barrels. Even if they&rsquo;re not made with the oxidized sous voile method (that&rsquo;s usually reserved for the Savagnin variety), the wines often seem exotic and savory.
I&rsquo;m going to close with three wines from Oregon. When I talk about a renaissance in Chardonnay, in this country at least, I&rsquo;m thinking about the Willamette Valley, a place that seems to have recovered its mojo after decades of patchy efforts with the variety (owing more to poorly-selected clones than a lack of technique). The first is The Eyrie, one of the region&rsquo;s first wineries to plant and make Chardonnay. Founder David Lett and his heir, Jason, have maintained a style that feels deeply personal and idiosyncratic ($50). Jason Lett has said that while he&rsquo;s kept his father&rsquo;s deeply traditional winemaking ways, he&rsquo;s cleaned them up a bit. It&rsquo;s always a wine that combines a mushroomy earthiness and boundless core of fruit that feels one of a kind.
For sheer grandeur, look to Josh Bergstr&ouml;m&rsquo;s t&ecirc;te de cuvee, Sigrid ($125), an amalgam of estate fruit sources that is an annual barrel selection of extraordinary complexity and pedigree. Winemaker Josh Bergstr&ouml;m privileges fruit on some days and a flinty minerality on others, all wrapped in nutty lees and a gorgeous, lusty, honeyed texture. It is among the most layered wines I tasted all year, with a length that&rsquo;s fulsome and exhilarating&mdash;and a wine to cellar.
Finally there&rsquo;s a Chardonnay bottling from a winery outfit called Golden Cluster, the brainchild of winemaker Jeff Vejr. For his label On Wine Hill, he makes a bottling called Millerandage (Clone 548) ($35). That word refers to a phenomenon known as hens and chicks where some berries in a grape cluster ripen fully and some lag, remaining small and green. The latter leaves an inimitable and one-of-a-kind spice, cutting against the fruit but somehow giving it definition and a weirdly discordant energy.

A Guide to Chardonnay for the Lovers, the Haters, and Everyone In Between

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Portugal is known for its distinctive, affordable wines&mdash;here are some of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/alentejo-wine-part-2">best bottles to try now</a> from the Alentejo region.
🥃 <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/louis-xiii-cognac-cellar-master">We spoke to the Louis XIII cellar master</a> about how he creates this luxury cognac, and the future of high-end spirits in today&rsquo;s softening global spirits market.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
TX Whiskey Vino de Naranja ($40)
This is the 15th release in Texas distillery TX Whiskey&rsquo;s Experimental Series. It&rsquo;s a blend of two whiskey components&mdash;five-year-old straight rye whiskey distilled at the Fort Worth facility, and bourbon that was finished in Vino de Naranja wine casks for three years. The final blend has notes of fruit, orange, vanilla, and caramel, and can be sipped neat or mixed into a cocktail.
Dos Maderas Origen Thailand ($83)
Dos Maderas is a brand that sources its rum from Guyana and Barbados and then ships it to Spain to age in sherry casks sourced from Jerez. This is the first release in the brand&rsquo;s Origen series, a Thai rum that spent 12 years aging there before coming to Spain and being finished in 80-year-old sherry casks. The result is a sweet rum with notes of tropical fruit and spice.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
The Macallan Diamonds are Forever 55th Anniversary ($750)
If you&rsquo;re familiar with the Macallan&mdash;and most whisky drinkers are&mdash;you know that the distillery usually releases several special edition bottlings every year. You also know that virtually all of the whisky distilled there is matured in sherry-seasoned oak, either European or American or a combination of the two. These are usually very good and collectors tend to snap them snap them up. But every now and then, the distillery will release a single malt that deviates from the norm and incorporates a different type of barrel into the maturation mix. Such is the case with the new James Bond tie-in, Diamonds are Forever 55th Anniversary.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/8109d001-4379-41cd-ad1e-057e95f3eeba.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Photo Credit the Macallan"> 
What separates this 18-year-old whisky from other expressions is that, in a first for the distillery, the Macallan has used two special types of casks to mature the whisky&mdash;red wine and hybrid European/American oak made from staves of each type of wood (the other casks used are the usual sherry-seasoned oak). What this means is that, in addition to this whisky being a special, expensive limited release, it actually tastes pretty different from your usual Macallan.
There are no cask finishes here; instead, each component was fully matured in the different casks before being blended together. The red wine component has imbued the whisky with nice red berry and ripe fruit notes, which work well with the classic Macallan sherry-soaked raisin, spice, and fig flavors. Obviously, the whisky makers didn&rsquo;t know how they would use these red wine casks when they filled them nearly two decades ago, but they serve their purpose very well in this expression.
And then there&rsquo;s the James Bond part of this whisky. It was distilled in 2007 (get it? 007), and while Bond is best known for drinking martinis that are shaken (and not stirred), he certainly enjoyed his wine and whisky as well. Whether or not you&rsquo;re a fan of this famous screen spy or not, give this new whisky a try&mdash;particularly if you are a well versed in the whisky world of the Macallan. Something like this doesn&rsquo;t come around from this Speyside distillery that often, but it&rsquo;s a welcome addition to the ever-growing portfolio when it does.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Super Red Wine Selections for Super Bowl Sunday
It&rsquo;s Super Bowl Week!&nbsp;Inspired, if that is the word, by the Bad Bunny brouhaha, I&rsquo;m going to recommend three wines from two countries&mdash;a filial pair from the U.S. of A., and one from a Spanish language country, otherwise known as Spain.
But first things first. Let us agree that Super Bowl wines need not be epic, complex, or contemplative. It just needs to be satisfying, delicious, and, to some extent, palate-cleansing, capable of washing down whatever chicken wing/Frito pie/sloppy joe/pizza puck you have in front of you for the Big Game.
California Zinfandel hits those notes. At its best, it's one of the most cheerful reds out there, with rustic red berry flavors and a jovial, sappy disposition. Check out a wine from the Petersons&mdash;father and son Joel Peterson and Morgan Twain-Peterson. Joel, you may recall, founded Ravenswood, one of the most iconic brands of the '80 and '90s. Peterson sold Ravenswood in 2001 and, about a decade later, founded Once &amp; Future.
He also inspired his son Morgan to pursue his own old vine wine journey. With Chris Cottrell, Morgan founded Bedrock Wine Company and together they&rsquo;ve devoted their production to heritage vineyards, an affinity he shares with his father.
Super Bowl Libations, American Edition
Bedrock&rsquo;s 2023 Old Vine California Zin ($25) combines fruit from old vineyards in Sonoma County, Lodi, and Contra Costa County, and is luscious, red fruited and supple, with a whiff of leafy bramble and a hint of cinnamon to lend a bit of complexity.
Once &amp; Future has several options but look for something from Sonoma, like the 2023 Dry Creek Valley Zin from Teldeschi Vineyard Frank&rsquo;s Block ($55), an old vine repository farmed by the Teldeschi family for 75 years. Peterson&rsquo;s Teldeschi bottling comes from the low-yielding Frank&rsquo;s Block, with additions of Carignane and Alicante Bouschet, with bright flavors of sun-kissed berries, and a rustic, old fashioned grip.
Super Bowl Libations, Spanish Language Edition
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/7592cfd2-a845-41b8-a91d-5d7fdd1820a7.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Raul Perez">
Raul Perez is one of the leading lights of what&rsquo;s been called the New Spain, injecting life into an ancient and often overlooked region (Bierzo), and in reviving the reputation for the light and vibrant Mencia variety. The 2022 Bierzo St. Jacques ($25) is Mencia dominant, but includes Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorara (Alicante Bouschet), and even white grapes for a spicy, crunchy, lips-macking red.&nbsp; You do not have to speak Spanish to enjoy this wine, just as you do not have to speak Spanish to enjoy the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: February 6

Alentejo wines are generally classified in two ways&mdash;under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Alentejo Denomina&ccedil;&atilde;o de Origem, or the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Vinho Regional Alentejano. Each category has its own requirements, but for quality producers, they&rsquo;re not so different. For the sake of brevity, the designations Alentejo and Alentejano will only be used only to avoid confusion, though subregions are mentioned for emphasis.
<h3 dir="ltr">Cabe&ccedil;as do Reguengo</h3>
Cabe&ccedil;as do Reguengo is a small winery started in 2009&nbsp; in Portalegre, a portion of which was a mixed field of centenarian vines. The Respiro Zizi Branco Portalegre 2022 ($50) issues from some of these. Decidedly dry, this Branco (white) has a caramel and beeswax richness with an array of citrus flavors like orange, tangerine, and lemon zest, freshened by a zap of acidity. Simply delicious.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Fitapreta</h3>
Fitapreta is the first winery of ground-breaking vintner Ant&oacute;nio Ma&ccedil;anit&aacute;, who makes wine in several regions of Portugal, with a preference for working with under-appreciated grape varieties. His white, o Ancestral 2023 ($27)&mdash;a field blend of Roupeiro, Rabo de Ovelha, Arinto, Tamarez, Alicante Branco, and Ant&atilde;o Vaz&mdash;is full of poppy citrusy notes like lemon and orange zest, creamy lemon curd, hints of fennel, and just plain freshness. His Branco de Talha 2024 ($28) is an amphora-aged, golden wine that eschews some of the Vinho de Talha requirements in favor of delicacy and finesse. A kiss of tannin fans a fado of kumquat, pineapple, and almond flavors.
Barely-ruby hued, Chao dos Eremitas Tinta Carvalha 2022 ($75) is made from indigenous Carvalha. At 12.5% alcohol, low for Alentejo, it&rsquo;s mouthwatering, with pomegranate flavors accented by rose petal and graphite. More robust and darker in color is the Tinto Castel&atilde;o 2021 ($47), which showcases bright red cherry flavors, fresh and cordial, with bright acidity. Chill for simple enjoyment or lose in the cellar for several years to deepen its earthiness. Os Paulistas 2020 ($112), a blend of several grapes takes things up the ladder in terms weight and texture: both velvety and earthy at once, with a palate of wild berries and a pinch of wild herbs.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Herdade do Espor&atilde;o</h3>
Herdade do Espor&atilde;o is centered on a noble Alentejan property in the Reguengos subregion, dating to the 13th century, which released its first wines only in 1985. Its range is varied and large. Despite its size&mdash; over 2500 acres, 1000 of them planted to vines. A blend of local heroes, Ant&atilde;o Vaz, Arinto, and Rouperio, Reserva Branco 2022 ($24) indulges with white fruit&mdash;quince and pear, russet apple, and robe of beeswax encapsulated in spicy oak. Delicious now, it has the structure for aging a decade or more.&nbsp;
The red (Tinto) Reserva 2022 (26) is a wine that might only be made in Alentejo, blending Alicante Bouschet with Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, and Cabernet Sauvignon and offers a combination of sweet and peppery spice and ripe red berry flavors, confidently structured by velvety tannin. The 2021 and 2020, both on the market, show fascinating vintage differences in blend and profile. AB Alicante Bouschet 2015 (~$52) demonstrates why Alentejans love this usually dismissed grape: this is sappy, yet energetic, bursting with bright red and dark fruit flavors, a dusting of cacao, and a pinch of spice. Over a decade old, it still has a long future.&nbsp;
Also a touch sappy, but far from lazy, is Private Selection 2019 ($78), which blends Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez (aka, Tempranillo), and Tourigas Nacional and Franca into a whole of vibrant red and blue berry, sweet spice, and juicy acidity, all borne by velvety, substantial tannin. Lose for a decade. Add another, or two, for the Torre 2017 ($300).&nbsp; A similar blend to the Private Selection, this is ripe, indulgent, full of dark berry, bitter mint chocolate, and spice, with refreshing acidity that offsets some of its alcohol. This is a wine for collectors or investors who want to live large.
<h3 dir="ltr">Herdade do Mouch&atilde;o</h3>
Herdade do Mouch&atilde;o was founded in the late 1880s by the Reynolds family of Great Britain, which introduced Alicante Bouschet to Alentejo. One branch of the family still owns the estate, and its dedication to the grape is rewarded by wines such as the Tinto 2017 ($65). It starts with spicy blueberry and maple notes then evolves into late summer raspberry and resinous hints of lavender and bramble. The tannins are firm but also fine, everything freshened by vibrant acidity.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Jo&atilde;o Portugal Ramos</h3>
Jo&atilde;o Portugal Ramos has wineries in various parts of Portugal, but its origins are in Alentejo, specifically Borba, in the marble-soiled zone of Estremoz. Its wines universally express the warmth of Alentejo. Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Branco Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($20) blends Arinto, Roupeiro, Ant&atilde;o Vaz, and Alvarinho into a fruit-laden, minerally wine woven with oak that will be fascinating in three or four years.&nbsp;
The red version Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($20) is an expression of wild-berry flavors from a blend led by Alicante-Bouschet. The tannins are tight but round, a veritable bargain to age. More mature sibling Marqu&ecirc;s de Borba Reserva 2021 ($75) is one of Alentejo&rsquo;s grand wines, with a sense of noble decadence from the blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, and Cabernet Sauvignon.&nbsp; The wine shows signs of the savory notes of development, a touch of fresh suede and soy, but the red fruit is sumptuous, the tannins have a silken velvety quality, and the acidity is completely &agrave; point. Think a decade or more.
<h3 dir="ltr">Natus Vini</h3>
Natus Vini is a small winery established in Vidigueira, Alentejo&rsquo;s coolest subregion, by the winemaker at Herdade de Mouch&atilde;o. The farming is regenerative, and traditional winemaking practices are followed that include two days of foot trodding, fermenting in 19th century talhas, and aging in century-old barrels. Made mostly from Trincadeira and Castel&atilde;o the Tinto 2022 ($48) delivers exhilarating freshness, with bright, but earthy aromas of hibiscus, cherry, and ripe pomegranate, underlined by mineral notes. Wonderful.
<h3 dir="ltr">Quinta de S&atilde;o Jos&eacute; de Peramanca</h3>
Quinta de S&atilde;o Jos&eacute; de Peramanca, close to the city of &Eacute;vora, dates back to the 17th century. The current owners only planted vines in 2003.&nbsp; Despite the relative youth of the vines, the flagship P&ecirc;ra Velha Grande Reserva 2016 ($105) is an exemplar of what Alentejo wines traditionally were: lusty, warm, and full of flavor, yet, also with a certain elegance. Officially a blend of Trincadeira, Syrah, and Alicante Bouschet, this offers peppery red and dark fruit flavors with notes of braised meat, balanced by mouthwatering acidity.&nbsp; Alentejo for a Napa Cab lover.
<h3 dir="ltr">Susana Est&eacute;ban</h3>
Susana Est&eacute;ban, one of Alentejo&rsquo;s most thoughtful winemakers, comes from Galicia, Spain. She was drawn to Portalegre for its treasury of old, mixed grape, mountain vineyards, and makes several field blend cuv&eacute;es that are almost astonishingly energetic. Her A Centen&aacute;ria Vinhas Velhas 2023 ($50) offers a pageant of mixed cherry flavors, ripe and tart at once, accented with a deep sense of minerality from her granitic soils. There&rsquo;s enough softness of flavor to enjoy now, yet also the structure to lose for some years.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Symington Family</h3>
The Symington Family, which owns several famed Port wine lodges (Graham&rsquo;s, Dow&rsquo;s, Cockburn&rsquo;s, etc.), were drawn to Portalegre for the freshness offered by cool air coming down from the S&atilde;o Mamede mountains, and the schist and granite soils of the vineyards they bought. Quinta da Fonte Souto Portalegre White 2023 ($32) is a beautiful expression of verve from Arinto and Verdelho, offering the acidity, minerality, citrus and apple flavors, with a kiss of oak that would be familiar to fans of white Burgundy. The parallel red Quinta da Fonte Souto Portalegre Red 2020 ($32) is all about savor. Led by Alicante-Bouschet, this four+ variety blend (some are unidentified) is sultry, spicy, and mineral almost to the point of saline, with an abundance of wild, brambly raspberry flavors to balance things out.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">XXVI Talhas</h3>
XXVI Talhas was started as a passion project by a group of friends to preserve the tradition of talha wines in their village of Vila Alva. In 2018, they established themselves in the workshop of a talha-winemaking carpenter, Mester Daniel, whose 26 talhas de barro (clay amphoras) remained three decades after his death. The Mestre Daniel XXVI Talha X 2022 ($45) is a single-amphora blend of five indigenous white grapes that might turn cynics of amphora-aged, skin-contact wines into believers, with its bust of yellow-stone fruit flavors that settle into spicy russet apple with peppery tannin. The fruit feels ripe, even sweet, but the experience is savory, peppery, and dry.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Tapada de Coelheiros</h3>
Tapada de Coelheiros is a large estate dating back to the 15th century that includes oak and pine forests, walnut and olive groves. Many of the grape varieties planted here are from elsewhere, as the majority Cabernet Sauvignon Tapada de Coelheiros 2019 ($45) demonstrates. But there&rsquo;s also a sense of historic Alentejo, too, buffeted by the juicy blueberry and floral spice from the Alicante Bouschet. This wine has no body issues&mdash;it&rsquo;s robust, but it&rsquo;s in terrific shape. If you like tannic grip, open it early. If you prefer it softer, wait.

Alentejo, Part II: A Selection of Exceptional Wines from Portugal’s Most Underrated Region

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Portugal is known for its distinctive, affordable wines, but the underrated Alentejo region is due for its <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/alentejo-portugal-wine">moment in the spotlight</a>.
🥃&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/marcella-mckenna-kentucky-bourbon">Who was Marcella McKenna</a>? Turns out this trailblazing woman played an important role in the history of the McKenna whiskey brand, and Kentucky bourbon.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Port Charlotte 18 ($200)
This is the oldest expression in Bruichladdich&rsquo;s heavily peated Port Charlotte range. It was matured in a variety of cask types, including sherry, bourbon, red wine, and virgin oak, before being bottled at more than 52 percent ABV. Even if you think you don&rsquo;t like smoky single malt scotch, give this one a try&mdash;it has layers of complexity that go way beyond the smoke.
Hogo Monsta ($55)
This unique rum is not meant for sipping&mdash;it&rsquo;s meant to be used very sparingly to add a little bit of flavor to a cocktail. That&rsquo;s because it has a really high amount of aromatic compounds, way more than any other rum on the market, which contributes to the &ldquo;hogo&rdquo; flavor (funky, intense) that some Jamaican rum is famous for. This rum, however, is from Barbados and comes courtesy of Planteray, a brand owned by French company Maison Ferrand.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked ($200)
The name of this bourbon can cause a bit of confusion for some. It kind of sounds like this Woodford release is a double-double-barreled bourbon, but that&rsquo;s not the case. Instead, this is a version of the distillery&rsquo;s Double Oaked bourbon that spends twice as long in a secondary set of casks than the original&mdash;two years instead of one, after initially aging for five to seven years. Last year it joined the lineup as a member of the core portfolio, and that&rsquo;s a very good thing.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/f86ef8ac-95ac-487c-96eb-73b78713f7f8.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Woodford Double Double Oaked 2026">
Double Double Oaked was originally part of the Woodford Distillery Series, but that changed when it decided to add the whiskey to the core lineup and release it nationally&mdash;albeit, still in limited numbers. It was just re-released, and whiskey drinkers should take note. Double barreling a bourbon in a new set of American oak casks has become a relatively common practice, with many different brands and distilleries doing this to increase intensity of flavor and augment notes of oak, spice, and vanilla. That is certainly the case here with this lengthy secondary maturation, which has resulted in a fantastic bourbon (90.4 proof just like regular Woodford)&nbsp; that is, it should be said, pretty expensive at $200. Still, if you like your bourbon bold and expressive, this is a great new bottle to try.
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Tenuta San Leonardo 2020 San Leonardo Red Blend, Vignetti della Dolomiti IGT ($125)
It&rsquo;s good to remember that wines built to age are built in cellars all over the world, not just in the better known places where their reputation precedes them.
In Northern Italy, for example, Barolos, Barbarescos, and Gattinaras tend to hog the spotlight, but there are splendid ageable wines made all throughout the country&rsquo;s northern climes. East of Milan, in the subalpine valleys north of Verona, the conditions are ideal for red varieties, with unique atmospheric patterns, dramatic diurnal shifts, and long grape maturation periods conducive to a long cellar life.
That&rsquo;s certainly the case with this week&rsquo;s wine, the prestigious San Leonardo red blend from the the Guerreri Gonzaga family. Viticulture has been practiced here, in the shadow of the Dolomites, since 1724, and the estate has been a modern player in prestigious red wines for more than a century.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/131b4a1c-1235-410e-90c9-41e7478a44b9.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="San Leonardo">
It is a spectacular site, set in an alpine valley surrounded by foothills, such that the property is influenced by Alpine and Mediterranean climate patterns&mdash;even breezes off Lake Garda, to the south and west, keep the region temperate in winter and cooler in summer.
The family turned the estate over to Bordeaux varieties in the 19th century, planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere, a variety that had been a mystery until somewhat recently. The Carmenere is unusual in the region and yields an especially unique wine, giving off a textbook leafy, peppery note with the kind of polish that 24 months in oak will allow for.
The wine is as mouthwatering as it is deep. Its savory aromas give way to a flavors of lean red berry fruit, and a texture that feels firm and posh, emphasizing fruit skin and firm tannins with the stuff to age 20 years or more. Unique, to be sure, enough to earn Tre Bicchieri honors from Gambero Rosso no less than 25 times since 1993.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: January 30

Portugal has long been a source of well-made, distinctive wines that cost a lot less than one might expect. Regions such as the Douro&mdash;home to Port and hearty reds&mdash;and Vinho Verde&mdash;land of light, refreshing whites&mdash;are well known. But other parts of the country deserve attention, not the least of which is Alentejo, a large, diverse land that stretches into the deep south of the country. The region produces an array of wines that will satisfy wine enthusiasts in search of bottles that are easy on the pocketbook, collectors seeking age-worthy wines of great value, or those geared toward both wines that cut across the grain and remain deeply traditional.
Alentejo, which encompasses nearly a third of Portugal&rsquo;s total land mass, produces a great deal of solid, modestly priced wines that have both local and international appeal. But over the past quarter century, several winemakers from the region itself and elsewhere (perhaps starting with the Rothschilds of Ch&acirc;teau Lafite) saw beyond the under $10 bottle and recognized the region&rsquo;s exceptional potential for producing memorable wines, regardless of price.
To get there, they approached Alentejo&rsquo;s micro-climates and geological differences with a new sensitivity&mdash;they embraced its autochthonous grape varieties as well as its unapologetic adoption of grapes from elsewhere, including a variety scorned even in its place of origin (more on that shortly). Finally, they valorized the practice of fermenting wines in talhas, or amphoras, a tradition that not long ago was seen as archaic.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">The Lay of the Land</h3>
While Portugal is bracketed by the Atlantic on two sides, Alentejo&rsquo;s wine-growing zones aren&rsquo;t defined by the ocean. Rather, this is a land of sunshine and heat that radiates from the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. Summers can get toasty, up to 110&deg; F in some places. There are undulating plains, home to much of Portugal&rsquo;s cereal production (corn, wheat, rice). But a significant portion of the region&rsquo;s topography is populated by olive trees, some centuries old, and in the northeast, by steeper, sharper peaks.
Then there are the oaks of various species. The most significant is Quercus suber, better known as the cork oak, a protected species upon which a large portion of the wine world relies. Livestock&mdash;cattle, sheep, pigs&mdash;is an important part of local culture, and a great deal of the country&rsquo;s finest charcuterie comes from here.
<h3 dir="ltr">History, Ancient and Modern</h3>
Viticulture has been practiced in Alentejo for four millennia, beginning around 2000 BCE with the Tartessian civilization of southern Iberia, followed by the Phoenicians and then the Greeks. It was the Romans, however, who left the greatest legacy, leaving behind not only ruins, but technologies and techniques preserved to this day. The most important of these has been the unbroken use in Alentejo of amphoras, or talhas, to both make and store wines.
Alentejo&rsquo;s wine history saw ebbs and flows after the end of Roman rule in the 5th century CE, including a significant decline during the Moorish period (8th to 13th centuries), and a renaissance with Roman Catholic rule.&nbsp;
Alentejo&rsquo;s modern wine story begins in the 1980s. In 1989, national regulations defining quality and viticultural zones were established with the Alentejo Denomina&ccedil;&atilde;o de Origem. Known as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), akin to France&rsquo;s Appellation d&rsquo;Origine Contr&ocirc;l&eacute;e, the regulations set rules regarding production yields, grape varieties, and blends. Approved wines had to submit to technical analysis and approval by a tasting panel.
This system was refined further in 2003 with the creation of eight subregions defined by soil type, topography, and microclimate. These include Portalegre, Borba, Redondo, Reguengos, &Eacute;vora, Vidigueira, Granja-Amareleja, and Moura. In the northeast, Portalegre, skirting the S&atilde;o Mamede mountain range, is marked by vineyard elevations up to 1000 meters and notably cooler temperatures. Vidigueira, Alentejo&rsquo;s most southern and westerly subregion, enjoys a conduit of cooling Atlantic breezes. Wines in both these zones are marked by freshness, higher acidity, and lower alcohol. In contrast, wines from the hotter, dryer subregions are more robust, higher in alcohol, and fuller bodied, but they can offer an indulgent warmth and excellent capacity for aging.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s Grown and Where</h3>
Portugal is second only to Italy in the number of native grape varieties (around 250). Alentejo is home to at least 20 of those, both reds and whites, and many of its winemakers are proud to proclaim their use of them&mdash;particularly those localized in subzones. Vintners in Validigueira, for instance, are fanatical about the white Ant&atilde;o Vaz, acclaiming its freshness and aromatic qualities. In Portalegre and parts of Borba, especially Estremoz, Arinto is a white favored for its acidity, minerality, and structure, much like Chardonnay in France. In searingly hot Granja-Amareleja, the red Moreto is beloved for its charming red cherry flavors and maintaining its acid.&nbsp;
More than other Portuguese regions, however, Alentejo has long been open to grapes from other parts of the Iberian peninsula, as well as so-called international varieties&mdash;even authorizing some for PDO status. Aragonez, known as Tempranillo in Spain, is, in fact, Alentejo&rsquo;s most-widely planted grape.
More notable, however, is the prominence of Alicante-Bouschet, a teinturier grape (red-fleshed&mdash; most red varieties have white flesh) that was bred in the south of France in the mid-19th century. Regarded as little more than utilitarian in France, as well as in most other places it was planted, Alicante-Bouschet found its natural home in the hot, dry environs of Alentejo when it arrived in the 1880s. It was praised for its structure, deep color, and freshness, with sappy, wild berry flavors sometimes topped with a dusting of cacao.
With its varied microclimates, soils, and 82 authorized grape varieties, Alentejo produces a diversity of colors and styles. Though not required, blending grape varieties is the norm, especially true in wines made from old vineyards which were often co-planted with several varieties. Oak-barrel aging is common, particularly with robust red blends, but producers in the region often apply a subtle hand in their use of wood. More prestigious, investment-worthy wines tend to show their spicy, smokey oak side in their youth, but that element usually melts into the wine after a few years.
<h3 dir="ltr">Talhas&ndash;Alentejo&rsquo;s Amphorae See a Resurgence</h3>
While Alentejo&rsquo;s ancient tradition of talha has been passed down from one generation of vintners to the next, the Portuguese government formalized regulations around their production in 2010. For a wine to be classified as a Talha Alentejo wine, the grapes must be harvested from an Alentejo subregion, and be destemmed and fermented on the skins until completion, and finally rest in impermeable clay amphoras until the Saint Martin&rsquo;s Day (November 11) following harvest. Only after then can the talha&rsquo;s contents be tapped for consumption and sale.
Historically speaking, talha wines were sold at tavern-restaurants. Since the size of the amphora (up to 2000 liters) made transport difficult, the wines were often made there as well, ready to be served fresh with seafood or hearty meat dishes from the Alentejo countryside. In comparison to wines made in Georgian amphora (qvevri), talha wines are somewhat lighter, fresher, and less tannic. Another difference&mdash;whereas amphoras are buried in the ground in Georgia for natural temperature control, they&rsquo;re kept above ground in Portugal. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re just too lazy to bury them,&rdquo; admits Jo&atilde;o Santos of Mainova winery.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Present and the Future</h3>
The transformation of Alentejo in the past three decades shows that laziness is not one of the region&rsquo;s issues. But one challenge is certainly climate change, as winemakers are forced to strategize about the best ways to deal with it. Growers throughout the region have begun employing regenerative farming methods, and those in Portalegre are planting at higher elevations.
Elsewhere, vignerons are exploring&nbsp; more judicious irrigation systems like subterranean water lines. Still others are revisiting some of the ancient or out of favor varieties like Moreto, Tinta Carvalha, or Tamarez, varieties that can withstand the heat. Regardless, Alentejo&rsquo;s ancient history of winemaking and its ability to remake itself, will certainly bring the region into a positive future.
In our next installment, we&rsquo;ll explore some of the estates that should be on your radar.

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Alentejo Might Be Portugal’s Most Underrated Region, But It's Ready For Its Spotlight: Part I

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Alentejo Might Be Portugal’s Most Underrated Region, But It's Ready For Its Spotlight: Part I

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