Jolie-Laide 'Red Wine' California 2021

Scott Schultz, founder of Jolie-Laide, began as a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville before switching to the production side of wine with a job as cellar manager at Realm, followed by a stint as Assistant Winemaker at Wind Gap. “Jolie-Laide” is a rough translation of the French for “unconventionally beautiful” or “ugly-pretty”, and although his wines may defy convention, they are certainly beautiful! Scott and his partner, Jenny Schultz, run the show themselves in Sebastopol in Sonoma County, with a finely honed talent for seeking out prime fruit from sustainably farmed plots, and natural, less-is-more philosophy in the cellar. No two bottlings are the same, and this ‘Red Wine’ is an exquisite blend of lesser-known grapes: 45% trousseau noir, 30% cabernet pfeffer (also known as mourtaou in its homeland of France, and often mistaken for trousseau), 20% valdiguié, and 5% gamay, each fermented separately before blending. This distinctive cuvée is lithe and layered, with delicate bursts of raspberries, incense, tobacco, and bold dashes of black pepper and minerals. Organically grown, low-intervention/natural wine.