What the perfect red means to us
the perfect red
What is the perfect red – not quite glou glou, but also not really full-bodied; fantastic with food, but also easygoing enough to be enjoyed without and, most of all, affordable (relatively speaking). It was the idea of great Tuesday night drinking that was and is the impetus for the perfect red lineup. The project began with a Clairet-style bottling dubbed ‘Le Rouge Parfait’ in 2018 when Michel Théron (Clos du Jaugueyron) had a parcel that needed to be picked early due to disease pressure that otherwise would have gone into the Haut-Medoc cuvée. Then continued with Chris Brockway’s Berkeley cellar and later in the Douro at Mateus Nicolau De Almeida’s.
Custom bottlings have slowly become part of most wine importers' portfolios for a multitude of reasons. For Selection Massale, the first entry into this world was with the La Boutanche line-up in 2012. A lot has changed in those ten years and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to import wines that retail in the low $20s.
Selection Massale partner, Tim Gagnon says "the cost of everything continues to soar from farming costs, bottles, labels, etc. to shipping and trucking once the wine reaches its destination. For the foreseeable future, there is no respite. And as the effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, I’m not really sure we can get back to where we were even just a couple of years ago. So, with that being said, I really think it’s going to come down to education and conversations about what really is going into your $20 retail bottle of wine. This becomes especially true when dealing with producers who farm less than thirty hectares."
For context, the perfect red custom bottlings are still small-scale in the broad spectrum of the wine world. It’s not that larger is always worse, but when it comes to organic farming there really is a cap to what can be accomplished. Mateus' production of the perfect red is around 10,000 bottles which is a fraction of the size of even some allocated wines.
The process of working with producers for custom bottlings begins with necessity — does it fit pricing and quantity needs. Then it's a surprisingly straightforward process that begins with a producer being comfortable putting their name on something that doesn’t exist in their current lineup and the discussion then turns to stylistic needs/wants and goes from there.
When asked why the perfect red wines are so reflective of Selection Massale, partner Nadim Audi said "they're wines that engage with the tradition of the classic bistro lunch wine, they're about time and place and food, but they are not wines that are trying to signal their authenticity through a particular style of winemaking or technique."
So, here's to natty wine not always being iridescent and steak wine not always being ridiculously expensive.
read q & a with winemakers
What is the perfect red – not quite glou glou, but also not really full-bodied; fantastic with food, but also easygoing enough to be enjoyed without and, most of all, affordable (relatively speaking). It was the idea of great Tuesday night drinking that was and is the impetus for the perfect red lineup. The project began with a Clairet-style bottling dubbed ‘Le Rouge Parfait’ in 2018 when Michel Théron (Clos du Jaugueyron) had a parcel that needed to be picked early due to disease pressure that otherwise would have gone into the Haut-Medoc cuvée. Then continued with Chris Brockway’s Berkeley cellar and later in the Douro at Mateus Nicolau De Almeida’s.
Custom bottlings have slowly become part of most wine importers' portfolios for a multitude of reasons. For Selection Massale, the first entry into this world was with the La Boutanche line-up in 2012. A lot has changed in those ten years and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to import wines that retail in the low $20s.
Selection Massale partner, Tim Gagnon says "the cost of everything continues to soar from farming costs, bottles, labels, etc. to shipping and trucking once the wine reaches its destination. For the foreseeable future, there is no respite. And as the effects of climate change continue to reveal themselves, I’m not really sure we can get back to where we were even just a couple of years ago. So, with that being said, I really think it’s going to come down to education and conversations about what really is going into your $20 retail bottle of wine. This becomes especially true when dealing with producers who farm less than thirty hectares."
For context, the perfect red custom bottlings are still small-scale in the broad spectrum of the wine world. It’s not that larger is always worse, but when it comes to organic farming there really is a cap to what can be accomplished. Mateus' production of the perfect red is around 10,000 bottles which is a fraction of the size of even some allocated wines.
The process of working with producers for custom bottlings begins with necessity — does it fit pricing and quantity needs. Then it's a surprisingly straightforward process that begins with a producer being comfortable putting their name on something that doesn’t exist in their current lineup and the discussion then turns to stylistic needs/wants and goes from there.
When asked why the perfect red wines are so reflective of Selection Massale, partner Nadim Audi said "they're wines that engage with the tradition of the classic bistro lunch wine, they're about time and place and food, but they are not wines that are trying to signal their authenticity through a particular style of winemaking or technique."
So, here's to natty wine not always being iridescent and steak wine not always being ridiculously expensive.
read q & a with winemakers
describe a perfect red?
@coolwinekidzonly, a/the wine meme account: “I’ve been thinking about this since you asked, and I kept trying to come up with a better answer but keep coming back to this — the perfect red is comforting. That’s why we love reds in the winter with heavy food to warm up. It’s a red that is juicy, spicy with a long finish, but ultimately based in comfort.”
Kate Cornelius-Schecter, Selection Massale Illinois Sales Manager: “My thinking immediately goes to how households tend to skew one way or the other. For instance, I once had a roommate (with whom I am no longer friends) who said to me "you know you are in a much better mood when there's a case of red wine in the house." These days, with my partner Josh, we tend to reach for white wine on most occasions. But then the red wine mood sweeps in, like a mistral or the Juliette Binoche wind from "Chocolat." And when it does, how does it sweep. One habit we developed during quarantine was treating ourselves to monthly, or weekly depending on the month, steak nights with meat from the local Slagel Farms. Josh would do au poivre (cold night) or with chimichurri (warm night) and we would play the fun game of "which steak wine will we drink tonight." And much like Juliette Binoche knowing your favorite chocolate without having to ask, this process involves a bit of magic and mystery. Your hand might hover over the Bordeaux you've been sitting on for a couple of years, then drift towards a Barolo you've been meaning to try, only to be completely distracted and swept away by a Trousseau that may not be the technically perfect pairing but it's what your heart wants!
So, in the interest of brevity, I will say that the perfect red is one that calls to you. It is the one that, at the very least, sings with your steak and, on the elusive and life-validating occasion, transports you to a place you didn't expect to imagine that evening.”
@coolwinekidzonly, a/the wine meme account: “I’ve been thinking about this since you asked, and I kept trying to come up with a better answer but keep coming back to this — the perfect red is comforting. That’s why we love reds in the winter with heavy food to warm up. It’s a red that is juicy, spicy with a long finish, but ultimately based in comfort.”
Kate Cornelius-Schecter, Selection Massale Illinois Sales Manager: “My thinking immediately goes to how households tend to skew one way or the other. For instance, I once had a roommate (with whom I am no longer friends) who said to me "you know you are in a much better mood when there's a case of red wine in the house." These days, with my partner Josh, we tend to reach for white wine on most occasions. But then the red wine mood sweeps in, like a mistral or the Juliette Binoche wind from "Chocolat." And when it does, how does it sweep. One habit we developed during quarantine was treating ourselves to monthly, or weekly depending on the month, steak nights with meat from the local Slagel Farms. Josh would do au poivre (cold night) or with chimichurri (warm night) and we would play the fun game of "which steak wine will we drink tonight." And much like Juliette Binoche knowing your favorite chocolate without having to ask, this process involves a bit of magic and mystery. Your hand might hover over the Bordeaux you've been sitting on for a couple of years, then drift towards a Barolo you've been meaning to try, only to be completely distracted and swept away by a Trousseau that may not be the technically perfect pairing but it's what your heart wants!
So, in the interest of brevity, I will say that the perfect red is one that calls to you. It is the one that, at the very least, sings with your steak and, on the elusive and life-validating occasion, transports you to a place you didn't expect to imagine that evening.”
region spotlight
Mateus Nicolau De Almeida is located in the Douro which is a region known for: being a UNESCO World Heritage site, having terraced vineyards, a wide range of schist soils, and the birthplace of Port. The valley is two hours from the coastal city of Porto and divided into three sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
The perfect red bottling is sourced from Biaxo Corgo which is the westernmost sub-region known for a cooler and rainy climate. Overall, the region is more continental, protected by mountain ranges the Serra de Alvấo, Serra de Padrela and Serra de Bornes in the North; Serra do Marấo in the west. Combine these steep slopes and soaring mountains with the Douro River and its tributaries cutting through — the region is unequivocally grand.
The photo above was taken by Nadim this summer on a drive to see some of Mateus’ vineyards. He described the region as a fusion of the Mosel and Rhone while still being very much it’s own. “For people who hold a grudge towards grape variety driven wine talk, it feels like reaching nirvana, because nothing in the wine culture there is driven by grape variety.”
Mateus Nicolau De Almeida is located in the Douro which is a region known for: being a UNESCO World Heritage site, having terraced vineyards, a wide range of schist soils, and the birthplace of Port. The valley is two hours from the coastal city of Porto and divided into three sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.
The perfect red bottling is sourced from Biaxo Corgo which is the westernmost sub-region known for a cooler and rainy climate. Overall, the region is more continental, protected by mountain ranges the Serra de Alvấo, Serra de Padrela and Serra de Bornes in the North; Serra do Marấo in the west. Combine these steep slopes and soaring mountains with the Douro River and its tributaries cutting through — the region is unequivocally grand.
The photo above was taken by Nadim this summer on a drive to see some of Mateus’ vineyards. He described the region as a fusion of the Mosel and Rhone while still being very much it’s own. “For people who hold a grudge towards grape variety driven wine talk, it feels like reaching nirvana, because nothing in the wine culture there is driven by grape variety.”