Wine Club: September 2026
This month's wine club features a medley of mouthwatering wines we’ve been looking for an excuse to bring in. No theme, just great vino!
Maison les Alexandrins Viognier
Ardeche, France
Maison les Alexandrins is a trio of growers/winemakers in the Northern Rhone and Ardeche who make a wide range of wines primarily from the classic varieties of the area: Viognier and Syrah. Their wines from Ardeche focus on highlighting these grapes in more approachable wines than the typical wine from the Northern Rhone which can be quite spendy. This Viognier comes from vineyards at very high elevation in Ardeche’s craggy terrain. It’s wonderfully vibrant while retaining the classic aromatics associated with the grape and has a silky mouthfeel from six months of aging on the fine lees. A white wine ideal for crisp fall weather.
The Grapes
100% Viognier
Tasting Notes
White peach, melon, apricot, apples, lilac, tulip, honeysuckle. Lots of lovely floral notes. Rich, oily texture and nice acidity. Classic Viognier.
Pairing Suggestions
Can it Age?
Drink now!
‘L Lac Lugana
Veneto, Italy
‘L Lac is a tiny estate in the heart of the Lugana DOC that straddles the southern shore of Lake Garda in Veneto. This DOC makes only white and sparkling wines from the Verdicchio grape, called Trebbiano di Lugana here. ‘L Lac farms only a few small vineyards, six hectares total, and makes only this wine. Production is very limited and we were lucky to snag most of the cases that came into Wisconsin this year.
The Grapes
100% Trebbiano di Lugana (Verdicchio)
Tasting Notes
Ripe meyer lemon, yellow pear, yellow apple, thistle, wild herbs and almond skin. Bright acidity balances the subtle bite of bitterness that’s typical of Verdicchio.
Pairing Suggestions
Grilled swordfish yum yum yum
Can it Age?
Drink now!
Chateau Carbonneau "Pur Jus"
Bordeaux, France
Carbonneau is one of the few Bordeaux producers making real efforts to produce wines that express the region in a more modern light. While they do make classic, expensive, ageable wines, the bulk of their production goes towards decidedly fresh and approachable bottlings, highlighting the wonderful range of styles possible in this hallowed corner of French winemaking. Pur Jus is a fun Merlot, a shorter maceration and no oak aging lead to a distinctly fresh wine that should change any Merlot-skeptic’s mind on this oft-derided grape.
The Grapes
90% Merlot, 10% Malbec
Tasting Notes
Loads of red and black fruit, plum and lavender. Soft tannins and balanced acid on the palate. A hint of bell pepper is wrapped up in all those fruit notes as well. Long, lingering finish.
Pairing Suggestions
Can it Age?
Hold for up to two years.
Chateau de Rouanne ‘Vinsobres’
Southern Rhone, France
Rouanne, named after ‘Rugius’, the original Roman owner of the estate on this land, is a sprawling network of vineyards that spread out from a 12th century castle that sits in the middle of the property. It’s located in the Vinsobres AOC, which is one of the newer AOC’s in the Rhone Valley, producing only red wines that must be at least 50% Grenache. This Vinsobres is a very pure expression of the classic Rhone blend, aged for sixteen months in cement vats, it has great length to it without any influence of oak.
The Grapes
50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre
Tasting Notes
Rich black fruit, raspberries, licorice, crushed roses, black pepper and eucalyptus. Full-bodied and very complex on the palate with worn leather and bramble notes peeking out in the finish.
Pairing Suggestions
Can it Age?
Hold for up to ten years.
