Domaine South
European Wine Tasting
French & Italian Wines
Special Guest, Phil Oreh of Alabama Crown
Friday, August 7th, 4pm - 6pm
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
The Wines
2025 Domaine Raffault Sancerre, Loire Valley, France $32.99
Varietal Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Elaboration: The vineyard soils for the Sancerre are clay and limestone. Vinification is done in stainless steel tanks and the wine is aged for 6 months prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes: A nice freshness and minerality. The nose offers citrus odors and white fruits. Fresh and exotic fruit aromas on the final stretch over orange and dried fruits.
This is a third-generation producer, with father Pierre handing things over to son Bertrand in 2005. Bertrand brings a bit of a unique (and more urban) background to what is overall a fairly provincial scene in Chaudoux – He returned home to the winery after earning a Master’s degree in Sociology, and is just as interested in music and cooking as he is winegrowing. If you make it to the property ask about their unbelievable collection of old clay “crotin de chavignol” molds. The family owns 20 vineyard plots in total (almost exclusively on very steep slopes), and all soils are either flint or of of two types of calcareous clay known locally as “caillottes” and “terres blanches.” In terms of size we are talking 9.5 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 1.5 hectares of Pinot Noir.
2021 Comtesse de Malet Roquefort, Bordeaux, France $15.99
Producer notes: This ripe, sexy, and flamboyant wine reveals a deep purple color as well as classic notes of black cherries, tobacco, forest floor, and earth. Showing a floral edge with time in the glass, it's medium-bodied, upfront, and ready to go. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc.
Pair this Right Bank Bordeaux with roast lamb, beef stew, grilled veal, poultry, or game dishes to complement its soft tannins and ripe dark-fruit profile. It also works beautifully with mushroom dishes, charcuterie, and medium-aged cheeses when you want an approachable, polished red for a savory meal.
2023 Campo Almare Bolgheri Rosso Toscana, Tuscany, Italy $38.99
92James Suckling: Rich and expressive on the nose, this offers ripe red and dark berries, dried orange peel, sweet licorice and a hint of cedar. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows tightness and firmness with a layer of oak spices over the succulent core of berry fruit. Lightly austere at the end, with hints of ground cloves and walnuts. Drink or hold.
Winemaker Note
Bolgheri is a territory of international grapes. The soil and climatic conditions have in fact conditioned viticulture in this part of Tuscany, identifying Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot as the perfect grapes for cultivation in this area that is reminiscent in its pedological and climatic traits of the Bordeaux area.
Bright and lively purple red color. On the nose, hints of flowers, red fruit, aromatic herbs and elegant spice notes of milk chocolate and vanilla. Crispy on the palate, with silky tannins but never edgy
2021 Villa Matilde Aglianico, Campagna, Italy $16.99
After the clusters are de- stemmed and pressed, the must is cold-macerated, then ferments for some 20 days at 20oC. The wine is then drawn off and completes the malolactic fermentation. In stainless steel, then a traditional stay in large ovals, followed by some 3 months’ bottle ageing. Rich in sandy clays, quartz sandstones, and fossil beds.
Appearing a shimmering red with purplish highlights, this Aglianico offers intense, long-lingering impressions of spice, wild blackberries, and ripe red berryfruit. The palate is warm, full-bodied, and velvet-smooth. This full-volumed wine, modern in style, demonstrates in an appealing and convincing fashion its intimate bond with its terroir of origin.
2023 Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso Di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy $35.99
Winemaker Notes
Shows ripe, wild cherry fruit aromas and flavors with leather and spice. Medium-bodied and fruit-forward with a velvety texture and ripe tannins.
A “mini Brunello,” ready to drink without bottle aging. Matured for 12 months in oak. Grapes for this wine are hand harvested from the esteemed Casale del Bosco estate. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with skin contact, then the wine is matured in new and used casks, followed by bottle aging.
Professional Ratings 91 James Suckling
Pure and rich on the nose with dark cherries, hints of tomato leaf and subtle earthy spice. Tense and refined, with firm yet polished tannins and a dry, mineral finish. Sustainable.
