Welcome to the tenth release of the Vineyard Cellar Select Club!
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September Selections
2024 Ordinary Fellow Box Car Vineyard Riesling & 2023 Buckel Family Cabernet Franc
Colorado’s overall wine quality has been steadily improving over the past decade, and there are now multiple quality producers in the state. However, with most vineyards and wineries on the western slope we don’t always get to stay up to date on the latest wines here in Denver. September’s selections are both 100% Colorado wines – no imported fruit from California here – that highlight two of the state’s top varieties: Riesling and Cabernet France. Both enjoy the high-altitude (Colorado is home to some of the highest elevation vineyards globally) climate of the high desert found in western Colorado and can handle the harsh winters and hot summers well. Both wines in this month’s club are two of our favorite from Colorado at the moment, and showcase varietal typicity while also translating Colorado’s unique terroir well.
The Ordinary Fellow is the newest winery from Ben Parsons, formerly of Infinite Monkey Theory. Here, the quality has definitely improved and Ben is now behind some the best wines to claim Colorado as their home. While the winery is in Palisade, the Box Car Vineyard that is the source for his Riesling is actually located in Colorado’s southwest corner, near to Durango. Here, the Riesling soaks up the desert sun, with cool nights and elevation keeping the ripeness in check. Fermented dry, this is a crisp, refreshing, and utterly enjoyable alpine take on one of the wine world’s most loved grapes. The 2024 Box Car Vineyard Riesling was awarded a whopping 93 points from Decanter Magazine and offers a classic profile of cardamom, ginger and spiced pear aromas that lead to crisp flavors of lemon-lime, sliced ginger, white pepper and crushed stone minerality that culminate in a dry, mouthwatering finish. This would be a wonderful counterpart to a grilled Palisade peach salad or seafood dishes.
Buckel Family Wine is based in Gunnison where Joe and Shamai Buckel have set their sights on crafting sustainable, terroir-driven wines with minimal intervention. They source fruit from family farms that share their passion for sustainable farming practices, respect for our beautiful state, and a sense of adventure. Joe leads up the winemaking, leaning on his past experience at Flowers Vineyard & Winery and BR Cohn Winery, both in California, as well as Sutcliffe vineyards, a long-standing Colorado winery as well as his deep love of the science behind the wine. Their 2023 Cabernet Franc is a great example of the variety, earning a 92 point rating from James Suckling. Bottles unfined and unfiltered, it is juicy and medium-bodied with flavors redolent of juicy red fruits, alpine flowers and freshly dried tobacco leaves that are supported by a mineral frame of acidity and gentle but drying tannins. A wonderful choice to serve alongside southwest chili and pinto beans, your Thanksgiving feast or as a lighter option of grilled ribeyes and chimichurri.
