Rodnick Farm Vineyard Chalone Mélon de Bourgogne

A great wine for pairing with lighter fare but particularly with spicy chicken dishes.

Jolie-Laide (pretty-ugly, a term of endearment in French) is the independent label of young-gun duo Scott and Jenny Schultz. Progressive wines and varietals, this Californian micro-negociant are making waves. Unconventional, as the name suggests. They work with a handful of growers, all of whom farm organically (none certified); it is their ability to seek out spectacular vineyard sites which allows them to be hands off in the winemaking process. Scott also works alongside Pax Mahle at Wind Gap wines, one of Sonoma’s (and California’s) most revered wine labels.

Elevated site on the slops of an extinct volcano, with decomposed granite and limestone soils.

Whole cluster, native yeasts. Pressed to concrete eggs for natural fermentation and 6 month elevage.