Minimalist Wines

Massa Vecchia

La Fonte di Pietrarsa Maremma Toscana Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

Sublime Cabernet Sauvignon! No added SO2. New wave Natty Wines hipsters should take note. A well-made, minimalist intervention wine doesn’t need to be a mousey, volatile lab experiment gone wrong yet sold for big $. At 21 years, it’s fresh, faultless, balanced and alive with energetic flavour. — 7 years ago

Ira liked this

La Viarte

Colli Orientali del Friuli Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2009

Minimalist label. Dark, tannic, with incredibly pure red and black fruits, and very Italian. — 8 years ago

Dragon's Head

Wild Fermented Cider

Very pale yellow in color. Good head on pour and good carbonation with medium to large sized bubbles. Delicate aroma. Lightly flavored in mouth with some bitterness, followed by slight malic and lactic acid tastes on finish, followed by a slight astringency with pulp-flavored aftertaste. If you like fruit forward ciders, this is not one of them; this is austere, dry to off-dry, bare-bone, minimalist cider. A worthy exercise in creative or alternative cider making styles but it won't be to everyone's taste. I enjoyed it, so it's worth a try if you can approach it with an open mind. — 9 years ago

P and Greg liked this

Alexander Koppitsch

Grüner Veltliner

Dark fruited, juicy, and delicious. Pair with some obscure, minimalist jazz music. — 9 years ago

Domaine de la Terre Rouge

Les Côtes de l'Ouest Syrah 2011

Bill knows great booze. He makes great wine. An original #rhoneranger This 2011 is sumptuous in its minimalist approach to joy delivery. — 9 years ago

Gérard Raphet

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2013

Very fresh with lots of acid running the whole way through. Bright fruit, minimalist winemaking. — 10 years ago

Chateau Montelena

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012

Finesse and elegance. A minimalist, retrained, and refined Chard. Simply gorgeous. — 10 years ago

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay 2014

Pure juicy cherry and cranberry with stony highlights. But this is all about purity of fruit. Great lift and depth which help show that it's not as simple as it seems. Feels modern, minimalist, sleek and self confident. — 10 years ago

Marc, LM and 3 others liked this

Klickitat Canyon

Meadowlark Gold Organic Syrah

100% Syrah, no sulfites added. From a minimalist winemaker and wow do I love it. Dandelion, diaper, and I still love it! — 11 years ago

Lena Kim
with Lena

Monks Gate

Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir 2012

An ideal growing season paired beautifully with our minimalist winemaking style to produce this Pinot. Rich hues of blueberry draw the eye, while lush dark stone fruits coat the palate. Velvety finish leaves you wanting more! — 12 years ago

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

Pearl necklace and earrings. Very modest and minimalist. Those cheeks. Family money. Ready to pair with a feast. I have been eyeing her since 2007. — 7 years ago

KBM
with KBM
Peter liked this

Paumanok

Minimalist Chenin Blanc 2015

30 May 2017. Rouge Tomate, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

Domaine Jean Grivot

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Pinot Noir 2011

Incredibly minimalist but so deep.
#oxymoron
— 9 years ago

Ron, David and 2 others liked this

Ankida Ridge

Chardonnay 2014

Since I am not experienced in white burgundy, appreciating this minimalist style is a work in process for me. I will continue to age my cellar collection of these Chards. The highlight here is the fruit articulation. — 9 years ago

BrewDog

Hardcore IPA

Minimalist — 9 years ago

Fekete Pince

Somlói Hárslevelu 2011

Harslevelu from Somlo, Hungary, made by the "Grand Old Man" Fekete Bela. Harslevelu is the supporting grape to Furmint in the production of Tokaji.

But here we have only Harslevelu, aka the "lime leaf" or "Linden leaf", which is the dominant grape in the tiny region of Somlo vinified dry.

Minimalist wine making, hand harvesting, fermentation and 3 years aging in old 1200 liter Hungarian oak casks before bottling.

I get a lot of dried apples, honey, lime citrus with and underlying powerful minerality with comparably mouth-watering acidity. The density of the wine distracts you if you don't pay attention for the mouthwatering. You can taste the air this gets with the barrel aging as it broadens the wine and deepens the complexity. Depth, density and power with a deep minerally core.

Ironically I was listening to a @leviopenswine podcast today with JL Chave and how Chave spoke about the importance of barrel aging of the white wines for the air (not the oak per se) to break up the flesh of the white wine with the oxygen...this wine made me think of that description from JL on how he makes his Hermitage Blanc.
— 9 years ago

Joe, Anthony and 12 others liked this
MaJ CappS

MaJ CappS Influencer Badge

Another one added to my list, thanks Tom!
Tom Kobylarz

Tom Kobylarz Influencer Badge

Cheers, would like to know what you think about it! 👍 Cheers!

Minimalist

Côtes du Roussillon Grenache Blend 2013

Bought at Earth Fare on sale! — 10 years ago

Holly Kurtz
with Holly
Holly liked this

Enderle & Moll

Buntsandstein Pinot Noir 2013

My oh my oh my. Let me first try to describe this as objectively as I can before I start babbling in tongues about why it's awesome. So, okay, we'll start with the color, which is somewhere between a rosé and a pale red. That's as good a portent as any for what you get when you taste it, which is this ethereal, gossamer, lacy thing that would probably flutter to the earth even slower than a feather if it were a solid object. It has a sense of freshness and light without being overtly fruity, i.e. it features the freshness and essential perfume of the fruit without the sweetness or fat. It has a minerally element too, subtle (though everything about this is subtle) but clearly reminiscent of gravelly rock pulverized to an ultrafine powder (everything about this is ultrafine). The word "finesse" is a cliché, ditto for "ethereal," but ultimately that's what's so awesome about this. I have had a lot of disappointing German pinot noir, even from highly regarded producers, and they never turn out to be what you think German pinot noir ought to be (i.e., as clear and pure and transparent as riesling, with all that cool-climate lightness). Somehow some of them turn out to be big fat Sonoma pinot lookalikes, which I will never understand. This is not like that. I am really at a loss to think of anything from anywhere to compare this to that so effortlessly pulls off such a vivid personality out of material so fine it only barely seems to have a corporeal existence, and not a flaw or seam to be seen in the way it is all put together. I can think of a Jura pinot that was in the ballpark (the '08 Chais des Vieux Bourg) and the weight and physical presence bring to mind something like Coteaux Champenois or the Dirty & Rowdy reds, but as far as I am concerned this is sui generis. There are aspects that bring to mind all sorts of things but it really needs its own frame of reference. It is profound but not in the same way that grand cru Burgundy is profound; it's a brilliant soloist, not a symphony, almost minimalist in its simplicity and tranquility, best paired with your favorite easy chair and some quiet moments. — 11 years ago

Paumanok

Minimalist Chardonnay 2010

Rita Jammet
9.5

Paumanok Minimalist Chardonnay 2010 by Kareem Massoud as pure as they get. A beauty — 12 years ago

Kareem Massoud
with Kareem
Kareem Massoud

Kareem Massoud Influencer Badge

Thanks Rita!

Broc Cellars

Vine Starr Sonoma County Zinfandel 2016

This is perfect for July 4th. Zin that tastes like zin but without the chocolate and oak. Could smell it for days. Palate is strawberry jam with stone, forest, and bright acidic fruit. If you like the minimalist wine movement, you must try this. Especially the 2016. — 7 years ago

Paumanok

Minimalist Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Amy F
9.4

We talked about buying a case of this. So delicious, easy, but interesting. Love supporting local wineries. — 7 years ago

Arnot-Roberts

California Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Ripe aromas of cassis, tobacco and old leather jacket.. vibrant purple color with beautiful acid/fruit balance on the mid-palate... the finish is all about pin-point soft tannins and vibrant, almost tart acidity.... beautiful 2012 that differs from the opulent cola candy fruitbombs that so many cab makers gave you. Brilliant example of minimalist winemaking! — 9 years ago

Dan liked this

Charles Krug

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1965

1965! Totally old Napa. Sandalwood, soy, umami, and still singing..... Still showed depth and layers the next day. This is a testament to minimalist winemaking. — 9 years ago

Somm liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

Krug were so great back then.

Founder's

Mosaic Promise Malt

Want to try this on tap; bottled is delicious. First whiff after pour has a green, bracing freshness (pine?) that burns off as it sits for a few minutes, so savor that first sip! Citrus and apricots, great mouthwatering acidity. You'll keep sipping. For Founders, a clean and more minimalist beer. Nice change-up from them! — 10 years ago

Roark Wine Company

Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Malbec 2013

Minimalist approach to the winemaking. Juicy and awesome results. — 10 years ago

Didier

Vine Vale Cinsault

2012 Cinsault. A beauty. So structured and fine. Long flavours. Minimalist making. Cracking wine. — 10 years ago

Scott liked this

Sébastien David

Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Vin d'une Oreille Cabernet Franc 2011

Fresh black berries, pottery soil, iron, mushrooms, violets, clay. Silky body, high concentration. Balanced acidity/smooth tannins. Nose suggests southern rhone, drinks like an aged wine. Elegant wine, minimalist packaging. — 11 years ago

Clos Rougeard

"Brézé" Saumur Chenin Blanc 2002

Bacara. Still on the list. Alex and Lindsey give a thumbs up. Touch of oxidation, but I'm feeling it's where it should be. Great texture. Minimalist honeyed. — 11 years ago

Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet (Hervé Souhaut)

Sainte Epine Syrah

Michele Smith
10

Brilliant, elegant. High elevation, very old vines, and minimalist approach — 13 years ago

John Trinidad

John Trinidad Influencer Badge

Much love for this wine!
CS

CS Influencer Badge

That Hervé, he's Sooou-haut right now!!
Marc On

Marc On Influencer Badge

@Michele Smith you remember the vintage?